But he had cared enough to send those men to the mountain to try to help Joe, Eve thought. And they would never have found Cara if he hadn’t involved them in the search. She was still furiously angry that it had been his initial fault that Cara had been taken, but she couldn’t deny he’d done everything he could to get her back. “Joe?”
“Four hours.” Joe was gazing at Kaskov. “She’ll be safe with him. And you need the rest. I promise I’ll have you back here before the doctors give her permission to leave.”
She felt a flash of instant rejection followed immediately by frustration as she looked at Joe. She wasn’t the only one exhausted. Joe had been climbing all over that damn mountain for two days. “Four hours.” She turned and started down the hall. “I need to call Michael and let you talk to him. He was worried about you and Cara when I phoned him last night. So you stay with me, Joe. Got it?”
“I really need to go back to—” Then he shrugged as she gave him a steady look. “Got it. Four hours.” He glanced at Kaskov. “But I need to know what Cara wanted with you. I’m not going to be left in the dark.”
“That’s entirely up to Cara. You’ll have to ask her. If you’ll recall, I’m the outsider in your cozy family picture.” He turned and headed toward Cara’s room. “For some reason no one wants to let me come closer than the fringes. Imagine that…”
* * *
“It took you long enough.” Cara quickly straightened in the bed as Kaskov walked into her room. As usual, she felt the instinct not to show weakness to her grandfather. In some bizarre way, it was a little like the defensiveness she had felt with Svardak. Strange, when one had been trying to save her and the other to destroy her. “I’ve been waiting.”
“What a pity,” Kaskov said. “You’d have had my presence sooner if you hadn’t acquired two such protective guardians. I had to bother myself with persuading instead of commanding since I knew you’d be upset if I followed my ordinary manner of dealing with obstructions.” He crossed the room to stand by her bed. “And I didn’t wish to upset you since your call completely intimidated me.”
“Stop mocking. This is difficult enough without your making fun of me.”
His gaze was narrowed on her face. “You could wait a day or two. You don’t seem to be in top shape.”
“No, I can’t wait. He won’t wait.” She looked him in the eye. “And I might be in better shape than Svardak is. I don’t know. Maybe not. I probably did everything wrong. I’ve never stabbed anyone before. That means I have to count on his being able to reach out and hurt them.”
“One can’t expect to be an expert at mayhem and murder on your first attempt,” he said sardonically. “You probably did as well as could be expected. Would you like to explain whom you mean by ‘them’?”
“You know. He tried to do it with you. He wants to make me hurt by using the people he thinks will be able to do that.” Her lips twisted. “He was wrong about my being able to hurt you, but he still wouldn’t admit it. But he spelled it out to me just before I stabbed him. He wants to erase me. That means Eve and Joe and Michael. He didn’t mention Jane, but I’m sure that he wouldn’t leave her out. She just hasn’t been on his radar.”
“And did he mention Jock Gavin?” Kaskov asked softly.
She tensed. “No. I was hoping to keep Jock away from him. There was no reason for him to know about Jock. It’s not as if he— There was no reason.”
“Except for the fact that Gavin was the most likely person in your world to appear and draw and quarter Svardak.” He murmured. “A trifle naïve, Cara?”
“Perhaps,” she said wearily. “But I thought if I managed to escape from Svardak, then I might have been able to keep him from knowing about Jock.”
He chuckled. “Truly naïve. Jock’s not going to give up until he kills the son of a bitch in the most painful way possible.”
“I would have found a way to keep Jock out of it.” She met his eyes. “Believe me.”
He studied her face. “I do believe you.” He shrugged. “I might not have believed you six months ago, but something has definitely changed. I thought that had possibly occurred when I saw you on that Skype. You were … explosive.”
“I wonder why? Just because my life had been torn to pieces by a monster who you’d just told me had killed not one but four innocent women?” Her smile was bittersweet. “You might say it was a game-changer, Kaskov. I’d told Jock that I was all grown-up, but that was my diploma. But you know about diplomas, don’t you? You received yours in that labor camp.”
“How clever of you to pinpoint the exact time and place of my coming of age.” He tilted his head. “And I assume that mention was intentional?”
“Yes, that’s where this all started. I have to get you to listen to me, and I figured that might be something to build on.”
“I’m listening. That’s why I’m here. But you mustn’t bore me, Cara.”
“Perish the thought. I realize that my only entertainment value for you is connected to the violin.”
“Not ‘only.’ You’ve furnished me with a good deal of excitement during these last years. You seem to have the facility to draw a whirlpool of interesting people and situations around you.”
She looked at him in disbelief. “You’re incredible. I’m the lightning rod that caused the bolts to strike?”
“No, I caused them to strike. Fate just made you the most attractive target.”
“Fate? You’re my grandfather, my blood, don’t blame it on fate, Kaskov. All of this is your responsibility.” Her hands clenched on the sheets. “You made your choices. A terrible thing happened to you, and you let it twist you into the man you’ve become. I don’t know what else happened to you on that road, and I won’t ask you. But when you killed Svardak’s family, it started the dominos falling all around you.” Her eyes were suddenly blazing. “Including those poor, innocent women who would never have died if they hadn’t been caught up in this ugliness.” Her voice was shaking. “It was wrong, Kaskov. Svardak was hideous and a demon. But you were wrong, and you have to help me keep him from doing any more damage.”
“Oh, do I?” His face was without expression. “I believe you’re overstepping the bounds of our relationship, Cara. I don’t take orders from anyone, certainly not from a child.”
“No, we’re back to my entertainment value again. But I’m no longer a child. And it’s to your advantage to help me because that way you won’t run the risk of losing the one thing that you find worthwhile in that relationship.”
He was silent. “An intelligent argument. How wise of you not to rely on my affection or humanity.”
“Don’t be silly. You’re careful not to show anyone those qualities. I think you might have felt some affection for my mother, but I’ve never been sure.”
“But you’re sure you might find me useful? And how am I to help you?”
She drew a deep breath. She had not been certain she would get this far with him. “The most important thing is to keep my family safe.”
He chuckled. “Really? I believe we’ve discussed the problems I have dealing with Joe Quinn and Eve. I hardly think they’ll willingly put themselves in my hands for safekeeping.”
“I don’t care. Just do it. You’re very smart. There aren’t many things you wouldn’t be able to do if you put your mind to it.”
“That’s accurate, but it depends on whether I think it’s worth my while. And I’m curious to see what else you have planned for me.”
She took a deep breath. “You have to find Svardak for me. He was hurt. He’d have to have a doctor. And you have contacts. You can find out where he’s hiding.”
“Or where he’s making plans to launch his next attack on you,” he said softly. “That’s far more likely with a man as crazy as Svardak.”
“You’re right. Far more likely.” She braced herself. “Will you help me?”
“I’m considering it.” His gaze was probing her face. “You’re not going to want me to discuss any
of this with Quinn or Eve, are you? You want to go after him on your own.”
She nodded. “They’d take it out of my hands. They’d want to protect me. I’d have to go away to do it, and that would hurt them.” She leaned toward him, every muscle in her body burning with intensity. “You’re the only one who would accept my doing what I need to do. It would make sense to you. You’ll want it to be me.”
“Will I?” He gazed thoughtfully at her. “Because you intend to finish what I failed to do all those years ago? I admit there does appear to be an intrinsic blood justice connected with you killing Svardak. However, it really doesn’t appeal to me. I would much rather kill him myself. I found myself very annoyed when I was watching him with you.”
“But don’t you see? He’ll go after me.” Her words came fast and hard, tripping over each other. She had to convince him. “You’re still paramount on his list, but when I stabbed him, it became personal. I put everything about my time with him on a personal level. I was like a constant thorn jabbing at him. He’s crazy, and he can’t handle that kind of treatment without responding.”
“Did it occur to you that you didn’t show the greatest judgment yourself to taunt a madman?”
“It occurred to me, but I couldn’t let him win.” Her gaze was eagerly searching his expression. “And you also understand that, don’t you? You’re going to do as I ask.”
“Perhaps. We’ll take it step by step. I’ll see to it that your family is protected. I’ll search for Svardak, but I would have done that anyway.” He tilted his head. “Whether I give you information that might bring you and Svardak together again will be determined at a later date.”
“You’ll do it. Svardak beat you. It was a terrible defeat in your eyes. It brought back memories of that day at the Gulag. You’ll do anything you can to erase that defeat.” She tapped her chest. “And that’s me. You’ll have to use me to get to him.”
“I don’t appreciate being thought predictable, Cara.”
“You’re not predictable. You intimidate me, and you sometimes frighten me. But I have to try to understand you because this is important to me.” She lay back down on the pillow, drained. “And there are two other things that I’m going to ask you to do. They’re also very important to me.”
His lips turned up at one corner. “By all means, don’t hesitate to state your demands. I find I’m becoming accustomed to it.”
“Not a demand. A request. Marian Napier’s body is probably buried somewhere in that canyon. I don’t know where. Svardak told me he’d thrown her down there, but he wanted to shock and frighten me. He wouldn’t just leave her body out in the open for anyone to find. I think he buried her. Maybe one of Svardak’s men might be able to tell you.” She was having trouble keeping her voice steady. “I’d like you to find her and send her home to her grandfather to bury. Will you do that?”
He was silent. Then he said quietly, “That doesn’t seem to be an unreasonable request.”
“Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “I believe she’d like to go home. That canyon was … lonely.”
“And the other request?”
“Don’t tell Jock Gavin what I’ve asked you to do for me.”
He chuckled with genuine amusement. “Why on earth would I do that? Regardless of my final decision, it would be the quickest way to sign my death warrant.” He turned to leave. “I’ll leave Gavin entirely for you to handle. You seemed to have developed a variety of new attitudes and skills while you were at Lost Canyon. Perhaps that will help you with Gavin.”
She watched the door close behind him.
Kaskov was wrong. Everything she had learned at that cabin in the thicket had merely complicated her relationship with Jock. The best she could do until this nightmare was over was to keep him away from Svardak.
And she might be able to accomplish that if Kaskov cooperated with her. There was never any way of being certain what he would do in any given circumstance, but she might have guessed right about him.
If she hadn’t, then there was still the chance that she could manage this alone. She just had to know what to expect. Because she had told Kaskov the truth.
Svardak would be coming after her.
All she had to do was wait.
CHAPTER
8
U.S. FORESTRY STATION, WEST VIRGINIA
He had started to bleed again, Svardak realized furiously as he got out of the Jeep and made his way toward the three-story, A-framed cabin/office several hundred yards away. He’d managed to stop the bleeding after he’d first gotten away from the canyon, but now it was starting again. Was he dizzy? Maybe a little. If he didn’t get this knife wound stitched and take an antibiotic, that bitch, Cara, might claim she’d done him serious damage.
But he couldn’t take a chance on going to even an urgent-care hospital. Too many questions. He didn’t know enough about what had happened when those explosives had gone off on the mountain. Not yet. Joe Quinn? Kaskov? He’d know soon. Any of his men who had gotten away would contact him and be begging for money and a way to escape. In the meantime, he had to protect himself, so he’d driven north, deep into the Appalachians, to recoup and hide and get this damn wound taken care of so that he could function.
“May I help you, sir?” A sandy-haired man in a brown uniform who looked as if he was barely out of college was coming out of the cabin. “Have you had an accident?” His concerned gaze was on the blood on Svardak’s shirt. He hurried down the steps. “Let me help.”
“Thank you.” Svardak leaned against him as he slowly went up the steps. “Quite a place you have here. I thought I was seeing things when I saw that third story that looks like a tree house.”
“My partner and I get bored in the winter. It’s a work in progress. Maybe next year we’ll finish it. Anything to keep busy.” He was frowning as he gazed at the wound. “Have you lost much blood?”
“I don’t believe I have. It was stupid of me.” He looked at the ranger’s ID tag. “Ranger Billings. I only ran into a sharp branch. For it to hurt this bad, you’d think I could at least have been attacked by a bear. Do you have a first-aid station here?”
“Yes, but I’d rather run you into you into Charleston to a hospital unless it’s an emergency.” He grinned. “Since we don’t have a doctor on the premises, I wouldn’t want you to sue me. All I’ve had is a six month course in basic first aid.”
“That might do. Anyone else here?”
“Just my partner, Bob Duggan, but he’s out checking on a possible fire hazard today. He won’t be back for the rest of the morning. Besides, he has the same training as I do. I’ll take a look at your wound, but we’ll almost certainly be driving you to Charleston.” He opened the door with the red cross imprinted on it. “No broken bones? Anything else I should know about it?”
Not a perfect situation, but it would have to do, Svardak thought. One young punk kid on the premises who could be easily controlled and then disposed of.
And by the time the other ranger returned, Svardak would be ready and waiting for him.
“What else should you know about my wound?” Svardak repeated. “Well, there may be glass in it. You might have to take bits of it out before you stitch it.”
“Glass? From a tree branch?” He was frowning. “And I won’t be stitching it. I told you that we’d have to go—” He broke off, stiffening, his gaze on the switchblade knife that had appeared in Svardak’s hand. “There’s no need for this, sir,” he said quietly. “I only want to help you.”
“There’s every need.” He pressed the blade into the center of the ranger’s back. “And I’ll explain the glass and the bitch who stabbed me while you do help me.” He added mockingly, “It’s important you realize who’s responsible for what’s going to happen to you, Ranger Billings.”
BLUE RIDGE GENERAL HOSPITAL
“The head nurse says you’ve been causing massive waves about getting out of here,” Eve said as she came into Cara’s room. “The doctor just released
you an hour ago. Give me a break, Cara. Do you know how long it takes someone to be sprung out of a hospital?”
Cara smiled. “Sorry. I wanted out. And they weren’t massive waves. Hardly a ripple. Actually, I was thinking of turning Kaskov loose on administration. But I was afraid they’d throw me out in the street.” She tilted her head. “Come to think of it, the nurse was looking very uneasily at Nikolai while I was talking to her. Maybe he supplied her with the definition of ‘massive.’” She got to her feet and picked up the canvas duffel containing the phone, clothes, and vanity items Eve had brought to the hospital for her. “Ready to go. So I’m officially sprung? Can we leave now?”
“After you tell me why you wanted to talk to Kaskov,” Eve said. “Joe didn’t like it.” She paused. “Neither did I.”
Cara met her eyes. “I told him that what he’d done was wrong and that he had to protect my family from Svardak. He said you’d argue. Don’t argue, Eve. Look at it this way—if you’re safe, then I have a better chance of being safe. The family is the only weapon he has as far as I’m concerned.”
“We can take care of ourselves.” She frowned. “We don’t need your damn grandfather.”
“He’ll have his people be unobtrusive. Think of Michael. Think of Joe. Just don’t fight it. Please.” She moistened her lips. “I didn’t tell you, but he kept mentioning Joe while I was with him. He said he’d made special plans to keep Joe from taking me back. He seemed to think of Joe as a challenge.”
Eve’s eyes widened in shock. “Joe is a challenge. That’s why he doesn’t have to have a major criminal like Kaskov babysit him.”
“But it scared you when I told you that just now,” she said soberly. “It scared me, too. But I knew Joe would ignore it. So let him ignore it. But just do me a favor and let me do what I can to keep from worrying about you all.”
Dark Tribute--An Eve Duncan Novel Page 16