THREE

KENDRA WAS JUST entering the customs line after deplaning in Marasef when she became aware of a slim, jean-clad figure calling her name and waving wildly at her from beyond the barricade.

“Kendra Michaels?” the girl shouted cheerfully above the noisy bustle of the airport. “I’m Billie Callahan. I just thought I’d let you know that I was here to meet you. Arriving in a foreign country can be kind of intimidating. You’ll be through here in just a few minutes and I’ll drive you to the location. Okay?”

“Okay.” Kendra smiled back gratefully. She had been on Mideastern locations before and she doubted if the actress would prove correct. She’d probably be stuck here for an hour, but it was nice of the woman to take the time to come to meet her.

To her amazement her processing through customs was both polite and superefficient and she was walking through the barricade to join Billie Callahan within the predicted few minutes.

“You were right,” Kendra said blankly as she piled her luggage in the baggage tote and fastened it securely. “I think that’s the fastest I’ve ever cleared customs in any country. It’s quite a surprise.”

“Sedikhan is a surprise in most ways,” Billie assured her. “I’ve been here five weeks and I still keep discovering new, exciting things. You’ll find all government functions glide on greased wheels here, thank heavens. Sedikhan is an absolute monarchy and the ruling head is Alex Ben Rashid, who evidently runs a very tight ship.”

“You’ve been here five weeks?” Kendra asked, puzzled. “I thought they only started filming three weeks ago.”

“They did.” Billie gave a brisk order in Arabic to the waiting porter and he immediately grasped the tote and took off at a trot through the crowded airport. “I talked Joel into sending me out early. I like visiting new places.” She grabbed Kendra’s arm. “Come on, the jeep’s parked in the short-term lot and our porter is tearing through the airport like that football hero in the car rental commercial.”

“You speak Arabic?” Kendra asked as she obediently fell into step. “After only five weeks?”

Billie made a face. “Not very well. It’s a sinfully difficult language to learn. I lived with an Arab couple for the first three weeks and picked up quite a bit. I can generally make myself understood.” She looked Kendra over with frank interest. “Lord, you’re gorgeous.” She sighed. “And what fantastic bazooms. I look more like a boy than a girl. No sex appeal whatever. Sometimes I wonder what Joel was thinking about when he hired me.”

Kendra burst out laughing. There was something terribly appealing about Billie Callahan and she could see very well why Joel had hired her. Skip was right, however. Kendra would definitely have to bind her breasts to double for the ingenue. They were both of medium height, but Billie was slimmer and her delicate bone structure gave her a porcelain fragility.

That delicacy was completely belied by the crackling vitality that emanated from her. Her faded jeans and strappy sandals were mated with a loose thigh-length tunic, striped in vivid pink and burgundy that should have been a horror with the wild mop of copper curls that tumbled past her shoulders. Instead, it only served to complement that gypsylike vivacity. But it was Billie’s unusual face that probably had fascinated Joel Damon. Though not conventionally lovely, it possessed a quality that was poignantly stirring to the senses. The curve of her lips was tender and compassionate and she had the misty violet eyes of a dreamer.

“Beauty isn’t all that important for stardom anymore,” Kendra said soothingly. “Being a good actress is much more essential.”

Billie groaned with mock glumness. “I wish you hadn’t said that. I’m a lousy actress. After this picture I’ll probably never do another one. I just hope I can muddle through Venture without disappointing Joel.”

“You don’t seem too upset about the possibility of such a short and mercurial career,” Kendra said curiously. “I gather being a movie star isn’t one of your top priorities?”

Billie shrugged. “It’s interesting enough for a while, but I’ll probably be ready to move on by the time the picture is finished. I usually get too restless to stay in one place for long.”

They had reached the jeep and Billie was helping the porter stow the baggage in the back with strength surprising for one of her apparent delicacy. In a few minutes she had tipped the porter and was negotiating her way out of the parking lot into the crowded street.

She darted Kendra a curious glance from enormous eyes as dark as wood violets. “Now if I had a job like yours, I might have more staying power. It must be a real kick to take the chances you do and get paid for it. How did you get started in a business like stunting?”

“I grew up in it,” Kendra answered. “My father was in the business all his life and when other kids were tumbling down sliding boards and playing on the teeter-totter, my brother and I were learning how to fall off thirty-foot towers into swimming pools without breaking our necks.” A nostalgic smile curved her lips. “It’s a good thing we were too young to have sense when we first started or we’d have been scared to death. As it was, by the time we realized just how dangerous some of the stuff we were doing was, it was old hat.”

“Didn’t your mother object to all those shenanigans?”

“Why should she? She was in the business herself before she married my father. Then after Casey and I were born, they decided it would be more responsible if one of them quit stunting.” Her smile was sad. “They didn’t want to take a chance on leaving us orphans. It’s rather ironic that it happened anyway. A drunk smashed into their car on the freeway and killed them both.”

“Is your brother a stuntman, too?”

“Not anymore,” Kendra murmured. “He’s studying to be a lawyer now.” She’d been gazing with interest at the passing scene and remarked, “I had no idea Sedikhan would be so modern.” Tall skyscrapers, wide, busy streets, and late model cars all reflected a strong economy. Even the dress was principally Western and up to the minute.

“The citizens of Sedikhan have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. They have so much oil here that it staggers the imagination,” Billie said. “I heard they have an entire government department just to think up ways of spending their income.” At Kendra’s snort of disbelief, she grinned impishly. “Well, it’s almost true. Ben Rashid has been trying to yank his country out of the last century and into the space age. You’ll see what I mean in a minute. But get off the main thoroughfare and you’re back in the land of flying carpets and veiled dancing girls.”

“And we’re going to be getting off the main thoroughfare?”

Billie nodded as she turned into a side street. “Joel’s leased practically an entire village outside of Marasef for the location, but it takes forever if we keep to the main drag. One of the extras told me about a shortcut that should get us there in a jiffy.” She cast Kendra a mischievous glance. “Even if it doesn’t, there’s no harm done. You’ll get a chance to see a little of the Arabian Nights of Marasef.” Her voice lowered dramatically. “You’ll find it sinfully fascinating, dahling.”

Sinfully. Apparently that was one of Billie’s favorite adjectives, Kendra thought in amusement, yet there was nothing in the least wicked about her joie de vivre. And the side streets they traveled were fascinating. The streets were narrower here and they had to stop twice to avoid hitting a pushcart with a gaily striped awning and then a donkey loaded with copper pots and pans. There were no skyscrapers here, but only flat-topped houses with arched windows, one on top of the other. The clothing of the pedestrians was different also. The men wore flowing burnooses for the most part and the few women she spotted were garbed in dark, shapeless draperies.

“Well, at least the women aren’t wearing veils,” she commented. “Feminism has made a few strides here.”

“That’s because all you’re seeing on the street is the more liberated segment of female society,” Billie said dryly. “The men in Sedikhan still have very firm ideas about the place of women in the general scheme of things.”

“Joel Damon must feel right at home here,” Kendra said absently and then could have bitten her tongue at the curious glance Billie shot her. She had thought she had successfully blocked out all trace of Joel Damon for the past month, blast it.

“You know each other well?” Billie asked, turning off into a deserted byway. “He did mean to meet your plane, you know. Then he got tied up with—oh my God!” She stomped on the brake with a force that almost threw Kendra through the windshield. “They’re going to kill him!” Billie jumped out of the jeep and started running down the street.

Kendra stared bewilderedly after her and then straightened in shock as she saw Billie’s objective. A huge wild-haired Arab was pinned to the wall of a building by two burly toughs in flowing robes. His face was bruised and cut and even as she watched, a fourth man with a Vandyke beard ran a wickedly curved knife down the victim’s cheek leaving a trail of blood. She was out of the jeep in a flash dashing after Billie.

Billie gave a loud piercing shriek that resembled a coyote in agony. It brought all three of the men whirling toward her with startled faces; the one wielding the knife let loose an angry cry.

“Billie, no!” Kendra shouted. But Billie wasn’t listening as she dove toward the bearded man like a tornado and fastened desperately onto the arm wielding the knife. She uttered that nerve-jarring shriek again and butted her head violently against the bearded man’s nose.

Kendra expected to see that deadly knife plunged into Billie’s stomach. Oh Lord, why on earth had Billie done this?

But help came from an unexpected source. Evidently the two men who had been holding the bleeding man captive had loosened their grips at Billie’s surprise attack, because the giant suddenly exploded into action. He jerked free. His left arm backhanded to slam one of his former captors against the wall; his other hand darted out to deliver a numbing karate chop that knocked the knife from the bearded man’s hand.

Kendra reached them and retrieved the knife, then grabbed a struggling Billie, pulling her away from her still dangerous antagonist. “Billie, dammit, you’re going to get yourself killed! We can’t fight these men alone. We’ll have to go for help.”

But it appeared that no help was needed. Now that he was free, the bushy-haired victim seemed to be more than competent to handle the situation. He was holding the bearded man by the throat with a grip that was turning the man’s face a livid hue, while his elbow slammed into the man on his right. With an incredible swiftness for one so large, he whirled and lifted his knee in an agonizing blow to the loins of the man on his left, then with crushing force bashed together the heads of the other man and the bearded knife wielder. It was over so quickly that Kendra could only gasp as she watched the three men sink to the ground in various states of semiconsciousness.

Their bruised and bloody Samson wasn’t waiting to enjoy his victory, however. He turned and took both women by the elbows and ran down the street half pushing, half carrying them along.

Behind them they heard a dazed groan and a shout of rage just as they reached the jeep. They scrambled into the vehicle and Billie reversed, then made a screeching U-turn that almost threw Kendra out of the passenger seat and caused the fierce Arab in the rear to cling grimly to the seat in front of him.

Then they were racing recklessly down the cobbled street. Kendra cast a frantic glance behind them to see one of their pursuers stop in the middle of the street, lift a furious fist, and shout what was obviously an obscenity at them. Billie turned the corner and they were once more back on a busy thoroughfare. Kendra sat back with a sigh of relief as Billie eased up on the accelerator.

“I think we lost them,” Billie said breathlessly. “Damn, I was scared.”

“You could have fooled me,” Kendra said dryly. “Do you often take on three murderous brutes like those or did you simply want to provide me with a little local color?” Suddenly she began to laugh. “I have to admit you’re right, Billie. I certainly found our little side excursion sinfully fascinating.” She glanced at the scowling barbarian in the backseat. “And just what do you intend to do with him?”

Billie was frowning uncertainly. “I don’t quite know. I guess we’ll wait until we get to the outskirts of the city and let him out. I wouldn’t want those men to catch him again.”

“Not after you almost got yourself drawn and quartered rescuing him.” Kendra chuckled, then shook her head wonderingly. “And you thought being a stuntwoman would liven up your life. At least I get paid for taking chances.”

“Well, there really wasn’t anything else I could do,” Billie argued defensively. “I couldn’t let a helpless man be hurt, perhaps even murdered, could I?”

“He didn’t look exactly helpless when he was wiping the streets with those three thugs.” Kendra raised a brow in skepticism. “For a while I was even feeling a bit sorry for them. I certainly wouldn’t want to run up against our friend in a dark alley. He looks like a cross between Mr. T. and Bigfoot.” Her gaze ran over the Arab’s white shirt and baggy dark trousers tucked into soft beige suede boots. “With maybe a little Bedouin bandit thrown in.”

“I think it’s all that wild shaggy hair,” Billie said, gazing into the rearview mirror. “I’m sure he could be very civilized looking in Western clothes.” She shrugged. “Well, it’s not really important. Everything turned out for the best. Neither one of us was hurt and we managed to rescue Hercules here. We’ll just drop him off and continue on our merry way.”

When they pulled over to the side of the road a few minutes later, it appeared that Billie was woefully incorrect. Judging by the heated exchange in Arabic between their passenger and Billie and the growing frustration on her face, it was proving a far from satisfactory confrontation.

“What’s going on?” Kendra asked in a temporary lull in the battle.

Billie ran her hand distractedly through her mop of coppery curls. “His name is Yusef Ibraheim and I think he wants to adopt me or something,” she said in exasperation. “As much as I can make out with my fractured Arabic, he feels a certain responsibility for me since he’s sure I saved his life. Oh Lord, I thought it was only the Chinese who had ideas like that.”

Kendra tried to keep a straight face. “He can’t be over thirty, so I think adopting you is out. Perhaps you misunderstood his intentions.”

“Well, I think I got the gist of it,” Billie said gloomily. “It seems Yusef here has an overdeveloped protective instinct. That’s why he was being worked over by those hoods today. He was working as a bouncer in a bordello in town and he objected very strongly to the way one of their influential customers was abusing one of the girls.” She made a face. “He objected so strongly in fact that he broke the man’s arm. Evidently the man hired some local gangsters to exact a bloody revenge.”

“Charming,” Kendra said, her lips twitching. “Just like a 1930s screeplay. May I ask what you intend to do with our gigantic friend?”

Billie sighed as she started the ignition. “I guess I’ll have to take him back to the location with us. It will be safer to keep Yusef out of town for a few weeks and maybe by that time I’ll be able to convince him I can take care of myself.” She bit her lip. “I don’t know what Joel will say. He’s probably going to murder me. He’s going to be mad as the devil anyway after I took off with the jeep to come and get you.”

“You weren’t supposed to pick me up at the airport?” Kendra asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

Billie shook her head. “I took off on my own when I heard Joel was tied up. Ron, the assistant director, was supposed to make the trip, but I persuaded him to let me come instead.” She grinned impishly. “After all, Dave Balding arranged for us to share a cottage together. It was only natural that I’d want to meet my roommate, right? It was completely irrational of Joel to think I might get into trouble just driving to the airport.”

“Oh yes, totally unreasonable.” Kendra couldn’t hold the laughter in any longer. She could almost sympathize with Joel Damon trying to control a puckish elf like Billie. “Nothing could possibly happen to you just picking me up.”

“Well, that’s what I thought.” Billie sighed. “Why do these things always happen to me? I’m really a very responsible person.”

“I’m sure you are,” Kendra said gently. Billie might be a bit eccentric, but her actions today had been anything but irresponsible. On the contrary, her passionate conviction that she was her brother’s keeper had almost gotten her killed. And now she was prepared to shoulder the additional burden of that ferocious albatross in the backseat. She might be faulted for a bit too much generosity of spirit and too impulsive a nature, but not for irresponsibility. “Don’t worry: we’ll work out some way to keep your Yusef safe and still out of your hair.”

What was she letting herself in for? Kendra wondered ruefully. As if she weren’t going to have enough trouble trying to persuade Skip to give her that special, while attempting to keep her relationship with Joel strictly professional! Now she found herself involved with this appealing pixie and her possibly criminal guardian angel.

“Did I hurt your back when I made that turn?” Billie asked, frowning in concern.

Kendra quickly jerked her hand away from her back. Drat, she’d have to watch that. “No, of course not.” She smiled reassuringly. “I had a little accident a few months ago and I still have a twinge or two on occasion.”

“That’s good,” Billie said, relieved. “I could just see me lugging in your limp and broken body, as well as Yusef, here.” She grimaced. “Joel would probably strangle me. You know how protective he is of his friends.”

“No, I don’t know that,” Kendra said, her tone reserved. “We’re not really friends, merely acquaintances.”

“Really? Then why was he so angry when he couldn’t pick you up himself? He’s too busy a man to provide taxi service for all and sundry. He didn’t even pick up Brenna Donovan when she arrived three weeks ago, and she’s the star of the picture.”

“Skip told me she had the lead,” Kendra said quickly, hoping to distract her. “How is she to work with?”

“Super.” Billie’s face lit up. “A certified doll. You’ll find everyone on the picture a joy to work with.” She wrinkled her nose distastefully. “With the exception of the male lead, Dirk Danford. He thinks he’s God’s gift to womankind.”

“Problems?”

“Not for me. I’m not sexy enough to rate a pass from the great lover, but he’s giving Brenna a rough time.”

Kendra whistled. “He likes to live dangerously, doesn’t he? I’ve heard Michael Donovan is absolutely crazy about his wife and possessive as all get out. Having a producer like Donovan put you on the blacklist is professional suicide.”

“Dirk thinks he’s safe,” Billie said, her lips tightening grimly. “Donovan’s tied up in London with postproduction on Siren Song and Brenna’s too much of a pro to complain to Joel. She thinks she should be able to handle it herself.”

“And you don’t think she can?”

“Perhaps.” Billie’s violet eyes were narrowed and thoughtful. “But gentle people like Brenna sometimes have trouble fighting off pests like Danford. She just may need a little help.”

Oh Lord, another rescue? Kendra groaned inwardly. She had an idea that being the roommate of Billie Callahan might be more dangerous than jumping that jeep across the canyon.