Your Next Breath

by Iris Johansen

  “Very good. As usual, you’re very efficient, and it seems a prudent addition.”

  “I’m glad you’re both in agreement,” Catherine said sarcastically. “May I say that I’m still terrified that one bomb could take care of all of Santos’s targets?”

  “But no bombs will be permitted to be tossed thanks to Cameron’s detectors,” Hu Chan said. “Hence the magnificent security.”

  Erin smiled. “Hu Chan is right, Catherine. Give it up. I’m here for the duration.”

  She gazed at her helplessly. “It appears you are.”

  “Then how can I help?”

  “Stay inside. Don’t let anyone see you.” She paused. “Santos said that I’d think that I had everyone safe, then someone would do something careless, and he’d have them. You want to help? You can keep Luke and Kelly from being careless. They’re both supersmart kids, but they have the arrogance of the young. Sam can keep them busy with educational projects, but that can only last so long. You’re a prizewinning journalist, you have stories to tell. Don’t let Luke and Kelly become bored and get careless.”

  “I can do that.” Her eyes were narrowed on Catherine’s face. “But it sounds like you’re not going to be around to help with that.”

  “Not if I can find a lead to Santos. I can’t just wait for him to start killing again.” She shook her head. “And you’re not qualified to go after him with me. You’re not warrior stock, Erin. We all have our own talents. You’re brave, you have endurance galore, but you’d get in my way.”

  “I know that. Everyone has their own strengths.” She glanced at Cameron. “But you won’t get in her way, Cameron. Keep her safe.” She turned and started back up the stairs. “And now I’ll go back upstairs and start doing my own job. Take care, Catherine.”

  “I will.” She watched Erin disappear at the top of the stairs before she turned to Hu Chang. “It would have helped if you could have persuaded her to—” She stopped. “I know. Why blame you when I just failed?”

  “It’s a natural reaction. You’re tired and afraid and sick at heart.” He stood aside and gestured toward the library. “Come and rest, and I will make you tea and sandwiches.”

  “I’ll do that.” Sam turned to Cameron. “You’re staying?”

  “No, I have to follow up on some information I just received this morning.” His lips twisted. “We all appear to have our duties, don’t we? Mine is to find that lead for Catherine.”

  “That doctor in Guatemala?” Catherine asked.

  “Actually, he’s an Argentinean citizen. It’s the only lead we have. So I’ll gather leads and prepare myself for battle.” He moved toward the front door. “Since I’ve already failed in the comfort department. You found me completely unworthy, and Hu Chang will be much better received by you.” He opened the door. “I’ll let you know when I’ve found out something.”

  “Interesting.” Hu Chang smiled as the door closed behind Cameron. “I can’t decide if that was mockery or annoyance. Would you care to enlighten me?”

  “How would I know? He’s an enigma.”

  “Growing up as he did with having to cope with all those mental talents, it’s natural that he would have developed certain barriers.” He tilted his head. “Aren’t you tempted to try to breach them?”

  “No.” She headed for the library. “I have enough problems without attempting to decipher all the complicated triggers that make Cameron respond.”

  “Oh, I believe that he responds to you in a very straightforward manner,” he murmured. “Which is the reason that he was angry with you for shutting him out when Santos first struck.”

  “I don’t want to talk about Cameron,” she said as she dropped down in the huge burgundy easy chair by the window. “He takes entirely too much time and effort.”

  “And I promised you food, tea, and rest.” He sat down across from her. “Because your pain is great. Would you like to tell me about Jane MacGuire?”

  “I have to call Eve later and check on what the specialist told her. She wasn’t hopeful.” She paused, thinking. “And what can I tell you about Jane? I didn’t know her as well as I’d like to. I’ve heard Eve talk about her, and I think she must be extraordinary. I only reached out to her because I knew that she was devastated about Trevor’s death. I wouldn’t have dreamed Santos would target her. I can see Erin or Luke or even Kelly. But Jane should have been safe from him.” Her lips tightened. “It was those damn e-mails.”

  “And the warm heart that made you send them.”

  “A mistake.” She shook her head. “I can’t keep blaming myself. The mistake’s been made, now I have to do damage control.”

  “No, now you have to relax and heal.” He met her eyes. “We will sit here in silence for a while. Then we will talk of Chen Lu and her beautiful gardens, and that glorious, ridiculous hat that Luke made you wear, and Erin’s good work with the villagers on that mountain in Tibet. Nothing hurtful, nothing disturbing. Understood?”

  His eyes were almost hypnotic and his voice smooth and yet forceful. She felt surrounded, enveloped by the sheer presence of him. Warmth that was always his gift to her. Friendship that had been founded on shared experiences and years of exploring the depths of that bond. She could feel the tight knot inside her breast begin to loosen.

  She leaned her head back on the chair and smiled. “It doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Where do we start?”

  CHAPTER

  7

  It was going well, Santos thought with satisfaction as he leaned back in the deck chair and let the warm sun seep into his skin. Catherine Ling had tried to be defiant and scornful, but he had been able to tell that she was in pain. He had been right to let Jane MacGuire linger for a while. It had served to draw out the agony for Ling.

  “You look pleased,” Dorgal said as he dropped down in a chair beside Santos. “You enjoyed the girl last night?”

  “She was adequate.” Not like Delores. But no one was like Delores. But he’d had a bittersweet enjoyment of screwing the girl and remembering how amused Delores had been when he brought another woman to his bed. She would sit and watch them, then stroll over to the bed and caress the woman with gentle, loving hands. Then she would give her a lingering kiss while drawing her dagger from the pocket of her silk robe.

  He remembered the anticipation he always felt as Delores glanced at him.

  She would purse her lips in a mock kiss and blow it to him.

  And stab the woman in the heart.

  Dorgal shrugged. “I thought you might enjoy her more than the last one. Do you want me to dispose of her, or are you going to try her again?”

  “I’ll try her again.” He glanced at Dorgal. “But you didn’t come down to the beach from the house to ask me about that little slut. What’s wrong?”

  “Maybe nothing.” He paused. “You told me to tell you if there were any inquiries about Montez. I received word that there was a computer inquiry yesterday and one very recently.”

  He went still. “From what source?”

  “We couldn’t break the code. We’re still trying.”

  “Ling.”

  “Possibly.”

  Santos muttered a curse. “Probably. Nagoles must have talked.”

  “He didn’t know that much. We gave him only the name of the kill and where he could find him.”

  “But Ling would be able to take that information and run with it. She’d dig and dig until she found out something she could use.”

  “Then the logical solution would be to make sure the place where she dug would be barren. It shouldn’t be difficult. After we killed his brother, Montez got the message. He swore we’d have no trouble with him if we left his family alone.” He smiled. “He was scared shitless and took off running for the hills. Should I order he be taken out?”

  “No,” Santos said sharply. “I’ve told you before. I may need him. Can you locate him?”

  “He has a mother and a sister in Guatemala City. I’ll find him. What then?”
r />   “Make sure no one else finds him.”

  “Then I’d better start moving on it.” Dorgal got to his feet. “And Montez?”

  “Bring him here. I’ve been uneasy lately about leaving him free out there on his own. I don’t want to have to go looking for him when she needs him. And I don’t want to risk having Ling find him and ask awkward questions. I don’t like her knowing as much as she does.” His lips tightened. “I wasn’t expecting her to be able to reel in Nagoles and question him. Any more information about who took down the helicopter? CIA?”

  Dorgal shook his head. “Not according to the priests in the villages. From what we’ve been able to gather, it was someone they call the Guardian.” He shrugged. “But that could be religious mumbo jumbo.”

  “Mumbo jumbo doesn’t blow up helicopters. Get me a name.” He added, “And a connection with Ling or Erin Sullivan.”

  “Right.” He moved down the beach toward the path that led to the mansion on the hill. “But first things first. You can’t expect me to zero in on Montez while I—”

  “I expect you to do what I tell you,” Santos said softly. “Whatever I say, whatever irons you have in the fire at the time. Have you forgotten that? Perhaps this island living has lulled you into being a little too comfortable.”

  Dorgal tensed. “I haven’t forgotten.” He moistened his lips. “Of course, I’ll see to it.” He turned and strode quickly up the path.

  Santos watched him scurry up the hill. Dorgal had been with him a long time and grown too comfortable with him. Delores had always told him it was necessary to occasionally keep Dorgal in order and apply the verbal whip. She was right, and most of the time he enjoyed the sensation of power it gave him.

  But not this time. The news Dorgal had brought had destroyed the satisfaction he had been feeling after he had talked to Catherine Ling. He wanted that satisfaction back. He didn’t want to sit here by the sea. He wanted to move on that bitch.

  No. Control and patience. He would not destroy the master plan he’d created because he was impatient. It would be a disservice to Delores.

  Yet would Delores really want him to delay that final revenge?

  She had always opted for bloodletting—swift, cruel, painful.

  And was this doubt he was feeling her message to tell him that she was getting impatient, too?

  It’s so hard, my love. I need you here to help me.

  He could almost hear her scornful laughter drifting to him from her tomb on the hill. He could never expect softness or sympathy from Delores. It was part of her appeal for him that she was as sleek and dangerous as he. She was a glorious, shimmering mirror of everything he was or wanted to be.

  Nothing was as good without her. Even that little whore he’d had last night had only brought back painful memories. He had told Dorgal he wasn’t finished with her yet, but there was only one last act to perform.

  He got to his feet and moved toward the path.

  You know it won’t be as exciting as when we finished it together. I have to play both roles. But I’ll be thinking of you every minute when I do it.

  And then I’ll bring her to you, and she’ll belong to you forever.

  ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL

  ATLANTA, GEORGIA

  Eve stared dully down at the caller ID on her phone. “It’s Catherine.”

  “Do you want me to talk to her?” Joe asked gently.

  She shook her head. “No. I promised her I’d let her know. I just haven’t been able to pull myself together yet.” She punched the access. “Hello, Catherine. It’s not good news.”

  “Shit.”

  “Dr. Basle just left. He was very thorough, very kind.” She tried to steady her voice. “And told us exactly what the other doctors had already told us. A week to ten days.”

  Silence. “God, I didn’t want to hear that. Can you find another specialist?”

  “I could. Basle is supposed to be the best.”

  “That doesn’t mean he’s right.”

  “That’s what I’ve been telling myself. I’m not giving up hope. I’ll bring in a shaman or witch doctor if he tells me he can help. I’ll hit the Internet and see if I can find any new drugs or procedures that have had success in other countries. You know that the U.S. is the last to approve new drugs. But Jane has nothing to lose now.”

  “No. If I can help, let me know.” She added grimly, “I’ll get you any drug in the world, legal or not. If Hu Chang can’t create one or duplicate it, Cameron and I will steal it.”

  “First, I have to find one that has a chance of working. In the meantime, you know how you can help. Joe and I will take care of our Jane. Good-bye, Catherine.” She hung up and smiled shakily at Joe. “Catherine is all set to raid the CDC if we want her to do it.”

  “I’ve been on the computer while I was back in ICU sitting with Jane,” Joe said. “I haven’t found anything hopeful.”

  “Neither have I.” Her hand tightened on Joe’s. “But we can’t give up. There has to be a way.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I was telling Catherine the truth. I’ll do anything I have to do.” She paused, then said deliberately, “Shaman or witch doctor or anyone else.”

  He stiffened against her. “What are you saying?”

  “She’s having problems with blood flow, damage to the arterial system. Those doctors say the usual arterial graft won’t work with her.”

  “For God’s sake, I know all that.”

  “Who do we know that could possibly adjust blood flow? Who have we seen actually kill by causing the blood to hemorrhage and induce a heart attack?”

  He went still, then pushed her away from him to look down into her face. “Seth Caleb? You want to try to get Seth Caleb here to try to help her?”

  “I’d try to get the devil himself here if I thought he’d help her.”

  “Some people would say that Caleb’s uncanny ability to manipulate blood flow has a certain Satanic base.” He grimaced. “I understand he’s been accused of being a vampire on occasion.”

  “Not to his face.”

  “No, Caleb is too intimidating.”

  “Besides, that’s totally ridiculous. It might just be that he possesses some kind of simple magnetic force.”

  “You don’t think that. You were worried about Jane whenever he was around her.”

  “But she wasn’t worried. He saved your life once, Joe. And she asked him to help her find me when Doane kidnapped me. She trusted Caleb.”

  “Are you talking yourself into this? I remember watching him at Trevor’s funeral. He was almost explosive.”

  She remembered that night, too. The dark fascination that always surrounded Caleb, the overpowering tension that he had generated. “Okay, he cares about her. But that could be a good thing.”

  “Or a very bad thing.”

  “For Pete’s sake, he’s not going to steal her soul or anything like that. He’s rich, he’s intelligent, and he has a certain … wildness. He travels around the world, but no one accuses him of anything that’s particularly—” Or maybe they had. She’d better drop that argument. Caleb kept his private life very private. “He’s been in and out of Jane’s life for years. She’s always been able to handle him.”

  “She’s dying, Eve.”

  “Yes.” She leaned her head on his chest. “So I may have to be the one who handles Caleb for her. If he needs handling. Maybe he’ll just want to save her like we do. No strings attached.”

  He drew her closer. “Maybe he will. I’m not going to talk you out of it, am I?”

  “No, not if he can help her. Maybe he can’t. He’s always been a wild card.”

  “Wild, period,” Joe said dryly. “But I’m like you—if there’s a chance, I’ll take it. And I’ll be the one to handle him if he causes trouble. Do you want me to call him?”

  “No, I’ll do it,” she said quickly. She didn’t want Joe and Caleb to go up against each other during a first encounter.

  “Then I’m going to go back to Ja
ne with my computer and try to find a reasonable alternative to Seth Caleb.” He kissed her nose and moved down the hallway. “And compared to him, almost anyone is reasonable.”

  But not just anyone was able to do what Caleb might be able to do, Eve thought, as she pulled out her phone. She quickly dialed the number she’d looked up after she’d talked to Dr. Basle.

  “Eve?” Seth Caleb’s voice was wary as he picked up the call. “What an unexpected pleasure. How are you?”

  “Not good,” she said tersely. “I need you.”

  “How flattering. I don’t believe you’ve ever expressed—”

  “I should have said Jane needs you. She’s been shot.” She added baldly, “She’s dying, Caleb.”

  Silence. “No.” His voice was dagger-sharp, vibrating with explosive force. “She’s not going to die. I won’t let her.”

  The sheer power of his words filled her with a strange fear, yet gave her hope. “Then come here and keep her from doing it. She was shot in the chest, and they’ve managed to take care of most of the damage. But there’s some kind of blood-flow problem that they can’t seem to fix. She’s in a coma at St. Joseph’s in Atlanta. They say she has no more than ten days.”

  “Ten days? Blood flow is damn tricky. It could be much less. You hold on to her. Don’t let her go. I’m on my way.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Edinburgh. I can be there in seven hours. You keep her alive until I get there.” He hung up.

  Keep her alive, she thought wearily. How was she going to do that?

  Talk to her and hope she could hear her.

  Tell her how much they loved her, how much they’d miss her.

  Pray.

  “Perhaps a little of all three, Mama.”

  Eve knew what she would see when she lifted her gaze at the soft child’s voice. Curly red hair, seven years old, and the most glowing smile in the universe. Bonnie, leaning against the doorjamb and gazing at Eve with love and sympathy. Bonnie, her little girl, who had died so many years ago. Bonnie’s spirit, who had somehow been permitted to remain behind to save her mother when she had been spiraling downward after her death.