“No.” He reached across the table and grasped her hand. “This is bad enough. I can feel what’s behind those barriers that you never let down.” He amended, “At least, never let down with me. It’s killing me.” He grimaced. “And listen to me, I’m talking bullshit. I didn’t mean to do this. It just came out. I was sitting here and thinking about you and wondering how the hell I could help more.”
“You’re going to help.” She frowned. “I feel guilty that I’m taking so much from you and Nate and Monty. It’s been bothering me that—”
“No, not that,” he said impatiently. “It’s so dark around you right now. I want to give you something, anything that will make it—” He stopped. And then he said jerkily, “I just want you to know that I’ll be there for you. Tonight, tomorrow, whenever you want me. There isn’t anything that can happen to you that I won’t be there to heal. I might not be Hu Chang or Catherine, but try me. I’ll never fail you.”
She could feel the tears sting her eyes as she looked at him. “No, I don’t think you would.” She swallowed hard. “That was quite beautiful. And unexpected. Thank you, Brandon.” She sat up straighter in her chair. “And, yes, I’m ready. How could I not be with good thoughts and friends who can move mountains? Did you think I was brooding? Not my style. When I was in Sazkar Prison, I was alone, yet I survived. And I think something different is going on this time.” She met his eyes and paused, trying to find a way to make him feel what she was feeling. “Am I afraid? Yes.” She moistened her lips. “But think about what’s been happening. I was completely depressed after I found out that Claire had no idea where we could find Huber. Yet, slowly, things began to come together. Catherine dug out that bit about Huber’s obsession with eagles. Blanca seemed to be reaching out to me about those letters we’d been ignoring. Then, out of the blue, Cameron appears with a possibility where there had been no possibility.” She smiled. “I’ve been wondering if perhaps somebody up there is becoming very tired of putting up with all that evil Huber is spreading around. Maybe this is our time, our opportunity. If we try very hard, maybe we can make a miracle happen. What do you think, Brandon?”
“Whatever you say.” He cleared his throat. “Personally, I believe you might be the miracle.” He gazed out at the setting sun. “You have a little over three hours. You still won’t let me go down with you to the beach to meet Claire?”
“No, now that would disturb me. You’ve already told me that you’re flying out to Eagles Rest to meet with Dillard right away. That’s a much better idea. I’d rather you be there to greet me.”
“I’ll be there. I told you, I’ll always be there.”
And she was becoming emotional again. She had to hold on. “Yes, you did say that.” She got to her feet. “In a few minutes, I’m going into the house and take Huber’s call, so he’ll believe he’s failed, and I’m too terrified to meet his demands. I think showing a little hysteria might be in order. Then I’ll start sobbing and hang up. He’ll probably enjoy that, and be so satisfied, he’ll forget about Maria. I hope.” She made a face. “And that will make me feel so dirty and upset that I’ll come back out to you and we’ll go for a walk so that I can calm down again. Maybe we’ll watch the sun go down. Distraction will be everything at that point.” She smiled. “I’d be tempted to seduce you, but that would be dangerous for both of us.”
He grinned. “Dangerous? I assure you I’d be more than willing to risk it.”
“No, believe me, you wouldn’t.” She was heading toward the house. “A walk will be fine.”
BEACH HAVEN
11:30 P.M.
Claire was talking on the phone as Rachel walked toward the helipad. “Right on time,” she said as she pressed the disconnect. “And so is Kraus. We’ll see his landing lights soon.”
Rachel looked up at the night sky. “And I trust you received your money?”
“Of course. I told you it was important.” She shrugged. “But it’s not as important as respect and being first. There’s a certain glow when everyone realizes you’re the best.” She added, “But Venable never understood that. He just plugged along and never reached out. Even when Langley told him he was the best.”
“A difference of opinion,” Rachel said absently. She was bracing herself for what was to come. Soon it would start. She had to gather strength. “Maybe he already knew he was the best.”
Silence.
“Are you afraid?” Claire suddenly asked, her gaze on Rachel’s face. “You’re very smart, Rachel. And this is very stupid. Why are you doing it?”
“Yes, I’m afraid. I’d truly be stupid if I wasn’t. And if you don’t know why, I can’t tell you.”
She shrugged. “It’s probably because you’re like Venable.”
“Maybe.” She stiffened. “I think I see the lights of the helicopter.”
“Yes, I saw them a minute ago.” Claire took a step closer to Rachel. “Kraus has to believe that this delivery is authentic. I have to protect myself.” She drew a hypodermic from her bag. “I’m going to be giving you a shot that will put you out. Hold still.”
The needle went smoothly into her arm. “It’s very fast, you’ll be unconscious before they start their descent.” She took a step back and looked at her. “But that’s not enough.” Her fist lashed out and struck Rachel’s jaw with full force. “You’ve got to look as if you resisted. Now, the mouth, I think. Once more…”
Pain.
Dizziness.
She was falling to the sand.
“I truly hope you make it, Rachel,” Claire said as she stepped back and started to wave at the incoming helicopter. “But don’t count on those SEALs. It would be too risky for me. Four thirty. I can give you until four thirty. But don’t push your luck. I’ve been as generous as I can…”
Blue lights like swords streamed down on Rachel from the helicopter.
Darkness.
SAN LUIS OBISPO
11:50 P.M.
“Not a particularly graceful vessel,” Catherine murmured as she lowered the binoculars after gazing at the Katrina Notalo to glance at Cameron. “But the crew seems deplorably alert. That speaks well for the discipline of the captain. Not good for us. Are we sure we can’t do this some other way?”
“No time.” He slipped over the side of the boat. Even in his scuba equipment, the water was cold. So much for sunny California. Get rid of it. He concentrated and in seconds the cold vanished. “We have to do it now or try to climb on board when that tanker gets under way again. Even with an experienced SEAL team, that could be close to suicide for a number of reasons. I’ll signal you after I’ve contacted Van Deek and we’ve come to an agreement.”
“The hell you will.” She was leaning over the side of the boat, her eyes holding his own. “There’s no reason I can’t come with you. You handle Van Deek, and I go direct to the communication room, secure it, and make certain that no messages are transmitted. You know that’s the intelligent way to do it.”
“It’s one way.”
“But not the way you want to do it,” she said with exasperation. “And it has to be exactly as the Guardian commands, right?” Her hands were clenching on the oar. “It’s not as if Manuel couldn’t shoot off those fireworks without me. You said he wanted to prove himself. Let him do it.”
“I’d prefer to have him supervised for that particular task. It’s a very delicate job. I trust you, Catherine.” He struck out for the ship. “Besides, you’d get in my way. Give me fifteen minutes. Get back to shore and make sure Manuel doesn’t get too enthusiastic with those fireworks. Just close enough to make Van Deek nervous.”
“Oh, a firework explosion near an oil supertanker should do that,” Catherine said dryly. “Particularly since you told me to increase the firepower. But you’re not going to park me on the sidelines for long. And get in your way? You’ll pay for that, Cameron.”
“Expected.” He could barely hear her as he propelled himself through the water. He knew she’d make him suffer, but it was wo
rth it to keep Catherine away from the first interaction with Van Deek’s crew. They were outnumbered, and he’d protect her where he could. She was smart and professional, and he’d trust her without question if she were one of his own people. But she was Catherine and therefore in a class by herself. He just didn’t want to throw heavier odds than necessary at her. Twenty-two men was fairly normal for the crew of a supertanker but they were good men who knew the ship well. And he hadn’t been able to get more than seven of his own men on site at this late date.
He plowed silently through the water.
Three minutes.
Six minutes.
Eight minutes.
Twelve minutes.
Fourteen.
He lifted his head. He was within five yards of the Katrina Notalo. He positioned himself and waited.
Earlier in the evening, they’d set up the fireworks display to go off at the Rodriguez Hotel, which was a prime tourist spot on the beach above San Luis Obispo. The hotel had frequent fireworks displays for various reasons throughout the year. No reason for suspicion or alarm for Van Deek.
The sky suddenly lit with scarlet-and-silver explosions of color over the hotel.
He could see some of the crew run to the rail on the other side of the ship to watch the show.
Not enough. He needed all of them there.
Then he heard a cry as a huge M-80 rocket exploded above the water not fifty yards from where the crew was standing at the rail. Then another rocket exploded twenty yards closer.
That did it.
If the entire crew weren’t at that rail, it was very close. The captain? If he was as disciplined as reported, he’d be there with his men and probably on the phone to the Rodriguez to get them to stop the threat those fireworks were posing his oil tanker. Either way, it would give Cameron the time he needed. He knew exactly where the captain’s cabin was located, and it was nowhere near that rail where Manuel and Catherine were causing their distraction. He should have at least six minutes before the confusion was sorted out with the hotel while they searched for the guests who were causing the display. In the meantime, Manuel and Catherine would lob three more firecrackers near the Katrina to hold their attention.
He started to swim silently toward the ship.
CHAPTER
18
Van Deek was coming.
Cameron could hear his footsteps on the deck outside the cabin.
It had taken the captain longer than Cameron had thought it would to settle the furor with the hotel. Which might not be good if it was because he was asking questions and exploring reasons for those fireworks aimed a little too close to his ship.
Cameron moved to the side of the door. He’d left the lights on because that was the way the captain had left the cabin when he’d run out to the deck.
The door opened, and Van Deek came into the cabin.
Cameron leaped forward and his arm encircled the captain’s neck.
And he found himself pitched over Van Deek’s head and on the floor!
Shit.
Van Deek’s hands were on his throat.
He broke the hold, rolled to the side, and was on his feet. The next moment, his hand came down in a karate chop.
Van Deek collapsed and fell to the floor.
That had been interesting. Cameron took a deep breath before picking Van Deek up and putting him in the chair at the desk. Then he sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for Van Deek to regain consciousness. He was seldom taken down these days, but Van Deek had managed to do it. The captain was a lean man in his forties with white hair and a close-cut gray beard. His tan skin was weathered, and he was obviously strong, very strong. He had been taken by surprise, but his response had been faultless. If he hadn’t been a little unbalanced, Cameron might not have been able to break the hold on his throat. At that point, he would have been forced to either kill him or use a mental adjustment.
A dangerous man, good to know.
Van Deek was opening his eyes, and he was immediately alert and aware the instant he glimpsed Cameron. “I’m obviously not dead,” he said quietly. “How do I remain that way? Have you been paid to kill me? I might be able to offer you a better deal.”
“I’ll be glad to listen,” Cameron said. “But I haven’t been paid to kill you. I don’t want you dead. On the contrary, I need you alive.”
“Really?” Van Deek’s expression changed. “You probably shouldn’t have told me that. It gives me a slight advantage. You don’t impress me as the type of man who would allow that to happen.” He looked Cameron over from head to toe. “Scuba. I assume you were responsible for that hullabaloo with those fireworks? You must have good people if you could rely on them not to blow you up with the Katrina.” He tilted his head. “But not many or you wouldn’t be facing me alone.” He looked at the gun in Cameron’s hand. “What do you want from me? I have a Grand Cayman account that’s sizeable enough to make you happy. I have influence in a lot of quarters that could be helpful to you. Some of them are on the underbelly, completely without morals, and would be willing to do me any favor.” He was still gazing at the gun. “But I’d judge you to be a man who would prefer to take care of any issue of revenge yourself. Am I not right?”
“Yes.” He smiled faintly. “Much more satisfactory. I’m sure you’ve also found that to be true. Which is why you still have those associates in the underbelly still owing you those favors. It gives you a comfortable cushion. Actually, I can see you dancing through life and working to create that safety net.”
“Can you? But dancing and working are at odds with each other. Make up your mind. Are you going to tell me your name?”
“Cameron.”
“Never heard of you. Did I hurt someone you care about?”
“Not that I know about. But you might be about to hurt someone who matters to me. That’s what I’m about to determine. I need you to answer a few questions.”
“And you believe I’d tell you the truth?”
“If it suits you and I’m very good at detecting lies. If it doesn’t suit you to answer, then the situation will get a good deal more dangerous for you and difficult for me.”
“Who do you think I might hurt? We can negotiate.”
“I never negotiate where Catherine is concerned. You might meet her soon, and you’ll understand.” He paused. “But she believes that you might be cheating her son out of something that she thinks might rightly belong to him. You know how mothers can be about their children.”
“No, I have no children,” he said warily. “What does she think I might be stealing from him?”
“What Huber ordered you to steal from him. She wants Luke never to have to look at the ugliness Huber has planned for this magnificent ocean.” He smiled gently. “And she will have what she wants, Van Deek.”
His expression didn’t change. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Then you’d better think about it. I’ll wait.” But this was taking too long, Cameron thought. The captain was tough, and he found he didn’t want to break him entirely. He’d gauged Van Deek’s character and, for the most part, he’d liked what he’d seen. But he had to have complete control to get this over fast. So now it was time to dig deep. Find out everything he was and knew and thought. “However, I won’t wait long. I tend to get bored.” He relaxed, opening his mind, his gaze fixed intently on the captain’s face, letting everything flow into him.
Bitterness, desperation, anger, and frustration. Why? Then the answers were all there before Cameron.
Ah, even more interesting than he’d thought and possibly easier to solve.
“I’d hate to be responsible for inflicting a sin that drastic,” Van Deek said dryly. “I suppose you might be referring to the rumor I heard there was some nonsense about a possible attack at Oakland. But evidently there’s no proof.” He shrugged. “But since I always err on the side of caution, I asked Homeland Security to board my ship and do a search.” He met Cameron’s eyes. “T
hey found nothing.”
“Yes, I’d heard you’d done that. Clever. Because you led them in the right directions.” He added quietly, “And when the ship explodes sometime tonight, you’ll be stunned and everyone will say that you did everything you could to protect it.” He added, “And to protect your crew. You even took on additional lifeboats before you left Saudi because you couldn’t stand the thought of their being blown up by Huber. You thought you might save them if you were prepared. You knew what you were probably heading toward when you left port.”
“Really?” He’d become suddenly stiff. “I hate oceans, but I’m still a humanitarian?”
“No, you love the sea. Ever since you were a boy growing up on the waterfronts of Amsterdam, it’s been the one thing in your life that you could count on.” He was staring him directly in the eye. “But Kraus found something else you love more. You lied to me, Van Deek. You do have a child. He’s the son of a woman who ran a shop in Kuwait. She was murdered a week before you sailed, and the boy disappeared. His name is Fahad. Which means jaguar. You liked the idea of naming him after a beautiful, intelligent animal because the Arabs believe that doing that might give those same qualities to a person.” He paused. “He’s only three years old.”
Silence. But a muscle jerked in Van Deek’s left cheek. “How did you happen to find that out?”
“Not the same way as Huber. He probably noticed that there were odd frequent discrepancies in the checks written on your bank accounts, as I did. After all, you had to support the boy and his mother. But, in my case, let’s just say you’re easy to read.”
“Bullshit. Do you work for Kraus or Huber?”
“Neither. Which one is holding your son? I’d guess Kraus because lately he’s been showing interest in that kind of hostage situation. He even arranged the kidnapping of a little girl recently.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about a free pass if you work it right. Where are those explosives hidden?”
Vendetta Page 39
