Dark Tribute--An Eve Duncan Novel

by Iris Johansen

  A small piece abruptly broke off and fell into the sink!

  She froze.

  Had he heard it?

  She waited. No sound from the other room.

  She started working with the handcuffs again.

  So damn awkward …

  She finally managed to get the edge of the cuff bracelet under the broken mirror again.

  She pulled up …

  And it broke again! She frantically tried to catch the jagged piece with the washcloth as it fell, but she wasn’t in time and had to grab it with her hand instead.

  Pain. She inhaled sharply as the jagged glass sliced her palm.

  But she managed to hold on to the piece until she could slip it into the washcloth.

  She was bleeding … Forget it. Worry about it later. Was that sliver of glass large enough to use as a weapon or would she have to try again? She looked down at the triangular glass reflecting up at her. It was about four inches long and two inches wide. Not perfect, but it might be okay. It was too dangerous risking another attempt. She carefully wrapped the glass in the washcloth again and put it on the sink. Then she turned on the cold water and ran it over her hand. It stung, but the bleeding had stopped. The cut was little more than a scratch.

  Relief. After years of taking care of her hands to make sure she would never hurt them, she had broken the cardinal rule tonight. Worse. She had risked the end of her music when she had taunted Svardak earlier. And she wasn’t sorry. She couldn’t let him win because she wasn’t brave enough to risk what was most important to her.

  “We did it, Marian,” she murmured as she looked up at the corner of the mirror. “But I made a mess of it. There’s no way that he’s not going to notice that chunk out of it. I’ll have to do something to distract him…”

  * * *

  Jock silently pulled the knife out of the guard’s back and let him fall to the ground. One down.

  But where was Edding?

  Then he saw him standing on the edge of the trail several yards away, looking down at the canyon below. He had his automatic weapon cradled in the crook of his arm. “I’m bored as hell, Nelson,” Edding said without looking away from the canyon. “When do you think we’ll get out of here? I have a woman waiting back in Nassau. Money isn’t everything.”

  Jock moved silently forward. The gun first, there couldn’t be any noise.

  Then Jock was on him. The next instant, he karate-chopped Edding’s wrist, then followed it with a blow to the back of his neck.

  Edding’s knees buckled as Jock grabbed his rifle. “Quiet and you may live.” He dragged him over to the campfire where he’d killed the other guard. “But the chances are slim. They’d be nonexistent if I had more time. I’d much prefer torture to bargaining.” His knife was at Edding’s throat. “But I do keep my word, so you might be lucky.”

  Edding’s stunned gaze was on the glassy, staring eyes of the dead guard only two feet away from him. “You killed Nelson.”

  “He was in my way. So are you. But if you talk, I might forget it. Though I don’t know why I should. You helped Svardak get away after he killed that girl in Bermuda.”

  “It was only business.” He moistened his lips. “Was she a relative or something? I didn’t do nothing to her. It was all Svardak. He’s kind of crazy.”

  “Only business? I’m more interested in what you did here. Tell me about it.”

  “He’d kill me.”

  “No. I’m the one you have to worry about.”

  “You can’t get away with it. We weren’t the only guards, and this isn’t the only camp. There’s another one farther down the trail.”

  “Not anymore. That’s where I came from.” He pressed the blade and drew blood. “I want to know about the other woman, the one you’ve been guarding here.” His gaze went up to the top of the cliff. “She’s still there, right?”

  “As far as I know. I’ve only heard talk from the guards on the hill when they brought me up there to relieve them. I haven’t seen her.”

  “How many guards?”

  “Four.”

  “Where are they?”

  He was silent.

  Jock pressed down harder. Blood spurted.

  Edding said quickly, “Two guarding the mountain trail. One patrolling the area around the cabin. One watching the back road.”

  “Vehicles?”

  “A Jeep parked by the back road.”

  “How close are the guards to the cabin?”

  “The man on patrol, fifteen to twenty feet. The others, within view, but at least thirty or forty feet.

  “You’re being very precise. You’re sure?”

  “It’s boring up here in the mountains. The guys talk, I’m probably pretty close to correct.” He added defiantly, “And why should I protect Svardak? I want to live. The first thing the bastard did when I got here was have me and Nelson bury some woman he tossed off that cliff. I didn’t hire on to be a gravedigger.”

  “No, you’d rather keep another woman penned up until he got ready to do the same thing to her,” Jock said softly.

  “I never even saw her. I didn’t have anything to do with what went on at the cabin. The chances were that I’d never have seen her. The guys up there said that they didn’t think she’d make it past the first night when Svardak put her outside all night.”

  Jock went still. “Really? But no one did anything about it, did they?”

  Edding didn’t answer, his gaze on Jock’s face. “You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?”

  “I’m thinking about it. No one in that house but the woman and Svardak?”

  “No.”

  “Do you know anything about where that back road leads?”

  “How could I? No one but Svardak is allowed to use it.” His voice was shaking. “I don’t want to die. How can I save myself? I’ll do anything.”

  “I think you’ve done it.” He sheathed his knife, pulled out duct tape, and taped Edding’s mouth. “At least a reprieve from me. But that doesn’t mean you’re home free. I’m very irritated that you closed your eyes about what he was doing to her.” He bound his wrists behind him. “So I’ll give you to Kaskov to decide what he wants to do with you. Warning. He’s not likely to be lenient.” He got to his feet. “And that suits me fine.” He heard Edding grunting and struggling behind him as he turned and walked away.

  He called Joe as he headed up the trail toward the thicket at the top of the cliff. “Use the explosives. There are guards within ten or fifteen feet of the cabin where they’re keeping Cara. I can’t get that close without risking Svardak’s knowing I’m there and killing her. Give me fifteen minutes to get into position and take out at least one of the guards. Then blow the hell out of that encampment on the mountain.”

  “You’ve got it. Fifteen minutes.” Joe cut the connection.

  Fifteen minutes. Jock could feel the blood pounding through his veins. It was going to happen. Fifteen minutes, and he’d have Cara back and Svardak would be dead. He started up the trail at a dead run.

  CHAPTER

  7

  Svardak was coming.

  Cara stiffened as she heard his footsteps. She felt an instant of panic before she controlled it. She’d done all she could. She’d tried to wash all the glass and blood off the sink. She’d wrapped her makeshift glass dagger in the washcloth and tucked it in the waistband of her pants. Then she’d pulled the bottom of her red blouse out to cover it. There was no bulge that she could see. It might not be enough, but Svardak’s rage at her might make the difference. At any rate, it was the best she could do.

  The door was opening.

  Showtime.

  She jumped to her feet and was there immediately in Svardak’s face, confronting him. “I’ve been waiting for you.” Her hands clenched into fists. “I’ve been thinking about your sister and how ashamed she’d be of you. You weren’t man enough to kill Kaskov, so you took me. And I’m nothing to him. He hardly changed expressions during that conversation, did he?”
<
br />   His face flushed with anger. “She wouldn’t be ashamed. She’d be proud of me. He wanted you back. He offered me money for you.”

  “Money means nothing to him. He probably has billions. That’s another mistake your family made.” She took a step closer. She had to make him keep looking at her face so he wouldn’t glance up at that mirror. “You took away his music, but you gave him more power and money than he would ever have made on the concert stage. So your stupid sister cheated herself more than she cheated him.”

  That was the insult that tipped him over the top. “She wasn’t stupid. You’re stupid.” He slapped her, hard. “Or you wouldn’t insult her. Don’t you ever learn? Every time you do, I’ll hurt you.”

  “Like you hurt Marian and those other women? But Kaskov hurt your Anna, didn’t he?” She was only inches from him now, and her words spat at him like bullets. “How long did it take her to die? Do you know, or were you cowering in that mental institution she stuck you in? She must have really hated you to put you in that place.”

  “She loved me. She said I was too careless, and Kaskov would find me. She wanted me to get well and be safe.”

  “She made you believe that? You were in her way. What a fool you are.”

  That was enough. He made a sound deep in his throat, and his hands closed on her neck. “Bitch. Liar.”

  She couldn’t breathe. “It’s—true,” she gasped. “Fool.”

  He leaned forward and jerked her cuffs free of the vanity chain. Then he was whirling her out the door and into the living room. His face was almost the deep red of her blouse and his eyes were wild. His grip tightened on her throat. “Why are you doing this? I didn’t want it to happen yet.”

  “I don’t want you to have anything you want.” Her eyes blazed up at him. “I won’t be your damn tribute.”

  He slapped her again, then backhanded her other cheek. “You will, Cara. You won’t win. I’ll win. Because after you’re dead, I’ll erase every trace of you from the earth. Your Joe Quinn and Eve and that kid will all be tribute.” He leaned forward, and hissed, “Look at me. Did you hear me? I promise you. Tribute.” He hit her in the stomach.

  She crumpled to the floor and rolled over on her side, holding her abdomen.

  “Hurt? Get up on your feet. I’m going to do it again.”

  She didn’t answer, she just rocked back and forth, clutching her stomach.

  “I said get up!” He fell to his knees beside her. “I’ve only just started.” He grabbed her shoulders and started to pull her. “You’re going to take back every word you said to—”

  He screamed.

  He stared in dazed horror down at the jagged glass sticking out of his abdomen. “What did you—”

  She pushed him off her. “Tribute, damn you.” She jumped to her feet and ran toward the door. “To Marian and all those other—”

  Kaboom!

  She staggered against the door and grabbed it to keep from falling. An explosion? The cabin was shaking, and she heard Svardak cursing on the floor behind her.

  She must not have hurt him enough. She had to get out of here …

  Then she was outside in the night and the cold. The sharp wind whipping her hair into her face.

  Fire. She could see leaping flames halfway down the mountain. The guards who usually guarded the cabin were running toward the trail leading down the mountain.

  Kaboom.

  Another explosion shook the earth.

  She turned in the opposite direction from the mountain and started running through the trees toward the cliff.

  “Cara!”

  Jock’s voice!

  But it couldn’t be Jock. She was just dazed and bewildered. Or it could be some kind of trick. She kept on running.

  “Dammit, Cara. Stop!”

  Closer. The voice was closer,

  “Cara! I don’t want to—”

  She fell to the ground. Tackled. She’d been tackled.

  Svardak?

  She started to struggle.

  “Cara, I can’t let you—” He was holding her shoulders pinned to the ground. “Look at me!”

  She had no choice but look at him. Not Svardak. Silver-gray eyes, those wonderful features twisted in agony. She stopped fighting. “Jock?”

  “Thank God.” He got off her and pulled her to her feet. “We’ve got to get out of here. I don’t know how long Joe’s explosions can keep those guards occupied.” He looked down at her cuffs. “I don’t have time to get these off you right now. Later.” He was pulling her across the thicket. “We’re going down the cliff trail. I’ll hold on to you. It’s not too bad. We’ll be down to the canyon floor in a heartbeat.” He was leading her down the winding trail even as he spoke. “It’s going to be fine, Cara.”

  Fine? She didn’t believe him, but it was good to have Jock here and trying to comfort her. And he was so smart and he might be able to keep Svardak from getting to her again. But he had said something disturbing. Her gaze went to the mountain trail that was still in flames. He had said Joe had done it …

  Joe!

  She stopped short. “Joe’s here? Joe started that explosion?” Panic was racing through her. “No, it can’t be Joe. He can’t have anything to do with Svardak. It will make him—” She was trying to pull away from Jock. “I have to go back to the cabin. Right now. I shouldn’t have run away. I should have finished him.”

  Jock’s grip tightened on her shoulders. “You’re not making sense. We have to get out of here.” He drew a deep breath. “Look, you’re hurt. I can see it. And you’re not thinking clearly. We don’t know what kind of reinforcements Svardak might pull out of his hat. I have to get you out of here. Then I’ll go back and take care of Svardak.”

  “I’m thinking clearly.” She was staring desperately up at him. “He can’t win, Jock. He can’t kill anyone I love. I’m almost sure I didn’t kill him. I tried, but I only had that piece of glass…”

  “He won’t win.” His hands tightened on her shoulders to keep her still. “I’ll take care of it. I promise you. Now come with me.”

  “Promise me?” She shook her head. “But Svardak made me a promise, too. He didn’t know about you, but he knew about the others.” She was struggling. “I have to go back and—”

  “Cara.” He held her still, his eyes holding her own, his face contorted with pain. “I have to get you down,” he said hoarsely. His hands moved to her throat. “Come with me, or I’ll have to do it the only way I can.”

  He didn’t understand. She was so dizzy and scared for Joe, she wasn’t making it clear why she couldn’t do what he wanted. “Let me go, Jock.” She kept struggling. “He’ll hurt them. I can’t let him—”

  “Shh.” His thumb had slid to her carotid. “Relax. I’ll take care of everything. Trust me…”

  His hands were tightening.

  “Jock?” What was he doing? Her eyes widened in bewilderment. He looked so strange. His eyes were moist and glittering.

  “Trust me…”

  Darkness.

  * * *

  Someone was coming!

  Eve jumped out of the car as she saw Jock’s shadowy figure coming through the trees. Panic flooded her as she saw he was carrying someone over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift. “Jock!” Then she saw the flow of silky dark hair of the woman he was carrying. “Cara?”

  “Don’t panic. She’s not badly hurt.” He muttered a curse. “No, that’s a lie.” He was striding toward her. “But it’s not physical, and we’ll handle the rest. Open the passenger door.”

  She ran around the car and opened the door for him. “What do you mean, she’s not hurt. She’s unconscious. Did Svardak do it?”

  “No, I did. She’ll come out of it in an hour or so.” He put Cara gently on the seat and worked a few minutes at freeing her of the handcuffs. He tossed them in the backseat and fastened her seat belt. “Get her out of here. You should be safe. I called Kaskov when I was halfway down the cliff and told him to send Nikolai and men to meet y
ou on the road. He should be almost here. Tell him to take you to the nearest ER and have her checked out.” He started to turn away. “Get going, Eve.”

  “Stop right there, Jock,” Eve said. “You don’t give me bits and pieces of an explanation, then walk away.” Her gaze lifted to the mountain trail that was still blazing. “Joe. Dammit, what happened to Joe?”

  “He’s okay. I called and told him I’d gotten Cara out, and he was fine at that time. I haven’t been able to reach him since then.” He was already moving toward the mountain. “I’m going to take the mountain trail to get back up to the thicket, so I should run into him when I reach the point where he set off the explosives. I’ll call you when I make contact.”

  “You’re going back to the thicket? Why?”

  “Svardak’s still alive. I made Cara a promise.”

  “Are you crazy? I’ll bet there are probably still Svardak goons alive and lethal up there. Yes, I’m worried to death about Joe. Cara wouldn’t want you to run a risk like that.”

  “I don’t know what she’ll want. But I know what I want.” He looked back over his shoulder. “Kaskov will be sending more men up that mountain to finish what Joe started. We’ll keep Joe safe, you just get Cara out of here. That’s what you said you came with us to do. Now do it.”

  Her hands clenched as she watched him start up the trail. She’d been frantic about Joe as well as Cara while she’d been waiting here. She wanted to follow Jock up that trail to see for herself if Joe was all right. Lord, she was tired of being this passive.

  But it wasn’t what she wanted to do that was important. She had to get Cara out of here or risk her being captured again. She ran around to the driver’s seat and jumped in the car. The next moment, she was driving out of the forest, and two minutes later, she reached the road leading back to Coal Town.

  She glanced at Cara in the dim light cast by the control panel. She inhaled sharply as she saw the bruises, the cut lip, that delicate throat that was swollen, red, and badly bruised. Heaven knows what other wounds she’d suffered that weren’t immediately visible. And Jock had regarded these physical wounds as relatively unimportant? She knew how he would have reacted to them when he first saw Cara. It meant that he expected something worse had happened to her.