Fatal Tide (16 page)

Kelby was standing at the rail, his head lifted, his gaze on the night sky.

“Kelby?”

He turned and smiled at her. “Come here.”

There was nothing wrong. He wouldn’t have been able to smile like that if all was not right with his world. She moved toward him. “What are you doing out here?”

“I couldn’t sleep. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve.” He slipped his arm around her. “And in a few hours I get to open my packages.”

His expression had the same luminous excitement that had been there from the moment he’d found the canister. “They may not be as exciting as the one you unwrapped today.”

“And they may be better.” His gaze went to the sky. “You know, that metal is odd. I’ve been wondering—meteorites?”

She laughed. “Or maybe it was brought down by spacemen?”

“Well, anything is possible. Who would have dreamed that a society founded thousands of years ago could be as advanced as they evidently were.” His arm tightened around her. “And it’s all here for us, Melis. All that wonder . . .”

“Wonder?”

He nodded. “There’s so little wonder left in the world. Children are the only ones who have it naturally, and they lose it as they grow older. But once in a while something comes along that reminds us that if we open our eyes and search hard enough we can still find it.”

She felt her throat tighten as she looked up at him. Something . . . or someone. “What do you think is still down there?”

“Hepsut wasn’t very descriptive. I can’t wait to get my hands on those tablets. It may give me an idea where to search, what to expect.”

She laughed and shook her head. “You don’t want to know what to expect. It would spoil it for you.”

He nodded ruefully. “You’re right, some of the magic would be gone. And magic’s important.” He glanced down at her. “It’s late. You don’t have to stay with me. I’m crazy as a loon tonight.”

She wanted to stay. She could tell he wanted to talk, and she wanted to be here for him. And being near Kelby at this moment of triumph had a magic of its own.

Magic and wonder.

“I’m not sleepy. You mentioned arches. If they did exist, what do you suppose they’d be like?”

“You want me to play that game?” He looked back at the sea. “Intricately carved. Maybe inlaid with mother-of-pearl and gold. And when you go through them the streets would be laid out with perfect symmetry. They’d be like the spokes of a wheel that would lead to a great temple in the center of the city. . . .”

“I found the
Jolie Fille
last night,” Nicholas said in a low voice to Kelby while he was adjusting his air tank the next morning. “It’s anchored about thirty miles south of here.”

Kelby’s gaze went to his face. “Did you get a good look at it?”

“Big. Sleek. Probably fast. And crawling with guards. I counted four sentries pacing the decks in the short time I was there. Archer isn’t taking any chances on being surprised.” He paused. “And I saw a coast guard boat boarding the
Jolie Fille
as I was leaving.”

“A search?”

“It looked a lot friendlier.”

“A payoff?”

“That would be my bet.”

“So outside help is unlikely.”

“No loss. Outsiders usually get in the way.”

“Good work, Nicholas.”

“Only what you’d expect of me. Now we have something to work with. Even if it’s not at the top of your list right now.” He smiled as he started across the deck to help Melis. “Good luck down there, Jed.”

Kelby and Melis brought up four nets’ worth of artifacts from the ocean floor the next morning. Some of them were mundane or unrecognizable, but one made Kelby’s eyes widen with excitement.

“Melis.” He carefully raised the object in his hand. “Look.”

She moved nearer. “What is—”

It was a goblet. The gold was dulled and the lapis and rubies were partially obscured by silt, but the craftsmanship was magnificent.

But that wasn’t why the sight of it held her spellbound. She reached out a tentative finger and touched the rim. Thousands of years ago some man or woman had drunk from this goblet. Their lips had touched this rim. They had laughed and wept and loved in that ancient city below them. Strange, it had just come from the sea, yet it felt warm. . . .

She looked up and met Kelby’s gaze. He smiled and nodded with perfect understanding of what she was feeling.

Wonder.

The afternoon’s bounty was not as rich, but there was enough to encourage them to keep them diving.

It was late in the afternoon when Kelby indicated they should go up.

She nodded and pushed upward through the murky water. Lord, she was tired. Her arms felt like lead, and the air tank was a burden she didn’t—

Pete swam back and forth in front of her, blocking her way.

Not now, Pete. She definitely didn’t want to play. She treaded water, waiting for him to—

Something hard and big brushed by her.

Another dolphin? No, she hadn’t seen any sign—

A glimmer of something black and shiny up ahead. Wet suit. Not Kelby. He had a navy blue wet suit, and Kelby was behind her.

Spear gun!

Pete was clicking wildly as he tried to get between her and the man in the black wet suit.

Blood in the water.

Oh, God, he’d shot Pete. She could see the spear sticking out of his side. She swam toward him.

And Kelby was swimming toward the man with the spear gun. She caught a gleam of steel in Kelby’s hand as he closed on him. His knife.

They were struggling, turning over in the water.

It was over in an instant.

More blood in the water.

Kelby pushed the man away from him. No, it wasn’t a man any longer; it was a body that drifted toward the bottom.

Kelby was swimming back to her. He motioned for her to go up, but she shook her head. Pete was moving, but sluggishly. She was afraid to take the harpoon out of his side, but she wasn’t going to leave him. She tried to nudge him upward. He didn’t move.

Then Susie was beside him, nudging, swimming around him, clicking worriedly.

A moment later Pete slowly moved upward toward the surface.

My God, the blood . . .

Chapter Fifteen

Archer didn’t call until after midnight.

“What have you done with poor Angelo, Melis?”

“You bastard.” Her voice was quivering. “You killed Pete. He wasn’t doing you any harm. Why did you have to kill him?”

“I warned you that I’d do it if you didn’t cooperate. Did Angelo kill the female too?”

“No.”

“Then she’ll be next, won’t she?”

“No!” Her voice rose. “Kelby killed this Angelo. He’ll kill anyone else who tries to hurt Susie. You can’t get near her.”

“I have other employees, and it’s a big ocean. I’ll get her. Tell me, did your dolphin suffer?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

“I thought he would. I told Angelo to make sure of it. The female will suffer more.”

“Dear God,” she whimpered, “please don’t kill Susie.”

“But I have to do it. You won’t give me the papers. It’s really you who are killing her, Melis. Remember that when you see her die. Good night.”

“No, don’t hang up.” Her voice was panicky. “I’ll give you the damn papers. I’ll give you anything you want. Just don’t kill Susie.”

“Ah, at last.” He was silent a moment. “And all it took was a dead dolphin. I should have moved before this.”

“Don’t kill her. Tell me what to do. You said you’d go away if I gave you the papers.”

“Stop sobbing. I can’t understand you.”

She drew a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Just don’t hang up. Tell me what you want.”

“Is that what you told the men who came to you at
Kafas
?”

“No.”

“That’s not the right answer. Tell me what I want to hear.”

“Yes, I begged them. I said . . . anything . . . anything you want, I’ll do.”

“That’s a good girl.” Archer’s voice was silky with satisfaction. “You may be able to save your dolphin after all.”

“Don’t put me through this. Just let me give you the damn papers.”

“I’ll let you. But you’ll do it my way, my rules.”

“If I give them to you, you’ll leave me and Susie alone, won’t you?”

“Of course.” He paused. “But you know, I’m going to miss this.”

“Where can I bring them to you?”

“Where are they?”

“On the slope of the extinct volcano on Cadora.”

“Then we’ll go get them together. I can hardly wait. I’ll meet you on the dock at Cadora at ten tomorrow night. You won’t see me until I want you to. If there’s anyone with you, I’ll disappear and give the order to kill the dolphin.”

“There won’t be anyone with me.”

“No, I think you’re chastened enough for me to believe that. Good night, Melis. Dream of me.”

She probably would dream of him and death and the ugliness of Pete’s bleeding. . . .

“Well?”

She turned to Kelby, who was sitting across the cabin. “Tomorrow night at ten. He’s meeting me on the dock. If anyone else is with me, he’ll no-show and kill Susie.”

“I guess he believed you were on the ropes.” His lips tightened. “I almost did. The son of a bitch was turning you inside out. It wasn’t easy for me to sit through it.”

“Do you think it was easy for me?” She was still shivering with revulsion, and she crossed her arms across her chest to try to stop. “It had to be done. This is the moment. I won’t have what happened to Pete mean nothing. We have to use it.”

“Well, you did.” He leaned back in the chair. “And if you think I’m going to let you go alone to Cadora, you’re crazy. We made a deal that I’d take out Archer if you gave me Marinth. You sit here and let me do my job.”

She shook her head. “I’m the bait. I’m the person who can lead him to the tablets.”

“Even if he does believe he’s harassed you into going off the deep end, he’s going to hedge his bet,” Kelby said. “He’s going to make sure you’re helpless. Just the way he wants you.”

Kafas
. He wanted to put her in a place like
Kafas
. Don’t think about it. It won’t happen.

“Then we’ll have to make sure I’m not, won’t we?” She crossed the cabin to look out the window. “I’m not closing you out of this. That would be stupid. That’s why I brought you into it. But I have to be the one to spring the trap.”

Kelby muttered a curse. “You don’t have to be the one. We don’t have to use those damn research papers to get him. I told you that Nicholas found out the location of his ship.”

“It’s not certain enough. He got away from you in Tobago. He could up-anchor and be gone tomorrow.” She could sense his anger and frustration and she spoke quickly, not looking at him. “The chest is in a glade on the west slope of the mountain. It’s beneath the only lava boulder in the clearing. It’s just a three-foot dig in rocks and sand, so Archer should be able to get to the chest in a few minutes after they move the rock. I think you and Nicholas should wait there in the woods until they finish digging. You’re right, Archer will take out insurance. He’ll search me for weapons and bring help along in case I’m not the cowed simpleton he thinks. Can you stay out of sight if they search the woods?”

“Hell, yes. What do you think we were trained for? But I don’t want to go hide in the woods. I want to go after Archer’s ship.”

She ignored his last two sentences. “After they find the chest and start going through the papers, they’ll forget everything but that. That’s the time to go after Archer.”

“While you’re standing there on top of him? The first thing he’d do is shoot you. You’d be helpless.”

“I won’t be helpless. Because you’re going to hide my gun only a few yards from the cache. There are two pine trees to the north of the glade. Cover the gun with leaves and brush at the base of the one on the left. I’ll be ready when you make your move and run toward the trees.”

“Let’s get this straight. You’re
not
faster than a speeding bullet. That was a joke. There’s a good chance that he’ll shoot you before you reach those trees.”

She shook her head. “It’s only a few yards. If you provide interference, I should be okay.”

“
Should?
I don’t like that word.”

“I
will
be okay. Is that better?”

“No.” He stood up. “It sucks. You’ve got it all worked out. You’ve been planning this for a long time, haven’t you?”

“Since the night they found Carolyn’s body.” She turned to look at him. “He has to die, Kelby. He’s an abomination on the face of the earth.”

“And you want to do it yourself.”

“He’s a murderer.” She paused. “And he’s more than that. He’s Irmak and all the dirty, twisted men who came to
Kafas
and raped and hurt me. I never got a chance to punish any of them, but I can punish Archer. I
need
to punish him, Kelby.”

He didn’t speak for a moment, but the silence vibrated with emotion. “I can see that.” He turned away. “And God help me, I’m going to let you do it.”

Nicholas was lounging on the bed when Kelby came into his cabin. “He called?”

Kelby nodded.

“Archer’s ship?”

“No, Cadora,” he said curtly. “I couldn’t talk her out of it. Ten tomorrow night. She’s the bait. We’re the trap. If she lets us spring it.”

“You’re mad as hell.”

“No, I’m scared as hell.”

“We could go after the ship tonight and erase the problem. While you were swimming in Marinth, I took the tender to Lazarote and made a few vital purchases. I can have a couple bombs made up in no time.”

“No, she needs to be part of it. I’m not going to cheat her.”

“So why are you here talking to me? I doubt if it’s to vent.”

“To get your ass off that bed. We’re going to Cadora tonight.”

Melis watched the tender roar away to the north and then turn east.

Kelby was going to Cadora.

The chest.

It was her first thought. She had given him both the directions and location. There was nothing to prevent him from taking the chest. Not even conscience. She had told him she’d give it to him after Archer was disposed of.

But they weren’t rid of Archer. And if Archer found that the chest was missing, he wouldn’t be distracted, he’d be furious and strike like the cobra he was.

And God help me, I’m going to let you do it.
Kelby’s words had been too passionate and intense to have masked cool calculation.

He wouldn’t take the chest. He was probably going to reconnoiter and hide the gun. But no matter why he was going to Cadora, it wasn’t to steal the tablets. She had come too close to him not to know when he was speaking the truth.

She went rigid. Jesus, she had come close. Friend, companion, workmate, lover. In the past weeks he had become all of those things to her. She felt a rush of panic. How had it happened? And how would she survive after she left him?

Emptiness. Loneliness.

She knew how to handle both of them. She’d be fine. She’d been a loner all her life.

But she didn’t want to be a loner now. She’d found something different, better.

So what should she do? Cling like one of the women Kelby had grown to hate? She’d promised him she’d never be like them.

And she wouldn’t. She’d go when she had to go. She wouldn’t be pitiful or helpless. She wanted him, but she didn’t need him. She had a life to lead and it would be a good life.

But, dear God, she wished she hadn’t been stupid enough to open her mind and body and learn what she would miss.

Wishes didn’t do anyone any good. Try to forget.

Remember Archer. Remember tomorrow.

There was no one on the dock.

Melis hadn’t really expected him to be there.

But he was there in the darkness, watching her. Even if he hadn’t told her, she would have known it.

She jumped out of the tender and tied it before moving up the pier toward the dock. The dock was lined with warehouses and there were only two streetlights on the two-block stretch, but there was a full moon, thank heaven. She could hear sounds of traffic, but it was far away.

Come on, Archer. Here I am. Poor pitiful me. Come and scoop me up.

She stopped at the end of the pier. Look crushed. Look beaten. Look nervous.

She shifted from side to side. Her gaze darted frantically down the street and then to the warehouses.

“Hello, Melis. How wonderful to see you again.”

Her gaze flew to the door of the second warehouse on her right.

Archer.

He smiled gently as he came toward her. Cox. Small. Thinning hair combed back from his high forehead. She had only caught a glimpse in the car in Las Palmas, but there was no mistaking him. She moistened her lips. “I’m here.”

“And so frightened. You mustn’t be frightened of me. We’ve grown so close. Like slave and master. Isn’t that right?”

“Whatever you say. Just let me give you the papers.”

“You know about the slave-and-master game? It’s one of my favorites with the little girls at my favorite house in Buenos Aires.”

“Please. Let’s go.”

“She’s so eager.” He said over his shoulder, “Pennig, I believe we’re going to have to let her give me the papers.”

“It’s about time.” Pennig came out of the shadows. It was the same man she’d seen in Athens. But he was wearing a bandage on his throat, and his expression was much uglier. “Stubborn bitch.”

“Now, you mustn’t be angry with her. Little girls get upset when you’re angry.”

“She shot me, dammit.”

“But she’s willing to make amends, and we must be generous. Search her.”

Pennig’s hands were rough, hurting, as they moved over her body from shoulders to feet. “She’s clean.”

“I didn’t think she could hide much in those khakis and shirt.” Archer’s gaze went to the deserted pier. “Was it difficult to make Kelby let you come alone?”

“He’s got what he wants. Marinth. I’m just an encumbrance now.”

“But such an enticing one. I envy him. I’m sure you made the search very enjoyable.” He smiled. “But you’re getting more upset by the minute, aren’t you? I’ll be kind and put you out of your misery.” He spoke into his phone. “It’s okay. Bring the car around, Giles.” He hung up. “How far can we go by car?”

“Just past the foothills. The cache is a mile past that point.”

A black Mercedes roared around the corner two blocks away and barreled toward them.

“The chest is buried beneath a lava rock in a glade on the side of the mountain.” Melis’s gaze was on the Mercedes. Christ, it looked like there were three in the car, and with Archer and Pennig it would be five.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” Archer turned to Pennig. “Take the box and put it in her tender.”

Box?

Pennig was taking a large gift-wrapped box from the shadows and running down the pier with it.

“What is it?”

“Just a little good-bye present. It’s a surprise.”

The Mercedes pulled up and Archer opened the back door for her. “Then we’d better get going, hadn’t we?”

Look frightened at the sight of the men in the car. It wasn’t hard to do. She
was
frightened. A protest would be reasonable now. “I can tell you where it is. I don’t have to show you. You said you’d let me go.”

“After I have the papers,” Archer said. “Get in the car, Melis.”

She hesitated and then got into the Mercedes.

“How long?” Archer asked as he got in the passenger seat. Pennig rushed up to the car and got in beside him.

“Maybe fifteen minutes,” she whispered as the driver started the car. The two men she was sitting with were silent, but their presence was close, smothering.

It was going to be a long, long fifteen minutes.

“A Mercedes stopped at the end of the road,” Nicholas said as he ran back into the trees. “Five men and Melis. Archer and Melis are waiting by the car. The other four are on their way up.”

It was what Kelby had expected. There was no way Archer would endanger his hide until he was sure the area was secure. He started to climb the tree he’d staked out. “We let them go past on the first go-around. They’ll probably station one man to overlook the road and one or two here in the woods. We don’t take them out until Melis and Archer are here.”

“It’s a terrible temptation,” Nicolas murmured as he shinned up the tree several yards from where Kelby was located. “But I’ll try to restrain myself. I’m closer to the road. I’ll take him out.”