The Search

  “Not yet. I’m still tracking Sanchez. Taiwan?”

  “It seems there’s a mudslide in Taiwan. Her rescue team has been called out. I’m going with them.”

  “Christ. How do you feel?”

  “I just had a bullet cut out of me. Not good.”

  “I don’t envy you.”

  “Just find Rudzak. Even if he’s hurt, I’ll bet he’s somewhere plotting and planning his next move.”

  He hung up and closed his eyes, gathering his strength. He’d gotten through the call. He could get through the flight. The trick was blocking the pain, operating on automatic, and not allowing himself to think.

  He bent over the sink and splashed cold water on his face.

  “Nice guy.” Susie Phillips sat in the leather seat, her gaze on Logan at the front of the plane, talking to Boyd Medford. “You’d never know he was some kind of tycoon, would you?”

  “Look around.” Sarah’s tone was dry. “I think anyone would be able to hazard a guess by this plane.”

  “You know what I mean. He’s pretty down-to-earth. Have you known him long?”

  “Not long.”

  “Then he must be a good guy to volunteer to do this for us. Particularly after he had that accident.”

  “Did he tell you he’d had an accident?”

  “No, but it was, wasn’t it?”

  Sarah changed the subject. “How’s Dinah been doing?”

  “Fine. But she misses the searches. She looks so mournful when I take Donegan here out to my pickup.” She reached down and stroked her German shepherd’s head. “She doesn’t understand that retiring after years of service is a reward, not a punishment.” She glanced at Monty. “I know Monty’s nowhere near that point, but it will be hard for him too. Maybe more than any other dog in the group. You should think about it. You’ll need time to train another dog.”

  Sarah didn’t want to think about it. She couldn’t imagine working with another dog after all these years, and the thought of Monty growing old hurt her. “There’s plenty of time to think about that.” She rose to her feet. “Logan’s looking a little tired. I think I’ll go see if he needs anything.”

  Susie nodded. “Good idea.” She took a paperback book out of her tote. “I’ll see if I can read myself to sleep. It’s going to be a long flight, and I’d love to spend it unconscious.”

  “So would I.” Sarah could feel weariness dragging at every muscle as she walked down the aisle, stepping over dogs and carry-on baggage on the way to Logan. She couldn’t wait until she was able to curl up and sleep as the other members of the team were doing. Actually, there was nothing to prevent her. Logan didn’t need her. He could take care of himself.

  If he was sensible. But if he’d been sensible, he’d have stretched out on one of the couches when the jet had left Tucson an hour before. Instead, he’d continued talking to Boyd, listening politely and growing more wan and exhausted-looking by the minute.

  Men.

  Boyd looked up and smiled as she stopped before them. “Hey, Sarah. Pretty nice digs, huh? Remember that cargo plane we hopped to Barat?”

  “How could I forget?” She gazed directly at Logan. “You look like death warmed over. Go to bed.”

  “In a few minutes. Boyd was just telling me about the rescue operation in Nicaragua.”

  “He can tell you when you wake up.” She turned to Boyd. “I’m kicking you out of here. He should have that leg elevated. He probably didn’t tell you he had an operation yesterday.”

  “Hell, no.” Boyd stood up. “I’m gone. See you later, Logan.”

  Logan nodded and watched Boyd walk down the aisle and settle down by Susie. “You know him well?”

  “Years.”

  “I thought as much. You can be rude only to very old friends.”

  “You’d have been better off if you’d been rude to him. He’s a great guy, but he talks a lot when he’s not on a search.”

  “I liked him.” He smiled. “And I’m fully capable of being as rude as you, Sarah. He interested me. He was giving me an insight into your work.”

  “And?”

  “It was like a glimpse into hell. Intriguing to hear about, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”

  “You don’t have to live there. I do.”

  “Not unless you—”

  “Stop talking. I’m dead tired, and the last thing I wanted was to have to run interference between you and my friends because you were too macho to admit you were in pain. Now, will you go and lie down so that I can get some rest?”

  “Sure.” He struggled to his feet and stood swaying with one hand on the back of the chair. “If you’ll give me a minute to get the kinks out. I’ve stiffened up.”

  He probably just didn’t want to admit that the long walk down the aisle was intimidating in his present state. “Do you want me to help you?”

  He grimaced. “You won’t let me get away with anything, will you?”

  “Pride’s pretty dumb if you’re hurting.”

  “No one can ever accuse you of mincing words. Two minutes. If I’m not okay then, I’ll let you sweep me up in a fireman’s lift and carry me to my couch. Tell me why you hate mudslides so much.”

  “I told you, they’re death searches. In an earthquake you have more of a chance of finding air pockets. When a mountain of mud comes down on you, you suffocate.”

  “Like a snow avalanche?”

  She shook her head. “Snow is easy because it’s porous, scent travels through it. Mud is different, the scent is sealed inside. It’s almost impossible for a dog to pick up the cone. And the dog thinks he can walk on mud, which leads to trouble. He can get stuck, get carried away, or go under, and sometimes you can’t get to him to help him. You have to watch him every minute.”

  Her words were shooting out like machine-gun bullets. “You can’t search alone because you have to use one person as a spotter in case a searcher gets in trouble. And that happens frequently. Just getting a boot full of mud can be a death sentence. A handler has to make sure her rubber boots are well fitting and duct-taped on. Plus, it’s still raining in Taiwan, and we can’t search until the rain stops because the mud can shift at any time. So you sit and wait while the victims’ relatives stare and curse at you. Is that enough problems for you?”

  “Shit.”

  “Exactly. Are you sure you don’t want to stay on board the plane instead of going to the village?”

  “I’m sure.” His gaze wandered over the occupants of the plane. “Nice people, but they must be as crazy as you to be willing to go through that. I’m afraid I was a little out of it when you introduced me. Tell me about them.”

  Her gaze followed his. “The fiftyish man with the black Lab is Hans Kniper, he’s a vet and dog trainer. The small young man asleep by the window is George Leonard. He works at a supermarket in Tucson and trains dogs on the weekends. You met Boyd Medford, our team leader. I guess I know him best. He was with the ATF K9 unit before he bailed and bought a ranch. Theo Randall is the blond man with the black-and-tan German shepherd. He’s an accountant with a luxury hotel. Susie’s a stay-at-home mom with two kids and four German shepherds.”

  “None of you have much in common.”

  “Except a love of dogs and the willingness to train them to help. That’s enough of a bond.”

  “Monty’s the only golden retriever. Three German shepherds, two Labs, and Monty. Are some breeds better suited than others for this kind of work?”

  “You’d get an argument from every owner on the team. I think the only true qualifications are intelligence, the search instinct, and a good nose. Are you ready to move now?”

  “Slowly.” He started carefully down the aisle. “Very slowly. Good night, Sarah.”

  She watched him walk haltingly, stopping for a moment to step around Susie’s dog, Donegan. Susie looked up from her book, and he exchanged a few words with her.

  Lie down, you idiot. You don’t have to charm everyone on the damn plane.

 
He had gone past Susie and was sitting down on the couch. He took a vial of pills from his pocket and swallowed a couple with a glass of water. Painkillers? If they were, he should have taken them before. At that moment, when he wasn’t aware he was being watched, his expression was haggard . . . and tormented. She could understand the haggardness—but torment? What devils were driving Logan?

  Monty got to his feet, walked stiffly to Logan’s couch, and plopped down in front of it. He could always sense illness and pain, which was only another signal that Logan had no business on this trip.

  And Sarah would have no business on this mission either if she didn’t stop worrying about a man who was too stubborn to worry about himself and get some rest. She sat down in the chair Logan had vacated and pushed it back until it was almost fully reclining.

  Sleep. Don’t think about Logan.

  Don’t think about that suffocating mud.

  Taiwan would come soon enough.

  God, she hoped it would stop raining.

  The sun was shining brightly and there was not a cloud in the sky. All was right in Dodsworth, Rudzak thought with amusement.

  “Why did you want to come here?” Duggan asked. “I told you it was too well protected to hit right now.”

  “I just wanted to see it.” He gazed at the small brick building surrounded by ivy-covered stone walls. “What do the townspeople think is going on here?”

  “Agricultural research.”

  Rudzak chuckled. “Trust Logan to pick a lie that would appeal to America’s heartland.” He turned away. “I suppose he’s reinforced security?”

  “Inside. Outside. Patrols, surveillance cameras, sensors, and personnel checks.”

  “Have you been able to get a blueprint of the building?”

  “Not yet. But I won’t need it.”

  “I need it. I want to know every structural strength and weakness in that building. Make it a priority.”

  “The security is too tight. You’d do better to hit one of Logan’s other facilities.”

  “I’ll consider it. But Dodsworth is such an interesting challenge, and it’s clearly Logan’s crown jewel. There’s usually a way around security if you study the situation enough.” He paused. “And that’s what we’re going to do. Study the situation and see what we come up with.” A new element had appeared on the horizon. Sarah Patrick. He had learned quite a lot about her in the last couple of days, including the fact that Logan had extended his protection to her cabin outside Phoenix. What place did she occupy in his life? Was it worthwhile to remove her now? What about Eve Duncan, who had occupied a central place in Logan’s recent past?

  So many choices. So many paths to explore. But he had time and leisure to find the answers. He was the one setting the pace. Logan could only counter. He could hardly wait to get going again, but it took time to set up interesting scenarios. It’s coming closer, Chen Li. Just be patient.

  “I’ve seen what I need to see.” He strode toward the car. “Let’s go. I want to be in Phoenix tonight.”

  7

  “Hurry. Into the bus.” Logan stood in the road, the rain hammering his face, his local contact, Sun Chang, beside him. “The village is only a short distance from here, but Chang says the road there is going to be washed out any minute. If it’s not gone already. The soldiers won’t let anyone in or out of the area after the road goes.”

  “Great.” Sarah scrambled onto the bus. “That’s all we need. What about air support?”

  “No place to land. The terrain is too rough. The best they can do will be supply drops. The village was terraced on the side of a mountain.”

  “Have they been able to get medical equipment into the village?”

  “Yes. And they’ve set up tents.”

  “Any other search and rescue teams arrived?” Boyd asked.

  “One from Tokyo. They’ve been here since last night.”

  “Survivors?”

  Logan’s lips tightened. “They’ve dug out six . . . so far.”

  Sarah leaned her head against the window, staring blindly out at the driving rain. Six out of five hundred. Dear God.

  Logan dropped down in the seat beside her. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance of you staying here instead of going to the village?”

  “No, but you could do it. You won’t be any help after we start work. You can barely walk.”

  “You’d be surprised how helpful a man like me can be. I haven’t failed you yet, have I?”

  “No.” From the moment he had gotten off the plane, Logan had been a dynamo of energy, checking with the handlers to make sure they had everything they needed, talking to Chang, who had met the plane and arranged for the bus. “But there’s not much you’ll be able to do from now on unless you’re a doctor or trained in rescue. It will be—” The bus bounced and skidded across the road, throwing mud on the windows. “And you won’t be able to get out if that leg needs more medical attention than the doctors here can supply.”

  “It’s amazing what I can accomplish with a cell phone.”

  “Don’t be flippant. It’s not funny.”

  “Funny is the last thing I’m trying to be.” He straightened his bad leg. “I’m trying to reassure you that I’ll not be a—Shit.”

  They had rounded a curve of road and a mountain of mud spread out before them. The village was gone. No sign of houses or streets . . . or life. Through the driving rain Sarah could see a few search and rescue handlers and their dogs plodding through the mud on the lower slope and a bevy of men digging furiously while balanced on boards placed across the mud to the safe stone banks on either side. Tents ringed the area, and she located the hospital tent with a large red cross.

  “Christ,” Logan murmured. “Where the hell can we start?”

  “Where we always start.” She reached down, checked Monty’s bandage, then fastened his orange halter with the red cross on both sides. “With the dogs.”

  Logan’s face had turned pale. “My God.”

  “I told you mudslides were the worst.”

  “Yes, you did.” He took a deep breath and dragged his gaze from the mountain to Monty. “He didn’t wear that halter when we were in Santo Camaro.”

  “It wouldn’t have done any good there. On disaster sites it identifies him as a lifesaver, not one of the wild dogs that often scavenge among the ruins. I’ve seen starving families kill those dogs for their next meal.” She put up the hood on her poncho and tied it under her chin as the bus slithered to a stop in front of the hospital tent. “That’s not going to happen to Monty.”

  Logan watched Sarah and the rest of the team disappear into the tent to be briefed by the military. It was getting dark, and the slide looked like a monstrous obscene mass in the half-light.

  No screams . . .

  No sobbing . . .

  No children singing . . .

  Silence.

  Silent as a tomb.

  “You’re getting wet, Mr. Logan.” Chang was standing beside him. “There’s hot food in the mess tent.”

  “Not now.” He gazed up at the mountain. “Where did the slide start?”

  “They’re not sure. It happened in the middle of the night.” He pointed to a spot near the top of the mountain. “Close to that area.”

  “I want to go there.”

  “The military isn’t letting anyone up there. The mud is still shifting and the rain—”

  “Then take me around it.” He jerkily moved toward the mountain. “I want to go there.”

  The rocks were slippery underfoot as they neared the top of the mountain.

  Death.

  A monument to death.

  No coincidence. It couldn’t be a coincidence.

  “What are you looking for?” Chang asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  It would be protected. He would want Logan to find it.

  The beam of his flashlight flared on the rocks around him.

  Nothing.

  “We should go down,” Chang said. ?
??The military wouldn’t like it if they knew—”

  “You go down.” Logan scrambled over the rocks, the light from his flashlight weaving back and forth. The scarab had been small. . . .

  So was the blue and white box shining in the beam of the light.

  Chen Li’s box. He had seen her handle it a hundred times, her fingers tracing the lapis lazuli flowers on the lid.

  He sank to his knees beside it.

  He wanted to shout. He wanted to pound his fists on the stone.

  All he could do was stare at the exquisite jeweled box glittering in the beam of his flashlight.

  Five hundred people.

  Buried alive.

  Rudzak called him six hours later. “Is it still raining in Kai Chi?”

  “Yes.”

  “I saw the news bulletin that you were on a mercy mission. The rain didn’t stop you from finding Chen Li’s box, did it?”

  “No.”

  “Because you knew it would be there. You’re a smart man, Logan. You finally realized what I was doing with Chen Li’s treasures, didn’t you?”

  “Funeral gifts.”

  “You sound a little numb. Did I wake you?”

  “No.”

  “I didn’t think so. You were probably lying awake, staring into the darkness. Isn’t that what guilty men do?”

  “You should know. You were the one who did this.”

  “I feel no blame. It’s not in my makeup. But now you’ve been thinking and I’ll wager you’ve figured out why I hit Santo Camaro and Kai Chi.”

  “Her grave.”

  “I was very angry when I saw her grave. Chen Li was a queen and you buried her like a pauper. The passing of a queen should be marked by the blare of trumpets and the clash of cymbals.”

  “So you gave her Santo Camaro and Kai Chi.”