Midnight Sun (54 page)

“
So
if
you
saw
those
thugs
coming
in
on
us,
why
didn't
you
call
the
cops,
or
come
down
and
help?
”
Lonnie asked.

“
Fair
question,
”
Kharzai
answered.
“
You
want
to
explain
to
me
what
you
were
doing
there
to
begin
with?
”

“
Why
were
you
watching
us?
”
Lonnie asked.

“
Why
didn't
you
do
something?
”
Hilde asked,
suddenly
quite
upset
as
she
recalled
the
nearly
fatal
encounter
and
her
feeling
of
utterly
terrified
helplessness.
“
Those
guys
nearly
killed
us.
”

“
You
were
even
closer
to
your
demise
than
you
think,
pretty
lady,
”
he
said.
“
I
very
nearly
came
cruising
in
to
your
rescue,
but
then
saw
Pastor
Mike
and
Mojo
comin'
in
and
figured
that
between
the
four
of
you,
those
thuglets
were
about
to
be
undone.
”

“
You
still
didn't
answer
my
question,
”
Lonnie
stated.
“
What
were
you
doing
watching
us?
”

“
I
wasn't.
I
was
waiting
for
someone
else.
”

“
Who?
”
Mike demanded.

Kharzai
ignored
the
question.
“
Where
were
you
and
Mojo,
Mike?
I
saw
you
guys
get
out
on
the
highway,
but
didn't
see
where
you
went.
Shipyard,
maybe?
”

Mike
was
silent.
Kharzai rounded a corner
and
pulled
the
taxi
into the circular drive  that stopped at
the
lobby
doors
in
front
of
the
hotel.

“Like the Cash-Cab guy says, e
nd
of
the
line,
folks.
But
in
this
case,
I
ain't
got
dough
for
you—you gotta
pay
me,
and
that'll
be
eight
dollars
and
forty-two
cents.
”

“
So
you're
not
going
to
tell
us
what
you
were
doing
in
the
train
yard,
”
Lonnie
said.

“
Only
if
you
tell
me
what
you
were
doing
there
first.
I
don't
do
nothin'
for
free,
not
even
for
a
pretty
little
China doll
like
you.
”

“
I'm
Korean.
”

“
Ooh.
A
Kimchi-Mama. Spicy!
”

“
We
were
tracking
a
terror
suspect,
”
Mike
said,
handing
him
a
ten-dollar
bill.

“
Oh,
”
said
Kharzai.
“
In
that
case,
I
can
tell
you
what
I
was
doing
there,
then.
Do
you
want
your
change?
”

“
No,
”
Mike said,
“
keep
it.
”

“
So
tell
us
why
you
were
there,
”
Hilde said.

“
Yeah.
”
Kharzai
stretched
his
leg,
straightening
his
body
and
raising
his
butt
off
the
seat
so
he
could
put
the
money
in
his
front
pocket
. “Waiting for
someone
to
call
a
cab.
”

They
waited
to
hear
more.
He
just
smiled
at
them
as
he
sat
back
down.

“
Do
you
need
a
ride
anywhere
else?
” He
glanced back
and
forth
between
them.
“If
not,
I've
got
more
fares
to
catch.
Gotta
make
a
legitimate
living,
you
know.
”