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“By the tone of your voice, I’d better answer in the affirmative,” Dominic said dryly.

“So it’s a good thing that I can do so truthfully.

The first team left for the mountains forty minutes ago.

I’m taking another tracking team up there myself in about an hour.

But I’ve already told you how difficult it’s going to be for them to find that village. It could be a matter of days or weeks.”

“I don’t know if we have days or weeks. So you’d better find them a hell of a lot sooner than that.”

“You know we’ll do what we can.” Dominic paused. “You’ve heard from Eve? Is the boy all right?”

“Yes, I’ve heard from Eve. And Michael is okay.

” Joe added, “It seems Eve is going to make sure he stays that way. She decided to agree to give Caldwell the mask he wants so that she’d be there with Michael and be able to protect him.

We found her abandoned car near a field near the woods at Lanier, where there were signs she must have boarded a helicopter.

Do you realize how difficult it’s going to be for her to keep both of them alive?

It will be like walking a tightrope. I could lose them so easily,” he whispered.

“That can’t happen, Dominic.” He cleared his throat.

“So I’m not going to let it. I’ve called and arranged for a team of my own, including your old acquaintance Caleb, to meet me at Sardwa airport.

We’ll set out from there toward that blasted mountain and join you. ”

“I’m not waiting for you. I’ll leave a man at the airport to give you the latest directions we manage to find on the trail. As I said, it’s a maze.”

“I heard you the first time,” Joe said bitterly. “But Eve got a confirmation from Caldwell that Zakira was definitely holding Michael for him at his village. That means it’s a maze that’s going to lead to Eve and Michael. So we’ll damn well get through it!”

Dominic found Celine in the library fifteen minutes later. “We’ll be leaving the estate within the hour. If you’re going to come, get your backpack and meet me at the jeep in the front.”

“You know I’m going to come.” She gazed searchingly at him. “You said you had arrangements to make and we weren’t leaving until this evening. Why the rush?”

“The picture’s changed a bit. I can do what needs to be done on the road. I don’t want to waste any time.”

She was frowning in puzzlement. “How did it change? What happened?” She stiffened. “You heard from Eve? Did they hurt the boy?”

“No, I heard from Quinn. The boy’s still okay.

But Eve took the deal to do the mask so that she could find a way to protect her son.

” His lips tightened grimly. “She’s probably heading in the same direction we are.

Only she’ll be getting there faster, because Caldwell knows where the hell he’s going.

They know how to move in and out of this jungle without being seen.

I just hope she’s still alive when we catch up to her. ”

“She’s very smart. She should have a good chance.” Celine added thoughtfully, “But I can see why she’d do it.”

“Of course you can,” he said. “You’d probably do the same thing.”

“No question. After all, it’s her child. Family is too important not to accept being willing to sacrifice to save them. You can understand that.”

“Don’t be too sure.” He smiled sardonically.

“Remember, I didn’t have a father like yours.

I grew up being taught that I couldn’t expect anything from my family but a life of survival of the fittest. That was okay for me.

I was tough enough to take care of myself.

But most kids don’t stand a chance when bastards like Caldwell push them around.

I saw that again at that massacre at Karimu.

” His lips tightened. “I’m not going to let him do that to Eve’s Michael.

I don’t know anything about all this family dynamic business, but I know right and wrong and how to stop that bullshit in its tracks. ”

“That’s what I’ve been told,” she said quietly.

“And I believe you know more than you admit about how families operate. You may not have had any close family members around you or supporting you, but you’ve made up for it by the way you’ve drawn people to you through the years.

I’ve only been with you a short time, but I’ve met Sam Rashid and Kontara and Catherine Ling, and every time I turn around, you’re giving orders or calling one of your contacts.

I’m sure there are many more that you reach out to.

In a way, all of them are your adopted family. You’ve just selected them yourself.”

He smiled. “I appreciate you trying to furnish me with a ready-made clan, but aren’t you reaching?”

“No more than you are by choosing to surround yourself with those particular people.”

“But you forgot about one Celine Kelly,” he said softly. “Have you decided not to consider yourself one of the chosen ones?”

“Our relationship is… different.”

“Yes, it is. And if you decide to come with me today, it may change again. Are you prepared for that?” His voice was suddenly rough.

“I don’t know if I am. I want this too much.

I don’t want to back you in a corner, dammit.

Why don’t you just stay here at the estate with some of my so-called family you’ve chosen for me and let me go take care of what I do best.”

She was backing away from him. “Because it’s my business, too.

Barnaby made that clear. So did Eve Duncan when she risked her life for her son.

So did you when you showed me those photos of those little children at Karimu.

” She turned on her heel. “I’ll go pack my backpack as you told me, but first I’ve got to go talk to Kontara…

” She was running quickly toward the kitchen.

“We’re leaving earlier than expected,” she said as Kontara turned away from the refrigerator to face her. “Dominic said there was an emergency situation and he’d take care of doing the prep work on the road.”

“Emergency?” Kontara frowned. “This entire trip is one big emergency. What is it this time?”

“We told you about Eve Duncan. Caldwell has managed to persuade her to come to the village to do the death mask. He promised to keep her son safe if she agreed.”

“He lies,” Kontara said flatly.

“But it buys time to keep her Michael alive,” Celine said. “That’s all she cares about. And that’s why we have to move much faster to help her. I know you didn’t want to do this.” She grimaced. “I didn’t want it for you, either.”

“I know you didn’t.” Kontara shrugged. “But you worked very hard to keep me as safe as you could by teaching me all that you could on those damn mats. I’m grateful to you for that.

But now you’ve done what you set out to do, I don’t need you any longer.

” Her voice was suddenly harsh. “So for God’s sake stop being stupid and tell Dominic you’re not going to go trekking up that mountain and get yourself killed.

He won’t argue with you. You’re not important to him in this particular scheme of things.

He needs me to find those bastards, and he told me he’s practically got an army to take them down once he zeroes in on them.

You’re not needed, dammit. You’ll just get in his way. ”

Celine shook her head. “Then he’ll have to find a use for me, won’t he?

Because I don’t believe you. You haven’t wanted him to take me with him to help bring down those monsters since the day I came here.

It’s clear you wanted to protect me. You’ve seen enough ugliness and horror to last you a lifetime, and you want to be done with it.

” She smiled as she shook her head. “But then the worst thing possible happened. Lo and behold, now we’ve actually come to like each other. What a predicament.”

Kontara was scowling. “That’s not funny. It is the worst thing if it means you’re going to do something that could get you killed.”

“We’ll just have to take care of each other to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Celine’s smile had vanished. “As well as find a way to help Eve.” She turned away and headed out of the kitchen. “No more arguments. It’s a done deal. We both have to start packing.”

“Wait.”

Celine glanced over her shoulder.

Kontara was smiling at her with almost catlike satisfaction.

“You’re getting a little too cocky. It’s probably because you’ve been taking me down too often in our gym sessions.

But never count me out. It’s not a done deal until I tell you it is.

” She turned away and began scraping the food she’d cooked into plastic freezer bags. “We’re in this together.”

BON JAKA COURTYARD

ONE HOUR LATER

Celine gave a low whistle as she saw the number of jeeps, trucks, and helicopters in the courtyard.

She said to Dominic who was coming out of the main house, “Kontara said that you practically had an army to help you take down Caldwell’s thugs.

She wasn’t exaggerating. No wonder she thought I’d believe her when she said you didn’t need me. ”

“I can call on considerably more assets than I discussed with her,” Dominic said.

“Though it took considerable persuasion to convince her that an attack on Zakira and Caldwell could be successful after the chaos they’ve caused.

” He shrugged. “And even after she decided to trust me to get the job done and agreed to try to lead me to their village, she still kept nagging me to leave you behind.” He was watching Kontara crossing the courtyard toward them.

Her red hair was pinned back, and she was dressed in jeans and a loose brown shirt, carrying a backpack.

She was ignoring Celine and staring straight at Dominic.