She pointed to an extreme area to the south. “That’s the northern border of the nation of Maldara. Masenak used to raid over there, too, but after their bloody civil war he found it healthier to confine his raids to north of the jungle. Morocco, Marrakech, Tangier…” She pointed to a mountain range. “The Atlas Mountains. He raids villages more in the foothills of that area than any of the others.”
“Why?” Korgan asked.
“I think you must know. It’s convenient. Everyone says he has a fancy castle up there in the mountains where he hides out when it gets too hot for him down here.”
“You don’t know?”
“No, I don’t know for sure.” She gazed challengingly at him. “Do you?”
“I’d heard a few rumors that he has a magnificent place in the mountains where he stables his prize horses. Everyone knows he’s fanatic about racing.” He smiled faintly. “But you’re the one who’s supposed to be answering questions. You don’t have any valuable contacts or informed sources in that area?”
“No, but I could find them quickly if I had to.” She grimaced. “After all, it’s not rocket science.” She gestured to the map. “Am I done? Did you get what you wanted from me?”
“For the time being. At least you didn’t promise something you didn’t think you could deliver about a trap for Masenak. It’s something to consider.” He looked over his shoulder as Vogel grunted in the background. “Consider,” he repeated to him. “She can’t hurt me at the moment. I can hurt her just by making a telephone call. I’m curious if this ingenious and totally bizarre proposition she’s offered me could have any substance. If it does, I have a hunch that she might prove just the element we need. Find her a room and I’ll talk to her in the morning.”
Vogel muttered a curse. “Those damn hunches. They’re always getting in your way.”
“Only sometimes. But at times they tend to clear the way of obstacles.”
Alisa took a deep breath and then let it out. It had been a tremendous gamble, and she still wasn’t sure she’d won. “Am I a prisoner?”
“I don’t think so,” Korgan said. “Prison is such an unpleasant word. But that bedroom will be guarded until we do a little more research about you. Tomorrow we’ll decide how to handle each other to best advantage.” He smiled. “Though you’ve already decided how to handle me. Just barge right in and hope for the best?”
“I did my research, too,” she said coolly. “But in the end, I knew you’d respond best to honesty and your own judgment about my character. You believe in yourself or you wouldn’t have become as successful as you are.”
His lips were suddenly twitching. “So my belief in you shows how intelligent I am?”
She smiled. “Exactly. Together with the fact that you had the foresight to ignore that I’d tried to steal that information from you. You usually know how to cut your losses and turn them into victories.” She turned to follow Vogel from the room. Then she whirled back to Korgan. “You were expecting me tonight. I was able to get in the study with no problem the last time. How did you know? Was it the dogs? They only barked that one time and it didn’t alert the sentries. I thought it would be safe. Did I make a mistake?”
He tilted his head. “Would it bother you?”
“Yes, I can’t make mistakes.”
“You’re very hard on yourself.” He added quietly, “No mistake. It wasn’t the dogs. There’s no way that you could have known about the new experimental drone I was testing by augmenting the house security yesterday. It’s the most sensitive one I’ve ever produced, and it reported a brief glimpse of you on the property. Vogel followed up. Satisfied?”
“No. A mistake is a mistake. But you’re right, I didn’t know about the new drone. It’s hard to keep up with everything you’re doing in those mega labs of yours.”
“That fills me with immense relief,” he said dryly. “I’m glad there’s something you don’t know about me.”
“I’m sure there’s much more. I didn’t have much time to research when I chose you as a target.” She turned back toward the stairs. “Thank you for telling me.”
“You’re welcome. Though I can’t say I like you referring to me as a target.”
“I’d think you’d want me to call a spade a spade. It’s not as if I meant you harm. Good night, Korgan.” He didn’t answer, and when she looked back, she saw that he was already punching a number on his phone. She had another sudden thought. “Korgan.”
He looked up at her.
“If you really want to know who I am, you should phone Special Operative Daniel Zabron. No one knows me better than he does. Mention my name. Then I promise he’ll answer questions without you having to worry that it will be repeated to anyone else in the CIA. After your discussion with the director, it might be awkward for you to arouse additional curiosity.”
He nodded. “I appreciate your concern. However, I’m not certain I should trust information from someone who’s obviously your cohort. And you’re not the only one who has sources.”
She shrugged. “Suit yourself. I just wanted to save us both time.” She turned and started after Vogel.
“And our sources are very good,” Vogel murmured as he led her upstairs. “He’ll know everything there is to know about you by morning. Though he should have really let me check you out before he let you stay here.”
“I know that would have made you feel better,” she said quietly. “I realize how loyal you are to him. You’ve been with him for years, and it’s clear you also like him. But I’m no threat, Vogel. I admire loyalty, and there’s a chance I can use Korgan. I know how lucky I’d be if I could pull it off. It would be stupid of me to run the risk of ruining that opportunity.” She grimaced. “Though I’m sure you don’t believe a word I’m saying, and you’ll be on guard to make sure I don’t creep into his room and cut his throat.”
“Yes, I will,” he said coolly. “It’s not that Korgan isn’t aware how many nuts there are out there that would target him if they got a chance. But he’s been a risk taker since the moment I met him, when we both served in the army. The recruiters took one look at his IQ and wanted to put him in the computer division or OCS, but he decided he wanted to go for special services. I don’t know if it’s curiosity or that he’s such a genius he just gets bored.” He paused. “If you’re as well prepared as Korgan suggested, then you might have dug deep and found out that info about him. But don’t think you can use it just because Korgan sometimes appears so easygoing. He can be tough and cynical as hell. You’d regret crossing him.”
Vogel was piling on warnings she could have done without, she thought impatiently. But he was important to Korgan and so he was important to her. At least, respect the effort he was making. “I’d know that just by looking at him. And I was telling the truth about not doing research as deep as I should have done about him. But I assure you that I haven’t underestimated him…or you.”
“That’s good. He earned all those billions because he’s one of the smartest men on the planet. But it’s too much money for most people, and they can’t absorb it without resentment.” His glance meeting her own was icy cold. “So I make sure that resentment doesn’t get in his way. You said you want to use him? Everyone wants something from him, he’s used to it. But no one is going to hurt him to get it.”
“Warning taken and accepted,” she said. “I told him what I wanted, and I won’t ask anything else.”
He was silent for a moment. “No offense. I hope you’re telling the truth and you’re who you say you are. But you’re CIA and that means you’re trained to be lethal if it suits you. Korgan knows as well as I do that no matter what you claim to want from him, he’d always be a great bonus prize to use as ransom. I thought you should know that I won’t allow that to happen.” He stopped at the second door down the hall and threw it open. “Here it is. I guess it’s comfortable, but I don’t like palaces myself. Neither does Korgan. It was the only place in the area available on short notice where I could arr
ange the degree of security he needs.” He added sourly, “Not that it did much good stopping you until we brought in that drone.”
“It will be fine.” She glanced around the luxurious suite. “Good night, Vogel.”
“Good night.” He closed the door, and she heard the lock click. Clearly Vogel was following up on those warnings by trying to make sure that she couldn’t leave until Korgan permitted it.
Except that Alisa would have no more trouble with that lock than she’d had with the veranda doors. Less. She’d had to study the XV-10 alarms, but these bedroom locks were standard issue. Vogel probably guessed that and would make sure either he or another guard would be on hand to try to prevent an escape.
It didn’t matter, she thought impatiently. She had no intention of trying to escape tonight. She’d think about that tomorrow if she couldn’t get what she wanted from Gabe Korgan. And that result was still definitely questionable. He was just as much an enigma as she’d learned from her research on him. It wasn’t often she couldn’t read an adversary, but she hadn’t been able to pierce that cool mockery she’d encountered in Korgan. It had caught her a little off balance. She needed to think, to go over his expressions and what he had said tonight, so that she’d be ready when she had to face him again.
But first she had something else to do before she tried to prepare herself for the next bout with Korgan. She reached into her pocket for her phone. The next moment she was swiftly dialing the number.
Margaret Douglas answered on the first ring. “What the hell happened?” she asked tensely. “You should have called me almost an hour ago.”
“I was a little occupied. I was busted. I screwed up. Korgan was expecting me. I’m lucky to have been able to phone you at all. Since he didn’t take my phone, you can bet that it was deliberate and he’s having this call monitored. So change out your burner phone after you hang up, Margaret.”
“Screw the phone. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I told you that I wasn’t worried about Korgan doing me any physical damage. Not that he wouldn’t be capable of extreme punishment if he became angry, but it would involve completely destroying the rest of my life, not taking it.” She added bitterly, “It’s Masenak who’s into torture.”
“You still shouldn’t have taken the risk. You don’t screw up. You were just in too much of a hurry. You should have waited.”
“No, I shouldn’t. We’re running out of time. Yes, I knew there was a risk, but even if I didn’t get the info, I figured I’d only be faced with switching the plan to a confrontation with Korgan. Either way I’d be moving forward. That’s better than standing still. Now all I have to do is convince Korgan I can give him whatever he wants if he goes along with me.” She paused. “Is everything all right there?”
“Better than with you. No deaths. But I don’t know how long I can keep control.”
“You’ll manage. Let me know if there’s a change.” She hoped desperately Margaret was telling the truth. “I have to hang up now. If they let me keep my phone, I’ll be in touch. If not, I’ll still find a way to get to you. Be careful, Margaret.”
“You be careful,” she said dryly. “You tend to think you’re made of Kevlar. You’re flesh and blood, Alisa, and I don’t want to be left alone to face this nightmare.” She cut the connection.
Alisa’s hand was shaking as she stuffed her phone in her pocket and dropped down on the bench beside the bed. She didn’t feel in the least like Kevlar at the moment, she thought wearily. She was vulnerable and worried and just trying to hold everything together until she found her way to get those students away from Masenak.
Lord, she hated this sudden feeling of weakness and uncertainty. She’d had occasional bouts of weakness as a child during the bad times, but it was rare that she experienced it these days. She couldn’t permit it to attack her now. It was intolerable, and she mustn’t accept it. Force it away. Get rid of it.
She curled up on the bed and closed her eyes. Do as Zabron had taught her when he’d first made her his student.
Relax.
Breathe deep.
Let everything go.
Think about who she was, what she could do.
Not what could be taken from her.
Now identify the source of the fear and weakness.
Masenak?
Visualize.
Concentrate.
No, it wasn’t that bastard Masenak.
It was Gabe Korgan. Lean, strong features, dark hair with a touch of gray at the temples. She could see him standing beside that map, his gaze narrowed on her face. Power. Intensity. That super intelligence that she’d always found more exciting than mere good looks. Those glittering gray-blue eyes seeming to read her every thought. It was the first time she’d seen him up close and personal, and he’d shaken her.
Of course he had. He was the most important person in her life right now. She’d known he’d be a challenge if it came down to a confrontation. So think about him, ignore the fact that she had respect and admiration for his genius, realize that he was only a dangerous man that she had to use to get what she needed.
She concentrated, going over the way he spoke, the way he moved, the way he’d watched her every move while he’d questioned her.
Extremely dangerous.
Now ignore the danger, forget him and think only of what made facing him or any threat worthwhile…
Think of the child who had been so furious with her on that day five years ago…
Naples, Italy
“Who are you? The little girl’s huge brown eyes were glaring fiercely down at Alisa as she rode her white Arabian horse across the circus ring toward her. “You’ve been here for every performance for the past two weeks. Why?”
Alisa stiffened at the antagonism in the child’s tone. “Perhaps I’m just admiring your performance, Catriona. You and your horses are wonderful together. You’re as fantastic as that Catriona the Great poster out front says you are. I’ve never seen some of the tricks you did with Zeus here.” She smiled at her. “And you’re only ten years old? It’s amazing.” But the child was still glaring suspiciously at Alisa, so she asked gently, “Why do you think I’ve kept coming here?”
“I’ve seen how you watch me,” she said jerkily. “You’re probably one of those welfare people who want to take me away from here and put me in an orphanage. Do you think I haven’t had that happen before?” She slipped off the horse’s back. “Or maybe you think I don’t take good care of the horses and want to take them away from me. Well, I won’t let you do that, either. Mind your own business. I get along fine.”
“I’m sure you do,” Alisa said quietly. “You remind me of myself at your age, and I always wanted to control my own life. I promise I have no intention of whisking you to an orphanage or stealing those beautiful horses from you.” She met her eyes. “And I didn’t know quite why I came here two weeks ago, but I believe I’m beginning to get a clue every time I come back and watch you. I thought it was about you, but I’m wondering if it’s really about both of us.” She smiled. “Because I’ve been just as nosy and interfering as you thought and found out the owners of this circus don’t treat you as well as they could. But it never seems to bother you as long as those horses are kept happy and healthy.” She shook her head. “Yet for some reason, I found that it did bother me. Because those wonderful horses could be in even better shape, and so could you…if you’d let me help you.” She leaned forward, her eyes fixed intently on the girl’s face. So much distrust, so much wariness. It was like looking in a mirror of the child she had been herself. “Suppose I promise to buy those four horses for you and give you a comfortable place to stay and work that would allow you to do whatever you wish to do?”
She frowned. “Why would you want to do that? No one does something for nothing.”
“You’re right, so maybe I do want something from you. You’ll have plenty of time to find out and so will I. Because from now on I’m going to be here for every performance that I c
an manage to get away from my job.” She made a face. “That won’t be as many as I’d like because I’m certainly not rich, and I might have to work even harder to save up enough money to buy those horses for you. But I’ll be here as much as I can, and maybe after every show we’ll talk and learn what’s possible for the two of us, Catriona.”
She shrugged. “I think you’re a crazy woman.” She jumped back on the horse and turned him toward the tent exit. “Just know I’ll be keeping my eye on you. If you’re lying to me about that orphanage, I’ll know it. I’ll go away and you’ll never find me.” She got to her feet and balanced on the horse’s back with effortless grace. In that blue tutu she looked like the ballerina on a jewelry box. “And I don’t need help from you or anyone else.”
“Certainly not on the back of a horse,” Alisa said ruefully, touching her forehead in mock obeisance. “Truly the Great Catriona.”
“Yes, I am.” She glanced back over her shoulder and said grudgingly, “But since you say you’re going to be around for a while, you might as well get one thing straight. Catriona isn’t my name. Alonzo Zeppo, the owner of the circus, changed it because he thought Catriona the Great looked better on the posters.” She lifted her chin, her smile both proud and defiant, as she stared at Alisa. “My name is Sasha Nalano…”
Alisa could remember that smile as well as everything else about Sasha that day. The grace, the strength, the wariness, as she strove desperately to keep everyone at bay, to keep Alisa at bay…
And that memory of Sasha was giving Alisa the reason she needed to ignore everything else around her as unimportant. Just as she had known it would, as it always did.
Then her lids flicked open and she was swinging her legs to the floor. The next instant she was on her feet and heading for the door she assumed led to the bathroom. She would take a quick shower, and after she finished she would spend more time thinking about Korgan. There must be something she could offer him to ensure that he would give her what she had to have from him…
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