Iris Johansen - Chasing the Night

Catherine nodded eagerly. “Great idea. I’m used to roughing it. I’ll go with you and-” She stopped suddenly. “No, I guess not. I’ll have a hot bath. You go first, Eve. I’ll wait for you.” She turned to Kelsov. “And you’re right, you’re our host. You go down to the creek with Joe. I guarantee that it will feel better than trekking through that marsh.”

“He will be cold,” Natalie was frowning. “I do not think that-”

“He’ll survive. Kelsov always survives.”

Eve smiled. “And he’s been telling me how strong and hardy he is. What’s a little fresh springwater to a titan like him?” She moved toward the bathroom. “I’ll hurry, Catherine.”

“Take your time. Don’t worry about me. I need to talk to Kelly anyway.” She made a face as she sat down gingerly on one of the wooden kitchen chairs. “Though I’ll have to scrub this chair as soon as I get up.”

Eve didn’t doubt it. They were all so filthy that she was reluctant to touch anything herself. Into that shower so that she could feel human again.

And the warm water did feel wonderful as it ran over her naked body. She worked the shampoo into her hair. Just stand here a moment and let the warmth seep into her muscles. She hated to be dirty.

But Catherine hadn’t been too bothered about her foul condition. She had bounced back and that wonderful vitality had gone into high gear. She was like Joe in that reaction to adversity. The adrenaline began to flow, and they came alive. It had been a perfectly natural response when Catherine had been about to go down to the creek with Joe. Considering her assignments in the jungle, she probably had no qualms about bathing with the men she worked with. It was more unusual for her to have caught herself and quickly changed her mind.

Had she thought that Eve would resent that intimacy?

And would she?

She had a sudden visual picture of Catherine naked and beautiful, covered with drops of water.

Hell, yes. Eve wasn’t perfect. She had the usual twinges of envy and possessiveness. She hoped that didn’t translate to giving in to the green-eyed monster. She had no right. Joe had given far more to her than she ever had to him during these last years. The only thing she could give him in return was love and freedom.

Somehow, the fact she was telling herself that she had no right didn’t seem to matter. The emotion was still there.

It had to matter. If Joe ever wanted to leave her, then she had to make it easy for him. He had lived with her obsession and endless hunt since the moment he had met her. He was entitled to walk away without having to look back at her. Whether it was alone or with another woman.

She had never thought of him with another woman until now.

Was it because Catherine was so much like him? Watching them together had been amazing. She and Joe were close, but Catherine was like his other self.

Stop it. She was borrowing trouble. She wasn’t going to go around spying on them just because she had noticed that affinity. She trusted Joe, and Catherine was becoming closer to her than anyone but her Jane. She had an idea that Catherine’s abrupt change of mind a few minutes ago was an indication that she was on guard to keep that closeness intact. Eve would not destroy either relationship because of doubts.

She began to wash the shampoo from her hair.

Enough of this soul-searching. What would be, would be. She could only do what she thought was right.

Loving Joe was right.

Helping Catherine find her son was right.

The rest would have to sort itself out as time went on.

“The Rakovac file,” Catherine said to Kelly. “Have you found anything we can use?”

Kelly shook her head. “Not yet. Though I think I have a glimmer of a hope in finding him. Before he disappeared, he did establish his own pattern, but there’s no regularity to it. Perhaps that will reveal itself the more I know about him. It may be numerical or it might have to do with his history. Everyone has a life pattern that they establish over the years. Rakovac wouldn’t feel comfortable veering too far from his pattern. It would take some enormous upheaval to cause him to break his routine.”

“Or he may be the exception to prove the rule.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“You don’t know.” Catherine’s hands clenched into fists. “And even if we find Rakovac, will Luke be with him? And will it be in time?”

Kelly didn’t answer. “You found the skeleton?”

Catherine nodded. “We brought the skull back. Eve said that the reconstruction won’t be too difficult. The bullet didn’t shatter the skull.” Her lips twisted. “I was so weak I couldn’t even look at the bullet hole. I kept seeing…” She stopped, thinking of that fragile skeleton lying on the mound of dirt. “I was ashamed. Eve was hurting, too, but she did her job.”

Kelly reached out and touched Catherine’s hand. “And you’ll do yours when the time comes to help Luke. You saved me.”

“It may be Luke’s skull in that case in Eve’s backpack. She said it was possible.” She straightened and shook her head. “But he lied. I know it.”

“He does lie,” Natalie said from across the room. “But not all the time. Sometimes he makes the lies come true.”

“Be quiet, Natalie,” Kelly said. “She doesn’t have to hear that.”

Kelly was being protective, Catherine realized. She had come to a sorry pass when a fourteen-year-old felt she had to protect her. “Maybe I did. If it’s the truth.”

Natalie met her gaze. “It’s the truth.” She turned away. “I’m making chicken soup for Kelsov. I’ll make enough for all of you. He says I make good soup.”

“I’m sure you do,” Catherine said gently. “That stew you made the night we came was excellent.”

“Your turn, Catherine.” Eve came out of the bathroom dressed in a terry robe, her hair wrapped in a towel. “It felt wonderful. You’ll enjoy it much more than the creek.”

Was there a hint of hidden meaning in that last sentence? Catherine’s gaze flew to Eve’s face. No, Eve was smiling and met her eyes with nothing but friendliness. “That wouldn’t take much.” She got to her feet. “But Kelly and Natalie will be glad to get me out of here and in that shower. Natalie is ready to purify the room.”

Natalie nodded gravely. “It may be necessary.”

“I was joking,” Catherine said. “Kelsov has to work on your sense of humor.” She started toward the bathroom. “Remind me to talk-”

Her cell phone rang.

She stopped in midstride as she saw the ID.

She inhaled sharply. “Rakovac.”

Eve went still, her eyes widening.

Catherine pressed the volume and answered. “What do you want, Rakovac?”

“Why, I just wanted to congratulate you, Catherine. You’re proving to be a worthy opponent. Our little duel is turning out to be everything I hoped. Quinn and Kelsov must be extraordinary. Those three men I left to guard the grave were very competent.”

“Not that competent. You had to send a carload of more scum-bags after us when they didn’t do their job.”

“I really didn’t want to have to do it, but that’s the way the game is played. I didn’t know they had a missile. That was a little more fire-power than I expected. I must have come very close to losing you.”

“Not that close. As you said, I have extraordinary friends.”

“And you managed to tear the skull from that poor child’s skeleton. Did that hurt you, Catherine?”

Her hand tightened on the phone. “A little.”

“I knew it would. It almost makes losing those men worthwhile. I knew I would win either way. And Eve Duncan is going to do the reconstruction. Is she there with you now?”