“I know you’ll do your best,” she said quietly. “But if something goes wrong, if everything isn’t what we hope it will be, don’t blame yourself. That’s the only promise I want from you, Joe.” She met his eyes. “It’s going to be a strange night, isn’t it? After all, we have two other options we can tap before we have to show up at Natalie’s place at midnight. You have a chance to get the antidote from Feroz. We might be able to bargain with Kaskov if we can persuade him to look at this disc I have in my handbag.” She moistened her lips, “And, as a last resort, we’ll deal with Natalie. Three chances, Joe. Better odds than we had before.”
“I’ll get the antidote from Nasim Feroz,” Joe repeated grimly. “We won’t need another option.”
She didn’t doubt that he had a good chance. When Joe was at his most deadly, he could intimidate the devil himself. He was way past that point now. “It may take longer than you—”
Her cell phone rang, and she instinctively tensed. Natalie? Another report from one of those specialists who’d been running tests on her? Jock?
Jane.
She put it on speaker, and answered. “We’re fine, Jane. We haven’t reached—”
“She’s gone,” Jane interrupted. “I’ve been looking for the last hour, and I can’t find Cara anywhere. I went into her tent to wake her for breakfast, and she wasn’t there.”
“Gone.” Eve’s hand tightened on the phone. Had Natalie’s demand that she bring Cara just been a ploy to hide the fact that she was sending someone to take her? “Did any of the guards see anyone who might have—”
“Nobody took her,” Jane said. “I checked with the perimeter guards, and they didn’t see anyone. MacDuff doubled the guards when he knew that Jock and Caleb wouldn’t be at the camp. Security was supertight.” She drew a shaky breath. “I’ve looked everywhere. I even went about a mile into the mist. She’s not here, Eve. I’m scared to death. She was so worried about you. I kept remembering that she told Jock that if we didn’t let her go to Kaskov, she’d call him and arrange for him to pick her up.”
Eve was remembering that, too. “How much time did she have?”
“Midnight to about eight in the morning.”
And Cara was used to being on the run. That was a sizeable head start.
“I’m sorry, Eve,” Jane said unevenly. “After I hang up, I’m going to get in the car and start driving around and asking questions at the villages. I just thought that you should know what to expect when you try to talk to Kaskov.”
“I should probably turn around and come back and help you.”
“No!” Jane said. “You don’t have time. Less than three days now, Eve. I’ll do everything you could do. I have MacDuff, and he’ll pressure the police until they find some sign of her. Besides, if she contacted Kaskov, she might be heading in the same direction you are.”
Everything Jane was saying made sense, but it still didn’t halt the shock and fear Eve was feeling.
“I’m hanging up,” Jane said. “I’ll let you know if I find out anything.” She broke the connection.
Joe was swearing softly. “You didn’t need this. When I see Cara, I’m going to—”
“Do what? She’s just doing what the rest of you are doing. She’s trying to save me. Only maybe she’s a little more desperate because the person she’s trying to save me from is her mother.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “But we’re not alone, Joe. She thought she had to do it alone because none of us would listen to her. How can I blame her?”
“Did I miss something?” Caleb was standing in the door of the cockpit. He was gazing at Eve’s face. “Yes, I see I did. A telephone call?”
Eve swallowed. “Jane.”
He nodded. “I expected it before this. She must have been concerned that she’d worry you.”
Joe got slowly to his feet. “Caleb.”
“I think it’s time you had that coffee.” He moved down the aisle toward the back of the plane. “You might keep an eye on the instruments, Quinn. I think it’s okay, but you can never tell.”
Joe didn’t move, his gaze narrowed on Caleb.
Caleb shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
He opened the door to the small lounge in the rear. But instead of going to the coffee machine, he went beyond it to the storage compartment. He threw open the door. “Time to face the music, Cara. Too bad you didn’t bring your violin.” He reached down and helped the girl to her feet. “Little stiff? I would have brought you out earlier, but Jane was being stubborn about admitting that you couldn’t be found. But then, that’s Jane.”
“Cara?” Eve was staring at her in disbelief. Cara’s face was pale and pinched, and her jeans and chambray shirt were rumpled. But she was alive. She was not in Natalie’s hands, nor Kaskov’s. They could keep her safe.
Then the anger came. “I want to murder you,” Eve said. “How could you do this?”
“You need me.” She moistened her lips. “I can help you. I’m supposed to help you. Why else would Jenny send me to you?”
“Duty calls,” Caleb murmured. “I believe it’s time I went back to the cockpit. But feel free to join me at any time, Eve.”
“Don’t worry, I will,” she said grimly, as the cockpit door closed behind him. She whirled to face Cara. “This is my life. My son’s life. I’m in charge here. I don’t want to have to worry about you, too. You shouldn’t have taken the decision out of my hands. I won’t—”
“There has to be a reason.” Cara’s face was paler than before and her voice was unsteady. “It all fits together. Can’t you see that? My mother, Kaskov … I have to be the one.”
“No, I can’t see that. I won’t risk you to—”
“Eve.” Joe put his hand on her shoulder. “What did you say to me just before Caleb exploded his little surprise? At least she didn’t go to Kaskov.”
“You’re defending her? It’s going to be twice as hard to deal with Natalie if—” She met Cara’s eyes and forgot what she’d been going to say. Desperation. Determination. Love. Everything Cara had done had been done for love. Love was a precious gift in this world. “Come here.” She pulled Cara into her arms. “You were wrong. But we’ll try to find a way to make it right.”
“No, I’m right,” Cara whispered. “I tried to tell Jock, but he was too scared to believe me. Don’t you be afraid, Eve. I think that whatever happens is meant to be. That maybe Jenny knew all this was going to happen, and that’s why I had to be the one.”
“I am afraid.” She pushed her back. “And I don’t like this one bit, and I’m going to try to keep you as safe as possible. We have plans, and we’re keeping to them. We’ll just try to find a way to keep you out of them.”
Cara shook her head. “I’m here. If I wasn’t meant to be with you, I wouldn’t have been able to persuade Caleb to bring me.”
“Oh, yes, Caleb.” Eve turned toward the cockpit. “I have a few words to say to him. Totally irresponsible. What possessed you to go to him?”
“Jock mentioned that he was going. I thought … Caleb is … different. He doesn’t seem to think like other people.”
“Absolutely.”
“And he doesn’t care what anyone else thinks … except maybe Jane.”
“Evidently not this time. Jane is going to kill him.” She glanced at Joe. “Will you get her a soft drink and something to eat? She looks like she’s going to fade away any minute. I want to talk to Caleb.”
He was reaching for his phone. “Right after I call Jane and tell her that Cara’s not been hijacked by Natalie or Kaskov.”
Cara’s eyes were fixed on the cockpit door. “He was only trying to help me, Eve. Don’t be angry with him.”
“There’s no telling what Caleb’s agenda is at any given time,” Eve said as she opened the cockpit door. “And I don’t promise that I’ll be as easy on him as I was with you. You’re a child, he’s supposed to be mature.”
“I heard that,” Caleb said, as the cockpit door closed behind her. “I take i
t that you’re a little irritated with me? Sit down. You might as well be comfortable while you’re taking me to task.”
“More than a little.” She dropped down in the copilot’s seat. “Whatever possessed you to let Cara talk you into smuggling her onto this plane? You know that it put her in danger, that it’s the last thing we all wanted for her.”
He nodded. “She made that clear. She didn’t lie or try to convince me that it would be all right with anyone in camp. She told me that she was out on a limb all by herself. I respected that honesty.”
“I would rather that you’d respected our wishes in the matter. She’s only twelve years old.”
“Twelve?” He smiled. “Age is only a number. Remind me to tell you all the wickedness I was up to when I was twelve. I like Cara. I felt obligated to listen and judge for myself if you should have tossed her out on that limb.”
“And you decided?”
“I brought her, didn’t I?”
“Why?”
“She’s right,” he said simply. “If anyone can move Kaskov, it could be her. Since the situation is so critical, she should have the opportunity. And something else occurred to me. You were worrying about not having Cara with you when you arrived as Natalie demanded. Now anyone watching at the airport will see Cara and believe you’re complying.” He glanced at her. “If Cara wasn’t so young, you’d probably admit that she has a better chance than you or anyone else to save you and your son.”
“She is that young. And she’s a target.”
“We’ve already discussed my attitude toward unnecessary sheltering of the young. And she has you and Quinn and Jock to protect her. I might even join in if it became necessary. Though I rather doubt it. Cara is very intelligent.”
She was silent. “Joe is calling Jane right now. She’s going to want to kill you.”
“More than likely. But that’s no loss. She was in the mood to do that anyway.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I got a little impatient. When that happens, my true colors tend to come to the forefront. She has a conflict with whether she wants to accept them.”
“Is this bit with Cara an example?”
“Perhaps. If I’d had something to lose, I might have done the conventional thing instead of following my instincts.”
“You have incredibly bad instincts.”
“No, they’re excellent, they’re just not like anyone else’s.”
“That’s what Cara said about you.”
He chuckled. “I told you that she was intelligent. How can I regret going along with a girl who has judgment like that?”
“Why don’t you ask Jock that question when he meets our plane and finds Cara on board?”
“Jock,” Caleb murmured. “I admit I had a few apprehensions about his attitude regarding the wisdom of my decision. But that may be interesting, too.”
KASKOV ESTATE
MOSCOW
“They’re here.” Ivan turned away from the phone to Natalie. “I just received a report from Kaskov’s man at Skovski Airport. Duncan disobeyed you and brought Quinn…” He smiled. “But she also brought your daughter. Kaskov will be pleased.”
“I’m not certain we should tell him Cara’s here yet. It might be better to wait until we see how things go…”
Ivan shook his head. “I know what you’re planning, and I went along with you before when Kaskov wasn’t in the city. But now he’s back on home turf, and it’s too dangerous. He was actively involved in getting her back this time. He doesn’t like to lose.”
She smiled sweetly. “Neither do I.”
“Give the kid to him for a little while. I’ll take her out for you later. Maybe an accident…”
“And in the meantime, I’d have to worry if she’s telling him things that would cause him to doubt me.”
“I won’t risk having Kaskov doubt me,” he said flatly. “I’ve been there when he’s decided that one of his men had broken his damn rules. It’s not pretty. We’re going to wait until it’s safe for me.”
She was tempted to argue, but they were too close to getting the treasure. Agree now and take care of Cara herself.
Along with Ivan Sabak. He was proving entirely too troublesome. It was frustrating that she couldn’t control him with sex, and he wouldn’t take orders.
“Whatever you say. I wouldn’t want to cause you problems.” She moved toward the door. “Now I have to go and make sure that my father is still planning to go to that violin concert at the Novako Opera House tonight. I don’t want questions about where I’m going when I head for the apartment we rented.”
“When are you calling Duncan?”
“I might not call her until the last hour or so before she comes to meet us.” She smiled at him over her shoulder. “Now that we know that she’s here and ready to give me what I want, it won’t hurt her to wait a little longer.” Her voice became laced with pure malice. “Do you realize that the entire purpose of that capsule I had inserted in her was meant to bring excruciating tension and fear? Nasim Feroz said he’d seen soldiers weep and beg for mercy. Oh, I do hope that Eve Duncan is prepared to do that.”
SKOVSKI AIRPORT
Jock was standing, waiting, near the hangar where Caleb had parked the jet.
Cara tensed as she saw him from the window of the terminal building, where she was standing after she’d gotten off the plane with Eve. Fair hair shimmering in the cold sunlight, his features just as wonderfully perfect as always. But now they looked as if they were carved out of ice. “He’s angry.”
“What did you expect?” Eve asked. “Do you want me to run interference?”
“No.” She jumped to her feet and headed for the door. “I did it. I’ll face it.”
That was easy to say, but her heart was beating hard as she walked toward Jock. He didn’t move. He just waited until she was standing before him.
She braced herself. “I had to do it, Jock.”
“Obviously.”
She moistened her lips. “Caleb understood that it had to be me. Kaskov likes me. Or the idea of me … or something. That means he might listen to me. Caleb could see that could be valuable.”
“I may kill him.”
She shook her head. “It was all me, Jock. You wouldn’t take me, and I had to come here.” She took a step closer. “But I don’t want to fight you anymore. I have to go to see Kaskov.”
“The hell you do.”
“I believe I can make him listen. He’s used to having his own way. Eve will have trouble if I don’t sort of pave the way.”
“And what are you going to say that will pave the way with a criminal whose kill record is probably even higher than mine?”
She flinched. “I don’t know. I’m hoping it will come to me,” she said simply. “Because I have to do this. I can’t let you stop me. No matter what you do, I’ll find a way to get to him. It will just mean I’ll have to run away from you and do it alone. I don’t want to be alone, Jock.” She swallowed to ease the tightness of her throat. “You promised me I wouldn’t have to be alone any longer.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “That was below the belt, Cara.”
But the ice was breaking, she realized with relief. “Yeah, I know. But it’s the truth, and ever since you said it, you’ve been trying to push me away. Being with someone doesn’t mean only in the good times.” She looked pleadingly up at him. “You keep telling me that this stuff is what you do. Well, do it, and find a way for me to help Eve. I’ll do anything you say. But I have to go with Eve to see Kaskov.”
He was gazing down at her. Then he reached down and gently touched her hair. “Shit.”
Relief soared through her. “You’ll do it.”
He nodded. “But I may still kill Caleb.”
She hugged him, then stepped back with a luminous smile. “I won’t be any trouble. You’ll see, Jock.”
“Just like you weren’t any trouble on that plateau when the helicopter landed.” But he was smiling. “A
nd Eve won’t be any more pleased than I am about this. You’d better have Caleb convince her to his way of thinking.”
“I’m so glad you’re not angry any longer. When I saw you standing there, I was so scared.”
“I was more terrified than angry. You’ll have to learn to tell the difference.” His lips twisted. “Or maybe not. I’ll need every weapon in my arsenal with you.” He turned to Eve as she came out of the terminal. “It appears we have a problem. I may have to make a few adjustments to what I was planning.”
“Cara is entirely too happy.” Eve was frowning. “I don’t like that. You’re not planning on giving in to her on this?”
“She offered me an ultimatum. I’ve gotten to know her well enough to realize that she doesn’t bluff. So I’ll just have to work around it and keep her safe. She’s promised to do everything I tell her to do.” He paused. “As long as she goes with you to see Kaskov.”
“No.”
“Yes. I’ll set it up.” He was watching Joe and Caleb coming out of the terminal. “And now we’d all better get to the hotel room I rented and go over the plans for tonight. The scheduling may be very tight.” He moved forward. “But first I believe I’ll have a word or two with Caleb…”
CHAPTER
16
BAROZ HOTEL
5:45 P.M.
In spite of Cara’s protests Eve deposited her in a hotel room next door to the one where Jock had arranged for their meeting. “You got your way with Jock, but I’m not going to let you be present for the rest of the planning,” she said grimly. “You’re out of this except for talking to Kaskov.”
“But, Eve, what difference—” Cara broke off and nodded her head. “Okay, whatever you say.” She opened the door and went into the hotel room. “I did promise Jock.”
“Congratulations, you won that battle,” Jock said as he unlocked the room next door. “She’s twelve. She shouldn’t be hearing all this.”
Night and Day Page 28
