And that might be the most dangerous part of the mission. Catherine could count only on herself. Erin Sullivan was a wild card. She might panic and cause them both to go down.

Stop worrying. She had freed hostages before and not lost them.

Focus on getting to that roof.

Then she’d concentrate on Erin Sullivan.

She checked her watch. The guard in the courtyard was due to be changed in thirty minutes.

She had to take down the guard and get Erin Sullivan out of the compound by that time.

Her pace increased to a trot as she headed for the north wall.

Thirty minutes.

It was going to be damn close.

SEVENTEEN MINUTES

Catherine pressed back against the wall of the stairwell as she slowly opened the carved-wood door that led to the hall of the palace.

The scent of mildew, spice, and the candles in sconces on the walls assaulted her.

No one in the hall. Caudell had said Sullivan had the run of the place, but she hadn’t been sure that could be correct. She hoped that he was right. It would help if she didn’t have to spend time picking that lock. It could mean the difference between success or failure, and that meant life or death.

No time to waste. Find out. She’d still have time to get out of here if rescue wasn’t possible. She moved out of the stairwell to the door.

The door swung open.

Darkness.

“Again, Kadmus?” The woman’s voice was weary. “Come ahead, it won’t do you any good.”

“Erin Sullivan?” Catherine asked softly as she moved into the room toward the bed and shut the door. “Catherine Ling. I’ve come to get you out of here. I’m going to turn on my flashlight. Please don’t ask questions. I don’t have time to answer them.” She turned the flashlight on the dimmest setting. “I have to make sure you’re Sullivan and able to travel.”

She could see the woman tense, heard the sharp inhale of her breath. “I’m Erin Sullivan.”

Catherine focused the light on her face. “Yes, you are. Bad bruises. Anything worse?”

“Burns. Pulled muscles. No broken bones.” She swung her legs to the floor. “This isn’t one of Kadmus’s tricks? Who sent you? Cameron?”

“Cameron? I don’t know any Cameron. I’m CIA.” She opened her backpack, pulled out a pair of boots, and tossed them to her. “Put these on. We don’t have time for you to put on anything else but a parka. Where’s Kadmus? You thought I was him when I opened the door.”

“His bedroom is in the other wing.” She smiled bitterly. “But he likes to surprise me. He thinks it weakens me psychologically.” She already had the boots on. “Where’s the parka?”

Catherine tossed it to her. “We’d better hope that this isn’t one of the nights he chooses to do that.” She checked her watch. “Come on. I’ve got ten minutes to get you over the wall and down the mountain to the helicopter.”

Erin was on her feet and awkwardly shrugging into the parka jacket. “Who else is here?”

“No one.” She headed for the door. “Hurry.”

“You’re crazy,” Erin said. “Kadmus has more than fifty soldiers at this compound. We’ll never make it.”

“We’ll make it.” She turned, and said fiercely, “I have a son, and I intend to go home to him. And I can’t leave you because I’ll just have to come back for you. So get your ass in gear and help me.”

Erin gazed at her for an instant. Then she was moving after her. “Which way?”

“The roof.”

“One of Kadmus’s men guards the staircase down to the courtyard.”

“Not any longer.”

“What about the wall?”

“I have a fireman’s ladder that’s attached to the top.” Catherine was in the stairwell and running up the curving stone steps. “Listen, I know what I’m doing. No matter what happens, I need you to do what I tell you. Will you do that?”

Erin nodded. “Yes.”

“Then don’t talk until we get out of the compound. No noise. Just follow me.”

“Right. I’ll do—” When Catherine gave her a glance, she shrugged. “Sorry.”

Erin Sullivan had nothing to be sorry about, Catherine thought. Considering her condition and the hell she had gone through, she was behaving with extraordinary guts and intelligence. She just hoped Erin didn’t make a careless mistake that would blow it for both of them.

She was on the roof and running toward the exterior staircase. Still no one in the courtyard, and she had stashed the guard’s body beneath the staircase.

Erin Sullivan was her shadow as Catherine flew down the stairs, then dashed toward the north wall.

Seven minutes.

They reached the wall, and Catherine pushed Erin toward the fireman’s ladder she’d fastened to the top.

“Up and over,” she whispered. “And then straight down the slope toward the—”

“And what do we have here?”

Catherine froze as she turned to face a tall, blond man in a navy parka. The accent had been South African, and he had to be Brasden. He was smiling and pointing an automatic weapon at them as he strolled forward. “Going for a stroll, Erin? And who is your friend?”

Two more steps, and he’d be within range. Catherine had to get him to take those steps. “Climb the ladder, Erin. Get over the wall and take off. He won’t shoot you. Kadmus wants you alive.”

Erin didn’t move.

“You promised me that you’d do what I told you. Do it.”

Erin started to quickly climb the ladder.

“Stop, you bitch,” Brasden said harshly. He took three steps toward the ladder. “I won’t kill you, but I’ll put a bullet in your—”

Close enough.

Catherine did a karate kick that struck him in the throat, then leaped forward, and her hand came down on the side of his neck.

He fell to the ground.

Catherine grabbed his automatic rifle and hit him in the head with it. The next instant she was on the ladder, pushing Erin ahead of her. “Move!”

Erin didn’t speak. She was climbing quickly and reached the top of the ladder.

Catherine was right behind her and reversed the ladder. “Three minutes,” she whispered, and she pushed Erin toward it. “Head for the helicopter. Don’t wait for me. I’ll be right behind you, but I may have to stop to clear the way.”

Erin nodded and started down the ladder.

Catherine glanced back at Brasden. Was he stirring? She’d hit him hard, but he’d been wearing that damn parka. It had probably cushioned the blow.

No time to worry now.

She followed Erin down the ladder and jumped the last three rungs. Erin was streaking over the hard-packed snow ahead of her in the direction of the north ledge.

Good. No hesitation. They just might get out of this alive.

Catherine tore after her, past the body of sentry she’d had to kill on her approach to the palace, down the rocky path to—

A bullet whistled past her. Then more gunfire, shouts as the gates of the compound were thrown open.

Shit.

It didn’t matter whether Brasden had recovered from the blow she’d dealt him or that the other guard she’d taken down had been found. They were blown.

She cast a glance over her shoulder.

The moonlight was glinting on the two missile launchers that were being carried out of the compound.

No way she could take them down.

And they could blow the helicopter out of the air.

She put on speed and caught up with Erin.

“We’re not going to make it,” she said. “I have to tell the helicopter to take off without us. Once we get off the plateau and can’t be seen, head for the road that leads down the mountain.”

Erin didn’t argue. “I know that road. There are a few places we could hide if we get past the village. But it’s the—” She broke off as another spatter of bullets rained around them. “There are at least two guards who patrol that road.”

“Not right now. They’ll all be headed here.” She pulled out her phone. “Caudell, take off. There’s no way we’ll be able to make it before they blow you out of the sky.”

“I can wait a little—”