False Horizon. Alex Archer

rightful owner. You may consider it a loan right now, but it belongs to me.”

      “As you say,” Annja said. “So we find this place and then what? We come back and tell you about it and that’s it?”

      “Yes.”

      “And Mike’s debt of the fifty grand?”

      “Forgiven.”

      “You’re serious?”

      Tsing nodded. “Absolutely. The map is mine and I paid for it. I want only what I cannot achieve on my own. You must locate the exact position of the fabled land and then come back to me. What I do from that point on is no longer any concern of yours. Any attempt to meddle with my affairs after that will be dealt with firmly, if you catch my meaning.”

      Mike grunted. “Perfectly.”

      “Excellent.” Tsing clapped his hands. “And just to make sure there are no hard feelings about all of this, I will even loan you the use of one of my smaller planes. It will, I have no doubt, be of tremendous help to you in your search.”

      “I don’t suppose it would do us any good to refuse your kind offer?” Annja asked.

      Tsing smiled. “That would be tremendously disrespectful of you to do so. And really, I must insist that you use it. At least I know that you will be in good hands.”

      Mike glanced at Annja. She shrugged. “Seems as though we don’t have any choice in the matter.”

      “You do have a choice,” Tsing said, “but I’m afraid the other option isn’t nearly as enticing as the one I’ve put before you now.”

      “What about Mike and his find? Does he get to tell the world that he found it?”

      “And why would he want to do that?” Tsing asked. “Solely for the purpose of self-gratification? I daresay it would be much better for such a place to remain a fabled legend rather than to be overrun with mobs of tourists who would no doubt ruin the magnificence of the place.”

      “You’re betting that it really is everything that the legends claim it to be,” Mike said. “We might find it nothing more than a dried-up lake bed. It could have been demolished in an earthquake. There are any number of possibilities.”

      “And I’m counting on you to discover exactly what happened,” Tsing said. “All I want is for you to report back to me as to what you find. If you do that and then leave it to me, then we will have concluded our business. Which I’m sure will make you a much happier man than you seem to be at the present time.”

      “The sooner we get started, the better,” Mike said.

      Tsing nodded. “Shall we have a drink to celebrate our new arrangement? I have the most delicious peach wine.”

      Annja held up her hand. “I had a beer earlier. Probably not the best idea to mix them.”

      Tsing frowned. “Mike?”

      “I guess I’d better. I wouldn’t want to be rude and refuse your kind offer.”

      Annja winced. Mike’s tone was both condescending and rude. She saw both henchmen tense briefly before Tsing waved them back down.

      “Bring the wine.” He regarded Mike and then spoke simply. “I suppose you cannot be blamed for feeling a sense of betrayal, although you were a bit naive to think that it would be a simple matter dealing with me.”

      “I was stupid,” Mike said. “I won’t make the same mistake ever again. Trust me on that.”

      “I do. You don’t strike me as someone who suffers failure easily. I would be remiss if I didn’t warn you that trying to double-cross me would be foolish.”

      “I gave you my word and I’ll stick to it,” Mike said.

      The goateed man brought in a bottle of wine and three glasses. Tsing poured for them all, despite Annja’s earlier refusal. She knew she was expected to drink the wine, as well.

      Tsing handed her a glass and then one to Mike. He raised his in a toast and smiled at them. “Here’s to a successful adventure and an outcome we can all live with.”

      Mike frowned but raised his glass. Annja did the same. She put the glass to her lips and smelled the sweet wine. It didn’t blend well with the cloying incense in the room. But she took a tentative sip.

      Tsing watched her closely. “Do you like it?”

      “It’s…different.”

      “It’s more of a dessert wine, I know, but I love it so. I can’t imagine relegating it to such a minor role. I prefer it to stand on its own.”

      Mike finished his glass and set it down. “Pretty good,” he said.

      Tsing refilled his glass. “Have another.”

      Annja let more of the wine slide down her throat. It seemed marginally thicker than other wines she’d had in the past. She felt a warm glow come over her and despite herself, she realized she liked the flavor.

      Tsing sipped his glass thoughtfully. “This particular vintage comes from a winery down in the southern part of the country. I happen to own it, of course.”

      “That must make for a nice discount on your personal supply,” Annja said.

      Tsing laughed. “Indeed it does.”

      Annja finished her wine. Tsing seemed almost too eager to refill her glass. Annja glanced over at Mike.

      Mike had passed out.

      She looked back at Tsing. He lifted his glass to her. “I must compliment you on what I perceive to be a rather incredible constitution. Considering your friend is already unconscious, I hardly expected you to last a full glass.”

      Annja’s vision swam. “Why?”

      Tsing waved her concerns away. “Do not worry. I’m merely taking steps to ensure that you will do as you’ve promised. You won’t be harmed. And tomorrow, you’ll be on your way to finding the mystical kingdom of Shangri-La. For now, sleep well.”

      6

      Tuk could hear Tsing’s voice issue his commands. “Let them sleep and then deliver them to the airfield. Get them into the plane. When they wake up, they’ll be fine.”

      Tuk shrank away from the conversation. He had to get out of the penthouse before he was discovered. He slipped back toward the front door. Already Burton and Kurtz were moving around too much for Tuk’s comfort. He’d done what he’d been asked to do and now it was time to get out of there and report back to the mysterious man who had hired him.

      As he backed away, his instincts suddenly screamed at him and Tuk had barely enough time to shrink into a shadowy recess before the main door opened. The woman in the mandarin gown came gliding back into the penthouse.

      She froze.

      Her eyes swept around the darkened penthouse like lasers. Tuk averted his eyes from her. From experience he knew that even glancing at someone could often trigger that primal awareness of being watched.

      But Tuk felt genuine fear. Something about the woman unnerved him. She was someone other than the house servant she appeared to be. He could sense power in her.

      She moved forward, closer to where Tuk squatted, hidden by the darkness. His heart thundered inside his chest and he willed it to slow, fearing she might even hear it. What was it about her that filled him with fear?

      She paused again and he heard her sniff the air. How could she smell anything over the heavy mist of incense? Tuk marveled at her sense. She was completely attuned to her environment and knew something was out of order.

      She couldn’t tell just then what it was.

      But her senses served her well. And now she moved even closer to where Tuk was hiding. Her eyes