Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

The cruiser was no longer moving across the water.

Kira had been almost certain that the cruiser had stopped over an hour ago, and she thought she'd heard activity outside on deck.

They must have arrived at their destination near the coral reef. She had barely come to that conclusion when she heard the lock turn and then the door was thrown open.

"Welcome to my home away from home," Taylor said mockingly. He tore open the package he was carrying to reveal a navy blue wet suit. "I brought you a gift. You might need it paddling around in the Mediterranean tonight." He took her arm and pulled her out on the deck. "But first I wanted to show you my beautiful coral reef. And I would defy anyone to find either this cruiser or anything else that I choose to hide in this jungle." He threw out his hand to indicate the dense foliage surrounding them. "That's why I ‘liberated' this reef from the families who lived here before I took it over. It took me only a week or so and two deaths of family members before the others ran like rabbits. Of course, one of the deaths was a grandfather that the others revered. I always pick and choose in these cases."

"I'm sure you do." She kept her face expressionless. "And I'm equally certain that they were so terrified, they decided never to return to their homes. So you've found a safe hiding place for your cruiser and for any guests you might decide to bring here." She met his eyes. "But since you've chosen to bring me, I'd bet that I can find my way around this reef of yours. For that matter, so would any experienced tracker. It would only take skill and determination. Jungles are difficult but not impossible. Though you appear to have tucked this cruiser neatly in all this jungle brush, and you probably have a good many men stationed and ready to intercept any interlopers."

"Yes, quite a few," Taylor said. "Eight to be exact. And they all realize what will happen to them if they don't do what they're supposed to do about uninvited visitors."

"What a shame," Kira said mockingly. "Just think about what a tragedy it would be if you lost such a talented bunch of hooligans. You might have to face a real threat all by yourself."

His lips curled. "You think you're so clever. You're nothing . Though I may decide to play with you for a little while to keep myself amused. Yes, I believe that might be the thing to do. But first, I think it's time for you to do your duty and give Harlan that call you promised to make." He reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. "I want that sled as soon as possible. Tell him to arrange to air-drop the sled into the sea." He handed her the phone. "Call him and tell him that he's to send you the sled by midnight tonight. After you finish, hand me the phone and I'll give him exact directions where to drop it so it will be easy for me to retrieve. If he fails to do as I wish, he won't get a second chance. You'll not be of any use to me without the sled, so I might as well dispose of you." He smiled. "And that will at least give me the pleasure of knowing I cheated Harlan by making sure that he'll never have you as his mistress again. If he tries to go after the treasure on his own, I still might have a chance to steal the sled and go after him when he tackles those caves."

"Not much of one," Kira said. "You need me, Taylor." She started to dial the phone. "And you need the sled. I think I almost convinced him before to send it to me. Just give me a chance to persuade him."

"We'll see," Taylor said. "No tricks. I'll be listening." He turned up the volume. "Go ahead, Kira. Let's find out if he'll give up that sled to you. It's not only the treasure, it's the sled itself. Any invention Harlan brings out on the market is worth a substantial fortune. That's why I killed his brother. I couldn't resist the temptation to claim his latest invention as my own. If he does give it up to you, it will prove that he cares something for you. Which will mean that you'll have a certain value to me. It could save your life."

Kira shook her head. "You're lying. It didn't save Colin's. He thought you were friends, and you killed him."

"The situation was different. He caught me off guard. Though it didn't really matter. Make the call."

Harlan's phone was already ringing. Then he answered.

"Harlan? It's Kira," she said. "I told you that I'd call you back. We talked about the sled. Taylor is very eager to have it. He's listening now."

"That doesn't surprise me," Harlan said sarcastically. "He appears to lust after everything I own. Including you, it seems. Is he treating you well?"

"He's treating me as you'd think Taylor would treat me. He wants what he wants. I guess you've found out that the cruiser has been moved? He's sure that the cruiser and all his other possessions have been tucked away in a jungle where you'll never find them. I told him a good tracker would be able to surprise him. Just as I managed to do in Colorado. He's frowning at me now, so I'd better ask you to please send me the sled. It appears to be my only value in his eyes. He's not an individual who cares about anything else. Certainly not like family. I was just thinking about Abdullah and how much those villagers cared about him before he was killed. He was kind of like the grandfather of that entire village. His relatives must have felt as if they'd been deserted when Taylor murdered him. Taylor would never have been able to comprehend a relationship like that. He definitely couldn't understand how you felt about Fiona. That was why I had to get her away from him."

Harlan shook his head. "Oh, he understood. That's why he took her. He needed a weapon to use against me. You were foolish to go after her. It was bound to turn out badly."

"I couldn't do anything else. So why didn't you agree to give me the sled and let me try to save her? You do care about her. All I have to do is use the sled to retrieve the treasure and then turn it over to Taylor. You don't have to be involved at all. I'll return the sled to you and that will be the end of it. You get your invention back, and I have the jewels to give to Taylor. Everyone is happy."

"You might not be happy," Harlan said. "He could turn on you at any time."

"But he won't, if I can give him more coins for his cookie jar. I might have to offer him another treasure if he's not content with this one. But I'm willing to do that." She added coaxingly, "Give me the diving sled."

"Why would I want to do this when I've already given Taylor so much?"

"Do it for me. I've already given Fiona safely back to you." She paused. "I didn't mean to worry you, but Taylor keeps threatening me. I know you don't want him to hurt me, but you might have to give in on this one point to keep me safe. I don't believe you'd want to have anything happen to me."

"For God's sake, no ," he said violently. "I'll take care of you, Kira."

"I thought you would. Now I'm going to turn the call over to Taylor, and he's going to give you directions. I hope to see you soon, Harlan." She handed the phone back to Taylor. "I told you Harlan would go along with it," she said softly. "He only needed to be nudged a little."

Taylor grabbed the phone. "And I'm very good at nudging. Hello, Harlan," he said harshly. "Take these notes down. I want that diving sled by midnight, and no one can follow you if you want Kira to live." He rattled off the directions. "Understood?"

"You couldn't be more clear," Harlan said. "But if you touch Kira, I promise you won't live to see that treasure."

"The hell I won't," Taylor snarled. "I think I'm going to have to make her see how wrong she was about my little hideaway during the next few hours. She's very proud of herself that she managed to hunt me down in Colorado. Let's see if she can make her way through this jungle without getting her throat cut by one of my men. If she's lucky, she just might survive it." He cut the call short before turning back to Kira. "Harlan thought he could protect you just by threatening me? What a fool he is. Before this day is over, I'm going to be in a position to take him down." He pushed her toward the ramp. "Now it's time for you to take a little walk through my Garden of Eden and see if you come out of it alive. You're probably wanting to see if you can find your way around the reef in case you decide I might prove a danger to you. I'll give you a shot at it. I'll even give you a weapon to protect yourself. Do you believe that will be enough to keep you safe from those eight guards who will be very eager to slit your throat? Suppose I give you two hours to stroll around, and if you make it back to the cruiser alive, I'll let you rest for a while before we go pick up that sled."

"How very kind of you," Kira said. "But do I have to remind you that if you don't have me to drive that sled, you'll have a very rough time getting that treasure? Is it worth it sending those guards of yours after me just to frighten me?"

"But will they frighten you? You weren't frightened up in the mountains that night." He snapped his fingers. "That's right, you had Harlan to protect you. It made me very angry that you'd use him against me." He took the knife out of the holster at his belt. "Don't move, Kira. I'm very good with a knife, but I wouldn't want to damage you. You're right, I have to worry about you driving the sled." He threw the knife, and the blade pierced the wall next to her. "You see? Very good. Now take the knife and I'll see you in a few hours."

She drew a deep breath as she grabbed the handle of the dagger and ran down the ramp to the pier. "You're probably going to worry more about those guards than I will," she called back to him. "Every time you think of losing that treasure, you'll want to go after me and protect me yourself."

"You don't know that!"

"But I'm betting it's true. You're a greedy bastard." She was off the ramp now and running into the jungle as she slid the dagger into the waist of her pants. She had no idea if she was going to use it, but she might if it was a question of saving her own life. "I'll see you back here later, Taylor."

She heard him cursing as she ran down the trail. She stopped as she reached a bend to catch her breath. Taylor had been right about her planning to scope out the entire reef if she could, so that she'd be able to give exact directions to Harlan if it became necessary. She'd already tried to give him at least a hint about which area Taylor had chosen to move the cruiser. Eight guards, he had said…

Now she had to locate where those guards had set up their stations. But first she had to quickly familiarize herself with the reef itself.

Move swiftly but quietly.

Pay attention to all the trees and shrubs…

Particularly the upper branches of the trees. There could always be snipers.

Watch out for footprints of the enemy.

Seek out one of those guards, take him down, and search him for anything she could use to help her send a message to Harlan.

Finally, keep to the rule she and Mack lived by when they were on the hunt.

Keep alert every single minute…

Harlan started to dial Belson the minute he got off the phone with Taylor. "I just finished talking to Kira."

"How was she?"

"How do you expect her to be?" Harlan said harshly. "It was clear Taylor was pulling the strings. She even put him on the line to give me directions where to drop off the diving sled. But she also managed to give me a few hints about her location. It's an island or reef and has enough jungle foliage to hide the cruiser and probably another hideout or safe house. She kept talking about Abdullah and how Taylor had no feeling for family; there was something about how Abdullah was probably looked on by his villagers as a grandfather figure, but Taylor wouldn't have understood that."

"‘Grandfather'?" Belson repeated. "What the hell?"

"Don't ask me. Kira was doing the best she could." He leaned wearily back in his chair. "It was clear she was walking a tightrope. Taylor was practically breathing down her neck. Just look for a reef or island with jungle, brush, and foliage that could hide that cruiser. It's probably not too far from Hathor, Kalim's island."

"And the grandfather?"

"That's up to you to make the connection. All I know is she was trying to tell me something. I've got to find out what it was before that bastard kills her." He pushed back the chair and got to his feet. "But right now I've got to arrange to move that sled onto a helicopter and get that drop to Taylor by midnight."

"Okay, I've got it," Belson said. "I'll find out where that blasted hideout is located. I promise I won't let you down."

"It's Kira you'd be letting down," Harlan said. "We can't do that, Belson, I don't think I could take it. We'll give Taylor that sled and then we'll find a way to take it away from him and keep her safe. She's given everything she could. Now it's our turn. I can't let him touch her."

"I don't believe that you'd allow that to happen. Particularly with me on your side," Belson said. For once, his voice had no hint of his usual dry humor. "I'll get back with you ASAP."

The guard was just behind Kira!

She ran faster!

She was almost back to the cruiser now. But she heard the crash of the guard's boots in the brush behind her. He'd been the last guard she'd run across as she'd been checking out the row of launches in the boatyard, which was only a few miles away from the cruiser. But he'd been more alert than the other guards—he'd definitely seen her, and she'd had to take off at a dead run. She'd managed to lead him on a race for the last couple of miles, but he was gaining on her. Instinctively, her hand closed on the handle of the dagger.

Though she might not need it. The ramp of the cruiser was right ahead…

But Taylor was standing there right in the middle of it and smiling mockingly at her as he blocked her access to the deck. "You almost made it."

"I did make it. Isn't this what you wanted? Me at your mercy? But now you'll have to make a decision. Let that guard have me or let me be there to run that sled for you."

"It's very close." He sighed and then waved off the guard, who was now starting up the ramp. "Leave her, Georgio. Maybe you can have her later. At the moment, she has a purpose." He reached out and took the dagger from her waistband and examined it. "No blood. I thought you'd come back with at least a sign of an encounter."

"It might have come to that. I was thinking about it. But I did hit the first guard I ran into with a very heavy branch that put him out of action." She reached into her pocket, pulled out a wallet, and threw it down on the deck in front of him. "Here's the ID I lifted off him. He never saw me coming. He was so inefficient I thought you might want to get rid of him anyway."

"It's entirely probable. I don't want anyone around who can be brought to his knees by a woman." Taylor was scowling as he bent and picked up the wallet. "I'm glad Georgio proved a little more of a challenge for you."

"Unfortunately, that guard behind me caught sight of me, and I had to run for it." She added impatiently, "Are you going to stand there blocking my way? I thought you said I could get a little rest before we went after the sled. Didn't I entertain you enough to deserve it?"

"Actually, you did." He moved to one side and permitted her on deck. "I can't tell you how much I enjoyed waiting for you to come back and imagining what those guards would do to you if they ran across you. I realized they'd eventually turn you over to me, but I was sure they'd have a bit of fun with you first."

"Instead, I was the one who ran across them," Kira said. "And no fun was had by any of us. I found your reef to be boring in the extreme, and those guards were hopelessly inadequate. May I go back to my cabin now?"

"By all means." He gestured toward the cabin area. "Go and rest. I'll even send you a supper tray to build your strength for the night to come. You're going to need it. I can't wait to see if Harlan will decide to actually do that sled drop to save your neck. Perhaps he doesn't care as much for you as you think."

"I guess we'll see, won't we?" She was heading for the door of her cabin. "But I think that sled—and the treasure—are as good as yours, Taylor." She went into the cabin and slammed the door.

She stood there, listening, waiting to see if he'd follow her into the cabin. Then she heard the key turn in the lock. Good. The sound of that lock would guarantee no one was going to surprise her while she was busy trying to prepare a message for Harlan.

She waited a moment until she heard Taylor walk away from the door, then moved across the cabin toward the desk in the corner. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the phone she'd also taken from the first guard she'd encountered, slipping it into the desk drawer. She took out a piece of blank paper and a pen and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to remember all the details of the features she'd seen on the reef during the past few hours. It wasn't all that difficult. She'd done it many times before when she and Mack had been tracking in unfamiliar locales. Once she had things firmly fixed in her mind, she opened her eyes and began to transfer the reef to the paper, making certain she included the most important details. Placement of the guards… the boathouse… the cruiser, the tents overlooking the bay…

It took a little less than forty-five minutes until she was satisfied with the plan she'd drawn. She used the phone to snap photos of it. She tried to use it to send them to Harlan.

No signal. Damn. The boat had Wi-Fi but couldn't access the Internet satellite from its current hiding place. She'd probably have better luck later. She carefully folded the paper and slipped it into the waterproof ID section of the phone's container and put it in the very back of the desk drawer; she'd grab it again when the boat headed out into open waters. Since she'd be wearing that wet suit Taylor had provided, she'd be able to slip the waterproof container into the long, tight sleeves of the top before she was taken to the chosen site to pick up the sled. It would still be very risky, but it was the best she could do—and then everything she'd done today had been a risk, she thought wearily. She was lucky that Taylor had seemed so angry about her humiliating that first guard that he probably wouldn't look too closely to see what else she'd taken from him after she'd knocked him unconscious. She could only hope that Harlan would arrange somewhere for her to transfer the information when he dropped that sled into the sea. But Harlan was so damn smart. What good was being a genius if he couldn't do a little thing like read her mind? Heaven only knew if he'd been able to decipher what she'd been trying to tell him on that call. He'd told her that he was going to get to know her. Well, this would be a great test, wouldn't it?

Stop being absurd. Just relax.

Now all that was left was to rest and wait and hope that everything would go well and she'd be able to get that map of the reef to Harlan.