“So you’re going to just beat him up, is that it?”
The first guy cracked his knuckles. “Yep.”
Annja shook her head. “No. That’s not what you’re going to do. You’re not going to touch a hair on that guy. Not one single strand.”
He eyed her again. “I don’t like the manner you’re taking with me, little lady.”
“Lady?” Annja shook her head. “And I’m supposed to believe you’re some kind of gentleman, is that it?”
He shook his head. “I don’t really care what you think.”
“Good, because it’s not pretty. Really. Now, why don’t you and your pal go on back to the bar and you can continue giving us the evil eye or whatever it was you were doing over there before you so rudely interrupted our conversation. I just had a long flight and I’m really in no mood for this kind of silliness.”
“You just flew in?” the man asked.
“That’s right,” Annja said. “And, boy, are my arms tired.” She smirked. “Or did you hear that one before?”
“If you just flew in, that means you’re with him, right?”
“He hasn’t proposed yet, if that’s what you’re asking.”
Zach cracked a smile. “Yeah, she’s with me. What about it?” he asked.
The first guy leaned on their table. “I don’t like either one of you people. So you’d better just watch yourselves. Or there might be trouble.”
Annja cleared her throat. “Well, how come Dave here gets a pass? I mean, after all, he’s sitting with us. Aren’t you mad at him, too?”
“I got no problem with him,” the man said.
Annja sighed. “See, that’s just like the world, isn’t it? I have to be friends with the trouble magnet. And Dave here gets off free.”
Dave shrugged. “Maybe I’m just more lovable.”
Annja looked back at the first man. “Well, thanks for coming by. I know I certainly appreciate it. And I think Zach does, too, in his own peculiar way. It’s always nice to know who the assholes are in any town you travel through.”
He leaned closer to Annja. “You keep your tongue wagging and I just might forget about my previous hard-line stance against beating the crap out of women.”
“Something tells me you might have already broken that position,” Annja said. “You look like just the type of jerk who would beat up a woman for kicks.”
He smirked. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Oh, I know I am,” she said. “And that’s fine. Because there’s nothing I like better than taking an idiot like you to task. It will be my tremendous pleasure to redefine the meaning of the words smack down in your precious little stegosaurian noodle.”
Annja could see his fists clench. The vein in his forehead seemed to jut out a little farther now that she’d riled him up. She glanced around. The music had gone quiet and people were paying close attention.
“Whoopsie, looks like you’ve got yourself that audience you didn’t want. Might be a good time to pack up this snake oil and peddle it elsewhere,” she said fiercely.
The first man glanced around and then nodded to his friend. He looked back at Annja. “We’ll be seeing you again. Real soon.”
“Great. I appreciate the welcoming committee making me feel so comfortable,” she said loudly.
Both men wandered back to the bar, downed their drinks and then stalked off into the cold night. Once the door closed behind them, the music came back up and people returned to their tables and friends. Annja could feel more eyes giving her a once-over.
“So much for keeping a relatively low profile,” she said.
Dave smiled and polished off his second beer. “Anyone for a refill?”
Zach nodded. “I’ll take one.”
“Annja?”
“May as well.”
Dave got up from the booth and headed for the bar. Annja leaned closer to Zach. “Okay, pal, just what in the hell have you got me mixed up in here?”
“What do you mean?”
“What do I mean? I mean, why the hell are you getting hassled by two professional thugs?”
Zach shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Annja leaned back. “You don’t know. Of all the places in this town, they just happened to wander in here and didn’t like you much. Yeah, that makes sense. Especially when it’s the height of tourist season.”
Zach smiled. “I never could put one over on you, huh?”
“Never could. Never will.”
Zach looked at her, his eyes gleaming in the dim light. “I’m glad you’re here, Annja. Seriously. Not just because you always know how to handle guys like that, but just because I’m genuinely glad to see you. It’s been too long. Too much time has passed between us.”
“I won’t argue that,” Annja said. “But the next time you get all sentimental about seeing me, how about not sending the men-in-black goon squad to my house?”
“Sorry about that. It wasn’t my idea. When you didn’t respond to the letter, the people in charge decided a more aggressive approach was needed.”
“I feel like I’m being worked over for a mob debt here.” She looked up as Dave came back and set a fresh drink in front of her. “Thanks, Dave.”
“You bet.” He slid into the booth. “What’d I miss?”
“Zach here telling me how he likes sending government agents to my home to strong-arm me into coming down to the bottom of the world.”
Dave looked at Zach. “You did that?”
“Not me. Them.”
“Oh,” Dave said knowingly.
Annja sighed. “If I don’t get some answers soon, I’m hopping the next plane out of this ice cube.”
“You’re better off swimming,” Dave said with a slight belch.
“Why?”
He examined his beer bottle. “No more flights are expected here for weeks.”
Annja frowned. “They told me I’d be back within ten days. I’ve got work to do back home, you know.”
“Yeah, well, they lied,” Dave said. “Unless it’s a vital emergency, no one is going anywhere.”
Annja slumped back in her seat. Great, she was trapped down on the coldest continent on Earth, with no clue as to why she was there and no real chance of getting home for quite some time. “This day just keeps getting better.”
Zach looked at her. “Annja, listen, I’m really sorry about this. I didn’t know who else to turn to, though, and you’re the best person I know for this kind of job.”
“Now it’s a job?” Annja frowned. “I’ve already got a job.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen the show. I think it’s a waste of your talents.”
Annja smirked. “Yeah, well, thanks.”
Dave took a long drag on his beer. “It’s not so bad once you get used to the place. There’s bowling. You like to bowl?”
“Not particularly,” Annja said. “But I guess I could be persuaded, you know, if it’s between that and say, freezing to death.”
“Darts