Page 48

CHAPTER 47

“ARE WE IN a time warp, Leo?”

“That’s one way to put it,” he said.

On the wall next to a row of medieval tapestries, I saw the same mysterious flag I’d seen in the infirmary. Outside the arched windows, I could see trees—tall, leafy, deciduous. Northern Hemisphere. Temperate latitude. Leo could see my mind turning.

“I can save you the triangulation, Doctor Savage. We’re in Belgium.”

Belgium? That was a long way from the tropics—and an impossible distance for a helicopter. We must have refueled somewhere. On a ship? In midair?

“You were unconscious for forty-eight hours,” said Leo.

“How did they find me—your crew? I had no beacon. No radio. They just happened to be doing a midocean flyover in the middle of a forty-knot gale?”

“Word travels in my circles,” he said. “I heard you were missing. I mobilized my resources. And here you are. Like I said, I’m a collector.”

“Of incompetent sailors?”

“Of men with specific abilities.”

Leo led me into a side room where there was a table heaped high with food. Sliced meat, cheese, fruit, bread. He must have seen my eyes go wide.

“Go ahead,” he said. “I promise it’s not laced.”

I grabbed a few slices of ham and washed them down with a bottle of water. I took a fistful of bread, and then a handful of strawberries. Leo was watching me like I was a zoo specimen.

“What do you know about me?” I asked between mouthfuls. “Other than my name?”

“I know that you’re highly educated and well trained.” He took a single blueberry with his deformed hand and popped it into his mouth. “I also know you stand accused of multiple murders.”

I felt a twist in my gut.

“Relax,” said Leo. “It happens to the best of us.”

“I had nothing to do with it,” I said. “It was a setup, by people who’ve wanted me dead for a long time.”

Leo waved his good hand dismissively. “Innocent, guilty,” he said. “I assure you, I could not care less.”

I was desperate to ask him about Kira. But I didn’t want to tip him off. Not until I figured out whose side he was on. Maybe he’d never heard of her. Maybe it was better that way.

“Are you a bounty hunter?” I asked. “Am I some kind of prize?”

“If that were the case, I would already have cashed in,” he said. “I have a pretty good idea of what you’d fetch.” He offered a tight smile. “Especially if I threw in the murder weapon.”

I tried not to react, but he saw me flinch. “Don’t worry. Your blade is in a locker, safe and sound.”

“For safekeeping? Or for evidence?” I still didn’t trust him. I kept waiting for somebody from Interpol to walk in with extradition papers.

Leo waved me over to a sitting area near a fireplace. High-backed wooden chairs. Velvet cushions. He settled in and rested both hands on the carved armrests.

“Have a seat, Doctor Savage,” he said. “I know your story. Let me tell you mine.”