Fury's Goddess

“You here to make friends or to uncover the truth, Annja?”

The elevator dinged as it came to a stop at Frank’s floor. He looked at her. “If we get stopped by the cops, we can always tell them you couldn’t sleep because of jet lag or—”

“Oh, sure, blame it on me.”

“You’re the pretty one. They might zap me off to some sort of stink-hole jail where you’d never hear from me again.”

Frank stepped out of the elevator. “Listen, I’m going to get changed. Meet me downstairs in the lobby in twenty minutes. I really think we should check it out before we get all official tomorrow with Pradesh.”

Annja pushed the button for her floor again. “I’ll think about it.”

Frank clapped his hands. “Awesome.”

“I didn’t say I—” But the elevator doors cut off the rest of her sentence. The car descended and Annja leaned against the wall. She was tired. Full of good food.

And good drink.

Sleepy.

She was curious, of course, but her curiosity could wait until morning.

Couldn’t it?

The elevator dinged again and she stepped out onto her floor. She walked down the hallway and slid her key card into the lock.

Once inside, she leaned against the door and gazed longingly at the huge bed in front of her.

It looked so utterly inviting. She could turn on the air conditioner and sink beneath the covers and be asleep within moments.

She sighed and walked into the bathroom. “I’m getting too old for this craziness.”

But in another moment, she was changing her clothes to go meet Frank.

Chapter 7

“Do you even know where we’re going?”

Frank shot her a look. “I may never have been to Hyderabad before, but most cities are laid out logically.”

Annja sniffed. “Ever been to Boston?” She paused. “Just try not to get us lost, okay? It would be embarrassing if we had to call Pradesh for help.”

Frank shrugged. “Like I said, we didn’t come here to make friends. We’ve got a story to chase down.”

“Friends,” Annja said, “are one of the most important things in the world. And I, for one, do not want to make Pradesh feel like we were taking advantage of him. Or his mother.”

“So tell him you couldn’t sleep and you dragged me out of bed to come to this place. He’ll believe you… I think he likes you.”

“What?” Annja looked at Frank. “And just how did you arrive at that particular theory?”

“How he looks at you. The way he smiles. It’s obvious if you’re paying attention.”

Annja sniffed. “Frank, the only thing you pay attention to are creatures with breasts.”

“Well, I had time tonight when I wasn’t being mobbed by my more rabid admirers.”

“Any voice mails waiting for you?”

“No,” he said. “Maybe they have rules over here like they do in the States. Y’know, don’t call for a day or so afterward so you don’t seem too eager. Stuff like that.”

“Those women were there for one thing tonight—Dunraj. The only reason they mobbed you was because Dunraj told them to. And since they’ll do anything to please Dunraj, that meant they were going crazy over you.”

Frank was quiet for a moment. “So, what you’re really saying is that I missed my chance.”

“Frank!” Annja elbowed him. “Save your fantasies. I don’t want to hear about them.”

“Fine.”

Frank wheeled off the highway after another ten minutes. He frowned. “Okay, so this is where it will probably be tougher to navigate. Google was a little sketchy on details about this place.” He peered out of the windshield and pointed at a sign. “Does that say Road Closed?”

Annja studied it. “Frank, that’s written in Hindi script. I have no idea what it says. Hindi is not one of the languages I understand. Do you?”

“Uh, no.” Frank sighed. “Okay, we’ll just have to wing it.”

“Are you still thinking this was such a good idea?”

“Of course. We’re on the outskirts of the city. All we have to do is look for a modern residential dwelling. That shouldn’t be too hard to find.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Now, once I got off the highway, the map said to take a left and drive for a mile.”

Annja sighed. “I could be back in my hotel room sound asleep. I could be getting the rest I need to make sure this assignment is handled properly and professionally. Instead, I’m driving around a foreign city with a guy who has no idea where he’s going. Spectacular ending to a weird night.”

Frank pointed a finger at her. “Hey, it’s not actually the city right here. These are the outskirts, so that’s not the right terminology. But I know exactly where I’m going, Annja. I just like having you think I don’t.”

“Really?”

Frank bit his lip. “Kinda.”

Annja exhaled a breath and then forced herself to suck in another quickly. “Just shut up and find the place already, would you?”

For the next fifteen minutes, Frank maneuvered his way down back roads. It was incredibly dark. She spotted smaller homes with what looked like fenced-in areas for animals. Tall, spindly trees broke up the majority of the flat landscape. Wadis and canals dotted the rural area.

“Wouldn’t be too difficult to imagine a rogue tiger roaming around here looking for something to eat,” she said. “We’re only a few miles away from the heart of Hyderabad, but just outside that it’s so rural.”

“I thought tigers stuck more to the countryside.”

“We’re pretty country here, Frank.”

“I guess.”

They drove for several more minutes, the tires of the car bouncing over small potholes in the asphalt and dirt. And then Annja saw the glow of lights in the distance. “There. You think maybe that’s it?”