The sound of the engine seemed loud to Jessie as she sat in the back of the small plane trying to curb the fear that gnawed at her. Plumes of white vapor escaped the three women, their breath frozen as they soared over the high mountain peaks, moving steadily toward their destination. It wouldn't be long now, but Jessie was impatient. No matter how bad things might get, it couldn't be worse than waiting.
She glanced over at Kefira who sat quietly beside her gazing out into the darkness. The young woman seemed totally calm and unconcerned, even though she knew just how dangerous this venture was. But there was no turning back. Both of them knew it. Jessie wasn't sure of all of the reasons driving Kefira relentlessly forward with this desperate plan, despite the impossible odds, but she suspected that their motives were similar. Jessie turned her eyes to the blackened sky outside the window. She had to get Jonny back. For her, there were no other reasons.
The last nine months had been a roller coaster. There had been days back before they moved to Boston when she woke up in the morning and wondered how she could even bring herself to get out of bed. And yet, the thought of seeing Jonny . . . feeling his arms around her . . . gave her the strength to face anything. And then they moved to Boston. Walking out the door of the Compound for the last time had been one of the hardest things she had ever done. The break with their parents had been so deep, and even with Dr. Quest's parting words still echoing in her ears, she had known it wasn't over. Unconsciously, she grimaced. Boy, had she been right about that!
Anger at Benton Quest still curdled her stomach. He had no right to undermine his son the way he had. Unbidden, she imagined the way Jonny must have looked as he listened to his father that morning, and her fists clenched in response until she could feel the nails digging into her palms. To have told him that he hadn't earned the job he held or the respect of his co-workers . . . she could feel her face flush in remembered fury once more. With an effort, she took a deep breath, trying to be fair. Benton Quest had no way of knowing that his son was too tired and stretched too thin to be able to cope with that sort of criticism. Dr. Quest had been sick, too, which couldn't have improved his temperament, either. But even making allowance for those things, she still honestly believed that the man was wrong to treat his son in this way. Their conversations never seemed to end pleasantly any more. Jonny was generally furious by the end. Or, worse yet, he was silent and withdrawn, the pain of the on-going dissension darkening his eyes until they were almost black. It was at those times that she could do nothing more than hold him close and pray that her love for him was enough to compensate for what he had lost.
She remembered telling Barbara Mason that the idea of setting out on their own scared her. It had, and there were days when it still did. And yet, she didn't believe she had ever been happier. Yes, they were broke. And yes, Jonny was gone a lot. But to walk in the door of that apartment to a place of their own . . . to see him there, waiting for her with that smile that was just for her . . . or to feel him crawl into bed and cuddle up to her after a long day and to know that he wanted nothing more than to be in that place with her . . . God, I love him! she thought passionately. "I've got to get him back."
Suddenly, she felt Kefira's hand cover her clenched fists and she looked over to see the same fire reflected in her eyes. "We will get him back," she assured in a voice that was as inflexible as steel. "We will get them both back." Jessie's glance flicked up to Jade, who met her gaze in the mirror mounted above the pilot's seat, and Jessie suddenly realized she must have voiced that last thought aloud.
Before she could think of anything to say, Jade said, "We're coming up on the border. Another ten minutes and I'm going to start taking her down, and about ten minutes after that we'll be coming up on your jump point."
Jessie glanced out the window once more and noted the first signs of the approaching dawn. "There's no way to speed it up any? Dawn's approaching and I really wanted to make that jump in the dark."
Jade shook her head. "No. I'm pushing it as much as I can already. As close as I can figure, you're going to end up jumping about five to ten minutes before the sun tops the mountains on the eastern horizon. It won't be full light, but it's going to be a long way from dark, too."
"Well, we'll just have to hope there's no one around with guns and a desire for some target practice," Jessie replied resignedly. "Come on, Kefira. Let's get ready." The two women maneuvered their way to the back of the plane and began donning their parachutes. Once Jessie had hers on, she turned and pulled a small crate toward her. It was one of the weapons crates that she had not rigged for the parachute drop. Using a crowbar, she popped the lid and pulled out the main base of a commando assault rifle. "You ever used one of these?" Jessie asked Kefira calmly as she deftly assembled the weapon.
"No," Kefira replied, watching her carefully. After a moment, she reached into the box and pulled out the base of the second weapon and began assembling it in the same fashion as Jessie had assembled the one she was holding.
Jessie could feel Jade's eyes on her as she checked the weapon and nodded. "Good. I told Paul I wanted them capable of full auto and they are." Grasping the gun by the grip, she snugged the stock against her upper arm and rotated the weapon so Kefira could see it clearly in the dimly lit cabin. She pointed out two separate latches. "Safeties," she said. "With this one in the down position, the gun won't fire at all. Up and it's ready to go. There's also a trigger safety that prevents the gun from firing if the trigger isn't depressed. And this one is particularly important. This is the full auto safety. In the down position, it's single fire. Set it to the middle position and it will shoot in 3-round bursts. All the way to the top and it will shoot steadily until you release the trigger or it empties the magazine." Reaching into the box again, she pulled out a transparent ammunition magazine. "Ammo. Magazine holds 30 rounds, and the gun will take up to three magazines side by side at a time. You can change one while leaving the other two in. Clear?"
"Yes," Kefira replied, examining the fully assembled weapon carefully. "What about the sights?"
"Adjustable rear drum sight. Also has a flip up night sight here." She turned the gun again so Kefira could see it. "One other thing . . . the stock folds if you need to get it out of the way. Think you can handle it?"
"I will have no problem," Kefira said confidently.
"Good. We've got full magazine loads for both guns plus 90 more rounds for each. There's also additional ammo in the crates." Jessie retrieved two more ammunition magazines from the box and snapped them into the gun. Then checking to be certain the safety was on, she draped the gun across her chest using the field strap."
"You're planning to jump with that?" Jade questioned her. "Is that smart?"
"If we're gonna jump in daylight, we're not going in unarmed. How are we on time?"
"Five minutes to weapons drop. I'm coming in at about 1,200 feet. We'll drop the crates and then I'll come around again at a much lower altitude for your jump. I figure if there is someone watching, the first pass will attract their attention. They won't anticipate a second run. Your drop will be about half a mile from where the weapons should land."
Jessie frowned. "Is that a good idea? What if someone gets to them first?"
"That would take some doing. Those crates are doing to drop square into the center of the excavation pit of Kefira's mine. Anyone spotting them will have to get through the perimeter fence and down into the pit to get to them. It will buy you some time that way."
"Fair enough. Come on, Kefira. Let's get that back cargo hatch open and get the crates ready to drop."
The next few minutes were a flurry of activity. They were able to get the three supply drops out without incident. Then, as Jade banked and began a sharp descent, Jessie and Kefira did a final check of their equipment in preparation for their own jump. Once Jessie was certain that everything was ready, she made her way to the front of the plane again. Coming up behind Jade, she laid a hand on her shoulder and said, "I owe you, Jade."
Jade glanced up at her and grinned. "Your old man would tell you that's a dangerous comment. You never know when I might decide to collect."
"Anywhere, anytime."
"I'll remember that. You better get ready. We're coming up on your jump point."
Jessie nodded. "You gonna be okay?"
"Don't worry about me, kiddo. I'm a survivor . . . always have been. You just concentrate on getting Jonny and Hadji out of that mess and back to Benton."
"All right. Take care of yourself, Jade."
"You, too. When you get back, tell Race I said 'hi'."
Jessie nodded and with a final squeeze of Jade's shoulder, she turned and made her way back to Kefira. "Ready to go?"
"Yes."
"Okay, let's do it then." With an effort, she slid the cargo door open once again. A blast of icy air enveloped the two. Jessie looked down and saw the ground, appearing much closer than before, skimming past her rapidly. Looking up again, she gave Jade a thumbs up sign, indicating that they were ready.
Over the roaring of the wind and the engines, Jessie heard Jade yell, "On my mark . . ."
"Follow me," Jessie said sharply to Kefira, and her legs tensed as she balanced on the edge of the doorway.
"NOW!"
Without an instant's hesitation, Jessie leaped. For a brief instant, she was buffeted by the plane's backwash and then the wind caught her. All sensation of falling disappeared and she felt as though she was soaring. The rising sun caught her in the face as the wind rotated her toward the east and she was dazzled by the diamond glint of its rays on the snow of the mountain peaks around her. She allowed herself to freefall for a count of ten to ensure she was clear of the plane and then pulled the ripcord. The chute on her back exploded from its pack and blossomed above her. She craned her head, searching for Kefira, and spotted her off to her left almost immediately. Just as Jessie caught sight of her, Kefira pulled her ripcord and her chute deployed, catching the wind and slowing her descent. They were on their way.
A quick survey of the skies around her showed no sign of the weapons. She wasn't surprised. In the time it took them to reach their own jump point, the weapons would have completed their descent. Now it was just a question of getting to the ground and making their way safely to them. One final look up confirmed that Jade had banked around and was heading straight back for the mountains again. Sunlight glistened on the wings of the plane and Jessie thought she saw the plane teeter slightly, as if Jade was saying one last goodbye. Then the world around her turned dark as she dropped into the shadow of the mountains.
Jessie turned her attention to the terrain below. They were west and slightly north of the mine site, and the ground below them was rocky and covered with low shrubs and patches of snow and ice. It was going to be a rough landing. Jessie looked over at Kefira and the other woman gestured to an area nearby. About a quarter of a mile away was what appeared to be a slightly more level and clear patch of ground. Giving Kefira an affirmative sign, Jessie pulled on the guidance cords of her chute and began drifting in that direction. Several minutes later, the two of them touched down squarely in the center of the spot Kefira had indicated. They had finally arrived in Bangalore.
They wasted no time. Keeping a wary eye on the surrounding countryside, the women gathered up the parachutes and stuffed as much of the silk back into the pack as they could, and then hid them in a small stand of low, wind-stunted shrubs. The extra layer of clothing that they had worn to protect them from the low temperatures during the jump soon joined the chutes, leaving both of them dressed in black leather once more.
"You know where we are?" Jessie questioned.
"Yes," the Kefira replied confidently. "This way." She turned and set off at a brisk trot, unslinging her rifle and settling it into a semi-ready position as she went. Jessie set off after her without hesitation. Twenty minutes later, the two of them crouched behind a large boulder on the rocky hillside upslope from the mine site and surveyed the area carefully. The sun was just beginning to touch the floor of the small valley where the mine was situated.
"It looks quiet," Jessie said in a low voice.
"Yes," Kefira agreed with a frown. "Too quiet. There should be activity by this time. Work generally starts here at dawn."
"Maybe the work in the mine has shut down. I mean, with your father . . ."
Kefira's expression was blank as she replied, "Perhaps. But it does not matter. We still must get down there. Follow me."
The two of them slipped out from behind the boulder and began making their way down toward the fence, flitting from one patch of cover to the next, steadily moving away from the main gate. Jessie wondered about that, but decided not to question Kefira. This was her territory and presumably she knew her way around it. A few moments later, they reached the fence. By this time it was running parallel to the side of the mountain, about six feet from a cliff. With a sudden shock, Jessie realized that the escarpment now on their right wasn't natural. She looked up as the sheer cliff face rose a good 500 feet above her head. Long, smooth, vertical grooves were clearly visible in the rock above her.
Kefira followed her gaze and said softly, "This is a very old mine. My family has worked this area for at least five generations. The good quality stone here has been mined out and the work has been moving steadily northward. Some years ago they realigned the fence and the old mine face ended up outside of the perimeter. This will be our way in. Come." Keeping low, Kefira broke into a sprint. Jessie followed, not liking the feeling of being boxed in between the chain link fence and the high wall. Climbing the fence was not an option, either. The heavy layers of razor wire at the top told her that . . . as did the low hum that warned her that the fence was electrified. A few moments later they rounded a blind corner and came face to face with solid rock. The fence on their left ended abruptly as it grounded itself solidly into the rock face. "Here," Kefira said breathlessly, and without delay, she slung the gun across her back and began to climb. Jessie followed her, wondering how they were going to get in this way. About 30 feet above their heads was a steep overhang. The fence rose along the rock face until it met the top of the overhang. There was no way to get over it. But as Kefira climbed, she angled away from the fence. When she reached the overhang, she moved horizontally along the rock face, climbing confidently. Suddenly, about ten feet to their right, a dark slash appeared in the rock face. Coming to it, Jessie discovered it was a narrow chimney about four feet wide. Hands and feet braced on either wall, Kefira was already on her way up.
Jessie had experienced Kefira's amazing climbing skills before. Rockport had an outing club that Jonny, Hadji and she had belonged to and the group often hosted climbing excursions. While climbing was a long way from Hadji's favorite sport, he generally went along and was skilled enough at it when necessary. Kefira had accompanied them several times. At first, they all assumed that she hadn't been climbing before because she wasn't familiar with the gear. But the last time they went, all three of them realized that they were very wrong about her skill. They had been doing a technical climb when there was an accident. A rock face had given way beneath one of the newest members, and he had slid about 100 feet before coming to a stop, unconscious, on the very edge of a cliff, which sheared off in a drop of close to 1,000 feet. The only access to where he lay had been through a narrow cleft which was filled with razor-sharp rocks, making the use of ropes next to impossible. While Doug Sanderson and the other coordinator had discussed how best to get to the boy, Kefira had taken matters into her own hands. Unfastening all of her safety lines, she took on the cleft as a free climb. She was already a good ten feet down before anyone noticed what she was doing, and by that time it was too late to stop her. The climb required that she descend the 50 foot cleft and, once she reached the bottom of it, move horizontally along the rock face for another six or seven feet to a shallow ledge. From there, a series of stair-step-like outcroppings could be used to work down to where their fellow climber lay. But the cleft itself was virtually bottomless, hanging out over the sheer drop. One slip and she would fall over 1,000 feet onto the rock below.
Jessie remembered the ashen color of Hadji's face as he clung to that rock face and watched her. The silence had been absolute. Not a single sound broke the stillness . . . as though even the birds and insects watched her with bated breath. It had been one of the most brilliantly executed climbs Jessie had ever seen. The young man had survived as a result of Kefira's daring and skill, and she was showing it again today as she climbed the chimney. Without a moment's pause, Jessie followed her companion, certain now that whatever Kefira had planned, she knew exactly what she was doing.
When Jessie reached the top of the chimney she found Kefira waiting. Taking the offered hand, Jessie allowed Kefira to pull her up onto the top of a wide flat table of rock. They were well back from the edge that opened into the mine and behind them the rock face that formed one side of the chimney continued to rise to dizzying heights above them. In the warm, clear sunshine of the ledge, the large crystals in the rock glinted.
"We will rest here for a few moments," Kefira said, breathing deeply. "As long as we stay well back from the edge, we will be out of sight."
Jessie nodded. Moving away from the chimney, she hunkered down and leaned against the cliff face. "Where do we go from here?"
Kefira dropped down beside her and nodded toward the far side of their perch. "There is a similar chimney over there. It is a much easier climb, however, and goes directly to the ground." She flashed Jessie a grin. "It is within the perimeter."
Jessie chuckled softly. "You've done this before."
"Many times," Kefira agreed. "Father believed that I had never been to this mine, but he was incorrect. I have been to all of our mines at one time or another." She looked around her. "I always loved this one. I believe it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. When I was distressed, I used to come here and just sit looking at the countryside until I had recaptured calmness."
Looking around her at the clear mountain vistas, Jessie nodded. "I can understand that. I'm a bit surprised it's as warm as it is here."
"We are lucky. My mother told me it has been a warm fall and the heavy snows have not yet hit the mountains. Another month and we probably could not have gotten into the country this way."
"I'll take all the luck I can get right now. How much can we see of the mine from here? I'd like to orient myself and maybe see if we can spot the weapons."
"We should be able to see something from here." Kefira turned and crawled carefully toward the open sky ahead of them. As she neared the edge, she lay flat on her stomach and edged forward. Jessie joined her a moment later. Dizziness gripped her for an instant as she looked down. Ground level might be less than 25 feet away, but not from here. It took her a moment to realize that they looked directly down into the main excavation pit. The floor of the pit was probably about 150 feet straight down. On either side, the pit wall curved away, some of it cut back in stair steps and others in a sheer wall. Three huge dump trucks and a gigantic machine that Jessie didn't recognize were idle in the center of the pit, dwarfed by the size of the hole in which they sat. Beside her, Kefira had pulled out a pair of field glasses and was checking out the area. "I do not see the crates." She glanced over at Jessie. "It will not be good if we have to waste time searching for them. And we certainly cannot leave them sitting out in the hills."
"All we can do is get in and see what we can find. How do we get down there?"
Kefira pointed to her right. "We will climb down the chimney to get to the ground. From there we will not have much choice but to follow the rim road to the access road. It is the only way in." She frowned again. "I do not like the stillness. There should be people around. The watchman if nothing else."
Jessie frowned. "I don't like the idea of there only being one way in. We'll be sitting ducks. Can we climb down somewhere?"
"No. The machine . . . a saw, if you will, that cuts the rock out of the bed leaves the walls too sheer and smooth to climb."
"Damn. Well, if there's no choice, there's no choice. And we aren't going to find out what's going on sitting here. Come on."
The two of them climbed down the chimney quickly. Then, keeping to the shadows of the cliff face as much as possible, they made their way carefully around the pit to the long road that led to the bottom of the mine. Here, a small building sat perched a short way back from the edge. Bent low, the two darted quickly across the clearing and dropped down against wall of the building. Gesturing for Kefira to remain where she was, Jessie moved around the building cautiously until she came to a window that overlooked the road at the entrance to the pit. Rising carefully, she peered inside. It was empty. Dropping back into a crouch, she scanned the surrounding area carefully. The silence was eerie and it was still everywhere she looked. Staying close to the wall, Jessie edged back around to Kefira once more. "Nothing," she hissed softly when they were together again. "Building's empty and nothing is moving."
"I do not like it!"
Jessie thought briefly, then shook her head. "Neither do I. We're going to split up. It's stupid for both of us to head into that pit . If it's a trap we'll both be snared." Kefira nodded wordlessly. She didn't look happy, but seemed to see the logic in Jessie's argument. "I'll take the pit," Jessie continued in the same soft tone. "You check out the other buildings and see about rounding us up some transportation. You have the communication gear I gave you?" Kefira tapped her ear and when Jessie looked closely she could just see the tiny earpiece. "Good. Be sure your transmitter is on, too. That way we'll know if something happens. Ready?"
"Yes. Go with God, sister. I will join you soon." Jessie smiled and squeezed her shoulder, and then the two of them went to their separate tasks.
Jessie hugged the cliff wall as she cautiously made her way down toward the bottom of the pit. She still saw no sign of activity anywhere. As she peered cautiously around the corner of a switchback in the road, she caught sight of the crates. In that instant, she knew they weren't alone. The three crates were shoved tightly up against the rock face about 10 yards from where the road joined the pit floor. The parachutes had been detatched and were lying in a heap not far away. Long drag marks across the stone indicated the arrival location of the weapons. Someone had definitely moved them.
"Kefira, can you hear me?" Jessie hissed.
"Yes," the other woman replied immediately.
"We are NOT alone here. Watch yourself."
"The weapons?"
"I've spotted 'em." Silently, Jessie checked the safety on her rifle and advanced cautiously once more. Ahead of her, the road leveled out as it joined the floor of the pit and something about the way the cliff face looked warned her that there might be a blind spot ahead. Kneeling down, she picked up a fist-sized rock and lobbed it out in front of her. As the rock arched through the air, Jessie crossed the roadway at a sprint. As the rock struck the ground just short of the blind spot, Jessie leaped over the side of the road and dropped the remaining six feet to the floor of the pit. The men that flung themselves around the corner found nothing waiting but empty space.
"Trap," Jessie said softly into her microphone as she pressed her back against the wall and looked around quickly.
"Hold on," Kefira replied immediately. "I have found another way in. Keep them talking."
Jessie laughed grimly. "They don't have me yet. I'll keep 'em busy . . ." With that, she shoved away from the wall and took off at a run into the middle of the open area, heading for a large piece of mining equipment that sat several hundred feet away. Bullets kicked up chips of rock behind her as she ran. She returned fire over her shoulder, taking care to aim above the heads of her attackers. She had no desire to hurt these men until she knew for certain that they were enemies. Wild shouts met her return fire as the men retreated. Jessie rounded the corner of the large excavator and paused, breathing deeply. She peered around the machine quickly to see her attackers massing for a follow-up assault.
"Jessie?" Kefira's agitated voice echoed in her ear. "Jessie are you all right? I heard gunfire."
Rising Jessie sent another burst of fire in the direction of her attackers.
"We're saying hello," Jessie replied. "How long are you going to be? I'm pretty out-numbered. I don't think they've thought about outflanking me yet, but . . . No, wait a minute. I think it just occurred to them," she corrected herself as she saw one man gesture to a group and wave them toward her left. "Where are you?"
"Do you see an opening in the cliff face anywhere?" Kefira demanded, her transmission breaking up slightly.
Jessie risked another quick darting look. "Yes. Almost directly behind them. Looks like the opening to a mine shaft."
"Good. How many men?"
"Twenty . . . maybe twenty-five. They don't look or act like soldiers. Half of them are milling around like ducks on a target range."
"My father's men. Do not hurt them if you can help it."
"Gotcha. You close?"
"Yes."
"Then it's time to open negotiations." Rising slightly, she called out loudly in Hindi, "Hold your fire! I am not your enemy." Jessie risked a quick look again and saw that her attackers had now all found cover amid rubble and various storage drums outside the mine entrance.
After a long moment a voice replied, "And we are to believe you are a friend instead? If that is so, why did you fire on us?"
"Because you fired on me first," she replied reasonably. "And you will notice that I did not hit any of you."
"And we should be grateful for that?" Jessie winced at the sarcasm.
"Look, can we call a truce long enough to talk for a minute?" she asked. "Give me a chance to explain why I'm here."
"Throw out your weapon and come out with your hands raised and then we will talk."
"Will you do the same?"
"No."
"Then we have a problem."
"I do not know who you are, but you play a dangerous game. Your Hindi is good, but I do not believe you are a citizen of Bangalore. My country is at war and the government has decreed that any non-national is to be shot on sight."
The breath hissed through Jessie's teeth as she absorbed that information. So it was that bad.
"Those are not the orders of the Sultan," she responded confidently. "Hadji Singh would never give such an command. If you follow men who issue such orders, then perhaps we are enemies after all."
Dead silence followed that comment. "Who are you?" the voice demanded harshly. "What do you know of the Sultan?"
"Are you ready to talk?"
There was a long pause and then the man said grudgingly, "We will not attack you if you will promise the same."
"Fair enough." Jessie rose cautiously and stepped out from cover, keeping her hands in clear sight and her gun pointed away from the people that faced her. Slowly, a few at a time, they rose and moved out to face her. She soon saw that her initial estimate had been fairly accurate. There were roughly 30 people, all men. Most of them appeared to be laborers, dressed in rough, well-worn clothing and their ages varied widely, from teenage to late middle age. One appeared slightly better dressed than the others, and it was he that stepped forward. His face was set in hard lines and he glared at her uncompromisingly.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?"
"I am here on business," Jessie replied vaguely, wondering what the hell had happened to Kefira. She stood her ground without flinching as the man took a menacing step forward.
"What sort of business would bring you to this place without an invitation and without coming in through the front gate?" he demanded. Then he gestured behind him. "And I suppose those belong to you?"
Jessie's gaze followed his gesture and she saw that he meant the crates. They appeared to be unopened. Looking back at him calmly, she replied, "Yes."
"So you had someone drop them out of an airplane in the back country of Bangalore and you came to retrieve them."
"Something like that, yes."
"Why?"
"Because as you pointed out, it was unlikely the Janissary troops guarding the borders would allow me to enter the country or bring those in with me. And I thought I might need what's in them while I was here."
"Janissaries are banned in this country."
"They are here, though," she said, staring the man down. Then she added softly, " . . . aren't they?"
Frustration and fury were written on his face as his grip tightened on his weapon. "Who are you???"
"Enough." The word was said quietly and calmly, but carried an unmistakable finality. Jessie heard a startled murmur from the back of the group of men that faced her and suddenly the crowd split down the middle like the parting of the Red Sea. Moving like the royalty she now was, Kefira walked calmly through the crowd. She held her gun easily in one arm. Dressed all in black with the pendant that Hadji had given her hanging openly around her neck, glittering like blood in the morning sun, she could have been the vengeful Kali reincarnate.
Jessie recognized an opportunity when she saw one. Without hesitation, she dropped to one knee and bowed her head. "Sultana Singh," she said with reverence.
"Sister," Kefira acknowledged as the whispered voices grew. "I heard gunfire. I trust no one was hurt."
Jessie rose smoothly as Kefira reached her side. "No, Excellency. We merely exchanged a few greeting shots to open discussions."
A smile flickered at the corners of Kefira's mouth. "I see. I believe there was no harm done, then. But perhaps it would be better to curb our exuberance for now."
"As you say, Excellency," Jessie said, and private laughter filled their gaze as the women's eyes locked briefly. The unintelligible murmurs grew, carried on a rising tide of excitement as Kefira and Jessie turned to face the crowd and the people got a close look at Kefira for the first time.
"She called her 'Sultana'!"
"I know her! It is Rajeev Subramanian's middle daughter!"
"They said she was dead!"
" . . . Sultan's wife . . ."
" . . . Freedom . . ."
And then, from the very back of the crowd, a woman's voice rose sharply, cutting through the noise.
"It is the fulfillment of the prophecy! The House of Singh rises again to free the country and bring destruction to their enemies! It begins! It begins!" Pandemonium erupted as the crowd began to cheer wildly. Behind the men who faced them, more people began streaming from the mine entrance and the throng seemed to grow exponentially. Within minutes, there seemed to be hundreds of people milling about in the excavation pit. The man who had been speaking to Jessie stared at Kefira in stunned amazement. This possessed young woman was a far cry from the naïve, determined young girl that used to follow her father around in the mines. Kefira raised her hand and a hush fell across the crowd once more.
She turned to the man standing in front of her and said, "Mr. Kumar, it is good to see you again."
Scrambling to gather his wits, the man cleared his throat and then bowed deeply. "Excellency. Forgive me. I did not realize that the Sultan had already taken you as his wife. Further, we thought you dead . . . along with the rest of your family."
Kefira smiled grimly. "The Sultan does not make his enemies aware of all that goes on. As a result they were not as thorough as they had hoped."
Kumar's face altered and he looked at her sadly, "Lady, your parents . . . "
"Yes, I know," she replied, and for an instant the grief and rage were visible. But just as quickly, they were gone and when she spoke again, her voice was calm and determined. "But there is more at issue than simply the murder of my parents. I would not have their death be in vain. Tell me, Mr. Kumar, what are you doing here?" She looked around her at the silent crowd, which now included women and children. "And with your families."
Kumar gestured back toward the mine entrance and Kefira and Jessie turned to follow him. He looked out across the sea of people and called out, "Back to your places. Remember, you must stay out of sight. Word will be sent once I have talked with the Sultana and she has told us what we are to do."
Jessie caught Kefira's arm and said softly in English, "We ought to watch the approaches. It's too much to hope that the plane won't have attracted attention."
Kefira looked back to see Kumar eyeing her. "Do you have eyes in the hills, my friend? My arrival may not have gone unmarked."
The man's eyes flicked to the sky and then widened briefly. "You came . . ."
"Yes. Do you keep watch?"
"We have been, but usually only during the day. The Janissaries have been here twice but we have taken care to make it seem that everything appeared deserted. They hunt all that were loyal to your father, burning homes and villages, and killing any they find. They think to break the support for the Sultan by doing this. But the people are loyal, Lady . . . to both you and your husband."
Kefira nodded. "I have never doubted it. But I fear the plane may draw attention to this place and we must be cautious."
"I'd suggest a lookout," Jessie broke in, gesturing back the way they had come. "On the ledge were we surveyed the mine. It's high ground and you can see for miles. And not just the road. We need to watch the countryside, too. They may be more cautious now, particularly if Birla is beginning to feel pressure from multiple sources."
"I agree." She looked at the people who still milled around her as though reluctant to leave. Spotting a man in the crowd, she called, "Mr. Chawla . . ."
A man stepped forward eagerly and bowed. "Excellency!"
"Your middle son . . . is he here?"
"Yes, Excellency." The man turned just as a young boy of about eleven pushed forward. He stumbled up to her and bowed awkwardly.
"Hemant, isn't it?"
"Yes, Excellency," the boy replied shyly.
"I remember you as a monkey who loved to climb everything in sight. Is this still true?"
"Yes, Lady!" the boy replied, and an excited grin split his face.
"Good. Then I have a job for you." Kefira looked up at the crowd still surrounding her and said loudly, "Hear me, my people. I would have you know the woman who stands here with me today. This is the Lady Jessica Bannon and I have named her sister, for that is what she is to me, both in spirit and in fact, for she is the betrothed of the Sultan's brother. I ask that you make her welcome and honor her as you would me." As the people around them acknowledged the introduction, Kefira turned back to the boy. "I would have you go with Lady Jessica, Hemant. She will show you a place where you may keep watch. If anything moves you are to warn us. She will show you howt. Can you do that?"
"Yes, Excellency!" the boy replied and bowed again.
Kefira looked at Jessie once more. "Take him to the ledge and set him to watch. Then return to me as quickly as you can. There is still much to do and we have little time."
"I'm on it." Gesturing to the young Indian boy, Jessie turned and left as a fast pace, as Kefira turned back to Kumar and gestured toward the mine entrance.
"Let us find a place to rest and you can tell me what has transpired. Then we will plan our next move."
