Iris Johansen - Blood Game

“Okay, then I’ve complied with Jelak’s damn bargain. He wants the phone back. Don’t deal with him. Tell him to go to hell.”

Jelak’s voice came on the line. “Very noble. But you will deal, won’t you? I didn’t think there would be any question about that once you were sure I had him.”

“I’ll deal.” She made a motion as Jane opened her lips. “But I’m not the suicide junkie you seem to think. I don’t want to die. I’m not going to come to you and meekly present my neck for the sword like Anne Boleyn. I want a chance. Tell me how I can get it and still free Joe.”

He chuckled. “If I hadn’t known you were the perfect finale for me before, I would now. Let me think…” He was silent a moment. “Allatoona. No one would repeat a crime in the same place only days after the first one was committed. Go into the woods and wait for me. I’ll bring Quinn, but I’ll keep him bound. If I see that you have a weapon, and you try to ambush me, then I’ll kill him. If you escape me and can get back to him, then you can release him. If you don’t escape me, then I’ll go back and cut his throat. Will that give you enough incentive? And, of course, if I see police or media, he’s dead.”

“When?”

“It’s almost midnight now. Three in the morning? That’s truly the dead of night.”

“Yes.”

“I can hardly wait. It’s been too long.” He paused. “And I wasn’t wrong about you, Eve. You may be trying to hide it from the people who love you, but you do want this.” Jelak hung up.

“Did you hear?” Eve hung up the phone. “Three o’clock. That doesn’t give us much time.”

“To get to Allatoona?” Caleb asked.

“No, to find Joe before he takes him there.” She flipped open the computer. “You earmarked that area where you said you sensed Jelak, didn’t you?”

“Yes, why?”

“Pull it up.”

“Why?”

“Because that reconstruction I worked on down in Louisiana wasn’t at a Tara-like mansion. It was a church.”

Caleb gave a low whistle. “Holy shit.” He bent over the computer. “Let’s see how many churches we can find in that quadrant…”

“SEVEN,” JANE SAID AS SHElooked up from the computer thirty minutes later. “Three Catholic-St. Mark’s, St. Francis, St. Catherine; two Baptist-Trinity Baptist, Peachtree Baptist. One Methodist, Jacob’s Ladder. And even a Buddhist temple. Who would know that there would be that many churches in one section of the city?”

“And they’re spread out all over the area,” Eve said in discouragement. “How are we supposed to find the right one in time?”

“Split up,” Caleb said. “And if you see anything suspicious, call me. I’ll come and check it out.”

“Why a church?” Jane asked. “I’d think that he’d veer away from religious doctrines.”

“Jelak wouldn’t care about the religious side of it,” Caleb said. “I’d bet he wants a grand temple to house his resurrection ceremony. So he’s borrowing one of these churches.”

“Borrowing? Churches aren’t usually deserted even when there are no services. I just hope that he didn’t hurt anyone.”

“Don’t count on it.” Caleb headed for the door. “I’ll take the Buddhist temple. Eve, you check out St. Mark’s Cathedral. Jane, Peachtree Baptist. Look for cars in the parking lots. Or any sign of interior lights. Anything different.”

“Right,” Eve said. She was ahead of them as they reached the steps. Panic was racing through her. All those churches and only a couple hours to cover all of them.

And if they ran the time too close, she might not make it to Allatoona to meet Jelak at three. That would be dangerous for Joe.

Hell, everything was dangerous for Joe.

She could only move at top speed and pray.

PRAYERS WEREN’T WORKING,Eve thought in despair over an hour later.

There was no sign of any occupancy at St. Mark’s. No lights. No cars in the parking lot. Not even on the streets surrounding the cathedral.

She called Caleb. “Nothing. What about you?”

“I was able to get into the temple. It’s a splendid building, but Jelak gave it a pass. I just heard from Jane. The Baptist church is empty too.”

“Four more to go.” She checked her watch. “It’s one thirty. It will take at least forty minutes to get to Allatoona.” She started the car. “I’m closest to the Methodist church. I’ll try there. I’ll have to give it up and meet Jelak if that’s a zero too.”

“I’ll call Jane, and we’ll split up the others.” He paused. “Don’t go to Allatoona without me.”

“Jelak will probably have to allow time to get to Allatoona too. There won’t be any way to surprise him if we don’t find the church right away. And I can’t risk Jelak flying off the handle and doing something to Joe to punish me.” She backed out of the parking lot as she glanced at her GPS. “I’ll be on my way to Allatoona unless you call me within the next forty-five minutes and tell me we’ve found him.” She hung up.

She had been so full of excitement and hope when she had realized that Joe had been able to slip in a clue to where he and Jelak were located. It had seemed as if their luck was turning.

Don’t give up. They still had forty-five minutes.

Such a short time, she thought in agony.

Please let the next church be the right one.

As she reached the intersection, her cell phone rang. She tensed. Private number. Jelak?

“Eve Duncan?”

Not Jelak.

“Yes.”

“Ed Norris. I’m sorry to disturb you at this time of night. I guess I woke you.”

“No, I was awake.”

“Because you were worrying about Quinn. I’ve had some sleepless nights myself lately.”

“Yes, I’m very sorry about your daughter.”

“She was a loving child and my best friend.”

“I hear she was a wonderful girl. I don’t have much time. What can I help you with, Senator?”

“I do seem to be rambling, don’t I? I call you up in the middle of the night, and I can’t seem to get to the point. It’s because I’m feeling awkward as hell.” He was silent a moment. “Okay, here it is. I had this dream. It was weird. I kept seeing this picture. Over and over. The same picture.”

“What picture?”

“You’ve got to understand. I’m a realist. I don’t go off the deep end. Maybe I’ve not been quite myself lately but I’m as stable as the Rock of Gibraltar.”

“What are you trying to say, Senator?”

“The picture. I think you’re supposed to know about it.”

“Why?”

“Hell, I don’t know,” he said testily. “But the picture wouldn’t go away, and neither would your name. It kept pounding at me, and it wouldn’t stop. So I’m telling you. And if you tell the media I’m off my rocker, I’ll deny this call and sue you.”

“What was the picture?”

“It wasn’t really a picture, more like a stained-glass window.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “Like the ones you’d see in a church?”

“Yes, a bearded man surrounded by small animals.”

“St. Francis of Assisi, patron of animals,” she murmured. “St. Francis! Dear God in heaven.”

“I know it’s crazy. Anyway, I told you.”

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” She was quickly keying St. Francis Cathedral into her GPS. “It’s not crazy. I have to hang up, Senator.”

“It’s not crazy?”

“The whole world’s crazy, but you’re calling to tell me this is the sanest act you’ve ever done.”

“I somehow thought I was doing the right thing. And it’s going to help you?”

“I hope it will. I pray it will.” She hung up and called Caleb. “It’s St. Francis Cathedral. How close are you?”