What Doesn't Kill You

by Iris Johansen

Beautiful and splendid and flamboyant.

  Like Catherine.

  “Townberg performed well. Everything is in place.” Hu Chang slipped into the seat next to him. “Ready?”

  He started the rotors. “Ready.”

  * * *

  NARDIK CALLED WHEN CATHERINE was twenty miles away from the ranch. “On your way, bitch?”

  “I’m sure you know I am. You’ve probably been monitoring the GPS on my phone.”

  “Yes, and I’ve blocked the signal for any of your friends. Isn’t technology a wonderful thing? If your car has been bugged, I’ll be able to tell miles away. And you know what will happen.”

  “I know.” She paused. “And I just got a call from Sam O’Neill, and he said that your man Townberg had promised to turn Luke over to him the minute you give the word. Where am I going, Nardik?”

  “Turn west on the next road and go ten miles, then turn at the gas station and go into the hills another fifteen miles. I’ll give you other directions once you reach there.” He paused. “I can’t tell you how eager I am to see you. Do you want me to describe the first thing I’m going to do to you?”

  “No.”

  “I’ll tell you anyway. I’ve thought a lot about it. I can see by your dossier that your mother was a whore. I think you need to learn the same lessons in humility that she did. When I get you to Acapulco, I’ll set you up in a room and rent you by the hour. I have many friends with the drug cartels in Mexico, and I’ll allow them access to you. I believe a week of that treatment will soften that bitchy arrogance. Then we’ll proceed to the next lesson.”

  “Dream on, Nardik. You only get your chance at me. You’re talking as if it’s a done deal.”

  “It is a done deal. You’re desperate, and that means you’re already a loser. I can almost feel you under me, Catherine. I’ll be the first to ride you before they break you. I’m waiting for you.” He hung up.

  Bastard.

  She drew a deep breath. She couldn’t let him shake her. He did have the instincts of Lucifer to have chosen to taunt her with that form of torture. There couldn’t be anything in that dossier about the rape she’d suffered when she was a child, but he’d still zeroed in on that feeling of helplessness and pain. She had crushed it down and emerged stronger for it, but the memory would never entirely go away.

  Okay, let it go. Call Venable and tell him where to send that drone. The meeting place had to be somewhere close to that last direction he’d given her.

  She turned left into the next road and started to dial Venable.

  * * *

  NARDIK CALLED HER ONE LAST time as she reached the end of the directions he’d given her. “Okay, turn right and go south toward the mountains. Toward me, bitch. I’ll meet you to guide you the rest of the way. Turn off your phone and throw it out the window. And throw any weapons after them.”

  “No way, that will leave me defenseless.”

  “I wish it did. But you’re a lethal little snake, and weapons are only an additional complement to your arsenal.” His tone hardened. “Toss them away, Catherine. I’ll know if you don’t.”

  She had known it would be a futile protest. And she had to drop the argument immediately, as she would have done if Luke had really been in the bastard’s hands. She threw her knife and Glock out the window. “I’ve tossed out my knife and gun. Anything else?”

  “Yes, throw out the phone. I’ll see you soon.” He hung up.

  She turned off her phone and tossed it out the window.

  She drew a deep breath as she looked out the windshield at the bumpy road ahead. Nardik was right, she had tried to make weapons unimportant in any conflict. Her body was a weapon, her mind was a weapon. But it still would have been comforting to have been able to at least keep the knife.

  But Gallo and Hu Chang would have weapons.

  The foothills were barren except for an occasional pine or fir tree, and it was totally dark except for the constant burst of fireworks in the eastern sky. The glittering explosion lit the interior of the Jeep and lit her nails resting on the steering wheel. She brushed the pad of her index figure on her thumbnail.

  Heat.

  The polish reacted something like an infrared beacon but was more complicated. The polish was not casting out tremendous heat due to the compound Hu Change added or it would have burned her nails off, but she could detect a noticeable warmth. And he always made sure that the polish interacted to give off a blue glow rather than the usual illumination so that the drone could identify her.

  Was it hot and strong enough to be picked up by the drone?

  She had to trust Hu Chang.

  * * *

  “WHERE THE HELL IS SHE, Venable?” Gallo asked harshly. “You said that drone was a damn miracle. If you’ve left her stranded out there, I’ll—”

  “Shut up, Gallo. It takes time. The drone has to make several passes while it sorts out information. Do you think I’m not worried?”

  “All I’m thinking is that Nardik would like nothing better than to cut her throat, and I’m flying around here and don’t even know where she is.”

  “Be calm, Gallo,” Hu Chang said. “If that drone has any capability at all, it will be able to pick up that heat signal in the polish. It’s the equivalent of ten tiny searchlight beams. The drone’s computer is probably trying to analyze and identify it.” He paused. “My only concern is that it will get involved in trying to identify that new source and not report it. That will not happen, will it, Venable?”

  “How the hell do I know?” Venable said roughly. “It shouldn’t.” He hung up.

  “I did not like that answer,” Hu Chang said. “We depended on Venable. I hope he does not fail us.”

  “What would you do if he does?” Gallo asked.

  “That would mean that Catherine would die.” Hu Chang glanced at the exploding fireworks in the distance. “I could not bear that happening. I would take many lives, and I fear Venable’s would be one of them. Mistakes are inexcusable if it causes Catherine harm.”

  “For once I agree with you.” Gallo’s gaze was searching the mountains in the distance. “And that means we’d better not make any.”

  * * *

  HEADLIGHTS.

  Catherine tensed as she saw the van driving toward her. A white van and on the side, Bonifeld Security was inscribed in bold red letters.

  Bonifeld Security. She had seen trucks with that sign at the ranch, and there were hundreds of security officers with that name on the pockets of their uniforms milling around the property.

  Of course, she thought. If you can’t beat them, join them. Who else would merge with scarcely a ripple among the guests at the debate?

  The van pulled in front of her, blocking the road. A uniformed man jumped out of the driver’s seat and crossed in front of the headlights. He was familiar … Fair wavy hair, classically handsome features, a golden tan …

  The photo on his phone that Gallo had shown her that day in Hong Kong. Ken Fowler. What did she know about him? Vicious. Devoted to Nardik and delighted in torture. Nardik had even said Fowler wanted to work on Luke.

  No way, you son of a bitch.

  “Get out.” He opened her door. “My van, whore.” He didn’t wait for her to get out but pulled her from the seat. “Get fancy, and you’ll never see your kid again. I’m going to search you. Don’t move.”

  His hands were on her. Her breasts, between her legs, probing, painful, intimate.

  Kill him?

  No, take it. She had to get to Nardik.

  “I’ll let you have thirty more seconds,” she said softly. “But you’re enjoying this too much. When I think that you’ve had enough fun to realize I don’t have a weapon, I’m going to step back, and you’ll take your hands away. If you don’t, I’ll break your neck.”

  He froze. Then his hands tightened bruisingly on her breasts.

  Don’t show him pain or weakness. He’d like it too much. “Fifteen seconds.”

  “Bluff. I’m the one who has a
gun.” He slapped her so hard her head snapped back. “You’re helpless. Can’t you see that?”

  “Five seconds.”

  He met her gaze. He faltered, then his hands fell to his sides. “I’m not afraid of you, bitch.” His lips curled viciously. “Nardik promised me a long time with you in Acapulco. You’ll be begging me to kill you.” His hand closed on her arm, and he jerked her toward the truck. “Have you got that drug? He said to make sure you have it.”

  “I have it.” She got into the passenger seat of the security van. “But I’m not giving it to you.”

  “I searched you. I didn’t find it.”

  “I have it,” she repeated. “Nardik gets it when he gives the word to release Luke.”

  “If he does.” His smile was twisted as he got into the driver’s seat. “Nardik wants you, too. Maybe too much. I don’t like it, but it’s better than have you walk away.”

  “Just take me to Nardik. I don’t deal with errand boys.”

  He muttered a curse as he started the car. “I’m not an errand boy. I’m important to him. I’m the one he’s trusting to give the drug to Andrews. He wouldn’t do that if he didn’t think I could do it. It means a lot of money to him … to us.”

  “Unless he didn’t care if you lived or died.”

  “He does care.”

  “Think about it.”

  “I won’t think about it. You’re a liar.” His cheeks were burning with color as his foot stomped on the accelerator. “He knows how smart I am. He knows I’ll do anything to please him. Why would he want to get rid of me?”

  She had touched a nerve. Good. She might need a disruption in the ranks. She repeated, “Think about it.”

  * * *

  “WE’VE GOT IT,” VENABLE’S VOICE was tense. “The report just came in. About forty miles south of where you are. I’ll send you the coordinates. She’s in a white van with another person moving due north toward the foothills and that heat source Hu Chang gave her is making her glow like a meteorite.”

  “Destination?”

  “It looks like she’s heading in the direction of another vehicle on a flat plain just below the foothills.”

  “How many men does Nardik have there?”

  “Only one man on the plain. But there are trees and boulders all around that plain. I ordered an in-depth scan of the area by the drone. I’m sending the results to your iPad.” He hung up.

  Gallo flipped open his iPad and brought up the picture.

  “Shit.”

  He could immediately see the van with the heat spiking from it like blue sun rays traveling toward a single man standing alone beside a vehicle in the middle of the plain. Nardik.

  But he could also see three heat-illuminated figures who were visible at some distance from Nardik.

  “They’re positioned to take her down the minute Nardik lifts his finger. One man behind that boulder, another in those bushes about thirty yards up the hill.” He pointed to a figure behind a pine in the stand of trees closest to the vehicle. “This one is going to be the hardest to take out. There’s no cover anywhere around him.”

  “Then you will take care of disposing of him,” Hu Chang said. “I will remove the other two. But since you’ll be closer, you’ll have to take out Nardik and the man who is bringing Catherine to him.”

  “Fowler. It’s probably Fowler.” He was shifting directions toward the north. “I’m not going to argue with you. There isn’t any time. I have to take your word that you can take out those goons. But you’d better be damn quiet, or Catherine will be in trouble.”

  “Oh, they will die very quietly and quickly. I am very practiced at silent death.” Hu Chang was looking down at the lapis star ring on his finger. “How far are we from Nardik?”

  “Fifteen minutes. We’re not really that far, but I’ll have to cut the engines and land some distance away. We’ll have to hike the rest of the way.” He glanced at the fireworks exploding and lighting the night sky. “Thank God for those firecrackers going off nonstop. We’ve got to hope we get lucky, and no one hears the rotors.”

  “Fireworks … It’s entirely fitting that Andrews have a hand in saving his own life, don’t you think?”

  “All I’m thinking is that Catherine is getting closer to Nardik every minute,” Gallo said grimly, his gaze on the computer screen as he watched the van approaching the plain. “And I’m hoping like hell she’ll be able to stall long enough for us to get to her.”

  * * *

  “WELCOME, CATHERINE.” NARDIK STEPPED forward as the van came to a stop. “I can’t tell you how eager I’ve been to see you. Fowler, leave the headlights on while we do our negotiating. I want to see her expressions.”

  Catherine jumped out of the van. “By all means, let’s have a little light on the subject. It will be different from your usual modus operandi. I hear you skulk in the shadows and hide behind your bodyguards.” Her gaze wandered around the area. “Where are they? You can’t have suddenly whipped up enough courage to face me with only this weasel Fowler as a backup.”

  “I’m not afraid of you.” His lips curled. “You’re only a woman. Women can be broken so easily.” His gaze was on her face. “You have a bruise on your cheek. It seems Fowler has already started the process. I was wondering if he would be able to resist.”

  “He’s as much of a coward as you.” She was glancing around the plain, calculating the possible positioning of Nardik’s men. On the way here with Fowler, she had been picking likely ambush sites. The stand of trees? The foothills? The boulders? She had demanded that there be no more than two present when she turned over the drug, but there was no doubt in her mind that Nardik had loaded the dice against her. When the action started, she had to be prepared to dodge attack from any angle.

  Unless Gallo and Hu Chang came through for her.

  Don’t count on them. Count on the worst-possible scenario and be grateful for anything less.

  “The drug,” Nardik said. “Give me the drug.”

  Stall. Give Gallo and Hu Chang a chance to get here. Thank God Nardik still thought he had a bargaining chip in Luke. And thank Hu Chang for manipulating Townberg with such deftness to give her this opportunity. Every moment of the drive from the ranch, she had been afraid that Nardik would find out what they were doing.

  She stared him in the eye. “Screw you. I’ll show it to you. I won’t give it to you until you make the call.” She brought her long hair over her shoulder and slowly unbraided the strand underneath the heavy fall and closest to her nape, where she’d placed the tiny vial. She gave Fowler a fierce glance as he took a step toward her. “You get near me, and I’ll drop this vial and smash it. You not only wouldn’t get your hands on the Pondera, but you’ll risk getting a whiff of it. How do you know it’s not an airborne as well as an ingested poison?”

  “You wouldn’t do that,” Fowler said. “You could die, too, bitch.”

  “But Nardik’s counting on my willingness to sacrifice everything because I’m a mother. I don’t know about that, but I’ll sure take you to hell with me if I think I’m going to lose this game.”

  “Back off, Fowler,” Nardik said coldly. “And keep out of this. It’s not your business.”

  Fowler flushed. “I’m the one who has to give Andrews that drug.” His voice was slightly shrill. “So it’s my business, too.”

  “You’re afraid, aren’t you?” Catherine asked. “You should be afraid. Everyone at the ranch will be waiting to take you down. And Nardik doesn’t care.”

  “I care very much,” Nardik said. “Stop trying to manipulate Fowler.”

  “You care about getting the drug into Andrews. But what about afterward? And how are you going to do it that will keep this poor asshole safe?”

  “He’s going to put it in the pitcher of water that’s placed on the debate table in front of Andrews,” Nardik said. “There will be a dozen people on that stage checking sound and video and making sure that it’s secure for Andrews. It should be no problem for Fowler
to slip the drug into the drinking water. It’s colorless and tasteless.” He smiled. “And it’s a hot night, and the debate will be just as hot and vigorous. I’ve watched films of him at other debates and speeches. He gets thirsty. At some point during every one of them, he’s had a few sips of water.”

  “And I don’t have to stay around until he drinks it,” Fowler said. “I can leave as soon as I do it and get out of there.” He looked at Nardik. “Isn’t that right?”

  “Of course. Would I put you in any danger?” He held out his hand. “The drug.”

  “The phone call.”

  “I need to test the drug first. I can’t be sure that you’re not trying to fool me.”

  It would look suspicious if she gave in now. “Call, first. You can call Townberg back if it’s not the real thing. He’ll still be close enough to move on Sam and Luke.”

  He gazed at her for a moment, then dialed a number. “Release the boy.” He hung up. “Now give it to me.”

  Don’t give up too easily. “How do I know who you were—”

  “Give it to me, or I’ll call Townberg back and tell him to break the boy’s neck.”

  She hesitated, then handed him the vial.

  Nardik smiled. “Ah, a mother’s desperation always carries the day. Isn’t it touching, Fowler?”

  Fowler stepped forward and slapped her across the mouth.

  “Restrain yourself,” Nardik said absently as he took out a leather kit and unzipped it. The next moment he was uncorking the vial and inserting a plastic tab into the liquid. “Now we give it a moment and see if it tests positive…”

  * * *

  “HE SLAPPED HER,” HU CHANG MURMURED, his gaze on the three figures spotlighted by the headlights. They had just reached the plain in time to see Catherine give the vial to Nardik. “We have to move quickly. She took the punishment, but it will anger her. It may precipitate matters.”

  “We are moving quickly,” Gallo said. “I’m heading for the trees.”

  “No cover there,” Hu Chang said.

  “There’s cover. In the branches of those trees. I’ll climb that tree closest to us, then work my way across toward the shooter.”

  “Like Tarzan.”