The Bullet

by Iris Johansen

  “No one’s asking you to,” Cara said. “If we know where to find him, the battle’s half-won. Get as far away from that lake as you can manage. I don’t like the idea of your standing on the bank staring at that damn station. What if one of Svardak’s men sees you? We’ll take it from here.”

  “No, you won’t. I have to know what’s going on. I’m staying here until Joe can leave with me.”

  “Eve, that’s not safe or—”

  “Do you think I’m fool enough to do something crazy? I’m not going to do anything that will endanger Michael. He’s already risked too much. That’s why I’m calling you. I’m taking him back to Hunter’s Lake and calling Cheknof, Kaskov’s man who’s been shadowing us like the Grim Reaper, to meet me there. I’m going to turn Michael over to him and tell him to take care of him until I come for him.”

  “That didn’t work out so well for you before.”

  “It will now. Cheknof is terrified of doing anything wrong that might displease Kaskov. Will you call Kaskov and have him reinforce it with Cheknof?”

  “I won’t have to call him. He’s here with us at Ruell Falls. I’ll go see him.”

  “Even better. I’ll be through with my call to Cheknof in ten minutes. Ask Kaskov to follow up before I get to Hunter’s Lake. That should give Cheknof time to be able to work himself into a very amenable frame of mind.”

  “And then what?”

  “You mean after I try to convince Michael this is the best thing to do? He’s never going to believe it. I gave him a great speech about working together that he totally ignored. Now it’s my turn. Too bad. Time’s running out.” She paused. “I saw a boat-rental shop near Hunter’s Lake. After I drop Michael off with Cheknof, I’ll rent a boat and come back here. I’ll look the place over and try to keep watch on Joe until you show up. I’ll be okay. It’s not as if I haven’t lived in the woods all those years at the lake cottage. I’ll try to give you as much information as I can about Svardak’s sentries around the place.” She paused. “Are you listening, Jock? Don’t make any mistakes. Svardak can’t know you’re coming. Not one false step. I need Joe out of there.”

  “I hear you,” Jock said grimly. “I’m going to be on the move for Lake Kedrow the minute we hang up. Keep in touch, so I’ll know where to find you. Don’t you make any mistakes, Eve. Somehow, it’s going to end up that I’m to blame if Cara loses either one of you.”

  “Good. I want to levy all the pressure possible on you right now.” Eve hung up the phone.

  Cara whirled to Jock in a panic. “It’s too dangerous for her. She’s an artist, not a cop. She has no business being out there alone. Svardak would love to get his hands on her.”

  “Not nearly as much as he’d like to get his hands on you,” he said grimly. “I’ll be with her as quickly as I can. If you think you can talk her into leaving, call her back. I knew I couldn’t do it.” The phone pinged, and Jock took it and pulled up the photos. “Good job,” he murmured. “I think she might be right. It all makes sense. It’s a perfect place for him to hideout. It’s in the back of the beyond with the Red Cross First Aid Office where he could have his wound stitched. The rangers who failed to check in…”

  “As long as you’re ready to trust Michael as a source. Are you?”

  “I have to trust him. I can’t do anything else when Eve is so convinced. She’d never risk Joe’s life if she wasn’t certain.” He was getting to his feet. “But everything is escalating now. I need to talk to Nikolai and Edding, then get moving to that ranger station.”

  “But we don’t have to use Edding now that we have a definite location.”

  “Yes, we will. Svardak has to be as vulnerable as I can make him. I have to draw as many men as possible away from that ranger station if I don’t want Joe executed the minute Svardak feels threatened.”

  She couldn’t argue with him. She hadn’t the slightest doubt that would happen, nor did Eve. And the moment he thought he wasn’t going to get his hands on her, it would have the same result. There had been that instant of hope when Eve had called, but now reality was setting in again. “Okay, I can see that it would be dangerous for him. How can we get around it?”

  “Keep the play basically as we planned. Except I go to the ranger station and leave Nikolai to handle using Edding as a target and distraction, but instead of forcing Abrams to take him to Svardak, Nikolai can stall to give me time. Then he can dispose of Abrams after I tell him I’ve taken care of Svardak at the ranger station. It will be much simpler now.” His light eyes were shimmering, his face intent, and she could almost hear his mind clicking. “I’ll have to coordinate the kill to get Joe out first, but that should be no problem.”

  “Easy.” She shivered. Given his background, it indeed might seem easy for Jock, but the thought of his facing Svardak was terrifying for Cara. And she had been aware he had left out one important detail. “Now tell me what I can do.”

  “Not one damn thing.” He met her eyes. “You don’t go near him, do you understand? The quickest way to get me killed is to have me worrying about you while I go after Svardak. I promise Joe will be safe.” His lips twisted. “And I promise Svardak will be dead. Just let me do it the way it needs to be done.”

  And then she’d have to worry about his doing the job that she knew belonged to her. She’d been fighting to keep that from happening since the moment she’d first faced Svardak at Lost Canyon. That monster had taken Joe; she couldn’t lose Jock, too. “It shouldn’t be that way, Jock. I’m going with you.”

  “It’s the only way it can be,” he said curtly. “Eve’s already there, and I know I can’t budge her. But I won’t risk you. There’s no reason. It’s what I do. It’s what I am.” But he was gazing at her expression, and he muttered a curse. “No, Cara. My stomach is twisting at the thought of you even close to him. If you need to do something, be our contact with Eve. You said you were worried about her. Keep her safe until I can get to her.”

  As long as she could do it far away from Svardak, she thought with frustration. Did he think that would be enough for her? As she stared at him, she realized that there was no way she was going to be able to change his mind. His obsession with protecting her from Svardak was too strong after all they’d gone through. “You’re an idiot, Jock. And you’re doing the wrong thing.” She turned on her heel and walked away from him.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I promised Eve I’d talk to Kaskov about speaking to this Cheknof. I’m going to keep my promise.” She gave him a cool glance over her shoulder. “If that’s all right with you. I wouldn’t want to interfere with any of your plans. I think you said that I’m allowed to deal with Eve?”

  “Cara.”

  “Not now, Jock.” She strode toward the helicopter. “You’re in a hurry, remember? Go talk to Nikolai.” She was climbing the steps. “I guarantee he’ll be much more receptive than I am.”

  She disappeared into the helicopter.

  * * *

  “Hello, Cara. You appear a trifle disturbed.” Kaskov came out of the cockpit drinking his tea from a beautifully crafted Meissen cup. “Since I can’t recall doing anything that might bring you to that condition, I assume that Gavin is to blame. Would you like a cup of tea?”

  “No I would not.” She handed Kaskov her phone. “Eve managed to locate the place where Joe is being held. It’s a ranger station near Lake Kedrow. He’s wounded and ill, and she’s very worried about him.”

  “I’m sure she has a right to be. Eve’s a very sensible woman.” He quickly flipped through the photos. “And why is that my concern? Gavin made it clear that he’s in charge of any and all rescue attempts. I’m only allowed to contribute manpower and weapons.” He handed her back her phone. “Which I’ve done so generously that Nikolai says Gavin will quite probably be able to pull off the capture of Abrams and company. And it seems that it might be relatively easy now to pick up Svardak since we know where he’s gone to ground. Case closed.”

  “The hell it
is.”

  Kaskov’s brows rose. “There’s that disturbance again. Would you care to explain? Just what do you want from me?”

  Cara wanted to shake him. There was something mockingly tigerish about the way he was playing her. “I don’t have to explain. I told you before what I wanted from you. I want to keep the people I care about away from Svardak. I should have been able to kill him in that cabin, but I screwed up. This is my battle, and I won’t let him win by killing anyone else I love.”

  “Gavin is quite competent.”

  “Don’t tell me that.” Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “I know what he can do. I have nightmares about it. I also know that he promised me that Joe would live because he knew it was important to me. Which means he’ll risk anything to give me what I want. It will be twice as dangerous for him to go up against Svardak than it would anyone else.”

  “I can see that.” He paused. “Unless perhaps it’s you. And that’s what you have in mind, isn’t it? You’ve had this idea about using yourself as bait all along. No wonder Gavin has been keeping an eagle eye on you.” He smiled faintly. “More than an eagle eye. Does he know that you might try to slip away from him?”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me. Jock knows me very well.” She met his eyes. “And that’s why you’ll have to be very convincing when you lie to him. He won’t trust either one of us.”

  “I’m to lie to him? Interesting.”

  “I might need a very fast way to get to Lake Kedrow. You have this helicopter. And Jock isn’t going to let me go anywhere near that ranger station. That’s okay, but I have to be able to find a way to divert Svardak while Jock and Eve are getting Joe out of there.”

  “How? What form is this diversion to take?”

  “I haven’t had time to think about it yet. For heaven’s sake, Eve just called me. But since you’re very intelligent and without conscience, we should be able to come up with something between us.”

  “I’m sure we would.”

  “It’s not as if Svardak is invulnerable. Besides being insane, he’s reminded how much he hates me every time he takes a deep breath and that wound stabs him. That will be on our side. Actually, now he hates me more than he does you. Though you’d still be very tempting to him. Can’t you see? You’re nearly perfect.”

  “I’m flattered.” He added ironically, “And you wouldn’t be troubled about having to consider your own feelings if Svardak managed to kill me?”

  “You’re wrong. I’d feel terrible. I hope neither one of us will be killed. But you’re responsible for all this. You should try to make it right.”

  “Really?”

  “And you want to do it. You’ve been hunting Svardak for years. You want to put an end to him. Why else did you point Jock toward Lost Canyon?”

  “Why else?” He cocked his head, considering her words. “It’s true that you’re being completely logical. Heaven forbid I’d be influenced by all that same emotional nonsense you are. Of course, there is the matter of your music. Do you suppose that keeping you alive might have anything to do with it?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. I’ve never known what you’re thinking. You don’t like me or anyone else to know, do you?” She made an impatient gesture. “That’s not important. Are you going to help me? If you’re not, I’ll have to figure out something else.”

  He was silent. “I find I do want to do it.” He took another sip of his tea. “Svardak is unfinished business that needs a period. But I’ll have to consider the ramifications and get back to you.”

  “I can’t give you much time.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t like being pressured, Cara. I’ll take as long as I wish.”

  “And Jock will ask you to keep an eye on me before he leaves to go to that ranger station.”

  “How humiliating for you. I’m sure you’ll make him suffer. Don’t worry, if I decide to do this, being an expert liar goes along with being intelligent and without conscience.” He nodded at the door. “Run along, Cara. I have things to do. I’ll get back to you later.” The mockery was suddenly gone, and his demeanor was clipped and radiating pure power. “Is there anything else?”

  For an instant she was caught off guard by that sudden coolness. Then she turned to the door. “Yes. You can call Cheknof and tell him that you’ll draw and quarter him if he doesn’t take good care of Michael. Eve is being forced to use him as a makeshift babysitter while she’s keeping an eye on the ranger station.”

  “No problem,” Kaskov said as he reached for his phone. “Cheknof has already made his one mistake, and he knows it. The boy will be safe.”

  HUNTER’S LAKE

  “He will be safe,” Cheknof said belligerently to Eve as he watched Eve and Michael walk toward his car. “You did not have to call Kaskov again. The other was not my fault either.” He glared at Michael. “He made me look like a fool.”

  “I’m sorry,” Michael said gravely. “You’re not a fool. You’re very smart. I wouldn’t have even tried to slip away if I hadn’t had to get to my dad.”

  “You should not have done it.”

  Michael nodded. “I can see that now. I won’t do it again. I’d never want to get you in trouble.”

  “It wouldn’t do you any good to try.” But a little of Cheknof’s belligerence had faded. “Get in the car.”

  “Right after I say good-bye to my mom.” He turned and went into Eve’s arms. “You shouldn’t be doing this,” he whispered. “I should go with you. Let me go.”

  “Not this time.” She swallowed to ease the tightness of her throat. “You’ve done your part. I have to know you’re safe. Hey, you’ve been so good about accepting this. Don’t spoil it.”

  “I would if I could,” he said. “But I know you won’t change your mind.” He looked up at her, his eyes misting. “Don’t you get hurt. Dad will blame me for not taking care of you.”

  “I promise I won’t.” She gave him another hug. “Now go back to Cheknof and don’t give him a bad time. Okay?”

  “Okay. You’re right, Cheknof only wants to do what’s best for me.”

  “Well, he’s not that good-hearted. There might also be some self-interest involved.”

  He smiled back at her over his shoulder. “Then maybe we can convince him that to be good-hearted would be to his self-interest. What do you think, Mom?”

  “Just do what he says. Take care, Michael.”

  He nodded as he got into the backseat. “You’ll call and let me know when you get Dad away from him?”

  “You know I will.” She turned and headed for her car. “The minute it happens.” A few minutes later, she was heading down the hill toward the road that led to Lake Kedrow.

  Michael watched her go.

  He should be with her.

  He should take care of her like Dad had told him to do.

  Darkness had fallen, and he didn’t like the idea of her being out there alone. Jock was supposed to be coming, but how long would that be? Not knowing all those things was worrying him.

  He had to do something about it.

  “You want a soda?” Cheknof asked. “I’ve got Coke in the cooler.”

  Michael shook his head.

  “Your mom’s going to be okay. I can tell she can take care of herself.” He scowled. “She nearly got me killed when she thought I’d hurt you.”

  Michael turned to look at him.

  Cheknof was not a good man, but he was not totally evil. And he had tried to comfort Michael. That meant Michael would probably be able to reach him if he made the effort.

  And he would make the effort.

  “Yeah, I just worry about her. I bet you worried about your mom, too.” Michael smiled at him. “Could I please have that Coke now?”

  RUELL FALLS

  “I wasn’t sure you’d even come to say good-bye.” Jock threw his backpack into the helicopter and turned to face Cara. “You were very explicit regarding my stupidity.”

  “Not stupidity. Your idiocy. There’s a differenc
e. And you’re still wrong. I deserve to go with you. Joe and Eve belong to me.” She glanced at his backpack on the floor of the copter. “What have you got in there?”

  “C-4, rope, audio equipment, my Remington rifle, various other weapons that might prove useful.” He paused. “Bandages and medical supplies in case I need them for Joe.”

  She flinched. “And possibly for yourself?”

  He smiled faintly. “Not for me, Cara.”

  “How do you know?” she said jerkily. “Oh, yes, that’s right, you’re impregnable. How is this going to work?”

  “Nikolai flies me to within an hour’s hike of this ranger station and drops me off. He returns here to Ruell Falls. I make contact with Eve and look over my options.” He shrugged. “And then I choose one. I’ll call Kaskov and tell him if I need Nikolai and additional men to implement it.”

  “Why not take help now?”

  “Because you want Joe alive,” he said quietly. “Every man I take is an unknown quantity during an attack. I can’t control the outcome.”

  “Like me?” she smiled bitterly. “I’m left by the wayside because I’m another unknown quantity?”

  “No, I’m leaving you here because you’re not unknown. I can predict what you’ll do, and it terrifies me.” He looked over her shoulder at Kaskov, who was strolling toward them. “I’m ready to go. You should have your copter and Nikolai back within forty minutes. I’ll be in touch.”

  “If he’s not too busy,” Cara said. “There’s always that possibility.”

  “I won’t be too busy.” He stared into Kaskov’s eyes. “I’ve told you what I expect of you. Don’t disappoint me.”

  “Why would you doubt me?” Kaskov asked. “When I told you that I only came because I didn’t trust you to take proper care of an asset I value? Now you’re doing exactly what I wish, plus working to give me Svardak’s head on a platter. For once our aims coincide beautifully.”