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ONE

Huren

Congo Basin

Central Africa

THE BRILLIANT LIGHTS OF the operating roo held to Dr Elizabeth Goodall’s slender throat

Flat on his belly in theduct directly above the Sauer between the soldier’s expressionless eyes The state-of-the-art,rooe hospital in a major city anywhere in the world But this OR was sles of Central Africa

“Obviously I was brought all this way for a reason,” Beth was saying a little desperately “Just tell me why There’s no need to threatened in a deep breath, held it, then let it out slowly “Who’s in charge? You?” she asked the guy with the blade

Yeah I’d like to see the asshole in charge, too, Sah the small holes he’d pierced in the le, belonged to President Sipho Nkeent that he’d had a pro metropolitan hotel and flown thousands of miles to his hidden compound?

So with heavily armed, camo-clad soldiers More of theo It didn’t bother Sam that there were twenty trained soldiers in residence Twenty to one weren’t insurmountable odds He had an arsenal of weapons on him, and a heavier pack, fully equipped, concealed several clicks away in the jungle Another smaller pack was hidden just outside the compound He was loaded for bear, with the skills and determination to use either his weapons, or whatever else was at hand Whatever it took to expedite this rescue mission

One of the men shoved a handful of blue fabric at Beth’s midsection It drifted to the floor as she lanced around the brightly lit roolish?” she asked with admirable calm

They didn’t Or pretended they didn’t

Her red-gold hair, pulled up in its customary simple ponytail, was disheveled, and her amber freckles stood out in sharp relief on her pale skin Her eyes flickered between theher at blade-point and the three stony-faced, AK-47-wielding soldiers flanking her

Two more uniforms were stationed at the door A seventh ist, stood hunch-shouldered andto make himself as unobtrusive as possible

Wasn’t going to save his sorry ass Sa able to blow the place to smithereens at the first opportunity Once he had Beth Once she was safe Dropping do, guns blazing, while personally satisfying,to take

The son of a bitch with the scalpel at her throat would be the first to die