Death Echo

isn’t.”
    â€œIf Durand’s so smart, why ain’t he rich?”
    Demidov laughed soundlessly as he stood and walked the few steps to the slops bucket. The cousins came from families that hadlived in America so long they had absorbed the culture whether or not they wished to.
    â€œTemuri wants Blackbird out of here by tomorrow at dawn, no later. None of the other captains we use are available right now. You want to drive that boat yourself?”
    â€œFine. Whatever. If no one else can take the job by this afternoon, I’ll call Durand. Temuri won’t like it. He didn’t take to Durand.”
    â€œSo let Temuri drive the boat.”
    â€œHe’d make us drive it. Better we get Durand. He doesn’t have kids.”
    â€œYou don’t know anyone’s going to die.”
    â€œYou want to bet your life on it?”
    Listening to the cousins wrangle, Demidov shook off the last drops and zipped up. It was time to message his boss and make him smile.
    Blackbird wouldn’t be going anywhere today.

24
    DAY THREE
ROSARIO
12:35 P.M .
    I f I tie any more ropes— lines —to this cleat,” Emma said, wiping sweat off her forehead, “I’m going to yank it out of the dock and put it where your sun don’t shine.”
    Mac hid his smile by reaching into the grocery bag and pulling out a chocolate bar. “Truce?”
    â€œYou have a sandwich to go with that?”
    â€œAnd chips.”
    â€œTruce.” She jerked the line tight, leaving two neat, secure figure-eights of line lying on the cleat. “Is it always this hot in October?”
    â€œNo,” he said. “It won’t last. You want to take a turn at the computer?”
    She looked at him blankly. “Did something, um, new come in?”
    â€œI’m talking about the other computer. You know, chart-plotting and navigation and—”
    â€œNo, thanks. Knock yourself out.”
    She stretched her back muscles. Handling fat lines and big fenders—always at strange angles that increased the stress of leverage on her body—used more strength than she would have guessed.
    â€œAfter lunch, then,” he said.
    She looked at his expression and knew she was going to learn more about boat handling than she’d ever wanted to. At least Faroe and his magic electronic machine had been by before dawn, assuring them that Autonomy was still without bugs. They could talk freely, if carefully.
    â€œSure,” she said, concealing a sigh. “Can’t wait.”
    Mac took her hand, drew her close, and nuzzled her neck. “You’ve got to learn enough so that if I’m out of commission you’ll be able to do whatever has to be done. Both our lives could depend on it.”
    â€œI hear you.” She bit his ear. “Now feed me.”
    â€œTongue sandwich?”
    She laughed, hugged him hard for anybody who might be watching, and was tempted to take him up on his offer.
    So she did.
    He tasted fine, coffee and salt air and man. A lot of man, covering her from lips to knees, settling in for a good long kiss. She told herself she wanted to pull away, then gave up lying and returned as good as she got. Everywhere she touched him he was hot, way too hot. From the feel of the erection pressing against her stomach, he felt the same way about her.
    Hot.
    Slowly, very slowly, they separated.
    â€œWhew,” she said against his lips. “That should have melted anyone’s binoculars.”
    â€œSure set my jeans on fire.”
    â€œI noticed.” She smiled. “I’d show you how much I appreciate it, but we’d get arrested.”
    Her stomach growled.
    He laughed and shook his head. “Lunch? Normal kind?”
    â€œLunch,” she agreed. “Boring kind.”
    Emma followed Mac inside, grabbed the local newspaper out of the grocery bag and sat at the banquette.
    It was that or grab Mac right where his jeans fit so well.
    Down, girl. Think work. Work. WORK.
    She skimmed the headlines while he unwrapped sandwiches and took out bottles of iced tea. Nothing new on the rez fire. Not that she expected anything. Once the feds got involved, usually chatty sources took a vow of silence.
    St. Kilda hadn’t been a whole lot of help in the information department either. Reams of Alara’s background briefings had appeared on Emma’s computer along with conclusions that varied from bureau-babble to useless. A lot of words