She poured steaming coffee into a china cup lined with pink primroses. “Good. Back to myself. I’m afraid I was a bit of a zombie yesterday. I slept about twenty hours total since the last time I saw you.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You were exhausted.” He piled a bagel with smoked salmon and capers. “Understand you had some trouble.”

She spread a thin layer of cream cheese on her bagel and added a slice of smoked salmon. “The Special Forces team was in a firefight with the warlord not far from my clinic. Things got a little hairy after that.”

Her dad sat back, holding his cup and saucer. “Did you have any trouble like that before then?”

“Not to that extreme. The warlord has been growing in strength for the past five years or so. He’s amassed a rather large army and wants to instigate a coup on the government here. But we were really remote. We’d get the occasional truckful of warlord bullies, but the locals have that pretty well handled.”

They ate in silence for a few moments, and then her father said, “I’ve been following the politics here pretty closely, for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, my new position puts you and your mother in the spotlight. When Chukuwereije found out your connection to me, you were extracted for your own safety.”

“I know that. But I’m doing really great work here, Daddy. I have women from four villages who sometimes travel an entire day to come to my clinic. I plan to sign another six-month contract.”

Her father’s face maintained a pleasant countenance. “That would have been ideal, but I’m afraid it won’t be possible. You can easily be captured, then used as a pawn in this political game. You need to go back home where it’s safe for a while.”

She took a sip of her coffee, appreciating the rich flavor. “I am happy to work under an assumed name. I don’t need to be Cynthia Myers here.”

He shook his head. “Too late for that. Your face is all over the news. You’re on magazine covers and the front pages of newspapers. The incident with Andrew made you an unfortunate focus of media spotlight for a while and provided quite a bit of fodder. Now, here, it simply isn’t safe.”

She carefully wiped her lips with a napkin and put it on her plate. “I appreciate your concern, Daddy. I get it. But I am not going to give in to the threat of violence. I am on a mission sanctioned by a Christian organization, and I am doing humanitarian work that needs to be done. The political maneuvering here has nothing to do with me.” She stood. “It was really good to see you, Daddy. I’m really proud of you, and I love you very much.”