Auda strolled across to the bed and catching hold of Zoe's hair lifted her head up so that looking at him.

'You learn quickly don't you Zoe. Well, as a reward for your obedience you can sleep in here with me tonight.'

Zoe and Vanessa exchanged glances and Zoe saw the jealousy in the younger girl's eyes.

'Take her clamps off and leave her wrists bound.'

Vanessa looked pleadingly at the Arab who gestured with his hand to Basil.

'Free her and take her up onto deck to keep you company.'

'Sure thing chief.'

The young man quickly did as he was instructed. A moment later and Zoe was alone kneeling before the Arab Sheikh, who smiled victoriously at her.

'Not so very difficult to learn subservience is it, Zoe?'

Miles Fairfax stood at the sliding glass doors that marked the exit from the El-Saram airport arrivals lounge. His position at the British Embassy in El-Saram was officially that of Principal Clerk to the Ambassador. The truth was that he was also the resident agent of the British Secret Service. The last time he had come to the airport was six days ago to make enquiries about the SES agent Zoe Farquerson. Under the cover of being a journalist named Chambers she had arrived but then promptly disappeared. Now he was here again to meet the next detachment from the SES. That morning he had spoken on a secure direct line to the Head of the British Secret Service and Edgar Sutherland's blunt warning had sent shivers down his spine. God help Sutherland's enemies, Miles had thought, if that's how he talks to someone on his side!

'Do I need to refresh your memory of the debacle the SES suffered in Karunga?'

'No, sir.'

'And now we have not only lost another agent but it seems that the mercenary you hired to get her back has even kidnapped her from the bloody people who had abducted her from under your nose! All you had to do was meet her at the airport in the first place but it seems to me, Miles that you can't even organise the proverbial piss up in a brewery!'

'Sorry sir.'

'Now listen to me. The SES has been going just a few years and they've done some damn fine work. Remember Miles they were my idea. Now I'm not going to have the future of that unit put in jeopardy by shoddy support work from other Secret Service units and operatives. Do I make myself clear?'

'Perfectly sir.'

Miles saw a flurry of sudden activity through the plate glass doors and a group of tourists clutching their cases swept towards him. He stepped back and searched the crowd for his contact. They were not hard to spot. Two young women, both drop dead gorgeous moved together, they looked like models but to Miles they both showed the less obvious attributes of SES agents. Behind their sunglasses he could see their alertness as they watched all around them, quickly taking every detail in and always alert to danger.

One was wearing tight jeans and a figure hugging T-shirt with a backpack slung easily over one shoulder. Her bare arms showed well-toned muscles. Wisps of blonde hair escaped from a black baseball cap and the slender hand that clutched her backpack shoulder strap showed manicured fingers with long aquamarine varnished nails. The girl was tall, her expression cool and distant, her complexion flawlessly perfect. High cheekbones, generous lips glossed the palest pink, her slender neck adorned with a chunky silver necklace. Her Armani jeans were drawn down over tough Camel trekking boots and like the girl with her she looked dressed for a physical action rather different to the usual physical action the SES were noted for.

The other girl, who was even taller, nearing six-foot, was wearing an olive green safari suit of trousers and short-sleeved jacket. Miles could see that she was wearing nothing under the cotton jacket that whilst buttoned and drawn tight at her narrow waist with a broad canvas belt was cut widely open at the neck. He found his eye was drawn to the girl's firm and jaunty breasts, where her cotton jacket clung with perspiration to the curves of her body.

Miles greeted the two girls with a cursory handshake and led them quickly to his waiting car, one of the three Embassy Daimlers. Once inside the car's air-conditioned interior he felt it safe to indulge in more than idle conversation.

'Let me bring you both up to date with events so far,' he said, clearing his throat and giving both the young women a glancing smile. It was going to be hard not to let his gaze linger where it was inappropriate, he thought, rubbing one finger along the inside of the collar of his shirt.

'We hired a local mercenary to recover Miss Farquerson. We now know that she had been abducted by the El-Saram secret Police. Sir Rodney Stonefield who's in the pay of the King here had exposed your agent's cover. Well, we know that Miss Farquerson was taken to a remote tower on the Aruffi peninsula that was used by a Major Mosafa of the secret Police as a place to hold and interrogate prisoners.'

Miles looked at both girls to gauge their response. The blonde one gave him the merest nod and smile to show that she was following him. The tall girl with the short dark hair gave him no indication that she was paying him any attention. A real cool customer, Miles thought to himself, before pressing on.

'The mercenary I hired tracked Miss Farquerson to the tower, but then it gets a bit confusing. Basically he has disappeared along with Miss Farquerson. We have close contacts with the pro-democracy movement here and they told us that they had been tipped off about the tower by an anonymous telephone call. When they got to the tower they found the Major of the Secret Police there along with two young lads who were serving him. The rebels say that they found the tower with its front door blown in, the Major tied up and two lads locked in one room. One of them had been wounded.'

'And what's happened to them?' asked both girls simultaneously.

'The Major is now a prisoner of the rebels. They have given us the two boys though and we've questioned them.'

'And?'

'They don't speak a word of English and through our interpreter it seems they were just local goat herders who used to bring food to the tower occasionally for the Major.'

'And you believe that?' asked the blonde girl cynically.

'Perhaps you'd like to try to get something out of them?' Miles suggested tersely.

Chapter Eight

'She's looking good isn't she?'

'Nice tan.'

'Great body.'

'Wakey wakey Zoe. Time for some more torment.'

Zoe lifted her head, narrowing her eyes against the glare of the sun. She lay stretched across the gleaming deck, the merciless sun beating down on her bronzed body. To her surprise the jungle coastline was now right before them. She lay quietly panting; wondering what now lay in store for her. A pair of slender female legs was planted either side of one of her tied legs. She lifted her head and gazed up at Vanessa.

The young girl was wearing a black bikini thong that accentuated her long, slender legs and displayed her generous but firm buttocks. Zoe could see the metal ring that pierced the girl's clitoris pressing against the black fabric. Blonde hairs curled around the edges of the tiny triangle of material and above it her stomach was smooth and taut, a diamond stud in her belly button. The girl wore a black leather halter bra and her mane of blonde hair was tied back with a black silk ribbon. She had on wrap around sunglasses that she removed as she looked down at Zoe. Her bow-shaped lips glossed dark purple, curved into a smile.

'Feeling rather hot?'

'Just a bit,' Zoe whispered.