Warrior in the Shadows by Marcus Wynne

of income, and once she had seen her briefly with the man who stood there with her.
    "Mara! How good to see you," Kativa said. She hugged Mara briefly, kissed her cheek, then held out her hand to the tall man and said, "Hi. I'm Kativa Patel."
    He had an interesting face, this man. He was tall and almost skinny in his leanness, and his grip was gentle but hinted at great strength. The backs of his hands were webbed with dry skin, big veins, and tendons that worked like steel cable under tension. He was casually dressed in battered, baggy old khakis and a denim work shirt under a worn black leather jacket. His face was long, with three distinct grooves across his forehead, as though someone had dragged a rake across his forehead many years ago. While his face was tired, it was a sort of tired amusement, and she sensed that it was something habitual with him, rather than situational.
    "I'm Charley Payne," he said.
    "I'm pleased to meet you, Charley," Kativa said. "What are you two doing here? Would you like some coffee?"
    "I'd love a cup, Kat. Charley?" Mara said.
    "Sure," he said.
    "Let me get it, Kat. Charley wants to talk to you about those pictures."
    "Pictures?" Kativa said.
    "The ones I told you about on the phone, the ones I think are African or Australian."
    Kativa frowned, then smiled as she remembered the phone call.
    "You must forgive me," she said to Charley as she led them back to her office. "I have a terrible memory."
    "So do I," he said. "I'm lucky I remember to put my pants on in the morning."
    He laughed and she joined him, sneaking a quick glance at Mara who just smiled and stopped at the coffee machine.
    "Let me take your cup, Kat. I'll freshen this for you," Mara said.
    "Thanks, darling. Come in, Charley. Take that seat and I'll fetch another chair," Kativa said, brushing past him. He smelled warm, with a not unpleasant smell of old sweat on him and just a hint of some sort of aftershave. His body was hard when she touched him. He would be quite muscley naked, she thought, then colored at the thought.
    "He's a hunk, Mara," she whispered as she brushed by Mara filling the coffee cups. "Where do you find them?"
    "He's a strange one, Kat. But I do like him. I think you will, too."
    "Does he have a brother?"
    The two women laughed, and Mara came in carefully holding three cups of coffee and Kativa followed, dragging a small chair. The three of them were quite crammed in her space, and Kativa was again struck by how big Charley Payne was. He didn't seem large till you got close to him and realized he was at least six feet three or so, and his baggy clothes hid his body definition. He dominated the space, yet was quiet, and seemed amused and interested by the artwork and her racks of books that filled up the office.
    "Where is that from?" he asked, pointing to the spiral rubbing.
    Kativa sat down, leaned forward, and rested her elbows on the table, her mug in her hand, quite aware that it pressed her breasts together under the low-cut cotton blouse she wore. "From the Laura River region, in Queensland, Australia. I did my postgraduate work there."
    Charley took the coffee mug from Mara. "Thanks," he said to her. "Queensland is the northeast, right?"
    "That's right, Charley. Queensland is the northeasternmost territory of Australia. On the Great Barrier Reef side. Have you been?"
    "No, but I'd like to. I used to dive, but I haven't for a very long time. Do you dive?"
    "No. I'm a poor swimmer and I don't like water over my head. Mara is a diver, aren't you?" Kativa said.
    "I got my certification in Cancun a few years ago, but there's not much diving around here. I did it with my boyfriend."
    "Which one?" Kativa said, laughing.
    "I've forgotten him."
    "Did you get your doctorate in Australia?" Charley said.
    Kativa smiled. "University of Cape Town, actually."
    "You're from South Africa?" Charley said.
    "Kat grew up there, and left not long after Mandela came into power," Mara said. She tasted her coffee and wrinkled