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Kalugal nodded. "My grandfather did not hold life sacred, and the religion my father created from his teachings does not value life either. His followers are like cancer cells, growing too rapidly and killing the organism that feeds them. I wonder when they will realize that they are working diligently to rot the branch they are sitting on."
Kian was too tired to engage in a philosophical discussion, and he wasn't sure what Kalugal had meant by the Brotherhood killing the organism that fed it. They wanted to enslave humans, and they didn't care how many would die to fulfill that goal, but their aim wasn't to eliminate them all. Still, perhaps Kalugal knew something that Kian didn't. Tomorrow, they could talk about it over whiskey and cigars. Today, or what was left of it, Kian planned to get a few hours of sleep before the wedding.
"I was thinking." Max looked at Turner. "Perhaps your contractor in Cabo can plant a woman in the hotel that will start talking about a ship she is boarding. We could get her a ticket on one of the big cruise liners currently docking there. The Doomers won't go after her on a ship with thousands of passengers and staff. That way, we will remove the last of the breadcrumbs leading to us."
"That's not a bad idea." Kalugal lifted his coffee mug. "We also need to get Margo's luggage out of the hotel." He finished what was left of the coffee.
"That's already done," Turner said. "My contractor has a cousin who works in the hotel. She removed the luggage and put it in storage without marking it or logging it anywhere. We did that while Roni was hacking into the surveillance so it wouldn't show on the recordings."
"What about Jasmine?" Kalugal asked. "I saw Kri talking to her, so I assume you ordered her stashed in the lower decks."
Kian nodded. "The less she is exposed to us, the better. Kri reported that Jasmine doesn't speak Spanish, so she won't be able to communicate with the rescued women. Barely any of the staff speaks English, so she won't be able to talk to them either, but she is free to use the staff lounge and the other facilities available to them."
"I'm not worried about any of them." Kalugal waved a dismissive hand. "Toven and I made sure that none of them would say anything they were not supposed to. The victims don't remember how they were saved, and the staff is under compulsion not to mention their alien employers." He shifted on the chair, so he was facing Kian. "On an entirely different but related subject, why don't we have a damn helicopter on this ship? Wasn't having one the plan all along?"
Kian winced. "It was, and I blame myself for the oversight. It has somehow fallen between the cracks, so to speak. But we have already rectified the situation. Thanks to Turner, we are getting one in Puerto Vallarta. That's one of the reasons we are staying there longer than we would have otherwise."
"That and taking care of Carlos," Turner added. "Modana is on his way back home, and Carlos will soon follow."
10
MARGO
Margo pushed Frankie's wheelchair into the elevator. "I feel so bad about leaving Jasmine down there."
Mia drove into the cab, turned around, and pressed the button for one of the upper decks. She was maneuvering that chair like a pro, but then she'd always been a quick study, with focus and determination that not many possessed.
Noticing that the numbers on the buttons were positive for the decks above the promenade and negative for those below, it occurred to Margo that it kind of reflected the reality of the ship.
The paying guests got the nice spacious cabins with balconies and a view of the ocean, while the staff had cramped, windowless accommodations.
Jasmine wasn't part of the staff, and Margo would have loved for her to be treated as a guest, but since neither of them was paying for the privilege, they really shouldn't complain or make demands.
Frankie tilted her head up to look at Margo. "Don't worry about Jaz. She will be fine."
"I'm not worried about her, but I'm worried about you. You don't look so good." Frankie had dark circles under her eyes, and her face was gaunt and pale. "Don't tell me that you are taking that weight loss drug everyone is talking about lately. I've seen pictures of celebrities who were taking it, and their faces looked like yours."
"You mean beautiful?" Frankie batted her eyelashes.
"I mean gaunt and hollow but also beautiful."
Frankie looked tired, but oddly, she also looked younger. Maybe it was the lack of makeup. The girl usually wore so much of it that it was easy to forget what she looked like underneath.
"Well, thank you." Frankie fanned herself with her hand. "Soon, everything will be revealed, so stop trying to guess what's wrong with me." She smirked. "The better question is, what's right with me."
Margo rolled her eyes. "If too much sex put you in a wheelchair, I need to have a talk with your new boyfriend."
Frankie laughed. "That's a good one, and you are getting warm."
What the hell?
"Was this supposed to be a joke? What's going on?"
"Patience, my friend. Patience."
As the elevator doors opened, Mia drove herself out, and Margo pushed Frankie's chair. She followed Mia down the corridor, and when she stopped in front of one of the doors, Frankie pulled out a phone and opened it with an application.
"That's cool." Margo pushed the chair in, and Mia followed them in hers.
