“In my humble opinion, I believe that he would have run right over Kadmus’s men.”

“But he didn’t do it.” She jumped to another subject. “And why would Kadmus be so desperate to get his hands on Cameron?”

“You are full of questions. Unfortunately, I am not equally brimming with answers. I can but surmise. Kadmus has been delving into all kinds of enterprises here in Tibet. Not only thievery but blackmail and kidnapping, and he even has a few legitimate investments. It could be that he is feeling threatened in some way.”

She shook her head. “Or more likely that he wants to take over the action. Maybe he thinks if he captures Cameron, it will be a way of doing that.” She thought about it. “But Kadmus doesn’t even know who he’s looking for. He was torturing Erin to give him a name as well as Cameron’s location. That’s damn weird.”

“Yes, but nothing is simple in this matter. I believe Kadmus is searching for a key, and he may think Cameron is that key. In some way, Erin led him to believe that was true. But I was witness to the fact that Cameron makes sure he’s invisible when he wishes. Kadmus may have heard rumors about the Westerner as I did, but no one in these mountains would willingly talk about Cameron.”

“And neither would Erin. Why would she become involved with that kind of industrial or technical espionage? It doesn’t make sense. It would be completely out of character.”

And so was the self-sacrifice and torture Erin had been willing to undergo during those months. It wouldn’t have been worth it to her for any monetary reward. The more Catherine learned, the more bewildered she became. “So Cameron is some kind of big-time security chief who’s not above turning loose his forces whenever he chooses.”

“That may be a fairly accurate description, but he’s definitely much more complicated. I can only tell you what I know and what I guess.” He paused. “Cameron is one of those men who might come along only once or twice in a century. Add in his unusual gifts, and you have a truly extraordinary individual. You will have to make sense of anything else about him yourself. Erin would tell you nothing?”

She shook her head. “She’s protecting Cameron.” She drew a deep breath. “And I’m angry and resentful, and it may be clouding my judgment. Is he worth protecting, Hu Chang?”

He was silent. “I would like to say no. I do not want you involved with him any more than you have to be. And Cameron can protect himself very well.” He slowly nodded his head. “But if the occasion occurs, I believe he may be worthy of Erin or you or even me stepping in to keep him alive.”

“Worthy.” She repeated the word. “Are we back to the black knight again?”

He just looked at her.

“You’re not telling me everything.” Her eyes were narrowed. “Have you run out of things you think are safe for me to know?”

“I’ve told you facts. I’ve told you logical suppositions. If there are other possible explanations that have come to me in the dark of night, then I will keep them to myself.”

“Because you promised Cameron.”

“Because ideas that come to one in the dark of night are best left there until dawn.”

“Stop being cryptic.” She sighed resignedly. “Okay, I’ll work it out for myself.” She wearily rubbed her temple. “But you’re telling me I’ll have to protect Cameron just to protect Erin.”

“It would seem that’s what we will have to do.”

Her gaze went to Luke across the room. “He’s the only one I should be protecting. You shouldn’t have brought him, Hu Chang. I don’t know if I can forgive you.”

“I accepted that possibility when I told him he could come.”

She closed her eyes. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to us. Even if we get out of this alive, I don’t know if Luke and I will—” She opened her eyes and straightened. “Luke and I will be fine. We’ll get through it. And I may forgive you when it’s all over. But if you ever do anything like this again, I’ll murder you.”

He smiled but didn’t answer.

Because he knew that there was no way she could do without him. He was as much a part of her life and being as Luke. One was born of her body and the other of her loneliness and need.

“Smirking is rude.”

“That’s why I never smirk.”

She looked at the door. “I think Cameron should be back by now. It seems as if he’s been gone a long time.”

“Not long at all really.”

“Maybe I should go—” She met his gaze and nodded. “I’ll wait a little longer.”

“That would be wise.” He got to his feet. “And I will go to my patient and make sure she’s doing well. Though it seems impossible that she would not after my expert care.”

Catherine lay down before the stove, her gaze on Luke. He was sleeping deeply, his cheeks flushed, his dark hair mussed. Erin had said he was beautiful, but he was so much more. She had not begun to plumb the depths of her son. Tonight had shown her how far she still had to go.

“I love you, Luke. Don’t give up on me. I won’t give up on you.”

She was still lying there, fifteen minutes later, gazing at Luke, when the front door opened with an icy blast.

She stiffened. Cameron. Of course it was Cameron. But it hadn’t stopped that first surge of panic.

Cameron smiled as he brushed back his parka as he came into the hut. “No problem,” he said softly as he moved toward her. He fell to his knees and held out his hands to the fire. “I was tempted to give you warning while I was coming up the road, but I did make you a promise.”

“Yes, you did. What about Kadmus?”

“He and Brasden are scurrying around on the other road leading from the hot springs. That should give us the time we need.”

“Should?”

“Kadmus is pushing hard. He’ll have his men searching all night. And he may be exploring all his maps and local contacts to see if he can find anyplace you could be hiding. He knows these mountains, and lately he’s been making an effort to know them a hell of a lot better.”

“Why?”

He shrugged but didn’t answer.

“Is it because he knows you’re in these mountains?”

“Perhaps.”

“Why is he so fanatical about you?”

“He’s a madman. Haven’t you noticed?” His lips twisted. “He has a passion to be king of the universe. Evidently, he has an idea that if he could get his hands on me, I could help him.”

“Could you?”

“Possibly. But it wouldn’t come to that.”

“Why not?”

“I’d be allowed to kill him.”

“Allowed?” Her eyes widened. The word opened an entirely new avenue of thought that she didn’t like. “Oh, for God’s sake, you’re playing games with Kadmus.” The anger was searing through her. “That conglomerate you work for is using him in some way. Just like Venable. He could have sent Special Forces to take Kadmus out, but he was ‘useful’ on occasion so it never happened. He didn’t want to lose a valuable contact. That’s what’s happening with you, isn’t it?”

“In a broad sense.”

“Hu Chang says that you could have gone in and gotten Erin out. He said he’d seen you do it before when he was with you. Why didn’t you do it? Oh, yes, you couldn’t risk your valuable hide. But it was more than that, wasn’t it? Your precious committee didn’t want you to offend Kadmus.”

“‘Offend’ is not the word.”

“So you let him torture Erin.”

“Yes, and there’s nothing I can say that would absolve me of that in your eyes.”

“You bet there’s not. Balance a woman like Erin’s suffering against corporate greed? How could you live with yourself?”

“The way I live with all the decisions I make every day,” he said quietly. “And it wasn’t a question of any deals or bribes to keep Kadmus in our pockets. We’ve never had any dealings with Kadmus. It was just a committee decision that I wasn’t able to argue. Under the circumstances, I couldn’t go after Erin.”

“Why not? What stopped you?”

“Unless I went in alone as you did, I’d have no choice but to confront Kadmus.”