The Perfect Witness

by Iris Johansen

  Allie looked down at her torn and filthy shirt and pants. “What there is left of them.”

  “Exactly.”

  She jumped off the table and followed Megan into the outer office. “And I want to stop in and see McKeller if that’s okay.”

  “For a few minutes. He’ll be glad to see you. He was asking about you.”

  “I don’t see how he could even remember me. He was in such pain yesterday.”

  “People have a habit of remembering kindness … and caring. In the end, we have to forget the horrors and cling to the love.”

  “Who is this?” Allie had stopped beside the bulletin board beside the bathroom door. She was looking at a photo of a fair-haired child of about ten or eleven. The little girl was smiling, her face brimming with happiness. “She’s beautiful. Your daughter?”

  “No, Neal and I have no children. It didn’t seem the time.” She came over to the bulletin board and gently touched the photo with one finger. “Her name is Elizabeth Delft. I asked her parents to send me a photo of her. Not that I wouldn’t remember her. I just wanted to remind myself why I was here when the times got bad.” She turned away. “She was one of the children Mandak brought to me. We were able to save the rest, but she died of complications from a drug overdose. It was not a merciful death.”

  She left the office.

  Allie stood there, frozen, staring at the photo after the door had closed behind Megan.

  She had always been touched and angry about the stories about those children who had been victimized, but this hit home in an entirely personal way. That beautiful child …

  She reached out and gently touched the photo as Megan had done.

  Hello, Elizabeth. I’ll say a prayer for you to Lee and Natalie. Maybe they’ll be able to find you and help you as they did me.

  Then she turned away and went into the bathroom. Her muscles were stiff and sore, not surprising considering what she had been through.

  She avoided looking in the mirror except for one brief glance before she got into the shower. Dark circles beneath her eyes. Her jaw firm and set. She looked … harder.

  And that was how she felt. Stark and bare. As if all the softness had been trimmed away.

  Leaving what behind?

  God only knew.

  * * *

  “IT’S NOT MY FAULT, PRALAND,” Aman Kobu said desperately. “I told you that I thought they were heading for Talboa. I used my men as you told me. We even managed to take out McKeller going back to the embassy. But the men I picked up in the village weren’t adequate. You should have sent me—”

  “Mandak and the woman got away?” Praland asked softly. “Now how did that happen, Kobu? You killed a priest, a pilot, and the clerk from the embassy. All people I did not give a damn about. Yet Mandak flew away as if you didn’t exist.” He paused. “Which is what I’m beginning to wish would happen.”

  “Everything was happening too quickly. We thought he was at one end of the lake, then we saw him by the helicopter.” He said quickly, “But I’ll find him, Praland. I’ve been searching for someone who can tell me anything. You know I have contacts all over the country. I’ve been questioning the people in the village for hours and seeing—”

  “You’re wasting your time. You won’t be able to locate him now. Those ashes were an opportunity, and you failed me. But there will be another opportunity. He has this Allie Girard, and the fool actually must believe he can use her. If he does, he’ll come knocking on my door.” He paused and said thoughtfully, “It may be amusing to see if my tiger likes the taste of Mandak’s little friend as much as he did the whore I gave him for company a few hours ago.”

  The tiger.

  Kobu broke into a sweat. “It wasn’t my fault,” he repeated.

  “I believe you need to come back to the palace and explain to me how it wasn’t your fault, Kobu. I’m having trouble understanding.”

  “I’ll come back soon. Right now, I’m still searching. You know that I’ll do everything I can to—”

  “You sound a little breathless. You must be searching very hard. I’ll allow you another day to bring me Mandak and that woman. After that, I’ll send Hans Bruker to escort you back here. Have a nice hunt, Kobu.” He hung up.

  One more day, Kobu thought.

  His heart was beating hard as he jammed the phone in his jacket.

  He had to find Mandak and Allie Girard, or he was a dead man. He might not even make it back to the palace. Bruker could be almost as vicious as Praland, and he’d never liked Kobu.

  No, he’d survive somehow. He’d always been able to wriggle his way out of every tight corner.

  But this time he didn’t see how he was going to do it.

  And the tiger was waiting.

  * * *

  “KOBU SCREWED UP,” PRALAND said as he turned to Hans Bruker. “He’s history. And you may get the privilege of taking care of it.”

  Bruker smiled. “I’ll enjoy it. He’s an arrogant little prick. But you gave him another day.”

  “Desperation can accomplish miracles. He may actually come up with Mandak.”

  Bruker’s eyes narrowed on his face. “You’re not as upset as I thought you’d be.”

  “I thought there was a chance Mandak would slip away from Kobu. As I told him, there’s another way of springing a trap.” He started to dial his phone. “But first one must prepare that trap with suitable bait.” The phone rang three times before it was answered. “Ah, Camano, I’ve decided to forgive you for making such an outrageous mess of the opportunity I gave you to rid ourselves of a common problem. I’m going to give you another chance.”

  * * *

  MANDAK WAS SITTING ON THE wooden bench outside the clinic when Allie came out of the building. He was dressed in jeans and a casual black shirt, and his dark hair shone in the sunlight. His legs were stretched out before him and he looked lazy and sensual and yet she could sense wariness. Strange, she was always the one who was wary. Wary of what to expect from him, wary of what she felt when she was with him. But she wasn’t wary now. Too much had happened. She felt the usual tension, the tingling awareness, but it didn’t intimidate her.

  He smiled. “Hey, amazing what can be done with a little soap and water. We both look almost civilized.” He got to his feet. “How are you doing?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I guess as good as can be expected. I’m pretty raw inside. I’m confused and angry and sad. I stopped by and saw McKeller. It made me feel happy to see how much better he’s doing. What’s going to happen to him now?”

  “When he’s well enough to travel, we’ll send him out of the country to someplace safe.”

  “That’s good.” She paused. “And Father Elwyn and Thorne? Who is taking care of—”

  “Renata sent her people in to retrieve them and begin arrangements according to any wishes that they’d expressed.”

  “More arrangements. More deaths. I’m glad Renata was so quick. I felt as if we’d abandoned them.” She looked around the neat, clean little village that seemed to be occupied principally by uniformed hospital personnel. “When we were flying in, I couldn’t even tell this place was here. It’s very well camouflaged.”

  “I told you, the clinic has to be secure. We made damn sure that it was safe.” He walked with her toward the rocks sheltered by the overhanging cliff that overlooked the Indian Ocean. “We even have a twenty-four-hour watch to spot any boats that come too close to the area.” He dropped down on the rocks. “Sit down. Relax. Watching the surf can be soothing.”

  “And you think I need soothing?” She sat down beside him. “Maybe I do.” She looked out at the sea. “But I don’t think that this is going to do it for me.”

  “I don’t either. It’s long past that, isn’t it?” His gaze searched her face. “You look … frozen.”

  “That’s the way I feel.” Her gaze shifted to his face. “When I told you that I’d made my decision to help you get Praland, I didn’t really know what that mean
t. I thought I did. Lee and Natalie wanted their son avenged. I wanted to give them what they wanted.” She moistened her lips. “But yesterday it all came home to me.”

  “And you want to back away?”

  “I didn’t say that.” She stared him in the eye. “He’s a monster. He kills innocent people. He made me kill. I’ll never back away until you have your ledger and Praland can’t use it to kill any longer. I won’t back away until Praland is dead.” She smiled bitterly. “So I guess you have what you’ve always wanted, Mandak.”

  “It appears that I have,” he said harshly. “Lucky me.”

  “Not pleased? You can’t have it all ways.”

  “The hell I can’t. I’m going to do my damnedest.” He got to his feet and started back down the path. “Come on. We’ll go to the commissary and get something to eat. You look as if you’re ready to blow away. I have to keep you fit, don’t I? I have a few ideas that might help move us along at a faster pace. I’ll go over them with you. Then we’ll see about getting out of here.”

  She had to almost run to catch up with him. “You’re suddenly in a great hurry.”

  “I’ve always been in a hurry, but I wanted to do it right. Now I have to take advantage of the fact that you’re being so damn accommodating. I can’t waste a minute.” He looked over his shoulder and his eyes were cold and fierce and yet something else that could be hurt. “After all, it’s all I ever wanted.”

  * * *

  “I CAN’T EAT ANY MORE.” ALLIE pushed the plate of chicken away from her. “Stop trying to force-feed me.” She looked around the pristine-clean cafeteria. “Though both the food and the place are appetizing.”

  “Megan’s work again. Not only is the staff kept happy, but we get fighters and specialists who use the clinic as a base while they’re on their missions. A good hot meal is appreciated by all and sundry. You didn’t eat as much as I wished, but it will have to do.”

  “To keep me fit?” she asked sarcastically.

  “Absolutely. Why else?” He took a notebook out of his jacket pocket. “You may need every bit of that strength if things don’t work out the way I want them to. I think we may have found a way to get you to Praland.” He flipped open the cover. “Aman Kobu.”

  She stiffened. She had a sudden memory of Kobu’s wild, furious face as he ran toward the helicopter. “You told me that he was one of Praland’s officers. For God’s sake, he was giving the orders to those men. He probably gave the order to kill the priest and Thorne.”

  “It’s more than likely.”

  “And you think you can use that homicidal bastard?” She shook her head emphatically. “No way. I can’t forget his eyes when he was screaming and running toward us. He looked like a crazy man.”

  “He’s not too sane.” Mandak shrugged. “But you can say the same thing about any of the men who work for Praland. They all have a generous amount of sadism in their makeup. Praland chooses them for that very reason. It makes his army feared by the people in the countryside. Besides, they know that they can earn decent money and occasionally get their thrill.”

  “Like when Kobu killed Father Elwyn.”

  “That’s a good example.”

  “It’s a terrible example.”

  “We’re talking about Kobu’s psychological makeup. I looked up his history with Praland today after I woke from my nap. I already knew quite a bit about him because I’d dealt with him over the years. But I have to make a judgment, so I went in depth.” He met her eyes. “Because, if I guess wrong, one or both of us will end up dead.”

  She wanted to protest, but Mandak was no fool. He must have reasons. She had to listen to him. “So tell me about that maniac.”

  “Kobu grew up in Tanzania and was recruited by Praland when he was a boy. He was a bandit by the time he was twelve and did his first kill at thirteen. He fit right in with Praland’s men. He’s an efficient soldier most of the time. He obeys orders and rose in the ranks. He likes to think of himself as superior to all of Praland’s other officers.” He grimaced. “Which doesn’t sit well with Hans Bruker, who cherishes his power as second-in-command. Bruker is always undercutting Kobu to Praland.” He paused. “And that may be our wild card.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Praland isn’t tolerant of fools or inefficiency. With Bruker constantly rubbing salt in the wounds, Praland has probably been making Kobu feel very insecure.” He tilted his head. “Remember, you said that Kobu looked desperate when he was chasing us? It was your first impression of him. Desperation.”

  “Of course. He was losing. We were getting away.”

  “Praland wants my head. I’m very high on his hit list. He’s been dreaming about getting his hands on me for years.” He lightly tapped her chest. “And Camano had to have told him that you’d be a threat to him. I’m sure Kobu had orders to bring us to him for fun and games.”

  “Like Simon.”

  “Oh, much worse than Simon. I humiliated Praland, and that was an unthinkable sin.” He smiled. “And that leaves Kobu in a terrible position. Praland will be bringing him back to the palace for punishment. Kobu has been a participant at too many of Praland’s torture sessions, and he has to know what to expect.” He nodded at his phone. “I just checked with one of Renata’s agents assigned to watch Kobu, and he’s been frantically questioning villagers and trying to track down any of the Devanez agents who might be forced to talk. He’s even been trying to find out the registration number on the helicopter. Praland evidently is allowing him enough rope to hang himself. But that won’t last long. We’ve got to move fast.”

  “And do what?” she asked warily.

  “Why, we’ve got to go rescue Kobu. We can’t let him be savaged when he can be so helpful to us.”

  “No way,” she said flatly.

  “Bitterness.” He nodded. “I’m bitter, too. But I prefer to make Kobu work his fanny off for us.” He smiled brilliantly. “And kill him later.”

  “And how do you intend to do that?”

  “You need to be within thirty feet of Praland to be able to have a chance at reading his memories. Not an easy thing to arrange without getting yourself killed.”

  “I can see the problem,” she said dryly.

  “We need someone who knows the palace and the areas where Praland can be found with a degree of privacy. I’m familiar with the general layout of the place but not Praland’s most frequent haunts. But Kobu is both a sneaky son of a bitch and is familiar with Praland, the palace, and the gate codes.”

  “And we’re supposed to be able to persuade him to guide me to Praland?”

  He nodded. “Not we. That’s really my job. You told me that all I had to do was give you access to Praland.” He added, “So I do the prep work, then let you handle the rest.”

  “How … simple.” She looked down at the notebook. “What kind of prep work?”

  “I go to Kobu’s camp tonight, and we have a little chat. Then he agrees to do anything I want him to do.”

  She gazed at him in disbelief. “You’re going into his camp alone? His men will tear you apart.”

  “Not if I handle the situation right. I don’t believe I’ll have a problem getting into Kobu’s tent. After that, it’s just a question of overcoming mental resistance.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s what I do. It’s part of my particular talent.” He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “Sometimes, if I choose, I can go into a mind and scan character traits and personal feelings that make up a subject’s personality. Then I can bend and whittle at those traits to mold them to the way I want them to go.”

  “What?” She stared at him in horror. “Is that what you did to me when you were supposedly helping me get rid of those memories blocking me?”

  “No. Hell, no,” he said with emphasis. “I knew you’d jump in that direction. I said ‘if I choose.’ I did exactly what I told you I was doing. I eased the ugliness and pain and made it break and release. I did not interfere in any
other way. I’m not even sure I could have changed anything in that mind of yours if I’d tried. Your personality is very strong.” He stared her in the eye. “And even if the opportunity was there, I would never do that. Not to you. Not ever.”

  She believed him. She couldn’t take her eyes away from him. She felt chained, held. In all the years she had known Mandak, she had never seen him this intense, this sincere. “And you weren’t tempted to try?”

  He shook his head. “I have a code. I stick to it. God knows, it took me a lot of mistakes to develop it. When I was experimenting when I was a wild kid, it was a heady power to have. It was like being a surgeon or a sculptor.”

  “Or a Frankenstein.”

  He inclined his head. “There are elements of that, too. But Renata and the family were able to use me in that way every now and then. It can be tremendously valuable to influence and change the way the bad guys look at any given subject. I could even sometimes turn them against each other. They sent me after some very bad scum. Why not? Those minds were pure filth, and who cared? Anything I did could only make them better.” He grimaced. “But it wasn’t making me any better. I was beginning to like the power too much. I didn’t like the man I was turning into. I told Renata that something had to change.”

  “And she immediately cut out those missions.”

  He nodded. “Good guess.”

  “No guess. She cares about you. And anyone can see she’s protective. She’d want you to stop if it was going to hurt you in any way.”

  “But she knew she had to keep me busy, so she found something else for me to do that would give me enough of a challenge and still be useful.” His lips twisted. “And might possibly let me keep my soul intact.”

  “A Searcher.”

  “Yes. It was a noble and worthwhile job and not as boring as I thought it would be. Renata was smart enough to throw in an occasional violent and bloody mission against Praland and his men that was pure pleasure.” He smiled. “So you see, I’m fully qualified to go after Kobu in that way.”

  “I don’t know any such thing. All I know is that you’re looking forward to being Frankenstein again.”