Chapter
9
“Those passes up there are like a rabbit warren, Kadmus,” Brasden said as he looked down at the map on the hood of the jeep. “There are twice what this map indicates. We could spend a week exploring all of them.”
“We don’t have a week,” Kadmus said curtly. “Have you found any more tracks?”
He shook his head. “No, they disappeared about two miles up the mountain. The roads are almost pure stone from then on.” He added, “But we’ll get them. It may take a little more time.”
“You’d better get them. You let them escape from Daksha. I won’t tolerate any more mistakes.”
He moistened his lips. “We have to consider that this may have been an alternate plan that Ling put together in case she didn’t make the helicopter. Somehow, the CIA must have found out about those hot springs and the connection to this mountain.”
“With no records on any scientific chart or historical document?”
“But the tire tracks indicate that they were met when they reached here. Ling had help.”
“But not necessarily CIA help.”
Brasden frowned. “Who else?”
“Perhaps one of Erin’s close and intimate friends,” Kadmus murmured. He had been considering that possibility since he had reached this hot spring and seen the tire tracks. It had been hell taking that path from the mountaintop down to the hot spring in the bowels of the Earth. Ling and Erin must have known what lay beyond it, or they would never have made the attempt. How had they known? The old lama that he shot had only a sketchy knowledge. To move as fast as Erin and Ling had, they must have had a firm idea of their direction and destination. “And he could be leading us down the garden path. Ling is going to be frantic to move Erin away from here as soon as possible. Where could a helicopter land on this mountain?”
“The best place would be right here beside the hot spring.”
“What’s a possible, not the best, place?”
Brasden looked down at the map. “The road widens four miles up from here, and that would support a landing?” His index finger jabbed at another spot. “Or this plateau on the other side of the mountain. But that wouldn’t be anywhere close to the direction the jeep was going.”
“How do you know? As you said, it’s a rabbit warren up there. It could lead anywhere. How long will it take us to get to that plateau on the other side of the mountain?”
He shook his head. “It’s rough country. Four, five hours, maybe. We’d only be able to take the vehicle part of the way. The rest of the trip would be on foot.”
“Then let’s get started.”
“There’s no proof that they’re going to use that plateau.”
“There was no proof that they’d use that passage down Daksha Mountain, but they did. Sometimes you have to rely on your gut instinct. I think whoever met them here at the spring decided to try to keep us busy and out of his way.”
“The answer could be so much more simple.”
“Only for someone who has no feeling on how to grasp the big picture. I know what I’m doing.” He stared out at the high ridges of the mountain. “And so does he.”
I can feel you out there. Have I at last lured you out of hiding? All those months of toying with Erin, and you wouldn’t make a move. But Ling stirred you up. I should thank the bitch. I may do it after I give her to my men, then tear her breasts off. First things, first.
He turned away and strode around to get into the driver’s seat of the jeep. “Come on. Leave a token force to guard this road but hold off on searching this area for now. We’ll come back here if—”
“You find out you’ve made a mistake,” Brasden finished slyly.
“I’ve not made a mistake,” he said coldly. “The only mistake I may have made is hiring you. It’s up to you to prove I didn’t.” He put the jeep in gear, and the vehicle lurched forward as his foot hit the accelerator. “Get on the phone and start giving orders.”
But Brasden would not even do that with the authority that Kadmus would. Some men were born to rule, and Brasden wasn’t one of them.
Kadmus looked up at the plateau in the far distance. He felt as if he could almost see a shadowy face in that pale, icy mist. Soon, there would be no almost about it. He would be able to confront that son of a bitch who had eluded him for so long. He would bring him to his knees and make him beg to give Kadmus what he wanted.
Perhaps it was meant to be that Erin had been taken from him. Now everything would fall into place, and he would be able to move forward.
Do you hear me? he asked that ephemeral figure in the mist. You’re nothing to me. That priest I killed called you the Guardian. But you’re just an errand boy trying to keep me from my destiny. You think you can whisk those women away from me, then fly away yourself as you’ve done before.
Not this time.
The only difference is that I’ll have two bitches instead of one to play with. And you to watch what I do to them.
Did you give Ling a pretty gold lotus necklace, too? So childish …
And so helpful to me …
* * *
“It’s time to leave,” Catherine whispered to Erin. “Do you need me to help you dress?”
Erin shook her head as she sat up. “My shoulder is okay. Just a little sore. Otherwise, I feel … good. Your Hu Chang did a terrific job. What time is it?”
“A little before five. Cameron left a few minutes ago with Hu Chang. I think they’re checking the trail.”
“I’ll be with you in a few minutes.” She threw back the cover. “Go take care of your son.” The rosy light from the stove glowed on Erin’s gold necklace as she put on her bra and T-shirt. “I slept well. I have a good feeling about today.”
Catherine leaned forward and touched the lotus. “You were right, you didn’t lose it. It must have a very strong chain.”
Erin nodded and smiled. “Yes, it’s very strong.” She added, “And so am I. And getting stronger all the time.” She was quickly throwing on the rest of her clothes. “Could I have one of those nutrition bars? I’m hungry.”
“Sorry. We left them on the bank when we went into the hot spring.”
“I have something, Catherine,” Luke said.
She turned to him. “I was just going to wake you.”
“I’ve been awake.” He opened his backpack. “Hu Chang gave me these when we started out.” He pulled out two nutrition bars. “Give them to her.”
“I will.” She smiled. “This is Erin Sullivan, Luke.”
“I know,” Luke said gravely. “How do you do, Ms. Sullivan?”
“Pretty well, thanks to your mother,” Erin said. “I’m very glad to meet you, Luke.” She took a bite of the bar. “Though I didn’t expect to see you here.” She glanced at Catherine. “And I’m sure Catherine didn’t either. She told me she had to get back to you. But it seems you didn’t wait for her.”
“I have to be here for her.” He met Catherine’s eyes. “Don’t I?”
“That’s what you tell me. But it has to go both ways, Luke.”
He shook his head. “You took me away from Rakovac and killed him. You don’t owe me anything.” He got to his feet and stored his sleeping bag in his backpack. “I saw Hu Chang go out with Cameron. May I go find them?”
“As long as you stay within sight.” She held up her hand. “Okay, I’d worry. I’m trying to accept that you—” She shook her head. “Give me a break.”
A faint smile touched his lips. “I won’t go far.” The next moment, he’d left the hut.
Catherine immediately followed him and opened the door.
She couldn’t help it if she was insulting his independence. She wasn’t going to let him go out in the dark with Kadmus somewhere near without knowing he would be able to make contact with Hu Chang.
It was still dark, but it had stopped snowing, and she could see Cameron and Hu Chang standing, talking, fifty yards or so down the road. Luke would reach them within a few minutes.
She shut the door and turned to see Erin watching her.
“He seems to be a nice boy.” Erin turned and was quickly dressing. “But, God, I’m sorry that he’s here. I wasn’t functioning too well when Cameron brought us here last night, but it still came as a shock. I can see that you’re devastated. Who’s responsible for his being here?”
“Hu Chang. Cameron. Luke, himself.” Catherine went across the room and turned off the stove. “And maybe me, too. I can’t sort it all out right now. I just have to concentrate on getting him out of here and on his way to the U.S.”
“If Cameron had any responsibility for bringing him, he’ll make it right.”
“He didn’t exactly bring him, he just didn’t stop him from coming.” She paused. “And he promised that nothing would happen to him.”
“You see? Everything will be all right.” She grabbed her jacket. “Cameron always keeps his promises.”
“I can’t say I have the same degree of confidence in him.”
“And you think I’m a little nuts because I do.”
“I don’t understand it.”
“I did something I wasn’t supposed to do.” Her hand went to the lotus on her necklace. “He did what he could to fix it.” She released the necklace and carefully thrust her arms into the jacket. “And he sent you, didn’t he?”
“So he tells me,” she said. “I suppose you wouldn’t care to say what terrible thing you did that you’d deserve that kind of punishment?”
“It wasn’t terrible, it was careless.” She pulled her parka over her hair. “But the result was the same.” She moved toward the door. “But it’s over now, and I have to get over it, too. It will take a long time, but I’ll do it. I won’t let Kadmus win.”
It wasn’t over, Catherine thought, and Erin was intelligent enough to know it. But she wasn’t going to discourage her any more than she had to by arguing with her. She was glad Erin was managing to keep her spirits up after that hell of a day they’d gone through yesterday. She followed Erin to the door. “No, he won’t win. Let’s get down to that plateau and get out of here.”
* * *
“I assume you’re going to tell me what is wrong.” Hu Chang’s gaze was focused on the twisting path leading down to the plateau. “I do not read minds, but you’re not a man to need company on an early-morning stroll.”
“But you’re always entertaining, Hu Chang.” Cameron smiled. “I enjoyed you enormously during your stay with me.”
“What is wrong?” he repeated.
“I got word late last night that Kadmus had virtually abandoned the hot-springs road and was taking his men on the road leading across the mountain.” He paused. “They’re only a few hours away from the plateau now.”
“How close is the helicopter?”
“Too close to Kadmus’s ETA.”
“Can you divert it?”
“Yes, but that would only extend the danger. Our best bet is to get Erin on that helicopter and away from Kadmus.”
“You told me that he would still never give up the search.”
“And he won’t, but it will be a new playing field, and it will give me time to try to persuade the committee that I’m right, and they’re wrong.”
“What are the chances?” Hu Chang asked. “Can you do a little mental manipulation with them?”
“No,” he said curtly. “That wouldn’t be honorable. I made promises when I became Guardian. Besides, they think they’re doing what they should for the good of the organization. They’re all supersmart and claim they have a long-range view. I’m the rebel. I’ll just have to contact a few members who are leaning my way and see what I can do.”
“Catherine will want to know that there’s a threat.”
“I’m sure she will. You tell her. I’m heading out now. I’ll tell the pilot to touch down and pick you all up. I want you on board and away from the mountain in two minutes flat. I don’t think I can manage any more time than that.”
“Time? What—” He stopped as he saw Luke coming toward them from the hut. “Catherine’s going to hate this for him. She would have preferred a smooth, safe exit.”
“I know. I promised her I’d keep him safe.” He smiled and waved at Luke. “And he will be safe as long as you don’t take longer than those two minutes.” He turned and started down the road. “I’ll be in touch.”
“Where is he going?” Luke had reached Hu Chang and was staring after Cameron. He called, “Cameron?”
Cameron looked over his shoulder and smiled. “I’ll see you later. Take care of Catherine, Luke.”
The next moment, he had disappeared around the curve.
“Hu Chang?” Luke was frowning. “Where is he going?”
“He did not communicate his exact destination, but I believe it had something to do with our departure. So I think that we should follow his example and start down the mountain.” He looked at the hut and saw Catherine and Erin coming toward them. “And with all due speed.”
* * *
“So much for Cameron’s keeping Luke safe, Hu Chang,” Catherine said as she strode quickly down the mountain. “Kadmus appears on the horizon, and he takes off.”
“Kadmus is not on the horizon yet. Cameron said it would be very close.”
“But he didn’t want to take a chance of an encounter.”
“He did not discuss his plans with me. He just said to get everyone on that helicopter in two minutes.” He gazed at Erin, who had moved ahead of them with Luke. “She appears better. And she asked no questions about Cameron.”
“She trusts him. No matter what he does, she sure it’s the right thing. I can’t—” She stopped, her head lifting. “What’s that?”
He listened. “Vehicles. It appears that Kadmus may be closer than we thought.”
“We can’t be sure. These mountains echo like crazy. I made that mistake when Erin and I were in the hot springs.” She gnawed at her lower lip. “But if we go forward, we could run into Kadmus’s men if they get to the plateau before the helicopter.”
“Cameron said that it would be close, but we would have the edge and get there first.”
“And we should just trust his judgment?”
“Do you have the facts to make your own? Cameron knows these mountains.”
And, according to Hu Chang, he was accustomed to fighting in them.
Hu Chang gazed at her. “No time for hesitation. Go back, or trust Cameron and go forward?”
The sound of Kadmus’s vehicles sounded aggressively loud in the clear mountain air.
She muttered a curse, and her pace quickened. “Trust Cameron.”
* * *
“There’s the plateau.” Brasden gestured up ahead. The first gray of dawn breaking was lighting the sky. “But we’ve still heard no electronic communication. No radio transmissions at all. If a helicopter is coming in, the pilot is too far out for us to detect.”
“Or he’s on complete radio silence,” Kadmus said. “We’ll camp out for a while and see which is true.” He gazed thoughtfully up at the footpath leading up and north from the plateau. Then he looked back at the cavalcade of jeeps behind him. The second vehicle was the one carrying the soldiers with the missile launchers. “And then we’ll do a little more exploring. How long until we reach the plateau?”
“Fifteen minutes.”
“See if we can get it down to ten.”
* * *
“Four minutes, Cameron,” Tashdon said. “I told you I’d be right on time, sir.”
“Kadmus will be able to hear your approach in another two minutes. You’re going to be busy. You brought a copilot?”
“Ralph Martin. I’ve used him before.”
“No mistakes. They’re going to be throwing big stuff at you, but you just obey instructions.” He paused. “All instructions.”
Silence. “I don’t like it, sir.”
“You don’t have to like it. Just do it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Cameron broke away.
He didn’t have to glance up the trail to know that Hu Chang would be bringing Erin, Catherine, and Luke down to the plateau within a few minutes. They should be rounding the curve at the same time as the helicopter landed.
He reached into his backpack and brought out his case containing the dissembled parts of his Springfield. A minute later, he had assembled it. The he grabbed his AK-47 and started climbing up the rocks and boulders bordering the trail.
Two minutes.
* * *
“There’s the helicopter,” Erin said over her shoulder as she moved around the curve. “He should be landing any—Oh, shit.”
Catherine could see what she meant. Kadmus’s caravan of jeeps and trucks was barreling up the hill toward the plateau. They should reach it in minutes. She caught a glimpse of a missile being loaded. “Stop. Luke, come back and—”
“Move, Catherine!”
Cameron. Where the hell—
A bullet exploded from the boulders above the plateau!
She saw the driver of the third jeep in the caravan careen off the road and over the edge of the cliff.
“Run.” She streaked down the hill toward the plateau.
Another three shots.
The tires on Kadmus’s jeep blew an instant later. Brasden and Kadmus jumped from the vehicle to the road.
The helicopter touched down.
“Hu Chang?” she gasped.
“Here.” He had already passed her and grabbed Erin. “Cameron said two minutes. Get on board.”
The door of the helicopter opened, and a man in uniform was lifting Erin on board.
Another shot from the rocks, and the driver of the fourth jeep in the caravan slumped over the steering wheel. But the other soldiers were pouring out of the vehicles and tearing up the road toward the plateau on foot.
“Get that son of a bitching sniper.” Brasden’s harsh voice. “And I want that missile loaded and off now.”
“Catherine.” Luke was suddenly beside her, taking her arm and jerking her toward the helicopter. “Get on board. Hurry.”
But Cameron was alone up there with all those soldiers crawling over the rocks like scorpions. And the missile had to be disabled. She had only her Luger, but she could go down and get the rifle from that disabled jeep and—
“You get on board,” she told Luke. “I’ll be right—”
But Luke was not leaving her, and she had to get him on board and out of here. She turned and dashed toward the helicopter at a dead run. The next instant, they both dove into the copter.
“Lift off, Tashdon,” Hu Chang ordered the uniformed pilot who had opened the door. “Now.”
“Not yet.” Catherine got to her feet. “That missile. Cameron needs help.” She headed for the door. “Get everyone out of here, Hu Chang. I’ll go take care of that missile and make sure they don’t get—”
“No. Take off, Martin.” The pilot, Tashdon, was behind her, tone regretful. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Cameron gave very definite orders.”
Pain.
Darkness.
* * *
The copter moved jerkily off the plateau.
Good, he’d managed to distract Kadmus’s troops and given them the time they needed, Cameron thought. Now to get rid of those missiles.
He aimed carefully.
The first shot took out the soldier loading the missile.
The second shot took out the other soldier.
The third shot hit the gas tank.
The jeep and missiles exploded!
No more missiles.
He glanced at the helicopter. It was still within range of a good shot. More distraction needed. He took his AK-47 and sprayed the oncoming soldiers who had reached the lower boulders below him.
Then he started moving higher on the rocks, deliberately showing himself.
Shouts.
Bullets.
But they were both in his direction, not the helicopter.
Another glance showed the helicopter out of range.
He ducked back behind the boulders and kept on climbing.
* * *
“Kill that son of a bitch!” Kadmus shouted.
He could feel the heat of the flames from the exploded missile singeing his back as he ran toward the plateau.
Gone.
Erin Sullivan whisked away from him by Catherine Ling. Rage was tearing through him. He had been so close, and she had still managed to make a fool of him.
No, it hadn’t been Ling by herself. The man who’d done this damage was still on the mountain. He’d caught a glimpse of him only minutes ago. He’d squeeze his throat until—
Control the anger.
This could be the man he’d been searching for. It’s what he’d been suspecting, and the way he’d decimated his men added credence to the suspicions. Now he had to capture him to confirm it.
“Find him,” he called to Brasden. “But keep him alive. Do you hear me? I need him.”
“I hear you.” Brasden was starting up the boulders. “And if I can’t get my hands on him right away, I may still get him. I took a photo with my phone when we got a glimpse of him a minute ago.”
Clever. He wouldn’t have thought Brasden would be that clever. “Don’t rely on a damn photo. Get him now.”
“I’m not relying on anything. You’ve always told me to have a backup plan. The photo is my backup plan.” He stared grimly down at Kadmus. “And I got a photo of the helicopter as it took off. Complete with registration numbers. It could help. Could you have done better?” He turned away and started climbing.
Arrogance, Kadmus thought, trying to stifle his rage.
And he would punish that arrogance as Brasden deserved.
As soon as he could do without the a*shole during these next crucial days.
Use him, then kill him.
* * *
“Don’t touch him, Luke.”
Hu Chang’s voice, Catherine realized hazily.
“I said, get away from him,” Hu Chang ordered.
Get away from whom? she wondered. It didn’t matter. Hu Chang sounded … stern. She had to open her eyes and make sure Luke was all right. “Luke…”
Luke was not all right.
His eyes were blazing with pure, searing anger. His entire being appeared to be sending off sparks. His lips were pulled back from his teeth. “Let me go.”
Then she saw that Hu Chang was standing in front of him, blocking his way.
And the pilot Hu Chang had called Tashdon was lying on the floor of the copter.
“Luke!” She scrambled to sit up. “What’s happening, Hu Chang?”
“Ask your son,” he said dryly. “Luke, get away from Tashdon and go see if your mother needs water or an aspirin. That’s the only help she needs from you right now.”
Luke hesitated, and the stormy expression gradually abated. He crossed the copter and fell to his knees beside her. “Is Hu Chang right?” he asked jerkily. “Do you need something? Water?”
“I need to know what happened.” She lifted her hand to her temple. The helicopter. They were on the helicopter. They must have gotten away from the mountain. The last thing she remembered was trying to jump out to get to those missiles. They’d been all over Cameron, and he’d—
“Cameron.” Her eyes widened. “What happened to Cameron?”
“Cameron will be okay.” Erin was suddenly beside her with a bottle of water and two aspirins. “We saw explosions while we were taking off. You don’t have to worry about Cameron.”
“I wasn’t exactly worried. I just didn’t want to leave a man behind.”
“And you were right,” Luke said fiercely. “If you wanted to go get Cameron, then Tashdon should have let you. I would have gone with you.” He was glaring over his shoulder at Hu Chang, who was helping the pilot to his feet. “He shouldn’t have touched you.”
“The pilot.” She had to struggle to remember the name Luke had called him. “Tashdon hit me?”
“He had no right to hit you,” Luke said. “No one has a right to hurt you.”
“You made your opinion clear on that subject, Luke,” Erin said dryly. “However, it might be wise to talk before acting.” She turned to Catherine. “But I don’t believe he’s going to listen to anyone but you, and he’s been edging toward Tashdon again.”
“Why? What happened to Tashdon?”
Luke didn’t answer.
Erin shrugged. “Tashdon hit you with the shaft of his gun when you were trying to jump out. Then he took a step back, closed the helicopter door, and tried to say something to Hu Chang.” She made a face. “He didn’t get the chance. Luke tackled him, then was on him like a cat. He bloodied his nose and gave him a karate chop that put him out. I don’t know how much more damage he did before Hu Chang pulled him off.”
“Considerable,” Tashdon said. “I wasn’t expecting it. Keep him away from me.”
“He’s only a boy,” Catherine said. “He’s eleven years old.”
“Who is almost as tall as me,” Hu Chang said. “He doesn’t have a man’s strength yet, but he has skills that made up for it. He was all ferocity and very intimidating. He knew what he was doing once he got his hands on Tashdon.” He looked at Luke. “Didn’t you?”
“Karate?” Luke shrugged. “Of course I knew. Rakovac wanted me to know anything that had to do with killing. He wanted me to kill. But I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t do anything he wanted me to do.” He looked at Tashdon. “But I wanted to hurt him, and it was easy for me.”
“You don’t kill someone just because you can,” Catherine said.
“He hurt you.” He paused. “And I didn’t kill him … quite.”
“I have to go back to the cockpit,” Tashdon said. He turned to Catherine. “I’m sorry I hurt you.” He added ruefully. “In more ways than one. I was trying to explain to you when I struck you.”
“Not the time for explanations,” Catherine said. “And I may disapprove of Luke’s taking you down, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t do it myself.”
Luke took an eager step toward him.
“No, Luke, not you.” She said coldly to Tashdon, “Make your explanations and get out of here. It was Cameron?”
He nodded. “He was sure at some point you would … opt to stay and join the fray. He said to be prepared and not let you do it when that time came.”
“He told you to knock me on the head?”
“He told me to stop you. I couldn’t think of any other way to do it. I didn’t mean to knock you out. I just wanted to give you a glancing blow that would get you away from the door.” He gazed sourly at Luke. “I’m a pilot. I don’t know any of that other stuff. Cameron wanted it done. So I did it.”
“It’s not always wise to obey blindly,” Hu Chang said. “I heard what you said before you struck Catherine and deduced the reason.” He added coolly, “Otherwise, you would have had to contend with me as well as the boy. You would have found me even more lethal. Luke knows the method but is obviously controlled by passion. That’s sometimes counterproductive. He will have to be mentally and emotionally schooled before he’s fully effective. But you might be a good subject on whom he can practi—”
“Stop, Hu Chang,” Catherine said. “Let him go fly the damn helicopter. And you will not school Luke in anything lethal. It’s bad enough that I’m always worried about you and those poisons.”
Tashdon quickly nodded and fled for the cockpit.
“Cameron did it?” Luke was frowning. “He must be lying. Cameron wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.”
And Luke was willing to blame anyone but Cameron, Catherine thought. Even in the short time that they had been together, Cameron had made a potent impression on her son.
“Not intentionally, Luke,” Erin said. “He would only do it to keep Catherine safe.”
“But she has a right to do what she wants to do. He shouldn’t have told that pilot to hit her.”
“Drop it, Luke,” Catherine said. The last thing she wanted was for Luke to be aggressive toward Cameron when they saw him again. Cameron had far too many weapons at his disposal. She didn’t think he would use them against the boy, but Cameron was unpredictable to say the least. “I agree with you in principle, but I’m willing to withhold judgment until I get an explanation from Cameron.”
“That doesn’t sound like you.”
“No, it does not,” Hu Chang said. “It’s much too reasonable and logical. At last she must be listening to my sage advice.”
Luke shook his head. “I still don’t like—”
“Cameron saved us, Luke,” Erin said. “Forget everything else. Just remember what odds he took on to help us.”
Luke nodded. “I wasn’t sure what was happening at the time, but then everything started blowing up.” He smiled. “Pretty cool.”
“Yeah.” Erin smiled back at him. “Cameron is always pretty cool.”
Thank heavens Erin had managed to distract Luke. Catherine couldn’t be sure of sounding too convincing when her head was throbbing, and she was a hell of a lot angrier at Cameron than Luke. She turned to Hu Chang. “I take it I wasn’t out long?”
“No, but you missed the best part.”
“That’s a matter of opinion. So we should be in Hong Kong in about three hours?”
“That’s a good estimation. However, we may not be going to Hong Kong. We’ll have to transfer to another flight to go to the U.S., and Cameron may have made other arrangements. Hong Kong may not be safe.” He turned away. “But things were in such tumult after we took off that I didn’t get a chance to inquire of Tashdon. I’ll go up and see if he’s regained his composure enough to discuss it with me.”
Erin got to her feet. “Since this is all about me, I believe I’ll go with you.”
Catherine watched them leave before turning to Luke. “I didn’t ask you. Are you all right? Did Tashdon hurt you at all?”
Luke looked at her in surprise. “No, Hu Chang told you that I was the one who—”
“But I didn’t see it happening. I had to be sure. You were wrong, you know. You should have waited and found out—” Luke was shaking his head. “Okay, I’m not sure I would have waited. I have a habit of acting on instinct.”
Luke smiled faintly. “So do I.”
She reached out and touched his cheek. “Probably because you’re my son. I hope you haven’t inherited any more of my faults.”
“Who knows if that’s a fault? Hu Chang would say it is, but I’m not him. People aren’t the same.” His smile faded. “You were angry that I hurt that pilot.”
“No, not angry. It was a mistake. I just wanted you to realize it and correct it.”
He was silent. “I’m not sorry I did it,” he said jerkily. “I’d do it again. He hurt you.”
“Luke…”
“And there’s another reason I’m not sorry. You got to see me like I am. I couldn’t tell you. You had to see it.” He moistened his lips. “I’m not good-natured and full of jokes and all that other stuff. Sometimes when I’m with other kids my age, I just don’t get them. I try, but it’s like I’m from another planet.” He paused. “I felt more comfortable going after that pilot’s jugular than I have since you took me away from Rakovac.”
She hid the ripple of shock she felt. Poor Luke. She should have seen beyond her own need and fear and tried to make him talk to her before this. “In an emergency, it’s natural to go back to the habits of your early training.” She smiled with an effort. “And though I didn’t actually see it, I feel that I couldn’t have had a sharper awakening regarding your present mind-set. Am I going to be faced with anything more mind-boggling?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
“I just wanted to be prepared.” She hesitated, then said, “Because I did something pretty revealing myself when I got on this helicopter. You’re not the only one who reacted purely on instinct. Once I got you on board, I was going to leave you in Hu Chang’s hands and go back and do my job. You weren’t my first priority. I was going to go get those missiles.” She wrinkled her nose. “Good CIA. Bad mother.”
“Cameron needed you, I didn’t. Besides, I was going to go with you.”
“Which would have scared me to death.” She drew a shaky breath. “So it seems that we’ve both made mistakes, Luke.” She leaned forward and gave him a quick, awkward kiss on the cheek. “But maybe we’ve learned something. What do you think?”
“You’re not mad at me any longer?”
“I told you, l wasn’t—” She added, “But I think you should apologize to Tashdon.”
“No, he hurt you.”
“Not intentionally.”
He stubbornly shook his head.
“Okay, I’ll let it go.” She suddenly chuckled. “And how do you apologize to someone for going for their jugular anyway?”
“I don’t know.” He grinned back at her. “Rakovac never taught me that.” He suddenly frowned. “But I do think that pilot was lying about Cameron. Do you think Cameron’s okay? Kadmus’s men were pouring up that slope. Tashdon should have let you go help him.”
“I thought so, too.” She paused. “And I can’t promise Cameron is okay. If you’ll recall, thanks to Tashdon, I wasn’t around to make any judgments. But Erin and Hu Chang think he has a good chance. And Cameron is very clever about getting himself out of trouble. I believe he’ll make it.”
Luke nodded. “Me, too.” He got to his feet. “I’ve got to go see Hu Chang and apologize. I wasn’t polite to him when he was holding me off Tashdon. Hu Chang doesn’t like discourtesy.”
Catherine remembered that moment when she’d first opened her eyes and seen Luke, looking like a tiger on attack, being held at bay by Hu Chang. “Yes, by all means, I think your behavior definitely warrants an apology.”
Luke moved quickly toward the cockpit.
Catherine let her breath out in a weary sigh as she leaned back against the wall of the helicopter. She was glad to have a few moments of solitary silence. She’d been bombarded by panic, shock, and emotion since she’d regained consciousness.
Besides the start of a nagging headache.
Thanks, Cameron. I needed that.
She found herself waiting for a reply.
Nothing.
She hadn’t expected an answer, she told herself. She’d told the bastard to leave her mind alone.
Besides, he’d had Kadmus’s mercenaries on his trail and was probably having to hide and attack guerrilla style.
So many damn mercenaries.
Erin was Catherine’s job. She should have been there to help Cameron get out.
Cameron, it’s okay if you just let me know, dammit.
Nothing.