No Easy Target

  “And that’s supposed to be a deal?” Brukman asked scornfully.

  “It’s all you’ll get from me. A running start. You’ll probably get lucky, because I intend to take Nicos out. Then you’ll only have to worry about me. But do worry, Brukman, because you’re definitely on my list. I just have to give you a lower priority at the moment.”

  “I could go to Nicos and tell him that you forced—”

  “And you think that would save you?” He shook his head. “No, you don’t. He wouldn’t care. Betrayal is an automatic death sentence with him. You have to know him better than that.”

  He was silent. “And what’s to keep you from killing me the minute we leave the camp?”

  “Nothing. Except for the fact that I want to keep Nicos from knowing that I’ve taken Patrick from you for the next twenty-four hours. I need a safety net to get Patrick to a secure medical facility. You might get a text or a phone call from Nicos or Salva and I’d want you to give the appropriate answers. That guarantees that you’re alive until then.” He paused. “That’s twenty-four hours longer than I want to give you. So take that plane ticket, Brukman.”

  “The hell I will.” His eyes were blazing into Lassiter’s. “That’s all bullshit.”

  “Yes, the hell you will,” he murmured. “I’m so glad you refused. Did I mention that I was with both the Special Forces and the CIA? As you know, they make sure we have very good training in your particular speciality. I’d bet that I might be as good as you when I have motivation. I do have motivation now. Mandell was saying that you’re tough and might be difficult. I don’t doubt it. But you’re also practical and greedy, or you wouldn’t have made the deal with Zwecker. I think you’ll opt for a way to live and fight another day. So you’ll take some token punishment and then cave. Because I have two hours to convince you that I’ve offered you the deal of a lifetime. Your life. Two hours should be plenty of time.…”

  Hyatt Hotel

  Montego Bay, Jamaica

  10:40 P.M.

  “Ah, ready and eager to go,” Nicos said mockingly as Margaret threw open the door to her room at his knock. “I approve, Margaret. You’re starting out as I’d like you to continue.”

  “I’m not eager,” she said as she passed the guard in the hall. “I just want this over. Where’s Salva?”

  “He’s closeted with a few of the local distributors and decided that he wasn’t needed to escort you. I agreed. I wanted this time alone with you.” He added sardonically, “I want to watch you while you do your magic.”

  “You’ve seen me work with the dogs at airports before.”

  “But you told me that your magic was stronger now.”

  “You won’t be able to tell a difference from what I do tonight.” She didn’t want to be alone with Nicos. This morning had been a little too much for her to cope with. “Why don’t you send one of the guards with me?”

  “Because I don’t choose to do that. And everything you do and are is because I choose for it to be so. I thought I made that plain.” He punched the button for the elevator. “Here’s what’s going to happen tonight. We’re going to the house of Julio Ramirez. He owns and trains two German shepherds who are considered the finest substance-detector dogs in Jamaica. Julio Ramirez and his son, Alfredo, work together as a team at the airport, and you’ll have to deal with both dogs when that shipment comes in.”

  “There’s usually only one dog at customs.”

  “Not this time.” They were off the elevator and crossing the lobby to the waiting car in the driveway. “There have been a few suspect shipments in the last couple months. I didn’t have you to smooth things over. The local DEA requested that the security be pumped up to maximum.”

  “And yet you still arranged for the shipment to come through Montego.”

  “It was easier to transport out of Jamaica. I was considering changing it, but then I heard I was going to have you returned to me.” He added mockingly, “I can’t tell you how grateful I am to Lassiter. You can see how much I trust you, Margaret.”

  “But you’re still taking me out to Ramirez’s house to make sure I don’t screw up.”

  “Merely a safety measure. And, as I said, I want to watch you perform your magic.” He nodded to his driver. “Let’s go, Nardo.”

  Twenty minutes later, they were parked down the street from a good-size property that consisted of a house, garage, and a rolling field that had several empty pens and dog-training apparatus. The house was dark except for a single porch light.

  “Empty pens,” Margaret said. “They keep the dogs inside.”

  Nicos frowned. “Is that a problem?”

  “No, it just means I’ll have to get out of the car so that I’ll have a clear line to the dogs.” That was a lie, but it would get her out of the close confines of this backseat with Nicos. The ride out here had been overpoweringly intimate, like being in the same straw basket with a cobra. She had felt his eyes on her for the entire trip. She opened the door and jumped out. “I’m going over there to that ditch by the fence and sit down. This may take an hour or two. If you want to watch me, do nothing but stare at that house. You’re welcome to go over there with me, but you’d be much more comfortable in the car.”

  He slowly got out and followed her. He frowned. “It’s muddy.”

  She settled herself gingerly on the edge of the ditch. “You ordered me to do this, Nicos. I have to do it my way.”

  “I’m wondering if it’s a little too much your way.”

  She ignored him and turned her gaze to the house.

  Focus.

  Ignore him.

  Where are you?

  No answer.

  But she could detect a stirring. One of the dogs had heard her.

  What do they call you?

  Bewilderment at the intrusion.

  They call me Margaret. What do they call you?”

  No answer.

  And then …

  Taro.

  It had started. Now to reach the other dog …

  She was vaguely aware that Nicos was no longer beside her. It didn’t matter. She was too absorbed to let him bother her anyway. The other dog’s name was Pedro and he was the less dominant of the two. She would have to balance both the emotions and the competitiveness of the two. It could take quite a while. But she would start the way she meant to finish.

  You do fine work. Smart. Both of you are so smart. You do your duty and that’s wonderful. But there may be something you need to do better. Let’s think about it together.…

  * * *

  “It’s about time,” Nicos said sourly as Margaret climbed back into the car. “I thought you were going to be out there all night.”

  “You gave me orders. I had to obey you.” She slammed the door shut. “I told you that you’d be bored.”

  “You were right.” He nodded at the driver. “And I couldn’t see that you were doing anything. I’m beginning to believe Salva may be right about your powers all being bullshit.”

  He couldn’t be allowed to go in that direction. He was too volatile right now. “One dog is a tan-and-black German shepherd whose name is Pedro. But you were wrong; the other dog isn’t a German shepherd; he’s a black Lab and his name is Taro. The Lab is dominant, but the German shepherd is much more highly strung. Pedro, the shepherd, will be harder to handle and could be more easily confused. But now they both know me and recognize that I’m more dominant than either one of them. Tomorrow they’ll do whatever I tell them to do.”

  He was silent for a moment. “You found out all of that tonight?”

  She nodded. “You were right to give me the extra time with them. I would have had better control before if you’d seen that I’d had that opportunity.”

  “Of course I was right.” He paused. “I’m going to check and make sure that there’s a Lab instead of two German shepherds.”

  “Go ahead. I’d be stupid to try to fool you on something so easy to verify.” She leaned wearily back on the seat. It
had been a tiring couple hours reprogramming the dogs and she still couldn’t be sure that she’d done enough.

  And the night’s work was still not done. She had to call Lassiter when she got back to the hotel and tell him she was here in Montego. Lord, she hoped he’d been able to do something with Salva’s call directory. “And you’ll see tomorrow if I managed to do what I said I’d done.”

  “Yes, I will.”

  He reached out and put his hand on her knee.

  She went rigid.

  It doesn’t matter if he touches my body, she thought. No one could hurt her if she didn’t let them. Her body was nothing. It was what was inside that counted. And no one could destroy that but herself.

  But sometimes, at moments like this, it seemed as if it mattered.

  “You don’t like that, do you?” His voice was mocking as his hand moved up to her inner thigh. “Too bad. I can do anything I like with you. You’re nothing and I’m everything.”

  She had to go carefully. He was closer than he’d ever been to dragging her down into those depths where he’d taken Rosa. “I know,” she said without expression. “And, no, I don’t like it. But you wouldn’t care about that. It’s all about suffering to you. So do whatever you want with me. But you should realize that it disturbs me and it interferes with my concentration. It keeps me from focusing on what I have to do tomorrow. Perhaps that would be better for me in the long run, because it would give me an excuse if I mess up my part in the airport delivery.”

  Nicos stared at her for a long moment. She could see that he was trying to stifle the anger. Then his hand fell away from her. “No excuses, Margaret. Not tomorrow.” He smiled mockingly. “We’ll have to wait a little longer.”

  “Whatever.” She looked away from him so that he wouldn’t see her relief. It had been terribly close. This entire night had been another nightmare to get through. Just being in the close confines of the car with Nicos had been suffocating. And, from what he’d said, it wasn’t going to end. After tomorrow he’d feel free to—

  What was she thinking? Tomorrow she had a chance to escape from Nicos. It wasn’t as if she was alone. She had told Lassiter that she might not be able to get away from Nicos if he didn’t help her here in Jamaica. He’d told her to call him when she arrived in Montego. He would have a plan. She wasn’t alone.

  But Lassiter would probably now be frantically working to free Sean Patrick, who had been the reason and the impetus that had brought them together. How could she expect him to drop that hunt to help her when he knew that Patrick had a chance to be saved?

  She might be alone after all.

  * * *

  “Sleep well, Margaret.” Nicos watched her unlock her door with that faint smile that was tinged with malice. “You have to be alert and ready to face the day. I wouldn’t want you to disappoint me.”

  “I won’t.” She slipped inside the room and closed the door behind her. She stood there savoring the moment of privacy. She wasn’t permitted to lock the door, but just being able to shut herself away from Nicos and Salva was a merciful relief.

  And after the tension of being with Nicos tonight, she’d take whatever reprieve she could get. Okay, it was over. Try to forget Nicos and make the call that Lassiter had asked her to do when she arrived in Montego.

  She took her phone from the lining of her khaki jacket and started to place the call. She stopped before she’d completed entering the number.

  No, not yet.

  Allow another ten minutes to pass.

  She wanted to make sure Nicos and Salva were settled in their rooms and would not come and interrupt her.

  She sat down in the chair beside the bed and waited.

  The ten minutes passed very slowly.

  Then she called Lassiter.

  No answer.

  No message. The phone just kept on ringing.

  She waited for ten rings before she hung up.

  What the hell was wrong? What has happened to Lassiter, she thought in a panic. He had asked her to call. He wouldn’t ignore her.

  Calm down. It could be nothing.

  And, if there was a problem, she would handle the problem herself. It was what she had done all her life. He had offered to help her, but that didn’t mean help would come. She could hope, but she’d have to assume she’d be alone in this.

  She tried to call him again.

  Fifteen rings this time.

  No answer.

  She hung up and put the phone on vibrate. It was all she could do. He would know that she’d called and she’d just have to wait until he called her back.

  Go to bed. Try to sleep. Wait for him to call.

  But what in the hell was Lassiter doing that he hadn’t answered that call?

  Nalsara Detention Camp

  1:45 A.M.

  “There it is.” Brukman gestured to the wire fence of the camp at the corner of the trail. “Not that it’s going to do you any good. There’s a good chance you won’t get out of here alive.”

  “I thought we’d discussed that.” Lassiter parked the vehicle in front of the gate. “That’s your job, Brukman.” He met his eyes. “And you’ll do it, won’t you? I believe that you realize now that I don’t bluff about anything.”

  “Yes, you son of a bitch.” He was glaring at him. “But worry, Lassiter, because I don’t know if it’s not worth risking a bullet just to take you out.”

  “I won’t worry. You have a well-developed sense of self-preservation or you wouldn’t have gotten this far.” He opened the car door. “Now let’s do it. Mandell already has you in the crosshairs. He’d like nothing better than to press that trigger.” A camouflage-garbed man carrying an AK-47 was coming toward the gate. “Step forward and be counted, Brukman.”

  “It’s me, Jorge.” Brukman jumped out of the car and opened the gate. “I was just settled in at the hotel and I got a call from Nikos that I had to come back to this hellhole. He’s made a deal for Sean Patrick.”

  “Who’s this?” The guard was looking at Lassiter. “He looks familiar.”

  “Lassiter. You saw his photo on the wall of the mess tent.” He nodded at Lassiter. “He finally came through with the money.” He added sourly, “I hope Patrick is still alive after Nikos got me out of bed to come after him.”

  “I didn’t hear anything different from Stockton when he did the evening check.” Jorge turned and headed for a building to the right of the gate. “Patrick was in bad shape, but he was still breathing. He’s chained up on the wall outside the detention building. I’ll go get him for you.”

  “We’ll go with you,” Lassiter said. In that last photo, Patrick had appeared as broken and twisted as a rag doll torn apart by an animal. He didn’t want this muscle-bound Neanderthal damaging him any more than he was already. “Coming, Brukman?”

  “I don’t have a choice, do I?” he murmured. His gaze was wandering over the trees surrounding the camp. “But I’m wondering if I fell for an elaborate con.”

  “You didn’t. Mandell is there, watching you. He’ll meet us after we get Patrick away from here.” He was moving quickly after the guard. Suddenly, he felt the phone in his pocket vibrate as a call came in. There was no way he could take that call right now, even if it was Mandell. Later. “If you don’t do something stupid that will get you killed. It’s not the—”

  He stopped short, his gaze on the concrete wall of a long building ahead of them. Even in the dimness he could see that there were three prisoners chained to giant rings hammered into that wall. The prisoner who occupied the center position …

  Patrick.

  He was chained upright, in a sitting position, his arms lifted and wrists chained to the wall. Lassiter had known what was happening to him, but the actual sight of him still came as a shock. His formerly gray-streaked hair now was almost white; emaciated, broken, tortured—he looked like a death-camp survivor. And that was exactly what he is, Lassiter thought.

  “He’s out cold,” the guard said cheerfully as he unlocke
d the manacles. “But he’s not dead yet, Brukman.”

  “Yet,” Brukman repeated. “And he’s your responsibility once we release him, Lassiter. You waited too long to make a deal.” He turned to Jorge. “Go wake up Stockton and tell him to get his ass out here. I want him to witness that I’m turning over Patrick to Lassiter alive, as agreed.”

  “And get a stretcher,” Lassiter called after him. “I see at least one compound fracture in his left leg. I’m not going to risk carrying him myself and doing more damage.”

  “A little late,” Brukman said sarcastically as Jorge disappeared. “Though he might live. Patrick is a tough bird. He’s survived whatever we threw at him.”

  “This isn’t the time to remind me of that.” Lassiter fell to his knees beside Patrick. “I’m trying to remember that I made a deal. It’s becoming more blurred every minute.” He touched the pulse in Patrick’s throat. Not strong. Probably in shock as well as suffering from malnutrition and whatever infections his body was trying to fight. His skin felt burning hot. “I want him out of here. When you talk to this Stockton, make it fast.”

  “Lassiter…” Patrick’s eyes were open, staring up at him. His voice was only a breath of sound. “Knew … you’d come.…”

  “Shh…” His hand closed on Patrick’s. Hot. So damn hot. “We’re getting you out of here. Just hold on.”

  “Others…” His eyes were closing again. “Get … the others out.…”

  Lassiter hand tightened. “Not this time. Things are a little dicey right now, Patrick. I have to get you out first.”

  “Get … them out. No one leaves here … alive. Promise me.”

  “I promise. But not now. I can’t do—”

  But Patrick was unconscious again.

  It was just as well. He didn’t need to argue with him when Patrick was this fragile. Just the sight of him had scared Lassiter. His gaze went to the man chained to the wall next to Patrick. He was younger and not as emaciated, but he was still in bad condition. Patrick had shared this torture with the other prisoners and it was natural he would want them saved, too.