Iris Johansen - Quicksand

"He could do it with a high-tech scanner."

"He doesn't have my cell number."

"He doesn't have to zero in on a number. He can do a general scan until he locates the phone he wants. But he probably does have your number now after he monitored you."

"Shit."

"I can get a block put on the phones by tomorrow."

"Good. Do it."

"But we can't take a chance he's telling the truth about keeping his distance. I'll call in some security boys to make sure the cottage is guarded. And I'll check out the woods myself."

"Okay," she said absently. Then she quickly shook her head. "No, he'd regard a security team in the same light as the police. He said no police."

"Too bad. We'll do what we have to do to keep you alive. He's not in control unless we give him the reins."

"You're wrong," she said quietly. "He's in control because he has something I want more than anything."

"For God's sake, Eve," he said through his teeth. "We're not even sure he's the one who killed Bonnie."

"There's a damn good chance. You think so too."

"Not enough to risk your neck." He was staring at her expression. "I can't believe it. You're going to play the bastard's game."

"Maybe. I don't know. I have to think about it."

"No, you stay here."

"Listen to me, Joe." She turned to face him. "One thing that son of a bitch said was true. I can't sit on my duff and wait for things to happen. This is really my fight and I have to be involved as more than a rooting section. I didn't want to be in the way in Clayborne Forest, but maybe if I'd been on the scene, he'd have gone after me instead of those deputies and we'd have been able to catch him."

"And maybe you'd have been the one with the stake in your heart."

She shook her head. "He doesn't want to kill me immediately or he wouldn't have set up this elaborate baiting. He wants to be entertained."

"And you're going to let him torture you to amuse him."

"No, but I want Bonnie. I'm willing to take a chance to get her." She looked away from him. "But it should be my risk, not yours. I don't have the right to ask that of you."

"You're closing me out?"

"I don't want to be responsible for-"

"Screw it," he said harshly. "Do you think I'd let you go up against him alone? I may think you're nuts, but I couldn't do that."

"You've been with me all the way, but I thought…" Lord, this was difficult. "It's too hard for you now. You told me how you feel about Bonnie. I don't want you doing anything you're going to regret."

"I don't have any choice. I'd regret it more if I let him kill you. Go in the house." He strode away from her. "I'll check out the woods."

She watched helplessly as he disappeared into the woods. He was angry and frustrated and the bridge they had been building over the breach between them had collapsed. Damn Kistle. Damn her own obsession that was going to pull Joe into danger again.

Okay, she knew she had to do it and Joe refused to be left behind. It was going to happen. Now, how could she make it any more likely that they'd come out of this alive?

JOE DIDN'T COME BACK UNTILdark and then he went immediately to the bedroom and took a shower.

"No sign of him?" she asked when he came into the living room.

"No," he said curtly. "You were right. He's not ready to play yet."

"There's stew in the refrigerator. Are you hungry?"

"No, I'll eat later." He went out on the porch.

She hesitated before following him. The tension was back and what she was going to say to him wasn't going to make him any more pleased. There was no use putting it off. He'd be pissed no matter when she told him.

She opened the screen door and went out on the porch. "I need to talk to you, Joe. I've been thinking."

He turned to face her. "Tell me you've changed your mind."

She shook her head and drew a deep breath. "I'm going to call Montalvo."

He stiffened. "What the hell."

"Kistle won't permit any help from the police or FBI, but I don't think he'd consider Montalvo as official. He'll only think of him as a friend of mine who might get in the way."

"My, my, that's exactly how I think of him."

"Dammit, Joe. We need help. Kistle's going to be waiting for us."

"Not Montalvo."

"Yes, Montalvo. I told you that Kistle was planning on targeting him. If he comes here to us, then he'll be safer, and if he goes with us to find Bonnie, we'll be safer. It makes sense."

"Not to me." His lips twisted. "But then you might be the winner no matter which one of us was killed by that bastard."

She flinched. "I didn't deserve that, Joe."

"Maybe not," he said. "I'm not thinking too clearly right now."

Because he was too hurt and angry to even try to understand what she was doing. "It's the best solution to a bad problem. I'm going to call him, Joe."

"Go ahead." He turned away from her. "But you should warn him that there's a better chance for death by friendly fire than in most wars."

"I'LL BE THERE IN TWO HOURS,"Montalvo said. "Though I believe I'm a little insulted that you'd think I need protecting. If you think Kistle may be trying to dispose of me, it might be better for me to stay put and let him try."

"For God's sake, stop being macho. I'm sick of you and Joe thinking of this as some sort of cat-and-mouse game. And now Kistle is trying to set up his own game and it's scaring me to death. I know you won't go away and there's strength in numbers."

"What does Quinn say?"

"What do you think? Something about friendly fire."

He chuckled. "With Quinn the fire would definitely not be friendly. I'd come just to annoy him."

"And then I'd feel like shooting you myself. Don't make this difficult for me or I'll deal with Kistle on my own. I'd rather do that anyway. I'm tired of watching other people risk their lives because I'm choosing to let Kistle lead me down the garden path because of Bonnie."

"You forget that I did that to you. I used Bonnie to make you risk your life when I first met you. Turnabout is fair play. But I wouldn't expect a garden path. I'd say it will be full of thorns." He went on crisply, "But I'll try to restrain myself from antagonizing Quinn unduly. And I won't stay at your cottage. Miguel and I will camp out in your woods until you hear from Kistle. That way I can keep an eye on you." He added, "And you can keep an eye on me. Won't that be cozy?"

She ignored the question. "Kistle may object to Miguel."

"He appears fairly innocuous. He's young and boyish and he has two bandaged hands. Kistle will think he can pick him off at will. And I don't want him targeting Miguel because I'm out of his immediate reach. I want him with me."

He was right, Eve thought. Kistle would strike out at whatever victim he could if cheated of the one he wanted. "I'm sure Miguel will like that. He's been aching to go after Kistle since the beginning. I'll see you in a few hours." She hung up and went back out on the porch, where Joe was sitting on the swing with Toby at his feet. "He'll be here tonight. He's bringing Miguel and he's going to camp out in the woods."

"Good. I can't say I'd enjoy having him underfoot." He looked out at the woods. "At least he'll be of some use protecting you if he's out there."

She sat down in the swing beside him. "Everyone wants to protect me and I'm the one causing all this. Change your mind, Joe. I'm neither stupid nor helpless. Let me do this alone."

"No way." He looked away from her. "Let me do it alone."

"No way. I'm done with hiding away and waiting. Kistle wants me out on the firing line and that's where I want to be."

"Then we're at an impasse."

It seemed to Eve as if they'd been living in that state for months. "I guess we are." She reached out and tentatively touched his hand. "Does that mean you don't want to hold me? That's not what it means to me."