She suddenly shivered. “But I think he might have been a challenge.”
“No, he wouldn’t. We wouldn’t let him,” Joe said. “But I prefer you not have the distraction. He bothers you. So get rid of him, and when I come back, we’ll discuss the other hurdles to overcome.” He paused at the door and looked back at the reconstruction. He smiled, then deliberately gave the Varak skull the finger. “Get rid of him,” he repeated. “He’s no threat to you. Alive or dead, we won’t let him touch you.”
Then he was gone.
* * *
Jill opened the door of the museum ten minutes later. “Quinn is on his way,” she said. “Novak got him out of the village as soon as he could. I think he was afraid he’d have to protect me from him and that would have caused all kinds of trouble with you.” She hadn’t moved from the doorway. “Am I allowed to come in? I have to do it anyway because I have to be near you. But I hope that you’ll still permit me to do it. I know that Quinn was terribly angry with me.”
“For heaven’s sake, come in.” Eve shook her head with exasperation. “And you should have expected him to be angry. Your research should have told you that Joe can be very cool most of the time, but he has his limits.”
“And you’re definitely one of those limits.” Jill shook her head. “No, you’re the supreme limit. I did realize it, I just hadn’t experienced it.” She came into the room. “It’s going to take me a long time to find a way to get him to forgive me.”
“No question.” She sat down at her worktable. “Does it matter?”
“Yes. Making amends is always important. I’ll just have to do something very good that will make up for the bad. It’s all a question of balance. The monks taught me that when I was a kid.”
“Monks?”
“In Tibet. They were cool dudes.” She looked at Eve with a frown. “You haven’t had breakfast yet, have you?”
“I’ll eat later.”
She shook her head. “You’ll get involved and put it off. I’ll go down and get some fruit from Hajif, then send someone to Jokan for something more substantial.” She frowned. “Tea or coffee? I can make you decaf.”
“Tea will be fine. And now isn’t the time for decaf.”
“No, it isn’t.” She started to turn away. “Thank you for not letting him turn you against me. I know that I’m nothing to you, and he’s everything. But you won’t be sorry. I’ll keep you safe.”
“Just don’t let anyone disturb me until Varak is finished. That’s all I need from you.” She grimaced. “And that’s all Joe will want also. To have this over.”
Jill shook her head. “But he wants something else more. He told Novak and me he’d kill both of us if you got even a scratch while we were taking care of you.” She smiled. “So I have to make certain to pay attention to his priorities even if they conflict with yours.” She headed for the door. “I’ll be right back. Please don’t acquire any scratches while I’m gone.”
Eve shook her head ruefully as Jill disappeared. She had known Joe was in a fury when he’d come back to the museum, but she’d hoped he’d been exaggerating when he’d said he’d been threatening dire things. She should have known better. Well, Novak and Jill would have to learn to accept Joe as he was and be damn glad to have him on their side.
She forced herself to turn back to the Varak reconstruction. Blank gaping holes for eyes stared at her from that scorched, blackened face. Joe had realized that she had been nervous about doing this reconstruction. And though he hadn’t wanted her to do it, he had offered her his support in typical Joe fashion. She smiled as she remembered that scornful, insulting finger Joe had given Varak before he left.
Lord, she loved him.
“He’s right, I can do this,” she murmured as she gazed into those gaping eyes. “Screw you, Varak.”
She leaned closer, her gaze intent, as she started to measure again.
* * *
Gideon was standing beside the steps of the plane when Joe was dropped off at the airfield. “I hear we’re going to Cairo,” he said as he turned and went up the steps. “I thought that’s where we’d end up after you talked to Novak.”
“But you still didn’t tell me anything about Yusef Dobran on the way here,” Joe