“She wasn’t a sure thing. She’s still alive.”
“I knew that an hour after she was taken to St. Joseph’s. She must be remarkably strong. I heard that she should have died before she reached the hospital. I was upset that she didn’t die instantly, but that shot should have done the trick, so I can’t really fault my man.” He chuckled. “And perhaps it’s better that she takes a little time to die. That agony is greater for Eve, and that will hurt you. That’s why Jane MacGuire was my choice. It was a way to hurt you in a multitude of ways. I was going to send someone to dispense with her once and for all, but I decided to let her linger. I understand the doctors say she has no possible chance.”
“She might surprise you.”
“You don’t really believe that. You’re a realist. No, I did not fail with MacGuire. If I get impatient, I may decide to finish her off, but not before I wring every bit of pain out of your friend Eve Duncan.” He paused. “But at the moment, I’m busy planning on another gift to hand you. Who do you think will be next, Catherine?”
“Why don’t you tell me?”
“But then I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the scenario nearly as much. No suspense for you, no stabbing at the jugular for me. No, it’s much better the way I’m setting it up.”
“You don’t know who you’ll be able to take from me. I have them all protected.”
“Circumstances change. You can’t guard everyone all the time. Just when you think they’re safe, they’ll do something careless. Then I’ll have them.”
“Not if I have you first.”
“You won’t give up, will you?” He laughed. “But then I knew you wouldn’t. That’s what I told Delores. You’ll fight and fight until the minute I take you down.”
She tensed with shock. “You told Delores? She’s dead, Santos.”
“But she’s always with me. You couldn’t take her away. I wouldn’t let you.” His voice was suddenly harsh. “Delores is impatient, but I keep telling her the revenge must be complete. But I understand, I’ve only given her three souls to quench her need for blood. She’ll be glad to take Jane MacGuire. Perhaps I’ll reconsider waiting for the bitch to die on her own.” He hung up.
“Quench her need for blood? He’s crazy.” She drew a deep breath before she hung up the phone. “I knew he was obsessed with his wife, but evidently, he’s talking to ghosts.”
“It shouldn’t surprise you,” Cameron said. “Santos is laying sacrifices at his dead wife’s feet. Why not talk to her?”
“Because he’s feeding his own desires and bloodlusts into what he imagines she’d say. That means he’s really gone off the deep end.” She opened the car door. “And there’s no reasoning with someone who’s schizoid.” She grimaced. “What am I saying? There’s no reasoning with Santos anyway. We just have to find him.” She got out of the car. “You heard him, he’s trying to make me frantic about who he’s going to kill next. He wants to keep on playing his ugly game.”
“You handled him very well.”
“It didn’t seem that way to me. He made me feel helpless. I didn’t have any ammunition.”
“Then we’ll go after it and shoot him out of the water.”
“Where? How? Have you found out anything about that Dr. Montez that Nagoles was hired to kill in Guatemala?”
“A few very interesting things. I’ll tell you about them when I get a definite confirmation.” He got out of the car and took her arm as they went toward the front door. “And they might have a bearing on Santos’s ghost…”
* * *
“I was going to call you, Catherine.” Sam met them as soon as they walked into the foyer. “But then I decided I might as well wait until you got here. You’re not going to like this.”
“Very true,” Hu Chang said as he walked out of the library. “And you’re very wise to let me take the brunt of it. Good afternoon, Catherine.” He nodded at Cameron. “I trust you were able to take care of the problem with Kelly Winters. I would have appreciated a different choice on your part as to which valuable target you were going to protect.”
Cameron’s brows rose. “I was already on my way to Catherine. You didn’t object when I told you that was my intention.”
“What the hell are you doing here, Hu Chang?” Catherine asked. “You’re supposed to be protecting Erin.”
“And that’s why I’m objecting now, Cameron. Situations change.” Hu Chang spread his hands. “I failed the challenge, Catherine.”
She stiffened. “Erin?”
“Is upstairs talking to Luke and Kelly.”
“I don’t want her here with me. Dammit, you were supposed to find a place to hide her.”
“I’m tired of hiding.” Erin was coming down the stairs. “I told you that when I talked to you on the phone, Catherine. Why do you think I left Hong Kong?” She had reached the bottom of the stairs and gave Catherine a kiss on the cheek. “You and Cameron and Venable are always trying to keep me safe. No more. I’m responsible for my own safety from now on.”
“Not when it’s me who put you behind the eight ball,” Catherine said curtly. “I just came from a hospital where Jane MacGuire is dying. I won’t risk having to go through that again with you.”
Erin’s face clouded. “Sam told us about Jane. I’m so sorry, Catherine.”
“Tell that to Eve. She’s going through hell. If you’re sorry, you’ll let Hu Chang find a—”
“Hole for me to crawl into?” Erin interrupted. “I’ve told you that I won’t do it. Drop it. And tell me how I can help you catch that bastard.”
Catherine whirled on Cameron. “Do something. She’s not listening to me. You have that … connection. Talk her into being sensible.”
Cameron shook his head. “She’s very stubborn. My dear Catherine, I wasn’t able to convince Erin that she should join in preparing this wicked old civilization for a brave new world. And she halfway believed I was right. Do you think I can convince her that she should just let you take your chances?”
Catherine whirled back to Erin. “Look, Santos knows everything that I do. He’s researched every target and knows everything about them, too. Everyone is being watched, and Santos is just waiting to make his move. He missed with you. We had a chance of getting you to somewhere he couldn’t touch you.”
“He missed with Kelly, too,” Erin said. “So he can’t be that good.”
“She wasn’t the target. She was a distraction. He didn’t miss with Jane.”
“Give it up, Catherine,” Hu Chang said quietly. “We will accept and just go in a different direction.”
“Santos will know she’s here,” Catherine said in frustration. “He was sending Nagoles to Hong Kong to make another attempt on her. Do you think he won’t send someone here? This damn place is a treasure trove of the people I care about. Everyone here is a target.”
“It’s true that she would be an additional lure. But Santos will not know she is here. I was most careful.” He smiled. “I slipped her in through the back and into the basement. You are right, this house is a treasure trove. Which is why the security is important.” He turned to Cameron. “Did I see some of your men out there?”
“I thought it wouldn’t hurt. I’ve also made sure they’re supplied with detectors that will signal the presence of any explosive within a fifty-yard perimeter. My men will tour the neighborhood every hour and make sure that there is nothing new or threatening. The web is very tight, and there will be no possibility of a sniper infiltrating the area. The house will be as safe as a military bunker.”
“Very good. As usual, you’re very efficient, and it seems a prudent addition.”
“I’m glad you’re both in agreement,” Catherine said sarcastically. “May I say that I’m still terrified that one bomb could take care of all of Santos’s targets?”
“But no bombs will be permitted to be tossed thanks to Cameron’s detectors,” Hu Chan said. “Hence the magnificent security.”
Erin smiled. “Hu Chan is right, Catherine. Give it up. I’m here for the duration.”
She gazed at her helplessly. “It appears you are.”
“Then how can I help?”