Hunting Eve

by Iris Johansen

  “He went to the Georgia-Pacific head forestry office in South Georgia to look at their maps and talk to a few of their forestry experts. He’s hoping to nudge a few memories.” She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands. The glare of the computer screen had been bothering her for the past hour. She knew she should take a break, but the sense of urgency wouldn’t permit it. “He said he knew a supervisor there.”

  “Male or female?” Caleb murmured.

  “It doesn’t matter. Stop it, Caleb.”

  “I just wanted to judge the possibilities of success.” His gaze was narrowed on her face. “Are your eyes hurting?”

  “Just tired.”

  “Do you want me to make it go away?”

  She looked at him. “What?”

  “We all have our own talents. I can’t woo the birds from the trees like Trevor, but I bet I could make any ache in your body vanish … or begin.” He smiled. “I’m particularly interested in your response now that I’ve donated blood to you, and you have my blood coursing through your veins. Don’t you want to experiment? There are all kinds of stories in my family history about instances of cross—”

  “Stories or myths?” Jane interrupted dryly.

  “If we experimented, we’d know.” He reached forward and gently put his hand over her eyes. “But this doesn’t require any experimentation. This is easy.”

  Warmth.

  A healing rush of blood.

  Revitalization.

  Soothing rivers of sensation …

  “Easy?” She took his hand away from her face. “I’ve no desire to experiment, easy or not, Caleb.”

  “I know. You’re very stubborn. Everything has to be completely normal and reasonable.” He added lightly, “That’s why I had to sneak that one in. But your eyes are better now, aren’t they?”

  She couldn’t deny it. They felt totally normal, rested, and as if she’d had a full night of sleep.

  “It could have nothing to do with you. I just had a moment of rest.”

  “True. And now they feel completely rested and you’ll be able to use them free of strain or pain.” He smiled. “It should last all day if you don’t abuse them too badly.” He took his computer out of his bag. “Now what other area do you want me to scan? I downloaded another site last night that has upper California and—”

  He stopped as her phone rang. He glanced at the ID as he picked it up from the bedside table and handed it to her. “Venable.”

  She pressed the speaker, and her hand tightened on the phone. “What’s happening, Venable? Have you heard—”

  “Nothing about Eve.” He cut her short. “Have you heard from Kendra or Margaret?”

  “I haven’t heard from Margaret since she left here. I called Kendra myself earlier. I didn’t talk to her for long. She said she was in the middle of something, and she’d call me back.”

  “Oh, she was in the middle of something all right,” he said grimly. “And did she call you back?”

  “No.” Jane had actually been glad that Kendra had not done so. She hadn’t wanted to make explanations about asking her to look for that damn dreamscape. “Not yet. Have you talked to her?”

  “I’ve been trying like hell to talk to her. She’s not answering her phone.”

  “That’s not like her. She’s completely professional. Maybe something’s happened.” Dear God, she hoped that was wrong. She should have spoken longer to her, she should have— “Why are you trying to reach her?”

  “To find out what she knows about a dead police officer at Doane’s house in Goldfork.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. There was a young officer shot and some kind of explosion at the house itself.”

  “What does that have to do with Kendra? Joe called and told me she was heading in that direction, but she would never be involved in a crime.”

  “I’m not accusing her. I’m saying that the first agent I sent who arrived at the house checked the entry book and her name was the last one on the page. It was close to the time of the officer’s death. Chances are that she knows something.”

  “Or that she may have been hurt or killed or taken captive by the person who killed that officer. Why don’t you send someone to look for her?”

  “Do you think I haven’t?” he asked roughly. “We have a dead cop and a house that looks like it’s been bombed. The interior damage could also reflect a search and possible recovery. And all we have on the positive side is maybe Kendra Michaels who might have knowledge of what went on there. You’re damn right I’m looking for her.” He paused. “And possibly for Margaret Douglas. Someone of her description was reported to be in the neighborhood earlier in the afternoon. She’s very memorable.”

  Yes, everyone remembered Margaret, Jane thought. “Have you tried to phone her?”

  “Yes, no answer. That’s when I tried you.”

  “I’ll call them both and let you know if I get through. Have you called Joe?”

  “He’s next on the list.” He was silent a moment. “If you get in touch with either one, tell them to call me and for God’s sake keep a low profile. Goldfork is a small town, and everyone knows everyone else. They’re not going to take kindly to the killing of one of their own. The West may have its own code toward women, but it might not be pretty if they don’t give the right answers.” He hung up.

  “It appears that our Margaret is causing a stir,” Caleb said, as Jane pressed the disconnect. “Explosions and dead bodies?”

  “That’s not Margaret. Most of Venable’s suspicions were aimed at Kendra Michaels.”

  “I’ve never met the lady. I only know what you’ve told me. However, I do know Margaret, and I’d judge she’s capable of more than you’d think. She’d definitely rise to the occasion.”

  “We don’t even know if Kendra and Margaret are together. Kendra never mentioned—” But Jane had not given Kendra the opportunity to tell her much of anything. She’d been too eager to get off the phone. But Jane had known that Kendra was going to Goldfork, and Margaret had told her the same thing before she’d left the hospital that morning. It was logical to assume that they’d run into each other and combined forces.

  Maybe.

  Her hands clenched at her sides. How the hell did Jane know what had happened stuck in this damn hospital room? “I can’t be sure, can I? I wasn’t there. I should have been there, but I wasn’t.”

  “Jane.”

  “If you’re going to be soothing, I’ll probably deck you.” Her hand was shaking as she dialed the number for Kendra Michaels that Joe had given her. “There’s a dead man, and Kendra and Margaret are probably in trouble. Do you know what I told Margaret before she left? I said that I was probably a bad person, but that I was glad that someone was going to do what I couldn’t while I was lying here in this hospital. Well, Margaret was in that town, doing what I should have been doing.” The phone was ringing. No answer.

  Then the voice mail.

  “It’s Jane, call me.”

  She hung up.

  She dialed Margaret.

  No answer.

  Three rings. No answer.

  Voice mail.

  “Margaret, dammit, what’s happening?”

  She hung up, completely frustrated.

  She was feeling helpless and she couldn’t bear it.

  She drew a deep breath and called Joe.

  Vancouver Airport

  “THANK GOD, YOU ANSWERED. Did Venable call you?” Jane asked.

  “I just hung up from him,” Joe said. “He said you were upset about Kendra and Margaret. Hell, I’m upset, too.” He could tell from Jane’s tone when he’d picked up the phone that Venable was right. Definitely shaky and strained. “But Kendra’s smart. She’ll be okay.” He paused. “It sounds as if she might have made a breakthrough at Goldfork. And I’ll bet she’ll have info we can use when she surfaces.” He hoped to God he’d win that bet. It seemed as if they were spinning their wheels, and it was driving him crazy. “Don’t worr
y, Jane. After I finish here with Zander, I’ll fly down there and find out what’s going on if they’ve not checked in.”

  “Don’t worry?” Jane’s voice had a brittle edge. “Oh, that’s right. Heaven forbid that I have to worry about Kendra or Margaret or you. After all, I’m the important one. Only that’s not true. Eve is the important one.” She drew a long, shaky breath. “I’m sorry, Joe. I’m just stressed, and I shouldn’t take it out on you. Don’t pay any attention to me.”

  “I always pay attention to you. That’s what love’s all about.”

  “Yeah, but in this case I should fade into the background. It’s the least I can do. No, it appears it’s the only thing I can do. Let me know about Zander. Stay safe, Joe.” She hung up.

  Joe slowly pressed the disconnect. He had probably said all the wrong things to Jane. He wasn’t thinking too straight at the moment. She must feel chained and terribly ineffectual, and that would be pure torture for a woman of her character. She was like Eve in that.

  Eve again. Everything came back to Eve. His every comparison, his every thought. Jane was right, nothing mattered next to the task of finding Eve and bringing her back home to them.

  What was happening to her now?

  A surge of pure agony.

  Fight it off. He couldn’t function if he let it overcome him.

  He turned and headed for the airport exit.

  Get to Zander.

  Do your job.

  * * *

  “OKAY?” CALEB WAS STUDYING Jane’s expression. “I gather from hearing your side of the conversation with Quinn that it wasn’t particularly satisfactory.”

  “It was soothing and concerned and affectionate. Satisfactory? He told me not to worry. He’d take care of it when he had time.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “I am worried. Something’s wrong with Kendra and Margaret. Something’s happened.”

  “On the threat of being decked, may I offer a possible explanation?”

  “No. Kendra is professional. She believes in cooperation. Margaret is the furthest away possible from professional, but she has more empathy than anyone I’ve ever met. She’d know what I’m feeling. She wouldn’t ignore me.”

  “Very clear reasoning. But what if neither of them wishes to explain what happened at that house at Goldfork? The simplest way to avoid it would be to not answer the phone.” He smiled. “Of course, if you’re bound and determined to think that they’re both at death’s door, there’s nothing I can do about it. But exceptional people generally do survive, Jane.”

  “And is Eve going to survive, too?” she asked fiercely. “She’s exceptional. No one is more exceptional than Eve. To keep her alive is the reason Kendra and Margaret went to Goldfork.” She closed her eyes. “I was trying to fool myself that I was doing some good here, but it’s all fairy tales. And you let me do it, didn’t you, Caleb?”

  “Yes. Does that make me the bad guy? Okay, I’m accustomed to the role. Sometimes, I even enjoy it.”

  “No, I won’t blame you,” she said wearily. “You just went along because you wanted to keep me occupied and docile in this damn hospital.”

  “Docile? You?” He chuckled. “That wasn’t about to happen.”

  “Well, it worked, didn’t it?” Her eyes opened, and she blinked to stop the stinging. “I wanted to be useful, and I thought it was happening.”

  “Maybe it was happening. We don’t know yet.”

  “What we do know is that Kendra and Margaret were doing my job and ran into something they couldn’t handle.” She moistened her lips. “And I feel guilty as hell. I’ve got to get out of here, Caleb.”

  He shook his head. “There’s no way that those doctors are going to let you go. They said three days, and they meant it. Look at you. You’re shaking. You don’t have a fever right now, but it will come back if you overdo it.”

  “I don’t care. I have to do it.”

  “And have Joe rush back because you’re on the verge of collapse before you can even get to the airport? You’d be more of a burden than a help.”

  That’s what Margaret had said, Jane remembered. She’d been angry at the words, but she’d had to admit their truth. The last thing she wanted to do was to get in the way of finding Eve because she was too weak to get out of the way. And she was having to admit the truth that Caleb was speaking, she thought in desperation.

  “I’ll be okay. I won’t get in anyone’s way. We’ll just have to make sure they don’t tell Joe,” she said. “Just help me get out of here, Caleb. I’m not thinking too well right now, but you know how to manipulate the system. Look how you managed to get papers for Margaret. There has to be a way.”

  Caleb didn’t speak for a moment.

  “Yes, there’s always a way.” He added softly, “But you don’t usually like the ways I choose.”

  “I don’t care. Get me out of here in a way that’s safe for Joe.”

  He reached over and one index finger touched her damp lash. “I don’t like to see you this way. It … disturbs me.”

  “It disturbs me that I have to ask for help. I’m doing it anyway. Help me.” She met his eyes. “Or I’ll help myself.”

  “And that would disturb me even more.” His finger moved to her upper lip. “You’ll have problems. You’ll have to trust me. That’s against your nature. You’re sure?”

  “Get me out of here.”

  He nodded slowly. “Get into bed.”

  “What?”

  “You want out of here? The only way is to have a miraculous recovery and get the doctors to agree to dismiss you. That will appease Joe, and he won’t rush back. Agreed?”

  “Yes,” she said warily.

  “So get into bed.” He pulled her to her feet. “And we’ll get on with it.”

  “On with what?”

  “Your miraculous recovery.” He gently pushed her down on the bed. “What else?”

  “We’re going to fool those doctors into thinking I’m well?”

  “You have very good doctors, Jane. Quinn made sure of that before he left you here. They wouldn’t be fooled. They rely on medical science and experience.”

  “Then what are—” Her eyes widened as he began unbuttoning her pajama top. “Caleb?”

  “I told you that you wouldn’t like this.” His dark eyes were glittering, and his smile was reckless. “But you can stop me at any time. Maybe.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Your miraculous recovery. I can give it to you. It may be temporary, but you’ll be well enough to get a free pass from the medical staff here.”

  “What do you mean, you can give it to me?”

  “Blood.” He carefully removed the bandage covering the wound in her shoulder. “It’s magic. We’re going to see if my blood in your veins will answer me if I call on it.” He unbuttoned his shirt. “I believe I can do it on my own, but the effect may be doubled. Wouldn’t that be interesting?”

  “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” But she couldn’t take her eyes from the corded muscles of his chest, the dark thatch of hair, the sheer masculine virility. “And I’m not sure I want to know.” He was coming toward her, and she instinctively tensed. “And I know the so-called magic blood stuff you seem to be able to pull off with your enemies. It’s fatal.”

  “But that’s only with enemies. You’ve only seen my bad side.” He was standing next to the bed, and he reached out and touched the wound. “This is so ugly. It will be good to see it healed.”

  She inhaled sharply.

  Burning.

  Skin tautening.

  Deep explosion of tension.

  “You like that?” His fingers gently rubbed around the wound. “Yes, I can see that you do.”

  “Are you saying that you can cause that wound to heal?”

  “No, I’m not a healer. But you can do it yourself.” He smiled. “With my help…”

  “How … can I do it?”

  “Send the blood to the wound. Blood is healing.
As a matter of fact, medical facilities all over the world are experimenting with laser treatments to cause the blood to rush to injured areas of the body. They work very well.” He touched the wound. “But I’m much better at it.”

  She gasped.

  Not pain.

  Heat.

  Exquisite, flowing, heat.

  “You see, that’s how it starts,” he said softly. “I touch, we touch, the flow begins. But it becomes very intimate, and that’s the part I can’t control. Because even without a physical joining, the mind can become obsessive and doesn’t want to release. All I can do is try.” He tilted his head. “But you’ll get what you want, Jane. If you’re not afraid to reach out and take it. Yes, or no?”

  She stared at him. She didn’t underestimate anything he had told her. How could she when he had always been a mystery to her? When she had asked him for help, she hadn’t dreamed he would go down this dark path. Perhaps she should have, he had always been a figure of darkness and fire to her. Once she had even wanted to paint him surrounded by flames … She should probably tell him that she had changed her mind and that she’d work the problem out for herself.

  But she wasn’t going to do it. He had said that he could give her what she needed, what Eve needed.

  If Jane wasn’t afraid to take it. He had thrown that challenge at her, and through all the frantic desperation, it had sparked fire.

  “Yes or no?” he repeated.

  She held out her hand to him. “Yes.”

  He smiled. “I thought so.” He moved her to the side of the bed. He kicked off his shoes and lay down beside her. “Remember, I gave you the choice.”

  “What are you doing?” The warmth of his body next to her came as a shock. “Is this—It’s a hospital. What if someone comes in?”

  “I’ll know if they’re coming. As Margaret would say, it’s part of the stalking instinct. Besides, it’s unlikely anyone will interfere. You’ve practically set up your office in here.”

  “So … what do we do? What happens?”

  “Relax, it’s already happening. It will take a while. But in a few hours, you’ll feel almost normal.” He spread his shirt aside and took her in his arms. “Almost…”