Adam woke with a start, and with a sense of foreboding.

He snapped his head round. Ava was next to him. But contrary to the horror in the nightmare that had awakened him, she was alive and safe, and resting peacefully. It was even possible the curve on her soft pink pillow lips was a smile. He couldn't resist; he rolled a half-turn and gently kissed them.

Ava's next breath drew deeper and came out in a sigh. Her eyelids opened lazily.

"How do you feel, Sleeping Beauty?" Adam asked.

"Mmm, as though I'd slept a thousand years in a land of milk and honey, and had been awakened by my Prince, who, at times, can be ever so charming".

"Hmm, interesting. What part do I play? Am I Popeye, Punch, Pinocchio, or a Prince?"

"Ohh, I haven't made up my mind yet. You're a man of many talents and surprises. You help me decide." She raised her arms.

Adam gave her nose a quick peck. He said, "Sleep some more. You've earned it."

"You too?"

"Um, no. We've waited long enough. I'm gonna motor us into one of the slips at the pier and then take care of those errands." He retrieved his wrist-watch from the shelf at the head of the bed. "I already slept later than I'd planned."

"Errands, huh? That's what you're calling it? Adam, can't we talk about this?"

"Ava, I think it's best we don't. The less you know the better. Let's just say I'm tying up some loose ends."

"Okay." Her tone now had a cold edge. "You go topside. I'll prepare breakfast... we'll need it."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Adam asked, and got to his feet.

"It means: we've both got 'loose ends' to take care of." Ava crawled out of bed and pulled a t-shirt over her head.

"Are you planning to rat me out to Inspector Guma? Is that what you're saying? Or are you hooking up with your newspaper boyfriend again?" Adam folded his arms across his chest.

Ava came round the end of the bunk and wiggled a fold of Adam's cheek between her thumb and finger. She said, "The less you know the better."

"Hey, missy. Don't think you're too old for me to bend you over my knee and give you a proper spanking."

Ava played insolent eyes on him. She said, "Don't tease if you're not prepared to deliver." She turned and sashayed her tight end into the salon as though she were trailing a feather boa.

Adam carefully drew on a pair of chinos and a vintage polo shirt from the cabin storage locker. The pants fit snugly over the bandaging Ava had re-applied following the night's... activities. He looped a sturdy canvas belt through the waistband. He grabbed his wallet and keys and stuffed them into his pockets. He rummaged around at the bottom of the cupboard and pulled out the work boots he wore when he anticipated serious business ashore. He laced them on and clumped through the salon and up the companionway without a word.

While unfastening the bow line from the buoy, Adam ran through his options. But the bottom line was: Unless he was prepared to chain Ava below decks, there was no way he could prevent her from going ashore. If I had the damn Zodiac, he thought, I could keep her on Vendetta, safe and sound off-shore. But on second thought, she'd likely make another hair-brained attempt at swimming for it. The best he could do was alert Ava to the risks, but he knew that would fall on deaf ears. Ain't a drop of give-up in that girl's bottle; nothing but one-hundred proof audacity! he thought, and blew out a sigh.

Aden appeared calm. But violence could flare up again at the drop of a kufi cap. For the sake of Ava's safety, Adam wanted to sail away with her. But he couldn't bring himself to do that. He'd come this far; it had taken so long; the goal was too close now to turn back. Even if he did, how could he ever look himself in the mirror? And how could Ava ever respect him, a quitter? No! Cole had been murdered. Badaki deserved to be whacked. It had to be done.

They secured Vendetta in the boat slip located furthest from shore. There were two other pleasure craft berthed at the pier. There was nobody in sight. The Aden fishermen had anchored their sambuqs offshore. It appeared everybody had wisely gotten the hell outta Dodge.

Not everybody.

Cowered down-and-dirty in a narrow passage between two stone buildings located on the harbor-front avenue, a desperate figure had his ferret-like stare screwed rigidly on to every hint of movement occurring aboard Vendetta.

Adam and Ava munched through breakfast in silence; Adam ostensibly engrossed in the vital information printed on the back of the cereal box. He was literally attacking his Cheerios while figuratively biting his tongue.

When Adam began to clear the dishes, Ava went topside. She returned shortly, dressed in the robes she'd hung out to dry. She went into the cabin and came out stuffing her hair up under the pakol cap.

Adam couldn't take it any longer. This silent-treatment BS was just that: Bullshit! Besides, he had to persuade Ava to take Vendetta a ways off-shore while he went into town. He said, evenly, "Ava, I know it appears calm. But Aden is a powder keg, ready to blow. When I leave, could you please take Vendetta off-shore and wait there for a few hours?"

"That's a trick question, right? A joke?" Ava was lacing up her chukka boots. She paused and cocked her head, waiting for an answer.

"It's no joke, Ava. We have no idea what'll happen next in this country. The people are rising up. There are dangerous factions that will be jockeying for power. In this upheaval anything can happen. And don't forget, Badaki and his boys will likely be on the lookout for us."

Ava finished lacing her boots then stood tall and faced him. "Yes, well, I'm pretty confident a skinny young Arab lad" –she canted her head and indicated herself with eight fingers– "minding his own business, will be at considerable less risk than some rampaging Yankee," –she stuck two fingers in his chest– "clomping around, looking for revenge. Wha'd'ya' think, Adam?"

"Yeah, great. I figured as much." Adam looked skyward, clutched the back of his neck. "So what're you planning to do?"

"I'm planning to mind my own business... while you mind yours."

She pushed past him and headed for the companionway. Adam called to her, "Well wait a minute. Where and when are we gonna meet up?"

Ava stopped with one foot planted on the bottom step. She swiveled her head and gave him an ironic, but sorrowful, look. She stated, "Who said we'd be meeting up?" She held his wounded eyes for two heartbeats then turned and continued up the steps.

"Slim!" Ava stopped, but kept her back to Adam. He softly said, "Be careful, Ava. I..."

She interjected, "Don't say anything, Adam, not now, not like this... I won't believe it." She disappeared up the companionway steps.

Adam sensed the boat shift almost imperceptibly as Ava disembarked. Vendetta had never felt so empty, or so lonely.

He climbed to the second-from-top step of the companionway and turned to peer over the cabin top. He watched Ava make her way along the pier, on to shore and across the causeway to the waterfront avenue in Old Town.

Adam held his breath when Ava crossed the street and lingered for a time, apparently in deep thought. From this distance he couldn't know for certain, but he imagined Ava had adopted that adorable toe-in stance that was her signature of indecision. He breathed again when she at last turned north and marched up the street.

He watched until Ava reached the end of the street and disappeared in the vicinity of the Aden Hospital. And then he swore softly, wishing he'd remembered to at least give her cash for taxis and change for pay-phones. What the hell is she planning to do? Adam asked himself. He said a silent prayer that she would be safe and that, somehow, he would see her again. He shook his head helplessly, breathed out, "Damn."

That girl had a way of all at once pissing him off and breaking his heart. Why the hell couldn't she stay put as he'd asked? She was risking her life going into town. Of course, on the other hand, he had to admire Ava's true grit. She had held up tough during her abduction and their escape under fire. Not to mention the fact she'd saved his sorry ass out there in open water. And now, despite the danger, she was still bound and determined to clear her name and get her story. All that spunk, along with the cutest tush this side of paradise. That thought shot down Adam's spine and pulsed straight into his dick –it had a mind of its own. And clearly, at the moment, it was fully occupied by an addictive recollection of Ava's... snug fit. "Mamma mia," Adam moaned.

He allowed the notion to paint a visual on his conscious imagination for more than a couple of beats. He shook his head again and said, "Sweet Jesus, no wonder I've fallen for you, Slim. I hope to hell I haven't screwed up everything. And I hope to God this isn't the last time I'll ever see you."

Then Adam's thoughts and blood ran cold. He shifted his line of sight back to the location where Ava had lingered on the sidewalk before heading in the direction of the hospital.

The building where she'd lingered squatted on the far side of the street that bordered the Old Harbor waterfront. It was the typical three-storey stone structure common in Aden. A tattered string of them lined the entire length of the road like a rank of defeated soldiers. But the one Adam was eyeing was unique. The top storey had been renovated to include a huge oriel window that was not common in Aden. Adam had noticed it once while cruising around on his bike. And it was the precious nugget Ali Khan had dished during his boozy soliloquy on Vendetta last week: Badaki's headquarters.

Adam retrieved his binoculars and zoomed-in on the window. The lights were still off. He could discern no activity. And he'd spotted nothing during the evening and last night either. Was it possible Badaki and Ali and their gang had headed for the hills? He lowered the glasses and thought it over as he stared blankly at the empty streets. If that were the case, he'd never get Badaki; all his work and waiting would go for naught... wasted years! But, no, it didn't make logical sense; Badaki would be sure to stick around in order to stake al-Qaeda's claim under any new regime. Patience, that's all he needed. Badaki was bound to show his ugly face.

Adam stationed himself comfortably on the fore-deck, his left leg resting on a stanchion. He watched, and waited.

By mid-morning Adam had become terribly anxious. Since Ava's departure there'd been no activity except for an old army troop carrier and then a bright orange taxi farting black fumes down the waterfront road.

If he'd been nearer, Adam might've spotted an apprehensive-looking Ava Blair seated in the backseat of that cab.

As it was, Adam was dealing with his own dose of apprehension. Time may be running out. What if Ava had run to the Inspector? Guma could be on his way, right now, to arrest him on some chicken-shit smuggling charges to prevent him from offing Badaki. Or, maybe Ava was settling-in again at Aaron Abel's place. That was a prospect Adam was beginning to like even less than being ratted-out to the cops. Adam did not trust that Abel character, he was too damn smooth.

But as he was mulling these unpleasant thoughts... Showtime!