“That’s why I’m doubting you. You seldom do the predictable.” His voice was cold. “Do it this time. I want her safe.”
Cara took a step forward, and said fiercely, “Then take me with you and see to it yourself.”
“One final attempt?” Jock shook his head. “I thought that might be why you came.”
“And that only proves what an idiot you are.” Her eyes were glittering as she gazed up at him. “This is why I came.” She launched herself into his arms. She held him with all her strength for an instant. “Did you think I’d let you go face that son of a bitch without seeing you one last time? Then I’d be the idiot, and he’d win.” She whirled away from him. “Now get out of here with your C-4, fancy weapons, and all those other fabulous options.”
She stalked away from him.
She didn’t look back even when she heard the helicopter taking off.
“Do you suppose you could stop?” Kaskov asked mildly. He had caught up with her and was falling into step. “My men might believe that you’re trying to escape, and I was chasing you. Not a good scenario for you.” His gaze lifted to the sky. “And Gavin is out of sight and can’t rescue you. Though I’m sure that he’d try after that touching farewell.”
“Shut up.” She was searching for her handkerchief and finally found it. “What else did he say to you?”
“Nothing. You upset him enough so that all he wanted to do was to get out of here and kill something. Preferably Svardak. It was excellent motivation.” He watched her dab at her eyes. “It’s too bad it wasn’t calculated. I could not have done it better. Without all the passion and emotion, of course. That’s definitely not my style.”
“I wouldn’t think so,” she said dryly. “I’m not ashamed of anything that happened, but I’d prefer not to talk about it, if you don’t mind.”
“As you wish. It just surprised me. You constantly surprise me, Cara.”
The helicopter was almost out of sight, and her glance shifted to his face. “What happens next?”
“We wait until Gavin has been dropped off and Nikolai is on his way back to us. I admit to being uneasy unless Gavin is sufficiently far enough out of the picture to raise my comfort level.”
She wasn’t sure that she believed him. She’d never seen Kaskov uneasy. “And then?”
“Then I let you phone Svardak and have a conversation that should prove interesting.”
“You decided you’re going to help me?”
“It depends on what you term help. I’ve decided that I’m going to let you assist me in eliminating a problem.” He paused. “Unless you’ve changed your mind?”
Svardak. Forty minutes, and everything would start. Jock would be on his way to help Eve and search for his damn option to save Joe. How could Cara risk less? “I haven’t changed my mind. I’ll make the call.”
LAKE KEDROW 8:32 P.M.
Three men on guard at the front of the station, Eve noticed.
And she had noticed two other guards dressed in ranger uniforms who had been going in and out of the interior of the station for the last hour. Abrams and Lacher?
That had to be where they were keeping Joe.
But she couldn’t see him. Maybe if she could get just a little closer to that window at the side of the house …
Eve wriggled on her stomach through the damp grass so that she was closer to the tree line of the woods.
Careful.
No sound.
Don’t startle any of them, or they’ll hurt Joe.
If he was still alive.
Of course he was still alive. Don’t even think anything else.
She stopped as she reached the tree line. Too much open area before she could reach that window, she realized desperately. She’d just have to rely on what Michael had described to her, along with what she’d found on the Internet about the general structure of the ranger stations. But who knew if this one was the same as the others? None of the others she’d seen on the net had a damn tree house as a third floor. Maybe go around the back and see if—
A hand clamped down hard over her mouth!
She instinctively bit down hard.
“Get your teeth out of me,” Jock gritted. “And start backing back toward the lake. You’re too close. If those guards were any good, they would have heard you moving through the brush.” He wasn’t waiting but was already on his way toward the lake without a whisper of sound.
She was following him as silently as she could. He was dressed in black and was wraithlike in the darkness. She almost lost him in the brush before he stopped beside the lake. She sat up on her knees and whispered, “You scared me to death. You’re lucky you still have fingers. You were supposed to call when you got close.”
“I wanted to do a little scouting on my own. Then I saw you moving through that brush and decided that I didn’t want to startle you. You were making enough noise.” He looked down at his hand. “And I’m not certain all those digits are still in place.” His gaze was darting around the bank and the woods. “No guards here. We can talk if you keep it low.”
“I wasn’t planning on shouting,” she said sarcastically. “And not everyone moves like a phantom, Jock.” She drew a deep breath. Jock was in attack mode, and politeness was never at the forefront. But she was no longer alone, and no one would know better than Jock how to find a way to save Joe. “I thought I was doing pretty well, but I’m still glad you’re here. Who’s with you?”
“No one. But I can have a team here within twenty minutes after we decide it’s safe for Joe.” He paused. “You told me to be careful. Is he still okay? Have you seen him?”
“Not yet.” She realized she was shivering. “I was trying to get close enough to that first-aid room to make certain. Michael said he was very sick.”
“Michael’s just a kid. I don’t think we’ll go along with his diagnosis on this.” His smile was suddenly gentle. “Suppose I go take a look for myself.”
“And how are you going to do that? I couldn’t see how I was going to get near that porch without being spotted.”
“I’ll find a way.” He was gazing thoughtfully at the station looming through the trees. “I was planning on planting audio and maybe a few other items in the house anyway. I’ll just add it to the list.”
Add seeing if Joe was still alive to his list? “Svardak has to be in there and probably Abrams and Lacher. I saw two men in uniform going in earlier. There might be more, Jock.”
He nodded. “Plus two men standing guard in front. Three sentries are stationed in these woods near the south and west banks of the lake. And I saw one guard on the ridge leading to the main road when I was looking around. That should be all.”
“That’s enough,” she said. “And you didn’t tell me how we could manage to do it.”
“We? I’ll barely be able to get myself in there, much less you.” He was turning and moving back through the woods. “Stay here. I’ll come back for you.”
“But I told you, there’s no way you could get in through that porch.”
“I’m not going through the porch. I’m going down through that tree house…”
He had disappeared.
Through the tree house? Eve gazed at the ranger station. The top of that house was composed of branches, and who knew how it was accessed from the lower rooms of the house. There would definitely be a noise factor to overcome. But no one would expect anyone to enter that way either. And when Jock entered the main house, he would only have to negotiate the corridors, avoid running into Svardak or his men, then set up his “items” where he chose.
And check to see if her Joe was still alive.
Only?
She could feel the muscles in her stomach tense as she strained to hear any sound issuing from the station.
God, she was afraid. If Jock was caught or killed, it could not only mean his death but Joe’s. Who knew what Svardak’s reaction would be to any intrusion?
Stop it. Joe had told her once that no one was more capabl
e than Jock at this kind of deadly game. Eve had to believe he could do this.
Do as Jock had told her.
Wait for him.
Pray for him.
And pray that Joe was still alive.
She sat back on her heels. Her gaze on the tree house.
Waiting.
* * *
“Everything’s okay, Eve.”
Eve’s gaze flew to the lake to see Jock emerging from the tall grass in back of her. “Where have you been? It must have been at least an hour, dammit.”
“Fifty-four minutes. And you know where I’d been. It took a little longer than I estimated because I had to avoid Abrams and Lacher and set up a deterrent to get them out of the house while I was working.”
She stiffened. “What deterrent?”
“Nothing suspicious. I was prepared. I caught a squirrel while I was in the tree house and let it loose in the kitchen where they were having their supper.”
“A squirrel?” It was too bizarre, and she didn’t care about Abrams or Lacher. “Joe?”
“I already told you that everything was okay, Eve,” he said gently. “I knew you’d want to know that first.”
“You didn’t say Joe was okay. All you could talk about was Abrams and squirrels and—” She broke off, and said, “Joe’s still alive? You actually saw him?”
“I saw him. I couldn’t risk actually going into the first-aid room, but I had a few minutes to study him from a distance.” He hesitated before adding soberly, “And I hate to admit it, but Michael might be right. Joe’s pretty sick. He’s unconscious, and he won’t be able to help us if we try to get him out of there.”
Joe was alive. It was all that sank in for that first minute.
“If he’s alive, that’s all that matters. And Joe is always stronger than anyone thinks. We’ll get him out.”
Jock nodded. “No question. But it will make it more difficult.” He was reaching into his pocket and pulling out two small devices. “And we have to know what’s happening over there because of Joe. That’s why I had to set up audio. It’s extremely sensitive and will pick up any hint of sound in any of those rooms including phone transmissions. It would have been much easier just to blow the place.”
“And no doubt explosives were on the list of items you left in that ranger station?” She tried to smile. “I’m certain Joe would appreciate your using the listening devices instead of the C-4.”
“Until we get him out.” He was tucking the electronic earpiece in his ear as he handed one to Eve. “Monitor Svardak as much as you can, particularly when he’s near Joe. I don’t want to make any precipitous moves, but Joe can’t take much more punishment. It’s not only the fever.”
“I know. Svardak turned Abrams loose on them.”
“Them?”
“Never mind.” Eve was tucking the device into her ear. “I guarantee I’ll know everything the bastard is doing. I take it you’re going to be too busy to do any monitoring. Tell me you’re not heading for that tree house again.”
He shook his head. “I have to start getting rid of a few of Svardak’s guards. I can’t touch anyone near Joe yet, but I can eliminate the guard on the hill leading to the road. After that, I’ll see if it’s safe for Joe for me to go after the guards by the porch. Let me know if there’s something important I should hear.”
“Other than the fact that we aren’t going to be able to get to Joe unless we go through Svardak and his two stooges?” she asked bitterly. “You said he was in bad shape. We’re going to need help, but that might get him killed, too.”
“He’s not going to die. Give me a chance. I’ll work it out.” Jock gave her the faintest smile. “I don’t dare do anything else. I promised Cara.”
“I admit that’s formidable.” She nodded jerkily. “Sorry, I lost it for a minute.”
“I didn’t notice.”
“Liar.” She looked back at the house. We’re so close, Joe. Can you feel me here? Just hold on. “Just get out of here and do something to make a difference.”
“Whatever you say…”
She didn’t take her eyes away from the house, but she knew he was no longer beside her.
CHAPTER
16
“He looks like death warmed over.” Svardak gazed down at Joe Quinn with immense satisfaction. “At first I thought you might have gone too far, Abrams. I was afraid he might die on us. He might still die, but he’ll linger long enough for me to tear our Cara to pieces.”
“If he dies, it will be the fever.” Abrams shrugged. “I’ve worked for you long enough to know you don’t tolerate mistakes.” He glanced at the clock. “And isn’t it almost time for you to show her my handiwork? Is that why you’re in here gloating?”
“I’m not gloating. That will come later. I’m just examining your work. Though I admit that I’m having trouble waiting for her. It’s like a hunger—” He took out his phone. “But you’re right, it’s almost time and it won’t matter if I start the clock a little early.” He started to press the buttons. “Let’s see what she says about your work. I’m eager to—”
His phone rang, and he smiled as he read the ID. “Ah, it seems our Cara is also eager to see if I’ve damaged Quinn.” He accessed the call and pressed FaceTime. “Hello, Cara. Have you missed me that much? You still have fifteen minutes before you have to bow down to—”
“Shut up. I need to know if Joe is still alive.”
“You sound quite desperate,” he said softly. “And there are circles under your eyes. Have you been tearing about the countryside trying to find me? What a pity. Because you didn’t have Quinn or that Gavin who appeared so conveniently on the scene to help you. Stressful.”
“Is Joe still alive?”
“Perhaps. But you had no right to expect it. I’m in control now, Cara.”
“Is he alive?”
“See for yourself.” He turned the phone toward Joe Quinn. “I’d say the answer is ‘barely.’ What do you think?”
“My God.” Cara inhaled sharply. She closed her eyes for an instant. “Damn you.” Her eyes were glittering with tears when she opened them. “What did you do to him?”
“I just amused myself while I was waiting for you to come back to me. Are you ready now?”
“After … you let him go,” she said hoarsely. “You know my terms. Look what you’ve done to Joe already. Do you actually think I’d be stupid enough to believe that if I showed up on your doorstep, you’d release him? It would be an automatic death sentence for him.” She swallowed. “And you’d win, Svardak. I swore I’d never let you win. You might be able to get your hands on me, but only if you give up Joe.”
“You stupid bitch.” Svardak could feel the rage sear through him. He knew how stubborn she could be, but he’d hoped against hope that she’d cave when she’d seen what he’d done to Quinn. He wanted this to be over. He wanted her to be back where he’d had her at the canyon. He needed to punish her, hurt her. He needed to see it. “Do you think that I won’t tear him apart? I have won. You just don’t know it yet. I’ll show you that—”
“Stop ranting, Svardak. You’re boring me. I’ve lost patience with both of you.” Kaskov was roughly pushing Cara aside and taking her phone. “I’ve had enough of this. I’ve wasted entirely too much time on you.”
“Kaskov?” Svardak stared at him, stunned. But he quickly recovered. “Cara ran to you when she was trying to save Quinn? Well, you couldn’t find me either, could you? All these years, and you’ve never been able to hunt me down. You should have gotten used to it.”
“Do you think you’re that important to me? I barely know you’re in my world,” Kaskov said. “But lately, you’ve been getting in my way, and it has to end.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It doesn’t have to be.” Kaskov was silent. “We can negotiate.”
“Kaskov, what are you saying?” Cara asked incredulously.
“Be quiet, Cara. You no longer have any say in this. You’re just in th
e way. Svardak’s cost me time and manpower and money. I’ve been on the hunt for him for years; and then he pops up again when he started to kill those women. How long am I supposed to put up with it? Yes, I could continue indefinitely, but there comes a time to make the deal.” He smiled. “You know a lot about me, don’t you, Svardak? You know I’m primarily a businessman. That’s why I’m successful. I leave passion and revenge to the fools who embrace it. Fortunately for you, you’ve caught me at a time when I need to concentrate on my new deal with Beijing.”
“What does China have to do with anything?”
“They believe as I do that business has to be paramount. I’ve been getting rumblings from them that they think me weak for spending so much time on a family matter instead of devoting myself to completing our transaction.” His smile vanished. “I cannot tolerate any rumors to that effect. The tigers are gathering. It would cause me problems on all fronts. I have to show them that I’m neither weak nor dominated by anything but the empire I’ve built for myself during these last decades.”
“Which will vanish when I kill you. What are you saying?”
“If you’ll listen instead of threaten, I’ll tell you. You’re not that important. I almost had you at Lost Canyon, but after that I decided to cut my losses. You were obviously going to be a constant headache to me.”
“Until the day you die.”
“Or not.” He was silent. “I’m very fond of living. But I might give you something that might satisfy you.”
“Money?”
“No, money wouldn’t sway you.” He smiled crookedly. “But what if I give you Cara? After all, she’s my blood.”
Svardak stiffened in shock. “What?”
“Why are you surprised? It would be payment for Anna, a way to settle this feud. Feuds are expensive.”
“Kaskov!” Cara’s voice was shaking. “Why are you doing this? You said that if I came to you, you’d help me.”
“No, I said I’d let you help me. There’s a difference. Unfortunately, you’re expendable, Cara.” He turned back to Svardak. “Now what about it? It’s clear you have an obsession with her. Neither of us would have a total victory, but there are advantages. If I gave you Cara, you could still keep Quinn to play with until you choose to kill him in front of her. That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?”
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