Countdown (32 page)

Her gaze flew to his face. “What?”

“I’ve been trying to keep myself busy and I found a reference to a Demonidas on the Internet. He did live during the same period as Cira.”

“That’s all?”

“Not much more.” He paused. “But he came to public attention when his ship’s log was found in Naples two years ago. It was supposedly in a good state of preservation and was going to be offered at auction by the government to benefit the local museums. There was quite a buzz about it. Collectors were lining up to bid.”

“Can we see it?”

He shook his head. “It disappeared a week before the auction.”

“Stolen?”

“Unless it walked out of that safe in Naples.”

“Damn.”

“But at least it did exist, and so did Demonidas. Does that make you feel better?”

“Yes. Anything in this mess that has a basis in concrete fact is to the good.”

“I’ll keep on looking, but I thought you’d like to know something definite. It’s been a pretty frustrating time for all of us.”

“That’s an understatement.” She smiled. “Thanks, Trevor.”

“You’re welcome. It’s worth it. That’s the first time you’ve smiled at me in days.” He reached out and took her hand. “I missed it.”

She looked down at their joined hands. It felt warm, nice. . . . “I’ve been a little on edge.”

“We’ve been balanced on that edge since the day we met. I don’t know how it would feel to be able to have dinner, go to a show, maybe sit around and watch TV together. Normal stuff.”

He was right. Normal was a state they knew nothing about. They hadn’t had the time or opportunity to discuss, explore, and truly get to know each other. It had all been sexual tension, a fine balance between trust and suspicion, and literally walking on the wild side of violence. “And do you want that?”

“Hell, yes. I want the whole nine yards. I want to
know
you.”

She glanced away from him. “And what if you’re disappointed when you do?”

“You’re backing away from me.”

He was right. His hand felt too good and she needed the comfort and companionableness he was giving. It made her want to cling, and she couldn’t allow herself to do that. If she didn’t have her strength and independence she had nothing. “What do you expect? This is too new. I didn’t expect to— When I was a kid on the streets, what I saw of the man-woman relationship wasn’t pretty. I suppose . . . it scarred me. I’m afraid of what you make me feel. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever known, and I’m not sure if you’ll even be here when this is all over.”

“I’ll be here.”

She pulled her hand away and stood up. “Then we’ll worry about going to dinner and watching TV together then.” She headed for the door. “I think I’ll go down and sketch Jock and Mario together. They’re an interesting contrast, aren’t—”

“Jane.”

“Okay. I’m avoiding talking about it.” She stared him in the eye. “You want sex? Fine. I love it with you. I just can’t— It’s going to take me time to become close to anyone. And if you can’t accept that, you’ll have to deal with it.”

His lips tightened. “I can accept it.” He suddenly grimaced. “And I’ll damn well take the sex.” He turned back to the house. “I’ll hit the computer and see if I can come up with anything else on Demonidas.”

T
hey must be just sitting around twiddling their thumbs,” Wickman said when Grozak picked up his call. “No sign of any action at all. Why don’t I take a few men and go in and stir things up?”

“Because it would be stupid,” Grozak said. “I’m surprised you’d even suggest it. I told you I wanted the woman, and the minute you try to use force, they’ll start circling the wagons to protect her. And if you don’t succeed, it will show Reilly how inept we are. The bastard respects strength.”

“I’m
not
inept.”

“I know you’re not,” Grozak said quickly. “It would only be an appearance.”

“Five days, Grozak.”

“You don’t have to remind me. I’m in Chicago now arranging the shipment of the explosives to Los Angeles. Then I go to Los Angeles and make sure the bribes are in place.”

“All your fine plans won’t do any good if we don’t give Reilly what he wants.” Wickman hung up the phone.

Grozak’s lips tightened as he hung up the phone. Wickman was becoming more arrogant every time he talked to him. He was beginning to regret the day he’d hired the son of a bitch. Wickman might be smart and efficient, but there were moments Grozak felt as if he was losing control.

Have him killed?

Not yet.

He glanced at the calendar on the desk and felt the muscles of his stomach clench.

Five days.

Four Days

H
ello, Jock.” Jane sat down on the porch steps beside him and gazed out at the splendor of the sunset before flipping open her sketchbook. “It’s peaceful here, isn’t it? It reminds me of Joe’s cottage on our lake at home.”

“Do you have mountains there?”

“No, just hills. But the peace is the same.”

He nodded. “I like it here. It makes me feel clean inside. And free.”

“You are free.”

“Right now. But I always wonder if I’ll stay that way.”

“I know how you feel.” She held up her hand as he started to shake his head. “Okay, no one could know unless they’d gone through what you did, but I can imagine. I don’t think there’s anything worse than being controlled like a slave. It’s my worst nightmare.”

“Is it?”

She nodded. “And Trevor told me that Reilly would just love to try his hand at controlling me. It made me sick.”

He frowned. “But there weren’t any women there at the compound except Kim, and she works for Reilly.”

“I was evidently going to be the exception.”

He nodded. “Maybe it’s because you look like Cira. He liked her. He kept asking me about her and if the laird had found out anything about her gold or—”

“He did?” Her gaze flew to his face. “You remember that?”

“Yes, little things have been coming back to me in the last few days.”

“What else?”

“Four eight two.”

She felt a surge of disappointment. “Oh.”

“That’s not what you wanted me to say.”

“I just thought that you’d already come to terms with that.”

“Now I have. Now that I’ve remembered that I did all I could.”

“Would you like to tell me what happened that night?”

“There’s not much to tell. Reilly gave me the address and the victim and I went to do what he told me.”

“Why a child?”

“To hurt Falgow. Something to do with the Mafia. I think Reilly had been paid by them to punish Falgow for not cooperating.”

“But a little girl . . .”

“It would hurt him. It hurt me. I couldn’t do it. But if I didn’t do it, Reilly would send someone else. I knew it. I had to do something. . . .”

“What?”

“Anything. They thought she was safe. She wasn’t safe. She’d never be safe if they didn’t protect her. I turned over a table. I broke a window and went out that way. They had to know someone was there, that she wasn’t safe.”

“It must have worked,” Jane said gently. “She’s still alive, Jock.”

He nodded. “But no one’s really safe from him. He might have given up, but then, he might just be waiting. He’s very patient.”

“Have you been remembering anything else?”

“Yes.”

She drew a deep breath. “We have to talk, Jock. We’ve left you alone as long as we could. It’s time.”

Jock smiled. “Not quite alone. You sent Mario to remind me what my duty is.”

“I told him not to bug you.”

“He didn’t. He’s been very nice. I like him.”

“So do I.”

“But sometimes you don’t have to say anything. I know what he wants. What you all want.”

“And are you going to give it to us?”

He was silent a moment. “I . . . may give it to you.”

Her gaze flew to his face. “You remember where Reilly is?”

He nodded. “It’s coming back to me in bits and pieces.”

“Idaho?”

He nodded.

“Where?”

He didn’t answer.

“Jock.”

He shook his head. “You’ll tell the laird. Or Trevor. Or Mario.”

“They all want to help.”

“I told you the night I came to you that the laird can’t know, that I have to do it myself.”

“Yes, but you didn’t say that you were going to close us all out.”

“I had to get here,” he said simply. “You wouldn’t have brought me if you hadn’t thought I’d tell you if I could.”

She gazed at him in amazement. “So you manipulated us?”

“I had to get here,” he repeated. “I’m very grateful to you for making it happen.”

“Thanks a lot.” She paused. “Then help us. You know what terrible things could happen if we don’t find Reilly and Grozak.”

“Yes.”

Her hands clenched. “Then
talk
to me.”

“I will.” He stared at her, troubled. “But only to you, Jane. And not now.”

She gazed at him with narrowed eyes. “What are you saying?”

“I won’t tell you. I’ll take you there. And when we’re almost there, I’ll let you call the police or anyone you like. Except the laird.”

“Jock—”

“Only you.”

“And will you wait for the police to get there before you go after Reilly?”

He didn’t answer.

She looked at him in frustration. “Jock, you can’t go after him yourself.”

“Why not? I know how to do it. He taught me.”

“We don’t know how many of his men will be there. For all we know Grozak may be there too.”

“I know how to do it.”

The words were simple but absolutely confident, and they sent a chill down her back. His expression was serene and his eyes were clear and honest as a child’s.

“Look, if you don’t do it right, Reilly will be able to give warning, and we won’t get Grozak.”

“I don’t care about Grozak.”

“I do.”

“So does Mario. But without Reilly, Grozak can’t do anything. You can catch him later.”

“And what if we can’t?”

Jock shook his head.

Lord, he was stubborn. And she couldn’t reason with him, because he saw only one path, one goal. “What would you do if I said no and went back to the chalet and told Trevor and MacDuff what you’ve remembered?”

“If you say no, then I won’t be here when they come to find me.” Jock gazed out at the snowy peaks. “I know about hiding in the mountains. MacDuff might find me, but it would be too late for you.”

“Jock, don’t do this.”

“Only you.”

He meant it. His lips were tight with determination.

She gave in. “Okay.” She asked curtly, “When?”

“Tonight. Dress warmly. We may have to be outside. Can you get the keys to the car?”

“I’ll manage.” She got to her feet. “One in the morning.”

He nodded. “That would be good. And bring a credit card. We’ll need gas and other things.” He stared at her with a troubled frown. “Are you mad at me?”

“Yes. I don’t want to do this. I’m afraid for you.” She added, “And, dammit, I’m afraid for me.”

“Nothing will happen to you. I promise.”

“You can’t make that kind of promise. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”

“I thought you wanted to go. I could go alone.”

“No, you can’t. I have to take the chance of getting him.” Jane gazed at Jock over her shoulder as she started up the path. “But I’m going to leave a note.” When he started to speak, she interrupted, “Don’t tell me no. I’m not going to just abandon them without a word and let them worry about us. It’s not going to hurt you. You haven’t told me anything of value.”

“I suppose you’re right,” he said slowly as he started down toward the pier. “I don’t want to worry anyone.”

“Then don’t do this.”

He didn’t reply as he moved down the path.

No, he didn’t want to worry anyone, but he was willing to throw a stick of dynamite into the mix, Jane thought as she moved toward the chalet.

Okay, don’t let her concern and nervousness show. Stay out here for a little while longer and by then it would be time to go to bed. She cast a quick glance at the car parked beside the chalet. Someone was bound to hear them when they left in the early-morning hours.

Well, by that time it would be too late to stop them.

She had to ignore the surge of panic the thought brought. At least they were doing something toward finding Reilly. Jock had promised her that she could bring in help as soon as they reached their destination.

Yeah, and he’d also promised her she’d be safe. Not likely. Jock would be focused on getting Reilly and not on protecting her.

Then she’d have to protect herself. What was different about that? She’d taken care of herself all her life. Jock probably wouldn’t have been much help anyway. He was like a bell that sometimes rang crystal clear and sometimes exploded in a cacophony of thunderous sound.

She just had to concentrate on keeping that explosion from killing her.

Lakewood, Illinois

T
he four smokestacks of the nuclear plant pierced the horizon.

Grozak pulled to the side of the road. “We can only stay here a minute. There are security patrols cruising the entire area every thirty minutes.”

“I didn’t have to see this,” Carl Johnson said. “All you have to do is tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

“I thought it wouldn’t hurt.” And Grozak wanted to see Johnson’s reaction to the place where he was going to meet his death. When he’d picked Johnson up at the airport, he’d been shocked. The man was young, clean-cut, and good-looking, and spoke with a Midwestern twang. Of course, that all-American look was good, but it made Grozak uneasy. He couldn’t see Johnson driving the truck through that gate. “The truck is a catering van and it visits the plant at noon every day. It’s security-cleared but it’s searched as soon as it gets to the checkpoint.”

“Is the checkpoint close enough?”

“There’s enough firepower to take down the first two towers. After that, the entire plant will blow.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Johnson stared thoughtfully at the smokestacks. “Reilly told me that the radiation would take out Illinois and Missouri. Is that right?”