“I won’t do that,” Basle said. “It’s not true, and besides, word would get out from the nurses and doctors in that operating room that it was a lie.”

“Talk to him,” Caleb said. “If you don’t, I will. And I won’t be worried about his hands shaking now. The minute Santos knows that she’s on her way to recovery, it will give him a green light to send someone to take her out.” He was suddenly smiling recklessly. “Not that I might not enjoy that. But Eve wouldn’t, and I wouldn’t take a chance with Jane.”

“Doctor Basle’s right,” Eve said. “It will be hard to keep the news from spreading in a hospital. It’s a community in itself.” She turned to the doctor. “But we’ve got to try. We need your cooperation.”

“And we’ll get it,” Joe said grimly.

“You don’t understand,” Basle said. “It’s not going to—”

“You deal with him.” Caleb turned and moved toward the door of the operating room. “While I have a chat with the nurses and the assisting doctor. I’ll bet they’ll be much more cooperative.”

Basle was looking warily after him. “Who the hell is he?”

“A friend of Jane’s. I believe he introduced himself to you,” Eve said. “And he can be very persuasive.” She smiled at him. “I only hope that we can be just as persuasive. We need your help. Did I tell you how grateful I am that you saved my Jane? I know it’s not fair to put you on a spot and risk damage to that wonderful reputation, but you’ll understand after I explain.” She took his arm and led him toward the coffee machine. “Let Joe and me get you a cup of coffee and we’ll talk about it.”

RAIN FOREST

GUATEMALA

“What do you mean you can’t find him?” Dorgal tried to keep his temper. Juan Pablo was usually clever and an expert tracker, and he was the one Dorgal had chosen to take over the hunt for Montez. However, unless Pablo could show some active progress toward finding Montez, Dorgal would have to face Santos’s rage and charges of incompetence if he left Pablo in charge. Then he would be stuck here in this damned rain forest instead of getting to a position where he could wriggle himself back into Santos’s favor. “Have you gone back to the monastery and questioned those monks again? I can’t believe they don’t know something. Montez lived with a priest for almost two years. He’s a religious nut.”

“We searched the monastery twice. He’s not there.”

“Then tell me where he is,” Dorgal said through his teeth. “The bastard’s an inventor and a doctor, he shouldn’t have been able to hide out in that forest for more than a few hours before you caught him.”

“He’s gone to ground somewhere.” Pablo shrugged. “We’ll find him eventually.”

“Santos doesn’t understand the word ‘eventually.’ If Montez has gone to ground, give him a reason to bolt out of his hole.”

“He knows we’ll gather him up the minute he does. What reason is good enough for him to risk his neck?”

“You have no imagination.” Dorgal moved out of the shrubbery to the edge of the hill and gazed down at the red clay roof jutting out of the trees. “It may not be that hard at all.”

*   *   *

“Good morning,” Cameron said as he watched Catherine come down the stairs. “You look bright-eyed and wide-awake today. I’m glad. Does that mean we can stop spinning our wheels?”

She stiffened. His words had been more attack than greeting and so was his demeanor. She could feel his impatience. “It’s only been one day. Sorry you’ve been bored. You don’t have to stay here, Cameron.”

“The hell I don’t. The minute I walk away, you’ll be on the move.” He grimaced. “Though I hoped to wrap this up sooner. I’m having problems dealing with my own minor affairs long-distance.”

“The committee giving you a hard time? Of course they are. You’re the crown prince to their chosen new world. You shouldn’t waste your time on anything else.”

“I’ve told you, I’m only the security chief. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to be. And I’ve not consulted the committee about my private affairs. I just have to work around them.” He made an impatient gesture with his hand. “You didn’t answer me. When do we move? It’s not like you to hesitate.”

“I wanted to see if Kelly was going to come up with a possible destination.” Her lips tightened. “But I can’t wait any longer. Though she does think she’s getting closer. It’s something to do with boat rentals and gas consumption.”

“Interesting. But I can see why you’d not want to wait for her to connect those particular dots. Montez?”

She nodded. “I’m going to call him and see if he’s had time to think while he’s been on the run. Using him as bait for a trap is still our best bet to get to Santos.”

“And now that you know more about his dealings with Santos, you have more ammunition with which to persuade him.” He paused. “The latest report I have from Dario is that he’s sure Montez is in the cave area. But Dorgal is frantically searching for him and has increased his manpower. If you want to set him up, you’d better do it quick. His time may be running out.”

“I’ll call him now.” She went toward the library. “Which was what I was going to do anyway.”

“Only a gentle push to nudge you toward the way we both want you to go.”

“Cameron.”

He held up his hands. “I’ll let you do it without hovering over you. I’ll go see Luke and talk to him for a while.”

She frowned. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with Luke.”

“I find him interesting. He’s on the verge of being something very exceptional.”

“And he believes you’re some kind of superhero.” She had a sudden alarming thought. “You’re not fooling with his mind?”

He shook his head. “I took one quick look when I first met him. That’s all I needed. And I know he’s off-limits as far as you’re concerned.”

“You’re damn right he is.”

“Besides, I can wait for him to get a little older before I make a decision about him.”

“Decision? You will not try to recruit him.”

He smiled. “No?” He turned away and started up the stairs. “We’ll see. Go try to persuade Montez. If you get us on the road again, I won’t have an opportunity to influence your son.”

Which might be a very good thing, she thought grimly. Cameron exerted a tremendous charisma even when he wasn’t using that psychic mojo. Well, he could just stay away from Luke.

But he was right, if he was kept busy at the violent tasks at which he excelled, he wouldn’t have time to draw Luke into his web.

She pulled out Montez’s number and quickly dialed.

Would he look at the ID and not answer?

It rang once.

Twice.

Three times.

Come on, Montez, pick up.

Four times.

Montez answered the phone. “I don’t want to talk to you, Catherine Ling.”

“Yes, you do. Or you wouldn’t have picked up. You’re still on the run from Dorgal and his men, and you must be tired and a little scared. It’s going to keep on. They won’t stop. They’ll never stop until I take Santos out.” Her voice lowered with urgency. “Help me take him out. Then the running can stop.”

“I told you that I’m opting out. I’ve caused too many deaths already. Go get him yourself.”

“I will.” She paused. “But unless I have an edge, I may not be able to stop him before he kills someone I love. He’s been very quiet for the past couple days, and I think it’s because he’s concentrating on hunting you down. You’re very important to him. Why does he need you? Surely, you’ve completed your work on Delores.”

Silence. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Maggi.”

He inhaled sharply. “You’re guessing.”

“It started as guessing, but as my friend, Hu Chang, made his way through those equations, the guessing became a certainty. He’s a brilliant man, and he said that you were also exceptional. That your cryogenic formulas might well do what you intended if the container or coffin in which Delores is held is as mechanically sophisticated as he thought it might be.”