Night and Day (36 page)

Jane blinked away tears as she hung up. These good-byes were beginning to have a frightening finality about them. She wanted it over, Eve healthy and safe, the baby normal and on his way to a happy life. It was going to seem like a long time until Eve called her to tell her whether Kaskov had given her what she needed to stay alive.

She envied Caleb that he was going to be with her, helping them, bringing them home.

Caleb hadn't even told her that he was taking them to Moscow. She'd had to hear it from Jock. Not that it should have surprised her. Caleb hadn't been very communicative since that morning in the mist. She had been grateful that she hadn't had to deal with him and the tumult of her emotions when he was around. But he could have let her know that he was going away.

And she was being completely unreasonable, she thought impatiently. She couldn't have it all ways. He had gone too far. Or not far enough. Whenever she let her guard down enough to think of him, her body still readied, burned. Her heart would start to pound, and she still remembered him lying there naked in the mist. Because he had been different during those last moments, his attitude, not threatening, but darkly decisive. It was better that she had a chance to get over that memory before she let herself think of Caleb again.

So stop thinking about him.

Her body was becoming flushed, her breathing rapid. All of this nonsense because she had envied that he had been able to go with Eve and Joe and she'd had to stay at the camp.

Well, she was here, and she'd make the best of it. She'd help MacDuff all she could. Spend as much time with Cara as the girl would let her. Last night by the fire, she'd been completely despondent. Okay, let her sleep a couple more hours, then go cook breakfast, wake her, and try to get her to talk.

But Jane knew she wouldn't go back to sleep now. She was too on edge.

Be safe, Eve.

I'm praying for you.

And, dammit, you bring her back to me, Seth Caleb.

*   *   *

“Coffee?” Caleb came out of the cockpit. “You look as if you could use it.” His gaze raked Eve's face. “A little tense.”

“Maybe she'd be less tense if you were back in the cockpit flying the plane,” Joe said dryly. “I think I can handle anything else.”

“It's on autopilot. Just thought I'd pop back to make sure that you were comfortable.” He smiled mockingly. “I always like to be a good host.”

“We're fine, Caleb,” Eve said quickly. “When will we arrive in Moscow?”

“Another couple hours. We're making good time though.” He turned back to the cockpit. “But Quinn is right, I'd better get back. Autopilots are a wonderful invention, but mountains can be so troublesome…”

Eve shook her head as she saw Joe about to say something. “He's just being Caleb. And I'm grateful he was there for us when we needed him.”

“So am I.” He grimaced. “But if I didn't know he was such a good pilot, and if this Gulfstream 650 plane wasn't the fastest aircraft around and required special checking out, I'd be in that cockpit flying the damn plane myself.” He laced his fingers through hers on the leather arm of the seat. “Do you want that coffee? I'll go get you some from the dispenser in the back.”

She shook her head. “I'm trying to cut down on caffeine. It's not good for Michael.” Then she smiled ruefully. “And that's totally bizarre. I have this megadose of poison inside me, and I'm worried about caffeine.”

“I believe Michael would forgive you.” He lifted her hand to his lips. “And we'll take care of that poison soon,” he said thickly. “I promise you that I'll get that antidote from that Iranian son of a bitch. It will be in your hands long before you have to meet with Natalie. You'll be able to tell her to go to hell.”

“I know you'll do your best,” she said quietly. “But if something goes wrong, if everything isn't what we hope it will be, don't blame yourself. That's the only promise I want from you, Joe.” She met his eyes. “It's going to be a strange night, isn't it? After all, we have two other options we can tap before we have to show up at Natalie's place at midnight. You have a chance to get the antidote from Feroz. We might be able to bargain with Kaskov if we can persuade him to look at this disc I have in my handbag.” She moistened her lips, “And, as a last resort, we'll deal with Natalie. Three chances, Joe. Better odds than we had before.”

“I'll get the antidote from Nasim Feroz,” Joe repeated grimly. “We won't need another option.”

She didn't doubt that he had a good chance. When Joe was at his most deadly, he could intimidate the devil himself. He was way past that point now. “It may take longer than you—”

Her cell phone rang, and she instinctively tensed. Natalie? Another report from one of those specialists who'd been running tests on her? Jock?

Jane.

She put it on speaker, and answered. “We're fine, Jane. We haven't reached—”

“She's gone,” Jane interrupted. “I've been looking for the last hour, and I can't find Cara anywhere. I went into her tent to wake her for breakfast, and she wasn't there.”

“Gone.” Eve's hand tightened on the phone. Had Natalie's demand that she bring Cara just been a ploy to hide the fact that she was sending someone to take her? “Did any of the guards see anyone who might have—”

“Nobody took her,” Jane said. “I checked with the perimeter guards, and they didn't see anyone. MacDuff doubled the guards when he knew that Jock and Caleb wouldn't be at the camp. Security was supertight.” She drew a shaky breath. “I've looked everywhere. I even went about a mile into the mist. She's not here, Eve. I'm scared to death. She was so worried about you. I kept remembering that she told Jock that if we didn't let her go to Kaskov, she'd call him and arrange for him to pick her up.”

Eve was remembering that, too. “How much time did she have?”

“Midnight to about eight in the morning.”

And Cara was used to being on the run. That was a sizeable head start.

“I'm sorry, Eve,” Jane said unevenly. “After I hang up, I'm going to get in the car and start driving around and asking questions at the villages. I just thought that you should know what to expect when you try to talk to Kaskov.”

“I should probably turn around and come back and help you.”

“No!” Jane said. “You don't have time. Less than three days now, Eve. I'll do everything you could do. I have MacDuff, and he'll pressure the police until they find some sign of her. Besides, if she contacted Kaskov, she might be heading in the same direction you are.”

Everything Jane was saying made sense, but it still didn't halt the shock and fear Eve was feeling.

“I'm hanging up,” Jane said. “I'll let you know if I find out anything.” She broke the connection.

Joe was swearing softly. “You didn't need this. When I see Cara, I'm going to—”

“Do what? She's just doing what the rest of you are doing. She's trying to save me. Only maybe she's a little more desperate because the person she's trying to save me from is her mother.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “But we're not alone, Joe. She thought she had to do it alone because none of us would listen to her. How can I blame her?”

“Did I miss something?” Caleb was standing in the door of the cockpit. He was gazing at Eve's face. “Yes, I see I did. A telephone call?”

Eve swallowed. “Jane.”

He nodded. “I expected it before this. She must have been concerned that she'd worry you.”

Joe got slowly to his feet. “Caleb.”

“I think it's time you had that coffee.” He moved down the aisle toward the back of the plane. “You might keep an eye on the instruments, Quinn. I think it's okay, but you can never tell.”

Joe didn't move, his gaze narrowed on Caleb.

Caleb shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

He opened the door to the small lounge in the rear. But instead of going to the coffee machine, he went beyond it to the storage compartment. He threw open the door. “Time to face the music, Cara. Too bad you didn't bring your violin.” He reached down and helped the girl to her feet. “Little stiff? I would have brought you out earlier, but Jane was being stubborn about admitting that you couldn't be found. But then, that's Jane.”

“Cara?” Eve was staring at her in disbelief. Cara's face was pale and pinched, and her jeans and chambray shirt were rumpled. But she was alive. She was not in Natalie's hands, nor Kaskov's. They could keep her safe.

Then the anger came. “I want to
murder
you,” Eve said. “How could you do this?”

“You need me.” She moistened her lips. “I can help you. I'm supposed to help you. Why else would Jenny send me to you?”

“Duty calls,” Caleb murmured. “I believe it's time I went back to the cockpit. But feel free to join me at any time, Eve.”

“Don't worry, I will,” she said grimly, as the cockpit door closed behind him. She whirled to face Cara. “This is
my
life. My son's life. I'm in charge here. I don't want to have to worry about you, too. You shouldn't have taken the decision out of my hands. I won't—”

“There has to be a reason.” Cara's face was paler than before and her voice was unsteady. “It all fits together. Can't you see that? My mother, Kaskov … I have to be the one.”

“No, I can't see that. I won't risk you to—”

“Eve.” Joe put his hand on her shoulder. “What did you say to me just before Caleb exploded his little surprise? At least she didn't go to Kaskov.”

“You're defending her? It's going to be twice as hard to deal with Natalie if—” She met Cara's eyes and forgot what she'd been going to say. Desperation. Determination. Love. Everything Cara had done had been done for love. Love was a precious gift in this world. “Come here.” She pulled Cara into her arms. “You were wrong. But we'll try to find a way to make it right.”

“No, I'm right,” Cara whispered. “I tried to tell Jock, but he was too scared to believe me. Don't you be afraid, Eve. I think that whatever happens is meant to be. That maybe Jenny knew all this was going to happen, and that's why I had to be the one.”

“I
am
afraid.” She pushed her back. “And I don't like this one bit, and I'm going to try to keep you as safe as possible. We have plans, and we're keeping to them. We'll just try to find a way to keep you out of them.”

Cara shook her head. “I'm here. If I wasn't meant to be with you, I wouldn't have been able to persuade Caleb to bring me.”

“Oh, yes, Caleb.” Eve turned toward the cockpit. “I have a few words to say to him. Totally irresponsible. What possessed you to go to him?”

“Jock mentioned that he was going. I thought … Caleb is … different. He doesn't seem to think like other people.”

“Absolutely.”

“And he doesn't care what anyone else thinks … except maybe Jane.”

“Evidently not this time. Jane is going to kill him.” She glanced at Joe. “Will you get her a soft drink and something to eat? She looks like she's going to fade away any minute. I want to talk to Caleb.”

He was reaching for his phone. “Right after I call Jane and tell her that Cara's not been hijacked by Natalie or Kaskov.”

Cara's eyes were fixed on the cockpit door. “He was only trying to help me, Eve. Don't be angry with him.”

“There's no telling what Caleb's agenda is at any given time,” Eve said as she opened the cockpit door. “And I don't promise that I'll be as easy on him as I was with you. You're a child, he's supposed to be mature.”

“I heard that,” Caleb said, as the cockpit door closed behind her. “I take it that you're a little irritated with me? Sit down. You might as well be comfortable while you're taking me to task.”

“More than a little.” She dropped down in the copilot's seat. “Whatever possessed you to let Cara talk you into smuggling her onto this plane? You know that it put her in danger, that it's the last thing we all wanted for her.”

He nodded. “She made that clear. She didn't lie or try to convince me that it would be all right with anyone in camp. She told me that she was out on a limb all by herself. I respected that honesty.”

“I would rather that you'd respected our wishes in the matter. She's only twelve years old.”

“Twelve?” He smiled. “Age is only a number. Remind me to tell you all the wickedness I was up to when I was twelve. I like Cara. I felt obligated to listen and judge for myself if you should have tossed her out on that limb.”

“And you decided?”

“I brought her, didn't I?”

“Why?”

“She's right,” he said simply. “If anyone can move Kaskov, it could be her. Since the situation is so critical, she should have the opportunity. And something else occurred to me. You were worrying about not having Cara with you when you arrived as Natalie demanded. Now anyone watching at the airport will see Cara and believe you're complying.” He glanced at her. “If Cara wasn't so young, you'd probably admit that she has a better chance than you or anyone else to save you and your son.”

“She
is
that young. And she's a target.”

“We've already discussed my attitude toward unnecessary sheltering of the young. And she has you and Quinn and Jock to protect her. I might even join in if it became necessary. Though I rather doubt it. Cara is very intelligent.”

She was silent. “Joe is calling Jane right now. She's going to want to kill you.”

“More than likely. But that's no loss. She was in the mood to do that anyway.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “I got a little impatient. When that happens, my true colors tend to come to the forefront. She has a conflict with whether she wants to accept them.”