“I don’t know. But whoever did this didn’t count on us having another pilot on board. We’re damn lucky we had Rif.” She swatted away a fly.
“This heat is giving me a headache.” Sweat poured down Peter’s face. “And my legs are cramping.” Headache, mental confusion, irritability, excessive sweating, weakness, and cramps were all symptoms of heat exhaustion.
Thea wasn’t feeling well either. Her diabetes was going to be a major problem when they ran out of food or the high temperatures destroyed her insulin. But she wouldn’t disclose her condition unless absolutely necessary. The others had enough to worry about.
The heat was their fiercest enemy. Ironic, given that in a few short hours, the sun would set and leave them with the opposite problem. Hypothermia. At night, temperatures in the desert could drop below fifty degrees, and they had no blankets or jackets for warmth.
Brianna seemed to be fading, her body language signaling defeat. “If I don’t make it, please tell my son, my little Jimmy, that his mother loves him.”
Rif held her hand. “You’ll tell him yourself. Picture going home to Jimmy. What’s the first thing you’ll do?”
A spark reignited in her eyes. “I’ll hug him and kiss him and then take him swimming.”
Thea wiped her brow. “Damn, that sounds good. Can I come?”
They all laughed. But the situation wasn’t really funny. Rif stayed close to the flight attendant, supporting her so she wouldn’t give up hope.
He handled himself well in emergencies—always had. Thea thought about how long she had known him, and she traced the scar on her cheek.
Thea nestled on a chaise longue by the pool at their Meadow Lane estate in Southampton, sipping a glass of wine. She didn’t drink much because of her diabetes, but she wanted a little something to take the edge off having to socialize with a few hundred people at the upcoming party.
Today was a happy day, as Papa was home after a long trip to the Middle East with Hakan and Piers. She reached down to stroke Aegis, who was curled up at her feet, snoozing as the sun dropped in the sky. Labor Day weekend, the end of the summer—kind of a sad time. Rif, Nikos, and Thea would go their separate ways. Nikos would leave tomorrow for Harvard, where he was doing his MBA, and she’d head to Georgetown for her sophomore year.
Rif had been accepted into West Point—one of the few international students enrolled—and Papa was hosting a party for him to celebrate the news. Christos was proud of his godson and wanted everyone to know it.
The sun dropped below the horizon, and the torches around the pool flickered on the water’s surface. Staff worked in formation to set up for the party. Rif stopped to help one of the waiters, who was struggling with a large box, then joined Thea on the next chaise. Aegis stirred, immediately abandoning her for the future officer.
“You just can’t find loyalty today.” She laughed.
Rif reached into his pocket and brought out a treat. “Like most men, he’s a slave to his stomach. He knows I’m a soft target.”
“You must be excited about West Point and the training you’ll be doing.”
“Well, I need to defend myself against your kung fu, Bruce Lee.” He was always teasing her about her study of Jeet Kune Do.
“You’d better work hard. But let’s face it: I’ll always be older, wiser, and tougher than you.”
“Yeah, eleven months’ worth. I can never catch up,” Rif said.
Nikos stumbled down the path toward the pool, a crystal tumbler in his hand filled to the brim with bourbon—and from the look in his eyes, it wasn’t his first.
“What are you two conspiring about?” He laughed, but it was forced. Her brother and Rif were an incendiary mix. Rif tensed beside her.
Aegis ran to greet Nikos, and her brother gave him an enthusiastic head-scratch.
“We’re just chilling before the party. Have the guests started arriving?” she asked.
“I think they’re all marching in now—in West Point fashion. Can’t believe we’re hosting a party to celebrate Soldier Boy joining the drone factory for American imperialist aggression.” Nikos downed a large gulp of bourbon, swaying where he stood.
“They teach you those big words at Harvard?” Rif asked.
Nikos stepped closer to Rif. “And then some. Should I speak in plainer language so you can understand?”
“Down, boys.” She should be giving Aegis that command, not these two young men.
Rif stood. He was an inch or two taller than Nikos.
Aegis paced by the pool, sensitive to the tension. Thea’s palms dampened. Trouble was brewing, and she didn’t want a fight to ruin Rif’s special day.
“Prepare yourself for a life of simple pleasures, because that’s all you’ll be able to afford.” Nikos’s eyes narrowed.
“I’d rather be a patriot than a man who’s only loyal to money.”