The monster must have struck deep.
She reached over and gently touched Cara’s knee. But Cara was strong, and monsters could be defeated. “It’s over. And we’ll be here for you…”
Headlights ahead!
She stiffened, her hands clenching on the steering wheel.
Then her phone rang.
Kaskov.
“Stop the car,” he said curtly. “We’re coming toward you. I want to take a look at Cara.”
“I didn’t expect you. Jock said Nikolai was going—”
“I chose to come along. Pull over.”
She pulled to the side of the road but didn’t get out of the car.
Kaskov got out of the passenger seat of the Mercedes and strode toward her car. “Roll down your window.”
She pressed the control for the passenger seat. “She’s unconscious, but Jock said she was probably all right.”
Kaskov was playing the beam of a flashlight on Cara’s face. “That’s what he told me, too. I had to be sure. I didn’t like the idea that she might have a concussion. Is he certain she doesn’t?”
“Only a doctor can be certain, but he thought she was…” She hesitated, then shrugged. “And it wouldn’t be because she’s unconscious now. Jock said he did it. He said she’d wake up on her own in about another hour.”
Kaskov stiffened. “Why?”
“He didn’t go into it. He was too busy getting back up that mountain to go after Svardak. Evidently, he left that minor item undone.”
“Careless.” Kaskov’s gaze was still on Cara. “I don’t like this development.”
“Neither do I,” Eve said bluntly. “But I’m not going to argue with him when there are still important things to do. Have you sent men up to the mountain to help Joe?”
“Would I dare not do as I was told when Gavin warned me not to screw up?” he asked mockingly. “They should reach the canyon in another five minutes.”
“Then you’ve already screwed up. They should be climbing that trail by now. Joe’s still up there.” She started to roll the window back up. “Now get back in your car and let me get Cara to that ER. We don’t know what other damage has been done to her. Your Nikolai is supposed to be acting as an escort to see that I get to a hospital with her. They should have left you at home to make sure that everything else got done.”
Kaskov frowned; and then he chuckled. “Honest to the point of extreme pain as usual, Eve. You’re probably quite right.” He turned toward his car. “We’ll get her there safely. There’s a hospital on the other side of Coal Town, and I’ve already sent one of my men to pave the way.”
“Great.” Eve made a face. “All Cara needs is to have the medical staff too terrified to treat her.” She pulled back out on the road. “Now you definitely have to come with us to run interference, Kaskov.”
LOST CANYON
“Shit!”
The Jeep that Jock had seen parked near the back road when he’d been up here at the thicket before was gone.
“Problem?” Joe came up the trail behind him.
“Unless the car that was here was stolen by one of Svardak’s men, we have a big problem.” He went to the edge of the cliff, where the winding back road appeared to disappear around a curve halfway down. “Fresh tire prints. I was afraid of this.” He knelt as he saw something else. A minute drop of blood caught in one of the ruts at the top of the road. He got to his feet and turned back toward the cabin.
The front door of the cabin was wide open.
“Cover me.” Jock ran toward the cabin. He paused to the right of the doorway, then dived in and rolled to the left. Then he was on his feet and dodging behind the kitchen bar.
No shots.
Silence.
The room was empty.
A long smear of blood on the floor in the middle of the room and another sprinkle near the front door.
Joe was suddenly in the room. “I’ll take the door to the left.”
Jock went to the other room. “Clear,” he called to Joe. “Svardak’s quarters. Still luggage here and a rifle in the corner.” He came out of the room to see Joe standing in the middle of a bathroom. He was staring down at a length of a chain in his hand that had been affixed to the vanity.
“This is where he must have kept Cara.” Joe’s hand tightened on the links of chain. “Chained like an animal.” He threw the chain on the vanity. “He’s not here.” His voice was hoarse. “God, I wish he was. I want him.”
Jock’s gaze was wandering over the small room, the splintered mirror, the faint trace blood on the drain of the sink, then back to the chain.
Control.
Don’t let the rage take over yet.
Save it. Nurture it. Let it become part of him.
He turned on his heel and strode toward the door. “Then don’t just talk about it. Let’s go hunting.”
BLUE RIDGE GENERAL HOSPITAL
Eve …
Cara could hear Eve’s voice talking to someone, but she couldn’t make out the words …
But if Eve was here, Cara had to know if she was safe, if they were all safe …
She forced her lids to open and saw Eve’s face. She was frowning. Something must be wrong, Cara thought in a panic. “Eve!”
Eve’s gaze flew to her face. “Hey, don’t be afraid.” She was immediately beside her, holding her hand. “It’s over. You’re fine, Cara. Go back to sleep. You’re in the hospital, and we’ve just gotten you settled into your room. The doctors say that you’re not badly hurt but that you need rest and sleep. They gave you a shot to make sure you’d get it. Don’t fight it.”
Drugs … That was why she was so blurry … “They shouldn’t have done that. I need to keep awake. Svardak…”
“You’re safe. He can’t get to you here.”
Eve didn’t understand. “But I can’t get to him … either. He’s … not dead yet, is he?”
“Not yet. He’d disappeared when Jock and Joe got back to the cabin. They’re still searching for him.”
Joe!
“But Joe’s safe?” Her hand clutched Eve’s. “Svardak didn’t know about Jock, so he should be okay. But Joe … he knew about Joe and you and Michael. He knew…”
“Shh. Calm down. Joe’s safe. We’re all safe.”
“No, you’re not. And it’s my fault. I didn’t do what I was supposed to do.” She could hear her voice slurring. “They shouldn’t have given me that drug. I keep drifting off. What if he does something … while I’m sleeping…”
“I won’t let him,” Eve said gently. “Trust me.”
“That’s what Jock said.” She could no longer hold her eyes open. “Trust me…”
* * *
The hospital room was dark.
But Cara knew that Jock was there as soon as she opened her eyes. He was sitting in a chair no more than three feet from the bed, and she could feel him. But it wasn’t enough, she wanted to see him. “Turn on the light, Jock.”
“I promised I’d call the nurse when you woke. I’m not supposed to touch you or talk to you.”
“Turn on the light.”
He reached over and turned on the light. “Satisfied?”
“No.” She desperately wanted to reach out and touch him. There had been times when she had wondered if she’d ever see him again. Now he was here before her. He looked strong and beautifully, vibrantly alive. “But it will do for right now. I just wanted to make certain you were okay. Eve said you and Joe were searching for Svardak.”
“I assure you that he would have been no danger to either one of us.”
“I couldn’t be sure of that.” She shivered. “He’s so evil, Jock. I believe evil is always dangerous. The poison seems to spread everywhere.”
“I have a very potent antidote for that particular poison. Don’t worry about me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll always worry about you.” She held up her hand as he started to speak. “Eve said that Svardak got away. How did that happen?”
&nbs
p; “I took too long getting you down the cliff. By the time I got back up to the cabin, he’d taken that Jeep parked up there and escaped down the back road. Joe and I tracked the car until it disappeared into the trees. It looked as if the road led down toward the next mountain over. He knew exactly where he was going.” His lips tightened. “But it’s only a postponement. I’ll keep my promise to you. I’m sorry, Cara.”
“Sorry? It’s my fault, not yours. I should have stayed and finished it.” She whispered, “I was hoping I’d at least hurt him enough so that he wouldn’t be able to get away. I stabbed him, you know.”
“No, I didn’t know. You weren’t too coherent. But I gathered you’d done something to him. There was blood on the floor of the cabin and a few drops near the back road where the Jeep had been parked.”
“But he still got away. I didn’t think I’d killed him. He was cursing … I stabbed him in the stomach, but I only had that jagged glass I’d pried from the mirror.” She rubbed her temple. “I should have been more careful, Jock. But I knew I only had the one chance to—”
“Hush. Stop apologizing,” he said hoarsely. “You’re driving me crazy. Forget it. You shouldn’t have had to face any of this. I should have been there to do it for you.”
She drew a deep breath. He was right, it wasn’t the time for looking back. It would get her nowhere. She smiled with an effort. “That would have been difficult since you weren’t the one to get an invitation from Svardak. It was me or no one. You’ll have to make sure I do a better job next time.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. There’s not going to be a next time for you.”
“That’s the second time you told me not to worry,” she said quietly. “I can’t help but worry. Particularly now.” She moistened her lips. “He promised me that he would erase everyone I loved. I told Eve that he didn’t know about you, but he might now. You were probably very visible and effective when you and Joe were destroying everyone in sight.”
“I admit I wasn’t shy and retiring.” He smiled grimly. “But I intend to keep him too busy hiding from me to plan an assault.”
“He won’t hide. He’s crazy. He’ll want to strike out as soon as he’s able. It’s my fault. He hates me now as much as he does Kaskov.” Her hand clenched on the sheet. “Maybe more. That’s okay as long as it’s just me. But he mustn’t touch anyone else. I can’t let him do that.”
“Will you shut up?” He was suddenly beside her, his hands cradling her cheeks. “Look at you, dammit. Bruises on your face and body. Split lip. Eve said they even found a cracked rib. No telling what kind of other emotional and mental trauma. He hurt you.” His eyes were blazing down at her, his mouth drawn back from his teeth. “And he’s never going to touch you again. Not ever. So don’t give me that bullshit about keeping everyone else safe from the son of a bitch. He’s not going to live that long.”
“But you didn’t find him yet,” she said quietly. “He got away from the canyon. He’s still out there.”
“I’ll find him.” His hands gathered her two hands in his own. He said through set teeth, “But I have to know everything he did to you. So that I’ll know how long I keep him alive and in agony before I put him down like a rabid animal.”
“Do you think I’d tell you that?” She pulled her hands away from him. “The last thing I want is for you to torture and kill for me. One thing I found out from all this is that I’ve let myself be a victim all my life. I let my friend, Elena, protect me when I was a little girl on the run. Later I let you and Eve and Joe protect me and fight for me. I can’t let it happen again. When I get out of this hospital, I’ll be the one who goes after Svardak.”
“Wrong.”
She looked deep into his eyes. “No, Jock. It stops here. If you won’t accept it, walk away from me. Svardak made me a victim, and I’m taking it back. And I won’t let him make a victim of anyone else in my name.” She closed her eyes. “You can turn off the light now.”
He didn’t move.
She could sense his frustration … and his pain.
She didn’t open her eyes. “I’ll tell you three things about my time with Svardak; and then I’m not mentioning it ever again. One, it became a battle between us, and I won as many as I lost. Two, those battles did not involve rape. Three, I have to win the final battle, and no one else can win it for me. I owe it to Marian and all those other women he called his damn tribute.” She turned over on her side. “Good night, Jock. Will you turn out the light now?”
He slowly got to his feet, and she heard the click of the light switch. She could sense him just standing there in the dark, staring at her. He finally asked jerkily, “Why did you mention that he hadn’t raped you?”
“Because I thought it would bother you not knowing. You would have been afraid it would mean too much to me.”
“Aye,” he said thickly. “You could say that. Imagine me worrying about a tough little cookie like you. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, Cara.”
She heard the whoosh of the door as he left the room.
Tough little cookie? She didn’t feel anywhere near that description, she thought wearily. Those last minutes had been terribly painful. She had been hard and firm when she had only wanted to go into his arms and be held and comforted.
But that had been necessary in this new world she found herself in, the world Svardak had created for her. A world where every emotion was deeper, stronger because she had learned she had to fight to hold on to them. She had not thought she could love Jock any more than she had before. But as she had lain here and watched his face and heard him speak, it had been the difference between a lazy river and a deep ocean. She knew it would be the same with all the other people she cared about.
She wasn’t sure that Jock had understood, and it hurt her, because he always understood everything about her. But she would work until he did understand and begin to accept her as she was now. She had to do it no matter how long it took.
Because there was no way on earth she would lose that battle to Svardak.
6:10 A.M.
“How is she?” Joe asked Eve as he strode down the hospital corridor toward her. “I talked to Jock, and all he’d say is that we have to find Svardak.” He took her in his arms. “As if I didn’t know that.” He kissed the top of her head and held her close. “I’ve been up in the mountains trying to find someone to question about his whereabouts. I’ll know more when we interrogate some of the prisoners Kaskov’s men took there. The bastard seems to have just disappeared.”
“That doesn’t mean he won’t reappear,” Eve said as she held him close for another instant and stepped back. “Cara thinks he will.” Her lips twisted. “And who should know better? She’s terrified of him.”
“She didn’t let him see it. She stabbed the son of a bitch.”
“I know. Completely foreign to anything our Cara would normally do.” She shuddered. “She’s not afraid for herself. Jock said she’s afraid for us. And that’s worse, Joe. I’d much rather we could count on her hiding out and cowering in a cave somewhere.”
“It will get better. We don’t even know what kind of hell she’s gone through.” He looked down at her. “But I know what kind of hell you’ve gone through.” He gently touched the dark circles beneath her eyes. “When did you sleep last?”
“Probably about the same time you did,” she said impatiently. “And you can’t wait to get back out there and go hunting with Jock again. Do you think I’m going to leave Cara? She’s never been more vulnerable in her life.”
“I beg to differ.” Kaskov was walking down the corridor toward them. “Cara doesn’t impress me as being that fragile at the moment.” He glanced at Eve. “Neither do you, but you appear to be very tired and stressed.” His gaze shifted to Joe. “Why don’t you take her away from here and stay with her until she’s better?”
“Go to hell,” Joe said coldly.
“That’s no doubt my eventual destiny, but I don’t appreciate your giving me orders.�
� His tone was deadly soft. “But I’ll forgive you since the suggestion that I gave you was not mine but Cara’s.” He turned to Eve. “I received a call from Cara an hour ago on my number routed through Moscow. Naturally, I picked up since it was only five in the morning, and I was concerned.”
Eve’s gaze flew to the door to Cara’s room. “I returned her phone to her the moment that we got her settled. But why would she call you?”
“I’m about to go in and find out. But she gave me orders to make certain that you and Quinn were doing well and resting before I entered her presence.”
“Orders? You?” Joe echoed skeptically.
“I admit I was a bit surprised,” Kaskov said. “And intrigued.” He turned back to Eve. “But I believe she really meant that she wanted me to be sure that I was keeping you both safe while she bothered with talking to me.” He gestured to Nikolai, who was standing near the elevator. “So Nikolai has taken over guarding her hospital room so that you’ll be free to get some rest. I think you can trust him.”
“No,” she said succinctly. “He belongs to you. He’s your man and your man alone.”
“True. And he has my orders that no one is to come near Cara.” He said to Joe, “Didn’t I do everything possible to help you in the canyon last night?”
Joe nodded slowly. “I could have used a few more prisoners to interrogate. You were a little too efficient.”
“Well, you can’t have it all ways. I was annoyed that I’d not been able to get to Cara sooner. And several of them escaped before we even got there. Your fault, not mine. But we still have a few left. Did you find out anything from the ones you captured?”
“Not yet.”
“Then give it up and rest for a few hours. You probably won’t lose anything. No doubt Gavin will still be working on it now that he knows Cara is safe. But we all realize what drives him.” He sighed as he studied their faces. “Or go and stand guard over Cara and have her waste her energy arguing when she only wanted a few minutes to talk to me. Why should I care?”
Dark Tribute--An Eve Duncan Novel Page 15