WAR: Intrusion (6 page)

The change in MacKay was frightening, and she wasn’t even looking at him. She simply felt the lack of oxygen in the air as his energy slid from mildly threatening to predatory.

“Were you hurt?”

She blinked. He almost sounded as if he cared. The thought sent warmth spiraling through her.
No. He’s a threat. He’s just playing you.
Stifling her disappointment, she answered, “Luckily, there were no casualties. The vandalism took place after hours when the clinic was deserted.”

“Good.” He turned his head toward her. “What about the night watchman?”

“Ah… We didn’t have one until after the break-in.”

“Isn’t that against the Foundation’s security policy?”

She shook her head. “Up until the break-in, I thought there was nothing worth stealing in the clinic after hours.”

“Anyone looking to get high would want to get their hands on your medicines.”

“True. If we left the medicines unsecured at night.”

“I didn’t see a locked medicine cabinet.”

“We have a safe place where each night we put all the potentially dangerous supplies, along with all the sensitive paperwork.”

“Is that right?”

She didn’t blame his skepticism. The lengths to which Layla’s Foundation took their security measures was definitely on the extreme side. She took a deep breath. “Look, I can’t tell you any more, okay? It’s against the Foundation’s policy.”

She felt his gaze on her, but didn’t give in to the temptation to look at him.

“If the vandals failed to get your medicines, what did they take?”

“Everything else. Literally. I’d gone down to the regional capital earlier in the week to attend a mini-conference. When I had trouble sleeping the final night, I left early. I reached the road that leads past the clinic to my bungalow just before dawn and wondered why the front door of the clinic was open.” She shook her head. “I pulled into the driveway and discovered that the front door was missing. Inside, I found one plastic pen cap in a crack in my office floor, but everything else—from the exam tables to the wiring to the basket containing the children’s toys—was gone.”

“That’s why the list of equipment in the loan documents seemed to be more suitable to a newly built clinic.”

“Yes. Plus—” She bit her lip, realizing that she should probably stop talking.

“What?”

Cursing her slip and wishing MacKay wasn’t so observant, she added as nonchalantly as possible, “There were marks on the walls that appeared to be made by a crowbar. As if someone had swung at the wall in anger.”

“Lashing out because they didn’t find any drugs.”

“Yes, that’s what I thought.”

“Why didn’t the insurance company cover at least part of the costs?”

Helen tried not to let any of her tension show. “That’s not a question I can answer. Suffice it to say that my boss told me that no money would be forthcoming. She was ready to pull the plug on the grand opening and write the clinic off as a loss.”

“What changed her mind?”

“I did.” She gestured toward the red dirt road. “This area desperately needs adequate medical care. The people are barely living above subsistence level. Before we opened, the closest medical facility was the hospital in the regional capital. That’s a three-hour walk. If they were lucky, they’d need medical care on a day that the buses run. It takes only about twenty minutes to walk to the main north-south road. If the buses weren’t running, people would either try to hitch a ride with one of the few villagers who have a personal vehicle, such as Kwesi, or walk.”

An odd tingle ran down her spine. She glanced over at MacKay to find him studying her with a slight frown, as if she were a puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out. Well, she’d surprised herself by her heartfelt plea to her boss regarding keeping the clinic open. Letting the Foundation close it down would have freed Helen to take an assignment at a hospital where her surgical skills would be best put to work by treating victims of the rebels. “I couldn’t turn my back on the villagers,” she added. “I cared too much.”

Suddenly self-conscious under MacKay’s continued scrutiny, she shrugged. “There are three large villages nearby, and four more within a decent walk of the clinic. After word of the vandalism got out, we had a huge outpouring of support. People brought everything from spare beds to extra band-aids we’d given them, in hopes of helping the clinic get back up and running as soon as possible. I was working with the tribal chief on a plan for a fundraiser when Mr. Natchaba offered me the loan.”

“Mighty generous.”

“I don’t understand why you’re so suspicious. As I said yesterday, I helped Mr. Natchaba’s wife through a difficult childbirth. He’s not around much, but after his son’s birth he’d periodically drop in to see if we needed any assistance. He also supports the local schools, and as you saw, he’s donated all those MP3 players to be given to the children tomorrow.”

“So your plan was to use the loan money to restore the clinic to its previous condition and pretend as if nothing had happened.”

“Yes.”

“Did it never occur to you that if the clinic was targeted once, it might be targeted again? And that an investor deserved to know that fact ahead of time?”

Shame snaked through her. “Yes. But it wasn’t my call. I cleared the loan with my boss, Gloria, and she told me to stay silent. My job was to oversee the restoration. Which I’ve been doing. And…well…” She shrugged. “Our security is tighter now. We have the night watchman, plus the enhanced doors and improved security bars on the windows. Really, I think it was just a gang of thieves making a fast pass through the region. They thought they could score some quick drugs, then stole everything else when they failed to find our medicines. I doubt whoever it is will be back.”

“You’re either the most delusional woman I’ve ever met, or the most naïve.”

DR
. KIRK’S CHEEKS flushed an enticing shade of pink at his statement.

“What gives you the right to make such a judgment?” she demanded.

“Doctor, this area might be close to the border, but the dirt road between your clinic and the main north-south road is in poor condition. Thieves randomly hitting targets would look for a place closer to that road with a faster escape route. They’d snatch whatever was easiest to carry and be in and out within minutes. Carting away the furniture and removing the wiring took planning, time, and a large lorry.” He shot her a questioning glance. “No one saw or heard anything?”

She shook her head. “A few people claim to have heard the truck, but assumed it was some special delivery for the clinic.”

“Really? You’re certain the villagers weren’t involved?”

“What? Didn’t you hear anything I said? They desperately need the medical care we provide.”

“Maybe they needed the money more.”

“No. I…” She shook her head again. “I know these people. They wouldn’t do that.”

“If you say so.” He let skepticism creep into his voice, although he happened to agree with her.

“I still think is has to be a gang of thieves,” Dr. Kirk said. “Because honestly, who else would do this? There’s been no rebel activity within a hundred miles of here.”

“That you’re aware of.”

She shot him a glance full of alarm. “Are you saying the rebels are closer than that?”

“No. But new groups form every day.” Which caused no end of headaches for WAR. It seemed no sooner did one of WAR’s teams take down a rebel group than two more sprang up. “My guess is that a fledgling group desperate both for startup cash and to prove themselves loyal to the rebels’ anti-foreigner rhetoric decided to use your clinic as their first demonstration of power. They probably didn’t count on Natchaba giving you the money to rebuild so quickly. If the media reports that your grand opening is successful, the rebels might attack again. And next time they might hurt you or your staff.”

“Then we’ll never get the money we need to keep the clinic running,” she said with such despair that he felt a jab of sympathy. “I can’t bear the idea of the locals returning to the sub-standard care they received before.”

Sincerity and true passion rang in every word she spoke. Something he’d never heard from his father, even when his father was at his most outwardly sympathetic. But he couldn’t afford to let his guard down yet. Not until he was one hundred percent certain she was not involved in any weapons smuggling.

“You’re missing the main point, doctor.”

“What’s that?”

“Your life, and the lives of your staff, could be at risk.”

She looked startled by the notion.

“Did you not hear what I said before?”

She glanced at him. “Do you really think we’re in danger?”

“I think it’s a distinct possibility, yes.”

“Is that why you’re carrying a gun at the small of your back? Because you expect a rebel attack wherever you go?”

“Noticed that, did you?”

“Yes. When you almost pulled it on Kwesi.”

Lachlan gave a one-shouldered shrug. “The bloke’s an arse with a short temper.”

“Around you, maybe. But Kwesi is a respected businessman and the brother of the tribal chief.”

He snorted in disdain.

Dr. Kirk yelped in alarm and slammed on the brakes.

Lachlan braced his arm against the dash to stop himself from hitting his head on the windscreen. When the vehicle was completely stopped, he saw that Dr. Kirk had narrowly avoided hitting a small tree that had fallen across the road. The four-wheel-drive vehicle would normally have been more than a match for it, but the branches sticking straight up were thick enough to pierce the petrol tank.

“You have excellent reflexes, doctor.”

She gave him a faint smile. “I’m used to working in fast-paced trauma centers where I have to make rapid life and death decisions. Guess I haven’t fully lost my touch.” She nodded toward the downed tree. “Would you mind helping me move that?”

“Not at all.” He reached over, turned the vehicle off, and pocketed the keys.

“Hey!”

He gave her a knowing smile. “Just ensuring that you don’t abandon me here, doctor. After all, you don’t trust me any more than I trust you, now do you?”

She narrowed her eyes, then turned without a word and climbed out of the cab.

With the two of them it didn’t take long to drag the tree out of the road. They encountered two more such obstacles before finally reaching their destination—a weed-infested patch of dirt in front of a long building with the typical corrugated metal roof. The number of doors and louvered windows marked it as a classroom block.

Dr. Kirk opened the rear door and pulled out an easel and several open-topped boxes containing a variety of health-related props.

“You’re teaching a women’s health class?” Lachlan asked as he picked up the easel and one of the boxes.

Dr. Kirk nodded in gratitude, stacked two other boxes on top of each other, and headed toward the nearest classroom. “That’s right. I hold it every month.” She looked back over her shoulder at him. “You can bring the supplies in, but you’ll have to move out of earshot once I start class.”

“Why?” He opened the door, then put his back to it and waited for Dr. Kirk to move past him into the room.

“You’re a man. We’re going to be talking about sensitive women’s issues. Having you nearby will make my students uncomfortable.” She set her box down on a wooden table underneath a newly painted blackboard.

“I don’t see why you need me to leave,” Lachlan commented. Not that he particularly wanted to stay. Being free to roam the grounds would allow him to search the other buildings for weapons. But he enjoyed tweaking her. “I only speak a few words of the local language.”

“But you’ll understand the body language just fine. Particularly when we practice rolling on condoms.”

Lachlan glanced over at her in time to see that blush on her cheeks again. Interesting. He imagined she’d given this talk often enough to have no embarrassment, so was she blushing because she didn’t like discussing such an intimate act with him? Or because the mention of condoms made her wonder what he’d be like in bed?

The image of Dr. Kirk on her knees before him, rolling a condom onto his stiffened cock had the expected result on his body. To distract himself, he set the box down, then started pulling out the smaller boxes inside. “Where do you want these?”

At Dr. Kirk’s choked laugh, he glanced down and discovered he’d picked up two boxes of what appeared to be erect penises. He burst out laughing. “Ah, never you mind. I’ll just set these right here.” He placed them on the table with as much nonchalance as he could muster. Once again, he gave thanks that his teammates were nowhere near. This was one story he’d be keeping to himself. He needed his teammates to respect him, not be distracted by the thought of their commander holding plastic cocks in his hands.

Lachlan unpacked the boxes as quickly as possible, then fled back to the SUV with the empties. He’d just shut the rear door when an old school bus pulled in and disgorged about thirty women.

As they headed toward the building they glanced at Lachlan with a mix of curiosity and feminine appreciation. Seeing a group of middle-aged women struggling to carry large display boards, he darted forward. “Here, let me.”

He took the boards and brought them to the classroom, then returned to the bus to see if there was anything more he could do to help. But the vehicle was empty and the female driver had joined the others inside.

Through the windows Lachlan saw the women talking and laughing with Dr. Kirk. A few of them gestured his way and one of the women even nodded toward the table of sex-related items before pointedly looking from Dr. Kirk to Lachlan. He wished he were close enough to hear the doctor’s response and see if her cheeks flushed again. But he had to content himself with watching her laugh, shake her head, then turn her back on Lachlan.

Well, that appeared to be his cue to wander off.

The rest of the grounds of the primary school showed signs of long disuse. The special black paint that was used to turn sheets of plywood into blackboards had all but disappeared in the other classrooms. Louvers were missing from windows and in the classrooms farthest from Dr. Kirk’s class, bird droppings covered the floor. This must not have been a boarding school because there were no dormitories. The outbuildings consisted of a dilapidated maintenance shed holding a rusted hand mower and a broken rake, and an administration block where all the offices were coated in dust and debris.