“And you’ll have a number of dirty surprises for me along the way.”
“Without doubt. Just as you did when your men killed Sean. Dirty wasn’t the word for it. I not only couldn’t tell he was my twin, I couldn’t tell he was a human being. Is Eve there?”
“I’m here, Norwalk,” Eve said.
“I just wanted to assure you that I’m not leaving you and your son out of my plans. But you can see how I have to concentrate on Kaskov at the moment. However, I’ll permit him to bring you along if you so choose.”
“So that you have the chance to get two instead of one?”
“Actually, I’d rather deal with you individually, but I’m a practical man. And I’m remembering that you wouldn’t help me to put my brother back together after this bastard blew him apart.” His voice lowered to deep malice. “I’ll even try to arrange to make sure that you’ll get the opportunity to see your son one more time while we reminisce about it.” He paused. “Kaskov, I’ll put the directions on your phone in four hours. If you come, you have a small chance. If you send someone, Cara and the boy die. If anyone follows you, they die. And I’ll know if that happens. You’ve noticed I do make preparations.” He cut the connection.
“He sounded very satisfied, didn’t he? But he’s no fool. He picked out a way that he thought would force me to get in the crosshairs. He has obviously studied me extensively.”
“And was he right about you?”
“Yes and no.” He looked at her. “But he was right that it’s to my advantage to go after Cara. Providing that he made it a possibility that I’d survive.”
“He’ll not let you live. He won’t let Cara live. You know that’s true. It’s better to wait until we hear from Joe and see if they’ve located Norwalk’s island.”
“Perhaps. It depends entirely on what they find there. I’ll be interested in hearing from them.” He turned and headed for his office. “In the meantime, I have some advance preparations to make in case I decide to let Norwalk lure me into his trap.”
She went rigid. “Preparations? But Norwalk told you that if you made any move at all, Cara and Michael would die.”
“Then I mustn’t let him see them.”
“And if he does?”
“I’ve already answered you. I don’t lose, Eve. I won’t go there without having—”
Her phone rang. Jock.
She tensed as she quickly punched the access. “Yes or no?”
“Yes. Black Pool Swamp. I saw the camp, and it was very close to those sketches Joe showed me on the trip out here.”
“Michael and Cara?”
“No, I didn’t see them. They must have been in the shack. But I saw Norwalk and all four of his guards. Plus a corpse that was floating in the bayou about fifty yards from the island and furnishing lunch for a couple alligators. Norwalk has put up a metal-link fence to protect the bayou waters around his island from gators, so he must have tossed Brazoff to them. Norwalk would have been finished with him after he delivered Cara.”
“Good,” she said fiercely. “Let them all kill each other.”
“We can’t hope for that. But it will get done.” He paused. “There are a lot of explosives on that island, Eve. Some of it’s packed around the door of the shack. We’ll have to get around it before we can get to Cara and Michael. I’m on my way back to Joe to figure it out.”
The explosives Michael had mentioned. Of course, it was practically Norwalk’s trademark. But the thought of it that close to Michael and Cara terrified her. “Get back to me as soon as you can. Call Kaskov later, he may be thinking of doing something that could be a problem.”
“No, he won’t,” Jock said grimly. “No one gets in the way when we’re this close.” He hung up.
“So you were correct?” Kaskov said, as Eve turned to face him. “How very interesting … and helpful.”
“And it might eliminate Norwalk’s trying to find a way to kill Cara and you at the same time. That sounded like a losing proposition. You’re damn right it could be helpful. We might have a chance of going in and getting them off that island.”
“Or not.” He gazed at her quizzically. “You’re excited. I take it that you’re not going to accept Norwalk’s concession to accompany me to his deluxe ambush?”
“No, and neither should you. I’m going to leave for Black Pool Swamp right away to join Joe. If Norwalk’s not going to give you the directions to the swamp for another four hours, I’ll have time to get there before he suspects that we know where he is and heightens security. Will you arrange to get me a speedboat?”
“Of course. Whatever you like.”
Her eyes narrowed on his face. “But you have no intention of going with me?”
“I prefer to be the backup plan. I admit Norwalk’s proposition is intriguing me.” He lifted his hand. “But you needn’t set Jock on me. I will not endanger your son or Cara unless it becomes necessary.”
“You will not do it at all,” she said harshly.
“The backup crew sometimes has to make its own rules.” He took out his phone. “But if you all do a superb job, and I’m not needed, then the point is moot.” He dialed Nikolai. “You’d better get down to the dock. Nikolai will have that speedboat at your disposal within five or ten minutes, and it appears you’re on a four-hour time constraint.”
Eve gazed at him in frustration mixed with suspicion. But she would not stay here when she had a chance to go to her son. She had to be there if he needed her. She turned and walked quickly toward the French doors. “Don’t do it,” she said curtly. “Let us get Cara out. He’ll kill you.”
“I’m touched that you’d care.” He inclined his head. “I’m sure we’ll be in communication. Be safe, Eve.” He spoke into the phone. “Nikolai, you have a small job to do in the matter of obtaining a speedboat…”
*
Kaskov stood at the French doors and watched as Nikolai helped Eve into the speedboat. Nikolai stepped back and waited while Eve gunned the engine and tore down the bayou toward open water. Then he turned, lifted his hand to Kaskov, and started back toward the house.
“Am I allowed to come out now?” But Darcy had already come out of the office and was standing at the doorway of the parlor. “Has she left?”
“Yes. Off to the rescue.” He smiled mockingly. “And I’m certain that you would have erupted out of that office if you’d wanted to do so. I just gave you a place and the ability to observe and listen without having to interact. Isn’t that what you told me you wished?”
She shrugged. “It was what was best. It was better that I fade into the background where Eve would like to keep me. She’s having enough stress.” She met his eyes. “And don’t you make fun of her because she’s willing to do anything to save the people she loves. She’s one of the good guys.”
“You’re being impolite. I wonder why I put up with your lack of respect.”
“I don’t know why either. But I can’t let it matter to me. There’s no time to tiptoe around you.”
“Even though I’m not one of the good guys?”
“Compared to Norwalk, you’re not so bad.”
“Oh, you’re so wrong, Darcy.” He suddenly chuckled. “But I find being compared to Norwalk is not pleasing to me. It makes me want to destroy the object of that comparison.” His gaze narrowed on her face. “Was that your aim?”
“Maybe. You’re thinking all the time. You’re very smart, very reasonable. I don’t want you to be reasonable about Norwalk.” She added simply, “Because then you might not help me kill him.”
He tilted his head. “Have I been demoted to a secondary position in this endeavor? That’s not how I operate.”
“You know better. Everyone else wants to keep me safe and away from Norwalk. I have to rely on you to take me to him. You’re going to do it, aren’t you?”
He was silent. “I believe I am.”
“Why?”
“Does it matter? You’ll get what you want.”