"Oxygen is by the first-aid kit in the galley," she yelled back. She contacted ground control. Citing an emergency, she was directed to the nearest airport, in Quraim Wadi Samil, a few miles to the south of their original route.

Glancing over her shoulder, Bethanne could glimpse most of the cabin. Fatima held the portable oxygen tank while Rashid was still bent over the pilot. She shivered, hoping he was all right. What had happened?

In seconds Alexes's eyes flickered. He spoke in Arabic. Bethanne didn't understand him, but applauded Rashid's calm reply. In moments the sheikh had the older man take some aspirin and elevated his legs and feet. His color was pale, his speech slurred slightly.

"Might be a stroke," he called. "We'll head back immediately."

"They've directed me to an airport in Quraim Wadi Samil. It's closer and an ambulance will be standing by," she responded. She looked back again. "How's he doing?"

"Breathing hard. His color isn't good. How much longer?"

Contacting ground control, she requested emergency clearance for the airport and requested information on flight time remaining.

It came immediately. With new coordinates she altered course. In less than ten minutes she saw the small airport. In another ten, they were on the ground and the requested ambulance was already on its way to the hospital with Alexes. The sheikh conferred with the medical personnel before they left, then turned back to the two women standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"You handled that emergency well," Rashid said, his eyes rested on her.

"I was really scared to death. The plane responded well, however, and here we are. It's what I'm trained to do. What did the emergency medical technician say? Will he be all right?"

"Too early to tell. We'll follow to the hospital and see what we find out." He looked at the older woman and said something to her. She smiled and nodded, happiness shining from her face.

"What did you tell her?" Bethanne asked.

"That she was an a.s.set in saving his life. It was providence that she was here and had Haile not left, things might have turned out differently."

"Helps with her guilt over Haile's defection, I'm sure," Bethanne said.

A cab drove up as he was speaking. The driver stopped near the plane and quickly got out, speaking to Rashid.

"Our transportation," he said.

"That was fast."

"I had one of the medical personnel radio for a cab. It'll take us to the hospital and I can decide our next move after I see how Alexes is doing."

"Will the plane be okay here?" Bethanne asked. They were on the far end of the airport tarmac. There were no personnel around and no fencing or other protection for the plane. Still, it was a small airport and so far off the beaten track, Bethanne couldn't imagine anyone wanting to harm the aircraft.

"It will be fine."

The cab was a standard sedan. Comfortable, but a far cry from the limo she'd been using. Oh, oh, she warned herself, don't be expecting that kind of luxury in the future.

When they arrived at the hospital, Alexes had already been cleared through the emergency room and was in a private room, with a nurse in constant attendance. Bethanne sat in the waiting room with Fatima while Rashid dealt with the paperwork. When he returned, she stood.

"Is he going to be all right?" she asked.

"Too early to tell, the doctor said." He looked worried. "I called the office to notify his family. If they wish to come here to be with him, I'll arrange for transportation."

Bethanne glanced around at the small facility. "Is this place equipped to deal with his situation?" she asked softly.

"It is not the latest in medical technology, but fortunately the doctors on staff are proficient. He will get good care here. Once he's stabilized, we can fly him back to Alkaahdar."

"And in the meantime?"

"We'll stay. Until we know something for certain."

He spoke to Fatima, who nodded.

"We'll find a hotel and check in. Then lunch. It's past one. Then you two can rest until we learn more about Alexes."

When they met for lunch on the small veranda of the hotel on the square, Bethanne wished she had something to wear besides her uniform. It still looked fresh and would have to do, but the warmth of the day had her wishing for one of the summer dresses in the closet at the villa. Something more feminine than a navy shirt and khaki pants.

Rashid sat at one of the tables. She joined him and he rose as she approached.

"Fatima decided to have lunch in her room. She wishes to lie down afterward," he said as he held the chair for Bethanne. "I think the excitement is catching up with her."

"I hope the situation didn't give her a fear of flying," she said.

"We're safe-that's what counts. I ordered already-a light lunch since it is so late. We'll eat here tonight if we don't have definite word about Alexes before then."

Bethanne nodded. She hoped the other pilot would recover quickly, and be ready to fly again soon. For a moment she wondered what she'd do if she ever had to stop flying. She loved it so much, it would be a drastic change for her life.

The entire situation spooked her a bit. If Alexes had been flying solo, he could have crashed and no one would likely know why. Is that what happened to her father? A crash in some lonely location that no one had found?

"I hope he's going to be okay." She felt an immediate affinity to the older pilot. She hoped he recovered from whatever hit him and could continue flying.

Once they were served, Rashid asked if her room was to her liking.

"It's clean and neat and overlooks the square. Charming, actually."

"Not like the villa."

"Nice in its own way," she replied. "This changes your plans, doesn't it? You didn't expect to be away from the office all day."

"I can be reached by phone if there is an emergency. The staff is capable of handling things. Shall we explore the town after lunch?"

"I would love to."

When they started out, Rashid insisted on buying her a wide-brimmed hat to shelter her head from the sun.

"You aren't wearing one," she said as they left the gift shop.

"I'm used to the sun. Your skin is much fairer than mine and I don't want it burned."

She smiled, feeling cherished. No one had looked out for her in a long, long time.

They walked around the square, looking into the shops, but when asked if she wanted to enter any, she declined. She wanted to see as much of the town as she could. The old buildings had ornate decorative carvings and bas-reliefs that intrigued her. The cobblestone streets showed wear but were still functioning centuries after they'd first been laid down.

"Tell me about this place. It's old, feels steeped in history. Is it a true representation of old Quishari?"

Rashid gave her a brief history of the town, telling her it had been on the trade routes, a favorite resting place because of the plentiful water.

As the afternoon grew warmer, she could feel heat radiating from the walls as they pa.s.sed. Turning a corner and exploring some of the side streets put them in line with the breeze and it was pleasant.

"The air feels drier than the coast," she commented.

"Quite. There's a danger of dehydration. We'll stop soon and have something to drink."

Stopping after three o'clock for cold drinks at a small sidewalk cafe, she was glad the tables had umbrellas. Even with the hat, she was hot beneath the sun. Yet she relished the sights. She loved the sense of timelessness. This town had been here for a thousand years and would likely be around another thousand. If only the walls could talk.

"Will we be able to walk out on the desert a little?" she asked.

"We can ask the driver to take us as far out as you wish to go."

"Just enough to get the feel for it. It's amazing to me anyone can live in the desert."

"The old tribes knew the water spots which were crucial for survival. Caravans and nomads once roamed known trails. Now the routes are known to fewer and fewer people."

When they returned to the hotel, Rashid summoned the same cab. He spoke with the driver and before she knew it, she was sitting in the backseat with Rashid as the man drove crazily toward the west.

"So we ditch the town and take off," she murmured, feeling the delightful cool air from the air conditioner.

"For a while. It's best to see the desert with those interested, not those who wish they were elsewhere."

She laughed and settled down to enjoy the drive. To the right were rows of oil wells, the steady rising and fall of the pumpjacks timeless.

"I've seen those pumps in California," she commented. "In one place they are even painted to look like whimsical animals," she said, watching the monotonous up-and-down action of the machines.

"These kind of pumps are used all over the world. I had not thought about decorating them. They're functional, that's all."

"Is this an oil field that belongs to your company?"

"It is."

"Do you come here often?"

"No. Only once before, actually." He was silent for a moment, then said softly, "It was my father's special project. The wells don't produce as much as in other areas, but he insisted on keeping the field going, and on checking on it himself. I came with him once. It held special attraction for him, not so much for me. As long as there are no problems, I don't need to visit. Khalid comes occasionally."

"Must be nice for the local economy."

"One reason my father kept it going, I think. The discovery of oil helped revive the town and he felt an obligation to keep it going."

"And you do as well."

He shrugged. "I try. My father was a great man. I'm doing my best to do what I think would make him proud."

"Keep an open mind about mine," she said.

He looked at her, eyes narrowed. "What further is there to discuss?"

"We don't know what happened. But I know my father. And he was an honorable man. He would not have stolen your father's plane."

"My father was also an honorable man. The betrayal of his pilot and the disappearance of the plane caused such stress and anxiety he suffered a heart attack, which killed him. It isn't only the betrayal but the end result I find abhorrent."

Bethanne stared out across the desert as if she could search around and find a clue as to what happened to her father. She had only her belief in her dad to sustain her. "I have faith in my father just as you do in yours," she said slowly.

"It is not something we are going to agree on," he said.

"Tell me about being a twin," she said, turning to look at Rashid. It was a definite change of subject, but she wanted the afternoon to be special-not have them at odds because of the past. "I don't even have a sibling, much less a twin. It is true, you're so close you can read each other's mind?"

"Hardly. I can sense things when we are together-like if he's angry and hiding it. But we are two individuals. Growing up was fun. We delighted in playing tricks on our parents and tutors, switching ident.i.ties, that sort of thing."

"Tell me," she invited.

He spoke of when he and Khalid were boys, visits to the villa to see their grandmother, trips to Europe and other countries around the Mediterranean Sea.

To Bethanne, it sounded glorious. So different from her childhood in Texas. She laughed at some of the antics he described, and felt a bit of sadness for their homesickness when sent to school in England for eight years when Rashid told her how much they'd missed their country.

When he spoke to the driver, he stopped. Rashid looked at Bethanne. "When we get out, look in all directions. Nothing but desert."

She did so, stepping away from the car, seeking all she could from her senses. The air was dry, hot. The breeze was soft against her skin, carrying the scent of plants she didn't know. In the distance the land shimmered in heat waves, and she thought she saw water.

"A mirage," she breathed softly.

"There?" Rashid stood next to her at the rear of the cab, bending down so his head was next to hers so he could see what she saw. He pointed to the distant image and she nodded. "It does look like water, but we would never find it."

"I know. I have only seen one other mirage. This is fascinating. And quiet. If we don't speak, I think I can hear my heartbeat in the silence."

He didn't reply and for several long moments Bethanne absorbed everything, from the awesome, stark beauty of the desert to the heat from Rashid's body next to hers, his scent mingling with that on the wind. She never wanted to forget this special moment.

Turning, she was surprised how close he stood. "Thank you for bringing me," she said.

To her surprise, he put his palm beneath her chin and raised her face to his. "You constantly surprise me," he said before kissing her.

His lips were warm against hers, moving slowly as if savoring the touch. He pressed for a response and Bethanne gave it to him, sighing softly and stepping closer. His lips opened hers and his tongue teased her. She responded with her own and was drowned in sensation. Forgotten was the world; she was wrapped up in emotions and feelings and the exquisite touch of his mouth against hers. Only the wind was witness, only the sand reflected the heat of pa.s.sion.

All too soon he ended the kiss and gazed down at her as she slowly opened her eyes. His dark gaze mesmerized. Her heart pounded, her blood sang through her body. If she could capture only one moment of her entire life to never forget, it would be this one.

"We should head back," he said.

The spell shattered. She stepped back and turned, trying to regain her composure so he would never know how much the kiss meant.