Your Next Breath (23 page)

“No … I’ll … do … that.” Her lids were closing again. “Can’t let— You’re all … fire and darkness … no silver … mornings.”

“No?” He headed for the door. “Do you know I actually felt a twinge when you said that? I’ll have to think about it and decide if I need to work on changing your mind. Take care of her, Eve. The minute the word gets around that she’s out of her coma, it raises the possibility that Santos could move against her.”

*   *   *

“We’re on our way back, Hu Chang,” Catherine said as soon as he picked up. “We spent the last seven hours dodging Dorgal and some of his goons in the rain forest near San Esposito. Our jet just took off from the airport. Is everything okay there at home?”

“Catherine, you texted me three times since you left here asking me that question. Why would it not be, with me in charge?” Hu Chang said. “And why would I not have sent you word if there were a problem?”

“Because you’d try to take care of it yourself. No sign of Santos’s people?”

“No. But if they gave out signals, there would be nothing to worry about.” He changed the subject. “You found Montez?”

“Yes, but he wouldn’t talk, and we had to leave him down there temporarily.”

“It isn’t like you to accept a defeat. Most uncharacteristic.”

“That’s what Cameron said. He didn’t approve.” She added wearily, “But I believed Montez when he said that he didn’t know where Santos is. In his own way, I think he’s been struggling against him. And I didn’t want to be the one to make him suffer any more than he has already.” She paused. “How is Luke?”

“Upset that you didn’t say good-bye to him.”

“He would have wanted to go with me. That wasn’t an option.”

“I explained that to him and turned him over to Kelly. I was going to bring Erin in, but Kelly offers him challenges, and that’s what he needs.”

“If he doesn’t persuade her to go after Santos with him,” she said dryly. “It’s definitely a possibility. He knows that Kelly helped to find him when he was being held by Rakovac. You know how brilliant she is at seeing patterns and connections when no one else can do it. It’s almost an Einstein mentality. That’s what she does at that think tank at college. Even Venable was considering trying to use her for some of his other cases.”

“And will you try to use her?”

“She persuaded me to let her do what she could. I’m going to tap every source I can. If a situation arises where she can safely give us help, I’ll ask her, not tell her.” She changed the subject. “And speaking about tapping sources, I’m going to tap you, Hu Chang. I’m bringing you a paperback book I took from Montez. I think it’s his own work. It’s full of all kinds of the deliciously complicated chemical and mathematical puzzles and equations that you like. At least, it’s complicated to me. You may find it child’s play.”

“Really?” He sounded fascinated. “Intriguing. I admit, like Luke, I’m desperately searching for a challenge. Let’s hope that you’re bringing me one that is worthy of me. Does this book have a title?”

“
Maggi.
Does it spark anything?”

“Not at the moment. I will think about it. When can I have the book?”

“I told you, I’m bringing it to you. You want the exact time? About six hours.” She chuckled. “You’re more eager to see all those calculations than you are to see us safely back there. I regret that you no longer look on me as a challenge, Hu Chang.”

“You are always a challenge, always new, always fresh. But, unfortunately, you have no desire to explore the intricacies of the chemical rules of the universe and how to change them. That is why I had to turn to Luke to teach. He is coming along fabulously.”

“No poisons, Hu Chang.”

“Not until he is ready to accept the responsibility.”

“No poisons.”

He sighed. “One must furnish an entire picture. I will have to convince you of that someday. But there is time.”

“I haven’t heard from Eve. Jane?”

“Still alive. The last I checked with Eve, she had called in Seth Caleb to come see Jane. It appears to be a last-ditch effort.”

“Caleb.” She remembered her encounters with Seth Caleb when they had been hunting and trying to save Eve last year. Dark, interesting, riveting, and totally focused on Jane MacGuire. She had heard strange rumors about his ability to manipulate blood flow, but she had not thought Eve would call on him for help. But perhaps Hu Chang was right, and desperation had led Eve down that path. “Yes, that’s what it seems to be. I’d probably do the same if I were her. After I hang up from you, I’m going to call her.”

“Give her my best wishes. I regret her sorrow. She is an extraordinary woman.”

“Yes, she is. I’m hanging up now, Hu Chang. I’ll see you soon.”

“Yes, you will.” His tone was absent, and she knew he was no longer paying attention.
“Maggi…”

“Everything is status quo?” Cameron asked from his seat next to her as he looked up from his computer. “I won’t say good, because that would be too optimistic.”

“No escalation. But that may change once Dorgal reports back to Santos that he didn’t gather Montez into his net. It would be too much to expect that his contacts won’t have known that we were after him, too.”

“But those same contacts will be able to tell him that Montez wasn’t with us when we boarded this plane. Which means that he’ll still be scouring that rain forest for him.”

“Then we have to hope that Montez will be as good at hiding in the forest as he told us,” Catherine said grimly. “Or that Dario will be able to keep a damn good watch on him.”

“Dario will do his job.” Cameron looked back down at his computer. “But you did make things more difficult.”

“I believe you mentioned that.”

“Edgy, Catherine?” He smiled faintly. “I just needed to make sure that you remember it wasn’t my call if it blows up in your face. I admit I’m feeling a bit resentful that I wasn’t allowed to be in control of the situation. It felt very strange.”

“I imagine that’s true. You’re not accustomed to not being king of the mountain. But this is my problem, my mountain, and I didn’t invite you to solve it for me.”

“I believe I’ve been very good at taking a backseat. I disappeared and let you confront Montez by yourself.” He tilted his head. “Then I stood by and watched him hurt you and didn’t step in and gut him. That took a significant amount of restraint. You know, Catherine, I think that you came out way ahead of the game.” He added softly, “But don’t expect that to also be the status quo. I’ve been taught discipline, but I always have trouble applying those principles to you.”

Status quo? Not likely. Cameron was always changing, innovating, doing the unexpected. Sometimes it was frustrating, often exciting, always disturbing. Yet it was true that he’d been amazingly laid-back and compliant when she’d been dealing with Montez. Compliant? What was she thinking? He was probably just biding his time before he stepped in and tried to take over the action with his usual lethal efficiency. But she was in no mood to argue with him right now. She was tired and discouraged. She had hoped for more when she had gone after Montez. “I’m going to call Eve at the hospital. The last thing that Hu Chang had heard was that Jane was still alive and Eve was trying anyone and everything to find a cure for her.” She made a face. “Including a wild card that proves she’s really desperate.”

“I believe in wild cards.”

“So do I, sometimes.” She was dialing Eve’s number. “But I don’t know about this one. I don’t know about Seth Caleb…”

*   *   *

“We haven’t been able to find Montez yet, Santos,” Dorgal said. “There was interference, and things did not go smoothly.” He added quickly, “But we’re still searching. It’s only a matter of time. You know I’ll never give up.”

“Why did things not go smoothly?” Santos asked harshly. “You had money, you had men. Montez had nothing. All you had to do was find him and gather him up.”

“That’s not entirely correct. Montez had Catherine Ling. We believe she made contact with him. I didn’t tell you before because I hoped to have the situation resolved quickly and not bother you.”

“Catherine Ling has Montez?” Santos asked slowly, spacing every word.

“No, she left San Esposito by plane with only Richard Cameron. But she was seen entering the rain forest where we tracked Montez. At one point, we saw three sets of prints but lost them in the forest. But I’ve just had a report that one of the trackers caught sight of fresh prints to the north that he thinks might be Montez’s.”

“Might be.”

“Almost certain. And Montez is alone. Maybe he was on the run from Ling, too.”

“‘Might.’ ‘Maybe.’ I don’t like those words.”

“Look, there’s no way Montez would talk to Ling. He’s been hiding from us for two years because he was scared shitless. His brother and sister are dead, and he knows there might be more. He might not want to cooperate with us, but he’s not going to talk. You said yourself he wasn’t a priority unless you decided you needed him. That’s why we didn’t go after him before this.”

“I know all that. But the reason I sent you is that I knew Ling or Cameron had probably zeroed in on Montez. That made it a priority, dammit.”

“I’ll find him. I’ll deliver him to you. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not worrying. Because I know you’ll keep your word. We’ve been together a long time, and you’ve never failed me.” He paused. “But Delores was always a little suspicious of you, did you know that? Naturally, I tried to convince her how wrong she was.”

Dorgal had always known the bitch had never trusted him. It would have only been a matter of time before Delores would have been able to persuade Santos to get rid of him. “I only wish she’d lived so that I could convince her myself. She’d know how hard I’ve worked to do what you both wanted of me. She wouldn’t doubt me now.”

“It always took a lot to convince Delores. For instance, she would consider delivering Montez to me as a test.” He paused. “So you’ll continue to hunt for Montez and find him very quickly. You’ll question him and make sure he didn’t tell Ling anything. You wouldn’t want to fail Delores.”

She’s dead. The bitch is dead, you prick. “Whatever you say. I’d better get to it. Anything else?”

“There will probably be a great deal else. Ling slipped down there to Guatemala and might have made contact with Montez. Even if she didn’t find out anything from him, it was still a minor victory for her that she knew he was important to me. Thanks to you, I’m feeling on the defensive. So while you’re busy doing what you should have accomplished already, I’ll be looking north to see how I can make that small victory taste very bitter for her. Call me when you’ve located Montez, and I might let you make amends in the way that Delores would most approve.” He hung up.

A bloodbath.

Santos was talking about a bloodbath, Dorgal realized. Delores had always gone for the jugular when the opportunity presented itself. And Santos was always only a breath away from savagery. Fear of arousing that bloodlust was one of the prime factors to his rise to the top of the cartel. He would be smooth and cool and clever, then suddenly release the demons. Dorgal had been around Santos too long not to recognize the signs that his composure was crumbling. It was surprising that it had not happened before. Only the obsession with his plan to make Ling suffer and its initial success had staved off his basic need to indulge himself.

And the only way to reinstate himself in Santos’s good graces would be to pander to that part of him. Dorgal would go after Montez, but he’d designate one of his men to continue with the hunt if it stretched out too long.

He had to be free to find a way to attack Ling directly and be the hero. That would give Santos what he wanted.

Blood.

*   *   *

“She’s out of the coma?” Catherine repeated. “My God, that’s wonderful, Eve.”

“You bet it is,” Eve said. “But she’s not out of the woods. Dr. Basle is flying back for a reevaluation on the surgery. But Caleb thinks he’ll go for it. The graft would be very delicate and extremely chancy.”

“But ‘chance’ is the key word,” Catherine said. “It would give her a chance that she didn’t have before.” She paused. “You’re banking a lot on Caleb.”

“Because he came through for me. Or for Jane. Or for himself. With Caleb, it’s hard to guess why he’s doing anything. But he’s getting it done, and that’s all that’s important.”

“No payback?”

“I’ll worry about that after I’m sure Jane is going to live,” Eve said. “Like I told Joe, I’ll handle it.” She added, “Right now, we’re dealing with keeping her alive and security issues. We had to tell the hospital staff that she was out of the coma, but we’re trying to downplay that we have any hope for the graft. Joe will keep Basle quiet, and we’ll have to do a damn good job of acting appropriately depressed and desperate.” She let out her breath in a shaky sigh. “Lord, I hope it’s an act. For the first time, I’m actually feeling hope.”

“Do you need me to come to you?”

“No, I have Joe.” She added wryly, “And it seems we have Caleb, whether Jane likes it or not.”

“As I remember, she was always wary of him. No gratitude?”

“Maybe later. She has too many mixed feelings at the moment. I think she knows she can’t give Caleb an inch, or he’ll take the world.”

“But he gave the world back to her this time.”

“She has mixed feelings about that, too. At any rate, I’m grateful, and I owe him. I just don’t owe him Jane. Any news of Santos?”

“Status quo, as Cameron says. Montez may know something that can help, but his motives are complicated, and he doesn’t trust anyone. But I’m hoping for a breakthrough.” She paused. “And I still have the dog tag you gave me. I’ll find Santos and give it to him.”

“Do that. Maybe I should feel merciful now that Jane has a chance to live, but that’s not happening, Catherine.” She saw Caleb standing in the door of the waiting room. “I have to go. I need to get back to Jane.”

“Give her my best. If you need anything, call me.” Catherine hung up.

“Is anything wrong, Caleb?” Eve pressed the disconnect and shoved the phone in her pocket. “Is she—”

“Nothing’s wrong.” His lips twisted. “She just needed a break from me, and I let Joe rescue her. She’ll feel safe and comfortable with him. She’ll calm down, and all the tension will flow out of her … until I come back.” He got a cup of coffee from the machine. “You were talking to Catherine when I came in? Any news of that son of a bitch?”