No Easy Target

  Lassiter wanted to kill him on the spot.

  Control.

  There would be a time and a place. Brukman was right: He couldn’t spare the time right now. At least Brukman’s ego had prodded him to give him his answer about the prisoners’ conditions.

  “Oh, I promise I’ll remember that.” Lassiter turned on his heel and headed for the door.

  “Who was the woman?”

  Lassiter stopped short and glanced at him over his shoulder. “What?”

  Brukman nodded at the window in front of him. “I saw a woman get out of that van with you and Mandell. You mentioned a Margaret when we were on our way here. Was that Margaret Douglas?”

  He stiffened. “What do you know about Margaret Douglas?”

  “Only what Nicos told me. We had long chats about the people he intended to send to me for schooling. After she ran away from him, she was tops on his list.” He added mockingly, “I can’t believe you brought her down here into the lion’s den. Do you hate her? Nicos will find her and make her life a living hell. We planned it in detail. Do you want me to tell you about it?”

  It took all of Lassiter’s restraint to keep himself from leaping across the room and strangling the son of a bitch. “No, I want you to stay alive for a little while longer. That won’t happen if I have to listen to you for one more minute.” He glanced at Dietrich. “You heard me. He’s being a little too cocky, Dietrich. Don’t take any chances.”

  Dietrich shook his head. “Mandell would kick my ass.” He settled down in his chair with his automatic weapon on his lap. “Now that would really be taking a chance.”

  * * *

  Sean Patrick opened his eyes an hour after Lassiter had left his room. His eyes focused on Margaret. “Who…?”

  Juno was immediately on her feet, her head touching Patrick’s hand.

  “I’m Margaret. You don’t know me.” She smiled and leaned toward him. “And that’s Juno. But I believe you might have met her.”

  “Yes.” His voice was weak, but he turned his hand to touch the retriever. “We’re … friends.”

  “She’s a good friend to have.”

  “Nurse?”

  She shook her head. “Just a friend of Lassiter.” She added, “Stop talking. You need to rest. But Lassiter wanted the other two names of the prisoners at the camp. Estefan, Damos, Gilroy. Who are the other two?”

  “Manual Lucio, Dominic Chico. There used to be a … woman. María. Estefan’s wife. But she didn’t … last. Nicos is bad on women.”

  “I know.” She reached out and gently touched his hand. “But Nicos couldn’t have been any worse than he was with you. And you lasted, Patrick.”

  “I couldn’t help her.” He closed his eyes. “And it was killing … Estefan.”

  The mental and psychological torture must have been almost as terrible as the physical, she thought in an agony of sympathy. “It will be over soon. We’re going to get them out.”

  He nodded and his eyes closed. “Don’t let … Nicos get hold of you. Bad … on women.”

  Terrible with women. Terrible with Rosa. Terrible with all those tragic little girls he’d used as toys. Terrible with Margaret, with all the torment he’d inflicted over the years.

  And it was time a woman stepped up and stopped Nicos from ever doing that again.

  * * *

  “I’ll send these other two names and have them run through the CIA database,” Lassiter said when he came to pick up Margaret an hour later to take her to her quarters. “It may come in handy to know if they have a power base in the area.”

  “Why? What difference does it make?” She fell into step with him as they walked down the long corridor. “No matter who they are, there’s no question we’ll have to go get them. We can’t leave them there.”

  “I didn’t say anything about picking and choosing. But everyone in that detention camp has to have someone looking for them. I was searching for Patrick for eighteen months. God knows, I would have been grateful to have had someone call me and tell me that they knew where I could find Patrick.”

  She slowly shook her head. “That’s not what you meant. You said power base.”

  “I did mean it.” He shrugged. “But it wouldn’t hurt to gather a little more firepower to help us if we need it. Nicos may bring his men from the island to search the area if he finds out that we’ve taken Patrick. And we know Nicos has most of the government military forces in the area in his pocket. We could have them to contend with, too, if he decides to turn them loose on us.”

  “What kind of firepower?”

  “Diego Estefan for one. He has a brother, Carlos, who took over the rebel forces when Diego disappeared. I told Mandell to call the CIA and try to locate Carlos’s rebel encampment and get me a contact. I want to phone him and let him know where Estefan is being held.” He paused. “And now I’ll also let them know that Estefan’s wife was tortured to death by Nicos’s men. I’d think that would give them motivation to help us deal with Nicos.” He added, “And I’ll go through the rest of the list of prisoners and see if anyone else can be used to block his moves.”

  She was silent, her eyes narrowed on his face. “You’ve been thinking about this. Ever since you left me today, you’ve been plotting and planning, setting up scenarios and then discarding them.”

  He didn’t answer for a moment. Then he shrugged. “Before then, actually. Since the time I found out that Patrick was too ill to chance moving. Everything changed from that moment. That’s why I wanted you somewhere safe and out of the line of fire. I knew I’d probably have to forget about going after Nicos later. It was all going to come together now. So I had to have an alternate plan.”

  She should have known that Lassiter wouldn’t just be down here spinning his wheels while he waited for Patrick to heal enough to be moved. From childhood, he’d been involved in cons and intricate manipulations of computers and individuals. It was the natural way for him to go. “What alternate plan?”

  “We were going have to go get those other prisoners anyway or else risk having them killed by Nicos. I’m just trying to use the friends and families of those prisoners to help us save them … and ourselves, if it comes to that. I’m going to contact them and see if I can persuade them it’s the only way to be sure of getting them out alive.”

  “And how can we protect Patrick?”

  He smiled faintly. “I’ve already started. I just talked to the doctor. He thinks, barring complications, that Patrick will be out of danger by at least the middle of the day tomorrow. We’ll try to get him to the helicopter pad by noon and I’ll have you and Cambry take him to Bogotá.”

  Now wasn’t the time to argue with him about his trying to get rid of her again. “Noon tomorrow. What if Nicos makes a move before that?”

  His smile vanished. “Then I won’t be able to get Patrick out of the immediate area. But I’m having Mandell scout for caves or any other places to hide him in an emergency until this is over.”

  “I thought that Cambry said Father Dominic had told him there would be a couple villages that might be possibilities.”

  “I decided that I didn’t want to place Patrick anywhere that the monks knew about. It could endanger both them and Patrick if they were questioned.”

  She should have thought of that. So many innocent people threatened by Nicos. “They’ve been so kind to Patrick. I hate the idea of them being put in danger because he was brought here.”

  “I know. That’s why I’ve been looking around for caves or any other options in the area.”

  She made a face. “Caves aren’t very sanitary.” She held up her hand as he opened his lips. “Look, I lived in the woods for all those years. Sanitary isn’t always necessary. We’ll make it work as long as Dr. Armando gives Patrick the okay. But it can’t be for very long. We have to get him in a hospital as soon as possible.”

  He raised his brows. “‘We’?”

  “What did you think I would do? You’re going to set all of this up and
I have to find a way to follow through with it. I don’t like not having any say in what you’ve already done, but I’ll make sure that I do in what goes forward.” She rubbed her temple. “But you hadn’t told me nearly everything. I was just concerned about Patrick.”

  “Perfectly natural. That’s where your priority would be.”

  “No, it shouldn’t. I should be worrying about everyone. Those monks … and particularly those poor prisoners.”

  “Look, the prisoners should be safe even if I can’t get them out right away. As far as Nicos knows, I don’t care anything about anyone in that camp except Patrick. He wouldn’t see any advantage in hurting them or using them as pawns. It should be status quo at the camp. There’s no reason why we have to move immediately.”

  “Yes, there is,” she said fiercely. “You know there is. Nicos doesn’t always think logically or reasonably. When he’s angry, he explodes. He lashes out and tries to cut deep. If he doesn’t have the target he wants, then he makes do with anyone within range. Those people will be within his range. So don’t you dare think coolly or rationally where he’s concerned. You work on getting them out now. Understand?”

  “I could hardly help understanding,” he said gently. “You’re very clear. I can’t help being logical and rational, but I wasn’t going to waste any time. I just want to make sure that we’re doing it in the best way to benefit everyone.”

  “Get them out of there.” Her hands clenched into fists. “I hate prisons. Nicos had me in one for nine months. I felt helpless. Rosa was helpless. Nicos likes to make people feel that way. If he gets frustrated by not finding us, he might strike out at them.”

  He nodded. “I told you that I was doing everything I could think to do. We’ll move as soon as we can.” He smiled. “Without being totally unreasonable. Is that all right with you?”

  She drew a deep breath. “A little patronizing, but I guess I was a little over the top. It’s your fault for hitting me with all this at once.” She grimaced. “Of course, I guess I wouldn’t have let you do anything else. But you should have told me before this, instead of leaving me in the dark.”

  “I thought that you should be allowed to relax and get over Montego before you had to face anything more.” He added, “And I thought I should be able to get more info and strategies in place before I had to face your wrath over my callousness in not instantly finding a way to get those prisoners out of the detention camp. You surprised me again.”

  “You still don’t get it. How could I think you were callous when I can feel what you’re feeling? I felt your pain as you thought about them, just as I felt your pain about Patrick. I can disagree with you sometimes, but I can’t not know what— Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “I was wondering what it would be like to feel what you’re feeling. It doesn’t seem fair that it only goes one way.” He was staring into her eyes. “And I was analyzing it in my humble, logical way, and thinking that when you were holding me that night on the beach, I felt part of you.” He added softly, “And, if I was still closer, I was wondering if I might just get there.”

  His eyes, pale green and glittering … his body, lean and muscular, which had felt strong and ready against her …

  Tingling heat.

  Her breasts swelling in mindless response.

  Her breathing shallow.

  She swallowed. “Does that mean you want to have sex with me?”

  “Oh, yes. Right this minute.” He drew a deep breath. “But I always seem to pick a moment when you’re vulnerable or confused or maybe too grateful to me for pulling you out of Montego Bay.” He turned on his heel. “And now I think that I’ll get the hell out of here and go tell Mandell what I intend to do about those prisoners. Your room is the third down this hall.”

  “But Patrick comes first,” she called after him. “And I want to see where you’re going to put him if he has to be moved.”

  “I believe you can trust me to find him a safe place, Margaret.”

  “Ordinarily. But this is the rain forest. How much do you know about the animals here?”

  “Jaguars, anacondas—”

  “The poison dart frog?”

  “What?”

  “It’s one of the most dangerous animals here. It’s usually bright blue, but sometimes golden. The golden ones are the deadliest. Only two inches long, but their venom is strong enough to kill ten men. Patrick can’t be allowed anywhere near one. You’ll have to examine—”

  “Okay. Okay. I’ll let you look over any place we decide to move him. Heaven forbid that I bring down the wrath of the golden poison dart frog.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome.” He shook his head as he looked at her over his shoulder. “You’re a constant amazement. One minute you’re demanding that I have to do what you say and the next you’re all politeness.”

  “Politeness is good. Honesty is better. And I had to tell you about the frog so that you could see why—”

  “Margaret.”

  “I’m sorry.” She nodded. “I’m talking too much because you said that you wanted to have sex with me. I’m a little off balance and I have to—”

  “That makes two of us.”

  The next minute, he’d disappeared out the arched doorway.

  She stared after him for a brief moment, drew a breath, and then hurried down the hall toward the room he’d indicated. It was more a closet than a room, with a single bed and a chest that had an old-fashioned china pitcher and wooden bowl. She closed the door and dropped down on the bed. There were no windows in the room and it was dim and close.

  That was fine with Margaret. She needed soothing and she found the darkness comforting after the heat of the last few minutes. Her cheeks were flushed and her nipples were ultrasensitive with every breath she took.

  And she could still see Lassiter as if he were standing before her. Broad shoulders, tight buttocks, those pale green eyes … Just a few words and he had brought her to this state. No, it was more than that. The chemistry had been there from the beginning. Since their relationship had been stormy and conflicted, it had been incredible that explosive sexual tension could manage to exist.

  And now certainly wasn’t the time to think about Lassiter or sex. So spend a little time in this welcome dimness and get over it.

  Then start to think of Patrick and those prisoners at the detention camp.

  And Nicos, who at this very moment might already be on his way toward them.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  “How is he doing?” Margaret asked Cambry the minute she walked into Patrick’s room four hours later. “Is it my imagination, or does he look less feverish?”

  Cambry nodded. “His temp’s gone down another degree. He may be on his way back.”

  “Thank God.” She gazed at Patrick for a long moment. He had gone through so much, and still they had almost lost him. It was good to know that he was going to get his chance to live. “Does Lassiter know?”

  “Yes, he was here an hour ago. And he had a conference with the doctor. Since then he’s been moving at top speed. I saw him talking to Mandell in the courtyard.”

  “Any news of Nicos?”

  “Yes,” Lassiter replied for him as he strode into the room. “So far, the news is good. Mandell heard from his operative in Montego who was on watch and he said Nicos was still in Montego and there seemed to be a number of high-powered meetings going on. It appears that we might be getting a reprieve for a little while.” He met her eyes. “It could be enough. We’ll have to see.”

  She felt relief rush through her. “At least enough time to get Patrick out of here?”

  He shrugged. “No promises.”

  She knew she couldn’t ask for anything other than the tentative hope he’d given her. “Then I’ll think positive.”

  He smiled. “You always do.”

  “Not always. But I try.” She turned to Cambry. “How is Patrick?”

  “Breathing steadier. Fev
er dropping.”

  “Then could we move him tonight instead of tomorrow?”

  “Not unless we want to undo what we’ve done with him,” Lassiter said. “The doctor said we can’t rush it.”

  “Damn.”

  “I know.” He smiled. “But I haven’t been standing still, Margaret. I contacted Estefan’s rebel group and spoke to Diego’s brother, Carlos. He wasn’t at all pleased about his brother being imprisoned and tortured and even less when I told him about Diego’s wife, María. He was furious. I thought it was going to be an easy fix. Estefan’s people know these forests like the back of their hands and would have no trouble taking out sentries. And their numbers are large enough to be able to assault the detention camp if necessary.” He shook his head. “But I couldn’t get Carlos to commit to making a move toward getting the prisoners out. He didn’t trust me. He said he’d lost his brother and his brother’s wife and he wouldn’t lose anyone else. He couldn’t take a chance on my baiting a trap that could snap closed on his entire group.”

  “So he won’t help?”

  “He’ll help. I just may have to do a little finagling to make him come around.” He turned toward Patrick. “But I’ve set up some insurance just to make sure that Patrick will be safe if everything doesn’t go as I think it will.”

  “What kind of insurance?”

  “I found a cave deep in the rain forest, about thirty miles from here. I told Mandell’s men to cover the opening with branches. It’s completely undiscernible. You’d have to stumble across it.”

  Margaret frowned. “I want to see it and check it out.”

  “What a surprise,” Cambry murmured.

  Lassiter nodded. “I thought you would. I have to take medical supplies and an IV unit up there anyway. As I said, it’s just insurance. We wouldn’t want to move Patrick until the last minute, so that he’ll be comfortable as long as possible.” He took her hand and pulled her toward the door. “But I still want everything prepared for him. Let’s go.”

  * * *

  Lassiter had spoken the truth, Margaret thought as he stopped the van a hundred yards away from the cave beside a small rushing river. It was absolutely hidden from view as it faded into the hillside, which was covered with a jungle of glossy shrubs and trees.