Live to See Tomorrow (4 page)

His smile faded. “Hu Chang said that you would have come sooner but that your friend, Eve Duncan, was in trouble, and you had to help her. Is she okay now?”

She nodded. “She’s home and safe. But I had to stay and find her.” She moistened her lips. “I wanted to come right here to you, but she helped me when I needed to find you, Luke. I couldn’t let her down.”

“I know that. I like Eve.” He was silent. “If you’d told me, I would have come to search for her, too.”

“That was my job.” She smiled. “You’re just a kid, Luke. Wait a few years.”

“I don’t feel like a kid.” He frowned. “I guess I don’t know what that would be like.”

“I know you don’t.” That had probably been the wrong thing to say. The rough life he had lived had burned the childhood out of him. Occasionally, she saw flashes of it that she celebrated, but they were rare. “And I hate it that I can’t give that back to you.”

“Why? You can’t miss what you’ve never had. Hu Chang says that you grew up on the streets, and that doesn’t sound much better.”

“I was free, you were a prisoner.”

“There is no use arguing with her, Luke.” Hu Chang was getting out of the boat and strolling toward them. “She grew so accustomed to feeling guilty that she couldn’t save you that she’s not reasonable on the subject.”

“I’m completely reasonable.” Luke and Hu Chang were exchanging glances, and Luke was smiling, she realized with a pang. There was a closeness, an intimacy between them that was shutting her out. “And you both realize there are differences in—”

“Catherine.” Luke chuckled as he took a step forward and took her hand. “I can’t realize the difference. It’s hard for me to imagine your running around Hong Kong, hunting for food, and just trying to stay alive. I can only think of you strong and beautiful, the way you are now.”

“I have no trouble imagining your life when you were with Rakovac.” Her hand closed tightly, lovingly, on Luke’s. He had made the first physical move, so she felt safe about responding. He wouldn’t think that she was demanding more than he wanted to give. “But I don’t like to remember it.”

“I don’t mind remembering Rakovac,” Luke said. “I never let him win after I got old enough to fight him.” He added fiercely, “And I like to think about your killing him. I wish I could have seen it.”

“Luke, that’s not the thing to say to make Catherine feel better about the normalcy she evidently wants for you.” Hu Chang was ushering them toward the ornate golden gates that led to the front door. “Though I agree in your case she gave you a gift beyond price.” He nodded at the servant who swung open the gates. “Come along. Is Chen Lu waiting in the garden, Luke?”

Luke nodded. “She wanted to show Catherine how much all the plants have grown since she was here.”

“I thought as much. You take her along to Chen Lu.” He fell back and took out his phone. “I’ll join you later. I have a few arrangements to make.”

Catherine stiffened, her gaze flying to his face. She knew what that meant. He was getting ready to move. She had hoped to have more time to persuade him. How much time did she still have? “You’ll join us for dinner?”

He smiled. “Of course.”

There was no “of course” about it, she thought grimly. But he wouldn’t lie to her. “We’ll see you then.” She let Luke lead her toward the magnificent palace gardens. “Are the plantings as wonderful as Chen Lu thinks, Luke? There hasn’t been that much time for growth. Those acres of wonderful trees and plants were a blackened ruin only months ago.”

“They’re much better now.” His tone was distracted. “Hu Chang and I have been working in his lab on a special fertilizer. It’s pretty good.”

“You didn’t tell me.”

“It was going to be a surprise.” He looked over his shoulder at Hu Chang. “You’re worried about him. What’s happening?”

“I’m not really worried as much as—” She met his gaze. Her first instinct was to protect him, but that instinct was wrong. Not by lying to him. From the moment she’d gotten him back, she’d promised she’d always be honest with him. It was the only way their relationship had a chance of surviving. “Hu Chang has a friend who is in danger, and he’s thinking about going to help her.”

“Are you going with him?”

“No,” she said quickly. “I wouldn’t do that.”

“Why not? You told me once that being CIA is something like being a soldier. Isn’t it your job?”

“No, it’s not. And Hu Chang doesn’t want me to go.”

He thought for a moment. “Then I think I’ll go with him.”

“No!”

“Why not? Hu Chang’s not like you. He wouldn’t be afraid of anything’s happening to me. He knows that I can take care of myself.”

And Catherine knew that, too. He’d been forced to learn how to survive in the guerrilla warfare into which Rakovac had deliberately thrust him. It just hurt her to even think of subjecting him to anything resembling that again. “Luke, Hu Chang wants to do this alone. And I don’t want him to go at all. I’ll try to talk him out of it.”

“Can you do it?” He slowly shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

She didn’t think so either, and she was starting to feel the beginning of panic. She felt backed into a corner. She was frightened to death that Hu Chang would disappear into those damn mountains. Now, she was afraid that Luke would find a way to try to go after him. She had seen the strong bond that had formed between them.

Hu Chang’s not like you.

No, he wasn’t. He didn’t agonize, he accepted. And she knew the fascination Hu Chang could weave when he chose. He would not take Luke with him, but that didn’t mean Luke wouldn’t follow.

“I’ll work it out.” She had no choice. Like it or not, she had been tossed in the middle of this brouhaha. “Trust me, Luke.”

“I will,” Luke said gravely. “And will you trust me, Catherine?”

She looked at him in surprise. There was something beyond the obvious in that question. What exactly did he mean?

“There’s Chen Lu.” Luke had looked away from her as they went around the corner.

Chen Lu was sitting on a bench in the garden. Pure white hair framed a face that was youthful, vivacious, and full of vitality and didn’t look a day over forty. She was dressed as usual in a magnificent silk caftan, and she jumped to her feet with a broad smile. “Catherine. Welcome. At last an audience that can appreciate my garden.” She still had a strong Irish accent in spite of her years in Hong Kong, and her eyes were sparkling with humor. “Hu Chang and Luke just dumped their noxious brew into the ground and took off back to the city to their lab.” She threw out her arm. “You remember how blackened and burnt-out it was. All my beautiful roses and tropical plants … I thought it would take years.” She shook her head. “New life. Resurrection.”

“Yes, it’s beautiful.” Catherine was stunned as she looked around the huge acreage. She had been here when the replanting had taken place. In spite of all the money Chen Lu had put into the rebirth of her precious garden, Catherine, too, had thought it would take years. But the plants appeared to be surprisingly mature, and the blooms were vivid and splendidly healthy. “Wonderful.” She turned to Luke. “Noxious brew? Oh, that special fertilizer?”

“Hu Chang had an idea for a better fertilizer than Chen Lu’s gardeners had put down.” Luke smiled proudly. “He let me help create it. He said I did well.”

“Yes, you did.” Chen Lu chuckled. “My gardeners were stunned when they saw what my roses were doing a week later.” She pulled Catherine to the bench. “Sit down and enjoy the scents. You look as if you need to just relax for a while.” She turned to Luke. “Would you run and tell the cook we’ll be ready to eat in an hour and a half?”

He nodded and took off down the path toward the palace.

Chen Lu watched him affectionately. “What a sweet lad. It’s good to have him back. I’ve missed him.”

“So have I.” Catherine smiled. “And you can’t have him back for more than a week or so, Chen Lu.”

“We’ll see. Something’s brewing, or Hu Chang wouldn’t have brought him to me.” She tilted her head. “I don’t suppose you’d like to tell me what it is?”

“I’m not sure.”

“And you’re not talking. That’s fine. I’ll find out eventually.” She was silent. “I remember that a man visited you when you were last here. John Gallo. He didn’t come with you?”

“There was no reason for Gallo to come. He has his life, I have mine.”

“Ah, and he was becoming too possessive?”

“It hadn’t gotten that far. I have enough problems without dealing with a relationship.”

“That might interfere with your independence.” Chen Lu laughed. “Well, there’s no threat here. You can relax. You need to just sit here and let all the tension kind of … unkink. You have thirty minutes before you have to go to your room and dress for dinner.” Her lips curved in a mischievous smile. “I’ll even be quiet, and you know what a chore that is for me.”

“A terrible burden,” Catherine agreed. “But I can go to my room now, Chen Lu. The same one?”

“Yes, but in thirty minutes.” She closed her eyes. “Now, hush, and breathe deep. Let all these glorious scents soothe you. Are they not wonderful?”

“Magic.” A thousand aromas, all potent and delicious and intoxicating. She made her mind go blank. Thirty minutes. Then she’d start to think about Luke and Hu Chang.

And Erin Sullivan …

DAKSHA
PALACE
TIBET

Pain.

“Where is he, Erin?” Kadmus whispered. “All the agony will stop if you just tell me.”

“Go to hell.”

“Now is that a fitting way for you to speak to me? All those peasants who think you’re such a boon to humanity would be so disappointed in you. You’re supposed to be everything angelic and serene.”

“Take these handcuffs off me, and I’ll show you serene.”

“I’m tempted, but you made me quite angry before I decided they were necessary. I don’t want to kill you before I get the information I need.” He frowned. “You should have broken long before this. I’m getting very impatient, Erin.”

“I can’t tell you what I don’t know. I told you where I got the damn necklace.”

“But it wasn’t the answer I wanted. I thought you’d be more cooperative after I shot that stupid kid. Oh, well, I’ll get there.” He looked objectively at her naked body. “The right breast this time, I think…”

She tensed as she saw the flame come closer. She could bear this. At least he wasn’t using the ropes.

Relax.

Close out the pain.

Go to the place where there is no pain.

She could feel the heat of the flame as it came slowly nearer to her nipple.

Close it out.

Help me, Cameron.

The flame touched her.

Searing pain.

Cameron!

CHAPTER

3

HONG
KONG

Catherine slammed the door of the elegant suite Chen Lu had assigned her. The young servant girl jumped to her feet and smiled at her. “I’m Susan Mei. How may I—”

“I don’t need help.” She had forgotten that Chen Lu always supplied her guests with servants. She had to get rid of her quickly. She only had forty-five minutes before dinner. “Thank you. You may go. I’ll tell Chen Lu that you did everything splendidly.”

The girl’s smile faded. “Perhaps I could run your bath? I’ve already laid out your caftan. I thought that ivory with the gold would be—”

“That will be fine.” Chen Lu always supplied her guests with what she deemed suitable evening clothes. “No, nothing more.” She smiled. “Perhaps another time.” She opened the door. “I’ll ask for you if I need you.”

The girl reluctantly left the room, and Catherine closed the door.

The next moment, she had pulled out her phone and was dialing.

“How is Chen Lu?” Venable asked when he answered. “A delightful woman. I always wondered if she and Hu Chang were—”

“How do you know I’m at the Golden Palace? Did you have me followed?”

“No, I had Hu Chang followed. You’re bound to be with him, and that’s where he took the boy today.” He paused. “Why are you calling? Let me guess. You’ve found that Hu Chang is going after Erin Sullivan. Tell me, did you persuade him to let you go with him?”

“No,” she said curtly. “You know better than that. Hu Chang doesn’t change his mind.”

“That’s right, and you have no intention of going on this mission anyway, do you? You made that clear.”

“Stop being smug. I’m mad as hell. You’re using Hu Chang and Luke to back me in a corner.”

“No, I have nothing to do with that happening. Those chess pieces were all on the board before Erin Sullivan was taken. I just recognized an opportunity. I needed you, and you were vulnerable.”

And she couldn’t deny that was true no matter how frustrating it was to her. “This isn’t what I wanted. I may still refuse the damn mission.” She paused. “But I need to know details, so that I can judge my chances of coming out of it alive and the amount of time I’d have to be away from Luke.”

He was silent. “Details are sketchy.”

“Which means I could end up dead.”

“I have faith in you.”

“Bullshit. Give me what you have. Who took Erin Sullivan?”

“We believe she’s being held by a mercenary by the name of Paul Kadmus. He has over fifty men under his command and runs roughshod in the villages in the interior. Actually, he calls himself General Paul Kadmus. If he could get away with the title of emperor, he would. He has a gargantuan ego and a king complex. He’s been operating in the mountains of Tibet since Vietnam and thinks he owns them.”

“Vietnam?” She stared at him in shock. “That’s been over for something like forty years.”

“It takes a long time to establish a dynasty for the emperor,” Venable said sarcastically. “Kadmus was only a kid when he was captured by the North Vietnamese. He was in prison for over two years and became very bitter against the U.S. When he finally got out, he went to Tibet and set himself up to run his own show. Theft, murder, torture. Governments came, governments went, but as long as they paid him, he got the job done.”

“And no one sent soldiers into the mountains to capture him?”

“They found it economically and militarily disastrous. No one knows those mountains like Kadmus. They decided to pay tribute instead. He has fingers in several pies around the country, both criminal and legitimate. He’s become one rich bastard.”