Deadlock

by Iris Johansen

  "I'm betting that Staunton's still here in the forest," Emily said. "And he sent someone to get rid of Pauley and Joslyn."

  "Only one shot." Irana voice was tense. "Joslyn or Pauley?"

  Emily's gaze flew to Irana's face. Irana was looking back, her ex¬pression as tense and concerned as her voice. She wanted to go to them, help them.

  As it was right for her to do, Emily thought.

  "Go and find out," Emily said. "Circle around and see if you can help either one of them."

  "No," Irana's protest was startled. "I'm staying with you."

  "Why? You're no good here, Irana." She smiled with an effort. "You're making too much noise. You'll give me away to Staunton."

  Irana's gaze was searching Emily's face. "Is that the truth?"

  "Yes. And you know if anything goes wrong, Staunton will use you against me. Just as he tried to do before." She added, "You've done your part. You've helped us, you found out what we needed from the bishop, you've persuaded Joslyn to bring me here, you've watched my back just as you said you would, but now it's time you left me. We all have our skills, but you're not a soldier, you're a caretaker. You told me that yourself."

  "I don't want you to be alone."

  "I know, but you'd do better doing what you do best. You're a doc¬tor. Someone may need you back there. Circle around the clearing and make sure it's safe before you go to them." She grimaced. "Safe? No one's safe tonight. I may be wrong. I may be sending you straight to Staunton."

  "But I'm not helping you here." Irana nodded slowly. "Yes, I can see that."

  "Do what you do best," Emily repeated. "And do it quickly." She got to her feet. "Be careful, Irana." "God bless, Emily."

  Emily moved swiftly away from her through the forest. She hoped that Irana had turned and was going back toward the clearing. There was danger all around them, but Staunton was the primary threat, and Emily had a gut instinct that he was here in the woods.

  She glanced over her shoulder. Irana was nowhere in sight.

  Keep safe, my friend.

  She was a hundred yards deeper into the forest but there was still no sign of Staunton. Was he there, watching her, letting her come closer before he pounced?

  No, she trusted her training and her instincts. She would have heard him, sensed him.

  Another fifty yards, and she used the detector again.

  She stiffened. That was no small animal. It was a single large fig¬ure straight ahead.

  She drew her gun and moved slowly forward.

  "Are you out there, Emily?" Staunton called. "I can't hear you, but I can feel you. I'll always be able to sense you near me. When two people are as close as we are, that's the way it will always be."

  She froze. Was he taking a wild gamble or did he really know-

  "I'll give you two minutes to give up, then I'll start spraying this entire area with bullets. I have my AK-47. It will take you down be¬fore you can get near me."

  AK-47. Yes, she'd seen what that attack weapon could do at the scene of the ambush in Afghanistan. He might be lying, but she had seen him carry it frequently when he was moving around the com¬pound. A handgun would be worse than useless against it. She had known that he might do something to weigh the odds to his side.

  Unless she could take him by surprise.

  And she had already set the surprise in motion when she had hid¬den the Glock by the fir tree.

  "One minute," Staunton called. "I don't want to cut you in two with those bullets, Emily. It's messy and totally unsatisfying."

  She strode quickly toward the sound of his voice.

  "Emily."

  She stopped. "I'm on the path."

  "Good, you're being smart. Stay where you are. I'm going to take a look before I come out in the open. I want to make sure you're not being too smart."

  She stood straight, staring straight ahead. She could feel him look¬ing at her. He was right, that repulsive closeness was like a bond link¬ing them.

  "Hello, Emily." Staunton strolled out of the shrubs, cradling the AK-47 in his arm. There was a thick bandage on his right shoulder, but it didn't seem to be hindering him. "Now stand very still while I search you. You've got to have a weapon."

  "Of course, I do." She stood still, gritting her teeth as his hands moved over her. He found the gun in her jacket and stepped back. "How else could I hope to kill you?"

  He chuckled. "But it's not doing you any good now, is it? Now where is Sister Irana? Borg saw her enter the forest with you. I'm not really worried that she may leap out and attack me. She's one of those do-gooders who will always be a victim."

  "When we heard the shot, she went back to see if she could help."

  "There won't be anyone left alive to help. Borg will see to that. All that will be left is for her to pray over their bodies." His lips curled vi¬ciously. "Stupid bitch."

  "She's not stupid." She studied his expression. "And I don't be¬lieve you think she is. But you're very angry with her. Why would a 'do-gooder' manage to disturb you that much?"

  "She didn't disturb me. I told her that I was the one who called the shots. I was the one who made people afraid.

  "And did you make Irana afraid?"

  "Of course, I did. She just pretended that she wasn't afraid. She had to be afraid. I hurt her, then I hurt her again. I kept hurting her, and all she did was look up at me with those big dark eyes as if she was seeing right through me. Stupid bitch."

  "I think she probably was seeing through you, Staunton." She paused. "You might have hurt her, but she beat you."

  "You're crazy."

  "No, she saw you for what you are, and she didn't let what you are really touch her. She beat you."

  "No, if I'd had time I'd have-" He stopped. "But I will have time if Borg doesn't kill her. I'll have both of you. It was kind of you to bring her with you. Of course, I'm disappointed you didn't bring Garrett. I didn't think you'd pull Garrett into the fray. Though he might come calling anyway. He appears to be quite devoted, by the ex¬treme lengths he's taking to protect you."

  "You killed his friend, Karif."

  "That's true. Karif was very difficult to break. But Garrett was in¬volved with you before I eliminated that Afghan. He's going to be very disappointed that I snatched you away from him. I half expect him to come swooping down to rescue you." He smiled. "But you chose not to bring in the big guns. I knew you would. That's why I took the oppor¬tunity when you offered it. It was too good a chance to pass up. I can always get Garrett later. You'll make excellent bait to lure him."

  Bait. Yes, Garrett would come after her. He probably was trying to find her now. The idea sent panic racing through her.

  She had to get this over before he found a way to do it.

  "THE BLIP STOPPED," DARDON said. "Joslyn must have reached his destination."

  "How far?" Garrett asked.

  "A few miles to the northwest-3.5 to be exact." He frowned. "It could be-"

  "What?" Garrett said.

  "I'm not certain. But it could be the monastery."

  "WHY HERE, STAUNTON?" EMILY asked, her gaze going to the looming monastery barely visible in the distance through the trees. "Is it supposed to make me think of those poor victims who were thrown down that shaft? Some kind of mind game?"

  "I do like mind games. But actually, I've been here a few times since I came back to Russia." He gazed up at the mountains. "It was the site of one of Zelov's biggest defeats. I can see him going down into the waters at the bottom of the mine shaft, searching for that last amulet. Maybe I wanted to prove that I could do better. A sort of encore performance. Yes, I do feel a deep sense of competitiveness with Zelov. In fact, before I take you to a cottage near here to com¬mence our final relationship, we'll go to the museum where Zelov discovered that the Tsar had hidden his hammer. Another defeat for him. I want you to be there and see that place, too. I think you should know what a failure he was in comparison to me. Wouldn't that be amusing?"

  "I know you're a sadistic bas
tard, but I didn't think that Mikhail Zelov had that deep an influence on you."

  "Oh, he did. He inspired me with a strange mixture of admiration and jealousy. When I was reading his Book of Living, I felt as if I was the one who was pulling the strings of all those fancy people in that Imper¬ial Court. At first, I was only going to be a man for hire for Babin. I was just curious about what was behind this entire search for a hammer. So I broke into Babin's safe and made my copies of Zelov's book and all three amulets. I saw what a man could accomplish if he was bold enough."

  "Or evil enough."

  "Evil is always subjective, according to Zelov's bible. And that was what his Book of Living was all about, you know. He set himself up to be a god. So he had to have a bible. He just didn't quite get there."

  "Thanks to Bishop Nartova."

  "Yes, it's very curious. Zelov and I seem to be traveling on the same path with similar obstacles. But I'm stronger than Zelov. You saw that Bishop Dimitri didn't have a chance against me."

  "I saw that you murdered a defenseless old man. Did it make you feel brave?"

  "No, it made me feel like a god. Zelov had the right idea." He took a step closer to her. "But I didn't have time to really enjoy it. But I will with you, Emily." He reached out and touched her cheek. "So brave to come alone."

  "I didn't come alone. Don't touch me."

  His finger remained on her cheek. "You might as well have come alone. Joslyn, Pauley, and Sister Irana will be nothing for me to get rid of. Borg's probably taken one of them down already."

  "I'm surprised you have someone as loyal to you as Borg. But then he has the same killer instincts, doesn't he?"

  "Yes, he's been useful. I'll be sorry to have to dispose of him when this is over."

  "Even Borg?"

  "He's a witness. I kept as much as I could from him, but he still knows too much. But I don't want to talk about Borg. He'll do his job. I'm too absorbed with you, my Emily."

  He was so certain that it sent a chill through her.

  "And you're absorbed with me," he said softly. "I can feel your fear. It's making me hard. I don't really like to fuck women, but you've always been the exception. I'd finish with Levy for the day and come in and sit beside you and talk to you, watch you. It was the most exquisite sexual thrill I'd ever known. You've become quite the obses¬sion to me."

  Her stomach was churning. "Take your hand away."

  "Presently." His head bent and his lips were hovering over hers. "Do you know what I'll do if you bite me this time? I've thought of many new things I could do to Garrett that I never tried on Levy."

  "You won't be able to touch Garrett."

  His tongue touched her lower lip. "Then bite me, Emily. Sink your teeth into me and show me that- Another shot rang out!

  She jerked away from him, her gaze flying in the direction from where the sound had come. The clearing again.

  "It's just Borg," Staunton said. "That's number two. I wonder who he took down this time. Joslyn or Pauley? Or maybe it was your friend, Irana. Well, it doesn't matter who went down. Borg will keep on going until they're all dead. He has his orders. That's another two off my list. Soon you'll be truly alone, Emily."

  Dear God, she hoped he wasn't right, that Borg hadn't killed them. "You can't be sure of that."

  "Yes, I can. Borg is very good. I trained him."

  "All these deaths, and for nothing. You can't even be sure you'll find that hammer."

  He smiled. "I told you, it will come to me."

  He was so damn positive. "Not from me. I never knew where it was, and I still don't."

  "But it's so enjoyable to probe and dig." He nudged her down the path. "My car is on the road a few miles from where you parked. Now I think we'd better go and get to a more comfortable place to continue our discussion. I don't know if the good monks might have heard those shots."

  It was almost time to make the break. The gun was by the fir tree several yards down the path. Try to be meek and cooperative. Or maybe not. Make him angry? Anything to distract him.

  "Probe and dig? Is that what you call what you did to Joel?"

  "It's as good a term as any for one of my favorite pastimes. Of course this time it lacked the icing on the cake."

  "And what was that?"

  "Purpose." His hand was beneath her elbow as he urged her for¬ward. "That's why having you there made it more tolerable."

  "I don't know what-" She stopped as his meaning hit home with massive force. Her body arched as if he'd struck her spine with a crowbar.

  Oh, my God.

  Why now? Garrett had said. Why get rid of everyone now? It doesn't make sense.

  "I'm not worried; the hammer will come to me." "It lacked the icing on the cake… purpose."

  She whirled to face him. "You have it. You already have the ham¬mer. That's why you think it's time to get rid of everyone who knows about it. You have what you want, and now you want to get rid of the witnesses to keep yourself safe."

  "Do I?" His question was as faintly mocking as his expression.

  "You know you do. And you want me to know it, or you wouldn't have been throwing out hints."

  He inclined his head. "I admit I gave in to temptation. It's frustrating, no one knowing how clever I am. I was tempted to tell you when we were together before, but there was just the faintest chance some¬one would whisk you away from me."

  "You have it." The monstrous truth was unfolding in horrible waves. Her throat was so tight that she could barely get the words out. "And you had the hammer for all those days when you were torturing Joel and asking me over and over where it was."

  He nodded. "Oh yes, from the very first day. When I went back to the museum, I didn't find the hammer with the rest of the tools, but it was in a shack in the back."

  "Why?" The ugliness was totally incomprehensible. "For God's sake, why?"

  "I wasn't ready to make a move. I needed Babin's money to keep pouring into my bank account so that I could build up a reserve. Finding the Tsar's fortune would only be the start. I'd have to set up a system to protect it, launder it, and disappear until I was ready to make my move. As long as Babin thought I was still trying to locate the hammer, then he'd keep funding me. He didn't trust me worth a damn, so I knew I had to make it appear absolutely authentic. I was right; he even came to the mountains to check on me. But he went away convinced."

  On the day that he'd tortured Joel so terribly that she'd had to block it out of her memory. She stared at him in disbelief. "You're a monster."

  He nodded with satisfaction. "But monsters control the world. Haven't you noticed?"

  The hatred was flaming through her veins. For an instant, she couldn't even see him through the red haze. "You did that to Joel just to-

  "I thought it would upset you to know. Though I don't know why it would make a difference. Why should you care why? It's the act, not the motive, that counts."

  "Yes, it's the act that counts." She turned and strode down the path. A few more yards, and she'd be even with the fir tree. "But I be¬lieve that you may have reached your goal in besting Mikhail Zelov. I'm not sure anyone else could ever be that evil and corrupt." She was right next to the tree. She could see the pile of leaves under which she'd hidden the gun. "You're beyond belief."

  "You'll believe. It will just take a little more effort on my part. I in¬tend to-"

  She dove sideways and grabbed the Glock as she hit the ground. She got off a shot as she rolled behind the tree.

  She heard Staunton cursing, then a spray of bullets spiked against the bark of the tree. "Bitch."

  Her shot hadn't struck him, dammit. She risked a glance.

  He wasn't there.

  Panic soared through her. Was he in the trees across the path, or had he dived into the brush on this side? She couldn't take a chance. She had to move.

  "You're not going to get away," Staunton said. "You're foolish to even try."

  He was to her left. She crawled into the shrubbery to her right, rose
to a half crouch. "I don't want to get away. I'm going to kill you, Staunton."

  Bullets plowed into the earth at her feet. Close. Very close. Don't talk to him. Don't give him a target.

  She tossed a rock into the bushes across the path and watched the shrubbery torn away by a barrage of bullets.

  Where had the shots come from? She looked at the angle of the torn-away bushes. To the north of her.

  Maybe. It had been years since she had read those forest signs with her father.

  She moved warily, with painstaking care.

  A branch broke under her foot, and she dove forward and to the right.

  Bullets tore into the spot where she'd stood only seconds before. She scrambled backward and to the left. Okay, this was taking too long, and Staunton was too good. She had to put an end to it.

  The oak tree two yards away. There was a branch about fifteen feet above the ground that had a decent leaf cover.

  Now no sound at all. No mistakes as she moved toward the tree. Silence and smoothness so as not to disturb the prey. Help me, Daddy.

  She paused two yards from the tree, reached down, and grabbed a branch. She took a deep breath and threw the branch at a shrub that was close but not too close to the tree she'd chosen.

  Bullets plowed into the shrub seconds after the branch hit.

  She cried out as if in pain even as she dove for the trunk of the oak tree. Her heart was pounding as she shinnied with frantic speed up the tree. Dear God, she hoped there weren't birds or squirrels that would be set off by her movements.

  "Emily?"

  Another few feet and she'd reach the branch. "Emily? I do hope you're only wounded. I have such fine plans for you.

  She wriggled beneath the leaf cover on the limb and drew her gun out of her jacket.

  Come and get me, bastard. I'm waiting for you.

  "I'll be most displeased if you've forced me to kill you. I've waited such a long time to be with you." He was moving, circling around through the trees to her left. "Though I can accept wounds if they're inflicted by me."

  Take shallow breaths. He mustn't even hear me breathe.

  She could see a faint trembling of the shrubs several yards away. He was being careful. Probably scanning the area where he'd heard her cry out. Should she take her shot now?