“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.
CHAPTER
10
NINPAU AIRPORT
OUTSIDE HONG KONG
“Out.” Tashdon moved through the helicopter toward the rear door. “Everyone out. There’s a private jet waiting at the third hangar.” He opened the door and jumped out. “The pilot’s name is Jack Sen. He’s a good pilot and loyal to Cameron. You’ll be okay.” He helped Erin and Catherine to the ground. “Cameron said he wanted the transfer to not take longer than five minutes. Since I didn’t obey his last instructions very efficiently, I’m hoping that you’ll cooperate and let me prove I’m not usually a bumbler.”
“Heaven forbid you get in his bad books,” Catherine murmured. “Hu Chang said that you wouldn’t tell him what our final destination was going to be. May we know now?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know myself. Cameron only told Jack Sen. He said it was safer.”
“He could be right. Luke, Hu Chang. Let’s go.”
Hu Chang jumped from the helicopter, with Luke following. “Luke, I think since you owe Tashdon a debt, that we should strive to accommodate him.” He set off for the Gulfstream jet on the tarmac.
Catherine started after him, then stopped and turned back to Tashdon. “Do you know if Cameron is all right? Have you heard from him since we left the mountain?”
He shook his head. “No, he was probably busy.”
“That’s what I thought. I just thought he’d tell someone he was safe.”
He frowned, puzzled. “But Cameron is always safe.”
“Always? Why?”
“Because he’s—”
“The Guardian?” she finished mockingly for him as he stopped.
“I don’t know what you mean.” He added, “I was going to say competent. Cameron is … competent.”
“No one can argue with that.” She said, “And I’m sorry that my son … well, I’m not sorry you got what you deserved, but I’m sorry that Luke was the one who did it.” She didn’t wait for him to answer but hurried and caught up with Erin. “He hasn’t heard from Cameron. I thought I’d check.” She smiled ironically. “Though he informs me that Cameron is competent. Isn’t that a shocker? I’m losing faith in Cameron’s personnel choices. He almost slipped and called him the Guardian.” She glanced at Erin. “You don’t seem surprised that I know that term. I found out a little from Cameron and Hu Chang but damn little. It would help if you’d open up and tell me more.”
“I’m not surprised,” she said quietly. “I knew you’d dig until you found out all you could. You’ll never stop. But I told you that it will have to come from Cameron.”
“I have to know. It’s the only way I can protect you,” she said. “We both know that we’re not free yet. We won’t be free until Kadmus is dead, and I’ll bet he’s already started searching again.” She added in frustration, “And he knows more about all this than I do, dammit.”
“Look, I’ll hide out. I’ll let you and your CIA people guard me. I’ll cooperate fully. I appreciate what you’re doing, and I don’t want to be a burden.”
“Then tell me why Kadmus—” She broke off. She’d gone down that path before and gotten nowhere. New path. “That lotus pendant you wear that Kadmus seemed to be so fascinated with. Where did you get it? Did Cameron give it to you?”
Erin’s hand flew to her necklace. “Sort of.” She quickly shook her head. “Leave it alone, Catherine. That’s out of bounds, too.”
“I’ll stop questioning you, but I won’t leave it alone.” They had reached the jet, and she stopped at the steps. “I’m not going to endanger anything or anyone you’ve suffered to protect, but I will know what this is all about. So far I’ve only been concentrating on getting you free and keeping us alive. But I’ve got breathing room now, and it’s a long flight from here to the U.S. I can think, and I can research. However, it would be easier if I learned it from you.”
Erin shook her head.
“Fine.” She turned to the small, dapper Eurasian, wearing a brown leather flight jacket who was coming down the steps. “Jack Sen? Catherine Ling. Tashdon tells me that you’re the only one who’s been advised of Erin’s destination. Where are we going?”
“San Francisco.” He shook her hand. “Well, actually, an airport east of the city, but we’ll have transport for you. Everything will go smooth as clockwork.” He had a faint British accent and pleasant manner. “Cameron will have nothing to worry about.”
“Thank you. It seems we’re all primarily concerned that Cameron suffer as little distress as possible.” She started up the steps. “Come on, Erin. Mr. Sen, since we’re on a five-minute deadline set by Cameron, perhaps we’d better take off.”
* * *
“He got away?” Kadmus asked incredulously. “How could that be? He was alone. He’s only one man.”