Текст книги "Hunting Eve"

Автор книги: Iris Johansen

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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 20 страниц)

CHAPTER

7

Gwinnett Hospital

“DID YOU PULL UP THOSENational Geo articles on southern Utah?” Jane asked Caleb, as he came back into the hospital room. “I haven’t found anything in Wyoming.”

“Not yet. I’ve been busy persuading your doctor that you’d have a relapse if he didn’t okay your making this room into your home office.” He sat down and opened his computer again. “I’ll get to it right away. Have you tried Colorado? That’s where Doane lived in that safe house.”

“I’ve scanned most of the areas around Goldfork, and I didn’t find anything familiar.” She looked down at the detailed sketches she’d made of what she remembered about her dream of Eve. “Though nothing is familiar, dammit. It could be any path, any scene in the mountains. I thought I’d try another state and hope I got lucky.” She frowned. “That tree beside the path looks a little unusual. What kind is it?”

“I don’t know.” He took a picture with his cell phone. “I’ll check on it.”

“Hurry, will you? It might be important. It could—” She broke off. “And it might be nothing. I’m sorry, Caleb. You’ve been very good … and tolerant. I know you don’t have to do this for me.”

“You must be getting discouraged.” Caleb smiled. “Or you wouldn’t be this polite. I do have to do it, you know. Not only do I have an interest in helping Eve, but it’s making you think of me as an ally instead of an enemy.”

“I never thought of you as an enemy. I just never—”

“You don’t have to put it into words. I know. I don’t blame you.” He looked down at the computer screen. “You see more than I’d like you to see. It’s making it very hard for me. I should walk away from you. I could hurt you, and I’m beginning to think that would hurt me, too.” He glanced up and smiled. “But I’m much too wicked to be that unselfish. I just thought I’d give you warning.”

She tore her eyes away from him. “Utah. Give me the photos from Utah.”

“Ten minutes.” He looked back at the computer screen. “I’ve located the site and—”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me, Jane?” Mark Trevor asked.

Her gaze flew to the doorway. Trevor was frowning and definitely not pleased. “Hello, Trevor. Why should I? I had enough people interfering in what I needed to do.”

“So I had to go to the lake cottage and find out that you were back in the hospital from Venable?” He moved toward the bed. “You should have stayed at that hospital in San Juan until you were better.” He glanced at Caleb. “Hello, Caleb. And you should have gotten her to a hospital sooner so that she didn’t end up like this.”

“I won’t even argue with you.” Caleb got to his feet. “We both know that I was lucky to just be there for her when she needed me.” He paused. “Which you weren’t.”

“I’m here now. I understand you stayed here with her last night. Not necessary for you to repeat that tonight. I’ll take care of her.”

Sparks. Thunder. Antagonism.

Jane wasn’t having any of it. “No one has to stay with me at night. And I didn’t ask you to come, Trevor. It was your choice, and I’m not having you get in my way.” She glanced at Caleb. “And you promised me those Utah photos.”

Trevor opened his lips to speak, then shrugged. “Whatever. Getting in your way is the last thing I want to do. Providing I knew what the hell you’re talking about.” He looked at the open sketchbook on the bed. “What is this?”

“Dream stuff,” Caleb said. “Jane had a dream about Eve last night, and she said it was eerily familiar to the dreams she had about Cira.” His lips twisted. “It seems that you were with her during that period. I don’t have to tell you anything more. You probably know more than I do.”

“Yes, I do. Sting a little?”

“Yes. But I’m working through it.”

He glanced back at the sketch. “It’s very detailed. You’re trying to find recognizable landmarks and sites as you did when you were exploring what happened to Cira. Any luck?”

“Not yet. It’s somewhere in the Rockies. That’s all I know.” She made a face. “That’s what I think I know. I don’t really know anything. Half the time I was never certain that those dreams of Cira had any foundation in reality. And, if they did, who the hell can be sure those Cira dreams weren’t one of a kind. I thought they were until I had that dream of Eve. Maybe it’s wishful thinking.”

“Hey, I can’t tell you that it wasn’t.” Trevor took her hand. “But I can tell you that something special happened to you during the time you were investigating Cira. No one is more pragmatic than I am, and you blew me away.” He was looking into her eyes. “Not that you hadn’t done that before. But Cira was real, for you and for me.” He smiled. “And there’s nothing wrong with wishful thinking. I’ve been doing a lot of it lately.”

She couldn’t take her gaze from his face. It wasn’t that he was stunningly handsome—she had grown used to that through the years. But there was something … different. He had been her lover during the most vulnerable time of her life, and she had thought that she knew his every expression. But there was an intentness that held no passion but something else, something deeper …

“Oh, yes,” he said softly. “There’s nothing more real to me than that time we had together. Except what I’m feeling right now.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the palm. “Do you feel it, Jane?”

She didn’t know what she was feeling. She was suddenly short of breath and felt as if she were on the edge of a cliff looking down, no not down, gazing out at the horizon. She thought she had felt every emotion with Trevor, but she had never felt like this. It was strange … and frightening. She pulled her hand away. “It didn’t work out for us. I didn’t tell you to come back into my life, Trevor.” She looked down at her computer. “And the only thing that’s real for me right now is trying to make some sense of something that probably has no basis in reason at all.”

He didn’t speak for a moment. “Okay, I’ll let it go.” He glanced again at the sketch. “Tell me what you want me to do. I could go to the nearest library and check out anything they might have there that resembles this terrain. Or I could hit the computer and—”

“We don’t need you, Trevor,” Caleb said.

Jane inhaled sharply as she glanced at him. Darkness. Fire. Power.

“You may not need me, but Jane does,” Trevor said silkily. “Ask her.”

“Back off, Caleb,” Jane said. “I need all the help I can get, and Trevor’s helped me before.”

“With Cira … and her Anthony,” Caleb said. “That’s right, you have a previous experience on two levels. It’s hard to compete. But not impossible.” He met Trevor’s eyes. “By all means, stay and let’s see how everything develops. It could be interesting.”

“I’m glad I have your permission,” Trevor said sarcastically. “Library or computer, Jane?”

Lightness. Darkness. Staring at the two men Jane remembered how she had thought that Caleb and Trevor were two opposite entities. That conflict was even more evident as she gazed at them now. They were both controlled and mature, but that didn’t mean they weren’t emitting disturbing vibes. She had no desire to have them in the same room if she could help it.

“Library. You might stumble over an old book that’s not made it into an online database. I ran across a couple when I was tracing Cira.”

“That’s right, you did.” He took a few pictures of the sketches and headed for the door. “I’ll be back as soon as I find something to report. You’re so hung up on reality, and I can’t promise that I’ll discover any evidence that Eve dream had any reality at all.” He glanced back over his shoulder. “But I’m real, Jane. What I feel is real. You can count on it.”

The door swung shut behind him.

“I feel vaguely like a Peeping Tom,” Caleb drawled. “Except I’m sure Peeping Toms don’t have this degree of irritation, only prurient lust.” He tilted his head. “Though there is that present, too.”

“You could have left the room.”

“No, I couldn’t. I wanted to have a deterring effect on Trevor. I couldn’t have done that long-distance.” He shrugged. “But it didn’t have much effect anyway. When he wants something, he doesn’t care who’s in the way. He doesn’t give a damn. I wouldn’t either. In that we’re alike.”

“It must be the only way,” she said dryly. “I was thinking that you’re complete opposites.”

“And you’re right. He’s tough, but there’s a streak of something in him that I’ll never have.”

“What?”

“I don’t know. Chivalry? Good Lord, what an outmoded idea. Softness? Whatever you’d expect from a Golden Boy.”

“He’s not soft, Caleb.”

“Then you choose the word. I’m tired of talking about him. I’m glad you sent him away.”

“He sent himself away.”

“Because he’s giving you space. I wouldn’t do that, not if a man like me was this close to you.” He smiled. “But then, I’m not a Golden Boy.” He tilted his head. “However, I may give up my place with you tonight just to prove I can be civilized … sometimes.” His smile faded. “But I found out one thing I didn’t know before. He’s more dangerous than I imagined. You felt it, too, didn’t you?”

Standing on the edge of a cliff and not knowing whether she was going to fall or be swept toward the horizon.

“You said you didn’t want to talk about him. Have you finished Utah?”

“And you certainly don’t, which is dangerous in itself.” Caleb looked down at the computer screen. “I’ll have the results on Utah in a moment. I’m checking out the forests in the ski areas…”

Rio Grande Forest

Colorado

DOANE HADnot killed Eve.

Zander gazed down at the tracks for a moment, reading the story they told. The smaller, narrow prints, walking, then running, as the prey became aware the hunter was close. The larger boot prints, with a wider stride, not hurrying, confident that he’d overtake and destroy. He might not even be trying too hard, Zander thought. He could be toying with Eve before he caught and crushed her.

Or Eve might be more than he’d thought she’d be, lost in this wilderness. She could be wearing him down a bit.

Whichever it was, Eve was free and someone with whom Zander might have to contend. She could get in his way.

Or he could use her to get what he wanted.

Why not? A form of poetic justice?

Doane had been hoping to use Eve to bait his trap. That was why he’d called Zander and had her talk to him. Since he was obsessive about his own son, he could not imagine a father having no feeling for his offspring. Now Doane had lost his bait and was trying desperately to retrieve it.

Zander looked down once again at Eve’s narrow footprints. If she had ever been trying to hide those prints, she had stopped. Maybe she had realized that Doane was too good a tracker and didn’t want to waste her time. Or maybe she was fighting exhaustion and had given up that particular fight. Zander leaned toward the former, from what he knew of Eve, she would not give up even if she was completely exhausted. Though she should be exhausted. He had run across the history of her time on the run in the last few hours. It was clear she had no experience in the forest and was relying only on her senses and wits. Both of which must be phenomenal for her to avoid Doane this long. He just hoped she didn’t make a slip on this particular stretch of the hunt.

It would spoil all of Zander’s new plans if he had to do without bait for the trap.

Hold out, Eve. Keep him at bay. He lost you three times in the last five miles. He’s a very good hunter. But not nearly as good as I am. I won’t lose you.

He got to his feet and, ignoring Doane’s prints, started following Eve’s tracks.

Rio Grande Forest

Colorado

COLD.

Keep moving.

Darkness had fallen two hours ago, and temperatures were already plunging, but it would get even colder later, Eve knew.

She hadn’t caught sight of Doane in the past two hours, and he might have gone back to that warm, cozy house for a while. That was his usual routine. Hunt, wear her down, then go back and rest.

The thought of that warmth and comfort made her even more angry.

Don’t lose her cool.

Cool? Every thought seemed to be temperature-oriented, she thought dryly.

Keep moving.

Keep the blood stirring.

She’d make her way to the path that she knew Doane had to take to get to the forest from the factory. It was the best place to ambush him, and her decision was made. She had to get rid of Doane while she was still strong enough to do it. She had no weapons, but she had found another branch and that would do. She could spring out of the underbrush, stun him, then rely on the karate moves Joe had taught her to do the rest.

Could she bring herself to kill?

Don’t think about it. Do what instinct told her to do.

Keep moving. She had to get close enough to that path to have to travel only a short distance before she made herself a shelter for the night.

Her feet felt heavy, leaden. She’d have to rub them when she stopped to make sure the circulation kept the frostbite away.

Run.

Twigs and branches were crackling beneath her feet, and she heard the call of an owl in the distance. She had become accustomed to the wild sounds, and they no longer intimidated her. It was the unknown that caused her heart to pound and the blood to chill.

Chill. Another temperature word. She’d better get to a place where she could stop and—

Someone was watching her.

Her pace faltered.

And so did her heartbeat.

Imagination?

Maybe.

Or maybe she’d been wrong about Doane’s temporarily abandoning the hunt. Maybe he’d only tried to deceive her as he had before. He delighted in tormenting her.

Or perhaps it wasn’t someone, but something. An animal in the brush or—

Whatever it was, human or animal, it was there. She could feel it.

She looked over her shoulder. She could see nothing in the darkness. Don’t look for shape. Look for movement.

Nothing behind her.

Because it was ahead of her.

Darkness hurtling toward her!

Tackling, taking her down, taking her breath.

Taking her life …

Gwinnett Hospital

JANE SCREAMED.

“What the hell?” Trevor ran into the room from the corridor. His hand brushed the switch, flooding the room with light. “Are you okay? What—” He sat down on the bed and gathered her in his arms. “Are you hurt?”

“Yes.” She drew a shaky breath. Her heart was beating so hard she was in pain. “I’m hurting for her. He hurt her.”

“A dream? Eve?”

“It didn’t seem like a dream.” She buried her face in his chest. “So real. She was so tired. So cold. And then he was there, and she thought he’d fooled her into thinking that he’d gone back to the house. He took her down and she didn’t know if he was going to kill her and—”

“Shh.” His hand was rubbing her back. “Think. Did he kill her, Jane?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered. She couldn’t stop shaking. “If he didn’t, then I think she was unconscious. It was all dark.”

“Then you have to think positive.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit.” She pushed him away. “I can’t think, I have to know. And I don’t know.” She sat up in bed. “All I know is that it was too real to be a dream, Trevor, not an ordinary dream. It was Eve.”

“Okay, it was Eve.” He sat down on the bed. “One like you had when you were dreaming about Cira?”

“No. Yes. It was that real, but it was worse. It was terrible because it was Eve.”

“And you think she might have died.”

“That’s what she thought might be happening.” She closed her eyes. “No, I think I would have known if she were dead. I would have felt the emptiness.” Her eyes opened. “And I’ve got to keep on thinking that. Because I’ve got to keep on trying to find her. Get me my sketchbook.”

“Good God, your hands are still shaking.” He handed her the sketchbook. “How do you think you’re going to hold a pencil?”

“It will stop. I’ll make it stop. I’ve got to get everything down while it’s still fresh.” She met his eyes. “Before I only half believed that I had reached out to Eve before. You know me. I can’t believe what I can’t touch. But this dream was the same, the same place, the same thoughts. She was even thinking about the path that led to the house.” She frowned. “No, she called it the factory this time.”

“A factory in the middle of the wilderness?”

“Yes, I know it’s crazy. But it was the same thing in her mind, that’s how she was thinking about it. In the first dream, everything was jumbled because I was a little in shock because I wasn’t expecting to—” She shook her head. “But I think that this dream was in sequence to the first one. Do you remember the Cira dreams were like that, unfolding like a story.” She rubbed her temple. “Only the Cira story took place two thousand years before I was born. This story may be happening now. Am I going crazy, Trevor? Do I just want it to happen so badly that I’m grabbing?”

“If you are, I’ll grab with you.” He smiled. “And I’ll hold on tight. I’d say you more than half believed in what you were doing. You were certain enough to get us all started on this wilderness-terrain hunt.”

“Which hasn’t yielded any results yet. I have to go farther than Eve’s surroundings. I was afraid to attach any significance to anything else connected to her, but I have to go all the way.” She drew a deep breath. “I think she definitely must have managed to escape from Doane. But he’s after her, and she can’t find anyone to help her. But the fact that she’s free has to be good.” She moistened her lips. “If he didn’t catch her or kill her tonight.”

“If he did catch her, it’s no worse than we’ve expected all along.” He took her hand. “And we’ve already ruled out the other. You said you would have known.”

Dear God, she hoped she would have known. “That’s right. I’ve ruled it out.” She started drawing. “Be quiet, Trevor. I’ve got to remember everything she was thinking. She didn’t even know who or what was after her. I’m trying to remember if she had any other impressions other than force and darkness when he took her down.”

“Force and darkness,” Trevor repeated speculatively as he got up from the bed. “It sounds like a demonic experience.”

“That describes Doane.” She steadied her hand as it flew over the pad. Don’t give in to weakness. Eve had not given in to the cold or terrible aloneness.

“That scream was piercing. There’s going to be a nurse in here any minute yelling at you for not trying to sleep.”

“Then you’ll take care of her. After all, you’re irresistible. Ask anyone.”

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“No, it’s one of the assets you use whenever necessary. It’s part of your character. When I first met you, I thought that was all there was to you, but you still made me dizzy.”

“You were only seventeen, and I was fighting like hell not to prey on a teenager. It was hard to walk away from you.”

“But you came back.”

“You were older and I—”

“Never mind. I don’t want to talk about our time together. It’s over.” She had found herself drawn toward those memories because they were also part of the search for Cira’s story. No, be honest. Trevor had only to be near her, in the same room, and memories flooded back to her. “Just keep the nurse away from me. I want to call Kendra Michaels.”

“Venable filled me in about her. She sounds intriguing.”

“She’s pretty sharp. Joe called me and told me she’s at Goldfork. I need to talk to—”

“What are you doing awake, Ms. MacGuire?” A nurse in a red plaid jacket that displayed a J. RUDIN badge was standing in the doorway, frowning. “Do you need a sedative? Are you in pain?”

“No, I’m not in pain. I feel—”

“But she does have a problem.” Trevor moved toward the nurse. “I’m glad you came by.” He smiled. “I need you to answer a few questions for me, Nurse Rudin. Jane doesn’t like drugs, but emotional and psychological problems can be hell, can’t they? Will you step into the hall so that we can discuss it?”

“Who are you? She shouldn’t—” Then she smiled back at him. They always smiled back at Trevor, Jane thought. “I’ll be glad to help,” the nurse said. “Let’s get to the bottom of this.”

“I knew I could count on you.” He swept her from the room.

Irresistible, Jane thought. Never patronizing, just making you believe you were the most important person in his world. It was hard to fight that kind of magnetic star power. She had never been able to do it.

Until she realized that she was coming too close to surrendering herself totally to him. It had frightened her and sent her running away from him. She had never admitted even to herself that fear existed. Until now. Until she had faced the fear of losing Eve. As long as she didn’t give herself, entrust herself, to anyone completely, she was safe.

But she’d had no choice with Eve. She’d made that commitment as a child, and the fear was growing with every passing minute. Her options were still open with Trevor, and she could send him away and save herself from that vulnerability.

Enough of soul-searching, the only searching she should be doing was for Eve.

Who was alive and well, she told herself fiercely. She would not believe anything else.

Kendra. She quickly dialed her cell number. She was half hoping it would go to voice mail. She didn’t want the awkwardness of explaining why she wanted to—

“Jane?” Kendra had picked up the phone in two rings. “Are you all right? Where are you?”

“Still in the hospital. I’m fine, better all the time. I can’t wait to get out of here. I’ve had enough of hospitals.”

“I suppose you want a report. Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t have anything definite yet.” Her tone was suddenly urgent. “And, look, I’m involved in something right now. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

“It does disappoint me. And I’ll only be a minute.” She stopped, then went for it. “I’m going to send a few sketches I’ve drawn to your phone. I’ve been trying to locate the exact location. It appears to be in the mountains, somewhere in the wilderness. That’s all I’m guessing.”

“What the hell?”

“Just study them and see if you can identify them from anything you’ve seen.”

“And why am I doing this?”

“Because I think that’s where Eve might be. I believe she may have escaped Doane and she’s—” Jane stopped. She could almost feel Kendra’s skepticism, and who could blame her. “I don’t know why you’re doing this. Just do it, okay.”

“Jane, do you still have a fever?”

“No, dammit, listen. And there’s a house, only Eve thinks of it as a factory. I thought a factory in the middle of that wild country was peculiar enough to give you something to go on.”

“Is that all?”

“Except that I don’t think Eve has much time. Something happened to her.” End the call. She had said all she had to say.

And hope that Kendra didn’t think she’d completely lost her mind. “Don’t shrug off what I’ve said. Please. Just keep it in mind and let it percolate. I’m hanging up now. You said you were busy. Good-bye, Kendra.”

“Wait. I am busy, but you’re not going to leave me like this. How? Where did it come from?”

Jane had been afraid that Kendra wouldn’t let her escape without that question. She knew that in the same situation she would have jumped on her with both feet. “Nothing that you’ll accept. Hell, nothing that I really accept. I just have to cling to it because I don’t have anything else.” She paused and then forced herself to say the words. “A dream, Kendra. Just a dream.” She hung up.

She half expected a call back, but none came. Kendra probably was humoring her. Or calling Joe and telling him that Jane had lost it. Well, Joe knew the story, and she’d let him tell it. Maybe that would persuade Kendra to put aside logic and reason and at least accept tolerantly the information Jane had given her.

Yeah, sure. Not likely.

But she’d put a few seeds in Kendra’s fine mind that might bear fruit.

And she’d make sure she threw a few other items at her to stumble over.

She took her phone and took photos of the sketches in her pad. Then she sent them to Kendra’s phone.

She heard the familiar whistling sound. “Deal with it,” she murmured. “I wish I was out of here and doing it instead.”

“But you’re not,” Trevor said as he came back in the room. “And that kind nurse was tempted to come in here herself and stay with you until you went to sleep. After she gave you a shot.”

“But you took care of it.” She started to draw again. “She didn’t have a chance.”

“Sure she did. We all have a chance. We just make choices.” He sat down in the chair. “Did Kendra choose to believe you?”

“Probably not. But I hung up before she could argue with me. I can only hope that I’m right about her and that she finds it impossible to discount any information even if it doesn’t make sense to her. I believe she stores everything away and brings it out when she needs it.”

“Efficient. I approve. Most of us store away only what is most important to us.” He leaned back in the chair, watching her sketch. “You’ve stored away everything about Eve since the moment she came into your life when you were a kid. Have you stored away anything about me?”

Passion. Heat. Laughter. Golden hours with a golden man.

“Some things.”

“But not the things I wanted you to store away and save.” He smiled. “That’s still to come. Sex is all very well. Sex is fantastic. It’s also very powerful, and I’m having a few apprehensions about Seth Caleb. You’re feeling a little too erotic where he’s concerned. He taps that in you.”

She didn’t answer.

“But I’ll handle that, Jane. I’ve just got to show you how much more there is to what we have together.” He picked up his computer. “Now back to business. That library visit was no good at all yesterday. I’m going to send photos of your sketches to a few forestry friends I have in the park service and see if it will ring a bell.”

“Forestry friends? Is there anyone you don’t know, Trevor?”

“I’ve lived a full life. People are part of a full life. I like most of them. Those I don’t like I find a way to ignore or get rid of.” He looked up and smiled. “And then there are those I love and store away in a very special place.” He didn’t wait for her to answer but gazed down at his computer. “There’s a brilliant guy, Joseph Hansen, who spends more of his time in the forest than he does in bed with his wife. Not popular with her, but very popular with the university where he teaches. Let’s see if he’s seen anything like these areas you’ve drawn…”

Rio Grande Forest

Colorado

FIRE. BURNING ORANGE, blue.

The crackle of wood in the forest stillness.

Forest …

Eve stiffened, her gaze flying from the center of the burning campfire to encircle the small clearing.

Tackled.

Pain. No breath. Death.

No, not death, darkness. She’d been knocked unconscious.

By Doane. Where was Doane?

She struggled to a sitting position.

Difficult. Her hands were tied.

Doane, again, dammit.

Where was …

“Hello, Eve.”

He was behind her. No, she could see Doane coming toward the fire from the corner of her eye.

She went rigid and lost her breath.

Not Doane!

Powerful muscular frame and athletic stride. Dressed all in black, from jeans to wool jacket. White hair, closely barbered, dark eyes in a face that was lean and chiseled. Age … sixties? It was hard to determine. The way he moved spoke of a much younger man.

“You came around sooner than I expected.” He crossed to the other side of the fire and dropped down on the ground. “I only wanted you out long enough to tie your wrists and make a fire, but it appears I just made it.”

“Who are you?”

“Not whom you expected? But you knew I was there in the trees watching you, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“But I didn’t make any sound. I’ve been at this a long time, and I don’t make mistakes like that.”

“You didn’t make one this time either. I just knew you were there.”

“Instinct. It’s a wonderful thing. It’s probably what’s kept you alive and free with Doane after you. I saw by your tracks that you made some mistakes, but instinct can erase a lot of errors.”

“Who are you? And how do you know about Doane?”

He smiled. “Think. Who do you think I am?”

“I don’t like guessing games.” She stared at him. Cool. Confident. His expression indicated only mockery and curiosity. “And I don’t like to be tied like this.” She reached up and touched her neck. “Karate. You pressed on my carotid artery to make me black out. I don’t like that either.”

“I understood you could be a formidable opponent. I chose to put you out and avoid permanent damage.”

“Are you another of Doane’s accomplices?”

“Another Blick? How insulting.”

Her glance left his and went to the fire. “If you’re not one of Doane’s men, then you should put out the fire. The smoke could bring Doane running.”

He smiled. “But I don’t care, Eve.”

And then she knew who he was.