Iris Johansen - Eve

“I can’t swim,” Cara whispered. “Mama was going to teach me.”

“That’s only a small problem. But I’ll have to consider whether I want to do it. Even deep lakes can’t always be trusted with treasures like you.”

His gaze wandered over the low hills surrounding the lake. Thick shrubs, tall pines, and evergreens, and no sign of habitation except for the small cabin a few miles to the west. Gallo would not have remained in that cabin, so he must be somewhere in the woods.

Did I chase you out into the night, Gallo?

I know about hunting prey in the wild. I’ve played this game in a good many countries with prey like little Cara. How good are you? Black wondered.

Not good enough. He had gotten smarter, stronger than when Gallo had come close to killing him that day in Pakistan. Black was ready for him now.

He turned back to the car and jerked Cara out of the car by the ropes he’d tied about her wrists. “Come on. I need to find a place for you, then I need to look around.” He paused a moment, his gaze on the lake. Still, deep, welcoming. “No, I can’t trust you to the lake. There are other places…” He reached for his phone. “But now I believe we need to invite some company to this lovely wilderness. Shall I call my good friend, Queen? He was most upset that I took you from your nice safe home. But he’s such a practical man. Be very quiet, and I won’t be angry with you.” He dialed Queen. “I’ve done as you suggested and called Gallo. Now we only have to set the trap. Where are you?”

“Still in Milwaukee.”

“Then get your ass out of there and come up north to the great outdoors. I need your help.” He gave him the directions. “You want your ledger, come and get it.”

“That’s where Gallo and Duncan are?” Queen asked with barely contained eagerness.

“Yes, somewhere in this five hundred or so acres I’m gazing at right now. We may have to go hunting unless you can draw them into a trap. Are you good at hunting, Queen?”

“No, I hire people like you for jobs like that.”

“Me, and men like Gallo. It’s rather like the hand of fate that you hired both of us so long ago, and now we’re all meeting here.” He smiled. “I won’t object to postponing my hunt if you can think of a way to lure Gallo and Duncan to me. After all, I’m going to have a spirited hunt and chase later. Think very hard on the way here and come up with something brilliant.”

“I won’t have to think hard. Gallo wants you to die. I just have to offer you to him in a way that he’ll think moderately safe. I’m on my way, Black.”

“Good-bye, Queen. Safe trip.” He hung up.

The first rabbit hurrying toward the trap, he thought in amusement. Queen would be trying his best to screw Black all the while he tried to snatch the ledger. But he didn’t have the expertise to deal with Black and Gallo. They would be out of his league.

He looked down at Cara Clark. She looked pale, even more fragile than she had hours ago when he’d left Milwaukee. It was disappointing. He hoped in the final stages that fear would make her more interesting. “That was a boring conversation. Nothing new. Nothing interesting. But I guess I shouldn’t expect it. Do you know who I just talked to?”

She shook her head. “You said… Queen.”

“That was his name, but not his state of being.” He took the rope and started down the trail. “I just talked to a dead man, little Cara. He didn’t know it, but he’s a dead man.”

“I’M BECOMING ATTACHED TOyour little paradise, Gallo. It has everything that I require,” Black said, when Gallo answered the phone. “I believe this place will do quite well.”

Black was here!

Eve came out of the shallow cave where Gallo had set up camp, her gaze instinctively flying to the bank of trees surrounding them. Stupid. Just because he was on the property was no sign that he was hovering this close to them. But it might be just what Black would do. He seemed to have no fear.

“I checked out the cabin,” Black said. “Have I driven you into the wilds? You’re a hardy specimen, but what about your Eve Duncan? It’s not kind to expose a lady to such rough country. Tell her to come to me. I’ll take care that she doesn’t suffer.”

“Where should I come, Black?” Eve asked.

“So eager?” Black said. “Maybe she’s a fitting mate for you after all, Gallo.”

“Tell us how we can get Cara Clark,” Gallo said.

“For a start, you have to keep to the proper order. As soon as Queen arrives, I’m going to send him to you to get the ledger. You’ll give it to him and send him back to me.”

“The hell I will. Once you have the ledger, you’ll kill the child.”

“You think you’ll have no bargaining power? But you will, you know. I’d much rather have you to gut than that ledger. That will be step two. Believe me, I wouldn’t risk not being able to draw you to me. Of course, I’ll insist you be accompanied by your Eve. After all, she has a vested interest. I can’t wait to have a discussion with her. No, I have plans for the little girl that involve you. The only way I would change them is if you get stubborn and don’t give Queen the ledger. Then I’d have to do a reversal and kill Cara first. I will do that if you spoil the splendid scenario I’ve developed for Cara’s end.”

And Eve had no doubt he meant every word he said.

Gallo glanced at Eve and shrugged. “It seems we have no choice at present.”

“Where are you now?” Black asked.

“I’m not a fool, Black. Send Queen down the south path around the lake. I’ll come to him somewhere along that stretch. If I see you following him, then Queen will have a long walk for nothing.”

“He’ll be alone. I’m saving my energy for the big push. But don’t make the mistake of trying to follow him back to me. I’ll let you know when he arrives here.” He hung up.

“Is he lying about keeping Cara alive?” Eve asked.

John shook his head. “There’s no way to be sure, but it’s consistent with what we know about Black. He wants it all. She’d still be valuable to him if he thought he could use her as bait for a trap.”

But John had been right. The choice had been too slim to take a chance on refusing Black.

“He made me feel helpless.” She took out her phone. “But we’re not helpless. He doesn’t know about Catherine. That’s an ace in the hole. There has to be a way of getting around this. I’m calling Catherine.” She dialed quickly. “She said she might be able to find him with that gadget. Let’s give her an opportunity.”

Catherine answered almost immediately. “I’m about four miles from the property. Trouble?”

“Black just contacted us. He’s sending Queen to pick up the ledger, then he’ll have plans later that include John and me. We can’t do anything about Queen, but Cara Clark should be safe for a while even after he picks up the ledger. He has plans for her, and they’re probably as diabolical as he is. Lord, I hope she’ll be safe. But we have to know where Black is on the property fast.”

“I’ll find him. Don’t do anything until I do.”

“No promises. Judy’s little girl won’t stand a chance unless we play this right. Just line up that high-tech phone gadget and locate Black. We’ll take it from there.”

“I’ll call you when I know something.” She hung up.

Eve turned to John. “It will give us an edge if she’s able to track him. I’m just praying that she can.”

John shrugged. “Gadgets can be fluky. I’d rather trust old-fashioned scouting.”

“Catherine is smart. We’ve got to give her a chance.”

“If she blows it, and Black catches her, then the kid is dead.”