Chasing the Night

Chapter 15

“Two o’clock, Helder,” Joe said on the phone to the NSA satellite-control agent. “Don’t be a second late. I don’t know how long she’s going to be able to hold him on the phone.”

“It won’t take us more than thirty seconds to zero in and make the trace,” Helder said. “Our satellite is much more sophisticated than your law-enforcement methods. We’ve got everything developed down to a fine state of science.”

And the men who handled the information gathering of those satellites had developed a fine state of arrogance, Joe thought in annoyance. He glanced down at the dossier on Helder that Venable had provided him. George Helder was in his thirties with slick black hair, triangular face, and dark eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses. He had a master’s in Computer Science and had been with the NSA for ten years. He was in Mensa, an ardent cyclist, and was a geek of the highest order.

Joe had no problem with any of those things. He did have issue with the arrogance. “I’m sure you’ve had opportunities the rest of us peasants weren’t privy to. That’s why we’ve come to you to help us out.”

“I’m happy you appreciate how valuable we can be. We’ve got you on the schedule for two. We’ve tapped Ms. Ling’s phone, and we’ll be ready. Is there anything else? I’m very busy.”

Yes, he wished the prick wasn’t so damn egotistical. He’d dealt with too many bureaucrats not to recognize the signs in this NSA controller. “No, as long as we understand each other, and you’re aware how important it is that you cooperate with us.”

“Cooperate?” Helder said in disbelief. “We’re doing you a favor, Mr. Quinn. Do you know how much of a favor that is? Corporations pay us millions for just a few minutes of our time. You’d be wise not to demand more than we choose to give you.”

Don’t pop his balloon, Joe told himself. Save the big guns if it became necessary later. “If there are any problems, call and let me know. I’ll straighten them out.”

And straighten him out.

It would be a pleasure.

1:50 P.M.

Danilovsky Market

The market was just as crowded and noisy as Catherine had hoped it would be. Located outside the Garden Ring and off the Tulskaya Metro Station, the Danilovsky was one of the most popular open-air markets in the city, and she’d used it before for a meeting place with her contacts. The crowded booths and vendors hawking their wares, the scent of fresh vegetables and exotic cheeses were all very familiar to her.

“This is stupid,” Kelsov said roughly as he parked the car at the curb next to the market. “Anyone could sidle up to you in this crowd and slip a stiletto between your ribs. You need someone to watch your back. I’m going with you.”

“You are not,” Catherine said as she got out of the car. “You’re out of this, Kelsov. The only reason I had you bring me here instead of driving myself was that I wanted to be sure that you still had a car at the house. I didn’t want to leave Eve and Kelly without wheels.”

“I’m out of this?” His voice was harsh. “No way, Catherine. We’ve worked together for years trying to find a way to kill that bastard. You’re not going to shut me out.”

“Killing Rakovac was always second on my agenda.”

“Well, he’s first on mine.”

“I know,” she said quietly. “And that’s why you’re not going with me. I’ve been fighting everyone to get my chance to save my son, and I won’t have you ruining that chance.”

He got out of the car. “You won’t have any chance at all if you get your throat cut.”

“He’s not going to kill me. Not here. Whatever else he plans, it won’t be murder. He’s not through toying with me yet. He’ll call me and tell me how to take the next step in his game plan.” She checked her watch. “And I don’t have time to argue with you. I’ve got to move around that market and make myself seen. It’s 1:55. I get the call from Rakovac at two. I don’t want anyone reporting to him that I didn’t show up.” She started toward the booths. “Take off, Kelsov. I don’t want you seen. Get that car back to Eve and Kelly.”

He didn’t move.

She glanced back over her shoulder. “I mean it,” she said softly. “If you blow this for me, you’ll wish you’d never been born. You’re always telling me how miserable that work camp in Siberia was, how they beat you and froze you and made you feel like half a man. I guarantee you’ll think of it as a balmy day camp after I get through with you.”

He believed her. He was aware of all her lethal capabilities though they had never been aimed at him. “Bitch.”

She nodded. “I take it our relationship is at an end. I’m sorry, Kelsov. I hoped we might both get what we wanted. It just didn’t work out. One more thing. You take good care of Eve and Kelly, or I’ll track you down and amputate your nuts.” She turned and disappeared into the crowd.

His hands clenched into fists. He wanted to strike out at her. Strangle her. She was getting close to Rakovac. He knew it.

Bitch. Bitch. Bitch.

Go after her?

No, she had meant what she said. He wouldn’t put it past her to turn on him and give him a karate chop just to prove to any onlooker that he was not supporting her in any way.

Rage was searing through him. He was losing his chance at Rakovac.

And all because of that damn kid. He had known her son could screw things up for him, but he’d had to accept Luke if he wanted Catherine’s expertise and dedication.

Okay, don’t go after her.

Stay across the street in the vestibule of that butcher shop and watch and wait for her to surface.

He strode across the street, dodging the pushcarts.

The butcher shop’s interior was as crowded as the rest of the market. He pressed against the far side of the vestibule to allow people to come and go.

He tried to smother his anger as he settled down to wait.

2:05 P.M.

“She hasn’t gotten the call yet,” Venable said. “Helder just contacted me and wants to know what’s happening.” He added sarcastically, “He tells me time’s money, you know.”

“He’s only five minutes late so far,” Joe said. “Helder wouldn’t realize that people aren’t robots you can program.” But he was as tense as Venable. “I placed Cal Parkins in the market, and he said she arrived ten minutes ago. She’s moving from booth to booth, and there’s been no sign of aggressive action against her. He hasn’t spotted anyone who appears suspicious.”

“If he could spot them, Rakovac wouldn’t use them,” Venable said. He was staring at the clock. “Why the hell doesn’t he call her?”

The butcher shop smelled of sawdust, herbs, fresh salmon, and the sour sweat of the people who were coming and going, Kelsov thought.

Not pleasant.

He wanted out of there.

Where the hell are you, Catherine?

He’d give her another five minutes, then go into the market after her. He’d talk fast, tell her that he’d go along with anything she wanted, persuade her that he’d had a change of heart.

It might work.

It was better than standing here being overwhelmed by this stink. Catherine should be-

“Excuse me.” Another bulky man was trying to squeeze by him. He must have been three hundred pounds and was dressed in a red sweater, black pants, and a gray cap. “You should not be here. It’s a fine day. Why are you huddled in the corner? Are you ill?”

Pretty close to it. And this monster of a man wasn’t helping. Get rid of him. He inhaled and pressed even tighter back against the wall. “I’m sorry I’m in your way. Go on past me. I’m fine.”

“Not ill?” The man asked again with concern.

“I told you, I’m not-”

Sharp pain…his wrist…

2:10 P.M.

No call.

Catherine stared blindly down at the odd purple carrot in the bin before her.

Dammit, why didn’t he call? She had been afraid that she had pushed Rakovac too hard. With her luck, he might decide to call her in a half hour…or not at all.

“You buy?” The chunky woman at the carrot booth urged. “A special Azerbaijani carrot. Very rare-150 rubles per kilo.”

Catherine shook her head and moved on.

Her fifteen-minute window the NSA had given her was almost up. She knew those bastards. It would take a miracle to get them to extend that time.

Call, Rakovac, she prayed. Call now.

2:14 P.M.

“We’re releasing the focus on the Ling phone in one minute,” Helder said when Joe picked up the phone. “This is your official notification.”

“Is it?” Joe said softly. “How kind of you to let us know.”

“It’s policy,” Helder said. “We’re not happy. This has been a complete waste of our time.”

“I believe Venable has informed you that this may be a matter of Homeland Security.”

“May,” Helder repeated. “Do you know how often we get agencies telling us the same thing? We can’t let every little threat cause us to disrupt our schedule.”

“I’m sure an important unit like yours is swamped. We’re very grateful.”

“One minute,” Helder repeated.

“You don’t care that it’s very likely a national emergency that might kill thousands of citizens?”

“You haven’t given me proof. I gave you your window. That’s it.”

“No, it’s not,” Joe added a thread of steel to the softness of his voice. “You’ll give us as long as it takes. And you’ll ask permission to take your satellite anywhere else.”

There was an astonished silence. “Screw you.”

“Listen carefully, Helder. You like your job? Of course you do. It gives a stunning amount of power to a man whose life was destined to be humdrum. But it can be taken away from you in a heartbeat.”

“By you?” Helder jeered. “You have no authority. I don’t even know why Venable let you become involved. I have ten years’ seniority and experience with the NSA.”

“You also have an arrogance that the general public finds offensive in public servants. Particularly when it concerns their safety. I’ve recorded our conversations. I’m going to play it back to you.” He turned the switch and played the recording. “As you can hear, you stated you cared nothing about aiding Homeland Security. Nor were you willing to stretch the time you allowed us even after it was stated that a public emergency existed. It didn’t sound warm and caring, did it?”

Silence. “What do you intend to do with that?”

“Your boss, media…I haven’t decided. It would be particularly damaging if there was really a national emergency. I think probably a vigilante posse might lynch you.”

“It wouldn’t matter. I’d apologize and say I was goaded.”

“Why bother? The problem goes away the minute you agree to keep the satellite fixed on Catherine Ling’s phone until I tell you it’s no longer necessary.”

Another silence. “I might consider it.”

“You’ll do it,” Joe said. “Because I’ll tell you why Venable thought I could deal with you. I don’t care, Helder. Not about my job, or my superiors, or what anyone thinks of me. You’re right, I don’t have authority because it would just get in my way. That leaves me free to use blackmail or violence or anything necessary to stop that attack from happening. I don’t play by the rules. If you decide having this disk aired won’t bother you, I’ll find another way to take you down.” He paused, letting the words sink in. “Now, do we work together to get this done?”

Helder hesitated before saying jerkily, “The NSA is always willing to cooperate in any security endeavor.”

“Then call me after you have the completed trace, even if you have to wait for another hour.” He hung up.

Venable was gazing ruefully at him. “You realize you’ve put the CIA-NSA relationship in dire danger?”

“Then keep the disk on hand,” he said indifferently. “Or call me, and I’ll have another talk with Helder.”

Venable’s brows rose. “You really don’t care.”

“I care about Eve. I care about my daughter, Jane. I care about my country. None of the rest is worth worrying about.” He checked his watch again. “It’s 2:17 P.M. No call. Catherine is probably ready to explode…”

It was 2:25, Catherine saw in despair as she glanced at her watch.

Rakovac had done it again. It would be a miracle if that NSA satellite was still aimed at her.

And there were at least three men focusing their attention on her. She had been scanning the crowd as she moved from booth to booth and spotted Rakovac’s men. One short, burly man in a yellow Windbreaker, a taller, thin man in an olive green sweatshirt, the third man had been a huge man in a gray cap and red sweater, but he had disappeared from view shortly after she had spotted him. It wasn’t difficult to identify them as Rakovac’s men when they were trying so hard not to look at her and to appear casual in a venue that was clearly not their cup of tea.

It was okay. Now that she knew with whom she had to contend, she could be on watch. They wouldn’t move on her with this many witnesses. The crowds were proving as helpful to her as she had thought when she had set up the call for this marketplace.

Two twenty-six.

Blast it, at this rate, the market would close before she heard from-

Her cell phone rang.

She grabbed it and punched the button. “You took your time, Rakovac.”

“I don’t like orders. And I have all the time in the world. You, on the other hand, do not. Nor does Luke.”

“I don’t think you have all that much time. You keep telling me that you’re being forced to bring our relationship to a close. Why?”

“That’s none of your concern, Catherine. Though I may tell you before the end what splendors my life is going to hold. It will make your final moments all the more bitter.”

“Cut to the chase. Where do you want me to go? I’m sure that your three goons have told you that neither Duncan nor Quinn are with me here at the market.”

“You’ve spotted them? Of course you have.”

“Short, burly man in a yellow Windbreaker, a tall, thin man, a giant who looked like a weight lifter.”

“That would be Zeller, Sminoff, and the giant is Borzoi. Borzoi may look like he’s got more muscle than brains, but actually he’s the pick of the bunch. I thought you’d spot them. You’re very experienced, and Borzoi’s men aren’t as subtle as I’d hope. But they’re good at the basics, so I tolerate them. Yes, Borzoi reported that Duncan and Quinn have left you to your own devices. So I think we can proceed. I want you to meet me at St. Basil’s Cathedral in two hours, and we’ll start the journey to your Luke.”

“I’ll meet you at St. Basil’s, but I’m not getting in any car with you. I’ll follow you in my own car.”

He chuckled. “Incredible. You’re still hopeful of being able to whisk him away from me.”

“I’m still hopeful, period. What else have I got? But I know that hope will go straight down the tubes, and it will all be over the minute I get in any car with you.”

“True. And I have no objection to stretching out the end a little longer. By all means, follow me.” He paused. “As long as you can slip away from my men. They have orders to capture and bring you to me.” He added with sly malice, “And, as you say, that will be the beginning of the end.” He hung up.

She drew a deep breath and shoved the phone into her pocket. Had NSA managed to trace the call? Rakovac had called so late that it was doubtful that they’d hung around for it. She wanted to call Joe, but that would be a dead giveaway to the three goons, who were monitoring her every move.

Okay, get away from them. Leave the market. She’d call Joe as soon as she lost them. Then she’d have only two hours to find a place to rent a car and get to St. Basil’s.

She started moving in and out of the crowds as she made her way toward the streets bordering the market. The man in the yellow Windbreaker was following, so was the one in the olive green sweatshirt. Zeller and Sminoff, Rakovac had called them. But where was the huge man, Borzoi, who she had spotted ten minutes ago, then lost in the crowd?

His absence made her uneasy. Wrong man? She didn’t think she’d made a mistake about him being one of Rakovac’s men, and Rakovac had recognized the description. Her every instinct had locked in on him as soon as she’d seen him.

But where was he now?

An enemy in view was much safer than one who had fallen from the radar.

Leave the market, let them follow her to a place where she could take them out. She moved quickly through the crowd, dodging between carts and booths.

Yes, they were following.

But she had to get a good distance ahead of them and out of sight.

She was almost running by the time she reached the street bordering the market and started for the far corner.

The gray Mercedes still parked at the curb. Kelsov’s car. No one in it. Dammit, she had told him to go back to the farmhouse.

She ran past the car and down the block. She remembered there was an area of flower shops around the corner. It was much quieter than the market itself and should suit her purpose.

She glanced over her shoulder. They were behind her, running, the man in the yellow Windbreaker Rakovac had called Zeller in the lead, Sminoff following a few yards behind.

She turned the corner. This street was virtually deserted. If there were customers, they must be inside the flower stores. She pressed against the wall beside a flower cart before a shop.

They should be here at the corner in seconds.

Take the first one as he made the turn.

It should startle the second one and give her a few seconds.

She’d need those seconds.

A flash of yellow Windbreaker, and Zeller came around the corner.

She leaped forward and gave him a karate chop to the jugular. As he dropped, she sprang forward.

Sminoff had hesitated as she’d thought he would, but not long enough. He was reaching for his knife.

Her own knife stabbed deep into his hand, piercing it to the bone.

He screamed.

She lifted her knee between his legs, and he bent forward in agony. She struck him in the nose with the ball of her hand, breaking his bones and sending them into his brain.

She didn’t wait for him to drop to the ground. It might be only a few minutes before someone came out of that flower shop, and she didn’t want to have to answer questions.

She ran back onto the main street, then walked quickly toward the Tulskaya Metro Station.

Two thirty-five.

Why didn’t Joe call her? Eve thought in frustration. He’d promised to get back to her as soon as possible after the NSA trace. Catherine was supposed to take the call at two.

Be patient. Sometimes things didn’t go as planned.

With Rakovac things seldom went as they wanted them to.

Two thirty-six.

“You keep looking at the clock.” Kelly nodded. “You’re worried about Catherine. So am I. You should have told me that she was leaving. It wasn’t right for her to just run out on us. Is she supposed to call you?”

“No.” Catherine had asked her not to tell Kelsov about the NSA trace, and Eve had opted to tell no one. Natalie was joined at the hip with Kelsov, and Kelly would immediately try to take over any operation and make it her own. That had been her modus operandi from the instant Eve had met her.

“You’re not telling the truth.” Natalie’s gaze was fixed on Eve from across the room. “Why did Kelsov go with Catherine?”

“I told you that she needed a ride to the city. Don’t worry. He won’t be staying with her, Natalie.” It was difficult to tell only half-truths and still make them comforting. She had never been good at deception. “I’m sure he’ll be back in an hour or so.”

“I don’t want him with Catherine,” Natalie said with sudden fierceness. “She doesn’t care if he’s hurt or not. All she cares about is finding her son.”

“And all he cares about is killing Rakovac,” Eve said quietly. “And that’s all you care about, too, Natalie. So how can you blame Catherine?”

“That’s not all I care about,” Natalie said. “I don’t know if anyone will ever kill Rakovac. Some people are so evil that they kill everything they touch, and no one can stop it.” She was shivering, and she folded her arms over her chest to control it. “I want him dead. For a while I thought that was all I wanted. But that’s not true. I want Kelsov to stay alive. That’s more important. Catherine is going to get him killed.”

“And I’m not worried about Kelsov, I’m worried about Catherine,” Kelly said. “And I have something important to tell her. So tell me where I can-”

“Stop.” Eve held up her hand to stem the flow. “I hope she’ll contact us, but you know Catherine can be obstinate. She didn’t want any of us to be hurt. I couldn’t talk her out of going off on her own.” At least that was the truth. “But the best thing that we can do is to keep working on finding Luke and maybe we can phone her and convince her to let us help.”

“Bull.” Kelly was frowning. “You’re patting me on the head and telling me to go back to work. That’s not the best thing. The best thing is for us to go after Catherine and try to keep her alive.”

“I am telling you to go back to work,” Eve said. “Because that’s our only option to solve the problem.”

Kelly suddenly smiled. “Then I may have it licked.” She flipped down the lid of her computer and gestured to her yellow note pad. “Maybe. It’s less grounded than I usually pull together, but I believe I’ve found it.”

“Licked?” Eve was staring at her incredulously as she stiffened in the chair. “You’ve found your pattern?”

“I’ve found a pattern. Rakovac is complicated, but it was easier when I realized that he has no code or ethic he lives by. His loyalty is to no one, and that was the key.” She tapped the yellow sheet. “So I built a history of the phone calls Catherine could remember and cross-referenced them to the meetings Rakovac arranged around that period.”

Eve jumped up from her chair and was across the room in seconds. She gazed down at the yellow pad. “Show me.”

Kelly tapped the first peak on the graph. “This is the first call from Rakovac to Catherine. He was still at his apartment in Moscow. It’s not really important because he evidently hadn’t arranged any permanent stash for Luke.” She pointed to another peak. “This call was particularly cruel and came shortly afterward.” She pointed to the name underneath it. “Surveillance showed an appointment with Mikhal Czadas on the day before the call at the town of Sergriev. Rakovac had an arms deal with him.” She pointed at another peak. “The next meeting was with Ivan Rithski at Krasnos. Arms deal, again. The same day as the phone call.” She pointed to another peak. “A year later. Rakovac met with James Nordell at Vichaga. Nordell was using him to bribe Russian politicians. A call to Catherine the next day.” She tapped the other names on the peaks of the graph. “It’s the same every time.”

“What are you getting at, Kelly? These are all separate individuals. Are you saying they all had something to do with Luke’s kidnapping?”

Kelly shook her head. “I’ve checked into every one of Rakovac’s customers on these surveillance reports. I investigated them in depth. They were all power houses in their own right. Rakovac wouldn’t have been able to manipulate them, he only used them.” She paused. “Except one.” She pointed to the second peak in the graph. “Mikhal Czadas, a man who was born in the Republic of Georgia and became caught up in all the ethnic madness and guerilla fighting there. He’s a fighter who’s been involved in a dying cause since he was a boy. He hated the Ossetians and the Russians. He never gave up. Therefore, he would always need money. I can see that he might be persuaded to hide Luke away. And he wouldn’t be under suspicion. Rakovac had betrayed Czadas’s cause and gone over to the Russians. It would be assumed that he and Rakovac would only have a guarded relationship.” She shook her head. “But if you study Rakovac’s pattern, that isn’t necessarily true. He has no loyalty and will work with anyone if it benefits him. If he could use Czadas, he’d find a way to overcome any obstacle. He’s a master manipulator.”

“But he only met with him once?”

“As far as the surveillance report shows. It would have been too great a risk. That first visit to Czadas was probably to set up the situation. Rakovac wouldn’t be stupid enough to show frequent visits to anyone. But he’d still want to keep in contact with Czadas and the boy. And he wouldn’t be able to resist calling Catherine afterward to taunt her. That’s part of his basic makeup.”

“Oh, yes,” Eve said bitterly. “That goes without saying. How would he do it?”

“All of these cities are where he met with his other clients.” She pointed to Krasnos, Vichaga, and the other Russian cities down the line of the graph. Then she put Sergriev in the middle of them. “They’re all within an hour-and-a-half drive to Sergriev. The meetings with all his clients on these particular days were at hotels, not their own offices, or on their own turf. Rakovac must have arranged them. He could conduct business, then slip away and go to meet with Mikhal Czadas at Sergriev.” She looked at Eve. “Connect the dots, Eve.”

Eve gave a low whistle. “Kelly, you may just be as brilliant as they say you are.”

“Of course I am.”

“Czadas,” Eve repeated. “You think Luke’s being held by Mikhal Czadas?”

“It’s only an educated guess.” Kelly’s grin widened. “I’m lying. And being modest. That pattern is pretty clear. I’d bet that Rakovac arranged with Czadas to keep Luke.”

“Rakovac boasted of making Luke kill.” Eve was thinking, trying to put the pieces together. “If Czadas is still active in the Georgian resistance movement, that would mesh with what he said. There would be an opportunity.”

“Call Catherine.” Kelly closed her computer and set it on top of her yellow note pad. “Tell her to come back.”

“I will.” Eve dropped down in her chair and took out her phone. “But first I’ll call Joe.” She started to dial. “He may be able to find out more information before-”

“No,” Natalie said. “Don’t call him.”

“Natalie, I know you’re concerned about Kelsov, but this will only-”

“No,” Natalie said sharply. “Hang up.”

The girl looked desperate, Eve thought. Why couldn’t she see that this might be a way to solve their problem? She had to convince her. She was getting Joe’s voice mail anyway, so she hung up. “Look, Natalie, Czadas may be the answer. We can rescue the little boy, and Kelsov will get what he wants, too.”

“It’s too late for the little boy. Rakovac will never let him go.” Natalie was moistening her lips as she reached into the cooktop drawer. “He told me so.”

Eve straightened, her eyes widening. “Told you-”

Natalie was pointing a.38 caliber pistol at them.

Eve froze. “What are you doing, Natalie?” Eve asked quietly. “Put that gun down.”

“You can’t tell anyone about the boy. Rakovac wouldn’t like it.”

“It doesn’t matter what he’d like. You’re confused. You told me you hate him, Natalie.”

“Oh, I do,” she whispered. “But that doesn’t matter. He’ll hurt me. He always hurts me. I tried to run away, but he found me and hurt me again. When Kelsov took me out of that…place, I knew he’d find me again.” Her grasp was shaking on the gun. “And he did.”

“Rakovac found you after Kelsov and Catherine freed you from that house?” Eve asked. “When?”

“Six months, seven…I don’t know.”

“I said, put that gun down, Natalie.”

“I can’t. You’ll call Joe Quinn and tell him about Czadas and the boy. You can’t do that. Rakovac told me if you got close, I had to stop you.”

“Wait.” Kelly was gazing at Natalie. “You’re saying that Rakovac knew where Kelsov was staying all this time? He knew about this place?”

Natalie nodded.

“And he knew that Kelsov was trying to hunt him down? Why didn’t he come after him and kill him?”

“Kelsov was helping Catherine. Rakovac knew that he only had to reach out to grab Catherine if she was with Kelsov. That was all he cared about. He knew she would come back. He thought it was funny that she thought she was safe here.”

Eve could see how Rakovac would get a malicious pleasure from having that power to scoop up an unknowing Catherine at any time. It would be a part of his damn cat-and-mouse game with her. “But she wasn’t safe from you, was she, Natalie? She helped Kelsov free you from that house. Didn’t that mean anything to you?”

“I didn’t want to hurt her,” Natalie said. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. But I have to do what Rakovac tells me. He was angry with me when I didn’t tell him that you’d gone to the marsh. I was so afraid he would hurt Kelsov.” She added eagerly, “But he says he won’t bother Kelsov if I do everything else he wants.”

“And you believe him?”

“I don’t know. I guess I have to believe him.”

“You don’t want to do this, Natalie.” Eve slowly stood up. If she could get close enough, she could dive for that gun. Though that might be just as dangerous as trying to get her to lay the weapon down. The woman was shaking as if she had a fever. No, not a woman, a child who had been so brutalized she might never emerge from that terrible cocoon where Rakovac had imprisoned her.

But Eve mustn’t let pity sway her now. Natalie was dangerous to Kelly and to her. Perhaps to all of them. Thank God, she hadn’t told Natalie or Kelsov about the possibility that the NSA phone trace might hold for them. Just move toward her and keep Natalie talking and her attention occupied. “What do you know about Czadas, Natalie?”

“Not much. Rakovac took me to his place once before I ran away from him. Savrin House. It’s on a lake somewhere in the north. Czadas is like Rakovac. He likes to hurt people.”

Eve took a step nearer. “Luke?”

She nodded jerkily. “And me. Rakovac gave me to him for a few nights. That’s when I knew I had to run away. The boy helped me. He heard me screaming, and he hit Czadas on the head with a wine bottle. Then he showed me a way out through the back door that led out of the house. He took me to the woods, then left me to go back to the house.”

She took another step. “Why didn’t he go with you?”

“He said I had a chance, but they’d never stop looking for him. He’d tried it before. He had to wait until he could steal enough money from Czadas to help him hide from them.” She moistened her lips. “He lied. I didn’t have a chance. He shouldn’t have told me to go. They found me four days later.”

“Luke was trying to help you. And he was obviously running a risk to do it.”

“But Rakovac found me.” It was clearly the only thing on which she could focus. “And he hurt me again. Worse than before. The boy shouldn’t have made me go.”

“Made?” Kelly repeated. “You were old enough to make the choice. He couldn’t have been more than nine then. And I’d say he had an amazing amount of guts.”

“Kelly,” Eve cautioned. Natalie was in an extremely emotional state, and they didn’t need to throw her into more of a tailspin. Not with that.38 in her hand. “Was Luke punished for it?”

“I don’t know. Rakovac took me away from there after he found me. He said he couldn’t stay at Czadas’s house for more than a couple days at any one time. I’d made him overstay his time.” Her voice was a whimper. “I didn’t care about the boy. Why should I? Rakovac kept hurting me. In all kinds of new ways he hadn’t tried before. It might not have been so bad for me if the boy hadn’t told me to run away.”

She kept calling him “the boy” as if he had no identity, Eve thought with annoyance. It reminded her of the killers who threw their victims into anonymous graves and walked away. Natalie might not be a murderer, but she had the same careless, selfish view as those predators. Eve was beginning to feel any pity she had felt begin to dissipate. But she mustn’t show the anger she was feeling. She moved a step nearer. “How can you be sure Rakovac will keep his word? You want Kelsov to live. Wouldn’t it be better to call and warn him that Rakovac knows where this place is?”

“It’s too late. Rakovac called me right after Kelsov and Catherine left here. He said that it was time to wrap it up. I don’t know what that means, but I don’t think it’s about me.”

She was now only a few yards away. Eve started to take another step.

“Stop! Don’t come any closer.” Natalie was suddenly beside Kelly and pressing the muzzle of the gun to her temple. “I’ll pull the trigger. I swear I will. I can’t let you take the gun away from me.”

Eve froze. If she didn’t press the trigger intentionally, she might do it accidentally. “I’m not moving. Take the gun away from her head.”

“No, I know what you were going to do. I can’t let you-Rakovac said he’d punish me if it didn’t go well.”

“If what didn’t go well?”

“He wants you, too. You and Quinn, but I can’t help it if Joe Quinn went away. It’s not my fault. Maybe he won’t-It’s not my fault.” Her head lifted swiftly. “I hear a car.”

Eve heard it, too. “Maybe it’s Kelsov. Put away the gun. You don’t want him to-”

“It’s not Kelsov. I know the sound of his car. I’ve heard him come home so many times.” She gazed at Eve. “I’m sorry. It’s not my fault.”

“You said that before. I’m sympathetic to your problems, but you have to take responsibility at some point, Natalie.”

“No, she doesn’t.” A brown-haired man with gray flecks in his carefully barbered hair had opened the front door and stood pointing a Magnum revolver at them. “Haven’t you discovered that Natalie is just a puppet? She never had a great amount of brains even before Rakovac took her. To expect her to feel guilt or responsibility isn’t reasonable.”

“Who are you?”

He inclined his head. “Nicholas Russo. I’m Rakovac’s assistant.”

“He’s my father,” Natalie said dully.

Eve’s eyes widened in shock. “What?”

“A state which has been fraught with both benefits and dangers,” Russo said. “All the stupid bitch had to do was shut up and take it. She ran away. I’m lucky Rakovac didn’t take his anger at her out on me.”

“No, he took it out on her. And probably Catherine’s son.”

Russo’s brows lifted. “I can see that your heart is bleeding. I should have expected as much from what I’ve heard about you from Rakovac.” He motioned with his gun. “And I’m in no mood to listen to abuse. Come along. This has to be concluded tonight. Rakovac has taken far too many risks over this Catherine Ling business for my liking. If he goes down, I go down. If he hits the top of the heap, then I’m a billionaire.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“Why, to see Luke Ling. Isn’t that what this charade is all about?”

“It’s no charade.”

“It seems that to me, but then I’m standing on the outside.”

“Shall I tie her up?” Natalie asked.

“What a helpful daughter you are. I wish you’d have been a little more helpful when you were with Rakovac. Yes, by all means. I have a man waiting in the car, but I don’t want problems.” He tossed her a rawhide cord and waited while she tied Eve’s hands in front of her. He turned to Kelly. “And her, too.”

“She has nothing to do with this,” Eve said quickly. “Rakovac wouldn’t want you to take her.”

“She figured out that Luke is with Czadas,” Natalie said.

Eve wanted to strangle her.

Russo nodded. “And she’s a witness.”

Kelly rose to her feet. “I want to go with you, Eve. If I stayed with that viper, I’d chop her head off.”

“Then we’ll oblige you.” Russo stepped aside after Natalie finished tying Kelly’s wrists. “Go straight to the car and get in the backseat. Try to run, and I’ll shoot the girl first, then you, Duncan.”

“I’m not running.” It would do no good, and she wasn’t about to risk getting Kelly killed. Besides, Russo was right. All of their efforts had been bent on finding Luke. Now they were being taken to the boy. It would be better to wait to attempt any escape until they were with him. “How far away is this place?”

“About four hours.” He opened the rear door and gestured for them to get inside.

He hadn’t lied, Eve realized. The man who waited inside the car appeared rough and lethal.

“What’s going to happen to me?” Natalie asked from the doorstep. “I did everything Rakovac said.”

“This time.”

“He promised me Kelsov would be coming back to me.”

“He will be.” Russo got into the driver’s seat. “I’ve arranged an escort to take both of you out of the country. We can’t have you left behind to be questioned. You’d break too easily. Now see if you can be quiet until he gets here.”

She was still standing in the doorway as they drove down the road.

“She didn’t even question you,” Eve said incredulously. “You might have ways to keep her quiet, but what about Kelsov? There’s no way that he won’t keep after Rakovac.”

“Oh, there is a way.” He lifted his hand to wave at Natalie. “And I told you that my daughter isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. Now, be quiet. I want a peaceful trip to Savrin House.”

Eve shivered as he turned on the player and a classical CD blared. She had thought that all she had heard about Rakovac was evil, but Russo might be his equal. Was it Rakovac’s influence, or did they feed on each other?

“Eve.” Kelly leaned closer to Eve, and said in an undertone, “We’ll be okay, right?”

Was she offering comfort or asking for it? With Kelly it was difficult to know.

Eve’s nodded. “We’ll be okay.”