Darkness.
She was vaguely aware of Michael crying out and throwing himself across her. He mustn’t do that, she realized dazedly. He’d get Norwalk’s attention. Dangerous … She managed to push Michael aside and get in front of him. “Did that feel good, Norwalk? As good as how you felt when you killed all those poor children?”
“Maybe better.” His eyes were blazing down at her. “If you’d died that night, Sean would have walked away, and I’d still have him. But I have a chance to make it right now. Did you know that Sean was planning on blowing you up in your suite that night? But Kaskov used his own C-4 to kill him. Can you guess how you’re going to die, Cara? Don’t you think it fair that Sean be able to put his plan into effect at last?”
“I’m sure that you do.”
“Oh I do. And even if your Eve Duncan was alive, she’d never be able to put you together again. Poor Cara.”
“Since I seem to be the main attraction, could I talk you into sending Michael back to Eve or Joe?”
“Of course not. I want it all, Cara. I’ll have it all.” He turned away. “And I’ll see that no one follows Kaskov and keeps me from keeping to the main plan.” He smiled. “But I think it’s only fair I give you something to think about until it’s time to phone Kaskov. When I was sitting watching the flames cremate sweet, gentle Sylvie, I was reading about the Vikings. I found one of their customs very interesting. Can you imagine why?”
Yes, she could, and it was sending a chill through her.
But he didn’t wait for an answer. The next moment he was gone.
“Cara.” Michael was running from behind her. “He hurt you.” Tears were running down his cheeks. He reached out and touched the bruise on her left cheek. “I tried to stop him…”
“I know you did.” She pulled him close again. “You were very brave, but you mustn’t do that. Because I couldn’t stand it if he hurt you. That would be much worse than being hurt myself. So we’ll both just have to be careful.” She paused. But that last threat of Norwalk’s had filled her with sick dread, and she had to prepare him. “But in spite of what Norwalk said, you have to know that everyone loves you and they will be coming to get you, Michael. Nothing will stop them. Your mama and your dad, and Jock, and probably other people.” She had to keep her tone calm and unafraid, or he would sense that fear. “But Norwalk may separate us before that happens, and whatever you see, you must not fight back, you have to stay here and wait for your mama. Will you promise me?”
His arms tightened around her neck. “I won’t leave you, Cara.”
“No, it will be me leaving you. But only for a little while. Promise?”
He was silent. “You shouldn’t go away. It’s Norwalk who has to go away.”
“Well, if I do have to go, will you promise?”
He nodded. “But it won’t happen, Cara. We can’t let it.”
“Right, we’ll do our best.” She had his promise. “Now let’s sit here and talk about your mama and dad and all the fun things you’ll do when you go home to them.”
*
“I can’t take you any farther, Gavin,” Ladeau said. “The river ends here, and the bayou runs right beside the swamplands for the next seven miles. It almost splits the swamp in two. Any boat would be spotted by anyone on guard.” He moistened his lips. “If you expect there to be guards with guns?”
“Oh, I expect it,” Jock said. “And that island is five miles?”
He nodded. “Five or six. I don’t remember.”
“Remember,” Joe said. “Precisely.”
“Five miles. When are you going to let me go home?”
“When it’s over,” Jock said as he took the paddle and rowed the speedboat off the bayou and deeper into the marshy swampland cove. “But we won’t ask you to go any farther, we’ll leave you here in the boat and make you as comfortable as possible. You’d just be trouble from here on.” He jumped out of the boat, and his boots sank into the deep peat mud. “But you’ll be in very deep shit if I get to that island and find it’s not where you said it was. Or that it’s not the place Norwalk would choose to put his shack.”
“I didn’t say for sure. How could I?”
“Talk to Joe Quinn about it,” Jock said. “Norwalk might be holding his six-year-old son on that island.” He looked at Joe. “I’ll go and check it out. Will you tie up Ladeau to make sure he doesn’t decide to give us any grief? And then set up a base camp for us?”
Joe nodded reluctantly. “Though I should go with you, dammit.”
“And if you saw Michael, would you be able to stop yourself from trying to go after him?”
Joe didn’t answer.
“I didn’t think so.” Jock turned and headed through the shrubs. “I’ll be back before dark. We’ve just got to hope that Eve was right about this being the place. I’ll call you as soon as I know. If it is, I’ll try to put up a couple cameras and audio feeds around the island and find a place to take my shot.”
“Shot? Only one? Eve said there were four men beside Norwalk.”
“If Eve’s intel from Michael is accurate. But he’s only a little boy, and we can’t be sure that Eve wasn’t having a dream.”
“I’m sure.”
“And I’ll be sure after I take a look and see how close she came. Besides, Norwalk is the one who gives the orders. I blow his brains out, and his great plan falls apart.”
He didn’t wait for an answer but plunged into the brush.
Keep moving.
Five miles, and he’d know if Eve had guessed right.
Five miles, and he’d see if Cara and Michael were still alive.
Five miles, and he’d see who he’d have to kill.
Keep moving.
BELLE GRACE
“Nikolai says I have a call, Eve,” Kaskov said as he lifted the phone from his ear to look at her. “I imagine it’s our mutual adversary. Would you care to listen?” He smiled. “Never mind, I know the answer. Put him through, Nikolai.” He spoke into the phone. “What do you have to say to me, Norwalk? I’m a busy man.”
“Not that busy. You took the call, and you let Eve Duncan talk you into protecting her and the pretty girl I’m looking at right now. I’d say that you have an interest in what I’m going to tell you.”
“I’m mildly amused by all this furor. But it’s gotten out of hand. I stopped your inept twin from killing Cara because it was a question of family pride. But as you must know, I’m a man who never goes too far without stepping back and looking at the big picture. And I certainly have no intention of sacrificing myself for a granddaughter whom I have only known for a few short years. However, I might be persuaded to offer a ransom.”
“Not an option.”
“Too bad. Good-bye, Norwalk.”
No! Eve sat up straight in her chair. He couldn’t cut this connection. She wouldn’t let him—
“Bluff,” Norwalk said. “You may care nothing for the girl, but you wouldn’t want your reputation to suffer because you’d allowed me to take her away from you … and be killed in a most unpleasant way. All the crime families of Moscow would come after you with blades drawn to cut your empire into digestible pieces. You have to make the attempt.”
Silence. “Go on.”
“I’ll send you directions to where you can find your Cara. I’m sure you’ve discovered that she’s somewhere in the bayous, but that’s such a very large area. It would take you weeks, months to search for me. But I’m willing to help you. I’ll even send her halfway to meet you.”
“Generous.”
“Yes, but you can’t have all your very competent men with you. I realize that you won’t come alone, but I’ll permit only two boats, your boat and another occupied by no more than three other men. That will allow you a certain amount of security.”
“Not much. And allow us to be picked off?”
“Possibly. But that’s your challenge. When Cara joins you, then you whisk her away … if you can. Then you turn the tables on me and maintain your sterling reputation.”