Mind Game

by Iris Johansen

  “No one manages Caleb. But I’m curious to hear what you think you can make him do. He said something about the American Hospital.”

  She nodded. “Yes, he’s guessed that he’ll be required to do a little blood adjustment, but I refused to tell him anything until I had him here in Dubai. I’ve no objection to sharing it with you, because you’re not going anywhere.” She smiled. “And when Caleb sees that I really do have you and you’re not ‘damaged,’ he won’t go anywhere, either.”

  “Who is it?”

  “Tarik El Haroun.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he may be the most important man in Dubai outside of the royal family, who are the sole rulers of the country.” She tilted her head contemplatively. “No, he has more power than some of the members of the royal family. Money is everything, isn’t it, Jane?”

  “I’ve never found that to be true. He’s some kind of oil sheik?”

  “No, oil provides only about seven percent of the wealth of Dubai. It’s such a magnificently rich city. I knew as soon as I started giving dinner parties for Gino’s clients from here that it was my kind of place. Then when Haroun was pointed out to me at a gala, I started to keep my eye on him.” She smiled. “Because eighty-six percent of the wealth of Dubai is tied up in real estate. And Haroun owns or controls most of it. He has a distant connection to the royal family, but he’s such a fantastic businessman, that has little to do with it. But he’s made Dubai flourish, and that’s made the royal family very happy.” She paused. “Except for one or two members who would prefer that his power and influence just go away.”

  “And you’ve promised them that you’ll see that it does,” Jane said slowly. “With no way to detect that it was murder.”

  She nodded. “It’s been an exciting project for me to develop from the moment I found out that Gino had been fool enough to send us close to bankruptcy.” She leaned forward, and for an instant her beautiful face turned ugly. “Do you know how I felt when I learned that bastard had ruined everything that I’d worked to achieve in the last twenty years? I should have kept a closer eye on him, but I thought even he couldn’t get rid of that much money on his whores and drugs.” Then her expression cleared and was once more serene. “But it will be fine once I’m able to get Haroun out of the way. I’ve negotiated an amount that will make me as wealthy as I’ve always dreamed of being. Far richer than the life Gino could ever provide me.”

  “And what’s Caleb’s part in this?”

  “Tarik El Haroun is having a heart procedure done two days from now. Only stents inserted, so no problem is expected.” She added softly, “But heart operations can always be iffy if not performed correctly, or even if they are. Of course Haroun has the best surgeons and staff available, absolutely above reproach. And, since the royal family regard him as something of a national treasure, they’re providing security to protect him while he’s in the hospital. So if anything were to go wrong, it would cause an uproar that would shake everyone at the hospital and the political hierarchy. An autopsy, investigations—everyone would be suspect. But in the end it will be found that his death was due to a ruptured artery not caused by poison, medicine, or the surgeon who performed the operation.” She smiled. “And that Allah just wanted to take his good servant off to paradise.”

  “And how is Caleb supposed to get close enough to that ‘good servant’ to send him packing to Allah?”

  “That’s up to him. I remember Caleb as being so very clever, and I’ll provide him with detailed maps of the hospital and any personnel records he might need.”

  “He won’t do it.”

  “For your sake, I hope you’re wrong. I believe you are.”

  “Because you think if you threaten me that he’ll soften and do whatever you want?” She shook her head. “Soften? The only chance you had of Caleb softening toward anyone on this earth was when you kidnapped Lisa. When Santara lost her, it blew that for you.”

  “I never mention softening.” Her smile deepened. “Quite the opposite. I agree Lisa is an anomaly in Caleb’s life. I’ve always found him to be both ruthless and manipulative. He doesn’t allow anyone that close. But closeness isn’t necessary to influence him. He’s a sexual animal and he evidently has developed an obsession for you. I have reports that he constantly seeks you out.”

  “Coincidence.”

  She laughed. “That’s what he said. But he eventually told me himself that he finds you pleasing and wouldn’t want you damaged.”

  Jane felt a ripple of shock. “You’ve talked to him?”

  She nodded. “He’s on his way here. I thought it time I put plans in motion.”

  “If they include me, you’re going to be disappointed. You’re completely wrong about Caleb’s attitude toward me.”

  “I won’t be disappointed. I’ll just make adjustments if I need to do that.” She was gazing at Jane critically. “But he might be disappointed if you look like that when he gets here. Dreadful. Finish that coffee and get into the shower. I’ll get you something to wear that doesn’t make you look like you’ve been upside down in a vehicle.”

  “Which I was.”

  “And I was thinking about leaving you in this condition, but it would be counterproductive. My entire plan for you is based on the fact that you don’t arouse Caleb’s sympathy, but another emotion entirely.” She got to her feet. “So you will be presented to him in as pleasant packaging as possible, something that reflects what he will be missing if he makes me dispense with his toy. And my generosity in allowing him to keep you.” She looked back at Jane as she reached the door. “You will shower and take care of doing that, or I’ll send Santara in to assist you. You won’t like that, but he would.”

  “I’ll do it myself.” Jane put down her coffee cup. “Because I’m filthy and not because I’m complying with your orders. I dealt with Santara on the plane. I’m not afraid of him.”

  “You should be. He went easy on Lisa. Because I told him he had to.” Her gaze narrowed on Jane. “But you’re annoying me. And you’re beautiful, but I can’t see why Caleb’s obsessed with you. You’re nothing like—” She turned away. “I might have to observe him closer when he gets here.”

  “And you’ll find out you’re totally wrong,” Jane said. “You formed all those wild, unsubstantiated assumptions because you were frantic to—”

  “I don’t like the word frantic any more than I do desperate,” Teresa said. “You’re digging a deep hole, Jane.”

  I probably am, Jane thought. She was still bleary and disoriented, and everything that Teresa had thrown at her in the past few minutes had bewildered and frightened her. “I’m just trying to tell you that you’re mistaken. And I don’t understand why you think you know Caleb well enough to jump to those conclusions.”

  Teresa’s brows lifted. “Why, who would know him better, Jane? After all, we were lovers.”

  The door shut behind her.

  Jane was frozen, staring at that door.

  Lovers. That possibility had not occurred to her. Caleb had never given a hint there was a sexual relationship between them.

  But then, she never knew anything about Caleb except what he wanted her to know.

  So why was she so shocked? She felt almost ill at the thought of them together.…

  She couldn’t let it affect her like this. She was weak and unable to process it right now. She needed to give herself time and a little space. She slowly got to her feet and headed for the bathroom. Her muscles felt sore, but she could move with more litheness than she had thought possible. A hot shower would help, and then she would try to clear her mind of the picture that Teresa Romano had insinuated there. She didn’t know if that was possible.

  Lovers …

  CHAPTER

  17

  “He’s in the driveway.” Teresa came into the bedroom. “I thought I’d meet him there, but I changed my mind. I told Santara to bring him directly here.” Her gaze went over Jane in the cream-colored flowing silk pants an
d matching blouse. “You’ll do very well. Elegant, but sexy.”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t put me in a harem outfit,” Jane said sarcastically. “Or something you’d picked up from a local bordello.”

  “Oh, I would have if I hadn’t thought it would turn him off. Caleb is much more subtle.”

  “As you said, who’d know better?”

  “Exactly,” Teresa replied. “You’re being more aggressive than when I left.”

  Jane met her eyes. “I had to recover sometime.”

  “Don’t be too aggressive. I’ll be patient only so long.” She tilted her head. “I think I hear him.” She threw open the door. “Caleb, how good it is to see you.” She stepped aside for him to enter. “Particularly at this time and place. I see you’ve rushed to our Jane’s side.” She smiled. “But then I knew you would.”

  “So you told me,” Caleb said as he entered the room. “You never lacked confidence, Teresa.” His gaze went to Jane. “I’m sorry that you became involved in this. Are you all right?”

  She nodded. “Stiff neck. Headache. How is Macauley? Santara didn’t know or wouldn’t tell me.”

  “Broken ribs and arm. He’ll live.”

  Jane felt a rush of relief. She hadn’t realized how worried she’d been about Macauley. It was good to know he’d survived that death and carnage. “I’m glad.”

  “So was MacDuff. Santara didn’t leave him much to be grateful for. You know about the other three men?”

  “Yes. Terrible.”

  “Enough,” Teresa said impatiently. “That’s not why I brought you here, Caleb. You have a job to do. I promised to tell you who your target is going to be.”

  “Tarik El Haroun,” he said. “On the flight down here, I checked pending surgeries within that forty-eight-hour window you gave me from the list that Ben Kemal got for you and Santara.” His lips twisted. “Haroun’s the big fish. You wouldn’t have wasted your time on anyone else.”

  “No, I wouldn’t have. But you know how it annoys me to be thought predictable.”

  They knew each other so well, Jane realized, looking at them. No affection. No desire. But their familiarity was very clear.

  Caleb smiled. “I could hardly trust you to tell me the truth. I had to find out for myself. You didn’t tell me because you weren’t sure that I wouldn’t betray you because I don’t like to be controlled. You couldn’t be certain that Jane would be a strong enough draw.”

  She smiled back at him. “But here you are. So I must have been right.”

  He looked at Jane. “Perhaps. Give me your offer.”

  “She lives. You live. Tarik El Haroun dies. I get on a plane for Moscow, which has no extradition policy, that same day.” She smiled. “Just in case you’re not as skilled as I believe you are. Though the stories I heard about how you eliminated all those cult members who killed your sister did impress me.”

  “You’re not mentioning Gino. I take it that he’s no longer included in your plans.”

  She shrugged. “I won’t have him dragging behind me. He’s been annoying me lately. I’ve put up with him for too long. What do you expect?”

  “Nothing less.” His gaze returned to Jane. “I could take her with me now. I guarantee that you wouldn’t be able to stop me.”

  “Of course, as I said, I delight in all those bizarre stories about you. But one of Santara’s men who are guarding the house would stop her. You must have noticed how many men are patrolling the estate. I gave orders that if she escapes, they do not take her alive. She’s to be shot on sight.”

  Caleb shook his head. “Now that would be truly unfortunate.”

  Jane had had enough. “It’s truly unfortunate that you’re talking about me as if I weren’t here. Are you going to let me speak?”

  Caleb smiled. “Not unless you have something to offer her that I can’t. I don’t believe that’s the case.” He turned back to Teresa. “I don’t care anything about this Haroun. I don’t see why I should let him rob me of something I want.”

  “I thought you’d feel that way.” Her tone was almost purring.

  “Then you were right. I’ll need to come and go as I please until the operation. I have free access to the woman whenever I want. No damage is done to her. After I take care of Haroun, you deliver her to me immediately. Agreed?”

  “It sounds reasonable,” she said warily.

  “And you don’t try to cheat me,” Caleb said softly. “I’m going to a good deal of trouble to have her, Teresa. I won’t be forgiving or forgetting.”

  “How suspicious you are.”

  “And I don’t have reason?”

  She shrugged dismissively. “That was a long time ago.”

  “Precisely. And in the end, you learned a lot about me, didn’t you? It would be wise of you to remember what I taught you.”

  To Jane’s surprise, Teresa’s cheeks suddenly flushed and she looked away from him. But then she raised her chin and stared at him defiantly. “As I recall, I was the teacher. That’s all I remember.”

  “But then, you always did prefer to delude yourself.” He changed the subject. “Now get out of here and let me have an hour or so with Jane. I can see how upset she is about all this, and I’ll need some time to make it right. You might send some food after I leave her. Have you fed her?”

  “No.” She paused, taken aback. “You’re being very— I wasn’t expecting—”

  “You don’t tell me how to treat her.” He was staring her in the eye. “We made a deal. I own her. She belongs to me. I treat her as I please. Do you understand?”

  Teresa nodded, still frowning. “It’s not what I expected. Do what you wish.”

  “Oh, I will. In any way I wish. But it’s my way. You don’t call the shots … ever.” He opened the door for her. “I’ll need a car to take me back to Dubai in about an hour. I’m staying at the Grand Hyatt. I’ll study the hospital plans tonight and I’ll pay a visit to the hospital tomorrow to plan the best place to have access to Haroun. I don’t need to be within touching distance during the operation, but I need to be close.”

  “You’ll need a security badge. I’ll arrange to—”

  “No, I’ll call an associate and have him deliver one to the hotel tomorrow morning. My job. My way.”

  Teresa hesitated. “You were always an arrogant bastard.” She shrugged. “Why should I care? I’ll make sure you’re watched every minute. And Santara has an orderly, Asad, at the hospital who will make certain that you’ve done what you promise.” She glanced at Jane. “And I do have my ace in the hole, don’t I? I’ll want regular reports, Caleb.” She swept out of the room.

  “You own me?” Jane’s voice was dangerously low. “What the hell are you—”

  “Hush.” He took a tiny black box out of his pocket. “Give me a minute.” He moved around the room before nodding. “No electronic devices. I’m surprised. Teresa has always had a passion for cameras.” He came back to her and dropped down in the peacock chair Teresa had formerly occupied. “Now go ahead and let it loose. I could see it building up all the while Teresa and I were talking.”

  “I felt like a piece of meat in a butcher shop,” she said through her teeth. “You ask why it should bother me?”

  “As far as Teresa is concerned, that’s what you are. She thinks she’s found the way to buy what she wants from me. And you’re too intelligent not to realize that’s the way I have to go to get you out of here. You had to have picked up on that even before I got here.”

  “Yes,” she admitted reluctantly. “She was all ready to serve me up on a silver platter. I was ready to choke her.”

  “I’m glad you refrained.” His eyes were searching her face. “You don’t look as if you could take her down at the present moment.” He leaned forward and gently pushed back her hair and probed the muscles of her neck. “Hurt?”

  She flinched. “A little. More stiff than anything else.”

  He touched her cheek. “Bruise. From the wreck?”

  She shoo
k her head. “Santara’s gentle way of making sure I stayed awake. Teresa evidently thought I wouldn’t be as appetizing in a coma.”

  “Santara…” His hand dropped away. “The list keeps getting longer and longer.” He leaned back in the chair. “No other injuries?”

  “No.” She was silent. “I could have died in that car crash. Santara was … reckless. He didn’t care. I think he’s a little crazy, Caleb.”

  “Probably. Don’t worry about him. I’ll take care of it.”

  Her lips twisted. “Just like you’re taking care of Teresa Romano? But you don’t know him as well as you do her, do you?”

  His gaze was suddenly narrowed on her face. “What do you mean?”

  “You were lovers.”

  He was silent. “Is that what she told you?”

  “Is it the truth?”

  “What do you think?”

  She moistened her lips. “I think you know each other very well. There’s an … intimacy.”

  “Yes.”

  She was beginning to wish she hadn’t said anything. It had tumbled out. “It’s none of my business.” But she couldn’t leave it alone. “I just don’t see how you could— She’s a terrible woman. Look what she did to Lisa. She was responsible for everything Santara did and—”

  “I’m not going to make excuses,” he said, interrupting her. “Everything you say is true. She was a mistake. The only thing that wasn’t the truth is that we were lovers. It was a much … darker relationship.”

  “I don’t want to hear about it. I said it wasn’t my business.”

  “Oh, no, too late.” He was smiling recklessly. “You asked the question. You can’t go hide away when I answer it. The word lovers requires a certain emotion that was never there. Teresa never knew the meaning of the word; I knew it but had never experienced it. So when she decided to seduce me, I cooperated fully, but I admit to having been confused and uncertain about the nuances.”