“Joe?” Eve leaped for her cell when it rang. She had been on pins and needles worrying about him for the past three hours. “Where are you?”
“I’ve reached a point on the road that’s two miles east of the lake where I’ve just located and removed two IEDs. I’ll have to take it very slowly from now on. It appears as if these two were planted very hurriedly and hopefully so will the others. They’ll be a lot easier to disarm. But hurry breeds carelessness. I can’t let my guard down.” He paused. “Is either Jock or Caleb available? I haven’t seen any sign yet of Salazar’s men, but I could use another set of eyes and ears to watch my back.”
“I’ll check it out. I’ll find someone.”
“Tell them to stop on the slope and avoid the edge of the road and call me when they get close. I’ll guide them to a safe access where I’ve already removed the IEDs.”
“Right. Be careful, Joe.” She hung up and drew a deep breath. Her heart was beating rapidly, and her palms were damp. She ran out of the tent to look up the long, steep slope that led to the road. She could see nothing, of course, but she knew that Joe was somewhere in that thick gray fog. The knowledge was filling her with hope and joy and a terrible fear.
Because he was alone and needed help.
She ran to Jane’s tent. “Joe’s here. He could use some help clearing the road. Where’s Caleb?”
“He’s scouting the perimeter with three of MacDuff’s men.” She reached for her phone. “I’ll call him.”
“Wait.” She tried to think. MacDuff was down and perhaps dying. Jock’s care might be the only barrier between MacDuff and death. Caleb was the only protection Cara and Jane had, and he might be forced to extend that protection to MacDuff. She couldn’t let that protection be taken away from them. “Call Caleb. Tell him once he’s finished to come back and stay on guard here until we get those IEDs cleared.”
“We?” Jane repeated. She shook her head. “I don’t like the sound of that, Eve.”
“Neither do I. But we’re stretched too thin. Joe needs help.”
“Then let me go.”
Eve shook her head. “Joe and I are a team. Sometimes he doesn’t recognize that fact, but I’m not going to let him do that job alone. It’s not as if I have to have a particular set of skills. I just have to do what Joe tells me to do. I watched him change the settings on that damn bomb Franco planted in our car, and I hated every minute of it. I won’t let him push me out of the way now.” She grabbed her flashlight and gun. “You’ll keep Cara safe?”
“Of course, I will. But since she won’t leave Jock, I may not have the opportunity for much interaction.”
“Jock is more than enough protection. I’ll be back as soon as I can, and we’ll get the hell out of here.” She gave Jane a quick hug and tore up the hill toward the road.
* * *
“Colin…”
The word was so weak that Cara barely heard it.
But she knew Jock had heard it because his entire body had stiffened, galvanized. He leaned toward MacDuff. “Don’t talk. You’ve been—”
“Colin,” MacDuff said, his voice stronger. “What happened to Colin?”
“Dead. The bastard strapped a bomb to him.”
“Son of a bitch,” MacDuff said. “Did you … get them?”
“Not yet. I’ve been busy.”
“Just as well. I want to do it myself…”
“You might have to wait a bit. How do you feel?”
“Sore.” He thought about it. “A bad headache. The blast?”
“Yes. You have a couple broken bones. I don’t know about internal injuries. We need to get you to a doctor to check you out.”
“I’ll be fine.” His glance fell on Cara. “What are you … doing here?”
“Praying.” She smiled. “Jock said I shouldn’t be allowed to drink with him. I’m glad you’re back with us, sir.”
“So am I. I guess that nonsense is supposed … to mean something. But I’m too tired to decode it at the moment.” He closed his eyes. “Is everything okay, Jock? We can get out of here?”
“Everything is okay,” Jock said. “We’ve got it under control. Quinn will be here any minute. We’ve just been waiting for you to come around so that we can start moving. But you can take a nap until we’re ready.”
“That sounds a little … condescending.” His eyes were closing. “I’ll have a word to say to you later…”
“You do that.” Jock swallowed hard. “Later.”
A moment later, Jock sat back in his chair as MacDuff’s breathing steadied, then deepened.
“He’s safe?” Cara whispered.
“I believe so. We’ll have to see.” He smiled down at her, that radiant smile that lit up his entire face. “He’s complaining and trying to order me about. That’s a good sign.”
“Is it?” she asked eagerly. She was so happy to see that smile. “But he’ll be angry when he wakes up and finds you’ve lied to him.”
“Maybe when he wakes up, it won’t be a lie.” He reached down and helped her to her feet. “Now go and tell Jane that MacDuff has regained consciousness and everything that’s happened. She’ll want to know and come to check him out for herself.”
Cara nodded. “I’ll go right away.” She flew toward the door. “I’ll be right back.”
“I know you will. You’re very determined, Cara. And what a blessed quality that can be.” He added gently, “Sometimes a mixed blessing, but in you it’s pure gold.”
* * *
Joe had said to call before she left the slope to go on the road, Eve thought. Well, he hadn’t actually been referring to her, but she was here, and he’d have to deal with it. With the fog still as thick as it was, the fact that she had come instead of Caleb should be the least of his worries. Not that he would look at it that way.
She dialed Joe’s number. “I’m on the slope about one yard down and closest to the west approach to the road. Can you get me safely on the road?”
Silence. “Eve?” Then he was swearing. “Get the hell back down to that camp.”
“Get me safely on the road,” she repeated. “You needed someone to watch your back. I’ve been doing that job for years. Things are dicey down there at the camp. I’m the only one really available.”
“Then I can do it alone. All I wanted was—”
“Someone to keep anyone from shooting you while you concentrated on disarming those IEDs. I can watch. I can shoot. And no one cares more than I do that you come out of this alive.”
“Eve, for God’s sake, you’re going to have a baby. If you won’t be careful of yourself, think of the child.”
“Do you think that I’m not thinking of my baby? I haven’t been thinking of anything else since I started up here.” Her voice was shaking. “No, that’s not true. I was also thinking about you. I was thinking that you have to live. My child needs a father, and it has to be you. Because you’ll always be there, you’ll always protect and keep our baby safe. Just as you’re going to do in the next couple hours. You’ll keep us all safe. Because that’s what you do.” She started to move up the slope. “I’m coming, Joe. Tell me where to go, where to step.”
Silence. “Hang up the damn phone. You’re so close I can hear you without it.” He drew a harsh breath. “I think you’re about ten feet to the left from me. I haven’t had a chance to disarm that far on the road yet.” He repeated. “Ten feet, Eve. Count those feet aloud to me so I can track your voice.”
“One. Two. Three. Four.” She was moving slowly, trying to be precise. How could she be exact when she could barely see where she was going? And how had Joe managed to disarm any of those explosives? He must have had to be painstakingly careful. No wonder he’d needed someone else to keep watch for Salazar’s men when he’d had to concentrate on just keeping from being blown up. “Five. Six. Seven.” She could smell the burned grass on the side of the road from the explosion Salazar had ignited to show her how helpless they all were. Screw you, Salazar. Joe wasn’t helpless, and neither was she. They’d get through this. “Eight. Nine—”
“That’s far enough.” Joe was suddenly in front of her, grabbing her wrist and jerking her up on the road. “Keep still for a minute. Get your balance. This isn’t time for a misstep.” He held her close, burying his face in her hair. “Damn you, Eve,” he said hoarsely. “You shouldn’t have done—”
“Hush.” She held him closer. She could feel his heart pounding against her, the scent of him, the warmth of him. “And you shouldn’t swear at me when you’re so scared I’m going to die. Think how you’d regret it if I did.” Then she pushed him away. She had needed that moment. But they needed to get off this road more than she needed comfort. “Now let’s get to it.” She took a step back away from him. “You said no sign of Salazar’s men up here yet?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean he won’t send a man up to check to make sure that someone isn’t trying to destroy his booby traps. And that’s why I can’t just explode the IEDs. I had to have Burbank send one of his men to meet my helicopter with a military Stingray water-blade device so I could scramble the IEDs’ firepower.”
Eve nodded. “Whatever. I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. But Salazar’s more likely to think that he has us cowed down at the camp. He has to know that he injured MacDuff and that Caleb has been scouting the hill area. He doesn’t know about you. He believes he has us all contained. His focus will probably be on attack and conquer.” She looked down the road. “And does he have us contained? Do you have any idea how far these explosives are planted on the road?”
“I’d have to have a crystal ball to know that. All I can do is try to clear enough of the road to make it safe for us to get two vehicles up from your base camp and safely on the way out of the Gaelkar area. We’ll need at least two since MacDuff is injured.” His lips twisted. “And it’s not going very quickly, Eve. It might take at least another couple hours.”
“I can see how it might.”
“Of course, we could wait for the fog to lift and just take the fight to Salazar. But I’d rather get you, Jane, and Cara out of here and somewhere safe. I’ll be as fast as I can.”
“As fast as it’s safe,” she corrected. “No hurry.” She tried to smile. “Take your time. You have a great backup.”
“Yes, I do.” He turned away. “Keep behind me and close. If I say jump, you don’t question, you dive for the side of the road and roll down the slope. Promise me.”
“I promise. What else?”
“Primarily, I need you to listen since you can’t see a damn thing.”
“How can you see the IEDs?”
“Very carefully.” He took out a LED penlight. “I shaded the beam, and I’m focusing only on the ground and also blocking the light with my body. Hopefully, the fog is doing the rest.”
“You said we might be grateful to this fog.”
“At the moment. Up to now, it’s been a royal pain in the ass.”
He was crouching low, his gaze fixed intently on the ground, moving with extreme care. He was on task, fully focused on the job ahead.
Do your part, Eve told herself.
Keep close.
Listen, he had said.
Concentrate on everything around them so that Joe would not be forced to do it.
Listen …
* * *
“MacDuff’s awake!” Cara burst into Jane’s tent, her eyes shining with excitement. “Just now. He woke up and spoke to Jock. Well, me, too. But I think I just confused him, but he knew me, and he—”
“Slow down.” Jane jumped to her feet. “What are you trying to tell me.” She hoped it was what she thought Cara was trying to say. “MacDuff is better?”
“That’s what I said.” Cara drew a deep breath. “He woke up, and he spoke to Jock. He asked about Colin, and when Jock told him that he was dead, he asked if Jock had taken care of Salazar. He said he was glad Jock hadn’t had the time because he wanted to do it himself.”
“That sounds like MacDuff,” Jane said. “He is better.”
“Jock thinks he’s going to be okay.” Cara’s face was glowing. “But then he fell asleep again, and Jock told me to run and get you. He told me to tell you everything. He said he knew that you’d want to come and see for yourself.”
“Yes, I do.” She felt as if an enormous burden had been lifted. MacDuff was going to live. “I’ll go right away.”
“I’ll go with you.” Cara was heading for the door. Then she stopped. “No, I’ll go to Eve’s tent and tell her. She’ll want to know.”
Jane suddenly remembered that Cara wasn’t aware that Eve had gone to help Joe. She wasn’t about to worry her about another potential danger when she was so happy about MacDuff. “No, come back with me. Joe showed up while you were with Jock, and Eve’s helping him find a way to get us out of here.”
“Joe’s here?” Cara smiled eagerly. “Everything’s going right, isn’t it, Jane?”
“It appears to be on the right path.” She took Cara’s arm. “Come on, let’s get back to Jock.”
They were out in the dark, and the fog closed in on them once more.
It was only when they were almost to MacDuff’s tent that a thought occurred to Jane that caused a chill to go through her that had nothing to do with the fog.
She hesitated, almost stopped.
No. It didn’t have to be true.
“Jane?”
Cara had caught the hesitation and was staring at her.
“Coming.” Jane started forward again.
The next moment they were in MacDuff’s tent.
“I brought her, Jock,” Cara said. “You were right, she wants to see MacDuff for—” She stopped.
Jock was not in the tent.
MacDuff was sleeping peacefully on the cot, but Jock was nowhere in sight.
“Where’s Jock?” Cara whispered.
It’s what Jane wanted to know. But she didn’t want to alarm Cara. “Maybe he needed to take a break. He’s been cooped up in here since he brought MacDuff back. He’ll probably be back in a minute.”
“Jane.” MacDuff’s eyes were open. “All hell is breaking loose. You need to get Eve and the girl out of here.”
“Shh.” She went to him and took his hand. “We’re working on it. Joe is here. That will be a big help. You just relax and let us handle it.” She smiled. “This one time the Laird isn’t going to give the orders.”
“Then God help us.” His eyes started to close again. “Maybe you should take over. After all, you’re family. Cira might decide to give you a hand. It’s not beyond the…” He was asleep again.
And Jane’s hand tightened on his for a moment before she released it. God had already helped them, she thought gratefully. MacDuff was back with them. Like Jock, she was sure that he would be all right now.
Jock.
The chill returned as she turned away from MacDuff. “I think I’ll go to Jock’s tent and see what’s keeping him, Cara. Will you stay with MacDuff while I’m—”
Cara was gone.
Panic.
“Shit!”
Jane ran out of the tent.
Fog. Darkness. Fear.
“Cara!”
Smother the panic. Maybe she’d gone to Jock’s tent to look for him.
She ran down the row of tents.
Jock’s tent was dark.
No Jock.
No Cara.
Jane’s heart was beating hard, painfully.
But there was a note scrawled on a piece of paper pinned to the canvas beside the door.
It won’t take long, Jane.
“Damn, damn, damn.” She dialed Jock.
No answer.
She took a deep breath and phoned Caleb. “I need you to come back to the camp right away. Things are happening, and I need help.”
“I’m already on my way,” Caleb said. “Jock called me and told me that. I should be there soon.”
“Jock called you? When?”
“About ten minutes ago. He said MacDuff was better but that you were going to need me.”
“He must have called you right after he sent Cara to get me.” Her hand tightened on the phone. “I was so damn happy about MacDuff that it didn’t occur to me right away. Why would he have to send her to get me? Why not just phone me and tell me to come.”
“He wanted to get rid of her.” Caleb asked, “He’s gone, Jane?”
“You’re not surprised. Did he tell you?”
“No, but I knew it was bound to happen. Jock would have gone for Salazar after he found MacDuff if he hadn’t had to try to save him. He cares about MacDuff. He wasn’t going to let anyone who hurt him live. When he called to tell me that you’d need me, I thought that he judged it was time.” He paused. “I wouldn’t worry about him. From what I’ve heard about Jock, it’s Salazar who should worry.”
“I do worry about him. I know very well what Jock is capable of. Do you think I want him to start killing again?” Her voice was shaking. “And what about Cara? I suppose I shouldn’t worry about her either?”
“Cara?”
“I turned away for a moment to talk to MacDuff, and she was gone. I’m sure she went after Jock. She’s out there in the darkness and the fog looking for him. Hell, she wants to take care of him.”
“We’ll find her.”
“Before Salazar finds her? Before Franco finds her?”
“I’ll call Jock and tell him to locate her and bring her back.”
“I tried. He’s not answering. He obviously doesn’t want anyone to interfere with what he’s going to do. Which means Cara can’t reach him either. She’s alone out there.”
“She won’t be alone long. As soon as I assign some men to taking care of you and MacDuff, I’ll start tracking her.”
“I’m going with you. You assign men you can trust to care for MacDuff. I’m not going sit here and twiddle my thumbs while Cara is out there.”
“I can travel faster without you.”
“No, you can’t. I’ll do whatever I have to do. I promised Eve when she went to help Joe that I wouldn’t let anything happen to Cara. I promised her. I’m not going to break that promise.”
“Okay, calm down. We’ll make it work. We already have a start.”
“What start?”
“Jock took down a sniper on the scene where Colin was blown up. He told me he broke him but didn’t kill him. He sent me to get information from him while he tended to MacDuff.”
“You didn’t tell me that.”
“It wasn’t pleasant, and what I did to get that information wasn’t pleasant either. I didn’t want to shock your delicate sensibilities.”
“But you got the information? Will it help?”
“It will help.” He hung up.
* * *
He was close, Jock thought as he moved silently through the forest. He could hear Salazar’s men up ahead. No conversation, just breathing, and the sound of footsteps on the wet leaves. Salazar had probably told them to be quiet, so that the team Caleb had patrolling the perimeter wouldn’t spot them.
But they were amateurs, Jock thought. Even Salazar and Franco would have been disposed of in a matter of moments if they’d been designated as prey by Reilly, the man who had trained Jock all those years ago.
He increased his pace. Get it over with. He didn’t know how many men Salazar had stationed around their camp. He might have to get back and help Caleb take them out.
He stopped and listened. At least six men moving single file through the forest.
Single file. That would make it easier.
Remove them one by one until he got to the head of the column.
And hope it was Salazar.
No, not six men. One stride was lighter, shorter-spanned, the rhythm different. Boots, but not like the others.
A woman.
Natalie Castino?
It didn’t matter. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t killed women before. And, according to what Quinn had told Eve, this woman might have tried to kill Cara.
So just block out the ingrained hesitance and concentrate on being the assassin that Reilly had created. It would be no problem. He could feel the past training slipping effortlessly into place.
No joy. There had never been joy. Just a steel-like intensity and determination that was focused on the prey.
No, there was something more that was involved. Because this was not the usual prey.
Revenge.
* * *
“Done.”
Joe turned to face Eve. “We’ve cleared enough of the road for the cars. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Eve breathed a sigh of relief. It hadn’t taken as long as she’d thought it would for Joe to disarm those IEDs, but every minute that had passed had been excruciating. “I’ll second the motion.” She looked down at the lake, and she could see a faint watery outline in the darkness. “And it appears to be just in time. Some of the fog is dispersing. It was going to be easier for them to see what we were doing soon.”
“But we’ll be able to see his men if they try to plant any more explosives, too.” He took her arm, led her across the road to the slope, then carefully helped her start down the slippery incline. “Now let’s get down to the camp and get you all packed and out of here.”
“We’ve already packed up most of it. It’s MacDuff we have to worry about. Lord, I hope we have to worry about him.” She took out her phone and dialed Jane. “When I left, I wasn’t sure if he was going to make it. I know Jane knew what we’re doing and wouldn’t have called and disturbed me, but I have to check on—” She broke off as Jane picked up. “Jane, we’re through up here. Joe got the job done. We’re coming down.”
“Thank God,” Jane said. “At least, that’s one thing that’s positive.”
Eve stiffened. “MacDuff?”
“No, he’s doing better. Which freed up Jock to go hunting.” She paused. “And for Cara to get it into her head to follow him.”
“What?”
“I know. I’m as afraid as you are. Caleb and I are searching the forest for Cara now. We haven’t found any sign of her yet. We’ve just got to hope that Cara finds Jock before anyone else finds her.”
“Yes,” Eve said numbly. “We’ve got to hope. Joe and I will start searching as soon as we get down. We’ll split up the territory.” She hung up and told Joe, “Cara’s gone. She followed Jock when he went after Salazar.”
Joe muttered a curse. “Why in hell would she—”
“We both know why she’d do it,” Eve said. “She’s had too many people die trying to keep her alive. She can’t help but blame herself. She cares about Jock. She couldn’t bear the idea of not going with him, helping him, if he was going to be in danger.” She started at a half run down the slope, slipping and sliding, catching herself. “We’ve got to find her, Joe. There has to be some way…”
* * *
Jock twisted hard, and the man’s neck snapped.
His knees buckled and Jock lowered him carefully to the ground.
Three down.
Four men to go.
And the woman.
She was clumsier than the men, and occasionally someone in the party would try to steady her, help her.
Everything was going smoothly.
He’d soon have them all.
His phone was vibrating again. He’d been ignoring it since he left the camp. It was a rule that you never answered a call when you were on a mission. Particularly this mission. Too many people he cared about would be trying to interfere.
He prepared to ignore it again. He moved down the path, making no sound, listening. There was a curve up ahead. He could detect the swish of bodies on the shrubs as they took the turn. If Jock cut left into the trees, he should be able to bring down the next prey before he made that turn.
He moved swiftly into the trees.
His phone vibrated again.
Ignore it, as he’d done since the hunt began. He should have turned it off. But he couldn’t do it while MacDuff was lying in that tent injured.
It vibrated again.
He impatiently glanced down at the screen.
A text.
I CAN’T FIND YOU. I’M ON THE HILL NEAREST THE LAKE. WHY DON’T YOU ANSWER ME? YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE GONE. WHERE ARE YOU, JOCK?
Oh, my God.
Cara.
He was standing in the woods on the hill nearest the lake at this moment.
And he’d just killed three of Salazar’s men on this hill.
Don’t call her. Don’t make a sound that would draw anyone’s attention to her. His fingers flew over the keys.
PUT YOUR PHONE ON VIBRATE. DON’T MOVE. STAY WHERE YOU ARE.
I AM ON VIBRATE. IT WOULD BE PRETTY STUPID NOT TO BE. JUST AS YOU’RE STUPID TO HAVE TRIED TO FOOL ME. I TRUSTED YOU. NOW YOU COME BACK WITH ME. YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE HURT. I WON’T LET THAT HAPPEN. IF YOU DON’T CARE WHAT I THINK, DO IT FOR MACDUFF. NEVER MIND, HE PROBABLY LIKES THE IDEA OF EVERYBODY’S KILLING EACH OTHER, TOO. IT’S NOT WORTH IT. DO YOU HEAR ME? IT’S NOT WORTH IT. NOW WHERE CAN I FIND YOU?
CARA, WHY ON EARTH DID YOU FOLLOW ME?
YOU WERE ALONE. I DIDN’T WANT YOU TO BE ALONE.
Such a simple answer. An answer that had led her to risk everything. Dear God, an answer that he should have known would be triggered when he’d left MacDuff’s tent tonight.
WHERE ARE YOU ON THE HILL? ARE THERE ANY LANDMARKS? WHAT DO YOU SEE?
FOG. THOUGH IT’S NOT NEARLY AS BAD AS IT WAS BEFORE. JUST TREES. LOTS OF TREES.
No help at all.
CARA, LISTEN TO ME. STOP LOOKING FOR ME. FIND A PLACE WITH SOME COVER AND HIDE. I’M NOT SURE HOW CLOSE SALAZAR IS TO YOU.
WHERE ARE YOU?
CLOSE. STOP LOOKING FOR ME. TRUST ME. I’LL COME TO YOU RIGHT AWAY. WAIT FOR ME.
Silence.
I’LL WAIT FOR YOU.
Thank God. He had bought some time. But now he had to move fast and try to neutralize any threats to her. He could no longer hear Salazar and his men. They had passed out of his range while he was texting Cara. He dashed off a text to Caleb.
CARA. ON THE FIRST HILL NEXT TO THE LAKE.
He stuffed his phone in his pocket and took off through the woods in the direction he’d last tracked Salazar’s men.
* * *
Find a place with cover and hide, Jock had said.
Cara had no idea where that would be, she thought desperately. As she had told Jock, there was no cover, no boulders. Just a few shrubs along the path. Well, then use what there was available. She scavenged around and found a few large branches on the ground, then dragged them deeper into the woods and tried to rig a barrier among the shrubs.
Hide.
She started to move behind her barrier.
She stopped.
A sound.
A footstep.
Jock?
Don’t take a chance.
She had to take care of Jock.
Her fingers were flying over the keys.
STAY—
It was the only word she had time to type before the phone was knocked out of her hand.
Then an arm was around her neck, cutting off her breath.
“How nice to see you again, Cara.” Ramon Franco’s voice in her ear was the last thing she heard before a cloth was rammed over her mouth and nose. “I’ve been looking forward to this. You’ve been making me look very, very bad.”
Chloroform.
Darkness.
STAY—
* * *
Jock gazed blindly down at the phone he’d just picked up from the ground where Cara had dropped it. Her phone and the single word that was tearing him apart.
A warning. Even at that moment when Cara knew she might be caught, lost, she was trying to save him. If she hadn’t taken the time to type in that word, could she have saved herself?
He didn’t know, he couldn’t think. All he could do was look at that word.
She was the target. How long would they let her live? Maybe they’d killed her already. Maybe he’d find her body within yards of this barrier she’d built.
Agony. So deep, so sharp, that he couldn’t bear it.
He had to bear it. Because there was a chance. He couldn’t let that chance vanish.
STAY—
Block it. Look at the scene. Look at the footprints that usually told the story.
He knelt on the ground and examined the prints of the man who had taken Cara. Concentrate. Tell yourself she’s alive. Don’t give up and fall apart.
STAY—
* * *
“They’ve got her,” Jock said jerkily as he handed Eve Cara’s phone over an hour later, when Eve and Joe met with him in the woods. “I found this on the ground in the woods. She was trying to text me a warning, but she didn’t get the chance.”
When had Cara ever had a chance, Eve thought numbly as she gazed down at the one word on the screen. “You didn’t find her body?”
“No. I don’t think they’ve killed her yet. It was a single man who captured her. Not Salazar. This man was smaller, lighter. Probably Ramon Franco. And his footprints were heavier when he left the scene than when he came. He was carrying something heavy enough to be Cara.” He handed her a white towel. “And this was tossed into the shrubs where I found the phone.”
Joe took the towel and sniffed it. “Chloroform.”
“Which means we have a chance to negotiate,” Jock said. “They took her captive, but she’s not dead.” His lips thinned. “She’s not going to be dead. Stall. I’ll get her back.”
“We’ll get her back,” Joe said quietly. “But we may not have much time. The intent was always to kill Cara and remove the evidence of who had taken her from Castino. Like Eve, I expected to find only her body if Salazar got his hands on her. Unless they wanted to dispose of it as they tried to do with Jenny’s body.”
“Of course, that’s what they’d want to do.” Eve shivered. “And they have a deep lake and all of these hills to hide her.” How could they be standing here talking about Cara’s death? All she could think about was Cara’s laugh, her wistful eyes, her absorbed, intent, expression when she was playing her violin.
And that’s all she would think about, because she wouldn’t accept that they could lose her.
Okay, then try to find a different outcome. There had to be some way. Her mind began racing frantically, weighing options, trying to recall her contacts with Salazar … and Natalie Castino.
Joe’s gaze was fixed on her face. “Eve, she’s alive. We have hope.”
He probably thought she was in shock, she thought. He was only half-right. “They could have had another reason for not killing Cara right away. They want me, too. They believe I know too much. Maybe they want to find a way to get hold of us both.”
“You mean use Cara as bait to trap you?” Jock asked.
“It’s possible. And we might be able to turn it around to close the trap on them.” Her lips tightened. “Or I’d be content just to get Cara out of their hands. No, I’d be ecstatic.”
“No bait,” Joe said flatly. “We’ll try something else.”
“We’ll try whatever we think might work.” Eve looked him in the eye. “Remember when we talked about a division of labor about keeping Cara safe? You stayed behind and worked behind the scenes to find out what was going on and put up a smoke screen. My job was to stay with Cara and keep her safe. You did your job. I didn’t do mine. I didn’t watch her close enough. Well, it’s time I made that right.”
“It was my fault,” Jock said hoarsely. “I didn’t think. I was just feeling, or I would have known what Cara would do.”
“And it was Cara’s fault for running after you because she was afraid that you’d be killed like her Jenny, like Elena,” Eve said. “We can blame ourselves all night, and it’s not going to bring her back. We have to stop it and get to work.”
“You may be wrong,” Joe said. “If we wait until Salazar puts out bait instead of going after him, Cara could be killed.”
“No, we can’t wait.” She had a sudden thought. “But maybe we don’t go to Salazar. Maybe we go around him.”
“Around him?” Joe repeated. “What do you mean?”
“Natalie Castino. I told you about the fairy story she was handing me when she called me.”
“She was trying to trap you.”
“I don’t doubt that for a minute. But she was wonderfully plausible, and I had to question my own instincts at the time. She’s clever, and I’m sure she plays everyone around her as skillfully as Cara does her violin.” She paused. “You got the impression that she was in control of everything she did. Was she in control of Salazar?”
“Possibly.”
“Probably. She’d made the effort to keep him as a lover for all those years. But she wouldn’t let him know that he was dispensable unless she was prepared to jettison him.” She turned to Jock. “When you called us and told us to come here, you said that you’d been tracking Salazar’s men. Was Natalie Castino with them?”
“There was a woman with them. I assumed that it was her. I never saw her.”
“Then her story was definitely bogus. We have to work from there.” She was thinking frantically, going over her conversation with Natalie sentence by sentence. “What are her priorities? She wants to be safe. She likes power and wants to maintain it. She doesn’t want to be under her father’s thumb or her husband’s or Salazar’s, but she’s capable of using all of them. She wants to be queen and will do anything to—” She stopped. “But a queen needs a crown and a treasury, doesn’t she? That may be the bait we need to tempt her.”
“Treasury,” Joe repeated. “As in treasure?”
She nodded. “She mentioned the treasure while she was talking to me. She asked if we’d found it yet. And Salazar said something about the possibility of a deal later. There was definitely an interest from both of them in Cira’s gold.”
“Then maybe we should deal with Salazar if he wants it, too,” Joe said.
“You have nothing with which to deal,” Jock said. “We haven’t found it yet, dammit.”
“But we know where it might be,” Eve said. “If I have to, I’ll use that to strike a deal.”
“Salazar is desperate,” Joe said. “He’s not going to risk Cara’s being found and talking about his arranging for that kidnapping on the chance that there might be a big payoff. He’ll take the safe road.”
And the safe road was to kill Cara. Eve knew he was right, and she was desperate herself, or she wouldn’t be considering taking the risk. “Then we deal with Natalie Castino. She’s not desperate. I’m sure she wants Cara dead to protect herself, but if you could have heard her talking to me, you’d realize that she thinks she rules the world. Why not? She’s convinced everyone that she had nothing to do with her daughter’s disappearance for the past eight years. She has a superb self-confidence. She’ll think she can deal and get the best of me and have it all. We just have to make sure that she’s wrong.”
“What can I do?” Jock asked. A muscle in his cheek jerked as he bared his teeth from tension. “I have to do something. I’m not thinking very well right now. Tell me how to help. Tell me how to get her back.”
“Any way you look at it, we have to remove Salazar’s men and try to leave him defenseless,” Joe said. “From what you said, you were on your way to doing that before you found out about Cara. But we can’t risk making him edgy until we’re sure we have a way to get Cara. We’ll just plan and set up, then execute when she’s safe.” He added, “You found Salazar once. Can you find him again?”
“I’ll find him,” he said grimly.
“Cara will probably be with them. You’ll want to step in and take her,” Joe said. “Don’t do it. Don’t take the chance.”
Jock was silent.
“Don’t do it, Jock,” Eve said. “Just let us know and keep watch over her.”
He finally said, “I’ll keep watch.” He added, “And you won’t have many men to take out by that time. But I don’t promise anything.” He turned to leave. “I’ll let you know when I find them. It will be very soon.”
Eve watched him walk away. She could almost feel his pain, which was making him as volatile as the IEDs Joe had disarmed tonight.
But nothing was going to disarm Jock but seeing Cara alive and free.
“I don’t promise either,” Joe said roughly. “I don’t like any of this, and if I could see any other way, I’d take it. But I’m not going to let you sacrifice yourself to save Cara. That’s not an option.”
“Then let’s hope that Natalie Castino can be persuaded that she can have it all.” Eve turned to go back to the campsite. “I’m going to check with Jane about MacDuff, then I’m going to call Natalie. Time’s running out.”
He nodded curtly. “I’ll get with Caleb, and we’ll begin to throw together a plan.” He strode away from her. “I meant what I said, Eve.”
He always meant what he said, Eve thought wearily. But particularly when it came to her safety. She’d already stretched him to the limit tonight up on that road.
But sometimes there were no limits. Not when a child was concerned.
Jane.
She dialed her quickly. “Salazar has Cara. But she’s alive. Franco, or whoever took her, used chloroform. We’re moving to get her back.”
“Oh, my God.”
“We will get her back, Jane.”
“How?”
“We have a few ideas. Where are you?”
“Right now I’m back at camp with MacDuff. I started thinking while I was searching for Cara about how vulnerable MacDuff is right now with only a couple guards to watch over him. Salazar wanted him dead. Who’s to say he won’t try again? Cara has you and everyone else looking for her, and I couldn’t let MacDuff be pushed aside.” She added, “So I told Caleb to go on without me, and I came back. That’s what he wanted anyway.” She paused, then said with frustration, “Though I admit it’s driving me crazy. I want to be out there with the rest of you.”
“I know how you feel. But you’re right, MacDuff was hurt because he was trying to help us. He deserves all the care we can give him. How is he?”
“I think he’s better. I can’t be sure. He goes in and out. But when he comes around, he’s pure MacDuff.” She added brusquely, “But we have to get him to a hospital. I was thinking of loading him into a vehicle and using that road that Joe cleared of explosives earlier to get him away from here. But it would be pretty bumpy, and I’d run the risk of running off the road.”
“Very risky.”
“The fog is lifting. It’s worse in the valleys than anywhere else. I called an air ambulance, and they said they’d try to get to us as soon as possible, but they weren’t sure when that would be.” She added dryly, “Needless to say, I told them not to land on that road.”
“And you’re probably not going to have to worry about Salazar’s men interfering with them if they land in the camp,” Eve said. “I guarantee that they’re going to be kept very busy in the next few hours. I have to go, Jane. Take care of MacDuff.”
“That’s why I’m here,” she said. “You didn’t tell me what ideas you have to get Cara back.”
“There are a couple brewing.”
“And you don’t intend to tell me.” She paused. “You think it would scare me or worry me. You’re right, that’s the name of the game right now. I’m feeling helpless. I want to be with you. But I can’t, so all I can do is tell you to be careful and remember that I can’t do without you. Now, go do whatever you have to do.” She hung up.
Eve drew a deep breath, then did what she had to do. She dialed the number Natalie Castino had given her.
Would she even answer?
If she didn’t, there was little hope that they could keep Cara alive.
One ring.
Two.
Three.
Then Natalie Castino picked up the call. “Eve Duncan? I can’t tell you how glad I am that you called me back. I was so afraid that you wouldn’t. You’ve decided to help me?”
Her tone held the same heartbreaking agony that it had the first time she’d called Eve. She was still playing the same role she’d assumed before. Poor victimized mother just trying to get her child returned to her. It seemed incredible that Natalie would still think that ploy would work.
But in order to get anywhere with the woman, Eve would have to jar her out of that role. “I was hoping that we might be able to help each other. But that can’t happen unless you’re honest with me, Natalie. There is no ransom, is there? It’s all a hoax. You and Salazar were in together on the kidnapping of the girls.”
Silence. “How can you say that? I wouldn’t harm my own daughters.”
“I don’t expect you to confess. You’re entirely too clever to incriminate yourself on the phone. I just want you to know that I’m aware of who and what you are. Though God knows I don’t understand how you could do it. Jenny and Cara were extraordinary human beings and very lovable.”
“Who would know that better than me, Eve?” Natalie said gently. “That’s why I’m trying to save my Cara. If I’m not mistaken, I believe that you’re trying to do the same thing. Why else did you call me?”
“Not to play your old game. I want to offer you a new one that would have advantages to both of us. Are you with Salazar now?”
“How did you guess? He forced me to come to meet him. He thought I might be useful in negotiating the ransom. I had no choice.”
No agony. Her voice was smooth and almost without expression. She was not going to say anything incriminating but she was clearly willing to talk around the subject.
“Can he hear you now?”
“No, I demanded some privacy.”
“He has Cara. I want her back.”
Silence. “But I’d know if he had her, wouldn’t I?”
“I believe you do know. She was chloroformed and taken to Salazar. He’s going to kill her if you don’t step in.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m talking about your daughter. I’m talking about death. I’m talking about your saving her.”
“Everyone knows I’d do anything to save her.” She paused. “Are you begging me, Eve? You don’t have to beg me. Just tell me about this new game you wanted to offer me. The one you said might help all of us.”
“Cira’s treasure. It’s a game centuries old, and that makes it all the more precious. MacTavish told Franco that some of those coins in the chest are priceless, but I’m sure an enterprising woman like you would be able to find a buyer. I’ve heard you like power, and money like that could put the world at your feet.”
“And you’re offering to give me this treasure?”
“I’m offering a trade.”
“You’ve … found this chest?”
Make it sound totally convincing. “Yes.”
“And you’ll give it to me for Cara?”
“I will.”
“Why? She’s just a child. She can’t be of any value to you.”
For the first time, Eve realized exactly what she was dealing with in Natalie Castino. That question was asked with complete sincerity. Cara had no value for Natalie, and, therefore, she couldn’t see any value in her for anyone else. Natalie was clearly a complete sociopath. And, therefore, it would be difficult for Eve to explain her affection for Natalie’s daughter and make her believe it. “I’ve never cared anything about the treasure. But I don’t want Salazar to get what he wants. He’s caused me a good deal of trouble. Not to mention that he’s tried to kill me.”
“You’re foolish not to want the treasure. But I can understand how you’d want to get back at Salazar.”
Yes, Natalie could identify with anyone not giving her what she wanted. “So you’ll deal with me?”
“How can I? I don’t have Cara.”
Eve smothered her exasperation. It was clear Natalie would never do anything to incriminate herself unless she knew she was perfectly safe. Eve could see how she had been able to deceive everyone about her innocence all these years.
“If you had Cara, would you deal? Hypothetically?”
“I do like money. It might be an answer for many troubles in my life. And, of course, I’d always want my dear child safe. But Salazar is a very dangerous man, and he might kill me if I got in his way. It’s a very difficult situation.”
“Give me an answer.”
“And you might spread lies about my part in these negotiations for my daughter.”
“You don’t think you can handle my ‘lies’?”
“Oh, I could handle them. It would just be a bother.”
“Give me an answer.”
Silence. “When would I get this treasure?”
“You get Salazar to release Cara, and I’ll take you to where we hid it on the lake.”
“That’s not exactly … safe for me.”
“That’s the only way we can handle it. Your child is not that important to me. I might decide I want the treasure after all. Take it or leave it.”
Another silence. “Naturally, I’ll do everything possible to save my daughter. But you’ve got to keep Salazar from hurting me. I’ll call you and tell you when and where to come.” She hung up.
It was done.
Eve drew a relieved breath as she hung up. It had been both harder and easier than she had anticipated. It was difficult trying to understand Natalie’s thinking and make her believe that Eve was on the same page. It had been easier than she thought to make Natalie go for the deal itself. But Natalie was clever, and there might be all kinds of hidden agendas in her acceptance.
But the deal had been struck. Now all she had to do was tell Joe.
And to sit and wait for Natalie’s call.
* * *
“She wanted a deal?” Salazar asked when Natalie hung up. “You look very pleased with yourself.”
“I am very pleased with myself. They have the treasure and want to trade for Cara.” She glanced at the girl slumped unconscious on the ground by a tree. “She may prove very valuable in more ways than the obvious.” She smiled at him. “Unfortunately, you weren’t included in the deal. Eve Duncan wants me to persuade you not to kill Cara, then set her free. Do you think I’m that persuasive, Salazar?”
“You made the deal?”
“It seemed the thing to do. We get Eve Duncan and the treasure. We already have Cara. A win-win situation.” She glanced at Franco. “You’ve already come through for us by finding Cara. Do you think you can get Eve Duncan to tell us about the location of the treasure?”
“It won’t be a problem. Women break easier than men.”
“How very sexist. You just haven’t been exposed to the right women, has he, Salazar?”
“When are you going to call her back?” Salazar asked. “I want this over. I’ve lost three men tonight. MacDuff’s people must be better than we thought.”
“I’ll give it an hour. I want to make her sweat.” She tilted her head. “Though she might not. I believe I’m beginning to have respect for Eve Duncan. How very strange. I don’t remember ever respecting another woman before.” She shrugged. “Oh, well, I’ll still make her wait. I have to keep my word…”