Mindful of the hungry stares of the crew, he took her directly to his cabin to change, waiting outside in the passageway. She soon reappeared in a dark blue cotton shirt and white shorts. She was about his age, with rosy tanned skin which seemed to radiate vitality. Her pointed chin had a small dimple in the middle, and above sculpted lips her nose was straight, but for a small bump on the bridge. Her face was framed by thick and lustrous blond hair.

‘I’m Mia.’ She held out her hand. ‘Mia Carter. Thank you again.’ Her accent was American.

‘Rob Nash. Glad to help.’

When they shook hands, he flinched.

‘Oh, you’re hurt! Let me take a look.’ Her slim fingers gently probed the bones and tendons of his hand. ‘It’s badly bruised,’ she said, ‘not broken. But you need to ice that.’

‘What about you?’ he said. ‘Are you OK?’

‘Me? I’m fine. A bit scared.’ She smiled. ‘Well, terrified actually. God, when I thought you weren’t going to stop . . .’

‘We weren’t.’

Digesting this, she hesitated. ‘Look, I’m trying to get upriver, but my ride is having problems with his boat. Are you guys going far?’

He nodded. ‘Across the border.’

Her amazing eyes widened. ‘That’s where I’m going!’

Nash realised the Albany was still tied up at the wharf.

‘Let’s head upstairs,’ he told her. ‘We can argue about it with the people in charge.’

At the foot of the stairs they encountered Douglas.

‘Jesus, Robbie, you could have been cut to pieces by that mob.’

‘Mia, this is Frank. You’ll have to get used to his manners.’

‘Glad you’re in one piece, darling.’ Douglas perfunctorily shook her hand. ‘But a word to the wise – don’t ever do that again.’ Glancing up the stairwell, he made a face. ‘They’re not too happy up there, Robbie.’

‘You think I give a shit?’

Both quarterdeck and bridge were crowded with the Indonesian contingent, Lieutenant Kaboro, and Sergeant Singkepe, who was cradling a light machine gun. Nash gave him a nod.

‘Thanks for watching my back.’

‘Playing the hero, hey, Nash?’ Boerman sneered. ‘Better late than never, I suppose.’

‘Everybody, this is Mia Carter.’

While Kaboro and Singkepe said hello, the rest stared in stony-faced silence.

‘Thank you so much for stopping.’ Mia proceeded smoothly in the vacuum. ‘I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t.’

Sura’s slim eyebrows formed two sceptical arches. ‘Well, you didn’t give us much of an option, did you? What are you doing out here anyway?’

‘My ride went back to the mission for petrol. Then our boat started to sink.’ Mia pointed to the riverbank, where a half-submerged tinnie was visible among the reeds. ‘Poor Keso must have run when the shooting started.’

Sura frowned. ‘You’re staying here?’

‘Just passing through.’ Mia glanced hopefully at Nash, who cleared his throat.