Free Redback by Lindy Cameron Page A

sweetheart.'
    'True, Alan,' Jana agreed. 'But they can be taken out without raising the alarm. Cameras however,
would've given Ifran warning of any rescue attempt, even if his men had been killed or disabled.'
    'Interesting,' Brand noted. 'Did you hear what Ifran and this red- haired soldier were talking
about?'
    'I said I heard Ifran,' Alan interjected. 'I didn't mention any…'
    'I was talking to Dr Rossi.'
    'Oh.'
    'What red-haired soldier?' Gideon asked.
    The next moments of Alan's life proved to Jana something she'd only suspected: that some men are
too ridiculous to live.
    Alan flinched and turned to see who'd crept up on him. In a he-man second he registered the
presence of a gorgeous woman, stood, broadened his shoulders and all but shouted woo-hah. He was
about to introduce his very handsome-genes to this mate-able woman when… Uh-oh .
    It was all Jana could do not to laugh as she watched Alan's mind register that there was
something familiar about this person.
    Gideon, meanwhile, stared curiously at Alan as if she was actually expecting him to do something
sensible, or entertaining.
    'Alan,' Jana said, 'given you may not recognise her out of uniform, allow me to introduce you to
Commander, um, Smith who led our escape from Laui.' She so enjoyed being helpful.
    'Of course,' Alan nodded, reclaiming his proffered hand, which had been ignored anyway.
'Thanks.'
    Gideon shrugged. 'You going somewhere?'
    'No,' he replied. 'Not yet.'
    'Good, then sit, Frank.' Gideon dropped casually into the empty chair opposite.
    'It's Alan. Alan Wagner,' he said.
    'What red-haired soldier?' Gideon asked again.
    'I glimpsed this guy last night,' Jana smiled, 'earlier tonight, leaving the dining room as we
entered.'
    'And you heard him talking to Ifran?' Gideon asked.
    'I heard a man's voice - not an Islander's - say that if Ifran had wanted to deal only with Kiwis
or Australians then he should've made sure there were no Americans on the island.'
    'So it's true?' Alan said eagerly, looking from Brand to Gideon for confirmation. 'There were
Americans there?'
    Gideon ignored him. 'And you're certain he wasn't an Islander?'
    'No question about the guy I saw, who, I assume, was the one I heard. English was his first
language I'm sure, but he had a nothing accent. It was so non-descript I couldn't even guess where
he was from.'
    'Americans?' Alan repeated.
    It was Jana who replied. 'Of course there were, Alan. You've just left Mary and Colin in the
mess.'
    'That is not what I meant, and you know it, Jana,' he snarled her name, before turning back to
the officials in the room. 'Did you have Americans with you?'
    'No,' Gideon replied. 'But why do you care?'
    Alan squinted. 'We've all heard rumours that most of the noise and ruckus on Laui was caused by
US Navy SEALS.'
    Gideon raised an eyebrow. 'Ruckus?'
    'Yeah, ruckus; as in they blew up everything that, you know, got blown up.'
    'You don't think we blew up anything?' Gideon said. 'How nice.'
    'It's just, the story will be even better if they did.'
    'Why is that a better story than 36 hostages being rescued without a single casualty?' Jana
stared at Alan in disbelief. On our side anyway, you hack.
    'What story?' Brand asked.
    Alan ignored them both and looked at Gideon. 'Apart from the two hostages, is it true that there
were Americans there on the island?'
    Gideon rubbed the back of her neck, thoughtfully. 'Only if it's true that whenever there are
Americans in peril, others are bound to turn up.'
    'Yeah,' Jana laughed. 'And then usually the Americans who turn up also end up in peril.' When
everyone glanced at her, she shrugged. 'What? Haven't you all seen Black Hawk Down ?'
    Gideon's smile of confirmation was brief and only for Jana's benefit but then she tapped her
chest and said, 'Afghanistan, Iraq, Colombia.'
    Jana grinned. 'You obviously know to stay low, or behind them.'
    Alan frowned. 'Are you bad-mouthing our allies?' he asked.
    'Well I wouldn't do that,' Jana said. 'Some of my best