Therefore, there was no reason to be uneasy. Michael had been absolutely no trouble about her going to be with Joe, given her nothing but cooperation when she’d asked.
I’ll work it out.
What was he going to work out?
And why had he been so worried about Joe when the threat was to Cara?
Just accept that he was just being Michael, and she would eventually know all the answers. She wasn’t about to try to cross-examine him at the moment. She was too worried about Cara to delve into what Michael was thinking or planning. She just had to trust that his basic goodness of heart would keep him from causing her problems at this crucial time.
So stop fretting and just get ready to go.
But first grab a strong cup of coffee and say a couple prayers. The way she was feeling now they might both be needed to get her through the day.
CHAPTER
6
LOST CANYON 5:04 A.M.
There were two men at the camp nearest the top of the cliff …
Jock crawled closer on the ridge above the encampment. One guard was curled up in a sleeping bag, the other leaning against a tree, with his automatic on his knees, staring into the fire. He was awake, but just barely. It would be no problem at all to maneuver close enough to cut his throat without waking the other guard.
There had also been two guards at the other encampment he had spotted from the twisting trail sixty feet below this ridge. Svardak evidently didn’t trust single guards on watch, which meant he was smart and wary. Not wary enough. The guards at the first encampment had been even less alert than these two.
But there had been no sign of Cara at either encampment.
Was there still another encampment higher up on the cliff? His gaze searched the twisting path that led to the brush-and-tree thicket that started forty or fifty yards from the ridge where he was lying. Entirely possible. Svardak might have set up a series of barriers to keep rescuers from approaching or Cara from escaping.
It would take him only minutes to reach that thicket and get his answer.
But it was getting light, and he’d be exposed on this ridge in another fifteen minutes. He needed to get down into the heavier pine brush on the lower plateau unless he wanted to start the action now.
Wanted? He craved it.
He closed his eyes as he fought the hunger that had been devouring him since he’d found that first camp. Cara had to be close if Svardak had set up these guard posts. It would be so easy to take them out and interrogate …
But it might be a trap. He didn’t know enough yet. He couldn’t take a risk that could get Cara killed.
He would think of another way.
But he had to verify that the sleeping guard was who he thought he was. He lifted his binoculars to his eyes again and waited for a clear look. He had caught a quick glimpse a few minutes ago before the guard had burrowed his face in the blanket. Not enough. He had to be sure. He waited.
One minute.
Two.
Three.
The guard stirred restlessly.
He saw his face.
Yes!
He put the binoculars away.
He hesitated. It would be so easy …
He took one last longing look at the two guards.
No! He couldn’t do it.
He started to crawl down the ridge.
* * *
“You’re sure that guard was Ron Edding?” Joe asked eagerly, his gaze on the cliff. “No mistake?”
“It was Edding,” Jock said impatiently. “I showed you the photo Kaskov gave me of the man Svardak hired to get him out of Bermuda. I went up there looking for him, and I double-checked before I came down. I had to make certain we were on the right track.” His lips twisted. “Besides, you’re such a doubting Thomas that I had to put your mind at ease.”
“Which was the intelligent thing to do. I like to be sure there’s a fire before I bring out the hose.” Joe’s gaze was fixed on the cliff, which was still wreathed in early-morning mists. “Let’s go back up there. We’ll take the camps one at a time at time, then—”
“And what about the encampments on the mountainside that you ran across? All it would take would be a casual glance from someone with binoculars, and Cara’s dead. And maybe she’s being held on the mountainside.”
“But you don’t think that’s true,” Joe said. “Neither do I. Those camps I ran across were moving camps, the men there were scouts, whose aim was to make certain no one came too close and to know about it if they did. The ones you described were permanent. They’re set up and ready for action. You said that you believed you’d have seen her if she was there.”
“Aye, but I’m going to be damn sure. Any move we make has to be a surprise.” He added grimly, “And not for us. We’ll go in tonight, and we’ll know everything we need to know.”
“That means he’ll have Cara for another full day. I don’t like it.”
“Do you think I do?” Jock said savagely. “I came within a heartbeat of—” He turned away and moved down the trail to where they’d hidden the car in a dense forest off the access road. “We’ll catch a few hours’ sleep and come back and take another look in the afternoon. You need to get close enough to those camps on the mountain to make sure Cara’s not there instead of in that thicket at the top. I’ll go up the cliff trail and see if there’s any possible way I can get her out of this canyon without being target practice from three directions.”
“You’d have to strike it very lucky to be able to do that.” Joe paused. “I talked to Eve while I was on the mountain. She’ll probably be on her way here today. She told me to get her a room at a hotel.”
“Why aren’t I surprised? Your responsibility, Joe.”
“I wish it was. This is Eve.”
“I repeat, your responsibility. I’m going to be too busy today to worry about anything but that cliff. I need every minute to—” His cell phone vibrated and he glanced down at the ID. “An email from Palik. It’s not six yet, evidently he took me at my word.” They had reached the car, and he got in the passenger seat. “You drive. I need to read this.” He accessed the email. “The Canadian real-estate company that handled the lease on the canyon was acting on behalf of a company in Estonia. That’s information we no longer need now…” He was scrolling down the email. “But we do need this info. He sent us several maps of the canyon and surrounding terrain.” He was flipping through the maps. “I need to see that thicket on top of the cliff. I couldn’t see anything through those trees. But it doesn’t seem to be—” He broke off as he flipped to a new page. “Yes.”
“It’s pretty crude.” Joe was looking over his shoulder. “Just some kind of basic structure and a road leading down through the thicket on the other side of the cliff.”
“It’s what I needed to know,” Jock said. “He has an escape route if he needs it. That road disappears into the forest on the north side of the cliff, and we might have a hell of a time tracking him.” His finger was tracing the curve of the cliff close to the canyon. “And there’s another trail here that would allow those guards from the mountain to come running if Svardak called. He must have been planning this for a long time. He was doing everything he could to keep from being surprised. Two separate trails down to the canyon and a convenient back door.”
“We’ll find a way to get around it.”
Jock looked up at the thicket on top of the cliff. Cara was there, and all he had to do was to get to her. All? There was also the small matter of getting her out alive. “We’ll get around it.” He was flipping through the other maps. “It’s just going to mean that the day is going to be even busier than I thought.”
“But you’re still going to go to Kaskov’s at seven to take a look at Svardak’s Skype?”
“Did you actually think I’d change my mind?” he asked harshly. “Like you said, he’s going to have a full day to do more damage to her. I have to know if he’s taken advantage of it.”
LOUISVILLE, KEN
TUCKY 9:10 A.M.
“You’re sure you don’t mind, Catherine?” Eve asked as she took Michael’s duffel out of the trunk. “I’m feeling guilty about just tossing my son at you. You’re usually so busy, you don’t have that much quality time with Luke.” Catherine Ling had been a CIA operative since she’d been a young girl, and she managed to balance a career and motherhood effortlessly, but Eve still felt a bit guilty giving her any additional burden.
Catherine smiled. “Toss away. It will be good for Luke to have Michael here. He gets impatient with most of the kids his own age. He led an unusual life for his first eleven years, and it’s always been hard for him to bond. Michael may be younger but he’s…” She hesitated. “Different.”
Eve laughed. “Very delicately put.” She looked at Michael, sitting on the front steps talking with Luke. No, it was clear the two had no problem bonding. “Though I’m certain Luke also has to be very patient with Michael. Michael tends to have an insatiable curiosity. I’ll call you when I get in and check on him.”
“If you like.” Catherine’s smile disappeared. “But it sounded to me like you might be busy. I’ll take care of Michael, Eve. You do what you have to do.”
“Thank you.” She turned and gave her a quick hug. “I’m praying I won’t be long.”
“So am I. I’d like to go with you. I’m sick about Cara.”
“I know. We’re all practically out of our minds.” She looked back at Michael. “But it helps to know that he’s being well taken care of.”
“Our pleasure.” She gave her another hug. “Now get on the road. I know you’re anxious.”
She nodded. “That I am.” She called to Michael, “Come and say good-bye to me.”
Michael jumped to his feet and ran over to her. “You’re leaving?” He went into her arms. “Will you call me tonight?”
“You know I will.” She gave him a bear hug. “I have to check and see if you’re giving Catherine a hard time.”
“I won’t.” He grinned at Catherine. “She might turn me in to the CIA.”
Catherine smiled back at him. “It depends on what you and Luke have been planning. I saw that you had your heads together.”
“Nothing scary. Luke’s just going to take me over to Hu Chang’s lab and show me the stuff he’s been working on.”
“That could be very scary,” Eve said. “Some of Hu Chang’s experiments aren’t for general consumption.” She was joking. Catherine’s friend Hu Chang was brilliant, and his philosophy was far from the norm, but he would never do anything that would harm anyone close to Catherine. “Don’t let him lure you to the dark side.”
“I like him,” he said simply. “So do you.”
“Yes, I do.” She pressed a kiss on his forehead. “Be good. Don’t give Catherine any trouble.”
“We’ll be fine,” Catherine said. “And Hu Chang will keep both of them busy.”
Eve gazed down at her son. “Michael?”
He nodded gravely. “It’s okay, Mom, don’t worry about me. There’s still time.” He gave her another hug, and when he lifted his head, he gazed up at her with those shining amber eyes, and whispered, “Dad.” Then he was gone and running back to Luke.
She stared after him.
Joe, again.
He was not permitting her to forget her promise in this last moment.
“He’s handling it well,” Catherine murmured. “So stop frowning, go do your job.” She opened the driver’s door for Eve, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and turned away. “Bye, Eve. I expect to hear the minute you find Cara.” She turned and walked back toward Luke and Michael.
Eve hesitated for an instant, and then got in the car. Most people would have the same response as Catherine to Michael’s behavior. On the surface he was being a poster child of obedience and cooperation. But she could never be sure what was whirling beneath that surface.
However, he had said she didn’t have to worry. That was something, wasn’t it? Well, it had to be enough. Follow Catherine’s advice and go do her job.
She started the car, set her GPS, and pulled away from the curb.
LOST CANYON 7:10 P.M.
“Come out here.” Svardak had thrown open the door of Marian’s quarters and was glaring at Cara where she was sitting curled up on the floor, leaning against the vanity. “What are you doing? I haven’t heard a sound from you since I put you in there after dinner.”
She braced herself. More punishment? Svardak had been savage most of the day. Cat and mouse. Then when she responded, he would strike her several times with vicious force before he’d let her alone for a while. But she had to respond, she couldn’t let him believe he could toy with her emotions or make her afraid.
She glared back at him. “What could I be doing? My choices are limited.” She got to her feet. “But when your choices are limited, it doesn’t mean that you’re defeated. You just concentrate on what you have and what you are. I was sitting here remembering how I loved sitting by Lake Gaelkar in Scotland when I was there for Eve and Joe’s wedding.” She looked him in the eyes. “And suddenly I was there again. So you couldn’t take that away from me. I wonder if Marian did the same thing with her home in Toronto. Did she ever mention it?”
“She was too frightened of me.” He disconnected her cuffs from the main vanity chain and shoved her through the door into the living room. “So I did take that away from her. Just as I’ll take everything away from you when I get a chance to concentrate more fully on you.”
“It won’t happen,” she said quietly. “I’ll just go away from whatever you do, and you won’t be able to bring me back. You take away one joy, I’ll find another one.” She looked at the computer that he’d already hooked to the giant TV on the wall and set up for Skype. “Oh, it’s time to show me off for my grandfather? I know you’ve been eagerly anticipating it.” She smiled mockingly at him. “Would you like me to play a concerto for him? What about the Tchaikovsky?”
“Shut up! I won’t have you spoil this for me.” He pulled her in front of the TV. “You’ll be quiet until I tell you to talk. All you speak is lies anyway.”
“I speak the truth. It was Anna who lied. It must have been easy for her to get you to believe her. Children are gullible, and you never really grew up, did you?” She inhaled sharply as he twisted her wrist. “Is that going to be the rule of the night? I guess I’ll have to go back to my lake in Scotland.”
“If you don’t shut up, I’ll send you straight to hell.” He pressed the Skype button, and Kaskov suddenly appeared on the screen in front of her. He was sitting at a desk in what appeared to be a library. “How nice of you to join us, Kaskov,” Svardak said. “Cara has been wondering if you care whether she lives or dies. I’ve been trying to reassure her.”
Kaskov ignored him. “How are you, Cara? I’m sorry you’ve had to go through this.”
“So am I.” She grimaced. “More than you know. But what can you expect? His crazy sister brainwashed him until he doesn’t know any better.” Her teeth sank into her lower lip as Svardak twisted her wrist again. “He said you killed her. She probably deserved it.”
“I thought so at the time.”
Svardak’s curse was low and vehement. “Both of you stop lying about Anna. This bitch is just like you, Kaskov.” Svardak’s lips were tight. “I was right to take her. None of the others were this bad. She won’t listen and nothing I do—”
Cara stiffened. “None?” She had suddenly caught the meaning of that one word. “None of the others?” She whirled to face Svardak. “Marian Napier wasn’t the only one you killed before you took me? How many others were there?”
“Oh, that shook you.” His eyes were narrowed with pure malice. “I never said she was the only one. I was keeping the others for a surprise. You’d become so fond of Marian. Why don’t you ask Kaskov? He has all the photos.” He paused. “Except one.”
She turned back to Kaskov. “How many?”
“Four. He wanted to make a statement and impress me
.”
She felt sick. “All of them so young and talented like Marian?”
“Very close,” he said quietly.
She was having trouble comprehending it. “Because you killed this Anna?”
“He had a little more reason. I also killed his father and brother. Unfortunately, I missed ridding the world of you, Svardak. You’ll be glad to know I’ve been profoundly sorry I was so careless. I was hoping to make it the same type of family affair that you created for me.”
“What are you talking about?” Cara asked.
Kaskov held up his hands. “Ten minutes to change a life. They all found it both satisfactory and amusing. When my turn came, I preferred to put an end to your family and not just change it as you did mine, Svardak.”
She stared at those scarred, crooked fingers. “It was them? They did that to you?”
“He deserved it,” Svardak spat out. “Anna had to win that competition and get us all out of that labor camp. My father might have been a guard, but he was only a step above being a prisoner, and do you know how they treated us? They threw us in with the children of the prisoners for most of the day and let us fend for ourselves with that vermin. Kaskov was like you, he would have been able to fool the judges into thinking he had some kind of special talent. So we showed him he couldn’t do that to us.”
“By trying to destroy him?” Kaskov had mentioned the event that had changed his life to her almost casually, and it had still shocked her. Now, facing the sheer ugliness of the act itself, it was filling her with horror. “He did nothing to deserve that kind of treatment. He was only a young man trying to survive in that place.”
“He deserved to be destroyed,” Svardak said. “He killed Anna, he killed my father and my brother.”
“After you did that hideous thing to him. Yes, killing should not be excused, but evil begets evil.” So much evil that it was smothering her. Her gaze went to the photo of Marian on the wall. Not alone. Four innocent lives. “And you’re such a coward. You didn’t go after him. You chose to find four young girls to torment and kill who had done nothing to you. They had their entire lives before them, and you took them away.”
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