Except this time.
Except with Eve Duncan.
“What are we going to do?” Sabak said.
“We’re going to get what we bargained for,” Natalie said. “And we’re going to teach her that she can’t cheat us.” She slammed the chest shut. “In the most painful way possible.” She turned to face him. “You said you thought Jock Gavin and Cara were still in Moscow?”
“That’s what my informant said at the airport where Eve Duncan took off. Eve Duncan, Joe Quinn, Jane MacGuire, and Seth Caleb. No Gavin or the kid. As soon as I heard that, I spread the word that everyone be on the lookout for them.”
“And you’re going to find them,” she said sharply. “We’re going to find Cara, then we’ll see how clever Eve thinks she is. I’ll show her that she can’t try to make a fool of me.”
“I’ll find them,” Sabak said. “This may be a big city, but it’s a city that Kaskov controls. I’ll hear, and I’ll catch them. What are you going to do?”
“I’ll take these coins in to some expert and have them appraised. Just to be certain. Then I’ll talk to my father and see what I can do to explain away this nightmare.”
“Don’t involve me,” Sabak said curtly. “I’m not going to go up against Kaskov unless I have to do it.”
“I won’t involve you,” she said sarcastically. “Even though you managed to mess up a simple job that anyone should have been able to accomplish. I’ll protect you.” She looked him in the eyes. “And you’ll protect me, or I’ll make sure that my father finds out ‘accidentally’ that you were the one who was careless with his granddaughter. You wouldn’t like his reaction to that. He regards Cara as his little pet, and I can point in the direction of Eve Duncan, or I can point at you. Do you understand?”
His lips tightened. “Yes.”
“Good. Then we won’t have any problems.” She smiled. “And there’s no reason why we can’t still enjoy ourselves.”
“There’s a reason.”
He turned and walked out the door.
She could not remember any man’s walking out on her like that, she thought furiously. She had always been in control of any relationship. Why was she having trouble controlling Sabak?
Calm down. She had obviously made mistakes. She would go to Sabak later and make it right.
And she would have to be extremely careful in his handling from now on.
But she couldn’t worry about it now. She had to concentrate on handling the most important person in her world … and it wasn’t going to be easy.
* * *
“You’re angry with me, Daddy.” Her hand tightened on her phone as she made her voice tearful. “And you have a right to be. I was only thinking of Cara. She was so sad because you had left her and gone off on this trip. I just wanted to cheer her up.”
“And you got her shot at, then taken by that bitch, Duncan.” His voice was grim. “What were you thinking? You kept telling me that you were so worried about her. It doesn’t look like it, Natalie.”
“How can you say that? I’m so afraid of what that woman will do to her.” Her voice was panicky. “She actually had a sniper shooting at her. That poor little girl, just having a good time on the carousel, then—”
“But that bullet didn’t hit her,” he interrupted. “So it was probably a scare tactic. She thought she could intimidate you.” He added coldly, “Well, she can’t intimidate me. If you get a message from Duncan wanting money or just a general threat, turn it over to me. I’ll deal with her.”
“But she wasn’t talking about money before, she was just terribly angry.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “I think she may have taken Cara to show me she could. But I think she intends to kill her, Daddy.”
“No,” he said sharply. “I won’t let her do that. She took something of mine that I valued. I’ll not let her keep it. I’m going after her.”
“Thank you. I knew I could count on you. But you may have to resign yourself that Cara is—”
“I never resign myself to anything. How do you think I’ve managed to stay on top? I can’t leave Beijing right now. I’m in the middle of negotiations. But I’m going to call Sabak and tell him to pull out all the stops. I’ll make sure that no one is going to be allowed to take Cara from the city.”
“I already told him that, Daddy.”
“He’ll pay attention to me. You’re only my daughter.”
Only his daughter?
She smothered the rage that phrase ignited. “That’s true, but I had to do what I could. When will you be back?”
“Two days. And by that time, Sabak may have found her.” He added viciously, “And skewered that bitch, Duncan, and roasted her.” He hung up.
Only his daughter. Would he have spoken so disparagingly about her before Cara had come on the scene? His entire reaction to her news had that same tone. No sympathy, just impatience. She’d done something that had deprived him of Cara, and he was angry and wanted only to get her back.
No time for Natalie.
No acknowledgment of her importance in his life.
That had to be changed, altered, erased as if it had never been.
And to do that, Cara had to be tragically killed before Kaskov got back to Moscow. Then everything would magically return to where it was before.
But just in case she might have lost him permanently, she had to see about Cira’s gold and her chances of retrieving triumph from failure.
And punishing Eve Duncan for making a fool of her. Her father’s idea of roasting Eve had definite merit, but she could do better than that. She had only to study what could hurt her the most, then go execute it. In fact, she already had an idea in the works.
But only two days to do it, so she wouldn’t have to dodge around her father’s machinations on his return.
She could manage it. She just had to solidify her base and go into high speed.
And her base was Ivan Sabak, who was even more important now than she had thought before.
She went in search of him.
LASCOVIC HILLS
“We’re supposed to climb that?” Cara’s eyes widened as she gazed up at the rugged, snow-covered hills towering above them. She could see snakelike hiking trails, but they appeared narrow and treacherous. “There’s no other way?”
“There are other ways, but none that would allow us to get to a deserted area where Eve and Joe could land a helicopter without interference. You saw how closely the highways and side roads are being watched. Twice, we just barely managed to slip by a roadblock.” Jock grimaced. “It appears that Kaskov has pulled in every favor and bribe that’s owed him by the Moscow police and bureaucracy as well as working the underbelly of his fellow crime buddies.” He added bitterly, “He really doesn’t want to let you go. You’ve evidently charmed him.”
“Not me. It’s the music.” She was still looking doubtfully up at the hills. “I’ve never done any climbing.”
“You won’t have to climb to the top. Most of the trails wind around and through the hills.” He pointed to a small lodge with shuttered windows, and then at two manmade ski runs a short distance away. “The trail we’ll be taking goes past the lodge and ski runs up into the hills, then down the other side. Though I won’t lie, it’s going to be a rough trip with all this ice and snow on the trails. It just started to snow in the city, but it’s been snowing up here in these hills for days.”
“It will be okay. You’ll be there.” She had changed to boots, warm pants, and parka at the last gas station they had passed, and now she put up the hood. “I’ll try not to slow you down.”
“No problem.” He smiled. “As you said, I’ll be there for you.” He set off walking down the trail. “It’s going to get dark before we start down the other side. There’s supposed to be a rest house near where the trail changes. We’ll stay there for the night.”
“You don’t have to stop for me.”
“I’m stopping for both of us. I don’t want to take a chance of falling off that
trail in the dark.”
But she couldn’t imagine Jock’s falling off a mountain, much less these hills, she thought. Every step was light and springy and full of barely suppressed energy. On the other hand, she had been having trouble from the first yard or so. The trail was icy, and she had to watch her every step.
He glanced over his shoulder. “All right?”
She nodded. “I’ll be fine.” Concentrate. Don’t fall. Don’t give Jock any more trouble than she had to.
But she did fall—more than once. The first time he was there, pulling her to her feet. The next time she waved him away. “I’ll do it.” She struggled to her feet.
“How am I supposed to be there for you if you won’t let me help?”
“You’re for emergencies. Not stuff like this.”
His lips tightened. “You’re not going to change your mind?”
She shook her head. “We’re in this together. I have to do my part.”
“Have it your own way.” He turned and strode down the trail.
He wasn’t pleased. Well, she couldn’t help it. She was already feeling guilty enough without having him baby her.
Though she could have used a little coddling the next time she fell … and the time after. Jock waited for her, but he didn’t look back or offer to help.
She fell twice more before the trail did become more rocky and easier to negotiate during the next few hours. By that time, she was very tired and was only thinking of putting one foot in front of the other.
“Okay, we’re here.” Jock was suddenly beside her. “Right up ahead. I thought you were going to go right past it.”
The rest house. A small cabin perched beside the trail that was blessedly now leading downward. “Are you sure we should stop? I could hold—”
“I’m sure,” Jock said firmly as he took her arm and guided her toward the door. “Now be quiet until I can get you inside and warm. I’m considering that an emergency, even if you don’t.”
It wasn’t, of course, and she should argue with him. But it seemed a little thing on the big scale. She gazed around her as he opened the door. It was getting dark, and the snow had a chill, bluish tinge in the half-light. Chill. Yes, it was becoming colder, too, as night fell.
Jock pulled her inside and slammed the door. “Go sit down on that heap of blankets in the corner while I light the oil stove.” He was already piling logs from a brass storage rack beside the fireplace onto the grate. In a moment, he had a blazing fire growing, and he turned to the stove. He had to clean out the interior, but in ten minutes she could feel the heat begin to pulsate through the room. He turned to face her. “Thank God you didn’t decide to make a statement about this. I’ve had about enough.”
“I wouldn’t have done that. I might have gotten in your way, and that’s not the point at all.” She rubbed her eyes. “Are we going to eat soon? I think I’m hungry.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” He took off his knapsack and rummaged in the backpack. “I seem to have jerky, crackers, health bars, and some old-fashioned Spam and brie cheese. Choose.”
“Cheese and crackers.” She pushed her hood off. “But I have to go out and wash my hands. I’ll be right back.”
His lips twitched. “Such a polite, well-behaved, girl.”
“Elena used to tell me that cleanliness was healthy, and we had to keep clean if we were going to be healthy enough to keep running.”
“Now that was an inspiring life lesson to teach a little girl,” he said dryly.
“She taught me what I had to know to keep alive,” she said soberly as she opened the door. The cold air struck her sharply after the warmth of the cabin. “I don’t know about inspiring.”
Then she was outside, dipping her hands into the clean, icy snow. A moment later, she was hurrying back into the cabin. “It’s almost completely dark out now. It was so strange that it happened that—”
“Give me your hands.” Jock was there, meeting her at the door, taking her hands and rubbing them vigorously with the corner of one of the blankets she’d previously been sitting on. “This blanket isn’t too clean, but you’ll have to put up with it. At least, they’ll be warmer now.” He held her hands a moment after he’d finished. “I didn’t mean to be flip. I know your Elena taught you to stay alive,” he said quietly. “And I thank God every day for her.” He turned away. “Now sit down and eat. You need to get some sleep. All that flopping around on the trail had to be exhausting.”
“Flopping around,” she repeated. “If I’d flopped, I wouldn’t be this sore. I hit hard every time.”
“I have no sympathy.”
“Yes, you do. Or you wouldn’t have gotten so mad at me.” She was eating the cheese and crackers. “It made you angry that I wouldn’t let you help me.”
He opened the Spam. “Did it?”
“You know it did.”
“I just didn’t want to have to deal with you after all of this hits home. I thought that if you didn’t have such a rough trip, you’d be more likely not to be upset at the end of the day.”
“I don’t know what you mean. I’m fine, Jock.”
He started to eat.
“I’m fine,” she repeated.
“If you say so.” He kept on eating.
“And I wouldn’t make you deal with me even if I wasn’t. I’d hate that.”
“Then we won’t talk about it. Just finish eating and I’ll try to find us some semiclean bedding among those blankets. Providing you don’t mind if I deal with that problem.”
“I don’t mind.” She was suddenly exhausted and cold even in this warm room. “Whatever.”
He looked up at her, his gaze narrowed on her face. “Aye. Whatever.”
* * *
The shot splintering the beak of the wooden swan beside her.
Jock beside the man in the black-leather jacket, twisting his neck.
Jock holding up two fingers as she looked down at the shell casing.
The carousel going round and round, the music that was no music blaring.
Natalie’s beautiful smile beaming down at her. “I’ll have a surprise for you, Cara.”
A surprise.
Death.
The carousel going round and round and round.
“Get on the carousel. I’ll have a surprise.”
Cold. So cold. Cold eyes. Such a cold heart.
She was shaking. She couldn’t stop shaking. So cold. How could anyone be that cold?
“Stop it,” Jock said roughly. “Wake up. I can’t take it anymore.” He was suddenly beside her, dragging her up his body to lie against him. He said between his teeth, “I won’t take it.”
He was warm in a world that was ice-cold.
She opened her eyes. “I … don’t think … I was asleep.”
“I was hoping that you were.” He was pushing her head down to his chest. “Though, if you were, I woke you up because I evidently didn’t give a damn. I was more concerned with myself than you.”
“I’m glad. I was so cold … Jock. The whole world was cold. The carousel…”
He went still against her. “The carousel?”
“I have a little … surprise for you. She said that … so cold. So cold.”
“I’m certain that a number of things struck you as … cold about the carousel.”
“Yes. The whole world…”
“I had to kill him, Cara. I had no choice. It had to be fast and clean because I knew what was coming next. I didn’t want to do it in front of you, but I’m not sorry.”
He wasn’t talking about Natalie, Cara realized hazily. It was the man in the black-leather jacket. “His neck … was funny.”
“Aye.” He paused. “I suppose you’ll have nightmares about it. I told you once that I wasn’t a good man. I didn’t think I’d have to demonstrate how bad I really am. But that was a different world, wasn’t it?”
Gaelkar. Mist on the lake. Mountains in the distance. Eagles soaring high. A different world. But she shouldn’t be
thinking of those things right now, she realized. Because there was pain in Jock, and she should try to heal it.
“Not bad. Sad. Very sad. And shining…”
“You never give up, do you? I thought seeing me in the act would do it for you.” His hand cradled her head. “You will give up someday, you know.”
She shook her head. She was beginning to come awake, and there was something else she should say. “When Joe Quinn was trying to save Eve and me from that man who was hunting me down, I knew that Joe would probably kill him. It would be the only way to save us. Does that make Joe a bad man?”
“It’s not the same thing.”
“Because you think you have a wicked soul, and Joe doesn’t?”
He didn’t answer.
She was silent, staring into the fire. “I … was … It came as a shock when I saw you do that. I will probably always remember it. But that was because it was you, not because it was evil. Killing is always evil. I learned that a long time ago when my sister, Jenny, was killed. But she sacrificed herself for me and Elena. So if the opportunity would have been there, would I have killed to protect her?” She nodded. “I think so, Jock.”
“You’re a kid. You shouldn’t have to be thinking about things like that,” he said roughly.
“Jenny was nine. You have to protect the people you care about.”
“Not like I do.”
“Maybe not. Because it hurts you more than other people. And every time you kill, I’ll hate it. Because I’ll know how much it’s hurting you. But I won’t hate you, Jock. I’ll never hate you. Because it would be like hating myself.” She said with sudden fierceness, “And I won’t do that. No matter what. Because I don’t deserve it. Do you understand?”
“No, I don’t,” he said unsteadily. “Let’s stop all this talk about hating yourself. You must be a bit woozy from hitting that ice so hard.”
Night and Day Page 19
