“He just slipped away,” Brasden said. “He must have been helped by the villagers.”
“You said that the villagers had all abandoned their towns and gone upland.”
“What do you want me to tell you?” Brasden asked. “We’re still looking. I’m not giving up, but I think we’d better start using those photos.” He pulled out his phone and dialed up the photos. “This last one is fairly decent. Anyone who saw it would recognize him. He has a memorable face.”
Kadmus glanced at the photo. “Yes, he does.” He thought about it. “Start asking questions. I want a name to go with that face.” The bastard looked like he was enjoying himself, he thought sourly. That would end when he got his hands on him. “And a location to go with that name.”
“It may take a while to find any villagers who will talk about him. We haven’t been able to find any—”
“Then leave here and go somewhere that you can find someone who will answer questions.”
“Where?”
“Fly over to Yorshoi region. That’s where Erin Sullivan was working after the earthquake. I’d bet that’s where she made contact with him. There’s a chance he’s well-known there.”
“Right away. What about the registration on the helicopter?”
“I’ve checked it. The registration number is bogus. But send someone to Hong Kong with a description of the helicopter and see if they can get a lead. I want to get my hands on that pilot.”
Brasden nodded. “Though it may be too late for a strike at him. Erin Sullivan is probably well on her way home to the States.”
“And will feel all the safer for it.” She wouldn’t be safe. Things weren’t as bad as he’d thought. He might have temporarily lost Erin, but he had a lead on the man who had taken her from him.
He looked down at the photo and the face that was glowing with excitement and recklessness and scorn.
You made a mistake. And you made it for Erin Sullivan.
Or did you make that mistake to protect Catherine Ling? It was a novel idea that had occurred to him and one that was probably without any basis. But it would be interesting if Ling could be used as a weapon against him.
Yes, things weren’t nearly as bad as he’d thought …
* * *
“This food is exceptional,” Hu Chang said as he took Catherine’s tray and gave it to Luke to take back to the well-equipped galley in the rear of the jet. “I spoke to Jack Sen, and he said that Cameron had it catered from the Princess Hotel in Hong Kong.” He smiled at Catherine. “You remember the Princess? You had your first meeting with Venable there.”
“And you were the one who arranged it for me.”
“I wanted you safer than you were selling information on the streets. Though that was no doubt a case of six of one, half a dozen of another.” He added, “And Cameron also arranged for a complete wardrobe for all of us to be brought to the plane this morning. Besides that case with the laptop and satellite phone you grabbed as soon as you set eyes on it. He appears to be wanting to meet our every need and wish.” He tilted his head. “Or perhaps he wants you comfortable so that you won’t strike out at him.”
“I haven’t struck out at him.”
“No, and you were ready to jump out of the copter to save him. But he didn’t know then that you’d do that when he provided all of these comforts.” He added, “Oh, that’s right, evidently he did. He reads you very well. And you hate to be predictable. Is that why you were so angry with Tashdon?”
“I was angry that he’d been stupid enough to do what Cameron told him. And that Cameron had chosen someone who didn’t know what he was doing and gave me a headache.” She glanced at Luke, who had come out of the galley with some kind of electronic game and dropped down in a seat to play it. “And that it triggered something in Luke that I didn’t want to see.”
“He’s your son, and I saw nothing that I would not approve and embrace.” He corrected, “Except a lack of control, and we’ve already discussed that.”
“But you’re no more judge than I. We’re both flawed.”
“I do not like that word. I prefer to call it multiexperienced.”
“Call it what you like. We’re not normal, and I want a normal life for Luke.” She held up her hand. “I know, he made it clear that he couldn’t be what I wanted him to be. I just want him not to enjoy killing someone because he thought I was hurt.”
“You were hurt,” Hu Chang said. “And I have no quarrel with his receiving pleasure from punishing the person who did it. I would do the same. And so would you if that act were aimed at Luke or me.”
“You see? The case rests. Flawed.”
He smiled and shook his head. “Multiexperienced.”
She chuckled reluctantly. “Whatever. But it will be better if I get Luke away from this situation as soon as possible. Agreed?”
“Better for your peace of mind. Not necessarily better for your relationship with Luke. You would see that for yourself if you were not so torn by what other people think is correct.” He waved his hand. “But I will agree that your heart will be soothed if you’re not confronted by other situations like the one with Tashdon. So what is your solution?”
“Find out what is going on with Cameron, Erin, and that ugliness with Kadmus.”
“I suspected that would be your answer.”
“Of course you did,” she said curtly. “But it didn’t lead you to point me in the right direction.”
“I told you facts and reasonable surmises. I only held back a few wild guesses.”
“Which can sometimes be the most valuable of all. Go ahead, hold them back. I’ll work around them.”
He gave her a pleased smile. “Indeed? I will enjoy watching you.”
“Bastard.” She settled down in her seat. “Go away. I’m going to take a two-hour nap and clear my mind before I get to work on the computer.”
* * *
Cameron?
She woke two hours later with the thought of him in her mind like a persistent pop song.
No answer.
Of course not. And there was nothing to worry about. It was just Cameron doing his own thing and ignoring everyone else.
And it was time for her to do her own thing.
She straightened in her seat and reached for her bottle of water. She took a drink and then set it aside and took the computer out of the case and flipped it open.
First, verify what Hu Chang had told her about Cameron’s identity being erased. She accessed Langley’s database.
Thirty minutes later, she exited the Interpol database. She had also scanned NSA, FBI, and Scotland Yard. It was probably a waste of time to go any further when she was getting the same answer. She sat back and let the information sink home. The sheer power that it would take to make a man invisible on so many fronts was astonishing. They must have believed that Cameron was totally unique to even make the effort.
And who were “they”?
The committee, whoever they were.
Skip that one. She didn’t have enough information to even make guesses.
What she did know was that Erin had made contact with Cameron sometime after she had come to Tibet. He had “sort of” given her that lotus necklace, and it had attracted the attention of Kadmus. When had Cameron given her the necklace? She apparently always wore it.…
She started to access stories about Erin in the computer. There were a couple photos of her before the earthquake. No sign of the necklace. The day she had received the Pulitzer she’d worn a simple, round-necked dress. No necklace. The next story was a feature about Erin working with the orphans of Yorshoi.
Around her neck was the lotus necklace.
What date?
Six months after she had been given the Pulitzer.
So it was only a fairly recent gift from Cameron.
And during that time Erin had just been doing her job, nothing that was unusual. No contact with Kadmus or his men. She had just been writing stories about the Tibetan people and their problems.
But Beijing didn’t like stories written about those problems. It was very bad public relations.
But Venable hadn’t thought there was any direct link with Beijing to Erin’s kidnapping.
Forget Beijing. Back to the necklace.