Eve nudged Cara ahead of her. “Hurry!”
Thirty seconds.
Eve was panting as she moved through the mud and rocks of the ditch. She could feel Joe behind her.
“Head down!” Joe shouted.
Kaboom!
Deafening noise. Glare of fire. Flying metal hurled into the air.
She was vaguely aware of heavy weight. Joe had sprung forward and covered Cara and Eve with his body.
She struggled to move, to sit up.
“Be still. Not yet. There’s still flying metal.”
A minute later, Joe moved off her. “Okay?”
She nodded as she sat up and looked at Cara. The girl appeared unscratched but her eyes were wide with disbelief as she stared at the fiery inferno just yards from them. Eve glanced at Joe. “You?”
Joe didn’t answer as he reached for his phone. “Get in the woods and hike toward the far end of the lake. Wipe out your footprints as you go. Now. Franco may turn up any minute. I’m calling the police and fire department and bringing them on the scene so he won’t be eager to do any in-depth search.”
Eve grabbed Cara’s hand and pulled her into the woods. She called over her shoulder. “You’re not coming?”
“I’m going to stay here and appear properly devastated by the tragedy. I’ll find you after midnight tonight. Get going.”
She was already running. She grabbed a branch from beneath a tree, then another for Cara. “You heard him. Erase the footprints.”
Cara didn’t question but set about brushing the leaves over the faint indentations on the earth.
The air smelled of oil and smoke and burning rubber. It was hard to breathe.
Joe was alone. Would Franco get there before the fire trucks and police? No, she could hear the sirens now.
And Cara was now by her side, her expression intent, and Eve could almost feel the aura of protectiveness she was emitting. It’s not supposed to be like that, she wanted to tell her. It should work the other way around. But she still felt the warmth and companionship of that protectiveness, and she would take that gift. She was feeling bewildered and had no idea why Joe had staged this explosion. All she could do was be patient and take one thing at a time.
Protect Cara from all dangers.
Get to the far end of the lake.
Erase all signs of their passing.
And wait for Joe to tell her what the hell was happening.
* * *
“It’s kind of cold, isn’t it?” Cara huddled closer to Eve beneath the shelter of a boulder beside the lake. “I think the fire from the Toyota has finally gone out. I don’t see the glare any longer.”
Eve nodded. “It’s been hours since the explosion.” She drew the girl closer to the warmth of her body and leaned back against the boulder. “It shouldn’t be long until Joe gets here. You’ve been very patient, Cara. Not one question.”
“I didn’t think you’d be able to answer them.” She wrinkled her nose. “You seemed very frustrated with Joe. And there wasn’t much time for explanations.”
“You’re right there,” she said ruefully. “On both counts.”
“But you’re not angry with him?”
“I’ll let you know that when the explanations start coming in.”
Cara looked up at Eve thoughtfully. “But I don’t think you’ll be angry with him then either. You wouldn’t have done what he wanted if you thought he was wrong.”
“Right and wrong is often a question of opinion. Joe and I aren’t always on the same page.”
“But most of the time?”
She nodded. “Most of the time.”
“And you trusted him to do what was right for us.”
“Yes, and I always will. It just may not be the way I would do it. Joe has great instincts, and he’s sometimes way ahead of the curve.” She paused. “And you can trust him, too. If the time comes when he wants you to do something crazy like blow up a Toyota, you go ahead and do it. He’ll have a reason.”
She chuckled. “But you still thought it was crazy to blow up the car?”
She sighed. “I loved that Toyota. It was like an old friend.”
“But you know he’ll be able to convince you it was the right thing to do.”
“We’ll see when he—” She broke off, her head lifting. “Shh, I heard something…”
Cara stiffened. “Maybe I should—”
“It’s Joe.”
Joe had moved out of the shadows behind them. He pulled her to her feet, and his arms went around her. “Everything okay?”
“You tell me.” She gave him a quick kiss. “We didn’t run into any trouble, did we, Cara?”
“No.” Cara scrambled to her feet. “Hello, Joe.”
“Hello, Cara.” He took off the backpack he was wearing. “I want you to know getting your violin into this backpack posed major difficulties. Everything else had to go around it.” He set it on the ground. “But I figured I might not be able to get you to budge unless it went with you.”
“Went with her where?” Eve asked.
“Edinburgh.”
“What?”
“I called Jane and told her you’d made your decision, and you’d be flying out tonight.”
“Wait a minute. My decision?”
“Well, I let her believe that you were in agreement. And when she heard what was going on, she was in agreement, too. All you have to do is say no, but it would spoil all my plans.”
“Which involved blowing up the Toyota,” she said grimly. “And causing me to almost have a heart attack while you were driving all the way back here with that bomb underneath it. Not to mention sending Cara and me into the woods while you did your fancy staging for Franco.”
“Guilty of all of the above.”
“Then tell me why.”
“I decided that Margaret was right, hiding in plain sight was too dangerous. I could do all the scouting and take all the safety precautions, and there still might be a slip. You and Cara would be squarely in the bull’s-eye. I checked those cars for possible explosives when they were sitting in front of the cottage. When Franco couldn’t safely get near them, he waited until you left the property and went to a place where he could access them.” His lips tightened. “That can’t happen again. You won’t be safe, and I won’t be able to concentrate on getting Salazar or Franco because I’ll have to be standing guard.”
“So you staged that bonfire to make Franco think he’d managed to kill Cara and me.” Eve shook her head. “But they’ll find out that there were no bodies in that car.”
“Not for a while. That bomb was very powerful and meant to make it very difficult to obtain either dental records or DNA. In short, there would be a possibility of vaporization, or at least huge difficulty finding body parts. You can be safely in the Highlands before anyone realizes you’re alive and gone.”
“And where will you be?”
“Wherever Salazar is. He controls Franco. I need one to get the other.”
“Mexico City.”
“Maybe.”
“Dammit, we’re going to be at opposite ends of the world from each other.”
“Not quite. And only if Franco and Salazar stay on my side. The minute one of them steps toward you, I’ll be there.”
“I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I. But it’s how it has to be right now.” He said roughly, “Do you think I like the thought of sending you over there without me? It’s the safest thing for you and Cara. Why do you think that I was asking who was on that hunt? MacDuff was in the 45 Commando of the Royal Marines and won a hell of a lot of medals. He’s something of a folk hero in Scotland. Jock Gavin is young, but he might be the deadliest man I’ve ever met. Caleb is bound to show up, and you know what he is.”
Yes, she knew. She had seen Seth Caleb in action and still had nightmares about it. “You’ve been thinking about this since last night.”
“I was searching for a way out for you. This is it. It’s the best I can do
. It will be like having a Special Forces unit to protect you.”
“And who is going to protect you?”
He didn’t answer directly. “Manez and the Federales want that coalition of cartels broken up. He wants Salazar and Castino dead. He’ll help all he can.”
“If you ask him. Not if you think he’s going to get in your way.”
“I’ve already started to use him.”
“For the time being. But you want Salazar and Castino put down regardless if you get the Mexican police to go along with you.”
He glanced at Cara. “So do you, Eve.”
“I don’t want you dead.”
“Neither do I.” He smiled. “I’ll see that doesn’t happen. I have something very special to live for at the moment.”
She wasn’t going to be able to talk him out of it, she realized in despair. “I didn’t want Jane involved in this, Joe. She’s just beginning to be able to cope with her life again.”
“We have no choice. She gave us no choice. I told her all the dangers. I’m calling MacDuff and Jock before I put you on that plane and make sure they’re on board with this.”
She made a face. “You really meant it when you said that you’re forming a Special Forces unit.”
“It’s already in place. You have to be safe. Don’t give me a hard time, Eve.”
“Why not? As usual, it seems like it’s all for me and nothing for you.”
“Look, you have to protect Cara. I have to deal with Salazar. We both have our jobs to do. We can’t do them together.”
She knew he was right, she just didn’t want him to be right. She drew a shaky breath. “You call me. You keep me informed. I want to know what’s happening to you. Do you hear me?”
“I hear you loud and clear.” He kissed her. “Under the circumstances, I’m not likely to let you run around those hills without my knowing what’s happening.” He turned to Cara. “You take care of her.”
“I will,” she said gravely. “Don’t worry, I know that’s what I have to do.”
He reached out and gripped her shoulder. “And you might take care of yourself, too. Make it a package deal.” He turned back to Eve. “I rented a jet, and you’ll board it out of the Gainesville Airport.” He checked his watch. “It should be ready for takeoff in an hour. I’ve arranged a rental car to meet us about a mile from here, and I’ll drive there and see you on board.”
“That’s not necessary. I can get there myself.”
“It’s necessary. I waited until most of the hubbub about the explosion was over before slipping out of the house and coming here. I don’t believe that Franco is still hanging around but I have to be sure you’re safely away.” He grabbed the backpack he’d set down earlier. “And I’ll call MacDuff and ask him to set up the arrival in an airport where you can be under the radar.”
“Illegal,” Eve translated dryly. “Margaret would approve.”
“There are times when Margaret and I agree on the basics of self-preservation. I don’t want Salazar to tap his contacts and find that an Eve Duncan arrived anywhere in the United Kingdom. We’d have to do a cover for Cara anyway. She has no documents.” He took Eve’s elbow. “Come on, Cara. We need to go.”
Eve hesitated, then started with them down the trail. It wasn’t a foolproof plan, and some aspects scared the hell out of her. But it was the only game in town, and Joe had made it as safe as he could under the circumstances.
Except for himself.
She knew how he operated. He was clever and he could function in conditions that were intricate and complex … and dangerous as hell. He’d done it as a SEAL, and he thrived on it. Some of it was planned, other parts were pure instinct. All of it caused Eve to be afraid every minute that she knew what was happening.
But she wouldn’t know, unless he told her.
And that scared her more than anything else.
“Relax. It’s not going to be easy, but this is the way to handle it,” Joe murmured, sensing that disturbance. “It’s only the start of the game. Franco moved forward, and we checked him. That means we’re ahead.”
She nodded. “Just let me know what you’re doing,” she repeated unsteadily. “I don’t want you to be alone.”
“I’m not alone. That ended a long time ago. You’re always with me…”
* * *
The pilot, Jeff Brandel, smiled down at Eve and Cara as Joe turned and walked away from the steps of the jet and headed back toward the rental car. “It should be a smooth flight. Is the little girl a nervous flyer?”
Eve shook her head. “She hasn’t done much flying, but she’ll handle it well. Right, Cara?”
“It’s very interesting. And all the statistics say it’s safe.” She looked back down at her laptop. “And Joe wouldn’t have chosen you if you weren’t a good pilot, sir.”
“Smart,” Brandel said. “Yep, I’m pretty good at my job.” He turned toward the cockpit. “And you’re right, Quinn is tough. No excuses.” He grinned. “A little like my wife. I just got married, and she’s making me toe the line.” He glanced over his shoulder at Cara. “But having a sweet kid like that one might be worth it.” He closed the cockpit door.
Eve watched from the window as Joe got into the car. He sat there, and she knew he wouldn’t drive away until the plane was in the air. Joe was nothing if not thorough.
She didn’t want to go, dammit.
But the plane was already taxiing down the runway, then lifting off. She could see Joe start the car and drive away.
Cara’s hand was suddenly covering her own. “If you don’t want to go, tell the pilot to turn around and take us back. You’re both doing this for me, aren’t you? I don’t want you to be unhappy. It hurts me. Go back.”
“It’s partly for you.” Eve squeezed her hand. “But Salazar would go after me anyway. I know too much. The minute I finished that reconstruction of Jenny and started to try to find her killer, I was on his hit list.”
“But it’s mostly for me.”
“Or Jenny. She gave her life for you, Cara. She wouldn’t want it to be in vain.” Her lips tightened. “I won’t let it be in vain. You’re going to live and be happy. And we’re going to punish all the people who are trying to take that away from you as they did Jenny.”
“But you’re scared about Joe. I feel it.”
Eve gazed at her curiously. “Do you?”
She nodded. “Jenny said that I’d feel what you feel just as she did. It’s happening.” She paused. “Why, Eve? I don’t understand it.”
“I don’t understand it, either.” She had been trying to avoid confronting this subject with Cara. But she would not lie to her. “I can only guess.”
“She’s … not a dream?”
“Not for me. I don’t know about you,” she said. “I never felt a connection like that before with one of my reconstructions. I knew Jenny, I saw her. We had a … bond. I don’t know why. We both thought it might be because she was sent to me because she needed help to save you.” She added quietly, “But I grew to love her as you do. I was sad when she said she was leaving me.”
Cara was silent. “It sounds kind of— Do things like that really happen?”
“You’ll have to decide for yourself. It took me a long time to admit to myself that I wasn’t having hallucinations when my daughter, Bonnie, came to me several years ago. She had been killed when she was only seven, and it almost destroyed me as well.” She smiled gently. “And does it really matter as long as the love is there? Dreams or spirits or hallucinations. Whatever brings you peace and love. I like to think that Jenny and I are better for the time we spent together.”
Cara nodded slowly. “She loved you, too.”
“In your dream?”
She didn’t answer directly. “She loves you. That’s why I have to keep you safe.” She leaned back in the seat. “But I’ll go anywhere with you, do anything. We don’t have to go to this Edinburgh.”
“I’m afraid we do.” She made a face. “Joe has set
it up and he’s probably right that it’s the safest way to handle it. If there is a safe way. I just wish we didn’t have to bring Jane into it.”
“The daughter you adopted. She’s the one who painted the picture of you. Will she be angry that I’m causing you trouble?”
“No, she’d never blame the innocent. You’ll like Jane.”
“But will she like me?”
“Count on it. I’m only worried because Jane has had such a rough life lately. She was engaged to be married, and Trevor, her fiancé, was killed. It was … difficult.” Understatement for the heartbreak that had almost destroyed Jane. “But Jane is coming back to us now. I was glad when she decided to go on this treasure hunt.”
“Treasure hunt,” Cara repeated with a smile. “It sounds like pirates and that National Treasure movie. Sort of fun.”
Eve nodded. “It does, doesn’t it? But it’s been on the horizon for Jane since she was seventeen. She’s just been putting it off.”
“Why?”
“I almost hate to tell you.” Eve’s eyes were twinkling. “Dreams again.”
Cara’s eyes widened. “What?”
“When Jane was seventeen, she was having dreams about a young actress, Cira, who lived in Herculaneum in ancient Italy at the time of the eruption of Vesuvius. I won’t go into detail, but the dreams were so real that Jane became obsessed. She thought she must have seen something on the Internet or read something somewhere that might have triggered those dreams. She started to do research and found there actually was a Cira who had survived the eruption and fled to Britain, taking with her a chest of gold coins that in today’s market would be astronomical in value. Cira settled there in the Highlands of Achavid, what they used to call Scotland, and founded a new dynasty. But after she arrived there, there were no tales, nothing written, about what happened to the treasure chest. It was as if it vanished once Cira reached Scotland.”
“But Jane won’t admit it?”
“Jane couldn’t care less about the treasure. All she wanted was to have the dreams stop and find out the end of Cira’s story.”
Cara’s eyes were fixed in fascination on Eve’s face. “And the dreams about her did stop?”