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“Sorry, miss I’m a firm believer in insurance” Riordan stepped over the prostrate for like a cracked skull to discourage ainto trouble There’s a first aid kit up there on the wall Taking care of him should keep you busy ’til it’s time to set down” He tipped his hand to his cap, strolled back to the cockpit, and shut the door

Francesca knelt by the stricken bodyguard She soaked cloth napkins in mineral water and cleaned the wound, then applied pressure until the bleeding was stanched She daubed an antiseptic on the scalp cut and the bruised skin around it, wrapped ice in another napkin, and pressed it to the side of the

As Francesca sat by his side, she tried to piece the puzzle together She ruled out a kidnapping for h this much trouble would be for her process Whoever was behind this mad sche her work They could have broken into the lab or grabbed her luggage at the airport But they needed Francesca to interpret her findings Her process was so arcane, so different, that it didn’t conforht of it before

The whole thing didn’t ive the process to the countries of the world for nothing No patents No copyright No royalty fees Absolutely free of charge Anger s her fro the lot of millions

Phillipo groaned He was co around His eyes blinked open and came into focus

“Are you all right?” she said

“It hurts like the devil, so I must be alive Help me sit up, please”

Francesca put her arainst a seat She unscrewed a bottle of rum froed to keep it down, then took a healthy s He sat there for a uts would come up When he didn’t vomit, he smiled “I’ll be fine Thank you”

She handed hilasses “I’m afraid they were broken when he hit you”

He tossed thelass I can see fine without them” The level eyes that bored into Francesca were not those of a frightenedhave I been out?”

“Twenty minutes, maybe”

“Good, there is still time”

“Time for what?”

His hand slid down to his ankle and came up filled with a snub-nosed revolver

“If our friend hadn’t been so anxious to give rim smile