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CHAPTER 28

KIRA WAS TIED to a pipe that ran up the inside wall of the yacht’s glass-enclosed bridge. Her brain was sharper now, and she was taking everything in. The small dark-haired woman had tied the knots while the pale man with the captain’s braids on his jacket stood by and watched.

“Tie her tight,” he said. “She’s drugged, but she’s still dangerous.”

“Who are you?” Kira asked. “Where’s Doc?” She could feel the slight slur in her words.

The captain ignored her. Instead, he tapped his young assistant on the back. “Lial,” he said. “Time to go.”

“Wait! Not yet!” the young woman said, looking straight at Kira. “Let me do the interrogation.” Her eyes were dark and cold.

“No,” the captain replied. “Your ride is waiting.”

It was clear that the young woman didn’t want to leave, but it didn’t seem like she had a choice. Kira looked out through the window toward the stern of the ship. The rotors on the chopper that had brought her were still spinning, and two men were waiting near the cockpit door.

The young woman stepped back. She stared at the captain for a few seconds, then looked back at Kira. Then she grabbed a backpack and walked out the door. Kira could hear her footsteps as she descended a metal stairway to the deck.

As soon as she left, the pale man stepped forward to test the ropes around Kira’s torso. She could feel his knuckles against her ribs as he tugged.

“Don’t worry. She did a professional job,” said Kira. “Lial. That was her name, right? Algerian?”

“Good guess, Ms. Sunlight.” He stepped back.

“I observed that she never used your name.”

The man leaned against the console and folded his arms. Slight as he was, he had a definite air of command. Kira could tell that he was accustomed to making decisions and giving orders.

“My name is Cal Savage,” he said. “Cal Savage the Fourth.”

What? Who?

Kira’s mind reeled. She tried not to show any reaction, but she couldn’t control the pounding of her heart. Until this moment, she had thought the only Savage alive in the world was the one she’d left behind on the island.

“It’s a shame we never met at school,” the captain said. “I was several years ahead of you.”

Kira’s brain was swimming now, but she kept her voice calm and firm. “With a name like Savage,” she said, “you’d think I’d have heard of you.”

The captain shook his head. “I was never a star pupil like you. Just a legacy admission.”

Kira blinked and did some mental calculations. Strange as it was, the story was starting to add up—and it went way, way back. “If you’re Cal Savage the Fourth,” she said, “then your ancestor was…”

“Yes. Cal Savage the First. The original Doc Savage’s twin. The brother who got absolutely no attention from anybody. The one the world forgot all about.”

“He was there. In Russia,” said Kira. “He cofounded the school.” The origin of the academy for killers was a tightly held secret. But Kira had learned the truth before she escaped, years ago.

“Correct,” said the captain. “He was in on the beginning, in partnership with your great-grandfather, John Sunlight. Savage and Sunlight. Two neglected geniuses against the world.”

“ Sick geniuses,” said Kira. “People are dying every day because of what they taught.”

“True, Ms. Sunlight,” said Savage reflectively. “But somehow, not you. I have to admit that I admire your longevity. Even though I’ve tried to kill you myself. Many times.”

“Where’s Doc?” Kira asked again.

“Forget him,” said Savage. “He can’t save you this time.”

“Is he dead?”

Savage smiled. “Wrong question.”