Touch the Horizon

by Iris Johansen

  She felt a rush of love so poignant and intense that it made her breathless. “I need you too,” she whispered.

  “Very touching.” Ladram said mockingly. He tossed aside the wooden figure he’d been whittling, but kept the knife in his hand. “And I need you, too, Bradford. It’s been a burning so long inside me that it’s almost a passion. I dream about you every night, do you know that? All I can think about is how I want to mutilate that handsome face of yours.” His hand ran caressingly over the blade of the knife. “For a start, that is.”

  “No!” Billie struggled desperately to her feet, using the wall of the cave to push herself forward. “You can’t do that.”

  “You don’t want his face spoiled?” Ladram smiled. “I’m always willing to oblige a lady. I’ll start somewhere else first. Come closer, Bradford. I want to choose my points.”

  David hesitated and then came slowly forward until he stood only a few feet away from Ladram. “You see how obedient he is?” Ladram shot her a mocking glance. “That’s because of you, Miss Callahan. He knows if he resists doing whatever I wish with him, I’ll start on you instead. Such a gallant man.” His eyes were running hungrily over David’s body. “Now, let’s see. Where do I begin?”

  “Please.” Billie moved forward impulsively. “That’s not the way to hurt him most.” Her voice was low and shaking. “You want to punish him. You want to make him suffer for a long time, right? What you have in mind would be over much too soon.”

  “Would it, now?”

  She nodded, her frantic words tumbling over one another. “There’s another way. You’re right. He does care about me. He cares very much. Whatever you have in mind for him, do to me instead.” She heard David’s sharp exclamation, but she ignored it. She had to convince Ladram. “Make him watch it and then set him free. Can’t you see that would hurt him more? He’d carry the picture for the rest of his life.” But, she thought, David would be alive.

  “Damn it, Billie, shut up!” David said, his voice sharp with agony. “For God’s sake, keep out of this.”

  “It’s all my fault,” Billie said fiercely. “How can I stay out of it?” She turned back to Ladram. “You said he was the Galahad type. My way he’d remember and suffer a lot longer than yours. Can’t you see that?”

  “You may be right,” Ladram said slowly. He was studying David’s white, set face. “He certainly appears to care for you.”

  “You know you’re only playing,” David said harshly. “Cut her loose and send her away. Let’s get on with it.”

  “Not yet. I think we’ll let her watch a bit of it.” He shot a glance at Billie. “Shall we tie him up and begin, luv?” He moved within inches of David, who didn’t flinch. He touched the knife to David’s breast, applying just enough pressure so that it hurt, but did not pierce the flesh.

  “No!” Billie gasped. She dashed in between them, and suddenly everything was a blur of impressions—Ladram’s surprised, then furious, face…David’s low exclamation behind her…then a white-hot pain in her upper arm. Strange that it should be hot, when the blade looked so cold.

  “Billie!” She dimly heard David’s agonized cry, but it was a world away. She was thrust from between them with lightning swiftness, and stumbled to her knees. It appeared as if David moved in slow motion as he grabbed Ladram’s knife hand in a bone-crushing grip, while his other hand swung forward in a slap that connected with Ladram’s throat. It seemed a comparatively light blow, but Ladram’s eyes immediately glazed over, and he slumped forward, unconscious. She stared dazedly at his stocky figure, lying limp only a few feet away. It was all over so quickly. David was safe. She couldn’t seem to comprehend it. David was safe now.

  He was kneeling beside her, and she was in his arms. The blood, she thought hazily, and tried to draw back. “No, I’ll get you bloody.”

  “Shut up,” he said brokenly. “Shut up, love.”

  He drew a deep breath and pushed her away from him. He retrieved the knife Ladram had dropped when he fell. Swiftly, he cut the ropes binding her wrists, then tossed the knife aside. His hands quickly unbuttoned her yellow blouse and pushed it aside to examine the knife wound. “It’s only a graze in the fleshy part of your arm,” he said with relief. He pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it to the freely flowing wound. “Lord, we were lucky. He could just as well have killed you.” He placed his hand over the make-shift bandage. “Hold that for a minute. I’ve got to get some help for you.” He stood up, strode to the mouth of the cave, and waved his arms three times in a wide arc to someone in the canyon below. He was back at her side in seconds, and his expression signaled his anxiety as he noticed the paleness of her cheeks. He muttered a low curse as he dropped to his knees again and drew her carefully into his arms, one hand holding the compress firm. “You’re an idiot, Billie Callahan,” he said thickly. “A loving, glorious, brave idiot, but an idiot all the same. What the hell did you mean, jumping between us like that?”

  She leaned against him with a contented sigh. He was so warm, and suddenly she felt so cold, icy cold. “I thought he was going to hurt you,” she said wearily. “I couldn’t let him do that.”

  “No, I guess you couldn’t,” he said huskily, his lips brushing her temple. “But if you’d only stayed out of it, neither one of us would have been hurt. I was only waiting for an opportunity to touch him. I only had to touch him, Billie.”

  Nestling closer, she could feel his warmth, but it didn’t seem to pierce the sluggish cold that was running through her veins. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Clancy knew I’d be searched for weapons, so he gave me one of the charming little specialties of his security arsenal.” He held up his hand to show her the handsome gold-mounted onyx ring on his index finger. “All you have to do is thumb the spring on the side and a tiny needle comes out.” His lips twisted. “A needle coated with enough knockout fluid to down a rhinoceros in five seconds.”

  “Just like James Bond,” Billie said dully. She was starting to shiver. “Who did you wave to? Ladram said there wouldn’t be a chance of your being followed.”

  “There wasn’t any need for me to be followed,” David answered. “Danilo, Clancy’s man, was following you and saw Ladram make his play. He was here already. After he made certain there were only Ladram and his Sedikhan stooge, he reported back by mobile phone and settled down to wait. He probably took out the man guarding the trail as soon as I was halfway up the path. He was to wait for my signal before radioing Karim and Clancy to come in by helicopter.”

  She felt a faint stirring of indignation. “Why was Clancy’s man following me? You promised I’d be free as a bird.”

  “Just a precaution,” he said soothingly. “I was a little afraid something might happen. I wanted you to be protected.”

  “I don’t need protection. I can take care of…” Suddenly she realized how dumb she was being. She hadn’t been able to protect herself in this case, and it had almost cost David his life. “I guess I did need it this time.”

  “It’s very generous of you to admit it,” David said, a thread of amusement in his voice. “You must have been more frightened than I thought.”

  “I was scared to death. I could see him hurting you, killing you. It was terrible.”

  “Shhh.” He pulled her closer. “It didn’t happen. We’ll never have to face that threat again. It’s all over.”

  She knew intellectually that it was all over, but she didn’t know it emotionally. The menace and fear were still with her. “He was such a terrible man. Did you see his eyes? So icy. It was as if he were frozen inside.” She laughed shakily. “He made me cold too. I still can’t get warm.”

  “Can’t you, Billie?” He pushed her away to gaze down at her with worried eyes. The shivering was increasing in intensity, and his lips tightened as he noticed she was even paler than before. “You’ll be warm soon, I promise. Just hold on.” He was unzipping his jacket with one hand, the other still holding the compress. “Where
the hell are Clancy and Karim?”

  “It hasn’t been that long, has it?” she asked vaguely. It hadn’t seemed very long since he’d waved to that man down below, but perhaps it had. She couldn’t seem to think straight.

  “Long enough.” He put the Windbreaker around her shoulders, then drew her back into his arms. “Is that better?”

  It wasn’t really, but he sounded so worried, she couldn’t tell him. She nodded. “Much better,” she muttered. She seemed to be fading in and out of consciousness, and everything was becoming a confused jumble in her mind. The knife, Ladram, the half-carved figure of the giraffe on the ground, the guitar. The guitar? How had the guitar gotten here? Oh, yes, she remembered now. “Do you really want me to teach you how to play the guitar?”

  She felt him stiffen against her. “What, love?”

  “The guitar. Do you really…?” She couldn’t speak. There was only the cold, waiting darkness.

  TEN

  SHEIKH KARIM’S FIERCE features were set in an expression of grudging patience when Billie next opened her eyes. He sat in the ivory-cushioned cane chair, which had been drawn close to her bed; his gaze was fixed intently on her face, as if he were mentally willing her to wake. With a personality as strong as Karim’s, he just might be able to do it, Billie thought sleepily.

  “Ah, you’re awake,” Karim growled. “It took you long enough. That idiot doctor told me I wasn’t to disturb you until you woke naturally.” He scowled. “Four hours!”

  “Sorry,” Billie said, her lips quirking. He acted as if her unconsciousness were a personal insult. She sat up in bed, flinching a little as she moved her left arm. It was neatly bandaged now. Someone—Yasmin, probably—had removed her pants and shirt, and she wore a nightgown. “You didn’t have to obey him, you know. I don’t know why I blacked out like that.”

  “Shock,” Karim said. “The wound itself was nothing. I tried to tell David that at the cave, but he wouldn’t believe me. He was sure you were dying from loss of blood or some kind of poison Ladram had applied to the blade of the knife.” His voice was indignant. “David was raving at Clancy and me for not arriving sooner with the helicopter to get you to a doctor. It was most unlike him.”

  “Where is he?” Billie asked.

  “The doctor ordered him out of the room after David threatened to break his neck if he let you die.” Karim shook his head. “As I said, most peculiar. He was pacing outside in the hall for hours until I told him I’d order the guards to drag him to his suite if he didn’t leave peaceably.”

  “Would you have done it?”

  “Yes, of course,” the sheikh said simply. “I never bluff, Miss Callahan.” He stretched his legs out before him. “It wasn’t good for David to be here. He was suffering even more than when he heard you’d been taken.” He paused, frowned, and then said forcefully, “It upsets me exceedingly to see David suffer, Miss Callahan. That’s why I chose to stay and talk to you before I sent word to him that you were awake.”

  “I don’t like the idea of David’s suffering either,” she said softly. She sat up straighter, and the sheet dropped to her waist. “I think you know that.”

  His dark gaze was fastened in surprise on the front of her faded, high-necked nightshirt. Emblazoned in shamrock green were the words: Kiss me, I’m Irish. “What an extraordinary garment. Does David find that particular style erotic?”

  “I don’t think David’s ever seen me in a nightgown,” she said absently. Then, seeing the sudden flicker of amusement in his face, she rushed on. “Yasmin must have thought this old nightshirt was better for an invalid.” She grinned. “She’d never have opted for such an unfeminine garment if she’d had a choice. She’s always chiding me for being unwomanly.”

  “David seems to have no complaints on that score.” The sheikh’s lips curved in a little smile. “He has no complaints at all about you.” His smile faded. “Except for your predilection for running away from ghosts. That was most unwise of you, Miss Callahan. David could have been murdered because of you.”

  “I know,” Billie whispered, her lips tightening in pain as she remembered Ladram’s face when he was holding that knife to David’s chest. “It was horrible.” Her eyes flew to his. “Where is Ladram?”

  “He has been taken care of,” Karim said in a harsh, implacable tone. “He won’t be a problem any longer to anyone.”

  Billie shivered at Karim’s ferocity. “I’m glad. David will be safe, at last.”

  “You can be sure of that,” the sheikh said, “if your foolishness doesn’t lead him into some other danger.” His expression was stern. “I’ve decided that I can’t permit that.”

  “You can’t permit—”

  “It’s obvious you care very deeply for David,” Karim interrupted. “From what he told me of what happened with Ladram, you were willing to give your life for him. It is not reasonable you should do that and then make him suffer by refusing to stay with him.”

  “And you intend to make sure that I don’t do anything so stupidly unreasonable?” Billie’s eyes were twinkling. “Am I being threatened with the eunuch guards and the harem again?” It was hard to remember how angry she’d been that first day. She was finding it difficult even to take Karim’s threats seriously, knowing it was all done for the love of David. She might be pretty ruthless herself if she thought David’s happiness was at stake.

  “I told you I was not so uncivilized,” Karim said. “But you’d be wise to take me more seriously. I have confidence in David’s ability to convince you that your future happiness lies with him.” His lips firmed determinedly. “I just intend to make sure that he has the time and opportunity to do so.”

  “Really? You sound very stern,” Billie said demurely. “Would you care to elaborate?”

  “I was about to do that,” Karim said. “First, you will not be permitted to leave the Casbah or the city unless David accompanies you. Second, you will be moved from here into David’s suite immediately. Third, I will permit no birth-control devices to be brought into the Casbah. Any that you have will be confiscated and not returned to you until I’m sure this foolishness is out of your head.”

  Why, that wily old devil! “Are you sure you don’t want to confiscate all my shoes as well?” she asked solemnly.

  “Your shoes?” Karim’s thick brows were knotted in puzzlement.

  “I thought it might be in order, since you obviously want to keep me barefoot and pregnant,” she said silkily. “I’m surprised you haven’t considered artificial insemination.”

  “I’m not that civilized,” Karim said with a reluctant smile. “I believe that David will take care of the matter in an entirely natural and pleasurable manner.”

  “I’m sure he will.” Billie said, meeting his eyes steadily. “With no interference on your part.”

  “We will see,” Karim said. “Whatever is necessary will be done.” He lifted his brow. “You don’t seem too upset. You will accept your fate with fitting meekness?”

  Fitting meekness! Karim had a great deal to learn about modern women and their independence. Well, now she had all the time in the world to teach him.

  “I’m going to stay with David, if that’s what you mean,” she said as she threw aside the covers and swung her legs to the floor. “In fact, I think I’ll go see him this minute. Is he in his suite?”

  Karim shook his head. “He’s in the greenhouse.”

  “Good.” She found she was a little weaker than she’d expected. “Then, I’ll toddle down there with ‘fitting meekness’ to accept my lord’s decrees.”

  “I can send for him,” Karim said. “You shouldn’t be out of bed so soon.”

  “I want to go to him,” Billie said quietly. “I was the one who ran away. It’s only right that I be the one to walk the return road. It’s a sort of symbol. I think David will like that. He has an appreciation for rituals.”

  “I think he will too.” Karim rose to his feet and looked down at her with conflicting emotions on his hard, fierc
e face. “I’m not one to obey orders.” He touched the garish slogan emblazoned across the nightshirt. “Still, there’s always a first time…Billie.” He bent and placed an awkward kiss on her forehead. “You’ll find you haven’t made a mistake.”

  She felt inexpressibly touched, and the tears misted her eyes. No wonder David loved the ferocious old brigand. She cleared her throat and gave him a cheeky grin. “I know I haven’t. However, you may not be so lucky. You may just decide I’m too difficult to live with and shoo David and me back to Marasef.” She strode toward the gauzy curtains at the door of the dressing room. She halted to glance back at him over her shoulder. “I think I should tell you I had made up my mind to stay.” Her violet eyes were dancing. “And that your dire threats didn’t mean a tinker’s damn to me. If I’d wanted to, I’d have found a way to escape from the Casbah. As for the pregnancy threat”—she shrugged—“I love babies. I’d have just slung the baby on my back like an Indian and taken it with me.” She disappeared through the curtain, leaving the sheikh staring after her with an expression that was a curious mixture of outrage and pride.

  The path that led through the greenhouse was as mystically lovely as before, the moonlight lending a crystal purity to the flowering jasmine and shimmering gold Allamanda. It should have reminded her of that first night, but somehow it didn’t. That evening had been all magic and dreams, and tonight was sweet, vibrant life and reality. She could feel the life zinging through her veins and its rhythm springing in her footsteps. Tonight she could almost hear the other rhythms of the earth and nature surrounding her. Perhaps, given time, David would be able to transmit that wondrous empathy to her.

  He was kneeling by the bed of pinks and windflowers, as she’d known he would be, the lantern beside him, as it had been on that evening that seemed so long ago. So alike, yet so different. His hands weren’t working busily in the earth; they were jammed tensely into the pockets of his black Windbreaker, and his eyes were staring blindly at the healthy green sprigs in the earth before him.