Midnight Sun (53 page)

“Thanks for the sociology lesson,” Lonnie said.

“Anyhoo... a
fter
that,
I
got
back
into
the
'organization'
and
framed
one
of
the
dead
guys
with
the
failure.
The
leadership
thought
I
should
lay
low
for
a
while
and
suggested
that
I
hide
out
far
from
everything.
It
was
either
here
or
a
cave
in
Afghanistan,
so
here
I
am.
About
as
remote
as
an
Indiana-bred
Persian
guy
can
ever dream of
being.
There's
neither
a
single
camel
nor
a
real
cornstalk
in
this
whole
state.
Can
you
imagine
that?
”

“
So
you’re just
hiding
out
in
Anchorage,
”
Mike.

“
Basically,
”
said
Kharzai.

“
And
how
is
it
that
you
got
sent
to
pick
us
up
instead
of
another of the hundreds of cabbies in Anchorage?”
Hilde asked.

“
The
bigger
question,
”
Kharzai said,
“
is
what
were
a
pregnant
Asian
hottie
and
a
knockout
gorgeous
redhead
doing
sitting
alone
in
a
truck
late
at
night
in
a
rail
yard
in
an
area
known
to
have
gangs
wandering
around?
I
didn
’
t
believe
Snake
’
s
lady-love
concept.
Neither
of
you
look
like
any
lesbians
I
’
ve
ever
seen.
G
irls
with
your
genetically
natural
beauty
only
do
it
for
money
or
cocaine
in
porn
flicks.
And
even
then
they
’
re
only
good-looking
with
a
ton
of
makeup.
”

“
How
did
you
know
we
were
sitting
there
alone?
”
Lonnie
asked,
her
tone
that
of
an
investigating
state
trooper.

“
You
are
a
pretty
intimidating
lady,
Lonnie.
I
was
impressed
when
you
threatened
to
shoot
that
leader
dude,
”
Kharzai
continued.
“
What
was
that
you
said?
 
'I'm
gonna
hormone
your
ass
to
hell.'
That
was
truly
classic.
Wish
I
could
use
it
myself,
but
being
a
dude,
it'd
sound
kinda
gay,
so
I
guess
I'll
have
to
stick
with
ballsy
stuff.
”

“
Wait
a
minute,
”
Mike said.
“Y
ou
saw
that
whole
thing?
”

“
Yeah.
And
listened
too.
”
Kharzai
held up
a
cheap-looking
listening
device
shaped
like
a
small
radar
dish
with
headphones
attached.
It
looked
like
something
that
would
be
sold
in
a
kid
’
s
spy
kit.
“
Picked
this
bad
boy
up
at
R
adio
S
hack. The
box
showed
people
listening
to
wildlife
in
the
woods,
but
this
is
pure
dirty
teenage
stalker
tech,
if
you
ask
me.
Works
like
a
charm,
though—even got
to
listen
to
your
sweet
little
bio
there,
cop
lady. Heart-breaking
stuff,
that.
”

“
So
now
we
know
who
the
real
voyeur
is,
”
Lonnie
said,
glancing
out
the
window,
her
face
tightening.

“
Driving
cab
around
this
town
can
be
pretty
boring,
and
I
was
on
my
break,
just
listening
to
the
rats
clambering
around
the
train
yard
when
I
picked
up
you
girls.
”