The Bullet

by Iris Johansen

  “You could have told me where this canyon was located and have me meet you.”

  “I was afraid you’d do some exploring on your own. You’re almost as hungry as I am to get your hands on the son of a bitch. There are supposed to be guards watching Cara.”

  “And you want to be in control,” Joe said. “No way.”

  “I will be in control,” Jock’s said coolly. “Svardak will be in touch with Kaskov, and Kaskov will be in touch with me. He’s refused to deal with anyone but me. Which means that I could disappear and leave you out of it entirely. I didn’t choose to do that, Joe. I didn’t have to call you and tell you where to come. I did it because I thought you’d be of value. You’re good, and you’re smart. I’m a loner, but I would rather have you beside me than anyone else. I’ll listen to you, I’ll respect you. But I have to know that you won’t do anything that will ruin my play. The minute I see a sign of it, I’ll walk away from you.”

  The bastard meant it, Joe could see with frustration. “You know I won’t let you walk away from me. Did you consider that if you’re not right about the canyon, it might be too late for Cara.”

  “Yes,” he said hoarsely, “she’ll die. It will be entirely my fault and no one else’s. But that’s the way it’s been from the beginning.”

  “Bullshit. It will be Svardak’s fault. But if you want the blame, you’ll have to stand in line. Even Michael is thinking that he might be responsible. Which makes me want to kill Svardak even more if that’s possible. Michael’s only ten years old.”

  “Why would Michael—” Jock broke off as his cell phone rang. “Kaskov.” He pressed the access, then the speaker. “Talk to me, Kaskov.”

  “You talk to me,” Kaskov said. “I’m beginning to lose faith in you, Gavin. Have you located her?”

  “Maybe. I might be close.”

  “Which for you means that you’re very close.”

  “But I’m not sure, and I should be sure. Do I have time to verify before I go in? Why are you calling me?”

  “Because I received a photo tonight. Not in the mail, as usual, but on my computer. He’s evidently in a hurry.”

  Jock’s hand clenched on his phone. “Then I don’t have time.”

  “You might, he’s not in enough of a hurry to not twist the knife. He’s going to let me talk to Cara tomorrow night on Skype. I told you I thought he’d probably do that. He’s been waiting a long time for the opportunity.” He paused. “If you still want to monitor the Skype, you’ll have to come back here. I’m sure that Svardak thinks of me as a huge tarantula sitting in my luxurious office in Moscow. If I came to you out in the mountains, it would spoil the illusion, and he might take alarm. Seven tomorrow night.”

  “I’ll be there unless I locate her and find a way to take her before that time.” He added harshly as he had another thought, “But the asshole has had her for two days, and we’ve all agreed he’s a monster. I don’t even know if she’ll be well enough to travel.”

  “Oh, I’d be very surprised if she wasn’t able to travel,” Kaskov said dryly. “I’ll send you the photo.” He hung up.

  The next moment, Jock’s phone pinged as the photo was transmitted.

  Joe looked over Jock’s shoulder as he pulled up Cara’s photo. “Holy shit…”

  Cara was sitting in a chair in front of a fireplace. Her hair was slightly tousled, and she was wearing a red blouse that echoed the vibrance of the flames. There was a violin lying across her lap that he recognized as her Amati. Her chin was lifted and she looked more beautiful than he’d ever seen her. Beautiful … and different. There was usually a gentleness, a warmth, that illuminated her features. He didn’t see that now. She looked totally defiant and challenging as she stared up at the camera. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes glittering, and she appeared ready to leap out of the chair on the attack.

  “I see what Kaskov meant,” Joe said slowly. “She doesn’t look like a victim. Svardak hasn’t done too much damage.”

  “Yes, he has,” Jock said, his expression frozen as he stared at the photo. “He’s done a hell of a lot of damage. He’s hurt her. He’s made her—” He broke off and drew a deep breath. “But you’re right, if nothing else happens to her before we get to her, she’ll be able to travel through those mountains.” He scanned the photo. “There’s a bruise on her left temple that appears fairly recent, and she probably has others that we can’t see. Her wrists seem to be chafed; he probably keeps her tied when he doesn’t want to show her off. That’s all that’s on the surface. Everything else is buried inside.”

  “Naturally, she’s under severe stress, Jock,” he said quietly. “That doesn’t mean she won’t bounce back once we get her away from him. She’s very strong.”

  “I know how strong she is.” He added jerkily, “But he’s doing something to her. No one knows better than I do how a soul can be twisted and tortured until you can’t recognize it as belonging to you. I won’t have it happen to her.”

  “He’s not Thomas Reilly, Jock. He might be a monster, but he doesn’t possess the drive and focus of your particular demon. He’s crazy, not a ruthless sociopath.”

  “Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. Sometimes it doesn’t matter. Either way, I have to keep him from touching her again.” He jammed his phone in his pocket. “Start the car, Joe. We’re heading for Lost Canyon. Svardak is giving Kaskov a brief reprieve, but we don’t how long that will last after that Skype tomorrow night. We’ve got to know everything there is to know about how to get to her and what kind of obstacles we’re going to have to face to take her away from him. Edding told his mistress there were at least half a dozen other men on Svardak’s payroll in this area, but there may be more. We’ll have to verify numbers and locations.”

  Joe said grimly, “And find out if you’re even right about Lost Canyon.” He took out his phone. “But you’ll have to wait a few minutes before we take off. I promised I’d call Eve the minute I knew anything, and I’ve already had to keep her waiting all day. I need to give her some kind of progress report that sounds hopeful if I’m going to keep her at home and not running here at top speed. Right now, it could go either way.” He started to dial. “So I’m going to tell her that we received the photo and, no matter what you think, Cara looks relatively unharmed to me. And I’m definitely not going to tell her that this trip to Lost Canyon could be a wild-goose chase.”

  “Tell her what you like,” Jock said curtly. “Your opinion. And we won’t know if it’s a wild-goose chase until you get us to Lost Canyon. So make your call, dammit.”

  LAKE COTTAGE 4:35 A.M.

  “Where are you?” Eve asked, when Joe answered his phone later that night. “I’ve been worried. You said you’d call when you got to Lost Canyon. No call. And I haven’t been able to get through to you for hours.”

  “I told you I’d be in the mountains, and I’m getting lousy cell reception. I was going to call you when I got to a clear area. I’m heading down the mountain now.” He paused. “Is everything all right?”

  “Why shouldn’t it be?” Eve asked. “I’m not the one climbing mountains in the middle of the night. Why are you doing it? Tell me it’s Cara.”

  Silence. “It could be Cara. I hate to admit that Jock may be right again, but it looks like he might.”

  Eve felt a rush of relief. “Thank God. You found her?”

  “We’re not near that far along. We split up when we got to the canyon, I took the mountainside, and he took the cliff. I’ve found signs of three recent camps being struck next to the trail leading up the mountain. Plus one cigarette butt near the last campfire together with a shoe print, size eleven. Whoever has been up here has been moving camps frequently and trying to clean up after themselves.”

  “Could Cara have been in the camp?”

  “Possibly. But there would probably have been more signs. And I found only the one shoe print. It looks more like sentries or lookouts keeping a sharp eye on the canyon for intruders. But that’s not entir
ely discouraging.”

  “What did Jock find?”

  “I have no idea. Before my cell cut out, he was saying that he was sure he was onto something. I guess I’ll find out when I get down.” He added grimly, “Providing he shows up where we agreed to meet. There’s no telling with Jock. If he found a lead, he might have decided to follow it and leave me trailing behind. No one could call him a team player.”

  She could tell that he was tired and frustrated. “But no one could say that he isn’t extraordinary at what he does. Give him a break, Joe.”

  “I’d like to break his neck.” He paused. “It’s probably better we’re at the opposite sides of the canyon. But don’t worry, I won’t throw him off a cliff until we find Cara.”

  “He’s probably thinking the same about you. Two alpha males should definitely give each other space.” She was silent, then said, “Or call in a referee to strike a balance.”

  “No, Eve.”

  “I agree, I’ll have to find a much more useful role to play, but I know I belong there with you. Things are starting to happen now. I won’t get in the way, but get used to the idea, Joe.” She went on quickly, “I told Michael that I was hoping that we’d get Cara back before I had to take him to drop him off with Catherine, but that was wishful thinking. I knew it when I said it. We’ll leave for Catherine’s when Michael wakes up this morning.”

  “Shit!”

  “I have to be there for her. You know I do. I’ve waited as long as I can.”

  Silence. “She wouldn’t want you here. She wouldn’t want you near Svardak. And I sure as hell want you to stay away from him. There’s no way I can talk you out of it?”

  “I don’t want you there either. Neither one of us is going to get what we want.” She didn’t wait for him to reply. “Make a reservation for me at the nearest hotel to Lost Canyon and text me the address. I’ll call you as soon as I know what time I’ll be arriving. I’ll probably be driving from Louisville. It’s not that far, and it will be quicker than trying to get a flight to a town somewhere near Coal Town.”

  “You know I’d rather you took all the time in the world. I’m tempted to call Catherine and try to persuade her to keep you with her.”

  “She wouldn’t do it.”

  “I know. Okay, I’ll make your reservation. I haven’t checked in anywhere yet. Jock is pushing so hard I’m not even sure he’s slept since Cara was taken. I thought I’d end up in a sleeping bag in the mountains or curled up in the car for a quick nap.”

  “And I might go along with that, but let’s try for a hotel room.” She had to end this call. She had made him worried and unhappy, and she hated it. “An occasional shower would be nice.” She paused. “I love you, Joe.”

  “Then stay home.” Then he sighed. “I love you, too. I’ll let you know if we find out anything else.” He ended the call.

  Done. She slipped her phone into the pocket of her robe and stared out at the lake. She had been wrestling with the decision since Jock had told Joe that Kaskov had given him a solid lead to where they could find Cara. Everything had been so much easier before Michael had come into their lives. It had become a balancing act to care for him yet do her duty to Jane and Cara. But in this case, she had no choice but to put Michael behind Cara. The stakes were too dangerously high.

  The decision was made. Stop brooding about it and start preparing to put it into motion. She turned and headed across the porch for the door. Pack a bag for Michael and her own duffel. Make a pot of coffee to get enough caffeine in her system to help get through a sleepless night and the journey to come.

  She opened the door and headed for the kitchen.

  “Is Dad okay?”

  She stopped short as she saw Michael curled up on the couch in the living room. He was barefoot and wearing his blue-and-white-striped pajamas. His hair was tousled, and he looked younger than he usually did, but his expression was grave.

  “What are you doing up, Michael?”

  He swung his feet to the floor and straightened as he said quietly, “I kept thinking about Dad. I knew you were trying to call him after I went to bed. Is he okay?”

  “Sure, your dad is supertough.” She smiled. “It would really take something major to even faze him. He’s just searching very hard for Cara.” She dropped down beside him and slid her arm around his shoulders. “But they may have found a clue to where she might be. That’s good, isn’t it?” She brushed a kiss on the top of his head. “I thought you might have been lying awake worrying about Cara.”

  He shook his head. “I do worry about her. But mostly about Dad.”

  “Why?” she asked gently. “Did you have a nightmare or something?”

  “No, I don’t usually have nightmares. Not scary stuff. Most of my dreams are just puzzles to help me figure things out.”

  “Really? I didn’t realize that.” But she should have, she thought. It was her duty as his mother to question everything concerning him. She couldn’t remember when she’d had to cuddle him when he woke in the middle of the night. When he woke, it was usually with a question. “Then why are you worrying about your dad?”

  “I don’t know. I just am. You were worried about him tonight, too. I could feel it. You said he was somewhere in West Virginia?”

  “Yep, it’s a fairly small state. He should be able to whip right through it looking for Cara.”

  “I looked it up, and it’s really pretty. Mountains and streams and lots of mist, and all the trees are wonderful in the fall. Is Dad liking it?”

  “I think he’s too busy to notice scenery right now.”

  Michael nodded. “I think you’re right. He’ll notice it later, when it’s all over. It will be better then.” He looked up at her. “But you should tell him to be careful, Mom.”

  She went still. “Why, Michael?”

  “Sometimes he forgets to think about himself. He thinks about you and me and Cara and Jane, but he doesn’t think about himself.” He laid his head against her arm. “You should remind him that he’s important, too.”

  “Next time I see him I’ll be sure and do that.” It was an opening she couldn’t ignore. “Which may be soon. I told your dad that I’m—”

  “You’re taking me to Catherine and Luke,” he finished for her. “That’s why you were sad when you came in from the porch. You knew he’d be scared for you.” He gave her a mischievous glance from beneath his lashes. “Honest, I didn’t eavesdrop, Mom.”

  “I wasn’t about to accuse you.” Her gaze narrowed on his face. “No arguments?”

  He shook his head. “I’d only upset you and make you more sad. I’ll work it out. When do we leave?”

  “After breakfast. I’ll call your teachers and get advance assignments. Will you pack, or do you want help?”

  “I’ll do it.” He got to his feet and headed for the bathroom. “It will be nice to see Luke again. He’s cool.” He stopped at the doorway. “But you’ll remember to tell Dad what I said?”

  She felt a little frisson of uneasiness. “I’ll tell him.”

  “Good.” He started to turn away again.

  “Michael.”

  He looked back over his shoulder.

  She had remembered Michael’s words that had so startled her. “I’m glad you don’t have nightmares, but I’m a little surprised. Are you sure there’s nothing you’d like to tell me?”

  He started to shake his head, then stopped. His smile faded. “I always like to tell you things. She says it’s better for you if I don’t this time. But I can’t lie to you.”

  She stiffened. “She?”

  “She says that she knows you’ll never forget her, but there’s a time to move on, and I have to help you.”

  Her hands clenched at her sides. “She?” Eve repeated.

  “Bonnie,” he said gently. “Our Bonnie, Mom. You told me all about her years ago, how much you loved her and that she was taken away from you when she was only seven by one of those bad men who hurt children.” He smiled. “But you didn�
�t tell me that she has hair the same color as yours, but it’s all curly and stuff. Or that she’s really, really cool.”

  “Bonnie is a little hard to describe,” she said shakily. “Apparently, you’ve found out for yourself.” She paused, then said carefully, “Just how would you describe her, Michael? A dream?”

  He shook his head. “Maybe. Whatever she wants to be. But mostly my friend. And sometimes she teaches me stuff.” He tilted his head curiously. “Why do you ask? You know all about Bonnie.”

  And clearly so did Michael, she thought. He accepted Bonnie as a spirit and thought no more about it than if she were Cara or Jane. She should really not be surprised. Michael himself was something of a mystery. “Different people have different viewpoints. I wanted to make sure you weren’t confused. How long has she been coming to see you, Michael?”

  “A long time. I think … from the beginning.”

  She remembered the night Michael was born, and she had been certain that Bonnie was there. “I think that’s very likely. But she hasn’t paid me a visit for a long time. I believe I’m jealous. I’ll have to have a word with her.”

  “She only wants you to be happy, Mom.”

  “I am happy.” It was true. The idea that Bonnie had always been present, easing Michael’s way in the world, was comforting. But Eve had missed those visits, dammit. “But Bonnie might be trying to manipulate me the way you were trying to do. How do we know just because she’s a spirit that she knows everything? And she should realize that being happy doesn’t necessarily mean forgetting about her.”

  “Are you angry with me?”

  “No, I’m happy for you that you’ve been able to get to know Bonnie. I just wish that you’d shared the experience with me.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to her about it next time,” he said gravely. He gave her his luminous smile and disappeared into the bathroom.

  She ruefully shook her head as she turned away from the door. She was still trembling with shock, she realized. She had never expected, nor dreamed, that the answer she’d get from Michael would be about Bonnie.

  First, that weird insistence about cautioning Joe. Then the acknowledgment that Bonnie was very much in Michael’s life. Not that one had to have anything to do with another, she thought quickly. Probably no connection at all. She was the one who had brought up the subject of nightmares. As far as Michael was concerned, it was all about Joe.