Eight Days to Live

by Iris Johansen

  “You planted explosives?”

  “Plastic. Small but powerful. In the passage beneath this Offering Room.” She was fighting, shoving her way. Where was Caleb? She couldn’t see him in this mob. Hell, she couldn’t see anything but wild-eyed, panicky people on every side. “Joe planted another set on the outside near the front entrance to go off seven minutes later. We figured that we’d be out of the temple by that time.”

  “We hope,” Eve said. “This crowd isn’t moving at top speed.”

  But Jane could see the entrance just ahead. “We’ll make it.”

  Where was Caleb?

  “Blood? I’m beginning to take this personally.”

  Shit.

  They had reached the entrance.

  “Eve!”

  Thank God. It was Joe running toward them. He grabbed Eve’s arm and was pulling her away from the temple. She was looking over her shoulder at Jane. “I’m fine. Get Caleb before the idiot blows himself up.”

  Jane turned and ran back into the temple. Two minutes.

  It was easier going back. The crowd had thinned as the bulk of the people had reached the entrance. She reached the top of the ramp.

  The Offering Room was deserted.

  Except for Caleb.

  Except for the man lying on the shattered altar.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” Caleb said, without looking at her. “It’s going to blow.”

  She came slowly toward him. “Eve called you an idiot. She’s right.” She looked down at Millet. His face was a mask of agony. Blood was pouring out of his eyes and mouth. “Why?”

  “I told you, I didn’t like his talking about what he was going to do to you. I’m very fond of every drop of your blood. It bothered me that he was planning to be so careless with it.” He bent over him, and said softly, “But now you know how much it hurts to misuse blood, don’t you? The flow can twist and sting like a dagger. You like to use daggers, I understand,”

  Millet’s body arched. He screamed.

  “We have to get out of here, Caleb,” Jane said.

  “I know. Pity. I only had a few minutes with him. But I made them count.” He held out his hand. “Come here. I want him to see you.”

  She came to stand beside him.

  “Look at her, Millet,” Caleb said. “She beat you. You wanted to take her down. But she took away your power and all the glory you lived for,” he added softly, “and she took away your life. You have heavy internal bleeding. You can’t last for more than five minutes tops. You’ve lost everything.”

  She could see that Millet knew that he’d lost. But he was staring at her with desperation and hatred that would go with him to the end. “You didn’t . . . beat me. I’m the chosen. Hadar will keep me alive. Judas will . . . triumph.”

  “Then let them do it. I think they’ve reached the end of their trail, too.” She turned away. “Let’s get out of here, Caleb. I won’t be buried in here with this bastard.”

  “You won’t. We have forty seconds.” He took her hand and was running with her away from the altar and down the ramp. “Providing my watch is right.”

  “Now you worry about it.”

  “Dammit, get her out of here.” Jock was running toward them up the ramp. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? I couldn’t believe it when Eve said Jane had gone back in. Run!”

  “We are running.”

  The next instant they were out of the temple. Ten seconds later the ground shook as the wood and mortar of the temple blew.

  “Down!” Caleb pushed her to the ground as concrete chips and slabs blasted through the air.

  She couldn’t breathe through the thick layer of dust and smoke from the blast. She was still coughing as she sat up a few minutes later.

  “All right?” Caleb asked.

  She nodded and gazed at the remains of the temple, which was now a mass of brown stone and broken pillars. “I don’t know what it looked like before, but there’s not much left now.”

  “When Joe and I planted the charge last night, it reminded both of us of a small acropolis,” Jock said. “Hadar didn’t have much originality.” He stood up and held out his hand to her. “Let’s go. Eve and Joe are with MacDuff and his men up in the mountains. I promised I’d bring you to her as soon as I found you. It’s not safe down here. No one knows what’s happened, and Millet’s men are still a threat.”

  Jane could see what he meant. Men and women were milling about, dazed and disbelieving. It was hard to connect them with the screaming vultures who had been thirsting for her blood only minutes before.

  “Give them a chance, and they’d still cut your heart out,” Caleb said. “Go on with Gavin.”

  She nodded. “I have to see Eve. She wasn’t good.”

  “She’ll survive,” Caleb said. “She was burning with fever but still on the attack.” He turned away. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I have to make sure.”

  “Millet?” She looked at the mass of rubble that had been the temple. “How? And you said he’d be dead in five minutes.”

  “I have to be sure. I won’t have him come back to haunt you.” He smiled. “I’ll find a way.”

  She watched him walk away before she turned back to Jock. “He probably will. Though he’d have to be a snake to wriggle through all that wreckage.” But all she wanted was to be done with the place and the people who had screamed for her blood. “Let’s go. I want to be with Eve.”

  “HE’S dead.”

  Jane looked up to see Caleb standing beside her. She had been at MacDuff’s encampment for hours, and there had been no sign or call from Caleb. He was dirty and covered with dust and mortar, but he didn’t look tired. His eyes glittered in the lanternlight and he had never appeared more strong and vibrantly alive.

  “You found Millet? He bled to death?”

  “I’m not sure.” He smiled. “I hope he didn’t. The explosion dislodged the Judas mosaic and it fell on the altar. I’d like him to know that his Judas crushed him.”

  However it had happened, Millet was dead. She had not realized that she would feel so relieved at the certainty. But Caleb had realized that she needed that final resolution and had given it to her. “Thank you.”

  He inclined his head. “I had to be sure, too. Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I’m fine.” She got to her feet. “Maybe a little shell-shocked. Or maybe just plain shocked that it’s all over.”

  “It is over.” He checked his watch. “It’s after midnight. April second.”

  “That’s right, it is.” Eight long, agonizing days that had seemed to go on forever. She ran her hand through her hair. “I’ve got to go check on Eve. Joe brought a doctor with them, and he gave her a shot, but they’ve been waiting for the air ambulance.”

  His gaze went to the west, where blue lights were piercing the darkness. “It’s coming in now.”

  They watched the helicopter land.

  “Gavin said Joe’s taking her to a hospital in Damascus?”

  “Yes, he doesn’t want to take her home until he’s sure she’s stable. The doctor didn’t like that fever.”

  Joe had Eve in his arms and was carefully lifting her into the aircraft. Strength. Gentleness. Tenderness. He had Eve back, and nothing else mattered.

  “I believe he likes her a little.” Caleb took Jane’s elbow and led her toward the helicopter. “You’ll want to go with her to the hospital. I’ll call Venable and tell him to have someone get you hotel reservations near there in case they don’t release her right away.” He gave her a lift into the copter and stepped back. “Take care.”

  “You’re not going?”

  He shook his head. “Some of Millet’s men took off into the desert after the big boom. I’m going after them.” He smiled faintly. “It’s going to be good hunting tonight.” He saw the expression that flickered over her face. “You’ll never like it, and you may never get used to it, but I can’t change.”


  “I’ve never asked you to change. It’s not my business.”

  “I don’t agree. But right now, you’re tired, upset, and on edge. You can’t decide if I’m worth your time trying to decipher. So I think it’s best that I leave you alone for a while. If I don’t, you’ll start pushing me away, and I’ll react. Sometimes, as you might have noticed, my reactions aren’t very civilized.” He started to turn away. “Tell Eve that I hope she recovers quickly.”

  “Wait.” She moistened her lips. There was no way of appealing to him on anything but practical reasons but she didn’t want him walking away. “This isn’t smart. Your damn hunting may be good tonight, but you’re bound to be outnumbered.”

  “Oh, I won’t be alone.” He started across the rocky ground toward the encampment. “Jock Gavin and MacDuff are going hunting, too.”

  EVE DIDN’T OPEN HER EYES until late the next afternoon.

  “Hi,” Jane said softly. “How do you feel?”

  Eve smiled. “I don’t know. How should I feel?”

  “Groggy. The doctors here at the hospital gave you massive antibiotics and put you under to do a little repair work on your shoulder. It’s going to be fine. Joe was here with you up until ten minutes ago. He went outside to take a call from Venable.”

  “Groggy sounds about right.” Her hand tightened on Jane’s. “What happened to Millet? I was pretty out of it last night.”

  “Millet and Roland are dead. The temple was blown to the stratosphere. A number of Millet’s men managed to get away, but Caleb, Jock, and MacDuff went after them.”

  “Caleb found a few soul mates?” A faint smile touched Eve’s lips. “I imagine Joe would have been right there with them if this wound of mine hadn’t put a crimp in his plans.”

  “You’re probably right. But Caleb doesn’t know the meaning of soul mate. He’s out there all alone.”

  “Alone? I never thought about Caleb like that. But I guess you’re right.”

  “Don’t start feeling sorry for him. It’s his choice.” She changed the subject. “I’m not sure what happened to all those people who were clawing to get out of the temple before it blew. Some of them were probably able to get away if they had immediate transport. Some of them were rounded up by MacDuff’s men and Venable’s agents. As far as I’m concerned, they can rot in the desert.” She paused. “But Venable thinks he managed to snag all the photos that Millet had taken at the Offerings from the wreckage. So they might get a surprise when they manage to get home. There are going to be some very unhappy people.”

  “And how do you feel?”

  “Tired, grateful.” She said, “Oh, yes, very grateful. I was scared up to the very end. I was afraid I’d lose you.”

  “You shouldn’t have been afraid. You’ll never lose me. Love doesn’t work that way. It goes on forever.”

  “I understand the concept. I’m not at a stage right now where I can believe that. I’ll have to work on it. I had enough trouble just with all this dream stuff.”

  “But you made it happen for us.”

  “Did I?” She leaned back in her chair. “I’ve been sitting here thinking about that. Did I do it, or did Caleb help it along? He said he couldn’t influence dreams, but should I believe him?”

  “What do you think?”

  “He’s an enigma. But I think I do believe him . . . tentatively.” She gazed thoughtfully down at their joined hands. “But that leaves me with another puzzle.”

  “The Judas coins.”

  She nodded. “You told me you thought that the dreams all those years ago about the treasure that had the Judas coins had something to do with the recent dreams I had of Judas and those sacrifices.”

  “I said I didn’t know but that it was possible.”

  “And I remember you said when you came to MacDuff’s Run that you felt that it was right, and you had an odd feeling you were going to be part of what was happening there.” She looked up at Eve’s face. “You were part of it, a big part, Eve.”

  “Yes.” She wrinkled her nose. “But I’d rather have had a more passive role.”

  “I don’t think so. You were about to go out and search for trouble when Millet appeared on the scene.”

  “What are you getting at?”

  “Caleb once asked me if I thought the reason I was having the Judas dreams had anything to do with those people at the Offerings. That I was being influenced by their vibes. I told him no way.”

  “You’ve changed your mind?”

  She shrugged. “Those Offerings have been going on for centuries. Then out of the blue one person is influenced by them?”

  Eve shrugged. “I don’t know. So much sin, so much wickedness.”

  “But maybe it was time for them to end. Evil can’t go on forever. Yet it seemed to be doing that. Judas’s guilt spawned two thousand years of horror. I wish we knew more about him. Why? He must have loved Jesus at one time. How did it all go wrong? I know people can convince themselves of anything, but what would trigger that betrayal? And all those other deaths committed in the name of Judas . . .”

  “And you were an instrument to stop them?”

  “Who, me?” She shook her head. “I wouldn’t presume. I was just there at the right place and the right time.”

  “And the right dream.”

  She chuckled. “Okay, the right dream. But I probably won’t have any other dreams like those again. I hope I don’t.”

  “But MacDuff hopes that you do.”

  “Too bad.” She squeezed Eve’s hand and stood up. “Now I’ve got to go find Joe and tell him that you’re awake. My cell doesn’t work in this hospital.”

  “Joe . . .” Eve was already closing her eyes. “Yes, I’m tired but I want to see Joe.”

  And Jane was already fading out of the picture as she usually did when Eve and Joe came together. That was okay. It was good that Eve had a rock like Joe in her life. Jane wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “Jane.”

  She looked back over her shoulder to see that Eve’s eyes were open. “Do you need something?”

  “The coins. What are you going to do with the coins?”

  “I have no idea right now. First, I’m going to call Tischler and have him meet me in Atlanta and let him examine the coins as I promised. Providing he doesn’t feel he has to get permission from the Israeli government.”

  “And if he does?”

  “If he doesn’t promise to keep it confidential, he’ll never see those coins again. No more deaths. I’m not going to let this become a bone for everyone to fight over. Even if I have to bury them in a cave as Hadar did.”

  “There’s always the Vatican.”

  “They’re having their own problems. But they may have the power we need. Though they may choose not to believe the coins are authentic. I don’t know. I’ll worry about that later.” She opened the door. “All I want to do now is to go to the lake cottage with you and Joe and forget that any of this happened.”

  “You won’t forget.”

  “I know,” she said soberly. “Not ever. But maybe after a while it won’t hurt as much. Being with you and Joe at the lake always makes all the bad things seem to go away.”

  “For me, too.” Eve smiled. “Let’s go home, Jane.”

  JANE GOT A CALL TWO MINUTES after she stepped out of the hospital. Lina Alsouk.

  “I’ve been trying to reach you,” Lina said impatiently. “The call didn’t go through.”

  “I was at the hospital with Eve.”

  “How is she? The head nurse said she was doing well when I called an hour ago.”

  “She’s awake now. Joe is with her.” She paused. “I meant to phone and check on you, Lina. Things just seemed to get out of hand.”

  “So Jock told me. I’m fine, better all the time. MacDuff wouldn’t let them take me to the hospital. I’m being coddled and nursed by MacDuff’s people.” She hesitated before adding grudgingly, “It’s not too bad.”

  “I’m sure it’s not. MacDuff is pro
bably feeling guilty about your injury.”

  “He should feel guilty. He let them take Eve. Where is she going after she leaves the hospital?”

  “Home to Atlanta.”

  There was a silence. “Then I’m going, too.”

  “What?”

  “Oh, I won’t get in her way. I’ll just be around when she needs me.”

  “What are you talking about? Eve can take care of herself.”

  “She saved my life.”

  “She won’t want you to feel obligated.”

  “She saved my life. I have to repay her.”

  “Lina, she won’t want—”

  “I don’t care. I’m going to hang up now. I want you to call that Venable person and tell him that he has to ease my way into going to the U.S. And I thought perhaps you should tell Eve that she won’t be alone.” She hung up.

  Jane shook her head as she hung up. This was a development she’d never thought would come to pass. What was Lina going to do? Camp out by the cottage with her AK-47? No, Lina was neither intrusive nor stupid. She’d keep a low profile whatever she did. Eve had evidently won Lina’s affection as well as her passionate gratitude, and she would express it in her own time and her own way.

  It wasn’t really Jane’s business. Since she felt she still owed Lina a debt, she would give Venable a call. Then she would deliver Lina’s message to Eve and leave it at that.

  Eve would be able to handle her . . . and the AK-47.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Lake Cottage

  Atlanta, Georgia

  Three weeks later

  “I’VE INVITED LINA TO DINNER tomorrow night,” Eve said. “I thought she’d like to try Joe’s barbecue.”

  “I’m sure she will.” Jane’s pencil raced over the pad, sketching Eve’s hand resting on the porch rail. Eve had wonderful hands, strong, beautifully shaped . . . “She’s being surprisingly sociable.”

  Eve chuckled. “She’s trying to be good, but she’s hovering.”

  “She cares about you. I thought she was being pretty subtle . . . for Lina. At first, I thought she was going to ascribe to that old Chinese philosophy that because you saved her life, it belonged to you. But it’s not that bad. She’s even keeping herself busy helping Tischler with his work on the coins at Georgia Tech.” She sighed in frustration as she tossed the pencil down on the porch swing. “I can’t do any more on this sketch. It’s getting too dark. I’ll have to finish tomorrow.”