On the Hunt - Page 59

So that’s what she’d do, blast it.

Forty minutes later they were driving away from the pier after she’d put Mack in the back seat of the car and climbed into the passenger seat herself. “You’re right, I was upset,” she said curtly to Harlan. “But I was also right about finding the quickest way to go after Taylor and you letting me help do it. So work that out, dammit.”

“Yes, I will. There was no question about that,” Harlan said impatiently. “I thought you’d realize that.”

“Good, then I’ll go along with any other suggestions you bring to the table. And tomorrow I’ll do the best I can to find that treasure to lure Taylor into any trap we can manage to set up.”

“As if you hadn’t been doing that anyway.” Harlan reached out and took her hand. “What sparked that little upset?”

“The fact that you didn’t understand. I didn’t see why you couldn’t, when Fiona is always telling me how she can come to you with anything and trust you to fix it.” She immediately released his hand and waved it dismissively as she went on. “But we’ll forget it for now and just enjoy the evening. We had a great session in the caves with Mack, and I don’t want it spoiled. Even though he was a little on edge toward the end.” She smiled. “And it won’t be spoiled as long as you’re the one who cooks the supper! You have no trouble at all understanding the simple intricacies of cooking.”

Harlan was staring at her speculatively. “I’m not at all sure that we should forget it. It may reach out and bite us if we don’t get it out in the open.”

“I’m sure,” Kira told him. “Mack has had a rough day. I want to get him back with the other pups so he can relax. Drop it, Harlan.”

He shrugged. “Heaven forbid we upset Mack. After all, he’s the hero of the day.” He stepped on the accelerator. “But later, Kira.”

Kira made certain she became very busy when they arrived at the camp. She bathed and dried Mack, and then she had a talk with Aban about what they’d done in the diving sleds. By that time, supper was ready. She sat down with a group of the herders and got reports from them about their day and any problems with the dogs and horses.

“Finished?” Harlan asked as he sat down beside her in front of the fire.

“Not exactly. I still have to give Fiona a call and tell her how great Mack was today. She’s a light sleeper, and anyway, I figure it’s late enough on Summer Island that she should be awake. I know she’ll be interested.”

“So do I,” Harlan said. “You’ve spread the good news throughout the camp, so why not include her?”

“That’s what I thought,” Kira said. “And by the way, that supper you cooked tonight was completely wonderful.”

“Yes, it was. I thought so, too,” Harlan said. “And before you ask, I also gave Kalim a call and he was delighted about the new treasure trove, but he hasn’t received any more messages about the cruiser or his old friend Abdullah. He said he’d let me know when he did. No word from Belson, either. I’ll call him again later.”

“That’s good,” Kira said.

“Now are we finished?” Harlan asked. “I believe we still have some talking to do.”

She nodded. “I’ll meet you at the tent. I’ll just make that quick call to Fiona.” She took out her phone. “It’s a promise. We both keep our promises, don’t we?”

He flinched. “I have an idea that’s going to haunt me until we’re through with Taylor.”

“It might.” She smiled. “But I’ll try not to make it hurt too much.” She started to dial her phone. “And I promise to keep my word on everything else.”

“Then all will continue to go well in Emerald City.” Harlan tapped his forehead with his fingers and took off strolling quickly toward the tent area.

Kira found herself gazing after him a little uneasily for a moment before Fiona came on the line. “Fiona, it’s good to hear your voice. It’s Kira. How is everything going with you and your horses?”

“Well enough.” But she immediately contradicted that. “No, that’s not true. It’s Golden Boy. I’m a little worried about him. The local vet here on the island says he’s got a fever. Though he told me he’d probably be okay in a few days. It might be nothing, but I don’t want to take any chances. And I know you trust this vet, but I’ve decided not to pay any attention to him. I’ve made a call to his regular vet at the castle to come and see him. He should be here anytime now.”

“That’s a good idea. But we use the local vet at the clinic all the time, and we do respect him enormously.”

“I know, but Golden Boy is mine, and I have to take good care of him. How would you feel if it was Domino who came down with some nasty ailment?”

“You said it was just a fever,” Kira said. “Don’t borrow trouble.”

“But fevers could turn into anything. It might be encephalitis.”

“Then you’ll take good care of him, the way you always do,” Kira said soothingly.

“Well, I just wish you were back on the island to take a look at him. What’s the good of you having all that fancy medical education if you can’t use it? How close are you to coming back here?”

“I’m not sure. We’ll come as soon as we can, but it might be a week or so. I’ll be sure to keep you updated.” She didn’t want to leave Fiona in this depressed mood. “But the reason I called you was that I wanted to tell you how well Mack is doing with his underwater sled. You should have seen him today. He was magnificent.”