Free Close Quarters by Lucy Monroe

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    Tanya’s eyes tightened, but she shrugged. “Can’t be helped. Sympa-Med won’t spring for a bigger security staff and we’re down two right now.”
    â€œWhy?” He couldn’t tell if she was irritated with him, or the insufficient security.
    â€œOne man has returned to his village to marry. He won’t be back for a month, but Mabu is doing his best to hold his position open for him.”
    â€œHe’s coming back without his wife?” Kadin asked, sounding scandalized in a way Roman had never heard him.
    Tanya didn’t look happy about it either, but she sounded resigned. “It’s the way of life for too many here.”
    â€œAnd the other missing man?” Roman asked.
    â€œHis HIV status went to full-blown AIDS. He returned to his village too, but he won’t be back.”
    Roman said, “I’d think men would be lining up to take the job he left open.”
    â€œDefinitely, but Mabu handles hiring security staff and Fleur leaves him to it. He’ll find the right person.”
    â€œI see.” Though truthfully, Roman didn’t. He couldn’t understand Mabu’s willingness to leave the security of the compound at risk while he took his time finding the perfect man to guard Sympa-Med’s assets.
    â€œSo, are you coming?” Tanya asked again.
    â€œYes.” Hell, even if he hadn’t been inclined to already, the minute she’d told him there was only one security man assigned to her trip, Roman knew he had no choice.
    They were in the aged Rover, bouncing over something that might have resembled a road when the intern turned around from the front seat and said, “Weren’t you supposed to go to Tikikima? I thought I’d be making this trip on my own.”
    Tanya shook her head decisively, a frown giving her sweet features an unaccustomed fierceness. “It’s not fair to send a trainee for a village visit alone.”
    â€œBut Sympa-Med—”
    â€œIs too worried about offending the powers that be to see a situation for what it is sometimes. Going to Tikikima would be a waste of resources right now. I can reverse the circuit on the next traveling clinic and go there first if it’s so important, but I’m not putting off an acute situation for a bit of political maneuvering.”
    â€œOh, that will go over well with Sympa-Med.” The intern turned around to face the front again, shaking his head.
    â€œWhat did he mean?” Roman asked.
    She grimaced. “Sympa-Med has a strict schedule and route the traveling clinic is supposed to follow. On my last circuit, I had to skip the final stop because one of my team was seriously ill and I had run out of supplies in the last village because of a disease breakout.”
    â€œAnd the suits back in the States are complaining you didn’t follow their plan?” Typical bureaucrats.
    â€œActually Sympa-Med’s suits are in France and yep, they’ve e-mailed Fleur twice and called her once to demand I take the traveling clinic to Tikikima.”
    â€œWhy don’t you just do it?” From what he could tell, Tanya was all about helping people. He didn’t see her refusing to go somewhere she was needed.
    â€œBecause we have lots of other people who actually need our medical services and that particular village is within walking distance of a stationary indigenous clinic. As far as I can tell, they’re only on our circuit because the village officials have ties with Sympa-Med’s main office. It’s all a power game to them, but we’re treating live people who would go without medical help otherwise.” The passionate belief in her voice was only matched by her clear frustration.
    â€œFleur’s okay with you ignoring directions from the home office?”
    Tanya’s expression revealed that the opposite was true, and it didn’t make her happy. “She’s annoyed with me, but no