“You have nothing to fear. Cameron and I have an understanding. He won’t break his word unless I do something that threatens his objectives.”
“What word? What objectives? I need to know more, Hu Chang. Don’t push me away. Tell me.”
He stared at her for a moment. “You are very weary. You need to rest.”
“I’m tired and pissed off, and I’m worried. I won’t be able to rest until I get rid of two of the three.”
His gaze shifted to the door. “Where did Cameron go?”
Her gaze narrowed on his face. “Why do you think I should know?”
“He was joined with you while I was working on Erin.” He smiled faintly. “I’m familiar with Cameron when he’s in the joined state. I was with him for a number of months and allowed to get to know him fairly well. He was not joined with me or Erin. Therefore, it must have been you.”
“It was,” she said curtly. “He went to meet with the villager he’d set to watch Kadmus and his men.”
“And managed to irritate you exceedingly before he left.”
“He does that very well. I think he enjoys it.”
“He enjoys you,” Hu Chang said softly. “Beware.” He rose gracefully to his feet. “But since he will be gone for a while, we will have time to talk.” He moved to the stove and sank to the floor in front of it, his legs crossed tailor fashion. “Come. Sit with me.”
She sat down beside him. “Not too close. I still stink from the hot springs.”
“Yes, you do. Ask me if I care.”
“No.” The warmth of the fire. The closeness that always bound them together. She felt herself begin to relax. “But it scares me to risk offending you. You might throw it in my face someday.”
“That is true. But it is a poor weapon and not likely to be of value.” He looked away from her and into the leaping flames in the stove. “Ask your questions, Catherine. I will answer what I know and what I consider safe for you.”
“Let’s begin with how you came to know Cameron. You never mentioned him to me.” She added ruefully, “Not that you’re ever very communicative. When did you meet him?”
“Several years ago at a monastery in Amdo Province. And I did not mention him because silence was part of the agreement I made with him. It was one of the more important demands he made. I was not to mention him or anything that I saw or experienced at the monastery.”
“Yet you’re willing to talk to me now.”
“Cameron has interfered with your life. He almost took your life. You have a right to know why.”
“What did you have to do with that monastery?”
“I had heard stories that the monks of this particular monastery had been formulating rare herbal mixtures for close to nine hundred years. I wanted to learn what they were and if I could use them in my own potions.”
“I should have known.” She shook her head. “Well, was it worth your while? Did you find a brand-new poison?”
“That was not what I was seeking.”
She stiffened. “Hu Chang…”
He nodded. “Life not death. At that time, I had not yet found the final ingredients for the potion I gave to Chen Lu to extend and reverse her cell regeneration. It was frustrating me. I thought that the monastery might be the answer.” His lips twisted. “But I couldn’t get permission to study with the monks. The monastery was completely isolated, and the lama would permit no one, not even other monks from the area, to visit it. I had to find some way to go around the lama. I was getting quite desperate.”
“I’ve never seen you desperate.”
“But it was to be such a magnificent potion. An elixir that would extend life fifty to a hundred years? It was exciting even to me. I had to get in to see if those monks had some ingredient I didn’t. I stayed there in the province and began to research a way to do it.”
“Richard Cameron?”
“Yes, I watched, I listened, and I found Cameron.” He smiled reminiscently. “Though one who was not as dedicated as I would not have been so fortunate. I just heard a word here and there about the Westerner who moved around the mountains and villages. Strange words … about a Guardian, a protector, a warrior … But those words held boundless respect and an element of fear. Then I saw him at the monastery with the lama. I saw the same respect from the lama and no fear. Most unusual from a religious figure that prestigious. Over the next weeks, I found that Cameron held a special place in the affections of the lama and those monks.”
“And you decided to use him.”
“That was not possible. I had already taken Cameron’s measure and knew that he was an extraordinary man. I knew I would have to negotiate.” He grimaced. “If I was to avoid having to plead. So I went to him as he was leaving the monastery. He was as tough and sharp as I thought he would be. It took me three days to persuade him to even consider interceding for me. On the fourth day, he started asking me questions about myself. I had no idea about his gift at that time. If I’d lied, I would not have stood a chance. I did not lie. On the fifth day, he said that he would persuade the lama to let me have access to records and the herbs the monks used … on condition.” He smiled. “And so it started.”
“What conditions?”
“You do not need to know. I will not break that promise.”
“It’s not important. Okay, let’s go on. I want to know about Richard Cameron. I was thinking about going to Langley and getting a complete dossier, but I didn’t want to upset Erin.”
“It would have been useless. There are no records on Cameron.”
“There are always records. You just have to know where to look and tap all the organizations.”
“No records. No DNA info. No fingerprints. No retina scan. Nothing. When the committee chose Cameron as Guardian, they spent a good deal of time and millions of dollars erasing his former existence. If, by any chance, he does leave anything traceable, a cleanup crew goes in immediately and takes care of it.”
“What?” Her eyes widened. “No records? That doesn’t happen.”
“Test it. When you get back to civilization, discreetly check it.”
“I will.” She latched on to the one word that might be the key. “Committee. What committee?” She thought about what Cameron had earlier told her. “When I was questioning him about what country he was working for, he said something vague about an organization. An organization would have committees.”
“Yes, it would. Only in this case one committee.”
“Then what organization? What’s its purpose? What’s its name?”
“He never mentioned a name to me.”
“But did you guess?”
Silence. “I guessed. But I never confronted him with it. It was one of the conditions of my stay with Cameron that I would not question anything that I wasn’t told.”
“I know you. That’s not a condition you would ever accept.”
“Then you don’t know me as well as you thought. I came to Cameron because he had a treasure beyond imagination, and I needed what he could give me.” He added, “I studied with him and the monks for five months. I received what I came for, and I did not quibble about his rules. It was worth it to me.”
“And do you regret it now?”
“No, not for a minute.”
It was clear he wasn’t going to talk about this committee. Back to Cameron. “Why did they concentrate such an effort on erasing Cameron’s background?”
“They wanted him to remain completely untouchable. It had taken them a long, long time to find someone of his caliber and character, and they were determined to protect him at all costs. The only way they could assure that was to remove him from the grid. He has false documents for every country on Earth, which are exchanged frequently.”
“It sounds very efficient … and lonely.”
“I’m sure that the committee provided therapy for any psychological damage. Nothing is too good for Cameron.”
“Are you being sarcastic?”
“No.”
He glanced at her. “They value him, they respect him, and they even listen to him on occasion. I got the impression that they would give him anything he asked as long as it was within the rules.” He held up his hand. “And I do not know what those rules are. Except that there seems to be a universal one that Cameron not be put at risk. Make any sacrifice but Cameron. I saw it several times, while I was with him. It annoys him at times but he accepts the rule.”
“Even when it means Erin’s being tortured,” she said bitterly.
“Even then.”
“Why is he considered so valuable? What makes him king of their world?”
He shrugged. “Probably the same thing that made the committee choose him as Guardian. They looked all over the world and thought him worthy.”
“Worthy of what? For God’s sake, you talk as if he’s some kind of holy man or something. I guarantee you that Cameron is very, very secular.”
Hu Chang nodded. “Yes, and yields to temptation on occasion. I was referring more to the worthiness of a knight or warrior. He is the Guardian, after all.”
“If he’s a knight, he’s a black knight.”
“You’d have an argument from Erin.”
“He has her brainwashed. She’d obviously sacrifice anything for him.”
“Not for him. Erin is an intelligent woman and not likely to be fooled even by a man as persuasive as Cameron. It would have to be something above and beyond Cameron.”
“But you don’t deny that there’s a possibility he could have brainwashed her. Even at that think tank in Rome I attended, they didn’t have anyone who could do what Cameron can. He’s way beyond anyone that our agencies have discovered.”
“They might have the potential, but Cameron has had that potential honed and exploited by experts. He was in training for years after he was selected.”
“What potential? Just what can Cameron do that he hasn’t shown me?”
“I have no clear idea. I was curious and probed where it was safe. He did not mind talking about some things, others he ignored. He was twenty-six when he was chosen to be trained for Guardian. I know he was taught physical disciplines and control by Tibetan monks. I know that he was schooled in weapons, combat, and several deadly martial arts by world-class experts. Evidently, they concentrated on that aspect of his education. He’s an amazing sniper, he moves as fast as a cheetah on attack, and he’s incredibly strong. When he’s not actually on committee business, he does a full exercise regimen every day. He’s well educated in a variety of fields. He can be excellent company and has a sense of humor that’s sometimes a bit twisted.” He paused. “We seemed to mesh. I … enjoyed our time together.”
“Why not? Your humor is often twisted, too.”
“True. But I assure you that Cameron did not brainwash me during my stay with him. We came to an agreement about any mental interference on his part, and he abided by it. I got the impression that he was a little relieved that I had bound his hands. So many temptations … When you have a talent like Cameron’s, it must be difficult to have to make all the rules yourself regarding restraints.”
As Cameron had done with Catherine before he left. “And what if he breaks the rules?”
He shrugged. “Then one must find a way to punish him. In my case, it was not an issue.” He was silent a moment. “But it made me think about the trust that committee must have had in Cameron to turn him loose without controls. It was evident he was a free agent and had only a few basic rules. I’d seen a few examples of the almost limitless power and wealth that Cameron could tap when he needed something. He was never questioned.”
“Dangerous.” She frowned. “What examples? What the hell does Cameron do?”
“In one case, he arranged the hijacking of a train on which a troop of soldiers was taking a young Indian computer scientist to Beijing. The boy was exceptionally gifted, and the Chinese government wished to ‘honor’ him with a scholarship and the opportunity to work in their program. They had lost track of the fact that the boy did not wish to be so honored. The removal of the boy from those soldiers was handled very adeptly, and Beijing was scrambling to find him and still maintain the humanitarian façade.”
“So what happened to the boy?”
“You’d have to ask Cameron. I know he was not returned to his parents in Calcutta. Though his parents disappeared themselves about three months later. In the interim, they appeared worried and despondent.” He added, “But definitely not overly so. If I were to guess, I’d wager they were settled in another country and situation more to their liking.”
“That could be called kidnapping.”
“By Cameron or Beijing?”
“Both. I hate youngsters’ being used as pawns.”
He smiled. “But perhaps this was a rescue by our black knight.”
“For what purpose?”
“There is intense competition among international companies and countries over technical brainpower. It’s what is moving our world these days. Pity.”
“You think that’s what’s happening here in Tibet? It’s a desolate wilderness. Not a viable battleground for that kind of international espionage. You just said that conglomerate made Cameron into some kind of super Guardian. Why would they waste him on this harsh environment in the Himalayas?”
“He spends time here, but he often travels to other countries. He has teams under his orders in a number of cities around the world. He was in Paris twice when I was with him. I believe he goes where he’s sent.”
“Did he conduct any other raids or similar violent acts while you were there?”
“Not to my precise knowledge.” He was silent a moment. “But there were rumors of the killing of a small-time bandit who was harassing a few of his men in a village in the next province.”
“He ordered it done?”
“I understand he did it himself.”
“But that’s against his rules,” she said sarcastically. “He might have been hurt or killed.”
“Not likely. Cameron kept to the rules. The bandit was shot from a distance of over a thousand yards. I told you that he’s a fantastic marksman.”
“He appears to be fantastic at several of the skills in which Kadmus prides himself.” She thought about it. “If he’s that good, is there any reason he couldn’t have gone after Erin himself?”
“None but the reason he gave to you.”
“Which was bullshit.” She was silent again. “If he’d staged a raid on Daksha, what would have been his chances? Could he have done it?”
“In my humble opinion, I believe that he would have run right over Kadmus’s men.”
“But he didn’t do it.” She jumped to another subject. “And why would Kadmus be so desperate to get his hands on Cameron?”
“You are full of questions. Unfortunately, I am not equally brimming with answers. I can but surmise. Kadmus has been delving into all kinds of enterprises here in Tibet. Not only thievery but blackmail and kidnapping, and he even has a few legitimate investments. It could be that he is feeling threatened in some way.”
She shook her head. “Or more likely that he wants to take over the action. Maybe he thinks if he captures Cameron, it will be a way of doing that.” She thought about it. “But Kadmus doesn’t even know who he’s looking for. He was torturing Erin to give him a name as well as Cameron’s location. That’s damn weird.”
“Yes, but nothing is simple in this matter. I believe Kadmus is searching for a key, and he may think Cameron is that key. In some way, Erin led him to believe that was true. But I was witness to the fact that Cameron makes sure he’s invisible when he wishes. Kadmus may have heard rumors about the Westerner as I did, but no one in these mountains would willingly talk about Cameron.”
“And neither would Erin. Why would she become involved with that kind of industrial or technical espionage? It doesn’t make sense. It would be completely out of character.”
And so was the self-sacrifice and torture Erin had been willing to undergo duri
ng those months. It wouldn’t have been worth it to her for any monetary reward. The more Catherine learned, the more bewildered she became. “So Cameron is some kind of big-time security chief who’s not above turning loose his forces whenever he chooses.”
“That may be a fairly accurate description, but he’s definitely much more complicated. I can only tell you what I know and what I guess.” He paused. “Cameron is one of those men who might come along only once or twice in a century. Add in his unusual gifts, and you have a truly extraordinary individual. You will have to make sense of anything else about him yourself. Erin would tell you nothing?”
She shook her head. “She’s protecting Cameron.” She drew a deep breath. “And I’m angry and resentful, and it may be clouding my judgment. Is he worth protecting, Hu Chang?”
He was silent. “I would like to say no. I do not want you involved with him any more than you have to be. And Cameron can protect himself very well.” He slowly nodded his head. “But if the occasion occurs, I believe he may be worthy of Erin or you or even me stepping in to keep him alive.”
“Worthy.” She repeated the word. “Are we back to the black knight again?”
He just looked at her.
“You’re not telling me everything.” Her eyes were narrowed. “Have you run out of things you think are safe for me to know?”
“I’ve told you facts. I’ve told you logical suppositions. If there are other possible explanations that have come to me in the dark of night, then I will keep them to myself.”
“Because you promised Cameron.”
“Because ideas that come to one in the dark of night are best left there until dawn.”
“Stop being cryptic.” She sighed resignedly. “Okay, I’ll work it out for myself.” She wearily rubbed her temple. “But you’re telling me I’ll have to protect Cameron just to protect Erin.”
“It would seem that’s what we will have to do.”
Her gaze went to Luke across the room. “He’s the only one I should be protecting. You shouldn’t have brought him, Hu Chang. I don’t know if I can forgive you.”
“I accepted that possibility when I told him he could come.”