The Search (36 page)

"She may be okay. Kids are funny. Maybe she's hiding or trying to make them worry about her."

"That's not Jane."

"Well, maybe her grandmother is making--"

"Hurry up." Margaret waved at a security guard standing by the front gate some distance away. "Hi, Booker. Did you ever see two worse wimps in your life than these two?"

The security guard grinned. "Do you really expect me to answer that?"

"Coward." Margaret started to turn onto the path leading around the house. "Come on, exercise isn't any good unless it raises your heart rate."

"Coming." Bassett's pace quickened. "Right behind you."

They weren't right behind her. Margaret actually was yards ahead of them. She turned and gave them a scornful wave. "I told you that you had to hustle to--" She stiffened, her gaze on the front gate. "Booker?"

The wolf was howling again. Eve felt like howling too.

Oh, God, let Jane be all right.

Go check on Maggie, make sure she's okay. It was something to do. She moved toward the back porch and stuck her head in the door. The wolf glared at her resentfully and raised her head to howl again.

"I can't help you," she whispered. "I can't bring them back."

And she couldn't help herself.

Or Jane.

Dammit, Logan, find her.

She stiffened as she heard a knock on the door.

She slowly moved across the room.

If they'd found her, they would have called immediately. People came in person to give you bad news. Policemen knocked on the door and said how sorry they were that your little girl was dead.

Bonnie.

No, this was Jane, and God wouldn't let it happen to her again. There had to be some universal law that forbade--

Another knock.

The wolf howled.

She leaned her forehead on the door for a moment. Face it. She stepped back and threw open the door.

Herb Booker was clinging to the gate, staring straight ahead. Blood was pouring from his shoulder. His whole body suddenly jerked.

"Christ, he's been shot." Bassett ran past Margaret down the driveway. "We've got to help him."

A shot? Panic surged through Sarah. "Bassett, stay away from the gates!"

"Drop to the ground." Margaret was already running toward Bassett and the fallen Booker. "Stay low, Bassett."

"What the hell's happening? Booker's been--" Bassett spun around clutching his wrist.

Another shot.

And Sarah saw blood gushing from Margaret's chest as she slowly sank to her knees. "Sarah?" she whispered in disbelief.

Sarah screamed and ran toward her.

"Call security," Bassett said, dazed. He was clutching his wrist and blood was running through his fingers. "For God's sake, call--"

"Hit the ground and stay there," Sarah yelled at him. "You can't help. Monty, stay with him."

A bullet whistled by her cheek as she knelt beside Margaret, who had slumped to the ground. "Margaret?"

Margaret's eyes were staring straight ahead. "Stay . . . low . . ."

She was still giving orders, Sarah realized. Should she move her? What if the bullet shifted?

Help. She needed help.

She opened her mouth and screamed.

"I know you're going to be mad at me." Jane straightened her shoulders belligerently. "That's too bad. I'm here and I'm going to stay here. You can't just go away and not expect-- Let me go. I can't breathe."

"Too bad." Eve's arms tightened around Jane's thin body. "I'm not letting go." She cleared her tight throat. "Well, not for a minute or two. Then I'm going to murder you."

"I knew you'd be mad. I would have told Joe or your mother, but I knew they would have stopped me from coming. They think I'm a kid."

"You are a kid, dammit."

Jane looked at her.

"Okay." Jane was no more a child than Eve had been at her age. They had both grown up on the streets where youth had been stolen from them. "Then you should have been adult enough not to worry me to death."

"You wouldn't have let me come." She stepped back. "And I'm here now. You should call Joe and tell him I'm here, shouldn't you?"

"Yes." She didn't want to move. She didn't want to stop looking at her daughter. "How did you get here?"

"I bought an electronic ticket on the Internet and charged it to your credit card. I owe you money."

"They let you on the airplane by yourself?"

"I managed. Is that the wolf howling? Where is she?"

"On the back porch. And how did you get here from the airport?"

"I hitchhiked." She held up her hand to stop Eve's protests. "I know it's dangerous. I picked an old man and his wife and they lectured me all the way here. They stayed outside in their truck until you opened the door. I want to see the wolf." She started toward the door Eve had indicated. "You call Joe and then you can yell at me later."

"Count on it." She headed for the phone. "And stay away from Maggie. She's crabby."

"Why?"

"I think she's lonely."

Jane looked at her over her shoulder. "That's a bad thing to be. It . . . hurts."

"Yes, it does."

Jane looked away. "Call Joe."

Another shot tore by Sarah's ear as she huddled over Margaret's body, both hands pressing above the wound.

"Sarah!" Logan was running toward her from the house with Juan Lopez behind him. "Get yourself and Margaret into the trees, dammit."

"I'm going to. Go take care of Bassett and Booker. They've both been shot."

"Lopez, call 911," Logan shouted.

There was a screech of tires outside the gate, and a dark Camaro tore down the street.

Lopez ran out the gate and stood looking after it. "Son of a bitch."

"Forget him. Call 911."

"Is she going to be okay?" Bassett was standing over Margaret, still clutching his wrist. "This shouldn't have happened. I thought we were safe here. Is she going to live?"

"She's going to be fine." Oh, God, she couldn't stop the blood. "Don't you dare fall asleep, Margaret. Stay with us."

Eve walked to the back porch and stood beside Jane in the doorway. "I called Logan but couldn't get an answer. I left a message on his voice mail. You've caused him a world of trouble. I was able to get hold of Joe. He's hopping the next plane. He says he's going to scalp you. I told him I'd tie you to the stake for him."

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Jane's gaze was fastened on the wolf. "But you're right, she's crabby. It's a good thing I'm here to take care of her."

"You?"

"Joe didn't like you being here with the wolf. I could tell. So I came to take care of her."

"And me?"

Jane's gaze shifted to Eve. "Sure. This is something I can do. I'm not Bonnie. I'll never be Bonnie to you. I don't think I'd want to be her. I talked to your mother about her, and Bonnie was so nice, I don't even know if I'd have liked her."

"You'd have liked her."

"Maybe. But I know I like you." She looked back at the wolf. "Maybe I even . . . love you."

"That's nice. I know I love you."

Jane nodded. "I went up on the hill and visited Bonnie's grave after you left yesterday afternoon."

Eve went still. "Why did you do that?"

"I don't know. I just did. And I decided it doesn't matter that you still love her. I'm not nice like she was, but I can do things for you that she couldn't. She wouldn't have been able to take care of you like I can. I'm smart and I know the same things that you do. That's got to mean something."

"It means a great deal."

"So you're lucky to have me."

"Oh, yes."

Jane gave her a disparaging glance. "You're not going to cry?"

Eve shook her head. "I wouldn't think of it." She cleared her throat. "When you're only being sensible."

"Good. Crying would be silly." Jane walked toward the wolf. "Now show me what to do to take care of Maggie."

Sarah tensed as Logan walked into the hospital waiting room. "Is she going to live?"

"I don't know. They were able to get the bullet out, but she's in critical condition. It'll be touch and go for a while." He sat down and buried his face in his hands. "I just don't know."

She was silent a moment. "She's been with you a long time."

"Almost fifteen years." He raised his head to reveal a haggard face. "We've worked together for so long, she's like family. But I didn't think Rudzak-- I thought she'd be safe."

"She was behind electric fences with security guards."

"It shouldn't have happened. I should have been more careful. I should have stopped her and Bassett from taking those walks."

"It was safe as long as they stayed away from the gates. That's the only place where there's a clear view to get a shot. You couldn't know that the shooter would target Booker first to draw us to the gates."

"That doesn't mean I'm not responsible. I should have--"

"Shut up, Logan." She took his hand and held it between hers. "You did the best you could. You're not a fortune-teller and you're sure not God. So stop blaming yourself."

He smiled with an effort. "Thanks for the sweet words."

"You want sweet?" She blinked the tears back. "Sorry. I can only be myself. If I could take this away from you, I would. At least Booker and Bassett are going to be okay. The doctor said Booker is being taken off the serious list, and Bassett's only got a nasty wound in the hand."

"He's pretty shaken up. He wants to finish the research at Dodsworth."

"He knows Dodsworth may not be safe either."

"He'd rather take his chances there. I tend to agree. Dodsworth is safer." He stood up. "I need to move. Do you want some coffee from the machine?"

She shook her head.

"I'm having Lopez pack your bag. Galen's going to pick you and Bassett up and take you to Dodsworth."

"Me?"

"I have to stay here, and I want you where Galen can protect you. He has to be at Dodsworth."

"Did it occur to you that I might want to stay with you?" she asked unevenly.

"It occurred to me. In spite of your lack of tender feelings for me." He gently touched her cheek. "But if you want to help me, you'll go to Dodsworth. I don't need to worry about you too."

"I don't want to--"

"What about all those people at Dodsworth? Have you forgotten you may have to blow the whistle on me?"