Page 48

A CAVE IN THE MOUNTAINS NEAR SHAFIRA

TWO HOURS LATER

C eline could hear voices outside the cave again.

They were speaking English; it had to be Caldwell’s men.

It was the third time they had come this far into the valley, so they must suspect that she was hiding here.

She’d tried to clean up all the bloodstains on the trails outside after she’d doctored the wound in her shoulder, but she’d had to keep moving; the hunt was on by both Caldwell’s and Zakira’s men, and their separate teams appeared to be getting closer all the time.

She’d thought she might be safe here in this shallow cave, because there was another opening on the upper level that she might use to escape if necessary.

So far, she hadn’t had to use it; she’d just waited it out when she heard the search teams and hoped they’d get discouraged.

But she might have to change her plans, because they definitely were not getting discouraged.

The next time Caldwell’s men left the area, it might be better for her to leave the cave and head down to the lake to find another hiding place.

But they weren’t leaving the area!

And a voice boomed out that was chillingly close to her.

“This is Caldwell, Celine. You should be flattered that you’re important enough to get my personal attention.

We know you’re somewhere near here, but I’m getting bored with this game.

So come out and give up and I’ll promise not to turn you over to your old friend Jossland anytime soon.

He’s very eager for me to do that. But he has such crude ideas, and Zakira might get upset—he has elaborate plans for you himself. ”

She froze in place and held her breath. Maybe it was a bluff and he had no idea where she was.

Don’t move.

She was silent. Waiting.

Then she heard Caldwell cursing and then the sound of the movement and clink of weapons and departing footsteps.

She might have been right about it being a bluff. Still, she’d take her time and be very sure…

She waited for fifteen minutes. Caldwell’s men did not return.

But that didn’t mean she was safe here.

She began slowly crawling up to the outer opening.

It was slow going. Her shoulder was throbbing with pain as she used her elbows to pull herself over the rocks up to the second level.

When she finally reached it, she was panting and had to stop to get her breath before she managed to push aside the rock she’d used to barricade the opening.

Then she was peering outside and wriggling out onto the trail and looking around.

Silence.

No Caldwell.

No sign of Zakira’s soldiers.

Now to get down past the waterfall to the lake in the valley…

“If you make one more move, I’ll blow your head off.” Caldwell stepped out of the trees pointing a rifle at her. “I’m tempted to do it anyway. You’ve caused me far too much trouble in the last twenty-four hours. I do admire ingenuity and endurance, but not when it gets in my way.”

“I’m glad I got in your way,” Celine said fiercely. “I’d do it again. Anyone who hires scum like Jossland should expect any decent person to know that they’re a pitiful loser and not worth bothering with. Michael will be safe by now, and you won’t be able to get near him.”

“I’m afraid you’re right. But I’ll have you, and that may upset Dominic enough to keep me happy.

We’ve had a long-standing and extremely unpleasant relationship, and he deserves any pain that I can inflict on him.

In the meantime…” He raised a whistle to his lips and gave a piercing blast. “I’ll let Jossland have a little fun with you. Nothing too fatal. He has his orders.”

Jossland appeared out of the forest and came eagerly forward as he saw Celine.

“Take her back to the village,” Caldwell ordered. “I think we’ll show her to Zakira first and then decide what else to do with her.”

“I have a few suggestions,” Jossland said. He grabbed Celine’s bandaged arm and yanked her after him as he started back toward the village.

She bit her lip to keep from screaming from the pain.

“No marks, Jossland.” Caldwell was frowning. “I warned you that Zakira wouldn’t like it.” He sighed. “But it seems I’ll have to accompany you, Celine. You’ve given him a few too many nasty wounds in your short acquaintance, and I can’t trust him…”

DOMINIC’S CAMP

LATER THAT DAY

Dominic received a call from Caleb at just after two that afternoon.

“We were right,” Caleb said when Dominic picked up the call.

“From the bridge, it’s about twenty miles before you get to the trail that leads directly into Shafira.

Pine forest, huge waterfall, very structured little town with its own museum and palace.

Quite a few guards and soldiers around. Most of them are teenage boys and young men who are vicious but also very well disciplined.

Evidently Zakira is a tough taskmaster. Though he keeps them happy with drugs and the chance to torture any enemies they manage to capture.

I also spotted twenty or thirty of Caldwell’s thugs around, and they’re fairly lethal, too. ”

“Celine Kelly,” Dominic said. “What did you find out about Celine?”

Caleb was silent for an instant. “At first, I didn’t hear anything at all, except that there was a rumor that she might have been shot and killed during a fight with Jossland, one of Caldwell’s men.”

“For God’s sake, don’t give me rumors,” Dominic said harshly. “Tell me what the hell happened.”

“Easy,” Caleb said. “I’m trying to give you the complete picture.

But then when they were searching for the body, they found bloodstains on the shrubbery in the mountains overlooking the lake and decided she’d been wounded but not killed if she’d managed to make it that distance.

They’ve been searching the entire village and mountain all day trying to find her.

” He paused. “She did a great job of avoiding them, but if she was wounded it was only a matter of time before she was caught. I just heard before I called you that Caldwell has captured her and is bringing her to Zakira.”

“Shit!” Then Dominic tried to control himself.

“But maybe that’s not as bad as it might be.

At least she’s not somewhere in those mountains bleeding out.

There’s a good chance that Caldwell will see that her wound is tended so that she’ll be a proper gift for Zakira.

We’ll just have to move very fast and not make any mistakes. ”

“No problem,” Caleb said. “It’s what we’ve been waiting for since this crapshoot began.

” He added, “And we have one more plus on our side. Though I guarantee that Joe won’t agree.

Eve is still at Shafira, and when she finds out that Celine has been captured, she’ll find a way to help.

According to what Joe told me, Eve’s in a rather unique position with Zakira, and Eve can be a force to be reckoned with. She’s like my wife, Jane, in that.”

Dominic nodded. “I believe that’s a proven fact where Eve is concerned. But let’s hope she won’t have to display it and can leave it to us. Do you have anything else to report?”

“No, except that I’ve done enough reconnoitering to know how to blow this place into outer space if we need to do it.”

“Then start back here right away,” Dominic said. “I want you and Quinn in the planning meeting that I’ll convene as soon as possible.”

“I’m already on my way,” Caleb said quietly. “I knew once you heard about Celine that you’d be ready to start the fireworks. I’ll see you soon…”

EVE’S QUARTERS

SHAFIRA

Eve threw the outside door open when she heard all the shouting and hubbub outside.

She’d been waiting for hours; the entire village had been in turmoil since Jossland was brought back with a broken and splinted arm.

She wasn’t surprised to see Caldwell standing there with a decided smirk on his face.

“Hello, Eve,” he said. “How nice of you to come to greet us. Particularly when you can see that even though you managed to free your brat, I’ll still get what I want.

” He stepped aside to reveal Celine being held upright by Jossland so that she wouldn’t fall.

She was pale, her eyes sunken deep in her face, and her shoulder was bloody with a leaf binding the wound.

Her hair hung lifelessly around her filthy face, and she looked as if she could barely stand.

“I thought I’d bring her to Zakira first, but I changed my mind on the way here.

I decided that it would be much more satisfying to let you see your failure first.”

“She didn’t fail,” Celine said hoarsely. “We got her son away from you. And I didn’t fail, either. I kept your men too busy to go after them. You’re the one who failed.”

“Tell me that when Zakira gets through with you.” Caldwell’s lips curled. “I’ll be there to watch it and applaud.”

Eve couldn’t stand any more. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Caldwell. Does it make you feel more manly to beat up on a woman who can’t protect herself? She looks like she’s gone through hell.”

She ran to Celine and stared her in the eyes. “How bad is it?”

“Not good. But don’t feel guilty. It was my choice.” She tried to smile. “And I did protect myself. I did most of the damage to Jossland here, and he can’t wait to return the favor.” She glanced at Caldwell. “But I think maybe this one is worse. He’s in another league.”

“Yes, he is.” Eve turned back to Caldwell. “May I take her inside and let her lie down?”

“I’ll think about it. Though I kind of like to see her weak and unable to spit at—”