The Bullet

by Iris Johansen

  “He doesn’t need that kind of pressure, Jock,” Cara said quietly.

  “He can handle it. He’s tougher than he looks.” Jock turned away. “But if you want to go with Eve and Michael to Lake Cormack to hold his hand, I think it would be a good idea. I’ll follow her car and scout around, so there won’t be any surprises.” He smiled at Michael. “Be certain, but don’t waste time. We have a tight schedule.”

  Michael nodded gravely. “I won’t disappoint you, Jock.” He turned and hurried down the hill after Eve.

  Cara was staring after him. “What happened up there between you two?”

  “Nothing much.” He took her arm and urged her down the path. “Merely one of those rare moments of mutual enlightenment that comes along occasionally…”

  LAKE CORMACK

  “It’s not the right one,” Michael said flatly.

  “You’ve only been looking around for fifteen minutes,” Cara said. “Are you absolutely sure?”

  He nodded. He was staring out over the lake to the green mountains beyond. “I wanted it to be the one Dad saw, but it isn’t the right one.” He looked at Eve. “I’m sorry, Mom. I thought it wasn’t the one when we first drove up, but Jock told me to be sure.”

  Eve came to stand beside him. “And you did everything right. There’s nothing to be sorry about. We just have to take the next step.”

  “If there is a next step.” Jock appeared from the brush at the left of the path. “But I also saw no ‘funny house’ in the area that was on your list of descriptive real estate. So this lake has to be off the list for that reason, too.”

  “It just means that we have to go and take a look at Kedrow and Hunter.” Eve stared Jock in the eye. “That’s the next step. Michael has gone through too much to stop now. He believes what he’s saying, so I have to believe it, too.”

  Jock held up his hand. “I never thought anything else. That’s practically a mother’s mantra. It’s that tight schedule that’s raising its head again. I can’t afford to risk Cara if I put all my eggs in one basket. I’m going back to Ruell Falls and pick up Edding and see if I can find Svardak in some way that won’t depend on a séance.” He glanced at Michael, and said slyly, “No offense.” He turned back to Eve. “But you can get on the road and take Michael up there yourself for a look around. If it’s not another blind alley, I’ll hijack Kaskov’s helicopter along with whatever men he sends to bring Edding and be there in a heartbeat.” He paused. “In those circumstances, I don’t have to tell you that you’d be crazy not to hide out and wait until I can get to you, do I? I know that you’re frantic about Joe.”

  Eve shook her head impatiently. “Of course I’m frantic. But this is purely an exploratory trip. I’d have to be truly insane to think I could barge in and rescue him without help. That’s the kind of madness you and Joe would try to do. And I have to take Michael with me. Do you think I’d risk him?”

  “No way.” Cara took a step closer to Eve. “We’ll just take a look around, then make a decision what we’re going to do.”

  “We?” Eve whirled on her. “Forget it. You’re not going with us, Cara.”

  “The hell I’m not.”

  “I don’t need you. You’d be in the way. You think you’d be a help to us, but Svardak wants you. You’re the beacon that draws him. He took Joe because it was his way to get to you. He’d use Michael the same way if he got the opportunity. I’m not going to take the chance of your being anywhere near him.”

  Cara felt stricken. She could see that Eve did not want to hurt her, but she was right. Because of her, Joe had been taken and the threat to Michael was very real. “I’m sorry, Eve.”

  “There’s nothing to be sorry about.” She took a step closer and gave her a warm hug. “But the best place for you is surrounded by Jock and Kaskov’s guards, for your sake as well as ours. Understand?”

  “I see where you’re coming from, and I’ll try not to be in your way.”

  Eve’s brows rose. “That’s no answer.”

  “As you said, Svardak is holding Joe because of me. I have to help him.” She smiled shakily. “I’ll find a way not to be a beacon.”

  Eve shook her head. “I may rue the day I used that word.” She gave her a kiss on the cheek and glanced at Jock. “You’re very quiet.”

  “I had nothing to say. You did all my work for me.”

  “But you had no intention of letting Cara go with us.”

  “I don’t give Cara orders. It doesn’t turn out well. She responds much better to your gentle influence.”

  “I wasn’t so gentle today,” she said ruefully.

  “But you were honest,” Cara said. She bent and gave Michael a hug. “You take care of your mom. Don’t let her get into trouble.”

  “Okay.” He whispered in her ear. “That’s what Dad told me, and I haven’t been able to do it. But I won’t let that Svardak hurt her. I promise, Cara.” Then he was gone and running to Eve. “Let’s go. Didn’t you hear Jock? We’re on a tight schedule.”

  Eve shrugged. “Well, we wouldn’t want to disturb Jock’s schedule.” She was whisking him away toward the Toyota. “But we do have an agenda of our own.”

  * * *

  Cara shivered as she watched them drive away. “I wanted to go with them, Jock.”

  “I know you did. But she was right, you know. You’re a beacon.” He was pushing her gently toward his car. “And they’re both safer without you. I wanted to go with them, too. I didn’t like having to suggest that they go without me, but she wasn’t going to let it go.”

  “No, she wouldn’t.”

  “And Eve will be supercareful if she sees anything that appears off-kilter. She’ll call us, and we’ll be there for her in minutes instead of hours.”

  She smiled crookedly. “And you don’t really believe that they’ll find anything anyway.”

  “I didn’t say that.” He opened the passenger door for her. “I believe Michael might be able to pull it off. He’s … unusual. I’ve seen stranger things happen. I just believe we have to hedge our bets with the semblance of reality.” His lips twisted. “I won’t let your and Joe’s lives depend on anything mystical or psychic in nature. It’s foreign to me. I know about reality, with all its complexities and ugliness. I can meld it to what I need it to be.” He got into the driver’s seat. “I leave it to Michael and Eve to deal with anything more Star Wars oriented.” He added grimly. “And may the Force be with them.”

  RUELL FALLS

  The large gray-and-cream helicopter descended slowly to the ground in the field across from Ruell Falls.

  “It looks like the helicopter from Blackhawk Down,” Cara murmured. “More military than commercial. Very impressive. But a little wasteful considering it’s only a glorified delivery vehicle for Edding.”

  “Kaskov can afford it.” Jock was moving toward the landing site. “He probably has quite a few uses for a military aircraft. Anything from drug trafficking to gunrunning.“He was watching the door open. “And I don’t give a damn as long as that copter is bringing Ron Edding. And I think it is…”

  “Shit!” Edding screamed as he was thrown from the helicopter and landed in the dirt at Jock’s feet. “Son of a bitch!” He rolled over, cursing as he struggled to his knees. He glared at Jock. “You didn’t need to have him do that. Haven’t I done everything I was told to do?”

  “I don’t know. Have you?” Jock looked down at him. “I admit it’s very satisfactory having you in the dirt at my feet, but I didn’t give the order.” His gaze raked Edding from torn shirt to his stained boots. “But you look a little worse for wear, so I’d imagine you’ve been very good lately. I haven’t been given a complete report so I—”

  “Complaints, complaints, Gavin.” Kaskov was jumping down from the helicopter. “You ordered, and I meekly brought him here to lie at your feet. Yet you can do nothing but whine.”

  Cara stiffened. “I didn’t expect to see you, Kaskov.”

  “I thought about it and decided
I couldn’t trust Gavin to represent my interests where you were concerned. Particularly since Abrams told Edding when he called that he wasn’t sure that he was needed since they’d been able to get several of Svardak’s crew back in the last couple days. You clearly needed reinforcements.” He turned back, and called into the helicopter, “Nikolai, it’s almost time for that second call to Svardak. I’m sure Edding needs your encouragement to make it all it should be.” He stepped aside as Nikolai and several other men in camouflage attire streamed out of the helicopter. He smiled down at Edding. “I’m going to tell Nikolai to ignore your extremely bad attitude when you renewed your acquaintance with Gavin. I realize Gavin can be very difficult.”

  Edding was suddenly wary. “He’s a bastard.”

  “Without doubt. But I forgive him because we both have problems with the fact that you helped to keep my granddaughter prisoner at Lost Canyon. You told Nikolai you’d never seen her.” He waved his hand at Cara. “You should meet her, and we’ll see how truthful you were. Cara, do you know this man?”

  “I never touched her,” Edding said, panic-stricken. “I didn’t have anything to do with her.”

  “Except make sure she could never get off that mountain,” Jock said softly. “If that’s all you did. I didn’t have time to verify that you weren’t lying to me at our last meeting.”

  “No!” Edding scrambled to his feet. “I tell you that I didn’t do—”

  “Stop it!” Cara took a step forward. Jock and Kaskov were standing there, looking as lethal as angels of death, and it was because of her. She hated Jock to revert to that time and state that had almost destroyed him. Somehow, it was even worse to have Kaskov here like a mirror image of what he might have become. “Leave him alone. I don’t know this man. The only one of Svardak’s men I ever saw was that guard, Abrams. And I never really got a good look at him.” She made an impatient gesture. “Besides, none of that matters now. Why are you wasting time when you brought Edding here for a purpose?”

  “I believe we’ve been chastised, Gavin,” Kaskov murmured. “She’s been through a good deal, or I’d have to explain the consequences to her.”

  “Joe is being held by that monster and is probably suffering,” she said coldly. “In the end, that’s your fault. Don’t tell me about consequences.” She looked at Edding. “What can he do to help?”

  “We shall see, now that we’ve determined what kind of treatment he deserves.” Kaskov turned to Jock. “He made the first call to Abrams two hours ago and told him that he’d been wounded on the cliff but managed to get away. He said he’d been on the run in the mountains ever since, but he needed help for the wound in his leg. As expected, Abrams was not overly sympathetic. He said that Svardak didn’t need anyone who couldn’t function and to get lost.”

  “A philosophy you understood perfectly,” Jock said.

  “Which I understood enough to have a reply ready that Svardak would accept. Edding is going to tell Abrams that he literally knew where all the bodies were buried about the murder of that violinist in Bermuda, and he was afraid he might be forced to tell the police if he was caught. The British in Bermuda are very sensitive about threats to their citizens. Even I am careful when handling them. There was no evidence that linked Svardak to the other victims, but the Brits would stir up a hornet’s nest. Abrams will realize that and go to Svardak.” Kaskov smiled. “I think it will all go splendidly and that they’ll soon be having a joyous reunion.”

  “He’ll kill me,” Edding said flatly. “Svardak doesn’t fool around. He’ll tell Abrams to get rid of me.”

  “Not if you handle it right,” Jock said. “And you will handle it right. Or you won’t have to worry about Svardak or Abrams. I’ll get rid of you for them.”

  “I might as well let you do it,” Edding said glumly. “You’re as bad as Svardak. Either way, I’m dead.”

  “It depends on what you want to go through before you reach that point,” Jock said. “I don’t promise to keep you alive, but we’ll have to take those manacles off you when you meet with Abrams. That will give you a chance to cut and run while you’re on your way to Svardak’s hideout. Who knows? We might be too busy to come after you.”

  “I won’t get that far,” Edding said. “I was safe until you had me threaten Svardak. Now he’ll just send Abrams after me to shut me up.”

  Jock shook his head. “Not after you make the second call. Not if you tell him that you’ve written all the dirty details down and sent it to a friend in Nassau with instructions to FedEx it to the interested parties in case Svardak doesn’t help you.”

  “Threats and blackmail? He’ll still kill me. He’ll just torture me first to find out where I sent the info.”

  Jock nodded. “Probably. But the chances are Svardak will tell Abrams to bring you to him so that he can share the enjoyment of tearing you apart. That will give me what I need and you an opportunity.”

  Edding hesitated, staring at him. Then he said belligerently, “I can tell you need this. Give me enough money to get me out of the country, and I’ll do it.”

  “Wrong move,” Jock said quietly. “You’ll do it because I’ll make certain the pain doesn’t stop until you do. I’m very good with pain, Edding. I’ve been taught by experts.”

  Edding’s face turned pale as he met Jock’s eyes.

  “No, Jock,” Cara said.

  “It’s his call.” She could see the icy stillness in his face. “He will do it, Cara. Don’t interfere.”

  “Don’t be selfish.” Kaskov was motioning to Nikolai, who was standing by the steps of the helicopter. “Of course he’ll do it. But there’s no use your being greedy about persuading him when he and Nikolai have formed such a close attachment in the last few days. We’ll give Edding a little while to think about it. And then you can join them and listen to his chat with Abrams if you like.”

  “You’re giving me permission?” Jock asked mockingly.

  The ice was still there but now aimed at Kaskov, Cara thought, which was infinitely worse.

  Edding obviously didn’t agree, he was almost eagerly turning from Jock and letting Nikolai lead him away. Evidently, he was grateful to no longer have Jock’s attention.

  “You see?” Kaskov smiled. “Nikolai will do a much better job convincing him that he might have a chance to survive if you’re not in charge. You’re far too intimidating. Give him thirty minutes.”

  “And Nikolai is not intimidating?” Jock was relaxing the slightest bit. “Perhaps not compared to you. But against anyone else, I think he’d pass.”

  “True. Because unfortunately he’s had to smother his natural instincts. Life does that sometimes. Nikolai has a gentle soul.” His gaze shifted to Cara. “Like our Cara. And not at all like either of us, Gavin. I don’t believe she likes it when we show her glimpses of who we are. She finds it upsetting.”

  “I do find it upsetting,” she said coolly. “I hate it. But speak for yourself. Jock is nothing like you. And I can smother my instincts if I have to do it.” She repeated his words. “Life does that sometimes.” She turned to Jock. “And you will not tell me not to interfere. This is about Joe, and it’s about you. I’ll never stay out of anything concerning either of you.”

  Kaskov chuckled. “Besides the fact that she’s obviously irritated that I indicated we belong to the same brotherhood. You should have caught that instead of being so single-minded about Edding.” He turned away. “I’ll leave you to make amends while I go to see that Nikolai doesn’t get too enthusiastic to please me.”

  Cara watched him stroll away before she glanced at Jock. “He’s right, it made me angry to see you together,” she said curtly. “It reminded me that you consider yourself as much a killer as he is. You’re not anything of the sort, and I won’t let you believe it. That would mean I’d lose you, and that’s not going to happen.”

  “No, I don’t think it will,” he said quietly. “I’m too far gone to let you go now. Though someday you may realize losing me could be the best
thing for you.” He smiled crookedly. “Actually, seeing Kaskov and me together might be a teaching moment.”

  “No, it won’t. He might be my grandfather, but I barely know him, and I never had him to lose.” She drew a deep breath. “But he’s here and he’s helping in his own fairly lethal way and I have to put up with him. So go and make certain that Edding survives both of you and that I can get Joe back. Because I could lose him.” She took out her phone and turned away. “While I call Eve and see what’s happening with her. She should be about halfway to those lakes by now.” She looked back at Jock. “It sounded as if it might work. What do you think?”

  “It depends if I’m right about Svardak’s wanting to punish Edding himself. If he does, then we have a good chance. If he doesn’t, then it will be more difficult.” He shrugged. “But by all means call Eve and let her know that there’s another option in the works besides Michael. I could tell she was barely able to hold it together when she and Michael got in that car.”

  “She’ll hold it together.” She was dialing as she walked away from him. “I’m not the only one who has Joe to lose…”

  * * *

  “Okay, Mom?” Michael was staring gravely at Eve as she pressed the disconnect after talking to Cara. “It didn’t sound as if anything bad was happening.”

  “No, kind of a holding pattern I think. Jock thinks that they might be able to track Svardak through one of his men.”

  “That would be good.” He leaned his head back on his headrest, his eyes on the distant mountains. “And Jock would be careful so that Svardak wouldn’t know he might lose Dad. That can’t happen.”

  She stiffened. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because he wants to kill him. He knows that it would hurt Cara. The only thing that’s keeping him from doing it is that he thinks he can still get Cara by keeping him alive.”

  She drew a harsh breath. “You found all that out just by being in the same room with him?”