Page 92 of Dark Horizon New Dawn

"A lifeboat was sent for us from the cruise ship, and it's going to be here in twenty minutes." He looked at Margo. "Is there anything you need to pack?"

"All Alberto brought was my purse and my phone wasn’t in it. That was the first thing I checked when I came to on the boat. The rest of my stuff is still at the hotel." It suddenly dawned on her that Lynda was probably worried sick about her. "Oh my God, I need to call my sister-in-law and tell her that I'm okay. She probably has the entire family in an uproar. Can I use one of your phones?"

Kevin shook his head. "I'm sorry, Margo. Just for now, we need to keep a low profile. There is more going on than just the cartel, and we can't let anyone know that we have you."

She turned to Negal, who she had a feeling was the weakest link in the chain and easier to sway. "What's going on, Negal? What are you guys not telling us?"

He swallowed, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there. "It's complicated. Kalugal is the boss, so you should ask him."

"Who is Kalugal?"

Kevin cleared his throat. "That's me, but you have to keep calling me Kevin for now." He turned to look at Jasmine. "Same goes for you. Call me Kevin."

"Yes, sir." Jasmine saluted him.

Now that Margo knew what to listen for, she'd heard the hypnotic tone and realized how it affected her. She and Jasmine were lucky that he was one of the good guys. Kevin didn't need drugs to make them compliant. All he needed to do was to say the words, and they would obey.

Margo shivered. What if all she'd been told by Mia and Frankie had been lies? This guy could have made them say anything he wanted.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I have to let my family know that I'm okay, and you didn't give me a reason why I shouldn't do that. You have the cartel boss, and all of his men hypnotized to believe that the Virgin Mary revealed herself to him and commanded him to be good. Who else could be interested in me and whether I’ve been found, other than my family?"

He let out an exasperated breath. "Can you hold off your questions until we are on the ship? Everything will become clear once you talk to Mia and Frankie."

Yeah, right. Unless he had them and everyone else on that ship under his spell.

"Can I call either of them? Because I'm starting to think that maybe I shouldn't trust you."

If he readily agreed, then she would know that she couldn't trust her friends' words.

"They can't tell you anything over the phone. Besides, we don't have time for that." He rose to his feet. "We need to get ready for the lifeboat. Let's collect your purses and get out of here."

67

NEGAL

As the women left to collect their purses, Kalugal regarded Negal with a raised brow and amusement in his eyes. "What's going on with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the flashing of fangs and glowing eyes. You need to better control your reactions. These women have been drugged and thralling them while they are experiencing withdrawal might be harmful. I would hate to have to do that to them on top of everything else they have been through."

"You're right." Negal rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "I'm usually very good at this. It's considered bad form on Anumati to reveal strong emotions, and we are trained from a young age to control our fangs and glowing eyes. But every time I imagine what could have been done to Margo and Jasmine, I get so consumed by rage that I lose hold of my responses."

Kalugal tilted his head. "Do you have a sister?"

"No, why?"

Kalugal shrugged. "I often wonder about Kian's overprotectiveness for females, and I think it stems from him having sisters. Don't get me wrong, it's our duty and privilege to protect the females in our lives and our communities, but Kian often crosses the line by stifling their right to choose. The clan has a very capable female Guardian, but Kian refuses to allow her to participate in missions against Doomers because they are known for their lack of honor, to put it in gentle terms."

Negal scoffed. "You don't need to use gentle terms with me, Kalugal. I've been a soldier for much longer than you have been alive, and I know what you refer to. Regrettably and shamefully, some of the Anumati colonies have succumbed to lawlessness, and females were the first to suffer when they lost the equalizing benefit of culture and technology when brute force became law."

Kalugal tilted his head. "I thought that gods revered females."

Negal let out a breath. "There are deviants in every society, and some manage to convert the weak-minded to their philosophy. From there, it doesn't take long for a few thugs to destroy thousands of years of progress and turn the entire place into a hellhole."

"I know what you mean." Kalugal shifted his weight to his other leg. "My own grandfather was such a deviant god. He abhorred the matrilineal tradition of the gods, and he wanted females to be deprived of all rights. In his insanity, he obliterated nearly all of the gods and plunged humanity into darkness. And don't start me on humans, but that's too lengthy a conversation for now. We should have it over whiskey and cigars when we are not pressed for time."

Negal dipped his head. "Gladly. I'm honored by the invitation."

---