Countdown (34 page)

Now he could hear it too. The crunch of snow beneath a foot.

Where?

From the road, from where he’d come.

Who? The sentries were always stationed around the house, not this far away. But Reilly might feel more cautious now that he was involved with Grozak.

But if this was a sentry, he shouldn’t be able to hear him. Silence was paramount in Reilly’s training. Noise was clumsy, and Reilly didn’t permit clumsiness.

Another step crunching the snow.

Moving toward the shack where he’d left Jane.

Dammit, he had no time for this.

Make time.

He whirled and moved silently over the snow.

The driving snow kept him from seeing anything until he was only a few yards away.

Up ahead, a dark blur. Tall, very tall, long legs . . .

Gauge your distance.

Silence.

Remember, silence.

W
here were they? Surely an hour had passed since she’d called Trevor. Jane checked her watch. An hour and fifteen minutes. It wasn’t time to panic. The roads were terrible and the snow had increased in the last thirty minutes. It was pelting down now. Maybe Trevor’s estimate had been optimistic.

A pounding on the door. “Jane!”

She jerked upright. She knew that voice. Thank God, they were here. She jumped to her feet, ran across the room, and pushed the chair from beneath the doorknob. “What kept you? I was afraid—”

The edge of a hand came down on her wrist, and the gun in her numbed hand fell to the floor.

“Sorry, Jane.” Mario’s voice was regretful. “I wouldn’t have chosen to do this. Life can be a bitch.” He turned to the man standing next to him. “Delivered as promised, Grozak.”

Grozak. Jane stared at the man uncomprehendingly for a moment. But these were the features of the man in the photo Trevor had shown her that day in the study. “Mario?”

He shrugged. “It was necessary, Jane. You and Cira’s gold appear to be sharing the spotlight for the most popular prize with Grozak, and I had to—”

“Stop yammering,” Grozak said. “I didn’t come here to have you waste my time.” He lifted the hand at his side and pointed a gun at Jane. “Out. We need to pay a visit to Reilly. I can’t tell you how eagerly he’s waiting for you.”

“Screw you.”

“I want you alive, but I really don’t care if you’re damaged. You can either come with me or I’ll shoot off your kneecap. I’m sure Reilly wouldn’t mind you helpless for what he has in mind.”

Jane was still staring in disbelief at Mario. Mario a traitor?

“Mario, you did this?”

He shrugged. “Do what he says, Jane. We don’t have much time. I was afraid that Trevor would get here ahead of me, but they grounded his helicopter at a podunk airport near here and he’s scrambling for a rental car.”

“I was disappointed,” Grozak said. “I was looking forward to turning you both over to Reilly. It would have been insurance.”

“If Trevor shows up and I’m not here, he’ll call the authorities.”

“If Trevor shows up, he’ll run into Wickman, and Wickman will be delighted to dispose of him before has a chance to call anyone.”

“Wickman is here?”

“He’ll be here. He was supposed to meet me ten minutes ago. The snow must have delayed him.” He smiled. “Now stop trying to delay me. I have a lot to do today. Tomorrow is showtime.”

“You can’t get away this. You’re going down, Grozak.”

Grozak chuckled. “Did you hear her, Mario? I’m pointing a gun at her, but I’m the one going down.”

“I hear her.” He pointed the gun he’d taken from Jane at Grozak. “Actually, you are going down, Grozak.”

He shot Grozak between the eyes.

“My God.” Jane watched Grozak slump to the floor. “You killed him. . . .”

“Yes.” Mario gazed down at Grozak with no expression. “Isn’t it strange? I thought I’d feel some satisfaction, but I don’t. He shouldn’t have killed my father that way. I told Grozak that I had no affection for him and that he could dispose of him if he needed to do it. But he shouldn’t have done it that way. It disturbed me. It made it very . . . personal.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “Patricide is very personal.”

“I never considered him my father. Maybe as a small child. But he went away and left my mother and me in that stinking village where we both had to work from morning to night just to stay alive.”

“Desertion shouldn’t mean a death sentence.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t plan it that way. Grozak wasn’t even certain he’d have to do it. Only if he thought my position might need reinforcing. But he couldn’t touch anyone at the castle, and I wasn’t making the progress with the scrolls he needed in finding the gold. I was the only one who might be able to do what he needed at the castle. So I had to be completely suspicion-free.”

She shook her head. “But I know you were shocked when it happened. No one could be that good an actor.”

“I was shocked. I had orders to have no communication with Grozak unless it was to tell him that I knew where to find the gold. He didn’t want me to blow my cover. Laudable plan, and I suppose it did make my reaction to my father’s death more realistic. Bastard.”

“You were working for Grozak all along?”

“From the day Trevor hired me. I was due to leave for the Run the next morning, but Grozak paid me a visit that night and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

“The gold?”

He nodded. “But I soon found out that was a lie. Why should he give me the gold when he could use it as a bargaining chip?”

“Why indeed?”

“Actually, I was very popular that night. Reilly called me too and told me he’d give me a bonus if I could let him know when Jock left the castle. He evidently didn’t trust Grozak. I didn’t trust the cheap bastard either. So I had to start making plans of my own.”

“A little double-dealing?”

“It was obviously the way the game was played. After we left the Run I called Grozak and told him that you were heading for the U.S. I also called Reilly to make a deal of my own. Reilly wanted to make sure Jock didn’t talk and he wanted either you or the gold. Or both.”

“And that’s why you wanted that time with Jock. Were you planning on killing him?”

He frowned. “Not if I was sure he wasn’t going to remember. I’m not like Grozak or Reilly. I don’t kill indiscriminately. And if Jock did remember, Wickman was watching the chalet from the foothills and I could have called him to take care of it.”

“But Jock fooled you. He didn’t tell you that he’d remembered. Was Grozak upset with you?”

“Yes, but Wickman was following you. I told Grozak that he should let Jock take you into the lion’s den and I’d let him know when and where to pick you up.”

“And that’s what you did.”

He shook his head sadly. “You don’t understand. I don’t want to do this. But I’m not like you. I need nice things. A fine house, beautiful old books, paintings. It’s a hunger.”

“It’s corruption.”

“Perhaps.” He motioned with the gun. “But I’ll probably appear pristine-clean to you after you meet Reilly. I understand he’s a very unpleasant man.”

“You’re really taking me to Reilly?”

“Of course, and very quickly.” He checked his watch. “Trevor and MacDuff won’t waste time. They should be on my heels.”

“Why are you doing this? You can’t get away with it.”

“But I can. I turn you over to Reilly. I tell him the info about the gold that was in that last Cira scroll and where to find the transcript at the Run. He gives me the money he promised me and I take off. If I run into Trevor and MacDuff, I tell them Reilly has you and that I was on my way to the police.”

“And I’ll tell them exactly what you did.”

“I doubt if you’ll get the opportunity. Reilly will get out of this and probably take you with him. He’s spent half his life preparing hideouts and bolt-holes, and the CIA hasn’t been able to find him for the last decade. There’s no reason to think they’ll succeed this time.” He motioned again. “No time for talk. We have to move.”

“If I don’t, I suppose you’re threatening to shoot off my kneecaps too?”

“I’d hate to do it. I’m very fond of you, Jane.”

But he would do it. A man who’d stand by and let his father be butchered would have no real compunction. She’d probably have a better chance with Reilly. At any rate, standing here with his gun pointed at her was a lose-lose situation. She started toward the door. “Let’s go. We wouldn’t want to keep Reilly waiting.”

The snow was stinging cold as he opened the door. Mario led her past the three cars parked before the shack.

“Aren’t we going to drive?”

Mario shook his head. “Reilly said that unless you had the deactivation codes for the driveway, the car would set off the explosives. And there was no way he was going to give those codes out. He said to walk through the woods. I was to call him as soon as I reached them and he’d turn off the booby traps as the video cameras showed us coming through the trees.”

She could barely see three feet ahead of her through the snow. How the devil could Reilly see anything on camera?

“Change your mind, Mario,” she said over her shoulder. “So far the only criminal thing you’ve done is kill a murderer.”

“And become an accessory to a terrorist. They either shoot you or put you in jail and throw away the key for that. I made a choice that night when Grozak hired me. I was going to be rich. I can still make it work.” He halted. “Stop. We’ve almost reached the tree line.” He dialed his phone. “Mario Donato, Reilly. I’ve got her. We’re coming in.” He listened for a moment. “Okay.” He hung up the phone. “We’re going to have a welcoming committee when we reach the house. Kim Chan and Reilly’s latest protégé, Chad Norton.” He grimaced. “Another Jock. Another weakling.”

“Jock isn’t a weakling. He’s a victim.”

“He has to have a basic flaw in his character to be manipulated like that.”

“You don’t think it could happen to you?”

“No way.” He gestured with the gun. “And I doubt if it can happen to you.”

“But you’re willing to let Reilly try.”

“If you turn out to be of the same weakling stock, then you’ll deserve it.” He smiled. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and that half-wit Jock will save you.” He nodded at the woods ahead. “Move.”

She hesitated. Once she reached that tree line the video cameras would pick her up and she’d be in Reilly’s court.

“Jane.”

“I’m going.” She started toward the woods. “I respect that gun. I’m not about to let you shoot—” She spun, her leg lifted in a roundhouse kick. Her boot hit the gun, sending it flying, and she followed through with another kick to Mario’s gut. “Weakling? You son of a bitch.”

He grunted and fell to his knees.

She hit him in the back of the neck and he fell to the ground. “You egocentric excuse for a—”

Christ, he’d fallen too close to the gun. He was reaching for it!

She dove into the snow. Her hand closed on the handle. It was cold, wet, slippery. . . .

He was on top of her, reaching down to grab the gun from her. “Bitch. You are a weakling. Reilly will be—”

She pulled the trigger.

He jerked upright like a marionette, gazing down at her in disbelief. “You—shot—me.” A tiny rivulet of blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth. “Hurts . . .” He collapsed on top of her. “Cold . . . cold. Why am I—” He shuddered and went still.

She pushed him off her and looked down at him. His eyes were wide open in disbelief—and death. She shuddered as she sat up in the snow. She couldn’t seem to move. She should get out of here. They were only a few miles from Reilly’s headquarters. Maybe they’d heard the shot.

In a minute. She’d killed a man, and the realization was just hitting her. She kept remembering the Mario she’d first met, the man she’d thought him to be. In death his features were softer, boyish, as they’d been that night.

All pretense. All deception.

Get a grip. Get out of here.

She got to her feet.

“What the hell happened to—” A voice behind her.

She instinctively whirled with the gun raised.

“Hold it!”

MacDuff. She dropped her arm to her side.

“Thank you.” He moved forward to stare down at Mario. “Grozak or Reilly?”

“Me.”

He swung around to look at her. “Why?”

“He was in Grozak’s pay and made a deal with Reilly on the side. He was going to turn me over to Reilly.”

He smiled faintly. “And you didn’t choose to go.” His smile faded. “What word of Jock?”

“I haven’t seen him since he left me at the shack. Where’s Trevor?”

“Here.” Trevor came toward them. “I was farther back than MacDuff. I ran into an encumbrance.” He looked down at Mario and his lips tightened grimly. “I wish the bastard was alive so that I could kill him myself. Did he hurt you at all?”

She shook her head. “What encumbrance?”

“Wickman. His body was under a pile of snow near the shack.” He looked at Jane. “We found Grozak at the cabin. Mario?”

She nodded.

“And Wickman?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. Grozak was supposed to meet him. I guess Mario could have killed him.” She shook her head. “I don’t know. But we have to get out of here. Someone might have heard the shot.”

MacDuff shook his head. “I barely heard it and I was close to you. Maybe it’s this snow muffling the sound.” He glanced at Trevor. “What do you think?”

“I heard it. But very dimly.” He looked at her. “So tell us what happened while we’re on our way back to the car.”

“Back to—” She went still, her gaze on the tree line. “I’m not going back.” She turned quickly to Trevor. “Mario arranged with Reilly to take me through the trees toward the house. Reilly was going to deactivate the booby traps as the video cameras sensed our passage. We could still do it.” She held up her hand as Trevor started to protest. “The video cameras won’t be able to tell the difference between you and Mario in this snowstorm. You’re about the same height and weight. If you keep your head covered and down and the gun visible, I’ll be going first so I’ll be the first one they see.”

“And what do you do once you reach the house?” MacDuff asked.

“Play it by ear. We were supposed to be met at the door by Kim Chan and another of Reilly’s protégés, Norton. If we can get past them, I doubt if there are any booby traps inside the house. Maybe we’ll get to see the great man himself right away.” She started toward the tree line. “Let’s go.”