But he had saved her today, so accept the comfort and tentatively embrace the trust as she was embracing his arms holding her.
Because his holding her was making her forget Nicos for the moment, and that was indeed an excellent thing.
* * *
“You’re Margaret Douglas?” Nick Mandell grinned at her as he reached out to where she stood at the cockpit door to shake her hand. “I behold the legend? I’ve been hearing about you, I’ve known you were working in the background, I knew that Lassiter was scheduling everything around plucking you away from Nicos, but I admit it made me uneasy that I’d never set eyes on you.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Margaret said. “I never make anyone uneasy. I don’t have the presence for it.”
“You could have fooled me when I saw you streaking across the tarmac toward the plane,” Mandell said. “You reminded me of that comic book hero the Flash. You were definitely making a statement.” He paused. “And you had enough presence to cause Nicos to fall flat on his face back there. I just got a report from my operative at Montego Airport that there was turmoil galore after you left, and Nicos actually ran into customs to see what the hell went wrong.”
“I’m sure he didn’t stay long,” Margaret said. “Nicos always keeps out of the limelight. But this shipment was important to him and he was probably very angry.”
Mandell nodded. “He said something low and venomous to that goon who let you get away and then stalked back out to his car. There was security all over the place and arrests were being made after they found that explosive device in the suitcase. Not safe for a kingpin like Nicos to be hanging around.”
“What about the dogs? Taro took Ricardo down when he tried to get to his gun. He wasn’t hurt, was he?”
“Are we talking about the dog or your slimeball guard?”
“The dog. I don’t care about Ricardo.”
“I thought as much. No, the dog was fine and quieted down after his handler got to him with the leash.” He grinned. “Though it took a while to make him get his teeth out of this Ricardo. And by that time the police were arresting him for carrying a concealed weapon. Do you think Nicos will bail him out?”
“I think he’ll probably have him killed,” she said bluntly. “He failed and Nicos won’t want him to talk to law enforcement.”
“You don’t want a report on the other dog?”
“No, Pedro will be fine. He caught the bad guy, retrieved the smuggled shipment, and his only fault was making a ruckus at customs. That’s a breach of training. The handlers are supposed to have their dogs be accurate but as unobtrusive as possible.”
“But the black Lab didn’t care?”
“Taro is smart and dominant and I was able to make him see my point of view.” She turned to Lassiter, who was coming down the aisle with two cups of coffee. “But he attacked and hurt someone. Even though the police may consider Ricardo a threat and Taro a hero for disarming him, that’s serious stuff. In the end, Ramirez may think Taro too volatile to work at the airport.”
“You’re worried what will happen to him.” He handed her the coffee. “And what do you want me to do?”
“Buy Taro from Ramirez. He won’t be happy unless he has work to do. We’ll have to find him someplace where he’ll have duty and a challenge.”
Lassiter smiled as he handed Mandell his cup of coffee. “And you have an idea where that somewhere will be?”
“Eventually. It will take time for him to adjust.”
Mandell chuckled. “Are we sending him to the K-9 Corps? You warned me the dogs would be her first priority, Lassiter.”
“Why not?” Margaret said. “They helped us. Why shouldn’t we all care?”
Mandell held up his hand. “I’m not arguing. When I saw Cambry with Juno back at the beach house in Cancún, I understood that we might all have to adjust our viewpoints. K-9?”
“No, they do good work, but Taro needs more challenge.”
“Summer Island?” Lassiter asked.
She nodded. “If Devon will take him.”
“I believe she will. She’s very protective of both you and her dogs.” He turned to Mandell. “Get back on the phone and have your man in Montego buy that Lab from Ramirez. I want him in our hands within twenty-four hours.”
“It shall be done.” His hand made a gesture of mock obeisance. “I take it price is no object.”
“No.” He smiled at Margaret. “You heard her. He helped us. We have to return the favor.” He turned and started back toward his seat. “Now why don’t you come back and stretch out on the couch and take a nap, Margaret? God knows when you’ll get another chance.”
And she had gotten very little sleep last night, she remembered. Now that the adrenaline was fading, the exhaustion was beginning to set in. She followed him down the aisle. “And what are you going to do?”
“I’ll try to nap later. I live on power naps. There are a few calls I have to make. First, I need to phone Cambry and check on Patrick.” He pushed her gently down on the couch and took the soft fleece throw and covered her. “You have at least three hours, maybe more. Make the most of them.”
“We need to talk.” She covered a yawn. “You know that Nicos won’t be sitting still. By now he’ll know that I didn’t do this alone. You have to admit this plane is very recognizable. Even Devon was able to trace it to you.”
“We’ll worry about that when you wake up.” He brushed the hair away from her forehead and dropped a light kiss on the tip of her nose. “Using the dogs might have confused him a bit. They’re definitely your signature, Margaret.”
“Yes, they are.” Her eyes were closing. “I liked doing it that way, Lassiter. He forced me to use them so often. He made Rosa force me.… It was good to turn them against him.…”
“I can see how it would be.” He tucked the throw under her chin. “Go to sleep. Forget about sons of bitches like Nicos and Salva. Soon they won’t be around to force anyone to do anything. Think about puppy dogs and tigers and all the things that make you smile.”
He was making her smile. He was being ridiculous. Tigers didn’t make her smile except when they were cubs. They were too sleek and beautiful and dangerous not to take seriously.…
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“She’s sleeping?” Mandell glanced at Lassiter as he dropped down in the copilot’s chair next to him. “She looked like she needed it. Ramrod straight, cheeks flushed, but not willing to let go until the last detail was taken care of. Is she always like that?”
“Yes. Sometimes she’s worse. She never gives up. Remind me to tell you about the midnight swim we took the first night that I brought her on board my ship.” He reached for his phone. “On second thought, don’t remind me. It was a bit traumatic for all of us. But then, that’s Margaret. I was lucky to get her to take this nap. It may be the last thing I’ll be able to persuade her to do until I’m able to hand her Nicos’s head on a platter.”
“Is that on the agenda?”
“My agenda. She’ll have other ideas. Or maybe not.” He smiled crookedly. “She told me once that death should be quick and torture no part of it, but after what she told me Nicos did to Margaret and her friend, she could be wavering.” He shrugged. “And if she’s not, then I’ll still give her Nicos as a gift. She deserves it.”
“That bad?” Mandell asked quietly. “Then she must have come through it pretty well. She seems tough.”
“Yeah, tough. But she’s not going to go through anything more. I didn’t even know what I was putting her through when I let her go back to Nicos.” He shook his head. “Let? I tried to tell myself I had a choice, but we were long past that by the time she got on Nicos’s yacht. But I was still responsible.”
“Because of Patrick.”
He nodded. “And I’m supposed to use him as an excuse? I’m done with it. I just have to keep her safe.” He looked at Mandell. “And when I’m not around, you have to keep her safe. Because she’ll be going after Nicos and he’ll be wait
ing to gobble her up the first chance he gets.”
“You’re assigning me as her bodyguard?” he asked warily. “It’s not really what I had in mind when I signed up with you, Lassiter. You’ve kept me very busy and I’ve been fairly content these last few years. It’s certainly not boring. But I don’t see myself as—”
“Don’t worry about being kept busy,” Lassiter said drily. “Margaret is fully capable in that department. I’m just telling you that if I’m not available, nothing must happen to her. You drop everything and concentrate on Margaret.”
“As you’re doing?” He was studying Lassiter. “Nah, I don’t think you’d want me to go that far. You’re a possessive bastard.”
“Mandell.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll play the game. As long as she doesn’t make me dog-sit like she did Cambry.”
“No promises.” Lassiter smiled. “Would you prefer tigers?”
“What?”
“Never mind.” He was pressing the buttons on his phone. “I just thought it would be less boring for you.” Cambry picked up and he told him, “We’ve got Margaret safe and we’re on our way back.”
“Hallelujah,” Cambry said fervently. “I was getting a little worried. No one was hurt?”
“No. Unfortunately, that also includes Nicos and Salva. But we stirred up the pot pretty thoroughly and there may be repercussions once he finds out I was the one who got Margaret away. It’s almost certain Nicos will make a call to the detention camp. Hopefully, he’ll make the call directly to Brukman. So keep sharp and call me back and report when he does. And make certain that all the sentries are on alert and there aren’t any leaks from Dr. Armando.”
“I’ve asked the doctor not to make any phone calls to his family in Bogotá while he’s here.”
“There may still be slips.”
“He saw what was done to Patrick. He won’t want that happening to them.”
“Just keep reminding him that it could. How is Patrick?”
“Better. He woke up twice today. Dr. Armando is talking about letting him be moved to the hospital in Bogotá in the next day or so.”
“It can’t be too soon. We’re right on top of that damn detention camp. Then he must be better. Fever?”
“It’s not as high.” He paused. “Tell Margaret that Juno has been auditioning as a therapy dog. She won’t leave Patrick. I think maybe she’s helping.”
“I’ll tell Margaret. Or you may be able to tell her yourself. I don’t think I’m going to be able to talk her out of going to the monastery.” He added roughly, “Though God knows it’s not a good idea. We just got her away from Nicos, and that could mean his goons might be just around the corner.”
“Maybe the doctor will let us move Patrick tomorrow.”
But a lot could happen in one day, Lassiter thought.
Look at what had been accomplished since Margaret had gone to Vadaz Island. All good things that had given them hope and the will to go on. However, that didn’t mean that they would keep on being this lucky. Everything could turn sour in a heartbeat, as it had on the night Patrick had been taken by Nicos.
But he’d gotten Patrick back; Margaret was sleeping peacefully in the next cabin. Now all he had to do was keep them safe.
And find a way to fight Nicos off when he came on the attack. There was no question in his mind that would come very soon.
“All we can do is cross our fingers about getting that medical okay to pull out of there,” he told Cambry drily. “In the meantime, we’ll ask Margaret to have a talk with Juno about increasing the mojo she’s using on Patrick. It can’t hurt.…”
Hyatt Hotel
Montego Bay, Jamaica
“It was Lassiter.” Nicos’s finger savagely punched the disconnect button on the phone. “His private plane landed at Montego at 1:05 P.M. and took off at 7:50 P.M. The son of a bitch spoiled my delivery and then took off with Margaret.” His face was flushed with fury. “She had to be working for him. She made a fool of me. I’m going to make her pay, Salva.” His mouth twisted as he spat out the words. “She’ll be on her knees, begging. I’ll stake her out and let—”
“I’m sure you will,” Salva said. “But it’s a bit late. Do you know how much losing that explosive is costing us?”
“Of course I know. It should never have happened. I had it all planned. It was going to be the biggest score I’ve ever made in Colombia.”
“You might remember I had a good deal to do with that planning,” Salva said drily. “And, if we’d handled it in the usual way, there would have been no trouble. But, no, you had to use Margaret. You gave Lassiter an opening and he took it.”
“I thought he was a fool. I thought Patrick meant more to him than getting back at me. How did I know he’d hunt down Margaret just to punish me?” His voice was savage. “Well, he’s the one who’s going to be punished. They’re both going to go through the fires of hell before this is over.” He was reaching for his phone again. “And we’ll start with Sean Patrick. Did Lassiter actually think I would let him live after this? I’ll have Brukman kill him and send Lassiter the pieces.”
“That may not be the most profitable way of handling this,” Salva said. “We’ve had a great loss. We need to recoup funds quickly before that terrorist group sends someone to us to get back their money.”
“I can handle them.”
“But it could mean that we’d have to devote valuable manpower if they decide to attack us. You know how crazy those bastards can be. It would be better just to let them have their money back and offer them another deal. Why not contact Lassiter and offer to give him Patrick for the same money that the terrorists paid us for the bomb?” He smiled. “That way, you’d hurt Lassiter in the wallet and punish him for taking your little voodoo priestess away from you.”
“Are you being sarcastic? Whatever made you think that I’d ever take advice from you?”
“Perhaps the fact that you’re in trouble and I’m the one who might save your ass?” Salva held up his hand. “Of course I’m not being sarcastic. It was only a suggestion.”
“A lousy suggestion. It wouldn’t be enough. They both have to hurt.”
“You could go after him later.”
“And I will, but now I have to show Lassiter I meant what I said and that I’m in control.”
Salva shrugged. “Do what you wish. But when the bloodbath is over, remember that I offered you an alternative.”
“Screw your alternative.” Nicos quickly began entering the number. “And I’m going to tell Brukman that he’s to video every moment of the torture on Patrick before he kills him. I want Lassiter to have a permanent memory of what he did to his old friend by yanking Margaret away from me.”
“That appears to be in keeping with your usual way of handling your personal affairs.” He poured himself a drink at the bar. “Give Brukman my best. I’ve always admired his skill at what he does. If you recall, I was the one who found him for you when you decided it would amuse you to set up that detention camp.”
“He’s not answering.” Nicos was frowning. “Where the hell is he? I need him.”
“It’s the middle of the night. Perhaps he’s busy with one of those whores I send down there to keep him happy. After all, he needs an occasional change of pace from the duties you give him.”
“He’s supposed to answer my calls. He has orders to be available to me at all times.” Nicos hung up and then called again. “Who does he think he is? Whores? I’ll cut off his nuts before I slit his throat. This is your fault, Salva.”
“I’d like to know how.”
“I can’t take care of everything. When a man like Brukman thinks he can disobey me and not—” He broke off as the call was answered. “It’s about time you answered, Brukman. What did you think you were doing keeping me waiting?”
“Sorry. I was in the can. You know I wouldn’t want to make you—”
“But you did, and I’m in no mood to put up with that bullshit. Things are falling apart
up here and I’m going to have to put them right. I’m starting with Patrick. Tell me he’s still alive.”
Silence. “He’s still alive. Barely.”
“Enough for him to hurt?”
“Maybe. You want me to start on him again?”
“Why else do you think I’m calling you? Are you stupid? What do you mean, ‘maybe’?”
“It will take time and skill to make him really suffer. I don’t know if he has that time. He’ll have to have at least a couple days to recover. Otherwise, he won’t last an hour.”
“That’s not enough. And you’d better make sure he holds on. Lassiter has to see it happening; he has to see what I’m doing to him. Photos, movies … no, live.”
“I’ve told you what I thought. I’ll do anything you say, sir.”
“But you can’t promise to give me what I need unless you have two days to get Patrick up to it?” he said in frustration. “I don’t want to wait for two days. And it seems I can’t trust anyone to do it right. Never mind, I’ll do it myself. I’ll come down there and Lassiter can watch me cut his old friend to pieces. Just keep the son of a bitch alive.” He hung up.
“I’m going to Nalsara.” He turned to Salva. “Patrick is barely alive and I’m not going to trust anyone but myself to show Lassiter what happens when anyone tries to make a fool of me. You’re going with me.”
Salva shook his head. “I should stay here and deal with the fallout from that customs mess. You know how dangerous the situation could be.”
Of course I know, Nicos thought savagely. And it was all Lassiter’s fault. All the more reason to go down and punish the bastard. “I want you there. I want you to see me do it. You’re going with me.”
“You persist in wanting an audience. I could much better serve you here.” He studied his face. “Oh, very well. But I do hate that detention camp. I’ve always thought it served no real purpose but your enjoyment.” He paused. “And I heard you say that Patrick might not be a satisfactory lesson for Lassiter anyway, unless you allow a couple days for him to heal. Why don’t we give Brukman the time to get him in shape while we save you trouble and a good deal of money? What difference will a day or so make?” He started to go through his phone directory. “The least you can do is call Cabalo, the head of that terrorist cell, personally and tell him that you’ll meet with him and discuss how to make it right with him in some way. Then I need you to talk to the distributor and let him know that it wasn’t a double cross. That might stave off an attack when we do go to Nalsara. By that time, Patrick will be ready for anything you want to do to him.”