Chasing the Night

Chapter 8

Eve walked quickly, feverishly, down the path toward the lake.

Those bones, those poor pitiful bones.

A child tossed carelessly into the earth naked and alone.

She would not cry. Too late. She could feel dampness on her cheeks.

Stupid. Lord, how many skeletons had she seen in her career? Why had this one struck such an agonizing resonance? She should be harder, more calloused.

“That’s never going to happen, Mama.”

Bonnie.

Eve looked ahead on the path and saw Bonnie leaning against a pine tree forty feet away. The sunlight was tangling in her red curls, and she was smiling.

“Someday it might,” Eve said. “I can’t go on bleeding inside every time I see a skeleton. It’s not professional.” She wiped her eyes. “And I’m very professional. Bonnie.”

“Yes, Mama.”

“Stop smiling. No, don’t.” She stopped on the path. “I need to see you smile. Why are you here?”

“Because I wanted to be here. Because you wanted me. Isn’t that a good reason?”

She drew a shaky breath. “It’s a wonderful reason. But I think that you have another agenda.”

“Agenda.” Bonnie chuckled. “Now that’s a very professional word. Yes, I have an agenda.” Her smile disappeared, and she said gently, “My agenda is to help soften the pain. That photo rocked you and sent you reeling back to what you felt when I was taken. It hurts me when you feel like that, Mama. I want it to go away.”

“Rakovac doesn’t want it to go away. Those bones…such a small child.” She whispered. “Like you, baby, such a little girl.”

“But it’s over, Mama.” She paused. “For me. I keep telling you that. I know it’s not for you. And maybe not for Luke. Don’t think about me. Don’t let that picture make you sad. Or if it does, not for me.”

“Don’t be silly. Of course it made me sad.” She swallowed. “But now I’m getting angry.”

“Good. That’s much healthier.”

“And you’re being very wise and superior. I’m not sure I like it.”

“You like it. You like everything about me.”

“You’re very confident, young lady.”

“I have a right to be. My spirit status allows a few privileges. Now go in and talk to Catherine. You’re feeling a little better, but she’s still hurting. She’s been hurting for such a long time.”

“I know. That doesn’t mean I can solve her problems.” She turned and headed for the cottage. “Or that I’ve even decided to try.”

“That’s true,” Bonnie said. “I’m sure that it will at least take you until you reach the front porch to think it all out and come to a decision.”

“Brat.” Wonderful, beloved brat.

“Be careful, Mama…”

She didn’t have to look behind her to know that Bonnie was no longer there.

No sadness. Bonnie didn’t want it. Not for her.

But the sadness was still there, and the anger.

Oh yes, the anger.

“Are you okay?” Catherine asked, as Eve came in the door. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset-”

“I’m fine,” Eve interrupted. “I just had to get away and do some thinking.” She went over to the sink and got a glass of water. “And I was upset. I’m still upset.”

“I told you, the photo has to be a fake. He’ll do anything to hurt me.”

“Or to lure you to come into his web and find out for yourself if it was a fake,” Eve said. “I’d say that was the principal reason for that photo. Shock value, then to draw you to him. He even said as much.”

“But he also threatened you, Eve.” She shook her head. “I never meant that to happen. I wanted your help. I didn’t want to lead him to you.”

“I realize it wasn’t deliberate.” She smiled crookedly. “Although we both know that you would have probably run the risk even if you’d known that he’d be on our doorstep. That’s the way obsession works. Take it from someone who knows.”

Catherine hesitated. “Yes, but I would have protected you. I wouldn’t have let him hurt you. I won’t let him hurt you now.”

“It’s not up to you. Not any longer.” She took Catherine’s phone again and gazed down at the pitifully macabre skeleton in the photo. “I hate this. I don’t care if it’s your Luke or some other helpless child. I hate it. I hate the brutality of the act and the use of this child’s murder to help Rakovac get what he wants. These monsters think they can kill and kill and kill again. Not this time.” Her lips tightened. “I’m not going to let it happen.” She glanced at Catherine. “We’re not going to let it happen. I don’t want to hear any more bullshit about you protecting me. Whatever happens, Joe and I will take care of ourselves and Jane.”

“You’re shutting me out,” Kelly said. “Don’t do that. Let me help.”

“Kelly, I don’t even know what I’m going to do yet,” Catherine said.

“She knows.” Kelly nodded at Eve. “Don’t you, Eve?”

Eve nodded. “I know I’m going to talk to Joe. That comes first. I know we’re going to examine this photo that Rakovac says contains the first clue in his damn game. We’re going to find it and try to figure a way to push him to the next step without getting killed.” She met Catherine’s eyes. “And then you’re going to find a way for us to get into Russia without Rakovac’s being aware that we’re there.”

Catherine went still. “You’re actually going with me?”

“Hell, yes. I’m going to find out if that child is Luke. If he’s not, I’m going to find out who he is and who killed him.” She tapped the photo. “This wasn’t only a gauntlet tossed down for you, Catherine. Rakovac has obviously studied me, too. He knew seeing that skeleton would hurt me and make me think of Bonnie. He says he wants me to do a reconstruction and find out if that poor kid is Luke?” Her jaw set. “Well, I’m going to do it and find a way to make it boomerang and send him straight to hell.”

Catherine stared at her in surprise. Then she started to laugh. “I didn’t think that you’d react like this. Where’s all your cool, professional reasoning?”

“He shouldn’t have sent that photo. I’m going to call Joe. You start thinking of contacts in Russia that can help us.” She turned to Kelly, and ordered, “You finish Cindy.”

“I want to-”

“I don’t care what you want,” Eve said. “We have enough to worry about, saving one child. You’re not much more than a child yourself. We’re not going to have you put in danger or getting in our way while we’re doing it.”

Kelly gazed at her for a moment, then turned and sat down at the worktable. “You’re wrong. But I’ll do what you wish. I’ll finish Cindy.”

“Thank you.” Eve whirled and went out on the porch again to make her call to Joe.

“Am I going to be able to talk you out of it?” Joe asked tersely.

Eve braced herself. “No. It has to be done.”

“And, of course, you have to be the one to do it.”

“I have to help. He can’t be allowed to go on. If you could have seen that photo-”

“I don’t doubt that it was enough to send you into a tailspin.” Joe was silent a moment and gave a low curse. “I knew it. I could see it coming.”

“I need you to protect Jane. You don’t have to be involved.”

“Of course I’ll see that she’s protected. And you know damn well that I’m going to be involved,” he added. “And I’m curious to know why Rakovac has suddenly decided that his persecution of Catherine has to come to an end. He’s obviously enjoying it. After all these years, it would have to take something monumental to cause him to stop. What does Venable say about it?”

“Catherine hasn’t told him about Rakovac’s latest call, but Venable’s attitude has been…vaguely noncommittal regarding what’s been going on between Rakovac and the CIA.”

“Other than that they might have to take Rakovac out. That’s a pretty radical action. I believe we’ll have to probe a little into Venable’s reasons. The situation may be even more volatile than he’s telling you.”

“That wouldn’t surprise me. He appears to be alternating between trying to keep Catherine from interfering and a genuine concern about the boy.”

“He probably is concerned. As much as he permits himself to be. I’ve worked with him before, and he’s not a bad guy. Just all CIA.”

“He’d have to be to let Luke be held by that bastard all these years just to keep international relations on an even keel. I can’t understand him.”

“No, you wouldn’t be able to fathom that kind of thinking,” Joe said. “But evidently Catherine understands, even if she doesn’t condone.” He added, “I’m going to call Jane and tell her what’s happening. The last we heard from her, she was in London. Right?”

“Yes. But warning isn’t enough, Joe.”

“No, I’ll also call on Venable and get him to assign her protection. And, remember, Jane has friends in Scotland who will look out for her if they’re put on the alert.”

Yes, she did, Eve thought. And some of those friends were more lethal than Rakovac could ever hope to be. John MacDuff, Jock Gavin, and Caleb were formidable. “Then by all means give them a call. I want her surrounded.” She paused. “And she’s so damn stubborn.”

“Just like the company she keeps,” he said dryly. “You’re sure that I can’t talk you out of this? If you want the kid out, I’ll go in and get him by myself.”

“And run the risk of getting him killed. Rakovac wants Catherine, and if we can tease him with an occasional glimpse, we might be able to strike a balance that will let us grab Luke without sacrificing Catherine.”

“And is she agreeing to stake herself out?”

“We haven’t discussed it. It’s my take on the best way of handling him. But Catherine wouldn’t blink about doing anything that had a chance of working. She’s desperate. I’m hanging up now. I’ve got to go back in and see what we can do about finding a place for Kelly to go.”

“At least you’re not planning on taking her with you,” Joe said. “That would not be smart.”

“Actually, it might be very smart, but not in the least humane. She’s fourteen. Call me after you’ve talked to Jane.” She hung up.

She felt immensely relieved. Joe would make sure that Jane was safe, and that was the most important thing. He’d be on Venable, probing, demanding and digging until everything was out in the open.

“Eve?”

She turned to see Catherine standing in the doorway. “Joe is taking care of making sure that my adopted daughter, Jane, is safe.”

“Good.” She came out on the porch. “Is he angry?”

“No, he said he knew it was coming.” She shrugged. “Joe knows me very well.”

“That must be nice. Comfortable.”

“And sometimes not so comfortable.” She smiled. “But, yes, I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’ve gone through far too much together to have to do it all again. What a headache that would be.” She changed the subject. “So when do we leave?”

“Tonight. Just after midnight. There’s a private airport outside Gainesville, and we’ll take a private jet to Rome, then change planes and go on to Moscow.”

“Private enough to keep Rakovac from knowing that we’re invading his turf? He seems to keep an eagle eye on you.”

She nodded. “I can do it. I only tried to keep him in the dark when I went in to make an attempt to locate Luke. Otherwise, I let him track me. I figured it made him feel powerful, and it didn’t hurt to feed his ego. My aim was always to keep his volatility in check.”

“And when we reach Russia?”

“I know a man who may hate Rakovac more than I do. Alex Kelsov fought with Rakovac before he went to Moscow and became big in the mafia. Rakovac betrayed Kelsov to the Russian secret police, and he spent three years in a prison in Siberia. He was lucky not to have been executed. But Kelsov was always a major deal maker and slippery as an eel.” She made a face. “He still is. He may want to bring Rakovac down, but it’s still going to cost me.”

“What?”

“It depends on what Kelsov wants at the time. Whatever it is, I’ll give it to him.” She paused before saying soberly, “Rakovac meant what he said, you know. He’ll try to kill you.”

“But not for a while. He impressed me as a man with a plan. This has been going on too long for him to let his revenge just dribble away into nothingness. He wanted to punish you so badly that he was willing to risk his Washington connection.”

“You can’t be sure that he won’t make a move. He’s not predictable.”

Eve shrugged. “Then we’d better move fast.” She started for the door. “I’ll pack a bag for both Joe and myself. What arrangements have you made for Kelly?”

“Nothing yet. I haven’t had time,” Catherine said. “Whatever I decide, it’s not going to be easy convincing her to go.”

“Then you’d better start.” She held out her hand. “Give me your phone. I want to print off a copy of that picture Rakovac claims is Luke’s skeleton.”

She gave her the phone. “Why?”

“I want to send it to an institute in St. Louis that may be able to give me a definitive analysis on the skeleton and location.”

“You mean if it’s a fake or not?”

“Yes, and if they can zero in on the skull and determine if it was a bullet that shattered it.”

“Could you compare the photo of the skull to any of the transitions and see if there is a match?”

“Possibly. But it would take time. According to Rakovac, we have no time. We’ll take what we can get. I’m more interested in that twisted pine in the background. And the moss on the leg of the skeleton. They might lead us somewhere.” She entered the house to see Kelly bent over Cindy’s skull. “How is it going?”

“Well.” Kelly didn’t look up. “I’ll be finished soon.”

“Good.” She hesitated. “You didn’t have to do this. I appreciate it.”

“But not enough to let me really help you.”

“Kelly…”

“It’s okay, I understand. I told you I’d finish Cindy, and I’m doing it.” She finally lifted her gaze to look at Eve. “I heard you talking to Catherine about wondering where you’re going to send me. You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve already taken care of it.”

Eve’s brows rose. “Indeed?”

“I called Venable and told him that he had to send someone to pick me up. He said he’d do it right away.” She looked back down at the bone shards. “I think it will be Agent Dufour. He sent me with him before.”

“You’re suddenly being very cooperative.”

“And you’re suspicious.” Her smile was a little sad. “I’m not stupid, Eve. I know I’m not going to be able to convince you and Catherine that I should go with you. I have to move on. Agent Venable told me that if my being with you didn’t work out, he’d see that I was settled somewhere I’d be comfortable for a little while.”

“That’s better than we could offer,” Eve said.

“Yes.” She looked back down. “When you finish the reconstruction of Cindy, will you send me a photo? I kind of feel like I know her.”

“You do. You’ve been a big part in helping me to bring her home.”

“I hope so. Home is important.” She grimaced. “Not that I know that from experience. Daddy was always planning on buying a house and settling down in Boulder, Colorado, with me, but his company kept sending him out of the country. And I was always away at the college. They always arranged for me to stay with really nice families near the campus, but that was their home, not mine.” She changed the subject. “You know that Rakovac sent you that photo to make you angry, don’t you? He wanted to hurt Catherine, but he wanted to make you come with her.”

“And why would he want me to come? I’m not really important to him.”

“Catherine is alone. She has no family. She’s the only one he can hurt. He wants more than that. What good is a Fourth of July explosion if you don’t have someone to see it?”

“Then I’m supposed to be the witness?” She shook her head. “No, I believe he’d rather tie me to one of the rockets.”

“It could be both or either.”

“That’s what this so-called pattern is telling you?”

She shook her head. “You haven’t let me study him enough to see a pattern. I can only guess from what I’ve been told.”

And it was a pretty good guess, Eve thought. Venable was right; Kelly was incredibly intelligent, and her instincts were unsettling. Kelly looked to be such a delicate child in appearance that it was disturbing to hear her speak as if she were a woman in her thirties. Perhaps her training with her patterns had caused her to leave that childhood behind. Then the nightmare that had happened to her in Munoz’s camp had been the final blow.

“You’re pitying me,” Kelly said. “Don’t do it. I don’t need it.” She placed another shard carefully on Cindy’s temple. “How are we going to glue these pieces together?”

“I’ll do it before I leave tonight. I use a special epoxy.”

“After you go over her with a fine-tooth comb and make sure I didn’t make any mistakes.”

Eve nodded. “That’s my job. But I don’t think you did. I believe both you and Catherine did a remarkable job.”

Kelly nodded. “It’s all you allowed me to do.” She added soberly, “Take care of Catherine. Someone has to do it. I should be the one, but she won’t let me.”

“I know you feel that you owe her, but Catherine’s capable of taking care of herself.”

Kelly looked away. She repeated, “Take care of her.”

“I’ll do my best.” She turned and moved toward the bedroom. No matter what Eve promised, it would not be enough for Kelly. The girl and Catherine had forged a strange and powerful bond, and Kelly had the added urgency of proving to herself that her abilities could make a difference. Eve couldn’t blame her for her persistence. She was even surprised she had finally given up. “Good luck, Kelly.”

“Good luck to you. You’ll need it more than I do.” She gave her a ghost of a smile. “Since you don’t have my valuable assistance.”

“We’ll survive,” Eve said over her shoulder. “And so will you. The only one who’s not going to come out on top will be Rakovac.”

Agent dufour arrived at the cottage at four thirty that afternoon.

Kelly watched the dark blue sedan drive up the driveway and turned to Catherine. “You won’t change your mind?”

Catherine shook her head. “I’ll be in touch when we get back. Let Venable help you. Don’t do anything on your own. Okay?”

Kelly didn’t answer. “Good-bye.” She gave Catherine a hug. “Be careful.” She turned and ran down the steps and jumped into the sedan. She didn’t look back as Dufour pulled out of the driveway.

“Venable had better take good care of her,” Catherine said. “She’s so damn vulnerable, and she’s just a kid.”

“I was just thinking this afternoon how grown-up she seemed,” Eve said. “And she trusted Venable enough to call him when she knew she wasn’t going to be able to go with us. Should she trust him, Catherine?”

“In most cases.”

“Not in the case of your son.”

“Luke was standing in the way of Venable’s saving the world for democracy,” she said sarcastically. “Kelly isn’t in that position. He tried to use her as a roadblock, and it didn’t work. Now he’ll do what he can to keep her happy. He knows he’ll answer to me if he doesn’t.” She watched for another moment until Kelly disappeared from view. Then she turned to go back into the cottage. “While you finish using that epoxy on Cindy’s face, I have to make a couple more calls before we leave for the airport. Is Joe coming back here?”

“No, he’s meeting us at the airport. He said he had a few things to do himself.”

“With your daughter, Jane?”

“No, he said that’s all taken care of. He’s satisfied that she’s safe.” Eve opened the door. “And Joe doesn’t make mistakes about the people he cares about.”

“I noticed that he’s very…protective and comforting.”

Eve remembered how Joe had taken Catherine into his arms to comfort her after that phone call from Rakovac. “Yes, he can be pretty wonderful.”

“You two are good together. It’s nice to see that in a couple. I think most people stay together just so they won’t be alone.”

“Is that what you’ve found? Is that why you married?”

“No, I didn’t care about being alone. I never knew anything else. But Terry wanted it, and I wanted him to be happy. He’d been good to me. I’m glad I did marry him. He gave me Luke and those years were wonderful for both of us.” She pulled out her phone. “He was a great agent, too. He’d been with the CIA for years, and he knew everyone and had contacts everywhere. He worked with Kelsov even before we married.” She dialed quickly. “Go on, get to work. We need to leave here in another two hours.”

Joe was waiting at the hangar when Catherine and Eve pulled into the airport.

“You’re late. I was beginning to wonder.”

“Eve wasn’t going to leave until she finished doing as much as she could on Cindy,” Catherine said. “And I wasn’t about to hurry her.” She turned as the pilot came down the steps of the Learjet. “Hi, Dorsey. Ready to go?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” the stocky, thirtysomething pilot said dryly. “Since every trip with you puts my license in jeopardy.”

“Complaints. Complaints.” She turned to Eve. “Eve Duncan, Joe Quinn. This is Dorsey Hodges. He used to work for the Company but decided he liked the good life better than risking his neck.”

He smiled and nodded. “So Catherine wants to make sure I don’t become bored with the good life by putting it constantly at risk.” He waved at the steps. “Get on board. Let’s get moving. I have a job in Key West in two days.”

“I may need you longer,” Catherine said.

His smile faded. “Then I’ll reluctantly tell Key West to take a flying leap. You know I’ll always be there for you, Catherine.” He turned away. “I’ve found ways to get around Homeland Security, but I hope your friend Kelsov is going to be able to handle any problems on that end. I’ve no desire to end up in Siberia.”

“Neither does Kelsov. He’s been there, done that.” She ran up the steps. “You’re safe, Dorsey.”

“Is he?” Joe asked, as they followed her into the plane. “You seem to be confident of your Kelsov.”

“Dorsey’s safer than on other jobs I’ve asked him to do,” Catherine said as she sat down and fastened her seat belt. “Sit down. I’ve printed out copies of the skeleton photo. After we take off, we can go over them and see if we can identify Rakovac’s so-called clue he planted in it.”

“If there is a clue,” Joe said.

“I think that there will be,” Eve said as she sat down beside Catherine. “He was too smug, too excited. He was proud of himself.”

“Call me when you’re ready.” Joe moved up the aisle. “I think I’ll go up to the cockpit and get to know Hodges better. You never know when you’re going to need a little airpower.”

Eve watched him go up the aisle. Trust Joe to try to delve into the alluring mechanical world of this jet. He always liked to take things apart and put them back together again. It was a part of that insatiable curiosity.

“You can still back out,” Catherine said quietly. “Just walk off the plane.”

Eve shook her head. “I can’t do that.” She smiled. “Luke’s waiting.”

“Is he?” Catherine asked. “I hope so.”

So did Eve. But Catherine didn’t need her to be anything but positive right now. She would close out all her own fears as long as it was possible. “Luke is waiting for us,” she said firmly. “Now dig out those prints of the photo, and let’s see if they can tell us what carrot Rakovac is dangling in front of us.”

It was difficult analyzing the photo of the skeleton, Eve thought. She had to close out the thought of the child and concentrate on the surroundings, and that was almost impossible for her. Seeing the skeleton filled her with such a wild combination of anger and sadness that it interfered with any type of logical reasoning.

“Okay?” Joe asked quietly.

She nodded jerkily. “There’s nothing okay about this, but I can’t let it get to me.” She glanced at Catherine, who was across the aisle from them. “I can imagine what she’s going through right now.”

“The photo,” Joe prompted.

Concentrate.

“The skeleton is almost certainly that of a five-year-old male. I can’t judge how long he’s been buried without examining the actual bones.” She added, “Or if he was actually buried in that grave. Perhaps Rakovac staged it. But if he did, then he still would have had to plant some kind of clue to draw us into the web.”

His gaze narrowed on the photo and began to take it apart. “A pile of dirt that resembles a makeshift grave. The dirt is moist, lumpy, and appears to have a slight green cast. There are trees in the background. Pines?”

Eve nodded. “No help there. Pines are everywhere.”

“Then the skeleton itself.” He turned to Catherine. “Rakovac said he shot him in the head?”

“Yes.” She moistened her lips. “But he lied. This isn’t Luke.”

“But that shattered entry is consistent with a bullet wound,” Eve said gently. “I got a preliminary report from the St. Louis Institute just before I left the cottage. They blew up the shot and examined the pixels under the microscope. It had to be a large-caliber bullet that would cause that much damage on such a small skull.”

Catherine flinched. “It’s not Luke.”

“It was a helpless, five-year-old boy,” Eve said tightly. “At the moment, that’s all that I can see; everything else is blurred.”

“I’m sorry,” Catherine said. “I’d be as angry as you under ordinary circumstances. The killing of any child is terrible. But there’s nothing blurred about my thinking right now. It’s clear and sharp and all about Luke.”

Eve nodded. “Then try to focus some of that sharpness on the photo. Is there anything about it that’s in the least familiar?”

Catherine looked down at the photo. “Nothing. It’s just…horrible.”

“What is this patch of earth on his thigh?” Joe was examining the skeleton more closely.

“I think it’s moss,” Eve said. “It’s clumpy and moist like the rest of the dirt. I guess that’s why it clung to the skeleton when it was exhumed.”

“Did you e-mail it to your friends at the St. Louis Institute and see if they can identify it and place it at a specific location?”

Eve nodded. “It seems to be an odd color, but I can’t determine much about it without putting it under intense magnification.”

“Maybe that’s Rakovac’s carrot,” Joe said.

“That’s what I thought. Long shot.” Eve flipped open her computer and began typing in the message to go with the e-mail. “But it’s all we have. I’ll ask them to put a rush on it.”

“How long?” Catherine asked.

Eve shrugged. “It depends on how close they can come to identifying that soil sample from the photo. In the meantime, we’d probably better keep looking for any other leads.”

Catherine nodded. “It’s not as if we have Langley.” She made a face. “I’ve seen them call in a satellite to measure the angle of the moonlight and come up with a probable location.”

“Were they right?”

“Yes, but it took them four days. We don’t have four days. And if I asked Venable to do it, I couldn’t be sure that he’d feed me the right information. It would depend on the state of their negotiations with Rakovac. We’ll try your St. Louis Institute first.” She pulled up the Rakovac surveillance file. “And while we’re waiting, I’ll see if I can glean anything from this report.”

“Akron, Ohio.” Venable punched a yellow pin on the city on the map of the U.S. on the wall. “Are we sure, Bradley?”

“Hell, no.” Agent Eric Bradley scowled as he stared at the map. “We’re not sure of anything. It could be another red herring. But my informant says that Akron is a possibility.” He shook his head. “But we still don’t know who the contact is.” He cursed. “Or if there is one in Akron. It’s another damn blank. If they’re getting ready for a hit, why can’t we get someone to talk?”

“Because whoever is handling the money trail is smart and has the manpower to cover his tracks.”

“Rakovac?”

“I’d bet on it.”

“Then find him and get rid of him.”

It was the solution Venable had been considering, but it might be too dangerous. “And what if everything is in place and goes forward even after we kill him? We don’t know how far along he’s come with Ali Dabala. No, we have to know names, dates, cities.”

“I’ve tried, Venable.”

Venable knew Bradley had tried, and he was a good man. He had used every resource available and had gathered an amazing amount of information.

But not enough.

Venable felt a tightness in his chest as he gazed at the map. So many colorful tacks. It looked like a cell-phone commercial. Yellow tacks for possibles. Red tacks for probables. So many cities. So many people…

Damn Rakovac.

“What next?” Bradley asked.

“What do you think? Go back and get the information.”

Bradley hesitated. “The last timeline we have is between four and seven days. There may not be enough time.”

“Then stop wasting it.”

Bradley shrugged and strode out of Venable’s office.

Venable’s gaze returned to the map.

Four to seven days.

And the chances were that Bradley wasn’t going to be able to find out anything more than he had already.

Dammit, he had to know.

Stop hesitating. Do what had to be done. He couldn’t afford to be soft. He had to balance the good of the majority against the good of a few. He had lived all his adult life making decisions like this one. This would only be one more.

He reached for his phone and dialed a number. Voice mail. “Dufour, call me back. I need to speak to you. Pronto.”