Lord Helton gave a weary wave of his hand.“Yes, yes.Whatever you wish.I have more important things to worry about than Osborne’s ridiculous investigation.”
“I want whatever information you have on Osborne.His files.Everything.”
Annoyance spread on Lord Helton’s face.“Don’t overplay your hand, Benson.I could always give you another assignment immediately.Restrict your ability to go and save Darby.”
Bastard.Noah set his jaw and cocked his head.“His files?”
“As you wish.”Lord Helton moved to leave the room.
“There’s one more thing,” Noah said.Jahi had brought a feeling of uncertainty to what was happening.
Lord Helton stopped.His heels clicked together as he turned to face Noah.“What’s that?”
“I can’t deliver the arms for you.There’s too much of a risk the Aleaqrab would recognize me.I can get the weapons from the army.”He studied the list.“With this amount, I’ll need to borrow a lorry.And register what I’m taking from the munition dump.I’ll be responsible for them.”At the voice of caution in his mind, he asked, “What if the army investigates this?They’ll be suspicious that all these weapons disappeared.”
“I can smooth it over.Tell them I sent you on a secret mission.You’ve taken weapons dozens of times before for such purposes.”
“But never just outright stolen them.And never so many.Anytime I’ve taken weapons in the past, their purpose has been accounted for in an official report.”Noah’s eyes narrowed.“What you’re asking of me could be considered treason if something goes awry with the delivery.You know the army would never approve of you taking the weapons and turning them over to our enemies.”
“Good God, man, what would you have me do?They have a knife to my throat.I’d rather ask for forgiveness later than ask for permission, which you’re right, they would refuse.And then where would I be?They’ve likely already defiled her.Would you like to see her dead?”
Noah swallowed the tight lump in his throat.No.The thought of Victoria being killed made him sick.“I’ll obtain the weapons, then meet with Jahi.Then Jahi can drive them to the rendezvous point.I can follow at a distance on horseback, see the arms collected.If Victoria is at the exchange, I will be there to help her, should anything arise.”
“You make the plans, Benson.I trust you.”Then Helton left, shutting the door behind him.
Jahi stood beside the door, hands neatly folded in front of him.
Noah approached him.When he was close, Noah grabbed a fistful of his robes and pushed him against the door.He peeled back the sleeve of Jahi’s left arm, revealing a scorpion brand.Unlike Noah’s, it was long scarred over.“It was you, wasn’t it?”
Jahi responded by slipping a knife from his pocket.The sharp blade separated their torsos, the tip scraping against Noah’s collar.He gave a slow twist to his head, his eyes flat.
Releasing Jahi from his grasp, Noah stepped back, furious with himself.He’d showed his cards too soon.Jahi wouldn’t be easily intimidated.
“Who are you working for?”Noah asked.Jahi being involved with the Aleaqrabwas believable and he had access to Victoria.He would have known where she was.How to kidnap her.
Jahi didn’t answer, his eyes dark.When he sprang forward, Noah grabbed the side of a chair, then lifted it and blocked Jahi’s body with it.The chair snapped over Jahi’s head, a splintering crack in the air.
Jahi tumbled onto the floorboards, the tarboosh rolling into the wall.The knife clattered across the wooden slats of the floor.
A few seconds later, Lord Helton threw the door open.“What the devil—?”He froze at the sight of a dazed and groaning Jahi on the floor.
Noah released what remained of the chair from his hands, and it fell with a crash.“I think we have the key to finding Victoria.”Squatting, Noah showed Lord Helton the brand on Jahi’s arm.“He’s with the Aleaqrab.He tried to attack Ginger in Ezbekieh after she arrived in Cairo.I thought the attacker looked familiar, but he was disguised.”
Lord Helton’s face darkened.“Where’s my daughter, Jahi?”
Jahi muttered in an undiscernible voice then spat at Noah.The spittle landed on Noah’s cheek and slid onto the floor.“Step aside, Benson.”Lord Helton encroached upon both men.
Noah wiped his face with a handkerchief and stood, stepping back.A spark of fear ignited in Jahi’s eyes.Like Noah, he’d seen Helton question an enemy before.Lord Helton’s affectations of a gentleman who didn’t dirty his own hands were effective.But it was pretense—he wasn’t a man to be underestimated.
“Where is she?”The question was spoken so quietly that Noah barely heard it over his own breathing.His pulse was still quick from the confrontation with Jahi, and he inhaled deeply to still it.He was more nervous than he’d realized, probably from the hope that Victoria could be soon found.
“I don’t know.”Jahi reached for his tarboosh, and Lord Helton crushed his fingers under the toes of his boot.
Jahi cried out as Lord Helton leaned down.“I’m going to kill you, Jahi.But only you can choose how merciful and dignified a death you will have.”
“I-I don’t know w-where they’ve t-taken her.”Jahi gasped as Helton put more weight on his hand.“I sw-swear it.”
“Did you take her?”Lord Helton pushed the heel of his boot up against the fleshy part of Jahi’s palm.Then Helton slid his heel down so that he pinched Jahi’s skin between his heel and the floor.
