The Search (37 page)

"I haven't forgotten."

"Then go and make sure Galen is doing his job. I'll be there as soon as Margaret takes a turn for the better."

Dammit, he was in pain and she didn't want to leave him. She wanted to hold him and get him through this horrible night as he had held her after Apache Lake.

"Rudzak is going to be at Dodsworth, Sarah. I couldn't be more sure. And I don't need you or want you here." He left the room.

She caught up with him halfway down the corridor. "Don't you dare try that bull with me." She spun him around, her arms around his waist, and she hugged him with fierce strength. "I won't let you. You do want me here. I know you care something about me and I could help you." Her arms fell away from him. "But I'm going to Dodsworth. To make sure nothing happens to those people so you won't end up feeling guilty for the rest of your miserable life." She stepped back. "I'm going to Bassett's room. Tell Galen to pick me up there."

The ivory mirror was in the shape of an ankh. An asp was intricately carved around the teakwood handle. It had been his last present to Chen Li.

It would be his last present to Logan.

"An ankh?" Chen Li held up the mirror. "It's the symbolof immortality, isn't it?"

"That's why I brought it to you. To show you that you'll live forever."

She made a face. "I don't feel immortal at the moment, Martin. Though I'm much better than I was last week.Maybe I am getting well after all."

She wasn't getting well. Sitting there in that chair bythe window, she looked thin and weak and pale. Shewould never be the same Chen Li again. Death was stealing her from him just as Logan had stolen her. And Loganwould keep her his until the very end, giving her hope andyet telling Rudzak that she was not well enough to see him."Did you go to sleep early last night? Logan said I couldn't come in."

She looked away. "I was a little tired."

"The weariness will go away soon." He stepped behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. "This mirror is very special. It belonged to a high priest. It will make you liveforever."

"Perhaps we should tell my doctors about it. They could use a little help." She leaned forward and his hands fellaway. She was trying to avoid his touch, he realized withincredulous fury. She was already lost to him.

But he could get her back. He could take her away fromLogan.

"Let's try it," he said. "Look in the mirror."

"I don't like what I see in any mirror these days."

"But you should. You're beautiful."

"Yes, sure. That's what John says."

He didn't want to hear what Logan said. This momentwas his alone. "Because it's true." He bent over her and puthis hands on her nape. "You can see it in my eyes. Look inthe mirror. If you won't look at your reflection, look atmine and you'll know that you'll live forever and always beas beautiful as you are to me at this moment. Lift themirror."

She slowly lifted the mirror. "Why, Martin, what'swrong? There are tears in--"

The mirror fell from her hand as he snapped her neckwith one violent twist.

"Good-bye, Chen Li." He tenderly kissed her cheek, then picked up the mirror. "Good-bye, my love."

He tucked the tissue paper carefully around the mirror and placed it in the box. He slipped the note he'd written on top of the mirror and closed the lid.

He addressed the box to Sarah Patrick at Dodsworth.

Municipal Courthouse

Dodsworth, North Dakota

Had he heard something?

A door swinging shut?

Probably not. He'd been imagining sounds in this creaky old building all evening, Bill Ledwick thought. When you were as bored as he was, your imagination had a field day. He'd be glad to get back with the guys at the facility.

Better check the sound. Galen didn't like anyone taking anything for granted.

He got up from his chair and moved down the long, dark corridor.

Silence except for the soft thud of his rubber soles on the marble floor.

He paused at the glass door of the record room. He stepped to one side and threw open the door. He waited a minute and then reached in and flipped on the light.

No one was in the room.

Of course not. Imagination.

Check. Just to make sure.

He moved to the file cabinet across the room and pulled open the drawer. He knew exactly where the file was kept. He'd checked it often enough.

He opened the file folder.

Shit!

"I heard from my man at the courthouse," Galen said when he called Logan the next day. "The blueprints of the facility disappeared from the record department."

Logan was silent a moment. "I thought that would happen. Rudzak's not the type to rely on a truckload of dynamite parked near his target. No random hits for him. He wants to be sure of me."

"Then he should have had his hired gun shoot you instead of Margaret."

"That wouldn't have satisfied him. It's not a big enough statement. He wants to bury me at Dodsworth like I buried him in that prison. A final tribute to both him and Chen Li."

"How is Margaret doing?"

"Not out of danger, but better. They're going to let me see her in a few minutes. Her folks got in from San Francisco last night and they let her brothers visit her in intensive care." He paused. "How's Sarah?"

"A pain in my ass. She and Monty have been over every inch of the facility looking for cracks in my security. She knows emergency procedures better than my second-in-command, and I think she's memorized every corridor in the damn building."

"Did she find any cracks?"

There was a hesitation. "One. But it was more of a hairline fracture."

"So she's satisfied that Dodsworth's safe?"

"Yes, but now she doesn't see why Rudzak would persist in targeting it."

"Tell her about the blueprints."

"I'll tell her. She may still worry about all your other facilities."

"Your job is to keep her from worrying."

"Until she makes another one of her four A.M. inspection tours." His tone was distinctly sour. "I'd rather take care of Maggie. When are you coming to get her out of my hair?"

"I'll be there as soon as I can, but I assure you that Rudzak isn't going to start without me. No word from him?"

"Just the missing blueprints. That's a pretty decisive statement. Give Margaret my best." He hung up.

Logan slipped the phone in his pocket and headed for intensive care. It was no surprise that Sarah was giving Galen a hard time. She wouldn't care how much she liked someone if it got in the way of her job and, in this case, her job was to keep Dodsworth from becoming a disaster area.

"What are you doing here?" Margaret's voice was only a breath of sound, which he could barely hear from where he stood in the doorway.

He crossed the room and took her hand in his. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." She glared at him. "And mad. Why are you here moaning and groaning instead of going after the asshole who shot me? Did you think I was going to die?"

"The thought never occurred to me."

"Liar. But I'm not going to die and"--she had to pause to get her breath--"and I have enough problems with my brothers being overprotective. So get out of here."

He stood looking at her.

"Okay, okay, I promise I won't die, John." She showed her teeth with tigerlike ferocity. "And instead of flowers, why don't you send me Rudzak's head?"

"I'll do my best."

"Good." She closed her eyes. "Now get out of here. I'm tired."

"Shall I call a nurse?"

"His head, John." She didn't open her eyes. "Stop standing there worrying and just get out of here and bring me his head."

"Yes, ma'am." He turned toward the door. "Right away, ma'am."

7:45 P.M.

"Joe got here yesterday," Eve told Sarah on the phone. "He's going to be here as long as you need me. Do you have any idea yet how long that will be?"

"I wish I did."

"No problem. I just like the idea of being home with my family."

"Jane is okay now?"

"No thanks to me. She worked it out for herself . . . I think."

"What do you mean?"

"It's funny how clear and simple everything is when you don't let baggage get in the way. What are you doing there at Dodsworth?"

"Keeping myself busy."

"Is the security as good as you hoped?"

"Better. And that bothers me. Why would Rudzak think he could take down this facility?"

"You're afraid he'll target another place?"

"I seem to be the only one. Galen and Logan think the stolen blueprints are cast-iron proof. I'm afraid it might be a red herring."

"Logan's nobody's fool."

"I know that. It's just--" She stopped, frustrated. "I'm afraid we're on the wrong track. It doesn't smell right."

Eve chuckled. "You sound like Monty on a search."

"Monty's usually right."

"I'm the last one to disagree. You should follow your instincts. I've got to go. Time to feed Maggie."

It was time to feed Monty too. "Come on, boy." Sarah hung up the phone and headed toward the cafeteria with Monty at her heels. She'd packed one of the kitchen cabinets with his food and vitamins, and she tried to feed him in the evening when he wasn't distracted by the constant attention of the scientists. Monty was already practically a mascot, and he'd rather have gotten belly rubs than eat.

Bassett was sitting at a table, and he looked up when Sarah came into the room. "Got time to sit down and have a cup of coffee with me?"

She shook her head. "I just came to feed Monty. I'm nervous enough without the caffeine."

"Are you? I feel a lot safer here." He got to his feet and followed Sarah and Monty into the kitchen. "Funny. I felt fine until that last day in Phoenix. Have you heard how Margaret's doing?"

"She's still alive."

"I complained a lot about her, but I really liked her."

"I know. How do you like your lab here?"

"Fine. They've assigned Hilda Rucker to work with me. She's brilliant." He wrinkled his nose as he looked down at his bandaged left hand. "And she's got two good hands to operate the computer. That's nothing to sneeze at." He finished his coffee in one swallow. "I'd better get back to the grind. Hilda's no Margaret, but I can't let her get ahead of me. Let me know about Margaret."

"I will."

Galen passed him at the kitchen door and gave him a casual nod before coming toward Sarah. "Logan's on his way. He just called and told me that Margaret had kicked him out. He should be here within a few hours."

"Good." She leaned down and put Monty's dinner before him. "Then she's better?"

"Well, it's clear she's functioning in her usual manner." He made a face. "I'm glad she's in Phoenix. I don't need another high-powered woman here."

"Yes you do. But you'll have to be satisfied with me. Speaking of high-powered females, I talked to Eve a little while ago. She thinks Maggie is either pouting or mourning. She won't stop howling."

"Then why don't you go home and take care of your wolf yourself?"

She gave him a sly glance. "Maybe I should send for Maggie and Eve, have them come here instead."

"Forget it." He headed for the door. "I'm out of here."

"Can't take the heat?" But he'd already gone.

The large kitchen was suddenly cavernous and lonely. Her smile faded as she leaned on the counter and watched Monty eat. Sparring with Galen was an outlet she badly needed. The tension was growing with every hour, and she needed it over.

Monty looked up at her. Sad?

She shook her head as she filled his water bowl. Not sad, uneasy. And lonely. It was strange how lonely you could feel when you're apart from one special individual. "Eat your dinner. You haven't eaten decently since we left the cabin."

Sad.

"This is our job. I had to take you away from Maggie."

Sad.

"Heaven save me from a lovesick--" Why was she blaming Monty, when she'd been mooning around herself only a few minutes before? "It's okay," she whispered as she reached down to scratch behind his ear. "I know it's bad, but we've got to go on. Now eat your dinn--"

"Sarah."

She turned to see Galen standing in the doorway. "Why did you come ba--" She stiffened. "What's wrong?"

"A package for you." He crossed the room and handed her a neatly wrapped box. "It just came. Special delivery."

All packages coming into the facility were X-rayed. "What is it?"

He shrugged. "I couldn't tell. Something weird. But it's not an explosive."

She slowly took off the wrap and opened the lid. The object inside was old, very old, the ivory yellowed by time, but the gold-sheeted mirror still shone. She felt her stomach clench. "Chen Li."

Galen stiffened. "I was afraid of that. Don't read the note. Maybe we'd better save it for Logan."

"It's addressed to me." She unfolded the paper.

Sarah,

As I told Logan, the last gift wasn't for you. Thisone is far more fitting. Notice the asp? You can shareit with Logan.