Paul Descarte, former counter-intelligence operative and dealer in hard-to-find merchandise - aka Jean-Paul Bussac, owner of a trendy art gallery in one of the better sections of Boston - glared fiercely at the slender redhead who stood in front of him.
"You are not my father!" she spat defiantly. "What gives you the right to think you are in any position to dictate to me?"
"Because you are obviously out of your mind!" he yelled back at her. "You can't do this!"
"The hell I can't! You just watch me!"
On the sidelines, Maia and Srinivasan watched the screaming pair in fascination, their heads swiveling back and forth to follow the volleys in this verbal tennis match.
Suddenly, the nearby pedestrian door of the warehouse swung open and Jade and Kefira entered.
"Children, children . . . no fighting," Jade admonished, coming up to the two combatants with a grin.
"Where have you been?" Jessie snarled, directing her bad temper at the new arrival. "I said nightfall. It's damned near 9:00!"
"Now, now . . . don't get testy. Finding a plane capable of going over the mountains on short notice took some doing. But it's being fueled right now and should be ready to go within half an hour. Now, would you please tell me what the hell you've got in mind?"
"Besides suicide, that is!" Paul added sourly.
"That's enough, Paul!" Jade snapped, glaring at him. "You've made your opinion clear enough, and Jessie's made it equally clear that turning tail is not going happen. So until you have something useful to say, just shut up!"
"Her father will kill me . . ."
"My father knows me a hell of a lot better than you ever will," Jessie assured him scathingly. "HE can't stop me from doing anything I set my mind to, so do you honestly believe he would expect you to be able to manage it?" Jessie turned away and faced Kefira. "All right. Now you need to answer a question for me. Just how far are you prepared to go . . . how many risks are you prepared to take . . . to get into the country and do what needs to be done?"
Kefira was silent, staring hard at the other girl. Standing to one side, Paul and Jade were struck by the unconscious tableau before them. Face to face, standing about three feet apart, the two young women might almost have been gazing into a mirror at their own reflections. Both were still dressed in black and both wore identical expressions of grim determination.
"You know what I am prepared to do to get him back," Kefira replied, her voice vibrating slightly with intensity. "It is no less than you are prepared to do. We are wasting time. Whatever you have planned, let us get on with it."
A little smile touched the corner of Jessie's lips and she held out her right hand. The sharp sound of their palms smacking together as Kefira grabbed it tightly was loud in the echoing silence of the warehouse. "Sisters," Jessie said with conviction.
"Now and for all the days to come," Kefira agreed.
"Then let's do this." Turning, she faced Jade and Paul again. "Jade, you're gonna be the pilot. You can handle the plane you found?"
"I can handle it," she agreed.
"Good." She glanced at Kefira. "We need to decide where we're going to make our entrance. And because of the weapons, it has to be somewhere we can hide them safely until we have to use them. It also needs to be near a place where we can obtain transportation relatively quickly. Time is our enemy now."
Kefira eyes blazed suddenly. "I believe I know where we can do that. Are you still planning to air-drop the weapons?"
"Yes. We'll drop them at the same time we make the jump."
Kefira spun and crossed to the laptop that was set up on a nearby table. Activating the satellite uplink, she demanded, "Can you get us a Landsat image of Bangalore?"
"Yes," Jessie said, sitting down quickly. She worked at the keyboard for a moment and suddenly an image appeared. Isolated pin-pricks of light showed against the night-shrouded terrain.
"Hey, that's a live image," Paul exclaimed. "Live-action access to Landsat satellites is restricted!"
Jessie just ignored him. "This what you're looking for?" she asked Kefira.
"Yes. Now give me a daylight shot of the same area." A few quick keystrokes brought up a new image. This one caused Kefira to nod sharply. "Now, zoom in a little bit at a time. I will need to orient myself based on landmarks." Jessie did as she asked, getting closer and more detailed shots each time. After the third adjustment, Kefira made a soft sound of satisfaction and tapped the screen in the upper left corner. "There. Center and zoom in here." Jessie quickly centered the indicated region on the screen and increased the magnification once more. As the image cleared, they all saw what looked to be an overhead image of a deep pit. Its edges appeared neatly stair-stepped, and on one side a steep road curved from the bottom of the pit to the top, and then crossed about a kilometer of flat, open ground before it began to wind its way into the surrounding hills. Clearly visible in the image were a number of buildings that sat near the edge of the pit and a host of large trucks and machines. A sturdy chain link fence surrounded the site.
"That is Sankar Mine," Srinivasan said excitedly, worming his way between the adults to stare at the computer screen in fascination.
Kefira smiled down at him and ruffled his hair. "Very good, Vassey." She glanced up at Jessie. "One of my family's mines. It is in a relatively remote location, but is still in the heart of Panjal Province where my father had influence. This is the only one of our mines that has tunnels as well regular open-pit mining. We can hide the weapons in one of the deep passages and they will be safe. If I tell the workmen that they are not to allow anyone into the mine without my permission, they will see to it that no one gets in."
Jessie contemplated the area carefully and then nodded. "This will work. How far is it from this mine to your family's home?"
"Approximately 70 kilometers. But we should be able to obtain a vehicle there as well. We keep company trucks as well as mining vehicles at the site."
"What about from the border?"
Reaching past Jessie, Kefira hit two keys and the image backed out a bit. "Here is the mine," she said, pointing to the still-recognizable site of excavation. Then she drew her finger northward. "There is a pass here that leads into the high Himalayas. The pass itself is in Bangalore, but the border is less than two kilometers from it." She tapped the screen a bit further to the right at the top edge. "Mt. Everest is here." Then she drew her finger further to the right and a bit lower down. "This would be the pass that Maia and Srinivasan took. It is not a true road . . . rather, it was designed for foot and animal traffic. The trail tops the pass and then descends fairly quickly in a series of switchbacks to the east toward Delhi. The border here is right at the pass." She gave Jessie a significant look. "I have no doubt that by this time, the pass will be guarded."
Jessie nodded. "That's okay. Let them guard it. It will keep them busy." Working quickly, Jessie brought the close-up view of the mine back on the screen again, then opened a pop up box and sent a request to the Landsat satellite. A moment later, the system beeped and a set of coordinates appeared on the screen. Copying them onto a piece of paper quickly, she handed the paper to Jade. "How good are you at dropping something on the mark?"
Jade grinned at her. "If I can't drop them within three meters of this location, I won't charge you for the flight."
"You better think about that offer, because I'm going to ask you to drop them from a relatively high altitude . . . at least 5,000 feet above ground level. We don't want you coming in low and letting everyone in the area know you're there."
Jade nodded. "That's okay. I can handle it. What about you? How are you planning to get there?"
Jessie stood up and grinned at Kefira. "We'll jump at the same time you drop the weapons. You should have plenty of time to get clear before anyone realizes you're there . . . if they realize it at all. Between the altitude and the dark, you should be able to get away safely." Pushing past them, she strode over to the Quest jet and climbed aboard quickly, leaving Jade and Paul staring after her speechlessly. A few seconds later she reappeared with two parachutes. Kefira caught the parachute that Jessie tossed to her, immediately shrugged into it, and began adjusting the straps.
"You do realize that jumping from 5,000 feet above ground at that location puts you at a jump altitude of damned close to 15,000 feet, right?" Paul asked carefully. "That might just as well be a halo jump. We're gonna need breathing apparatus and insulated jump suits to make that . . . particularly at this time of year."
Jessie shrugged. "We don't have either, so we'll do without them. We've got cold weather gear on the jet that we can use to layer with. That will help. We'll time the jump for distance and freefall a good portion of it. That will get us to lower altitudes quickly enough. I've done a lot of work with Dr. Quest at high altitudes so I know that I won't have a problem. And Kefira was born in these mountains and is accustomed to them."
"Jess, you know I've supported you in all of this," Jade said quietly. "But this is crazy. Parachuting in is one thing, but doing it from that altitude . . . and at night? You'll do Jonny and Hadji absolutely no good at all if you kill yourselves getting in."
Jessie looked at the older woman steadily. "If you have a better suggestion, I'm willing to listen, but you better make it quick. We're out of time."
Jade thought frantically. Race might not kill Paul if something happened to his little girl, but he just might kill her if he found out she had a hand in it. "All right, if time is essential, then I think flying in is the only choice. But Paul's right. It's suicide to try a jump like that. Kefira, is there a place I can set the plane down?"
Kefira shook her head. "No. What little flat ground there is has too many low shrubs and loose boulders. You would destroy the plane attempting it."
"What about the closest airfield?"
"Also not an option. The nearest airfield is close to my family's home and is in the heart of the area that has been involved in physical conflict. It is a certainty that Mr. Birla's troops will be there. And if they do not shoot us, my father's men are likely to before I can get close enough to identify myself. Landing the plane is simply not an option."
Jade sighed in frustration. "All right. Then we go with the parachute jump, but we do it from a much lower altitude . . . say 500 to 750 feet."
"No," Jessie said flatly. "That puts you at too great a risk."
"You let me worry about the risk."
"No, we'll do it . . ."
". . . my way," Jade said in the same flat tone, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Or we won't do it at all. You need a pilot for this little jaunt. Paulie won't take you in, I promise you. And you can't take yourself in without losing the plane. So we do it my way. Got it?"
It was a war of wills . . . and one that Jessie knew she couldn't win. Finally, she gave in. "All right. I don't like it, but you aren't giving me much choice."
"I've survived for a long time, Jess. I know how to get out of a tight spot. Don't worry. This won't be the one to end me."
"So where's my parachute?" Paul demanded.
"You aren't going," Jessie replied, setting the parachute down beside the table and beginning to pack up the laptop. "I've . . ."
"No!" he said flatly. "You aren't going in there without me. You need someone who's been through this sort of thing before and I'm all you've got."
Jessie straightened and turned to face him. "You're right," she said quietly, "you are all I've got. You're the only person I can trust to see that Maia and Srinivasan get safely to my father in Maine." When he would have protested, Jessie shook her head. Placing a hand on his arm, she looked at him with a pleading expression. "You know what we're facing. There is no way we can take them with us, and they'll never be safe here. And I don't dare turn to Admiral Bennett or I-1. So far, no one other than Mr. Lakshmanan has seen you, and I think we can trust him to keep silent about your presence. If this all blows up, the U.S. government has total deniability. It was an action taken entirely by private citizens on behalf of a family member. If I get agency people involved and things go wrong, it could erupt into an international incident that could trigger a multi-country war in this area. We're going to unload the weapons and put them into the cargo plane, and then you're going to take the jet and the three of you are going to head straight for the Quest Compound in Maine. Compound security will recognize the plane and I'll program the flight computer to provide the proper responses so you can land. The airstrip there is designed specifically for this plane so if you're even a halfway decent pilot, you won't have a problem." Her grip tightened on his arm. "I don't know what debt you owed to my father, but whatever it was, if you can get Maia and Srinivasan safely back to Maine, I think you've more than paid it. Please . . . take the children and go, so that Kefira and I can concentrate on what we have to do."
Paul looked at her for a moment longer and then sighed, his shoulders drooping in defeat. "All right," he said heavily, "I'll do what you ask. But for the record, I think it's a mistake."
The smile she gave him was almost friendly. "Noted." She squeezed his arm one more time before she let it go. "Thank you, Paul. My father and Jade were right. I'm glad you came with us." Then her manner turned business-like once more. "Jade, can you go see what's taking that cargo plane so long? Paul and I will start unloading the weapons from the jet."
Over the next hour, all of them worked to get things ready. Cargo chutes were rigged on the three crates of weapons and two of explosives, and all of them were carefully stowed in the twin engine cargo plane that Jade had managed to locate. At one point, Jessie drew the other woman aside and questioned softly, "You sure about this, Jade? This is an awfully small plane for what we're talking about doing."
That lazy, slightly mocking smile lit up the woman's face. "Don't worry, honey. It'll make your mountain crossing. We may get a bit on the chilly side, but it's got the horses to handle it."
Jessie shook her head. "I'm less worried about the crossing than I am about you making it back here in one piece. This trip's gonna push that plane's distance capacity, and it's not like you can find an airport to land it at to refuel. My Dad will never let me hear the end of it if I get you killed."
Jade chuckled softly. "Yes, but your mother will probably be eternally grateful." Jade laughed again and patted Jessie's shoulder in response to her outraged expression. "Don't sweat it, kid. You know me. I don't value anything more highly than my own skin. If I didn't think I could make this trip, I wouldn't be doing it. Paulie over there may have an unpayable debt to your old man, but I don't. I'm in this for the money."
Jessie snorted and shook her head. "Same old Jade. Well, you don't have to worry about the money. I made the fund transfer before we left Mumbai . . . $100,000 . . . just like we agreed . . . wired to your personal Swiss bank account. It'll be waiting for you when you get back."
Something stirred in the depths of Jade's dark eyes at that comment, but Jessie didn't see it. She had already turned away.
On the other side of the hanger, Kefira was sitting on a packing crate with her brother and sister and had an arm around each of them.
"But I want to go with you," Maia complained insistently. "I want to help you find the man who burned our house down and hurt all of our friends." Kefira noticed that she was getting more and more reluctant to refer to the death of their parents.
"I know that you do, sister. But it is too dangerous. I must go. It is my responsibility now. But I cannot put you in the same jeopardy."
"I do not care. It is my choice, and I want to go with you!"
"I do, too!" Srinivasan added vehemently.
Kefira sighed softly. "But Father specifically wanted you to go to Dr. Quest's home in Maine. You, yourself, carried that message, Maia. Would you have me go against Father's orders?"
"Father did not know what was going to happen when he told Mother that," she replied stubbornly. "He would not want us separated now."
"I know that he would not," Kefira said sadly, hugging her sister to her for a moment. "But he would understand the necessity of it. He loved all of us very much, and he would not wish for any of us to be in danger. But most of all, if one of us had to be at risk, he would want the rest of us to be safe. That is the way it must be. Please do not make me order you to go."
The two children sat with their heads bowed, finally out of arguments. Eventually, Maia looked up at her older sister again. "Is it true, Kefa? Did you really marry the Sultan?"
It had been years since Maia had used the pet name that Sumant had given Kefira so long ago. "Yes, it is true. He is my husband now. Do you want to see? Look . . ." Reaching inside the neck of her jacket, Kefira caught the chain that hung around her neck and pulled the ruby pendant out where they could see it. "He gave this to me when we exchanged vannishchaya."
Srinivasan reached out for it in fascination, but Maia gasped and slapped his hand away. "It - it is the royal jewel of Bangalore," she said in an awed whisper.
Kefira nodded at her. "Yes, part of it." She could see the confusion in her sister's eyes and she smiled. "My husband, the Sultan, wears the other half. Two halves that join to make a single whole. You understand this, Maia. You have studied the Hindu way for many years."
"Yes," she whispered, staring at the pendant. Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears that spilled over and ran down her cheeks. "And now you are sundered from us. You belong to the Sultan and his family . . . not to us any more."
"No, Maia!" Kefira exclaimed, pulling her little sister close and holding her tightly. "No." Setting Maia back on her feet, Kefira wiped the girl's face with one hand and said to her, "I 'belong' to no one but myself. This is a lesson Hadji has taught me. He has never demanded anything of me other than what I would freely give, and he would never have me deny my brothers and sisters simply because I am his wife." She gestured toward Jessie on the other side of the warehouse. "I called her 'sister', and it is true. She will one day be the wife of the man that Hadji names as his blood brother . . . the son of the man who took Hadji in and made him his son after his birth father, the Sultan, was murdered. But that does not mean that you are not my sister as well. This is why you must go with that man. I would send you to my new family . . . my husband's family . . . who will care for both of you and make certain that you are safe. And when Hadji and I return from Bangalore, it will be to come and get both of you. You will always have a home, Maia. I swear that to you." The girl shoved herself back into Kefira's arms and clung to her fiercely, as Srinivasan nestled against her side, whimpering softly.
A few moments later, a soft voice interrupted them. "It's almost time to go." Kefira looked up and found Jessie standing in front of her. Pushing the two youngsters away from her gently, she wiped their faces and smiled. "It will be all right. You will see. But now we have to go."
With a loud sniff, Maia turned and looked up at Jessie. "Kefa says that you are her new sister."
Jessie knelt down in front of the girl so that they were on the same level, as Jade and Paul drifted up from behind. "Yes."
"What is your name?"
"Jessica Bannon . . . but my family calls me Jessie."
"Can - can I call you Jessie?"
The young woman smiled. "Of course. You are my little sister."
"Are you gonna take care of Kefa, Jessie?"
"Absolutely. That's what I'm here for."
"They are very bad men . . . the - the people who did these things. They hurt many people."
"I know. That's why they have to be stopped."
Maia looked over her shoulder at her sister and then back at Jessie. "And you and Kefa can do this thing?"
"Yes. With Hadji and Jon's help."
"Who is Jon?"
"Jon is Hadji's brother," Kefira answered softly.
"The Sultan's brother, and the one you will marry one day," the child said to Jessie.
"Yes."
Maia thought about that for a moment and then looked past her to where Jade and Paul stood, watching the four of them. "And you want me to go with that man, too?"
"Yes," Jessie agreed. "He will take you to our home in America where you will be safe."
"Will we have to stay with him until Kefa comes back?" And then with a childlike simplicity, she added. "I don't like him. He is mean and yells all of the time."
Kefira hid her face in one hand as Jade laughed low in her throat. "Boy, does she have your number, Paulie," she chortled to him.
"No, Maia," Jessie replied, struggling to hide her grin. "Mr. Descarte is only to take you to our home in Maine. There, you will stay with my father and mother. My father is a very tall man with white hair and blue eyes, and my mother looks almost exactly like me. They both liked your father very much and will be glad to have you there." Then her smile dimmed slightly. "And Hadji's father is there, too. But he has been very sick, and I am told that my mother has not been well, either. I would be very grateful if you and Srinivasan could help my father take care of both of them until we can come back."
In that instant, they all saw Maia straighten. Her head came up proudly and she reached out and drew her little brother to her firmly. "Our mother taught all of us how to help in the house, and I am very good at it. We will both work very hard to help our new family."
Jessie smiled at the two of them and then rose effortlessly. "I am sure you will. So let's get started."
As everyone turned toward the plane, Maia stopped one last time. "Wait . . ." she said and pushed Kefira back down on the crate they had been using as a chair. Then she turned and began routing through the sack she had been carrying with her since she left her family's home a week before. After a moment, she straightened and returned to her sister carrying a small box. Standing before Kefira, Maia opened the box and removed something, which she pressed firmly against her sister's forehead, between her eyes. When she was done, she stepped back and closed the small box, offering it to her sister. "They belonged to Mother," she said quietly, "but I do not believe that she would mind if you took them. And you should be wearing a bindi now that you are married." Then, grabbing up the sack and her brother's hand, she led Srinivasan away toward the Quest jet. Kefira reached up and touched the blood-red mark of the third eye on her forehead hesitantly and then glanced over at her companion.
"I said she was just like you," Jessie said with a grin. "Give her a purpose and nothing will get in her way. Are you ready to go?" Kefira nodded. "Then let's roll."
