Fiske stiffened. I wont knuckle under to that prick Kenner again.

You wont have to knuckle to anyone. Its your game now. Kenners only instructions are to assist and clean up after you.

It was about time. Logan and Duncan?

And everyone else in the place. Margaret Wilson and the electronics man went to the airport earlier today. Well have to track them down later. Theyre relatively unimportant, or Logan wouldnt have per-mitted them to leave. But Price, Duncan, and Logan are still at Barrett House. Theyre your targets. Handle it any way you have to. We cant have anyone left alive who knows what they were doing there.

This was more like it. Clean and neat. Whoever Timwick had phoned clearly had more intelligence than he did. No witnesses?

No witnesses.

What the hell are you doing? Logan asked as he strode back into the lab carrying a duffel bag. That skull was supposed to be packed.

Eve repositioned the cameras. Taking some more shots of the head. I may need them.

Get them later.

Are you going to guarantee well be somewhere with technical equipment?

He hesitated. No.

Then, shut up. She took two more shots. Im hurrying as fast as I can.

We have to get out of here, Eve.

She took three shots of the left profile. That should be enough. Where are those photographs you said you had of Ben Chadbourne?

He reached into his duffel and brought out a brown envelope.

Are they current?

None taken more than four years ago. May we go now?

She stuffed the envelope in her purse, placed the skull in the leather box beside the pedestal, and fas-tened the latches. She pointed to the small metal box beside the cameras. Stuff that in your duffel. I may need it.

What is it?

Its the mixer. I can probably jerry-rig cameras, VCRs, and monitors, but a mixer is sometimes spe-cialized and more difficult. I may not

Never mind. Forget I asked. He picked up the mixer and put it in his duffel. Anything else?

She shook her head. Just grab Bens case. Ill get Mandy.

Mandy?

You have your priorities. I have mine. Mandys just as important to me as Ben Chadbourne.

Take whatever you like. Just get out of here.

Gil met them at the front entrance. Sorry, Ive got only one bag for you, Eve. With this shoulder, I cant manage anything else.

It doesnt matter. She started for the front door. Lets go.

Wait. Theres another Shit.

She heard it too. A low throbbing, becoming louder by the second. Helicopter rotors.

Logan went to the window. Theyll be landing in a few minutes. He ran toward the kitchen.

Eve followed him. Wheres Margaret? Weve got to

She and Mark left over an hour ago, Gil said. They should be at the airport by now. In three hours theyll be at a safe house in Sanibel, Florida.

Where are we going? Shouldnt we try to get to the limo?

No time. And theres bound to be someone watching outside the gate. Logan was opening the door of the walk-in pantry. Come on. He reached under one of the bottom shelves, lifted up a trapdoor, and tossed his duffel bag into the darkness. Dont ask questions. Just climb down the ladder.

She scrambled down the ladder and found herself in some kind of cellar with an earthen floor. Logan followed. Close the pantry door, Gil.

Done. Theyre in the house, John. I heard them at the front door.

Then get the hell down here and close the trap-door, John ordered.

Stand aside. Im tossing down the suitcase. A moment later the light was blocked as Gil closed the trapdoor and bolted it.

Running footsteps on the wood floor above them.

Shouts.

Where are we? she whispered. A cellar?

Yes, with a tunnel. Logans voice was almost inaudible as he set off down the passageway. You asked why I bought this particular house. It was used by the Underground Railroad to smuggle slaves out of the South before the Civil War. I had the beams rein-forced. The tunnel leads a half mile north and under-neath the fence to the woods. Stay close. I cant risk a flashlight until we get around the next curve.

He was walking so rapidly, she and Gil were al-most running to keep up with him.

They must be away from the house. She could no longer hear steps above them, she realized with relief.

Logans penlight suddenly illuminated the dark-ness in front of them. Run. Theyll be searching the house, and it wont be long before they find the trapdoor.

She was running, dammit.

Her breath was coming in labored pants.

She heard Gil cursing softly behind her.

He was wounded. How much longer could he keep up this pace?

Up ahead Logan was opening a door. Thank God.

Up the ladder.

Daylight.

A thick screen of shrubs hid the door, but light filtered through them.

Fresh air.

Outside.

Quick, Logan said. Just a little fartherhellip;

They followed Logan around the shrubs and deeper into the woods. Behind another screen of bushes, a car, an older model Ford with the blue paint beginning to chip.

Get in back. Logan placed Chadbournes case on the floor of the passenger seat and climbed in the drivers seat.

Eve sank into the backseat beside Gil and set Mandys case on the floor at her feet. She barely had the door shut, when Logan started the car and it began moving over the bumpy terrain. Jesus, what if they got a flat tire? Where are we going?

Theres a back road three miles away. Once we reach it, well circle the woods and head for the freeway. The car hit another bump. That should buy us a little time. Theyll probably use the heli-copter to try to spot us, but even if they do, the license plates on this car couldnt be traced to me.

If they even reached the road, Eve thought as they plowed over one more shrub.

Its okay. Gils gaze was fixed on her face. I had heavy-duty tires and a new engine put on this baby. Its not as decrepit as it looks.

Hows your shoulder? she asked.

Okay. He smiled slyly. But my spirits would be a hell of a lot better if it wasnt John doing the driving again.

No one in the tunnel. Kenner was climbing back up the ladder into the pantry. It leads to the woods. Ive sent two men to reconnoiter.

If Logan arranged a bolt hole, he would have ar-ranged transport. Fiske moved out of the pantry. Ill scout the area from above in the helicopter. Stay here and burn the place to the ground. Nothings cleaner than fire.

Kenner shrugged. Okay. Then Ill set an explosion.

Idiot. It was a good thing Fiske was in charge now. No explosion. Thats not clean. Set a fire. No gasoline. Make it look like bad wiring.

That will take time.

Taking time is worth it to keep a job clean. He headed toward the helicopter. See to it.

He had been in the air ten minutes when he flipped open his cell phone and dialed Timwick. No one was at the house. Were scouting the area, but no progress so far.

Son of a bitch.

We may still find him. If we dont, Im going to need a list of locations Logan might go to.

Youll get them.

And Ive ordered the place burned to the ground to destroy any evidence.

Good. Actually, I was going to tell you to do that anyway. It was part of the contingency plan I was given. Timwick paused. One more thing. I need a body in those ruins.

What?

A mans body burned beyond recognition.

Who?

Anyone. As long as the height is close to Logans. Get back to me when its done.

Fiske pressed the end button and put his cellular away. It was the first time Timwick had indicated he was actually taking orders and not just consulting with his cohorts. Interesting that they wanted Logan to appear dead. He wondered just what

He suddenly grinned, then turned to the pilot. Get back to the house right away.

The adrenaline and pleasure were pumping through him as he thought of Timwicks words.