Page 48 of Prisoner of War
“I haven’t failed yet,” Minnie pointed out.
“I see.” He seemed genuinely amused. “Telling me about it doesn’t disqualify you?”
“There are no rules, except for getting yourself plastered on the front pages of the world’s dailies. Whatever it takes.”
“You think you can talkme into letting you go and also letting you take one of these cushions you seek?”
She looked him in the eye. “It was worth a try.”
Zalaya’s smile, this time, was broad. “You are an unusual one. So unusual, I’m inclined to believe you would fit in well with this group you describe. If it existed.”
“It exists,” Minnie said flatly. “Do any of these electronic gizmos have Internet access?”
Surprisetouched his face. “Certainly. Don’t tell me. A website?”
She nodded.
He leaned sideways and snagged a keyboard from where it lay on top of the console next to his desk and rested it on his lap. He looked at her. “The address?”
She gave it to him. He tapped in the URL and hit enter, then swiveled to look over her shoulder at one of the monitors behind her. “It’s asking for membership codes.”
She gave him a half smile. “I told you, we don’t do it for the glory. It’s a close-knit group. Invitation only.”
“Then why a website at all?”
“We come from all over the world.”
“Including Australia,” he added. “Give me your code.”
“That would get me expelled,” she said quickly. “I told you, anonymity is a requirement.”
“Code,” he repeated, his gaze unwavering.
She dredged up the necessarydetails from her memory. “The sign-in name is ‘Galahad’. The password is ‘n-i-m-u-e’.”
He grimaced. “Very romantic,” he commented and tapped in the data. He looked up at the screen again. “And accurate,” he added. “I was half expecting you to tell me the reason it wouldn’t work was because you had been caught and they’d changed the codes to protect their privacy.”
“How could they know I’d beencaught? You’ve already searched me—was a communications device found?”
He smiled. “There’s a couple of places we haven’t searched yet,” he assured her. She felt herself blush. He pushed the keyboard away. “It’s an intriguing story.”
“Take it or leave it.” She shrugged.
“For now, I will think about it.” He stood up, grabbed the cane and leaned on it, looking down at her. “Which leaves me withthe remaining question. What do I do with you?”
Minnie heard a half-muffled cough behind her. It had to be Soto, silently renewing his demand that she be put in the whorehouse.
Zalaya gave no sign that he had heard the cough. He was studying her with close attention to detail. He cocked his head, examining her face, then lifted her chin with a finger. She felt like a steer being measured upin a sale yard, then realized the analogy was an apt one.
Zalaya nodded. “One for the colonel,” he declared.
Soto gave a sigh.
“When I am done, you may have her,” Zalaya told Soto. “I will put her at your personal disposal for...one week?”
“Dos semanas.”
“Very well. Two weeks. Take her through, Soto.”
