"Shhh." Niler checked the laptop display screen. "I think this may be him. Are we ready?"
Hannah and Kirov adjusted their headphones and nodded.
Niler pushed the TALK button. "Speak to me."
"You're the one who insisted on this conversation," the caller said impatiently. "Perhaps you should speak to me."
Russian accent, sharp, precise enunciation. Pavski. The knowledge that he was on the other end of the line made Hannah's chest tighten. She glanced at Kirov.
His grim expression confirmed it.
"I've had a few problems lately," Niler said. "A few seconds- and thirds-in-command have been placing orders without their bosses' okay, and I've had trouble collecting payments."
"How foolish," Pavski said. "It's not a good idea to anger some-one in your profession."
"I took care of the problem. Anyway, I recognize your voice. Your package will be ready this weekend."
"No, I want it tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yes. I'm on my way there now. Same plan, same place, just a different day."
"But your devices aren't ready."
"Make them ready."
Niler was clearly flustered. "It's-It's not that simple. Your man said-"
"Forget what he said. You're talking to me now. That's what you wanted, isn't it? To hear it from me?"
"Yes, but I-"
"Is the deal on or off? Because if you can't deliver, I need to make other arrangements."
Niler paused. "I can deliver."
"Good."
"It might help if I knew what you're trying to protect."
Silence. "It's not like you to ask so many questions."
"Different objects have different properties," Niler said. "Some materials are better able to absorb shock waves than others. It would be helpful for me to know-"
"It's nonexplosive, nonflammable material. Do your best."
"I always do."
"Good. See you tomorrow."
Click.
Niler switched off the phone.
Hannah threw off her headphones. "Tomorrow?"
"I'm really not surprised," Kirov said. "Pavski likes to keep the people around him slightly off-balance. It's his way of assuring that he always has the upper hand."
"There's another explanation," Hannah said. "He's already found the stash, and he's in a hurry to get your sentry bombs in place to protect it."
"In any case, this moves things up a few days." Kirov turned to Niler. "Can you be ready?"
He shrugged. "Looks like I'll have to be, doesn't it?"
"Do you need anything from us?"
Niler smiled. "I saw the looks on both of your faces when his voice came through. When you finally lay eyes on him, all I'll need is a chance to get the hell out of your way."
SEVENTEEN
Blood.
Gray sweater.
Conner!
Hannah sat up straight in bed, sweating, panting.
Dear God.
Just a nightmare. No, more than that. It had been a reliving of that night in every detail.
Pain.
She got out of bed and went into the bathroom and drank a glass of water.
Conner.
Why was the shock and pain hitting her like this tonight? She'd managed to keep it at bay after the first few nights.
Because tomorrow she might be facing his murderer.
And she might be killing a man.
Don't think about it. What had to be done would be done.
But she couldn't go back to bed yet and risk another nightmare.
She pulled on her jeans and a shirt and headed for the door. She'd walk on the beach and try to exhaust herself enough to sleep without dreams.
The moon was bright and the surf was gentle.
Conner had never liked a quiet surf. He'd always been excited by crashing waves.
Walk fast.
Try not to think.
"Hannah."
Kirov. She stopped and turned to watch him coming toward her. "I don't want company, Kirov."
He studied her expression. "I can see that. You're getting it anyway."
She turned and walked away. "How did you get here?"
"I was coming back to my room, and I saw you leave."
"It's the middle of the night. What were you doing?"
"Maybe I was taking a midnight stroll too." He paused. "Nerves?"
She nodded jerkily. "I'll be okay."
"I know you will." He walked beside her in silence for a few moments. "You can change your mind."
"I'm not changing my mind." She walked faster. "I had a dream about Conner tonight. It was just like that night and he was-There's no way I could back out."
"I guess not. Just thought I'd offer."
She glanced at him. "Do you have nightmares, Kirov? I'd think you would."
"Because of the men I've killed?" He shook his head. "Only about the Pavski killed. I used to dream every night about my crewmen dying on the sub, wondering where I was, and reaching their hands out to me and begging me to die with them."
She shuddered. "Horrible."
"It was probably born of guilt. A captain is responsible for his crew and his ship. He should be with them to the end."
"You couldn't be there."
"My mind knows that. My emotions aren't at all reasonable. I've been trained to duty since childhood." He stopped. "Could we sit down? I'm tired of running a marathon. Tomorrow may be a taxing day."
"I told you not to come-" She shrugged and sat down on the sand. She linked her arms around her knees and stared out at the surf. "Do you think he'll come?"
He dropped down beside her. "Pavski? I don't know. There's a fair chance. It's worth a shot."
"What if he doesn't?"
"Maybe try to snag the man who delivers the cash. We'll play it by ear."
"Just like that? I don't believe this is something I want to be extemporaneous about."
"Then walk away."
"Stop saying that." Her hands clenched into fists. "If he doesn't come to us, we have to go after the cradle. That will draw him to us."
"No doubt. It's his beacon in the night."
"Then let's light it and lead him to hell. Tell me what I have to know to find it."
"If I knew that, I'd have found it already."
"You were interested in that mythology book."
"Because it wasn't mine. That means it could be Heiser's. Anything to do with Heiser is crucial."
"You said that the only clue could be the conversation between Heiser and his father."
"And that the area Heiser mentioned visiting with his father as a child was searched by everyone. Pavski, included."
"What about you?"
He nodded. "Me, too. Nothing."
"Maybe you missed something in the conversation with his father."
He shook his head. "I have the transcript if you'd like to read it."
"What about Heiser's father? Surely you talked to him?"
"No, I was on the run. It was nine months before I could get to Moscow to see him. By that time he was dead."
"How?"
He shrugged. "Pavski or the GRU. He was shot in a train station near his town. He was probably trying to run away. The poor bastard was no match for them. He was a professor of literature, for God's sake. But evidently he was killed before he was forced to tell what he knew, or Pavski would have the cradle."
Another death to be laid at the door of the cradle, she thought bitterly. "What about the contents of that package that Petrenko gave Pavski?"
"I haven't heard from Eugenia yet on it. She hasn't had much time since she got to Moscow. She'll get there."
"It's like chasing a will-o'-the-wisp," she said in frustration. "We don't know anything."
"And that's why we're not counting on finding it. Much better to go after Pavski directly."
She nodded. "I guess so. It's just that I want to be sure."
"And you like to be in control, and there
's nothing certain about anything we're doing."
She nodded ruefully. "You probably feel the same way."
"But I've had to develop patience over the years. This meeting tomorrow is as close as I've come to getting him. So I'm not nearly as discouraged as you are. One step at a time, Hannah."
But every step was like walking on barbed wire. "I could use a few giant steps."
"I know." His hand reached out to cover her own. "I wish I could give them to you."
She looked down at his big hand enveloping hers. Her hand was not small, and more capable than attractive, yet it seemed fragile and very womanly in his grasp. She felt womanly. Her palm was suddenly ultrasensitive, and she could feel a tingling moving up her wrist and arm.
Jesus. Her chest was suddenly tight, and her breathing was becoming rapid, shallow. The pulse was pounding erratically in the hollow of her throat. What an idiotic response. For God's sake, he was just holding her hand.
She jerked her hand away. She tried to remember what he had been saying. "You're doing the best you can." She got to her feet. "It's just that I'm not at all patient." She started back toward the hotel. "I'm going to go back to the hotel and try to get to sleep. Coming?"
"No." He stayed where he sat on the sand. "I'll watch until you get safely back in your room from here. Lock your door."
"I always do."
She glanced back at him when she reached the hotel. His body language was relaxed and yet she was still aware of the alertness and strength that characterized his every movement.
Sometimes there's a stillness about him that's very erotic.
Eugenia again. Dammit, she didn't need to remember Eugenia's words about the explosiveness that lay beneath that deceptive stillness. She was entirely too aware of everything about Kirov.
He made a shooing motion as if to whisk her into her hotel room.
Bossy bastard.
She deliberately slowed her pace until she reached her door. Then she turned and gave him the finger.
Kirov chuckled with amusement as he watched the door close behind Hannah.
That last irreverent gesture was just what he would have expected from Hannah, and she never disappointed. In spite of her frustration and nervousness about tomorrow she still remained strong and intelligent and driven. What an amazing woman.
His smile faded as his gaze shifted back to the surf. He needed this time alone with the sea. It always brought him peace and clarity of mind. From the time he was a boy, he had come to the sea with his sorrows and his triumphs. The sea had tempered his arrogance and given him a sense of his own mortality. And, yet, it had created a web of power and challenge that could never be matched by any other experience. The sea had become his servant and his master, his lover and his enemy.
And being captain of the Silent Thunder had made him feel like a god from Olympus. Surrounded by power and able to loose lightning bolts.
Mythology, again.
Forget mythology, forget the cradle.
Just enjoy these moments of peace and rebirth before the chaos begins again.
BOSTON
3:35 A.M.
Get up, Ronnie." Cathy tried to keep the fear from her voice. "Get up, honey."
"Mom?" Ronnie sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. "It's still dark."
"We have to leave." She came into his room and took his gym bag out of the closet. "Please don't ask questions. Just get your sister out of bed and come back here. Don't scare her. Tell her it's a game we're playing. I thought it would be less frightening for her if you were the one who woke her."
"Game? What kind of-" He stopped as he saw her face. "What's wrong?"
"No questions. We'll talk later." She forced a smile. "Just do what I tell you, okay?"
He didn't speak for a minute. "Okay." Then he swung his feet to the floor. "What kind of game?" he repeated. "Should I keep her quiet?"
"If you can."
"I can do it. She'll think it's fun." He headed for the door. "I'll think of something."
Bless him.
She quickly finished packing his gym bag and ran to the window.
The street below was empty.
They weren't coming yet.
Or were they?
Headlights were spearing the darkness as a car turned the corner two blocks down.
Her heart leaped in her chest.
Oh, God.
She whirled, ran out of the room and down the hall to Donna's room. She'd whisk them out the basement door and maybe…
Christ, this couldn't be happening. Not to her kids.
"I'm trying to keep them safe, Conner," she whispered. "Help me…"
BAY COUNTY FARMERS MARKET
It's crowded for a weekday," Hannah commented, as she and Kirov pulled into the parking lot adjacent to the dozens of open-air stalls lining Atlantic Avenue. The area was mobbed with shoppers, each perusing the vendors' selections of fresh fruits and vegetables.
"Do you think Pavski's here yet?"
"I don't see him." Kirov shrugged. "But then again, I wouldn't. He won't show himself until he has to." His gaze was darting around the market, assessing every building, every car, every person, every square inch of the area.
Hannah watched him. "This obviously isn't a new experience for you."
"Finding myself in the same place with someone who wants to kill me as much as I want to kill him?" He smiled slightly. "Oh, I've been in this position a few times before."
"I haven't," Hannah said.
"Is it bothering you? If you want a reason beside revenge, you can add survival. Pavski has no compunction about killing anyone who stands in his way. You fill that bill nicely."
"Revenge is reason enough."
"I agree." Kirov pointed to Niler's Z-98, parked a hundred yards away at a lighthouse-themed restaurant. "There's Niler. I promised to let him finish his transaction before moving in. We'll leave just before Pavski and block his exit onto the main road. You stay in the car." Kirov opened his jacket to reveal an automatic handgun. "I'll do the rest."
This was real. She was actually going to help kill a man.
"If something happens to me, don't wait," Kirov said. "Get behind the wheel and take off. Call Bradworth as soon as you can."
"You mean if he kills you." Hannah's voice was shaking. "Bullshit. He's already taken years from you. If he takes what's left, he wins. Don't you dare be stupid enough to let him do that."
He smiled. "I'll make every attempt to keep myself from making that much of an ass of myself."
Niler spotted Kirov and Hannah across the parking lot, sitting in the front seat of their rental car.
Cool people, he thought regretfully. He respected Kirov, and he was beginning to have a yen for Hannah Bryson. Too bad their time together had come to an end.
His cell phone rang, and he answered. "Yo."
"I have a visual confirmation on Kirov and the woman. You may proceed."
Niler glanced around. Where the hell was the spotter calling from? The upper tower of the restaurant, perhaps?
The man spoke again. "Any questions?"
"No questions."
"Then take care of it."
"Will do."
Niler cut the connection.
He wasn't looking forward to this.
He lifted the tiny remote and stared at it. One press, one squeeze, and twenty-four ounces of plastique would incinerate Kirov and Hannah's car, and their lives would come to an end.
Shit.
He stared across the parking lot at Kirov and Hannah. When they woke up that morning, they had no idea that every activity would be their last. Their last cup of coffee. Their last shower. Their last meal.
He hated this. It was better to pass the devices to someone else and let them do what they wanted. He was an artist, not a killer.
Christ.
He fingered the remote. If he didn't do it, Pavski's men would come down and finish them off anyway.
Fucking Pavski. The bastard didn't even bother to show
up himself.
Get it over with. He spoke under his breath, "Three… two… one."
He pushed the button.
Whroom.
The explosion rocked the entire parking lot, blowing out the windows of the restaurant and dozens of nearby cars.
Hannah gasped at the sight of Niler's vehicle flipping over and landing on its roof, instantly transformed into half a dozen piles of burning, twisted metal.
She stared in shock at the spot where Niler had sat only seconds before. "My God…"
Kirov started the engine and peeled out of the parking space.
Hannah whirled toward him. "What are you doing?"
"Getting away while we still can."
"But Niler is…"
"Dead. Blown to smithereens."
She felt sick. She shook her head dazedly. "What the hell happened?"
"Niler made that bomb. He meant it for us."
"What?"
Kirov checked the rearview. "I found it fastened to the underside of our car last night. I merely put it back where it belonged. If Niler hadn't tried to detonate it, he'd be alive and well."
"He just tried to kill us?"
"Surprised?"
Before Hannah could answer, the rear window shattered.
"Get down!" Kirov pushed her head forward. He slouched in his seat and glanced at the side mirror. "Two men in a black Lexus behind us." He muttered a curse. "I don't think either them is Pavski. That would have been too lucky."
He fished into his pocket and produced a key-chain remote identical to the one Niler had brandished in his bar the other night. "Here, take this."
Hannah grabbed the remote. "What's this for?"
Two more bullets hit their car and punctured the trunk.
Kirov accelerated as they neared the parking lot's exit. "Right before we get to the road, we'll cross a small wooden bridge. I need you to watch behind us and press the red button just as that car crosses it. Understand?"
She couldn't answer.
"As soon as you see the Lexus's front two wheels on the bridge. And only if there's no one else nearby. Okay?"
Hannah stared at the remote. She understood perfectly, and it wasn't okay. Push the button, kill two men behind her.
"If you can't stomach it, let me know now."
Hannah took a deep breath. She grasped the remote. "No. Keep your eyes on the road."
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