Iris Johansen - Chasing the Night

“And complete with alligators,” Joe said. “I’ll take a little less lushness and no alligators.”

“What do we do now?” Catherine asked Kelsov. “Who is your contact here?”

“I’m probably safest with Valentin Bravski. At one time, he hated Rakovac. I’ve just got to hope he still does.” He got out of the car. “You wait here. I’ll see what I can find out.”

“You’re just going to walk into the village?” Joe asked. “Is that smart?”

He shrugged. “Bravski lives on the edge of the village and I just have to make sure no one else sees me.”

“That’s not easy when you’re ten feet tall,” Catherine said dryly.

“Not quite ten feet,” Kelsov said. “And I usually manage to be fairly inconspicuous if the need arises. Give me one of the photos of the grave site.”

Catherine dug in her backpack and handed him a photo. “You think he’ll recognize the area?”

“I have no idea. But he knows the marsh better than anyone else I know. We have a chance. Wait here.” He disappeared into the trees.

Eve got out of the car and stood looking down at the village. “There’s not much activity. It looks almost deserted.”

“Deserted by the young,” Catherine said. “That’s a problem with these small towns and villages in Russia. The young people don’t want to live here in the country. As soon as they’re old enough, they take off for the city. You can’t blame them. Would you want to live in that village?”

Eve thought about it. “It’s depressing. But with a little effort, you could change things. Most places are what you make of them.”

“And Eve lives in her own world anyway.” Joe got out of the car and came to stand beside her. “She’d take what she needed and be content.”

Catherine glanced at him. “What about you?”

“I’m more restless. Contentment is boring.”

Eve smiled. “He’d be whipping the entire village into shape. Forming co-ops and establishing a police force.”

“Maybe,” Joe said. “It’s likely. If it was worth my while.” He looked at Catherine. “I believe you’d do the same thing. You’re restless, too.”

“I could settle,” Catherine said. “After I find Luke. But not here. In the U.S. And I’m going to build strong walls around him to keep him safe.”

“And he’ll run away like those kids who deserted this village.”

“He won’t want to run away,” Catherine said. “I’ll make him happy.”

“That would be my first instinct, too,” Eve said. “But you’re going to have to be careful. You don’t know what he’s gone through…or what he’s become.”

Or if he’ll be alive to surround with all that love and protection.

In this somber place, it was difficult to take an optimistic viewpoint of Luke’s situation.

Catherine must have felt that same overwhelming sense of depression for she abruptly turned away. “Let’s get back in the car. There’s no sense standing here staring at that stupid village. There’s no telling how long it will be until Kelsov gets through with questioning Bravski.”

Kelsov didn’t return for another three hours, when darkness was beginning to fall.

“It’s about time,” Catherine said. “Did you find him?”

“Do I detect a hint of nerves?” Kelsov asked as he got into the car. “That’s not like you. You’re always so cool.”

“Cut the sarcasm,” Catherine said. “Did you find Bravski? Was he still there?”

“Yes, I found him. No, he wasn’t quite there. Not all there. He’s taken to the bottle. He was always fond of his vodka, but it’s become a passion.”

“He couldn’t tell you anything?” Joe asked.

“I didn’t say that. It just took me a little longer to get him sober and coherent. And willing to talk.”

“But you did it?” Eve asked,

“Yes, Bravski was more than willing after I began to talk about Rakovac. Even through an alcoholic haze, he still hates his guts. And thanks to the vodka, I could be certain that he was telling the truth. It’s difficult for a drunk to be too deceptive.”

“The grave,” Catherine prompted.

“He said he didn’t know anything about it.”

“Shit.”

He held up his hand. “Wait. He did recognize the tree formation. He said he’d seen that intertwined birch and pine about six miles into the marsh.”

“Good,” Eve said. “Let’s go.”

“Wait.” Joe’s gaze was narrowed on Kelsov. “This is a very small village, and everyone must know everything that’s going on. Even the town drunk. I can’t believe that someone didn’t know that Rakovac was in the area the night that photo was taken.”

“I didn’t say that,” Kelsov said. “Everyone knew that he’d come back. They just preferred to turn a blind eye. It was safer. They’d had experience with Rakovac and didn’t want to have anything to do with him.” He grimaced. “After he betrayed me to Moscow, he did a little more work for the government. He came back here and executed a number of revolutionaries who were hiding out here in the marshes and surrounding villages. He hunted them down and killed anyone who sheltered them.”

“Then I can’t see why they wouldn’t want to take him down,” Catherine said.

“Fear. Rakovac is good at spreading fear. I understand he set examples to discourage anyone from coming after him. You should know how clever he is at manipulating the emotions.”

“Yes, I know how clever he can be,” Catherine said. “Okay, they knew that Rakovac was here. Is he still here?”

Kelsov shook his head. “Bravski doesn’t think so. But he left at least two men in the marsh. Maybe more.”

“To see if the trap is sprung,” Eve murmured.

“That’s reasonable,” Kelsov said. “Which means that they have to be taken out before we can dig up that skeleton.” He glanced at Joe. “Care to go hunting?”

Joe’s brows rose. “You trust me?”

“I don’t have to trust you. You don’t have to trust me. We just have to trust that we can both get the job done. If you could take me down, I can trust you to do the same with Rakovac’s men.” He met Joe’s eyes. “Do you think I can do the job? I was damn clumsy when you jumped me. I’m not usually that inefficient.”

Joe studied him, silent. “I think you could be fairly lethal if your ego doesn’t get in the way.”

“It never gets in the way where Rakovac is concerned.”

“And now that you’ve completed your bonding, let’s go find that grave,” Catherine said impatiently. “I have to know. ”

“I’m surprised you’re not wanting to go hunting with us,” Kelsov said.

“I could probably do it better,” Catherine said. “But I have to make sure that Eve is safe and gets to that skeleton. That’s all that’s important.”

“You’re damn right that’s important,” Joe said grimly. “You’d better guard her as if she were your precious Luke.”

“Joe, this is my choice,” Eve said quietly. “No one is responsible for my safety but me.”

“Wrong.” Joe’s gaze never left Catherine’s. “I’m not reasonable about this. Keep her safe, or I’ll come after you.”

“I understand.”

She did understand, Eve thought. Staring at the two of them she could see that there was an understanding between them that was forged not by years, but by spirit. She hadn’t realized until that moment how similar they were. The same recklessness, protectiveness, toughness, perhaps even the same philosophy. It came as a slight shock.

Then Catherine turned to her and smiled. “It’s okay, we’re not going to be at each other’s throats. You don’t have to worry.” She turned to Kelsov. “How do we get to this area?”