Somewhere I'll Find You (38 page)

“Nonsense, Michael.” Carver’s voice was as smooth as ever.  “Now I really must insist that you stop dredging up the unpleasant business of Mr. Black’s past.  It’s either him or you.”

“It’s me and only me.  And Paige isn’t the only one with friends in high places,” Michael warned.  “Just try going over my head on this one, and we’ll see who lands on top.”

“You’re allowing it to become personal.”  There was a bit of heat in Carver’s voice.  He was well aware that Michael was not issuing a mild threat.

“It
is
personal,”
Michael,
replied, his voice deadly quiet.  “I’m the only one in charge here.  Would
you
like to take responsibility for her sanity?  It’s not your usual cup of tea, so I think I know your answer.  Don’t make me call in favors, Carver; you won’t like it if I do.  Furth
ermore, your informants at the P
alace couldn’t save you if I did.”

“I most certainly would not
, you are correct
.”  His voice was bitter, his words dripping with acidic envy.  “
Michael, Michael, Michael …
You have always been the favorite with the Royals
, haven’t you?
  You racked the highest score in every class.  Firearms, threat analysis, close escort, evasive driving – you were always the best and they took you in as one of their own, didn’t they?  Christ, it’s amazing that they haven’t married you off to one of the Princesses. And then when you got tired
of the field, they arranged
a nice office for you
, didn’t they?
 
Translating
Russian cyphers, analyzing hot spots all over the globe, all from the safety of your desk.
”

Loathing rose to a thundering crescendo in Carver’s voice, and it was a hatred born of jealousy.  He had never been able to garner the notice and support of the Royals as Michael had, and though he’d risen higher in the ranks, it hadn’t been enough.

The fact remained, and
still rankled deeply in Carver’s soul, that this mixed blood – this w
retch of a half Russian who laid
claim to English land and titles, had outdone and outsh
one
him in every area that counted.  And then he had the nerve to leave his training and experience for a damned
office
. “But all that won’t help you now.  You’re back, and you’re going to stay back.  And while you’re on this job, you’re mine to control.”

“You’ve waited a long time for this, haven’t you?”

“Longer than you know,” came
the
flat answer.  “So shut your mouth and get back to work, or I promise you, Black
will
take over.”

“And what if she folds under the pressure?  Paige was never adequately trained
-
any fool can see that.  She’s beginning to have nightmares about that fall she took.”

“That too, is in the past.  Paige is more qualified than she has led you to believe.  As for her dreams, if there was the slightest chance that she could remember anything of value,
you
can be certain that those possibilities would have been pursued.”

Michel shook his head in disgust.  “And what would you have done to her?  Pumped her full of hallucinogen
s?
  Given her Penathol?”

“If it would have resulted in useful information, that’s exactly what would have been ordered.”  Carver’s face looked as if it were etched in stone.

Michael turned away in disgust.  “By God, sometimes I think that you’re mad.  Sometimes I think that we all are.”

Reaching out, Alistar patted Michael’s cheek, his hands swiftly
dropping downwards to
grip his collar
, pulling him
close.  “Keep one thing in mind, my boy.  I’ll make it simple, so you don’t forget. 
Nyet vikhadah.”

Turning on his heel, he snapped his fingers
in Black’s direction as he and Paige re-entered with a tray of drinks between them.  The hulking, blank-faced shadow watched the thin figure slip away towards the front door before fixing a final, hungry gaze on Paige before following Alistair through the door and out on to the driveway.

“I want her.”  The words were said softly as Black opened the door to the dark automobile sitting in Paige’s drive.  “I want her alone, for just a few weeks.”  His blank face was suddenly animated with a hideous smile.  “I’ll get out of her whatever it is that you think that she knows.”

“
I know, dear boy,” Carver smiled, fasti
diously press
ing
the creases from his trousers.  “And if Sinclair doesn’t do as he’s told, that is exactly what will happen.”

The two men glanced at each other, a malicious grin on Carver’s face.  “And when you do have her,” the elder Englishmen continued, “I want Sinclair there to watch every moment.  And when you’re finished with her, you’ll allow him the agony of watching her die before you put a bullet in his head.”

Inside, beyond the reach of the two men plotting in the car, a
wind began to whisper.

Shadows
trembled
.

Somewhere, a black satin shirt began to appear.

Out of the shadows, the mansion’s guardian ghost began to appear.  Eyes gleaming, he turned his head to study the sky. “There’s more danger around.”

A great German shepherd ghosted towards him, growling.

“Yes, I agree.  What they seek is old but never quite forgotten.”  Frowning he looked about the mansion, his eyes almost
impenetrable
.  “They are strong, these two.  But their strength makes them weak.  In their
strength,
they are content to see with their eyes and not their hearts.

The dog moved, moving next to his master’s feet.

“Too late?  It is never too late, old friend. 
But your
c
oncern is real.  With every day lost, hours are wasted.  The danger is growing.”

The dog growled.

The ghost slowly shook his head.  “There are some things that cannot be given, and some choices that must not be rushed.  Even when danger closes in.
”

He looked out over the glorious grounds. “There is no help – not even from creatures such as I.”

Watching as
Alistar’s
car slowly moved down the drive, Paige felt something pull inside of her stomach.  Something awful and bitter.

Would she never be free of secrets?  Even now, she was keeping them from Michael, certain that he was doing the same.  Both
of them were
trapped in a spider web from which she feared they would never be free.

“You look a thousand miles away.”

As usual, Michael had moved swiftly to her side.  Shrugging she avoided his gaze.  “I suppose that I was.”

Somewhere in the house, a phone began ringing. “I suppose that one of us should answer that.”  Paige looked in the direction of the sound.

“Why?
”  Michael groused.
 
“
It will only be more news, certainly bad.  They’ll find one of us sooner or later.”

After a long time, the ringing stopped.  Michael pulled Paige against him, his jaw rigid.  “I’d like to s
t
ay her
e
forever, Angel.  I’d like to make the world go away.”  His fingers tensed.  “But I can’t. I’ve got to leave here
, now,
and you’re to stay here.
O
ut there could be more of the same, more of the questions, more of the danger.”

She covered his mouth with her fingers. “I know.  You never lied to me.”
 
B
ut I have lied to you,
she thought.
And even
now,
I’m holding back secrets.

“I wish that made me feel better.  I wish it made you safer.  But it bloody well doesn’t.”

He caught her close and pressed a hard, searching kiss on her yielding lips.  He took all of her, hungry and open-mouthed, a man driven.

And then he pulled away.  The telephone began to ring again.

When Michael wa
lked away, he didn’t look back.

But
Paige felt it as soon as he crossed the gravel drive.  He was out there and he was watching.  She felt a stab of warning.

Dear God, no!  Not Michael!

S
creaming, she rammed
into him with her whole weight. 
She saw his face crease with shock and then the ground rushing up to meet them.
 
Even before they hit, a twelve-gauge shell exploded into the earth behind them.

Her hands flailed out
to ward off the darkness.  Hatred and wretched glee pounded at her until she could take no more.  Looking up into green-gold eyes
,
she whispered, “I’m sorry,” and closed her eyes.

* * * *

Jenny waited as long as possible.  Hustled into an automobile, she huddled on the seat as Alexander Sinclair sped away before she could speak.  Wheeling out of the city, the rain blurred even the most familiar of landmarks.  Her cheeks were damp
with tears
, her hands twisting nervously around a handkerchief as her thoughts remained with Erik.

In what seemed like only minutes, the car stopped at a secluded airstrip.  “Your plane is right over there, Miss, but please do hurry.  It’s a short run and I’ll give you as much cover as possible, but one never knows.”

With a gasp, she stepped into the cold, damp air, running wildly toward the lights of the plane.  The roar of propellers thundered deafeningly, growing louder as she ran.
  A hand halted her movement, her feet slipping on the tarmac, as she looked up into Erik’s smiling face. 

“I told you I’d meet you . . . now let’s get home.”

The jubilant euphoria that Erik displayed quickly turned to dark moods of despair once they were safely in the air. 
How could I have been so deceived,
he wondered, sinking further into his black thoughts. 
And worse, I’ve put Jenny into more danger.
  Turning, he felt his heart constrict as the concern he saw in her eyes.  His lips thinned into a tight line, know that it was impossible to avoid the truth.  “It would seem,” he began, his jaw clenching around each word, “that I’ve been played
for a
fool.  My ‘friend’ Alistar is working for the Germans.  That list in your gown has the name of men working for both sides.”  Balling his hands into fists, he continued, his voice full of disgust.  “He’s put
my
name on it, too.”  Noticing the dark circles under her eyes, the bone white pallor of her face, he leashed in his anger, taking a deep breath.  “Thank God the studio has connections with some rather influential people.  So don’t worry.  Once that list gets into the right hands, Alistar may find himself
locked in the T
ower, courtesy of His Majesty,
the King
.”