16 Taking Eve

by Iris Johansen

  “Screw you. I like Jane MacGuire and Eve. One woman may be dying, and the other is missing. I’m finding this mess more than inconvenient, Zander.”

  “Because you’ve never been able to erase emotion from the equations.”

  “And you’ve always been able to do that.”

  “Not always. I had to learn. But I was a very quick learner.”

  “I can imagine,” Venable said sarcastically. “Fresh out of the cradle.”

  “Not quite that soon. I evolved. As soon as I realized that it could keep me alive if it made me think more logically. For instance, you’re not thinking straight at all because you’re emotionally involved. I’m rather surprised considering what I know about your background.”

  “And, of course, you’re able to deduce exactly what’s happening?”

  “No, but I can stroke in the outlines. Doane wanted Eve Duncan alone and vulnerable, and that wasn’t easy to manage. Their lives aren’t as independent as you’d have me believe. When Quinn isn’t around, Jane MacGuire is usually with Eve. It’s not a conscious decision, it just happens because of their affection for her. Doane waited until he knew Quinn was going to be out of town, and he recognized that this was the time. But Jane MacGuire was going to come for a visit, so she had to be diverted. Hence, an emergency in the Caribbean.” He paused, thinking. “I don’t know why he’d arrange for a sniper to take her out unless he needed more time and security to put his plans for Eve into place. Perhaps plans weren’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped. Things sometimes go wrong…”

  “Not for you.”

  “And I’d bet rarely for Doane. But he evidently had to rely on someone else to divert Jane MacGuire. That would be an unknown quantity with which he had to deal.”

  “Maybe he wanted Jane shot. It took Quinn out of the country and away from Eve.”

  “Maybe. Somehow, I don’t think so. Judging by what I’m deducing about Doane, he’s very proud of his planning ability. If he was part of his son’s murky past, he’d have had it down to an art form to escape scrutiny.”

  “Bastard.”

  “You have to admire the process if not the result.”

  “I don’t have to admire anything about him … or you.”

  “I’m getting very tired of your comparing me to Doane. I’m nothing like him. It’s like comparing Satan to a minor demon.” He was tired of talking to him. For some unknown reason, the news that Eve Duncan had been targeted had had an unusual effect on him. It wasn’t that he hadn’t expected it. The possibility had always been in the background. What he hadn’t expected was that it would matter. “Someday, I may show you how different we are, Venable.”

  “A threat, Zander?”

  “No, threats are without meaning. I never say anything without meaning. I gave that up a long time ago. Call me when you find out whether Eve Duncan is alive or dead.” He hung up.

  It was beginning. But now, at least, he knew how Doane was going to play his hand.

  Perhaps.

  He knew Doane was going to use Eve Duncan and not come straight at him. That didn’t mean that Doane might not manipulate the situation to suit himself. He was a vengeful, angry man and skilled in the game they both knew so well.

  It might prove interesting, and he hadn’t been intrigued by a chase in a long time. That was probably why the news about Eve Duncan had aroused a response.

  “I couldn’t help but hear your conversation,” Stang said quietly from his seat at the desk across the room. “I didn’t have a chance to leave the study.”

  “I know.” Zander smiled recklessly. “That’s okay, I’ve decided to take you into my confidence.”

  Stang’s eyes widened. “God, no.”

  “Come now. Step up to the plate. You might even find something that you can use as a weapon.”

  “I’m happy as I am. No one is more private than you. You’ll change your mind, but it may be too late for me.”

  “There’s always that possibility. Perhaps I’ll limit your access. That way you might survive.” He tilted his head. “Now what did you hear? Ah, Eve Duncan. She’s the star of our little scenario. Unless she’s dead. Even then, she’ll have a leading part. You’re not asking about her. Aren’t you curious?”

  “No.”

  “So wary…” He crossed to the desk and drew out his leather folio. He flipped it open. “Read all about them. That’s Eve. The man is Joe Quinn, and the other woman is Jane MacGuire. The queen and her two knights. Only Doane has removed the knights, and she’s alone now.”

  Stang was looking at the photos. “But you said she might be dead.”

  “Yes, it depends on what Doane wants. Shall I tell you about Doane?”

  “No.”

  “Perhaps later. It’s enough for you to know that he has the same ambition as you. He wants to kill me, and he thinks he has good reason to do it.”

  “I never said I wanted to kill you.”

  “No, you didn’t say it, did you? Perhaps you haven’t made up your mind yet.” He shrugged. “I rather enjoy not knowing. It gives life a little zip. However, you notice I always keep you within viewing distance. Tell me, did you love your brother, Sean?”

  “Yes, I loved him.” He added, “I was surprised when you let me come to work for you after he died. You must have known it would be dangerous.”

  “You were willing to take the risk, how could I resist? Life is boring without the chance of its ending popping up now and then. And, until you decide it’s time, you make me stacks of money and keep me organized.” He smiled. “But now I’ve changed the rules, and I want to see you react. It will be amusing. Since I’m putting you at risk, you might as well know everything about Eve and the situation.”

  Stang was silent a moment, studying Zander’s face. “You’re not behaving normally.”

  “When have I ever been normal?”

  “No, I mean you want to talk about this Eve Duncan. Something about the situation is bothering you.”

  Zander’s brows rose. “How perceptive you are. But it doesn’t take much insight to know that I wouldn’t consider moving my entire operation if I weren’t a little concerned.”

  “Consider? You told me to set about doing it.”

  “I’ve changed my mind.” He hadn’t realized that he was going to say those words until they came out. “Doane isn’t worth my going on the run. I’ll have to take him down sometime. It will be easier if I let him walk into a trap.” He glanced at the mountains looming outside the window. “Such a beautiful trap. So now that’s settled, there’s nothing more to be worried about.”

  “I didn’t say worried. I’ve never seen you worried. You’re just … unsettled.” He paused. “And I don’t believe you’d risk having to dispose of me if you weren’t—I don’t think you’re reacting as you usually do.”

  “Unsettled.” He repeated the word. “Yes, you may be right. Though I’m not sure I like being referred to in that way. It sounds a bit weak.”

  Stang shook his head. “An earthquake is unsettled, so is a volcano.”

  Zander threw back his head and laughed. “Now I like that better. A force of nature is much better for my ego.”

  Stang looked back at the photo. “Is it because she might be dead?”

  “No. Why should I care? I’ve never met her,” Zander said. “I thought you didn’t want to know about her.”

  “You want me to know. And at this point, it doesn’t matter any longer. You’ve pulled me in too deep.”

  “You think I want to share?” He shook his head. “You’re crazy, Stang.”

  “It was just a thought. So who is Eve Duncan?”

  “It’s all there in the dossier.”

  “No, who is she to you, Zander?”

  Who was Eve Duncan to him? It was a question that he had been asking himself of late. He had tried to dismiss it from his consciousness, but it kept recurring like a persistent nightmare.

  “Who is she to me?” Zander smiled faintly. “Why, Stang, I don�
��t really know. Perhaps my nemesis.”

  * * *

  “DAMMIT, THEY TOLD ME you were awake.”

  Jane opened her eyes to see Joe in the chair beside her bed. “Hi, Joe. I am awake. I was just dozing.”

  “Good. Then I’m not to blame for waking you. Though I would have done it anyway when I found out that you aren’t on death’s door. I have to know what’s going on.” He reached forward to give her a quick kiss on her forehead. “You scared us, baby. What the hell happened?”

  “Didn’t Devon and Margaret tell you?”

  “Yes, what they could. Toby and poison and Caleb on the trail…” His lips tightened. “None of it adds up to a reason for shooting you.”

  “It’s all we’ve got. Do you think I don’t know it’s crazy? That’s what I told Eve when I talked to her. Okay, from the moment I found out Toby was sick, nothing was reasonable. It just kept rolling downhill, picking up speed like an avalanche.” She shook her head. “And then I didn’t like the way Eve sounded when I was talking to her, and I thought maybe—I don’t know what I thought. Maybe that she was caught in the avalanche, too. That’s why I was getting on that plane to leave the island and go to Eve.” Her hand tightened on Joe’s. “When will she be here?”

  He didn’t answer.

  Her gaze narrowed on his face. “Joe?”

  “I don’t know, dammit. There’s … a problem.”

  “With Eve? Don’t tell me that.” She could feel her heart pounding. “What’s wrong? It’s not like you to—”

  “Quiet down. There may be nothing wrong. I just can’t get in touch with her. She was supposed to take a flight out of Atlanta.”

  Her gaze was frantically raking his expression. “But you think something is wrong. I can see it.” She was struggling to sit up. “So don’t tell me to quiet down. I have to go and—”

  “The hell you do.” His hands were on her shoulders, pushing her back down. “You’re wounded, dammit. Eve would kill both of us if I let you out of that bed.” He frowned. “Look at you. You’re pale as that sheet covering you, and we don’t know what kind of internal damage that bullet might have done.”

  And she was weak as a kitten, Jane realized with frustration. Her head was swimming after that instant of rebellion.

  Clear it. She had no option.

  “Tell me about Eve,” she said unsteadily.

  “There’s not much to tell. I just had a feeling something was wrong before I left home to go to Miami. Nothing concrete.”

  “And Ben had a dream that brought him to Eve. Nothing concrete there either. What else?”

  “Venable.” He filled her in on his conversations with Venable. “He wouldn’t admit to knowing anything about any threat to Eve … or you.” His lips twisted. “Nothing substantial for me to grab and hold.”

  “Shall I tell you what’s concrete?” Jane said. “Toby’s being poisoned is concrete, my being shot is concrete. So everything that led up to it is concrete, too.” She closed her eyes, and whispered, “And it’s scaring me to death, Joe. What’s happening?”

  “I’ll tell you what’s happening. We’re going to get you to that hospital in San Juan and have you examined and start having you treated. Then, if Eve hasn’t shown up, and Venable hasn’t got a clue, I’ll leave you and go find her.”

  “Go now.” Her eyes flew open. “I’ll follow you as soon as I can. You know that’s what we both want you to do. She’s the only one who is important.”

  “Not quite.” He held up his hand as she opened her lips to protest. “Though I may not show it all the time, you do have some importance to me.”

  “I know you love me.” She added simply, “But I’m not Eve. It’s not your fault that you have problems seeing anyone but her in the scheme of things. I feel the same way.” She moistened her lips. “Look, I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll let you drop me off at that hospital in San Juan, but then you leave immediately, the minute they tell you that I’m not going to die or do anything else stupid.”

  He smiled faintly. “Dying isn’t usually described as being stupid.”

  “I won’t die.” Her hand clenched on the sheet. “But they may not let me out of that hospital as quickly as I’d like. So you’ve got to go on and see what happened to Eve. Tell me you’ll do it.”

  He was silent a moment before he shrugged. “You know I‘ll do it. No one can accuse me of not being callous and self-centered.”

  “You’re not callous.” She said quietly, “And if being self-centered means you’re focused on Eve, then I wouldn’t have you any other way. Now go away and see if you can find out anything about that air ambulance that’s supposed to take me out of here. I hate lying in this bed.”

  “No, you want to jump up and run over all of us to get to Eve.” He bent down and brushed his lips on her forehead. “I’ll get you to San Juan as fast as I can. But I think after I check, I’ll go after Caleb and see if he’s found out anything.”

  “I expected that.” She closed her eyes. “So much alike. You’re both warriors…”

  “We’re nothing alike,” he said as he headed for the door. “There’s no one on earth like Seth Caleb. He’s a throwback.”

  She couldn’t deny that when she had often seen that streak of barbarism in Caleb. “He’s also a hunter, and you wouldn’t be a cop if that weren’t in your makeup. And you’re not that tame yourself, Joe.”

  He didn’t answer, and she realized that he had left the room.

  Keep calm. Relax. She was so damn weak. Emotional and physical tension would make the healing process slower, and she must get well. She had to get to Eve.

  Eve …

  * * *

  DAMMIT, THE BASTARD HAD GOTTEN away.

  Caleb felt the anger tear through him as he looked out to sea. It was too late. He probably hadn’t had a chance to get the son of a bitch. He’d made his choice to either go after the shooter or try to save Jane.

  There hadn’t really been a choice. He would not give up Jane.

  But it didn’t stop the rage. The blood was pounding through his body, and he could feel the throbbing of the vein in his temple.

  Not good.

  He had to regain control before he saw Jane again. She was wary of the savage thread that was an integral part of his character. Even if that savagery had been instigated by the attack on her.

  Caleb lifted his head as he heard the sound of the plane coming in from the south.

  The air ambulance, he thought as he whirled away from the small inlet. It was about time. It had been less than forty-five minutes since he’d left Jane, but it had seemed longer.

  He started to run toward the airfield. No use going back to the animal hospital. He’d meet them at the airfield. Maybe by that time, he’d be under control.

  Run.

  Use every muscle, every breath.

  Block out the bloodlust …

  CHAPTER

  6

  THE SMALL AIR AMBULANCE WAS taxiing toward the hangar when Caleb came over the hill.

  No sign of a vehicle or van yet.

  Good.

  He was almost calm enough to act civilized. Just a little more time, and he would—

  “Where have you been?”

  Caleb stopped and slowly turned toward the man who had come out of the rain forest.

  Quinn.

  He stiffened and felt the familiar wariness sweep through him that any encounter with Joe Quinn ignited. Quinn was always a threat both because of his basic character and his position in Jane’s life. He drew a deep breath. “I’ve been looking for the shooter. What do you think I’ve been doing?”

  “There’s never any way of knowing. And did you find him?”

  “No.” He started down the road toward the aircraft. “He had a speedboat drawn up onshore in an inlet a couple miles from the airfield. I saw where he pushed off. He didn’t waste any time after he shot Jane.”

  “How did you know about the inlet?”

  He shrugged. “I went to th
e hangar where he took his shot and started tracking him.”

  “On these hard dirt roads and the rain forest? Impressive.”

  “Not really. But I am good at it.”

  “I bet you are,” Joe murmured.

  “Yes, you can bet on it.” He met Joe’s eyes. “Just as I can bet that you chose to come here for the same reason I did. You needed a start, and you thought that the hangar would furnish you with something to go on.”

  “I was actually hoping to use your ‘talent’ to help me track him. I thought it would save time.”

  “Use me?”

  “You don’t like the word? Yes, I’ll use you, Caleb. I don’t like the idea of you with Jane. You’re not only unstable, you’re uncanny as hell. It’s her choice, but I might as well get something out of this.” He smiled without mirth. “Now, did you find anything at that inlet that I can use to get to the bottom of this?”

  “No.”

  “Are you lying to me?”

  He glanced back over his shoulder. “It’s always a possibility, but as it happens I’m telling the truth.” He suddenly smiled. “But you made the question too specific. It gave me an out.”

  “Specific.”

  “I didn’t find anything at the inlet. But I found something at the hangar. They have security cameras, Quinn.”

  “What?”

  “I thought that would interest you.” He pulled out a security video disk from his jacket pocket. “We just might get a break.”

  Joe took at step closer and held out his hand. “Give it to me.”

  Caleb stepped back. “I don’t think so. You don’t like to share.”

  “Give it to me, Caleb.” Joe’s voice was soft but laden with menace.

  “Don’t push me, Quinn.” Caleb said. “You don’t want to do that.”

  “The hell I don’t. I’m mad and I’m scared and the two women I love may be targets of some creep who doesn’t give a damn how wonderful they are. I’ll push the world off its axis if I need to do it.”

  Caleb hadn’t expected Quinn to admit to that vulnerability. The bastard was tough as nails. But maybe he should have expected it. Every man had a weakness, and Eve and Jane were clearly Quinn’s. “I can see dire consequences if you interfere with gravity. Maybe we can work out a way to accommodate both of us.”