The Adventurer

Fleetwood? Piece of luck, huh?"
    Gideon's brows rose sardonically. He slid a speculative glance toward Sarah. "How
did
you find me through the charming Ms. Fleetwood?"
    "Simple enough," Jake said easily. He grinned his engaging grin at Sarah. "The little lady contacted me five months ago wanting to know if I'd be interested in helping her do some research. I did a little research myself and decided Sarah and I could be very useful to each other. So I offered her a chance to participate in a real-life search for lost gold."
    "At a price," Sarah muttered.
    "Well, naturally," Jake said, still smiling. "A fine investment opportunity. And just picture the publicity we could get: romance writer and one of her heroes go hunting for a fortune in the South Pacific. We could have drawn money and media like crazy. We'd have had people lined up for blocks wanting in on the deal."
    "I take it you declined the offer, Sarah?" Gideon glanced at her.
    "Yes." She clutched the picnic basket more tightly to her chest.
    "I was pretty sure I could talk her into it, given a little time," Jake said with irrepressible self-confidence. "I mean, it's easy money, right? Hey, we take the investment cash but we don't actually have to
find
anything. How many treasure-hunting expeditions get lucky? Almost none. None of the investors squawk too loudly because they all know the odds going in."
    "Easy money," Gideon agreed dryly.
    "But in the meantime, she's led me to you, Gid. And that changes everything. I've got a deal for both of you."
    "Forget it. I changed my name for a reason, Jake. I'm out of the business."
    "I don't believe it for a minute. If you're out of the business, what are you doing here looking for the Fleetwood Flowers?"
    "This is personal," Gideon said softly.
    Sarah risked a quick glance at Gideon. He was grim-faced, his eyes very cold.
    "Hey," said Jake, "so it's personal." He winked at Sarah. "I can understand that. But that doesn't mean the three of us can't do a little business. I've been thinking this through and I've got it all planned out."
    "I'll bet," Gideon said.
    "Now just listen, pal. Here's how it shapes up. Slaughter Enterprises gets a nice splash of publicity by turning up the Fleetwood Flowers for a pretty little romance writer, see? Lots of press on that. Then, when we're riding the wave of that announcement, we let it be known that Sarah is going to join us on an expedition to the South Pacific to find a plane full of gold. Like I said, money and media will pour in. It's dynamite, Gid. Dynamite. Better than the old days, huh? No risking our necks in some godforsaken South American jungle this time. First class, all the way. And get this—with you along, we'll probably find the damned gold."
    "No thanks," Gideon said.
    "Think it through," Jake urged. "Give it a chance to sink in, that's all I ask. We made a hell of a team in the old days. You know it and I know it."
    "What makes you think we're going to find the Fleetwood Flowers?" Gideon asked.
    Jake Savage looked at him in astonishment and then to Sarah's surprise, he burst out laughing. "Hey, Gid, this is me, your old buddy, Jake, remember? I know you, pal. You never go after anything but a sure thing. If you've agreed to help Ms. Fleetwood here, it's because you've cut yourself in for a slice of the action and you're damned sure there's going to be some action. Neither of us ever worked for free, even when it was
personal
."

7
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    I DESERVE A FEW ANSWERS , Gideon." Sarah took the tops off several stalks of fresh broccoli with a few ferocious strokes of her knife. She dropped the broccoli into a colander and picked up a carrot and a peeler.
    There had been a taut silence in the small cabin after Jake Savage had driven off to find a motel in the nearby town. He'd seemed unoffended by Gideon's failure to offer him a bed for the night. Sarah had the feeling that it took a lot to offend Jake. He was so accustomed to wowing people that it would never occur to him that he was being insulted.
    "What do you want to know first?" Gideon was sitting at the kitchen table, a cold beer in front of him. He looked remote and austere, the way he had the day she'd arrived on his doorstep.
    "Well, we could start with your real name, I suppose," Sarah said tartly as she whacked strips off the carrot.
    "My real name is Gideon."
    "Gideon what?"
    "Does it matter?"
    "It matters, damn it. What's your legal name?"
    "My legal name is Trace. I've got a bunch of credit cards, a