* * *
Thirty-five minutes.
No shots.
No sight of anyone on that strip of pristine beach.
But that didn’t mean that Cameron hadn’t been captured.
Anything could have happened to him on that island.
But it wasn’t as if he were an amateur.
He’s probably the most dangerous man either of us has ever seen, Hu Chang had said.
But he wasn’t immortal, either.
Get back here, damn you.
Forty minutes.
What if there were video cameras on those trees?
It was possible.
Forty-two minutes.
Be safe, Cameron.
Come back to me.
How can I resist a touching invitation like that?
Relief surged through her.
You cut it close.
Because I wanted to savor all that heartfelt feeling you’re broadcasting.
You’ve savored it. Now get out of my mind.
Just another minute. I’m enjoying it.
Out.
Laughter.
And the next moment, he surfaced beside the boat.
Blue eyes shining with mischief and recklessness.
And life.
Oh God, life.
He hefted himself on board and settled on the seat across from her. “You’re being very revealing. I don’t even have to try to read you.” He reached for a towel and wiped drops of water from his face. “I … like it.”
“Well, I don’t.” She picked up her oar. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Right.” He started rowing until it was safe to start the motor. “Though there’s not much chance of being seen from this side of the island. All the action is in the hills to the north.”
“What action?”
“A small palazzo structure tucked under all those palms. There’s a bunkhouse that would support maybe eight or ten men.” He paused. “And a granite tomb farther up on the hill. Still protected from view from the air.”
“Like a cocoon ready to come alive.”
“Neither Santos nor Delores are butterflies. But Santos is definitely there. I didn’t see him, but he’s there.”
“Montez?”
“He’s being kept in the bunkhouse, under guard.” He shot her a glance. “But I was able to inject a few words of wisdom to guide him in his dealings with Santos. I believe he’ll go along with them.”
“What words of wisdom?”
“Cooperation so that he’d have a certain amount of freedom. He already thought that you’d be coming for Santos, and I only told him to be ready.”
“And he probably thought he was going crazy.”
“No, but he might have believed he was hearing heavenly voices. Since I emphasized destruction of his archdemon, Santos, it was likely.”
“All of that in forty-five minutes?”
“I’m very efficient. And I didn’t want to be left behind,” he added slyly. “You can be very ruthless. I knew you’d hold me to my word and not give me one extra minute.”
She wanted to push him overboard. “We’ve found Santos. We could notify Venable and have him ready for a strike.”
“But you have no intention of doing that. You can’t control Venable’s actions, and you’d be afraid he’d move too soon and endanger Luke and the others.” He paused. “When we’re ready for a strike, it will be my men. We won’t have a problem of control with them.”
“No, you’ve made it quite clear that you won’t give up control for any length of time.”
“But I gave it up for quite a while for you,” he said quietly. “And I’ve never done that before for anyone.”
And he’d done it because it was the only way that she’d accept his help. Which made it a gift all the more precious. Almost too precious for her to accept. “Should I believe you?”
He nodded slowly. “Oh, yes, by all means, believe me, Catherine.”
Maybe she would believe him. For now, for a little while. It would be … nice to have that feeling that she was special to a man as unique as Cameron. The world right now was frightening and uncertain. He might change overnight, and that safety net would be gone. She would probably soon realize that she had no need or right to link with Cameron in any way.
But it wouldn’t hurt to listen, to watch, to let him a little closer.
And hope the risk was worth it.
She looked away from him. “So what are we going to do now?”
“Over to you,” he said. “I wouldn’t presume to make a suggestion after taking over the action at the island. It’s your turn.”
“How very kind.” She dipped her oar in the water. “Then we go back to Port of Spain, check into a hotel, you start getting your men down here and in position. We contact Dario and get his report on Dorgal’s destination and decide how we can use it. Then we talk about what comes next. Okay?”
“Absolutely.”
She smiled. “And you pretend that’s not exactly what you would have done anyway.”
He smiled back at her. “That’s harder to do.”
And in this moment, she didn’t care.
It was enough to have him here beside her, smiling.
It was enough that she wouldn’t be alone to face what was crashing toward her like a freight train.
Santos only miles from her, waiting.
Dorgal, who had to be stopped and eliminated before he could kill again.
If it was not already too late.
ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL
ATLANTA, GEORGIA
11:05 A.M.
Move slowly, be casual, John Chalce told himself as he left the ICU. It was almost over, and everything had gone slick as glass. Now he had only to get down this hall to the elevator and take it to the parking deck.
“Hey, John, you’re done a little early.” Nancy Rodham at the nurse’s station looked up from her computer. “How’s your dad doing?”
“Great.” He grinned. “Thanks for asking. I’m taking him down to Florida this weekend and see if he can shake that cough.”
“You’re a good guy.” Nancy looked back at her computer. “I see that Basle has changed MacGuire’s medication.”
“Did he? I wouldn’t know. I’m just a humble orderly, and no one lets me even get close to meds. Fine with me. I’d hate the responsibility.” He punched the elevator button. Come quick, dammit. “She seemed a little groggy when I took the fresh blankets into her room.” And slipped the tasteless poison Dorgal had given him into the ice water that he’d helped her drink. It had worked as quickly as Dorgal had said it would.
“She did?” Nancy frowned. “She’s been doing so well…”
“Maybe it’s my imagination.” Eve Duncan and Joe Quinn were walking back from the waiting room toward the ICU. They were smiling. They wouldn’t be smiling for long. Where the hell was that elevator?
At least that bastard Caleb wasn’t with them at the moment. The doctor had called him away as John had entered ICU. Seth Caleb gave him the creeps. He was always at his shoulder, staring at him with those piercing dark eyes.
But not today. Today was John’s lucky day. Everything had gone just right.
But it might all be going downhill. Eve Duncan and Joe Quinn had reached the door of the ICU. He could see Eve’s forehead wrinkle in a frown as she looked at Jane MacGuire, lying in the bed across the room.
No. Too soon. Too soon.
The doors of the elevator slid open.
Yes.
He jumped into the elevator and punched the button.
As the doors started to close, he saw Eve Duncan stiffen. Her eyes widened. “Jane?”
And then she screamed.
* * *
“Dead.” Eve ran across the room, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Joe…” Her arms went around Jane’s slack body. “No, it can’t be true.”
“What’s wrong?” Nancy Rodham ran into the room. “The alarms just went off. Dead? You’ve got to be wrong. She was doing so well.” Her gaze went to the machine. “Shit.” She ran forward, picking up her phone she called the code. “You’ll have to leave,” she told Eve and Joe over her shoulder as she tore the cover off Jane. “We’ve got to try to save her.”