“Stop, Hu Chang,” Catherine said. “Let him go fly the damn helicopter. And you will not school Luke in anything lethal. It’s bad enough that I’m always worried about you and those poisons.”
Tashdon quickly nodded and fled for the cockpit.
“Cameron did it?” Luke was frowning. “He must be lying. Cameron wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.”
And Luke was willing to blame anyone but Cameron, Catherine thought. Even in the short time that they had been together, Cameron had made a potent impression on her son.
“Not intentionally, Luke,” Erin said. “He would only do it to keep Catherine safe.”
“But she has a right to do what she wants to do. He shouldn’t have told that pilot to hit her.”
“Drop it, Luke,” Catherine said. The last thing she wanted was for Luke to be aggressive toward Cameron when they saw him again. Cameron had far too many weapons at his disposal. She didn’t think he would use them against the boy, but Cameron was unpredictable to say the least. “I agree with you in principle, but I’m willing to withhold judgment until I get an explanation from Cameron.”
“That doesn’t sound like you.”
“No, it does not,” Hu Chang said. “It’s much too reasonable and logical. At last she must be listening to my sage advice.”
Luke shook his head. “I still don’t like—”
“Cameron saved us, Luke,” Erin said. “Forget everything else. Just remember what odds he took on to help us.”
Luke nodded. “I wasn’t sure what was happening at the time, but then everything started blowing up.” He smiled. “Pretty cool.”
“Yeah.” Erin smiled back at him. “Cameron is always pretty cool.”
Thank heavens Erin had managed to distract Luke. Catherine couldn’t be sure of sounding too convincing when her head was throbbing, and she was a hell of a lot angrier at Cameron than Luke. She turned to Hu Chang. “I take it I wasn’t out long?”
“No, but you missed the best part.”
“That’s a matter of opinion. So we should be in Hong Kong in about three hours?”
“That’s a good estimation. However, we may not be going to Hong Kong. We’ll have to transfer to another flight to go to the U.S., and Cameron may have made other arrangements. Hong Kong may not be safe.” He turned away. “But things were in such tumult after we took off that I didn’t get a chance to inquire of Tashdon. I’ll go up and see if he’s regained his composure enough to discuss it with me.”
Erin got to her feet. “Since this is all about me, I believe I’ll go with you.”
Catherine watched them leave before turning to Luke. “I didn’t ask you. Are you all right? Did Tashdon hurt you at all?”
Luke looked at her in surprise. “No, Hu Chang told you that I was the one who—”
“But I didn’t see it happening. I had to be sure. You were wrong, you know. You should have waited and found out—” Luke was shaking his head. “Okay, I’m not sure I would have waited. I have a habit of acting on instinct.”
Luke smiled faintly. “So do I.”
She reached out and touched his cheek. “Probably because you’re my son. I hope you haven’t inherited any more of my faults.”
“Who knows if that’s a fault? Hu Chang would say it is, but I’m not him. People aren’t the same.” His smile faded. “You were angry that I hurt that pilot.”
“No, not angry. It was a mistake. I just wanted you to realize it and correct it.”
He was silent. “I’m not sorry I did it,” he said jerkily. “I’d do it again. He hurt you.”
“Luke…”
“And there’s another reason I’m not sorry. You got to see me like I am. I couldn’t tell you. You had to see it.” He moistened his lips. “I’m not good-natured and full of jokes and all that other stuff. Sometimes when I’m with other kids my age, I just don’t get them. I try, but it’s like I’m from another planet.” He paused. “I felt more comfortable going after that pilot’s jugular than I have since you took me away from Rakovac.”
She hid the ripple of shock she felt. Poor Luke. She should have seen beyond her own need and fear and tried to make him talk to her before this. “In an emergency, it’s natural to go back to the habits of your early training.” She smiled with an effort. “And though I didn’t actually see it, I feel that I couldn’t have had a sharper awakening regarding your present mind-set. Am I going to be faced with anything more mind-boggling?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
“I just wanted to be prepared.” She hesitated, then said, “Because I did something pretty revealing myself when I got on this helicopter. You’re not the only one who reacted purely on instinct. Once I got you on board, I was going to leave you in Hu Chang’s hands and go back and do my job. You weren’t my first priority. I was going to go get those missiles.” She wrinkled her nose. “Good CIA. Bad mother.”
“Cameron needed you, I didn’t. Besides, I was going to go with you.”
“Which would have scared me to death.” She drew a shaky breath. “So it seems that we’ve both made mistakes, Luke.” She leaned forward and gave him a quick, awkward kiss on the cheek. “But maybe we’ve learned something. What do you think?”
“You’re not mad at me any longer?”
“I told you, l wasn’t—” She added, “But I think you should apologize to Tashdon.”
“No, he hurt you.”
“Not intentionally.”
He stubbornly shook his head.
“Okay, I’ll let it go.” She suddenly chuckled. “And how do you apologize to someone for going for their jugular anyway?”
“I don’t know.” He grinned back at her. “Rakovac never taught me that.” He suddenly frowned. “But I do think that pilot was lying about Cameron. Do you think Cameron’s okay? Kadmus’s men were pouring up that slope. Tashdon should have let you go help him.”
“I thought so, too.” She paused. “And I can’t promise Cameron is okay. If you’ll recall, thanks to Tashdon, I wasn’t around to make any judgments. But Erin and Hu Chang think he has a good chance. And Cameron is very clever about getting himself out of trouble. I believe he’ll make it.”
Luke nodded. “Me, too.” He got to his feet. “I’ve got to go see Hu Chang and apologize. I wasn’t polite to him when he was holding me off Tashdon. Hu Chang doesn’t like discourtesy.”
Catherine remembered that moment when she’d first opened her eyes and seen Luke, looking like a tiger on attack, being held at bay by Hu Chang. “Yes, by all means, I think your behavior definitely warrants an apology.”
Luke moved quickly toward the cockpit.
Catherine let her breath out in a weary sigh as she leaned back against the wall of the helicopter. She was glad to have a few moments of solitary silence. She’d been bombarded by panic, shock, and emotion since she’d regained consciousness.
Besides the start of a nagging headache.
Thanks, Cameron. I needed that.
She found herself waiting for a reply.
Nothing.
She hadn’t expected an answer, she told herself. She’d told the bastard to leave her mind alone.
Besides, he’d had Kadmus’s mercenaries on his trail and was probably having to hide and attack guerrilla style.
So many damn mercenaries.
Erin was Catherine’s job. She should have been there to help Cameron get out.
Cameron, it’s okay if you just let me know, dammit.
Nothing.
CHAPTER
10
NINPAU AIRPORT
OUTSIDE HONG KONG
“Out.” Tashdon moved through the helicopter toward the rear door. “Everyone out. There’s a private jet waiting at the third hangar.” He opened the door and jumped out. “The pilot’s name is Jack Sen. He’s a good pilot and loyal to Cameron. You’ll be okay.” He helped Erin and Catherine to the ground. “Cameron said he wanted the transfer to not take longer than five minutes. Since I did
n’t obey his last instructions very efficiently, I’m hoping that you’ll cooperate and let me prove I’m not usually a bumbler.”
“Heaven forbid you get in his bad books,” Catherine murmured. “Hu Chang said that you wouldn’t tell him what our final destination was going to be. May we know now?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know myself. Cameron only told Jack Sen. He said it was safer.”
“He could be right. Luke, Hu Chang. Let’s go.”
Hu Chang jumped from the helicopter, with Luke following. “Luke, I think since you owe Tashdon a debt, that we should strive to accommodate him.” He set off for the Gulfstream jet on the tarmac.
Catherine started after him, then stopped and turned back to Tashdon. “Do you know if Cameron is all right? Have you heard from him since we left the mountain?”
He shook his head. “No, he was probably busy.”
“That’s what I thought. I just thought he’d tell someone he was safe.”
He frowned, puzzled. “But Cameron is always safe.”
“Always? Why?”
“Because he’s—”
“The Guardian?” she finished mockingly for him as he stopped.
“I don’t know what you mean.” He added, “I was going to say competent. Cameron is … competent.”
“No one can argue with that.” She said, “And I’m sorry that my son … well, I’m not sorry you got what you deserved, but I’m sorry that Luke was the one who did it.” She didn’t wait for him to answer but hurried and caught up with Erin. “He hasn’t heard from Cameron. I thought I’d check.” She smiled ironically. “Though he informs me that Cameron is competent. Isn’t that a shocker? I’m losing faith in Cameron’s personnel choices. He almost slipped and called him the Guardian.” She glanced at Erin. “You don’t seem surprised that I know that term. I found out a little from Cameron and Hu Chang but damn little. It would help if you’d open up and tell me more.”
“I’m not surprised,” she said quietly. “I knew you’d dig until you found out all you could. You’ll never stop. But I told you that it will have to come from Cameron.”
“I have to know. It’s the only way I can protect you,” she said. “We both know that we’re not free yet. We won’t be free until Kadmus is dead, and I’ll bet he’s already started searching again.” She added in frustration, “And he knows more about all this than I do, dammit.”
“Look, I’ll hide out. I’ll let you and your CIA people guard me. I’ll cooperate fully. I appreciate what you’re doing, and I don’t want to be a burden.”
“Then tell me why Kadmus—” She broke off. She’d gone down that path before and gotten nowhere. New path. “That lotus pendant you wear that Kadmus seemed to be so fascinated with. Where did you get it? Did Cameron give it to you?”
Erin’s hand flew to her necklace. “Sort of.” She quickly shook her head. “Leave it alone, Catherine. That’s out of bounds, too.”
“I’ll stop questioning you, but I won’t leave it alone.” They had reached the jet, and she stopped at the steps. “I’m not going to endanger anything or anyone you’ve suffered to protect, but I will know what this is all about. So far I’ve only been concentrating on getting you free and keeping us alive. But I’ve got breathing room now, and it’s a long flight from here to the U.S. I can think, and I can research. However, it would be easier if I learned it from you.”
Erin shook her head.
“Fine.” She turned to the small, dapper Eurasian, wearing a brown leather flight jacket who was coming down the steps. “Jack Sen? Catherine Ling. Tashdon tells me that you’re the only one who’s been advised of Erin’s destination. Where are we going?”
“San Francisco.” He shook her hand. “Well, actually, an airport east of the city, but we’ll have transport for you. Everything will go smooth as clockwork.” He had a faint British accent and pleasant manner. “Cameron will have nothing to worry about.”
“Thank you. It seems we’re all primarily concerned that Cameron suffer as little distress as possible.” She started up the steps. “Come on, Erin. Mr. Sen, since we’re on a five-minute deadline set by Cameron, perhaps we’d better take off.”
* * *
“He got away?” Kadmus asked incredulously. “How could that be? He was alone. He’s only one man.”
“He just slipped away,” Brasden said. “He must have been helped by the villagers.”
“You said that the villagers had all abandoned their towns and gone upland.”
“What do you want me to tell you?” Brasden asked. “We’re still looking. I’m not giving up, but I think we’d better start using those photos.” He pulled out his phone and dialed up the photos. “This last one is fairly decent. Anyone who saw it would recognize him. He has a memorable face.”
Kadmus glanced at the photo. “Yes, he does.” He thought about it. “Start asking questions. I want a name to go with that face.” The bastard looked like he was enjoying himself, he thought sourly. That would end when he got his hands on him. “And a location to go with that name.”
“It may take a while to find any villagers who will talk about him. We haven’t been able to find any—”
“Then leave here and go somewhere that you can find someone who will answer questions.”
“Where?”
“Fly over to Yorshoi region. That’s where Erin Sullivan was working after the earthquake. I’d bet that’s where she made contact with him. There’s a chance he’s well-known there.”
“Right away. What about the registration on the helicopter?”
“I’ve checked it. The registration number is bogus. But send someone to Hong Kong with a description of the helicopter and see if they can get a lead. I want to get my hands on that pilot.”
Brasden nodded. “Though it may be too late for a strike at him. Erin Sullivan is probably well on her way home to the States.”
“And will feel all the safer for it.” She wouldn’t be safe. Things weren’t as bad as he’d thought. He might have temporarily lost Erin, but he had a lead on the man who had taken her from him.
He looked down at the photo and the face that was glowing with excitement and recklessness and scorn.
You made a mistake. And you made it for Erin Sullivan.
Or did you make that mistake to protect Catherine Ling? It was a novel idea that had occurred to him and one that was probably without any basis. But it would be interesting if Ling could be used as a weapon against him.
Yes, things weren’t nearly as bad as he’d thought …
* * *
“This food is exceptional,” Hu Chang said as he took Catherine’s tray and gave it to Luke to take back to the well-equipped galley in the rear of the jet. “I spoke to Jack Sen, and he said that Cameron had it catered from the Princess Hotel in Hong Kong.” He smiled at Catherine. “You remember the Princess? You had your first meeting with Venable there.”
“And you were the one who arranged it for me.”
“I wanted you safer than you were selling information on the streets. Though that was no doubt a case of six of one, half a dozen of another.” He added, “And Cameron also arranged for a complete wardrobe for all of us to be brought to the plane this morning. Besides that case with the laptop and satellite phone you grabbed as soon as you set eyes on it. He appears to be wanting to meet our every need and wish.” He tilted his head. “Or perhaps he wants you comfortable so that you won’t strike out at him.”
“I haven’t struck out at him.”
“No, and you were ready to jump out of the copter to save him. But he didn’t know then that you’d do that when he provided all of these comforts.” He added, “Oh, that’s right, evidently he did. He reads you very well. And you hate to be predictable. Is that why you were so angry with Tashdon?”
“I was angry that he’d been stupid enough to do what Cameron told him. And that Cameron had chosen someone who didn’t know what he was doing and gave me a headache.” She glanced at Luke, who ha
d come out of the galley with some kind of electronic game and dropped down in a seat to play it. “And that it triggered something in Luke that I didn’t want to see.”
“He’s your son, and I saw nothing that I would not approve and embrace.” He corrected, “Except a lack of control, and we’ve already discussed that.”
“But you’re no more judge than I. We’re both flawed.”
“I do not like that word. I prefer to call it multiexperienced.”
“Call it what you like. We’re not normal, and I want a normal life for Luke.” She held up her hand. “I know, he made it clear that he couldn’t be what I wanted him to be. I just want him not to enjoy killing someone because he thought I was hurt.”
“You were hurt,” Hu Chang said. “And I have no quarrel with his receiving pleasure from punishing the person who did it. I would do the same. And so would you if that act were aimed at Luke or me.”
“You see? The case rests. Flawed.”
He smiled and shook his head. “Multiexperienced.”
She chuckled reluctantly. “Whatever. But it will be better if I get Luke away from this situation as soon as possible. Agreed?”
“Better for your peace of mind. Not necessarily better for your relationship with Luke. You would see that for yourself if you were not so torn by what other people think is correct.” He waved his hand. “But I will agree that your heart will be soothed if you’re not confronted by other situations like the one with Tashdon. So what is your solution?”
“Find out what is going on with Cameron, Erin, and that ugliness with Kadmus.”
“I suspected that would be your answer.”
“Of course you did,” she said curtly. “But it didn’t lead you to point me in the right direction.”