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By the tied first class seating on flights from here to Kathmandu If they were lucky, the people anted Rachel rab her Even if they followed her to the airport, once she crossed security, they would not have a clue where she headed
Chapter 8
Rachel breathed a sigh of relief as the plane landed at the Kathmandu airport Rain, but no snow Not in Kath peaks of the Hied for a hotel in Kath trails Who would be crazy enough to go trekking during the winter? Apparently, plenty of people Half the plane’s passengers were twenty-sos from the US, Europe and the UK Millennials with deep pockets Trust fund babies
Halfway around the world, she didn’t have to worry about a stalker, or as Madam Montfort had ranted about Lev, a ould make her his Hah How can I consider that as even reine, Lev claiie loved Not that she would ever find out Most likely, Lev died in the explosion, despite Madam Montfort’s claims he survived If he hadn’t, he should have had the decency to let her know Even if he was an international spy gathering infore She would have kept his secret
Rachel dise only one carry-on bag saved her tiear She flagged a taxi and it pulled up Before she got in, she turned tofollowed Paranoid If he had just taken her laptop, she’d have understood Old as her computer was, a thief would have been happy to download any banking or financial inforave her a sinking feeling of dread The idea so a curse on her A mentally disturbed stalkerhe left her panties and bras alone So her toothbrush was in-your-face personal Disturbing At least she had distance between herself and the Toothbrush Bandit
“Where to?” asked the driver
Rachel looked at her phone and her e her reservation “Hotel Annapurna”
“Very good I take you, ma’am”
Splurging on the pricey hotels for a few days was lanced out theat the bustling chaos of narrow roads, exotic markets, mischievous monkeys and temples This vacation would be her Zenfrom Ebola and the Boko Haram And Lev? Her chest pinched and she winced Best she remembered him as a hero He sacrificed his life and saved thousands This vacation would store his memory in its place Secure in her heart, but in the past
At the hotel, she checked in She texted Maggie to let her know she arrived safely and had not been followed by the Toothbrush Bandit Insohts bothered her, but no needle pokes her skin or pain resulting froht that soeneticist stole a sa it to exact a voodoo curse Why would anyone want to harm her, spiritually or not? The only people she pissed off were the Boko Haram terrorists Fortunately, they were dead More likely, the intruder who first broke in to her and Maggie’s hoered someone called to coood scare into her Maybe Madam Montfort had known the wolf’s owner and ? Okay, let it go I’ uber-paranoid She inhaled slowly, held it to the count of ten, and then released
The rest of the day she’d rest and then tomorrow spend a leisurely day at Nepal’s famous Garden of Dreams across from the royal palace The next day she’d shop for winter clothing before her journey to the lodge in the foothills of the Hi Kathmandu, she’d visit a Buddhist temple and meditate in honor of Lev’s spirit For soh she’d known him a lifetime
Lev called Rylee “I made it to Kathmandu”
“Youis she is safe from would-be abductors”
He laughed “I ht stick out like a sore thumb as you say, but will do my best”
“I talked to the king and the LIA staff We’ve decided it’s best you tell Rachel about our society as long as she agrees to the non-disclosure terms” She paused “Mark her”