The Persuasion

by Iris Johansen

  And thrown Luca into frustration and rage. Luca must have totally believed his precious plans were foolproof. The egotistical bastard had concocted this grand scheme since childhood, and convinced himself that because of his brilliance every aspect would fall into place. Tonight Caleb had yanked that confidence away from him, and it had blown his mind.

  And she should have helped him more, she thought wearily. She’d been so angry about being used as some kind of sexual pawn that all she’d been able to do was keep her temper and her mouth shut. Which had only lasted until she’d been exposed to Luca’s tantrum. If she’d been able to keep her composure, she might have avoided these bruises.

  No, probably not. Luca had enjoyed hurting her to release his frustration. But she should attempt not to do it again. Just try to find a way out of this tower and save that poor kid down the hall.

  And let Caleb handle Luca for the time being. He’d managed to manipulate him very well tonight. He’d obviously gauged every emotion and response Luca had displayed and turned it against him. He was so icy cool and indifferent that he almost convinced her. But then Caleb was able to be exactly who and what he wanted to be most of the time. Master of all he surveyed and so damn controlled…

  * * *

  Control.

  Caleb stood with fists clenched, staring straight ahead into the Venetian mirror.

  Keep his blood pumping smoothly so that he could breathe.

  Blood flow was always the secret to keeping his expression exactly the way he needed no matter what he was feeling. But it could be traumatic, even dangerous, in situations such as the one he’d just gone through. It had an effect on his blood pressure and heart. Even though Luca could no longer see him, Caleb had to exit carefully out of the rage that he’d been holding back since he’d answered that call. He’d felt as if he was going to explode with every passing second…Two more breaths and he could release it.

  Done!

  The release.

  Hatred.

  Fury.

  Frustration.

  Aching pity.

  Fear.

  Swirling around him, attacking him, becoming him.

  He whirled and his knotted fist crashed into the mirror!

  It splintered and then shattered.

  Then his eyes closed and he stood there, panting.

  Okay, now don’t move; let everything come together. It was done. Change of perception complete. He’d rolled the dice and chosen how to handle Luca based on what he’d learned from his study of him in that hotel room. It could have gone either way—and that still held true. To eliminate Jane’s value to Luca was dangerous, but to let her remain a weapon in his hands could make both of them helpless. Don’t think about what Jane might be going through now. Don’t think of anything but the next step in the hunt.

  Five minutes later, he was ready. He turned and left the castle and was striding back through the garden. He punched in Joe Quinn’s number. “I just talked to Luca,” he said curtly. “I saw Jane on Skype and she’s not been hurt yet.”

  “Yet?” Joe swore beneath his breath. “That’s not very promising.”

  “We take what we can get. I’m doing what I can. I’ll get her away from the crazy son of a bitch, I just have to find a way to finesse it. I’ve managed to make him think what he’s taken for granted about me is wrong, and it’s caught him off-guard. I was even able to ease in the initial insertion for persuasion. Now I just have to keep him off-balance. That’s going to be damn difficult with a subject like him. But if he doesn’t know what to expect, I’ll be able to control him.” He added thoughtfully, “He’s in a hurry, though, or he wouldn’t have called me this soon. If I can put everything in motion right away, he won’t have the time to get impatient or angry with Jane. That’s essential. He’s into power, and if he thinks he’s going to get what he wants, there won’t be an explosion.”

  “And what does he want?”

  Caleb was silent. “I don’t think I’ll tell you yet.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “It might make you an accessory. I’ll have to decide if I want to do that. All you need to know is that Luca will get what he wants from me. And that means there won’t be any repercussions on Jane.”

  “Damn you, that isn’t all I need to know. I need to know everything.”

  “Maybe later. Now I’m going to send you a photo I took while I was talking to Luca on Skype.” He punched the button. “Jane was sitting on a porch or veranda when I saw her. She had her back to a lake and there was a motorboat and some kind of dock to her left. The dock had an ornate decorative railing that looked like some I’ve seen at gondola stands in Venice.”

  “The lake?

  “Don’t ask me which one. There are over fifteen hundred lakes in Italy and most of them are in the north. But I’d know it if I saw it again. It was one of the lakes in the lake region.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “I grew up in the lake country. At Fiero, I saw a lake anytime I looked out a window. And no, it wasn’t the lake at Fiero. I’m certain because that’s where I am right now. I’m sending a photo to Palik as well and the two of you can see who finds it first. I might be too busy to look for it myself.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Supplying Luca with what he wants. The planning might get very intricate.”

  “And Jane couldn’t give you any other hint where he has her?”

  “Jane wasn’t really talking. Luca was being difficult.” The memory of Luca’s hands on her breasts, his tongue on her ear, was causing the tension to start again. Block it. Extract only what was important. “You might say he dominated the conversation. I did get an impression she won’t be of great help when we try to get her away from him.”

  “I don’t believe that,” Joe said flatly.

  “Believe it. He’s using someone against her. She told him that nothing that happened to her was important if it meant saving a life and that she wouldn’t leave. Now that Michael’s safe, I don’t think just a threat against you or Eve would cause that reaction. The danger would have to be more immediate.”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe that boy Tomas? As I told you, she couldn’t really talk. But it will all come together.”

  “I’m glad you’re so confident.”

  “I have to be confident. She’s going to be fine. Call me as soon as you find anything resembling that dock.” He pressed SEND. Then he cut the connection.

  The next minute he was dialing Palik. “I’m sending you a photo of a dock I want you to locate,” he said when Palik answered. “Then I want you to get me a complete architectural diagram of the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh.”

  * * *

  Kendrick Castle

  “Hey, what are you doing just lolling around in here, Michael?” Lisa came into his tent and strode brusquely to where he was sitting on his sleeping bag. “You offered to help and the job’s not done yet.” She grinned as she held out her hand to pull him to his feet. “And I absolutely refuse to do it without you, so don’t think you’re going to get out of it.”

  He didn’t move. “You know I wouldn’t do that,” he said quietly. “I was going to come and help later, but I needed time to think first. I thought I’d have time before you came to get me like Dad told you to do.”

  Her smile vanished as she studied his sober face. No, more than sober—abstracted and terribly intense, and it made her uneasy. “How did you know your dad told me to come and rouse you from your lair?” she said lightly. “Maybe I like your company.”

  He nodded. “You like me. But it was almost time for him to leave for the airport to pick up Mom and he didn’t want me to go with him. He’ll want to talk to her without me around so that he can tell her what Caleb told him.” He paused. “Just like he took you aside down by the brook and told you.”

  “And how did you know he did that?” Her gaze was narrowed on his face. “Have you been eavesdropping, Michael?”

&nbs
p; “Yes. There are other ways to do it, but that would be intruding. Dad and Mom would get nervous. It was better if I just wandered down there and listened.”

  “But not particularly honorable. Joe told me that he’d already updated you with the news from Caleb—that Jane is still safe and Caleb is working on a plan. Why did you have to sneak around and—”

  “Because Dad never really tells me everything,” Michael interrupted. “He protects me. I told him I couldn’t let him do it this time. I can help, Lisa. But he has to tell me stuff.” He gazed up into her eyes. “You have to tell me stuff.”

  “Why should I bother when you’re so good at eavesdropping?” she said dryly. “You heard it all, didn’t you?”

  “But some of it I didn’t understand. I could tell something happened before that I don’t know about—” he said in frustration. “I can feel it, Lisa. That’s why I had to come up here and think about it.”

  “Think about what?”

  “The reason Jane wasn’t willing to leave Luca. I know why. It keeps repeating over and over.” He whispered, “It’s Tomas. She won’t leave that kid, Tomas. Remember I told you all about that boy that Alberto kept thinking about when he took me?”

  “I remember,” she said slowly. “You said Alberto was thinking about how he’d like to hurt you as he had Tomas. Now you think that Jane wants to protect this boy?”

  “She’s Jane,” Michael said simply. “Of course she does.”

  “You can’t be certain.”

  “I’m almost sure. I keep seeing him now.”

  Her eyes widened. “What?”

  “Since Dad brought me back to camp, I’ve been concentrating, trying to bring Tomas closer. It was the only way I could help since Dad was shutting me out.”

  “Your dad was doing what he thought best,” she said absently. But she was too interested in what Michael had just told her to defend him any more than that. “Seeing him? Woo-woo stuff? You actually saw him? His face?”

  Michael nodded. “A couple of times, but that was when he was asleep. Most of the time, it’s just a sort of strong impression. But I need to get deeper, get closer. He keeps drawing away because he’s so scared.”

  She shivered. “Yeah, I can imagine how he would be.”

  “More than imagine.” Michael’s gaze was searching her face. “I think you know why he would be. You’re shutting me out, too, Lisa. Tell me.”

  “And be the bad guy? You’re ten, Michael. Your mom and dad would not be happy that I exposed you to that kind of ugliness.”

  “You’re not my mom or dad. It’s important that I know things. I think Jane would tell me. She’s beginning to understand that, Lisa.”

  “Well, she didn’t tell you this,” Lisa said crossly. “And now you’re cornering me and I’ll be in deep trouble. Though I don’t really know why. I hated having anything kept from me by grown-ups when I was your age because I knew I was every bit as smart as they were.” She grimaced ruefully. “And you might even be smarter than me.”

  “Tell me, Lisa.”

  “There was a reason why Jane didn’t want you to know about that boy, Michael,” she said gently. “She might understand you, but she wouldn’t want you to see anything that might hurt you. None of us do. Leave it alone, will you?”

  He slowly shook his head. “I can’t do that.” He leaned forward, his entire body tense. “Look, don’t you think there could be a reason why I sometimes know stuff? What if it’s because it could help me find Jane? Or maybe it’s because it might help this Tomas.”

  She gazed at him helplessly. “You’re tough, kid.” She sighed resignedly. “I’m probably going to regret this. Stay here. I’ll be right back.” She left the tent and came back with Jane’s sketchbook. She handed it to him. “The last sketch is probably the one you’ll want to see.” She shook her head. “No, correction, no one would ever want to see that sketch. But it’s the one Jane drew a couple of nights ago that tells the story. Just glance at it and then give it back to me. Don’t dwell on it.”

  But Michael was looking at all the sketches, taking that journey through those trees toward the tower as Jane and Lisa had done that night of Jane’s nightmare. Then he reached the final sketch and he stopped in shock.

  Lisa inhaled sharply. She had made such a big mistake. She took an instinctive step forward as she saw his face. It was pale, his lips tight with pain. “Give me the sketches back. This was a lousy idea. I shouldn’t have let you talk me into it.”

  “No, it was a good idea.” His voice was hoarse, his eyes never lifting from the figure of the boy on the crucifix. “It did what I needed. It’s pulling me deeper. So much pain…”

  “Stop looking at them, Michael.”

  “Not yet. He’s bringing me closer.” His finger gently touched the curve of Tomas’s cheek in the sketch. “He was scared and he really hurt. And he didn’t know why…”

  “Michael, I want you to—”

  “Shh.” He closed his eyes. “Just a minute more…”

  What the hell? What difference did one more minute mean? She’d probably already done her worst and left him traumatized, she thought gloomily. She dropped down beside him, crossed her legs tailor-fashion, and gave him his minute.

  Which turned out to be four minutes. Then he opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He smiled at her and said, “It’s okay, Lisa. You didn’t do anything bad.” He closed the sketchbook. “And I didn’t, either. Because I found out that I was right, and Jane would never leave that boy on the crucifix. She’s kind of bound to him…It happened when she drew these sketches.” He handed the sketches to her. “You can have these back now. I won’t need them any longer.”

  He still looked strained, but the pain appeared to be gone from his expression, she realized with relief. And he had even given her that fleeting smile. “Why won’t you need them?”

  “I think if I work at it, I’ll be able to reach him. Maybe even talk to him.”

  “Really?” She frowned. “But then why can’t you reach out to Jane? That would be much better.”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, but she’s grown up and I think that makes a difference. Kids accept stuff that grown-ups don’t. It just kind of slips in. I could reach out to Mom and Dad, but Jane isn’t my real sister. It would probably get in the way.”

  “Then you should try to make it work.”

  Michael sighed. “I’ll do my best. I don’t even know much of what I’m doing yet, Lisa.” He suddenly chuckled. “And you know even less. So stop nagging me.”

  “Well, I thought suggestions might not do any harm. As long as I was getting myself in hot water, I decided this should be done right.” She tilted her head. “Okay, you can’t reach out, but if you’re near them could you make contact then? Sort of mind-meld or something like that?”

  “I think mind-meld is Star Trek,” he said solemnly. “But I’ve gotten close to that without trying with some people, so I don’t see why not.”

  “Close?” She leaned forward. Her eyes were bright with curiosity. “Why didn’t you do it?”

  “It would have been an intrusion,” he said quietly. “And if I didn’t do it right, I might have scared someone. I didn’t want to do that.”

  “You’re a nicer person than I am.” She grinned. “I don’t think I could have resisted experimenting. I always want to dig down deep and see what I can turn up.”

  “You’re nicer than you think you are,” he said. “You’re just…different.”

  She nodded. “And so are you. I guess I always knew it. I just didn’t realize how different.” She grimaced. “But that’s okay, it’s interesting. Just don’t let me do anything to screw you up. I was pretty scared when you were looking at those sketches.”

  “I know.” He got to his feet and headed for the door. “I’m ready to go down to the tents and help with the cleanup now. It was bad that so many of those people were hurt and lost their stuff. I hate it for them.”

  “And I hate the person who did it,” Lisa s
aid. “Because it had to be the same person who hurt that little kid, Tomas.” She hesitated. “I’m going to have to call Caleb and tell him that you think the reason Jane won’t make any moves is because she’s definitely afraid for Tomas.” She made a face. “And I should tell your parents I showed you those sketches. I’m not looking forward to it.”

  “I’ll do it.” Michael smiled mischievously at her over his shoulder. “I’ll say you couldn’t help yourself. I’ll just tell them I mind-melded you into doing it.”

  * * *

  “My God,” Eve murmured as she gazed in horror at the burnt-out tents and blackened earth. She was remembering her last visits to see Michael and Jane here at Kendrick Castle. That bright, clean encampment with its cheerful instructors and joking students was as far from this scene as night from day. “I can’t imagine anyone doing this to innocent students, Joe. How many injured?”

  “Three burn victims. Two that will require additional treatment for the next few months. One released yesterday.” Joe was helping her up the rutted path. “Only one death. Lady Kendrick’s secretary, Nigel Montad, was found in the garden outside the room at the castle where I discovered her.” His lips tightened grimly. “He was bludgeoned to death. The police believe he was trying to help her get out of the castle. Evidently Alberto had orders to create as much turmoil as he could and decided killing Lady Kendrick would do it.”

  “And they killed her secretary? Poor man.”

  “In more ways than one,” Joe said grimly. “I found proof that Montad had opened the gates for Alberto and his men that night. The police later found Montad’s wife and daughter at his home in town. Both dead. They’d been held hostage for a number of days, but were killed anyway when Montad completed his assignment of letting those bastards on the property.”

  “He must have been torn apart by having to make that decision.”

  Joe nodded. “But I guess everything could have been worse. There could have been more deaths. And though the students and volunteers lost most of their camping gear and personal possessions, they’re working together to clean up the mess here at the tents. Most of them are going to stay for at least another couple of weeks to help.”