A blush spread hotly over the young man’s checks. Sora felt shamefully wicked for tricking him. But this is war, she reminded herself. “Would you run go get it for me? I’d be ever so thankful.”

Kyuhyun’s head was swimming. He looked to his brother’s empty desk and wondered if he dared risk leaving the woman alone in the office. Then he remembered Quasyr.

“Quasyr will have to stay with you.”

“Oh, the puppy?” Sora turned to the monstrous dog and read his measure as accurately as she had the Kyuhyun. She dropped to one knee and offered her check and the dog slobbered its wet tongue across her chin. “Well get along fine, won’t we Ouasyr?”

“I’ll be right back. Don’t touch anything, please?”

“Why, I wouldn’t dream of it.” Sora grinned angelically.

Kyuhyun rushed out of the office, taking huge gulps of air into his chest. He closed the door, shook his head and grinned like a lovesick pup. Making his mind that if Leeteuk didn’t keep the woman, he would, he raised for the stairs.

Sora rounded on the computer the second the door was closed. She had options. The fax, the phone, or e-mail. The screen of the computer was covered with a familiar homepage internet. That’s all she needed to phone home. The second she knelt the low-to-the –floor console, little finger pressed the jump key.

She started typing the e-mail address of her brother Tommy.

Glance at the clock told her it was 5:00 AM back home. She crossed her fingers as she nestled the receiver in the modem. Knowing Tommy’s working habits he would be near his computer, tinkering of some engine parts.

Tommy’s response came more quickly than she prayed. Sora, where the hell are you? Releived, Sora typed across the keyboard in answer.

Saudi Arabia

How’d you get there? Appa’s somewhere in Q8. No word on when he’ll get out. Bombs cont w/ sporadic ground fighting @ airport. US Embassy advices all cits evacuate overland, via Jordan. Come home immediately, that’s an order.

Can’t. where exactly is Appa and Vix One?

Appa poss. Injury rt. Leg, gunshot, Jack at hangar. Commic-broken. Goose gassed. Vix disabled. Have food, H2O, med sup, embas noted. Q8 under martial law. Give your quadrants… e-mail address?

Do not know uad. V-2 ok. Tell Omma I am safe and will fly home with Appa and Jack ASAP. Time up. Love SK.

Sora disconnected the conversation and restored the previous screen. Then she headed for the large dest and opened the middle drawer. As she thought, a handful of Saudi pocket change and a couple of banknotes were tossed into a paper-clip slot. For a second or two, she drummed her nails on the desktop, hesitating, because she wasn’t a thief. But she couldn’t go anywhere without money. Her nd made up, she tool the large silver coins, praying they were no more valuable than American pennies and nickels. Then she took two bills, just to be on the safe side.