“Is she okay?”

“Yes, but it could have ended differently. She almost ended up dead. You could end up dead, Eve.” She shivered as she said the words. “Anyone who I care about, anyone I love. I thought I was pretty alone in the world, but I’m finding that I care about a lot of people. And that scares me. Santos has evidently spent a lot of time doing his research. I don’t know where he’ll strike next.”

“Then I should be there to—”

“No, Eve. I don’t need you. I have guards all over the place. Do you think I wouldn’t protect Luke?”

“No.” Eve was silent. “You call and tell me that Hu Chang is back with you, and I might wait. I’ll give you until tomorrow.”

“He may not be back by—”

“Tomorrow.” Eve broke the connection.

Catherine grimaced as she hung up the phone. It was no more than she had expected. It was what Catherine would have done in the same circumstances. But she’d hoped that maybe Joe would be able to keep Eve from acting. Evidently, he’d had some success but not enough.

“Eve is upset?” Sam poured Catherine a cup of coffee before sitting down across the kitchen table from her. “You’re lucky she’s not mounting her trusty steed and riding to rescue you.”

“I think Joe is holding the keys to the stable at the moment.” She lifted her cup to her lips. “But that’s not going to last long. Tomorrow. She doesn’t like the idea that Hu Chang isn’t here.”

“And I’m chopped liver?” Sam asked mockingly. “I’m insulted.”

“You shouldn’t be. Hu Chang left you to guard Luke. That’s a compliment beyond price.”

“He also told me to keep an eye on you, or I would end up dying a very slow and painful death.” He took a sip of his coffee. “And from what I gathered, he’s fully qualified to make that happen. Is he really a master poisoner?”

“No, but he’s magnificent at creating them. He’s been known to sell certain of his poisons for fabulous amounts.” She shrugged. “But only to those he chooses and who meet his code. I don’t know if he started out as ethical as he is today. I’ve never asked him. He’s my friend, that’s enough for me.”

“A strange relationship.”

“Why not?” She smiled. “It goes with the territory. Hu Chang and I are both a little strange. Haven’t you noticed?”

“‘Unique’ is the correct word. Do you want breakfast?”

“Just orange juice. Where’s Luke?”

“In the library. He was up at six and ate his breakfast then. He’s playing an online video game with Kelly Winters. She beat him last time, and he’s out for revenge.”

“He’ll have his work cut out for him,” she said dryly. “You’ve met Kelly when she’s visited here. She’s not in that think tank at the university for nothing. She may be only sixteen, but she’s extraordinarily intelligent.”

“But so is Luke,” Sam said. “They’re a good match. He has trouble adjusting to kids his own age, but he has no trouble with Kelly.”

“Because she’s smart about people, too. I’ve tried to get her to come here to study, but she likes the professors at her school in Virginia.” She shook her head regretfully. “Too bad. Luke really likes her.”

“And so do you,” Sam said softly. “It was like watching a family when she was here visiting. It was good for you.”

“Of course I like her. She was my friend before she was Luke’s. She’s sharp and funny and has a wry sense of—” She stopped and drew a deep breath. “Oh, shit.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m wrong. I should have ignored the fact that Kelly would have to be brought here kicking and screaming if we tore her away from that project she’s working on. I told Luke that Santos would have Kelly listed as low-priority since she wasn’t family. But when I was talking about her just now, I realized that she might as well be family. And Santos has done his research, he’ll know that she’s not just Luke’s friend. He would have found out that I rescued Kelly in Colombia when she and her father had been kidnapped by bandits. He’ll know I care about her, too.” She reached for her phone. “I’m so damn stupid. I could get her killed.” She dialed Venable. “She could very well be high on his death list.”

“And she might not,” Sam said quietly. “Stop blaming yourself. He can’t be targeting everyone.”

“But I don’t know who he is targeting,” she said unsteadily. “And it’s driving me crazy. Who am I going to miss?” Venable picked up the call, and she spoke quickly, “Look, Venable, I need you to check on Kelly Winters’s surveillance. I’m getting pretty uptight about having her out there alone. I’m going to call her myself later and see if I can’t persuade her to let us come and get her. Don’t let her go anywhere on campus without a tail, okay?”

“That goes without saying. If there were a problem, I’d know about it.”

“Okay, so I’m paranoid. Just do it.” She hung up.

CHAPTER

4

“I am paranoid,” she said to Sam after she’d finished speaking to Venable. “I can’t help it.” She leaned back in her chair and tried to compose herself. “I guess that’s all I can do right now.” Her hand clenched on her coffee cup. “I hate this. I want Santos.”

“So do I,” Sam said.

“He has me on the defensive. I feel so damn helpless. All I can do is wait for something to happen.” She moistened her lips. “Or someone to die.”

“You’re not helpless. Erin Sullivan is alive, and she wouldn’t be if you hadn’t acted.”

“Even that wasn’t a complete victory. A priest died in that village.” She waved her hand as he started to speak. “But I can’t think about that. I’ll accept partial victories.”

“And it probably pissed off Santos big-time. All of his elaborate schemes down the tube.”

She smiled. “You’re great, Sam. I’m actually beginning to feel a little optimistic.”

“No, you’re not. But you might be seeing things a little clearer. You’re going to beat the son of a bitch, but you’re probably going to have to go the distance before you do. Right now, you have the weight of all those lives on your shoulders. You’ll feel better once you’re on the offense.”

“You bet I will.” She got to her feet. “And I won’t get there until I find a hook to hang him. I’d better get back to the computer. Not that I’ve found anything worthwhile yet. It will come.” And she might have had that hook if she’d been able to talk to Nagoles. Think positive. Cameron had not actually refused her.

And she hadn’t heard from Cameron since he’d run out of that cave after Nagoles. How did she know he was even alive?

She quickly rejected the thought. Cameron was alive. She wouldn’t have it any other way. He was too clever, too trained in every form of combat, too much the complete warrior to be brought down.

And she somehow felt she would have known if he wasn’t still on this Earth.

“I’ll go check on Luke in the library, then go to my room and hit the computer to see if I can find that hook.” She headed for the kitchen door. “There may be something in the files Venable sent me on Manuel Dorgal. Santos was in prison, but Dorgal was flitting around the world doing his bidding. It could be that one of those errands might be the purchase of a hideaway. It can’t hurt to—” She broke off as her phone rang. She glanced down at the caller ID.

She stiffened. Hell and damnation.

T. Santos.

Shock and excitement exploded through her.

“Sam, call Venable and have him try to trace this call.”

She punched the access button. “Catherine Ling. What do you want, Santos?”

“Your suffering. Your death,” Santos said. “That might satisfy me. Or perhaps not, but it will have to do. Don’t try to trace me, I have a protected phone and I won’t be talking to you for long. I just wanted to touch base with you in case you’re getting too smug. One destroyed helicopter. One inadequate fool who could not perform a simple kill is nothing in the scheme of things.”