Midnight Sun (51 page)

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Authors: Basil Sands

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Yeah,
well,
it's
a
job.
Mind
you,
it's
not
as
posh
as
Kabul
or
Baghdad,
but
it's
a
good
job.


No,
I
mean,
what
are
you
doing
here
in
Anchorage?

Kharzai

s
mop
of
curly
black
hair—he
liked to refer to it as his
Arabfro—bounced like
Jell-O
formed
in
a
mold
as
he
moved
his
head.
His
teeth, glistening
as
if
he
just
stepped
out
of
a
toothpaste
commercial,
sharply
contrasted
against
the
dark
brown
of
his
skin
and
black of his
beard.
A
gold
chain
necklace
mingled
with
the
thick
bristles
of
chest
hair
that
jutted
from
the
collar
of
his
shirt,
which
was
open
to
the
second
button.


I
know
you,

she
said.

You're
the
guy
from
Columbus.
The
bombing.


Sorry,
but
I
don't
remember
you,

Kharzai
replied,

and
I
certainly
would
remember
if
I
had
seen
you
before.
You're
way
too
hot
to
forget.
” H
e
acted
surprised
at
his
own
words.

Oops,
sorry. Did
I
say
that
out
loud?

Hilde's
cheeks
flushed
pink.


I
was
surveillance,

she
said.
“J
ust
saw
you
on
the
cameras.


Oh.
I
see,

Kharzai
said,
then
added
in
a
licentious
tone,

voyeur.


Kharzai,

Mike said,

this
is
Hilde,
my
wife.


Whup.
Better
stop
flirting
then,
eh?

Kharzai
said.
He
winked
at
Hilde
in
the
rearview
mirror,
then
shifted
his
eyes
to
Lonnie.

And
I
know
you,
and
I
know
you
know
me
too,
very
pretty
and
pretty
pregnant
lady.”


You
were
at
the
accident,

Lonnie
said.


Cha-ching—give the
lady
the
Bahamas
Cruise,
Johnny.

He
gave
a
quick
flourish
of
his
hand
and
made
a
partial
bow
toward
the
reflected
image
of
Lonnie
and
said,

That

s
right,
and
now
you
know
me
even
better.
Kharzai
Ghiassi,
cabbie.


What
was
that
about
a
bombing?

Lonnie
asked.


Kharzai
is
not
a
normal
cabbie,

Mike
said,

or
at
least,
he
does
not
have
a
normal
cabbie's
past.


Yeah,
that's what I'm already thinking
,

Lonnie
said.


I
assume
she

s
with
Mojo,

Kharzai said.


You
know
my
husband?

Lonnie asked,
surprise
showing
in
her
voice.


Yeah,
we've
met.

Kharzai
smiled
as
he
glanced
back
at
her
in
the
mirror.

An
old
friend
of
mine,
Liam
Cleary
of
the
Royal
Marines,
knew
him
pretty
well
and
introduced
us
in
Iraq
back
in
the
day.


You
don't
seem
like
you
were
in
the
Marines,

Lonnie
said.

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