Текст книги "Eve"

Автор книги: Iris Johansen

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He glanced back over his shoulder. “Yet you were always the complete realist as a young girl.”

“I still am a realist.” She smiled. “I just accept that no one can be sure of just what reality is. Your reality may not be mine … or Bonnie’s.” She changed the subject. “I’ll wash these dishes, you dry. Okay?”

“Okay.” He turned to face her. “I guess you’re aware you scared me a little.”

“I know. You’ll get used to it.” She started the water running. “Bonnie will help.”

He smiled. “Oh, and what—”

His cell phone rang.

Eve stiffened, her eyes flying to where he was standing.

John was tense, too, but he shrugged as he checked the ID. “I don’t recognize it.” But he put it on speaker anyway. “Gallo.”

“It’s been a long time.” The voice was deep and faintly mocking. “And we scarcely exchanged anything but a few words. Do you recognize my voice, Gallo?”

“Black?” Gallo asked curtly. “I could hardly forget you since you tried to kill me the first time I saw you. If you hadn’t been an incompetent, I would have been a dead man.”

“I wasn’t prepared for you.” The mockery was gone, replaced by venom. “It was Queen’s fault that I blundered. He should have told me that you were some kind of freak of nature. I knew I’d gotten my knife in you, but I couldn’t stop you. It was his fault that I ended up with my guts spilling out of me. I’ve never forgiven him for that.” He paused. “Nor you, Gallo. It’s been a constant twisting fire inside me that I couldn’t move on you.”

“You moved on me.”

“The little Bonnie? Yes, I did, didn’t I? And that was very satisfying, but it’s not like being able to get at you face-to-face.”

“Then why didn’t you do it, you son of a bitch?” John asked harshly. “Why not come after me instead of a helpless seven-year-old?”

“One takes pleasure where one can. I was … hesitant about confronting you at the time. No one had ever taken me down before. I was faced with the possibility of my own mortality. I found I had to rebuild my confidence. Now, of course, I realize that you were no real threat. I would have killed you years ago if Queen hadn’t kept me away from you because he was afraid that ledger would get in the wrong hands.”

“Then if I’m no threat, come and get me.”

“But there’s the question of little Cara Clark. It’s not that simple any longer.”

“You’re using her as an excuse as you did Bonnie. Threaten a kid because you don’t have the nerve to go after me. Did Queen tell you that you needed a negotiating tool for the ledger?”

“No, the little girl was my idea. I like to deal with children.”

Eve’s hands closed into fists at her sides at the smug satisfaction in his voice.

“I thought that Cara could possibly be a good bargaining chip. You might have expended all your sentiment on your little girl. Such a tragic loss. But you’d recently reestablished a connection with Bonnie’s mother, who has a reputation for embracing all lost children. Is she there with you, listening?”

“Yes,” Eve said. “Is Cara Clark still alive?”

“Oh, yes. She’s right here on my lap. She’s a little stiff. She won’t cuddle with me. I think that I scare her. What do you think?”

The horror of that little girl being forced that close to Black made her sick. “I think you should let her go.”

“That’s my intention. But not just yet.”

“When?”

“After we get together. Now to business. Gallo, you’ve been talking with Queen and trying to get him to persuade me to let my pretty Cara go.”

“Have I?”

“Yes, and I imagine that you’re trying to get him to set a trap for me. Is that true?”

“You mean Queen didn’t tell you that, too?”

“No, he probably isn’t sure which one he’s going to betray. Right now, you’re top of the list. You must have realized that you couldn’t trust him. Why did you decide to draw him in?”

“Like you, I recognize the end of the game. I want Queen dead. I don’t care whether I do it or you have the pleasure.”

Black chuckled. “But that’s exactly how I feel. We’re so much alike, Gallo.”

“I’d cut my throat if I thought that was true.”

“But Queen tells me that you don’t know what is true or not. Think about it. We’ve both been killers. You under the guise of patriotism and good of the country. While I’m much more frank and totally without self-deception. I enjoy it. Perhaps if you let yourself explore what you really are, then it might surprise you to look into the mirror.” He paused. “Because you might see me.”

“That’s a lie,” Eve said. “There’s no one like you. There couldn’t be. You’re a monster.”

“You’re defending him.” Black chuckled. “He’s lured you back to him, hasn’t he? Would you like me to tell you a few things about him that would make you bolt in panic? You’ve never seen him when he loses control. It would frighten you. I saw him. I watched him do things that would completely destroy any tender feelings you might have for him. Ask me anything.”

“I want to know where Cara Clark is right now and what we can do to get you to release her.”

“Oh, very well. I suppose we should get back to the more boring details. Gallo, you want your chance to get the kid … and me. I want my chance to get you, Queen, and the ledger.”

“If you kill Queen, the ledger won’t be of value to you.”

“Wrong. I can use the contacts in it, and there’s always the North Korean general from whom you stole it. It won’t be as useful as if I had it to hold over Queen, but some sacrifices are necessary. Queen sent a totally inept assassin to kill me in Samoa. I regard that as an end to our relationship.” He paused. “Queen told me you were at a cabin in the woods. Is it totally private acreage? I believe you’ll agree that we can’t have any interference.”

“It’s very private.”

“Then we might as well use that site. I like the idea of wild terrain and deep woods. It fits in with my plans. Naturally, I’ll scout the area to make sure that I have every advantage. When I’ve made a definite decision, I’ll contact you again. Give me the directions to the acreage.”

Gallo quickly gave him the directions.

“And we’re supposed to sit here and wait?” Eve asked.

“No, I don’t imagine Gallo will be sitting and waiting. The cabin would be too easy a target. I’ll let you know when the game will start.” He paused. “But if I see any sign of police or FBI in the area, I won’t wait for the game. I’ll kill the kid immediately and bury her so deep, you’ll never be able to find her.”

“I want to talk to her,” Eve said. “How do we know that you haven’t already killed her?”

“Because I’m not a fool. Come talk to the nice lady, Cara.”

“Hello.” The child’s voice was a wisp of sound. “What should I say? Can you stop him from hurting me?”

“Yes.” She hoped she was telling the truth. “It will just take a little while. Don’t fight him, Cara.”

“He … hurt my mama.”

“I know, baby. But your mama is going to get well. We just have to get you back to her.”

“Her mother survived?” Black was back on the phone. “She must have a great deal of stamina. I was planning on her living long enough to send a message, then fading away. That goes to show you that you can never be certain if you delay the kill. I may have to go back and do it again.”

Eve could hear the child sobbing. “Shut up. She doesn’t have to hear that.”

“But it pleases me. It’s always interesting to see how far I can take it before they break. In this case, she’s no real challenge. Not like her mother. Judy Clark fought me all the way until I pinned her to the table. So don’t tell me not to prod the little darling. I have to stir some life into her.” He hung up.

Eve drew a shaky breath. “And how is he going to do that stirring?”

“It’s better not to think about it. Maybe if he’s eager to get on with the game, he’ll get on the move and forget about her.”

Eve could only hope he was right. The sound of the little girl’s weeping was enough to break her heart.

“He said he’d tell me anything, and I didn’t ask anything about Bonnie. All I could think about was Cara.” She shook her head. “All these years of hunting, and I didn’t ask that question.”

“Because you were concerned about life, not death.”

She nodded. “And I think I know one answer anyway. All the signs are pointing at Black. I can wait for a little while to be certain.”

But not for too long, she thought. All the agony and searching that had torn her life apart was at last coming to an end. Soon she would come face-to-face with the man who had killed her daughter. Soon she would be able to bring Bonnie home. The realization was stunning.

She asked unsteadily, “So what do we do now?”

“We get the tent and sleeping bags from the cellar and leave the cabin as soon as possible. Black is right; it’s an easy target. We’ll keep on the move while Black does his reconnoitering. We have to keep one step ahead of him until he gets back to us.” He strode toward the door in the back of the room. “And while we’re doing it, I’ll teach you everything I can squeeze into the time we have about how to get around in my woods.”

His movements were alert, swift, almost electrified. He was charged by the battle to come.

She realized she was feeling that same sense of vigor and grim anticipation. How could it be otherwise?

The waiting years were almost at an end.

CHAPTER

18

YES.

Catherine turned off the listening apparatus of the Celltec and carefully adjusted the calibration.

This version of Celltec was fantastic, she thought. The spy equipment had been around a few years, but the CIA had refined and improved it beyond recognition of the first one she had used. The software enabled her not only to tap into Queen’s conversation with Black, but latch on to Black’s line and transmit a virus into his phone. It amazed her that, even as BlackBerrys and iPhones and other smartphones had become as powerful as many desktop computers still in use, they still lagged so far behind in antivirus technology.

The Celltec system contained malware code that could infect many of the most popular phones. Once implanted in the phone’s operating system, the virus could take location info from the phone’s GPS chip and continuously relay it back to her Celltec handheld unit. But if Black was using an unfamiliar or unsupported phone, she would be totally out of luck.

Please let him be using one of the smartphones Celltec could access.

Time to see if it worked.

She held her breath as her finger hit the red button.

Come on …

The red light came on!

And it was beeping.

And there was a square indicated on a map that had come up on the Celltec.

She had him.

And then he vanished from the screen!

Calm down. He had probably only passed out of the cell-tower area. If she drove where she’d seen the last indication, she’d probably pick it up again.

Now what to do with it. Let it lead her to Black right now.

Or wait until he was in a position where he could more easily be taken? Cara’s life could be in the balance.

Catherine couldn’t judge until she found out what had transpired in that call of Black’s to Gallo.

She quickly dialed Eve. “You heard from Black. Did he try to make a trade?”

“He’s in the process. He’s going to check out the acreage around the cabin and make sure it suits his purpose … and is free of traps. How did you know we’d heard from him?”

“I managed to get a fix on his phone when Queen contacted him a little while ago.”

“The miracle of technology,” Eve said. “A fix. Can you spot his location?”

“There’s a good chance. This miracle isn’t foolproof. It can go in and out depending on signal dropouts between cell towers. But I think he’s on the move.”

“John and I are hoping he will be. It may distract him from doing any harm to Judy’s daughter.”

“I could distract him,” Catherine said grimly. “Just give me the chance. I’ll cut his heart out.”

“Only if you can find him, and you said that it was an iffy proposition.”

“So you want me to hold off until I have a clearer focus at him? Okay, I’ll do it. But I don’t want to put it off too long. You didn’t see what he did to Judy and her mother. He liked what he did, and that kid isn’t going to be safe until he’s dead.” She was moving toward her rental car in the parking lot as she spoke. “I’ll see you in a couple hours. If Black is heading your way, then I’m going to be right behind him or ahead of him.”

“We’re not in the cabin any longer. John said we’d be safer moving from site to site in the woods.”

“I’ll find you. I’m good in the woods. I spent the last three years chasing drug smugglers in the jungles of Colombia.” She had reached her car and took out her keys. “Just make sure Gallo is certain who’s tracking him before he goes on the attack.” She hung up.

The car door swung open before she could unlock it!

She ducked to one side, drawing her gun.

“Yes, it’s always wise to know who’s the enemy,” Joe said. “I seem to be included in that number. Get in the car, Catherine.”

Oh, shit.

She went around the car and got in the passenger seat. “I don’t have to ask who told you I was here. Venable?”

“We’ve worked together many times before and have an understanding.” He added grimly, “And the understanding is that I’ll break his neck if he holds out on me about anything connected with Eve. You might take heed of that understanding, Catherine. I’m very close to that point at the moment. I thought I could trust you.”

She could see how near Joe was to violence. She had seen that tension before, tension that could erupt in lethal explosiveness. It had just never been aimed at her. “You can trust me. That doesn’t mean that I won’t do whatever I have to do to help Eve. After St. Louis, I had to be sure that she’d work with me.” She met his gaze. “And she wouldn’t do it if you’re part of the deal. No risk for Joe Quinn. You mean too much to her. We both know that’s true.”

“Do we? It’s hard for me to embrace the concept since I’ve been feeling like the invisible man.”

“Joe.”

“Okay, I may know why she’s doing it, but it still sucks. It can’t go on. I have to be able to be near her, protect her.” His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I want to break something, someone. Hell, I want to smash the entire world.”

“Oh, that’s going to help.”

“Dammit to hell, what do you expect me to—” He stopped and drew a deep breath. “I didn’t say I was going to do it.”

“Well, that’s a relief. At least you’re going to limit the damage.”

“I’m counting to ten,” Joe said. “And then you’re going to stop being a smart-ass and tell me where Eve is right now. Then you’re going to tell me exactly what’s going on.”

She thought about it. “The problem still exists. You’ll block my ability to take care of Eve if I get you closely involved. She’ll shut me out, and she’ll shut you out. Solve the problem for me, Joe.”

“I don’t want to solve—” He stopped. “You tell me where she is, and I promise not to go to her. She doesn’t even have to know I’m in the vicinity. I just won’t let Black near her. Is that good enough?”

“It’s going to bug the hell out of you.”

“You’ve got that right. But I’ll do it. The alternative is to choke you until you tell me what I want to know. That’s tempting, but I don’t think that you’d break, and I’d be wasting my time.”

“Heaven forbid you waste your time, Joe.” Why was she hesitating? Joe would keep his word, and all her sympathies were with him in this hellish situation. She had hated having to close him out. Other than her husband, she had never worked with a partner, but Joe would have been her first choice. “It may not be too difficult keeping your distance. Eve and Gallo are luring Black up to Gallo’s property in the woods.”

Joe’s gaze was immediately narrowed on her face. “Place. Conditions. Situation. Talk, Catherine.”

*   *   *

THE LAKE WAS STILL, THE WIND barely causing ripples on the dark surface.

“See the pretty water, Cara?” Black said as he got out of the car. “It looks deep, doesn’t it? I may let you go into the lake later.”

“I can’t swim,” Cara whispered. “Mama was going to teach me.”

“That’s only a small problem. But I’ll have to consider whether I want to do it. Even deep lakes can’t always be trusted with treasures like you.”

His gaze wandered over the low hills surrounding the lake. Thick shrubs, tall pines, and evergreens, and no sign of habitation except for the small cabin a few miles to the west. Gallo would not have remained in that cabin, so he must be somewhere in the woods.

Did I chase you out into the night, Gallo?

I know about hunting prey in the wild. I’ve played this game in a good many countries with prey like little Cara. How good are you? Black wondered.

Not good enough. He had gotten smarter, stronger than when Gallo had come close to killing him that day in Pakistan. Black was ready for him now.

He turned back to the car and jerked Cara out of the car by the ropes he’d tied about her wrists. “Come on. I need to find a place for you, then I need to look around.” He paused a moment, his gaze on the lake. Still, deep, welcoming. “No, I can’t trust you to the lake. There are other places…” He reached for his phone. “But now I believe we need to invite some company to this lovely wilderness. Shall I call my good friend, Queen? He was most upset that I took you from your nice safe home. But he’s such a practical man. Be very quiet, and I won’t be angry with you.” He dialed Queen. “I’ve done as you suggested and called Gallo. Now we only have to set the trap. Where are you?”

“Still in Milwaukee.”

“Then get your ass out of there and come up north to the great outdoors. I need your help.” He gave him the directions. “You want your ledger, come and get it.”

“That’s where Gallo and Duncan are?” Queen asked with barely contained eagerness.

“Yes, somewhere in this five hundred or so acres I’m gazing at right now. We may have to go hunting unless you can draw them into a trap. Are you good at hunting, Queen?”

“No, I hire people like you for jobs like that.”

“Me, and men like Gallo. It’s rather like the hand of fate that you hired both of us so long ago, and now we’re all meeting here.” He smiled. “I won’t object to postponing my hunt if you can think of a way to lure Gallo and Duncan to me. After all, I’m going to have a spirited hunt and chase later. Think very hard on the way here and come up with something brilliant.”

“I won’t have to think hard. Gallo wants you to die. I just have to offer you to him in a way that he’ll think moderately safe. I’m on my way, Black.”

“Good-bye, Queen. Safe trip.” He hung up.

The first rabbit hurrying toward the trap, he thought in amusement. Queen would be trying his best to screw Black all the while he tried to snatch the ledger. But he didn’t have the expertise to deal with Black and Gallo. They would be out of his league.

He looked down at Cara Clark. She looked pale, even more fragile than she had hours ago when he’d left Milwaukee. It was disappointing. He hoped in the final stages that fear would make her more interesting. “That was a boring conversation. Nothing new. Nothing interesting. But I guess I shouldn’t expect it. Do you know who I just talked to?”

She shook her head. “You said … Queen.”

“That was his name, but not his state of being.” He took the rope and started down the trail. “I just talked to a dead man, little Cara. He didn’t know it, but he’s a dead man.”

*   *   *

“I’M BECOMING ATTACHED TO your little paradise, Gallo. It has everything that I require,” Black said, when Gallo answered the phone. “I believe this place will do quite well.”

Black was here!

Eve came out of the shallow cave where Gallo had set up camp, her gaze instinctively flying to the bank of trees surrounding them. Stupid. Just because he was on the property was no sign that he was hovering this close to them. But it might be just what Black would do. He seemed to have no fear.

“I checked out the cabin,” Black said. “Have I driven you into the wilds? You’re a hardy specimen, but what about your Eve Duncan? It’s not kind to expose a lady to such rough country. Tell her to come to me. I’ll take care that she doesn’t suffer.”

“Where should I come, Black?” Eve asked.

“So eager?” Black said. “Maybe she’s a fitting mate for you after all, Gallo.”

“Tell us how we can get Cara Clark,” Gallo said.

“For a start, you have to keep to the proper order. As soon as Queen arrives, I’m going to send him to you to get the ledger. You’ll give it to him and send him back to me.”

“The hell I will. Once you have the ledger, you’ll kill the child.”

“You think you’ll have no bargaining power? But you will, you know. I’d much rather have you to gut than that ledger. That will be step two. Believe me, I wouldn’t risk not being able to draw you to me. Of course, I’ll insist you be accompanied by your Eve. After all, she has a vested interest. I can’t wait to have a discussion with her. No, I have plans for the little girl that involve you. The only way I would change them is if you get stubborn and don’t give Queen the ledger. Then I’d have to do a reversal and kill Cara first. I will do that if you spoil the splendid scenario I’ve developed for Cara’s end.”

And Eve had no doubt he meant every word he said.

Gallo glanced at Eve and shrugged. “It seems we have no choice at present.”

“Where are you now?” Black asked.

“I’m not a fool, Black. Send Queen down the south path around the lake. I’ll come to him somewhere along that stretch. If I see you following him, then Queen will have a long walk for nothing.”

“He’ll be alone. I’m saving my energy for the big push. But don’t make the mistake of trying to follow him back to me. I’ll let you know when he arrives here.” He hung up.

“Is he lying about keeping Cara alive?” Eve asked.

John shook his head. “There’s no way to be sure, but it’s consistent with what we know about Black. He wants it all. She’d still be valuable to him if he thought he could use her as bait for a trap.”

But John had been right. The choice had been too slim to take a chance on refusing Black.

“He made me feel helpless.” She took out her phone. “But we’re not helpless. He doesn’t know about Catherine. That’s an ace in the hole. There has to be a way of getting around this. I’m calling Catherine.” She dialed quickly. “She said she might be able to find him with that gadget. Let’s give her an opportunity.”

Catherine answered almost immediately. “I’m about four miles from the property. Trouble?”

“Black just contacted us. He’s sending Queen to pick up the ledger, then he’ll have plans later that include John and me. We can’t do anything about Queen, but Cara Clark should be safe for a while even after he picks up the ledger. He has plans for her, and they’re probably as diabolical as he is. Lord, I hope she’ll be safe. But we have to know where Black is on the property fast.”

“I’ll find him. Don’t do anything until I do.”

“No promises. Judy’s little girl won’t stand a chance unless we play this right. Just line up that high-tech phone gadget and locate Black. We’ll take it from there.”

“I’ll call you when I know something.” She hung up.

Eve turned to John. “It will give us an edge if she’s able to track him. I’m just praying that she can.”

John shrugged. “Gadgets can be fluky. I’d rather trust old-fashioned scouting.”

“Catherine is smart. We’ve got to give her a chance.”

“If she blows it, and Black catches her, then the kid is dead.”

Eve knew that was true, but the actual voicing of it sent panic soaring through her. “She won’t blow it. She’s a professional. And she cares about that kid, dammit.”

John didn’t answer as he turned away. “I’m going to scout around the immediate perimeter and make sure we’re secure. Stay here and keep your hand on your weapon.” He disappeared into the shrubbery.

Eve leaned back against the huge oak tree and stared after him into the darkness. She couldn’t blame him for being doubtful. Catherine was only one person, and even the most skilled professional would have difficulty in the situation in which Eve had tossed her. Eve just had to trust her.

But she had problems with trust, and Catherine had only appeared in her life recently.

Before Catherine, she had let only Joe come close to her.

Joe.

A pang of aching loneliness swept through her. She had tried to push thoughts of him away, but they were suddenly all around her. She wanted desperately to see him, touch him. She wouldn’t feel such panic if Joe were here. He was a rock, a north star to guide her.

God knows she needed that steady north star in these woods.

Don’t be selfish, she thought in disgust. What she needed didn’t matter. It was right that she had made sure Joe wouldn’t be involved in the madness Black was weaving around them.

But that didn’t stop the loneliness.

*   *   *

“DID YOU PULL UP THE MAP, Joe?” Catherine asked.

“Yep, I’ve got it.” Joe was squinting at the map he’d accessed on his computer from the county records. “The deed had to be redone when the property was sold a few years ago to Gallo. It should be accurate.”

“Print it out. You can hook up the computer to my portable printer on the backseat.”

“Right.”

“We’re about a mile from the property now. I think we’d better ditch the car and start hiking.” Catherine pulled onto a side road and drove a mile or so until she found a turnout that would completely hide the car and pulled deep into the brush.

Joe pulled out the map from the printer. “Let’s go.”

She flicked off the headlights. “And where are we going?”

“I’m checking terrain. There are three areas where Black would be unlikely to set up camp. There’s a marsh to the east, high hills on the north tip of the lake, and a stretch to the southwest that was cleared of timber and would be very exposed.” He was circling the areas as he spoke. “Anywhere else is a possibility.”

“That still leaves a hell of a lot of territory for us to cover.” She looked away from him. “We could try to follow Queen back after Gallo hands over the ledger.”

“You’ve been working with Venable too long. Are you willing to risk Cara Clark’s life if Black finds out that someone is tagging Queen?”

“Not unless there’s no other option.” She shrugged. “You’re right, my mind-set is different from yours. Let’s get going.”

She took the Celltec device out of the car and pressed the access button. No light. No red button. “Dammit, I can’t get any response. But Eve says he’s here somewhere. Maybe we’re out of cell-tower range.”

“Whatever.” Joe was moving quickly through the brush. “I’m not going to wait for your gadget to kick in while he could be killing Eve and the kid.”

And neither was Catherine. She jammed the Celltec in her pocket and followed him.

*   *   *

“QUEEN IS ON HIS WAY,” BLACK told Gallo. “Don’t keep him waiting. The poor man isn’t really equipped anymore for the rough life. He’s gotten soft since his early years in the military. Hiring people like us to do his dirty work has sapped his strength.”

“But not his greed.”

“No, that goes on forever. I’ll see you shortly, Gallo.” He hung up.

John turned to Eve. “Stay here.” He got the ledger from his duffel. “And look sharp.”

“I’m going with you.” She held up her hand as he opened his lips. “I won’t get in your way, but I won’t be left behind.”

“Have it your way.” He turned and moved toward the lake. “But if I go down, you don’t stay around and try to save my neck. You take off and do any rescue attempt from long distance.”

She didn’t answer.

“I mean it, Eve.”

“If you go down, you’re out of it, and I make my own decisions.” She added grimly, “So if you want your way, you’d better not go down, John. Where are we going to intercept Queen?”

“The path winds a good three miles through heavy brush that starts about a half mile from here.” He was walking fast, almost trotting. “I’ll reconnoiter the area on both sides of the trail to make sure Black hasn’t staged an ambush, then wait for Queen to show.” He frowned. “And you will get in my way. I’ll have to worry about you.”

“Then park me somewhere close to the path and come back for me after you make sure the area’s clear.” She kept pace with him. “That’s as far as I’ll go, John.”

He gave her an exasperated glance but didn’t reply.

Five minutes later, they entered into the thick shrubbery that John had mentioned. There was bright moonlight, but the lake path was barely discernible given the overhanging foliage and twisting turns.

John nudged her deeper into the shrubbery. “Don’t move.”

Then he was gone.

Could she trust him to come back for her? He was being too damn protective.

But John appeared beside her several minutes later. “Come on.” He took her arm and was half pushing her down the path. “Queen will be coming around that second curve up ahead in a few minutes. I want to be there ahead of him.”

She pulled her arm away and reached in her jacket for her gun. “Then stop protecting me and go get him. I’ll be right behind you.”

John moved rapidly ahead of her and around the turn.

Her heart was beating hard as she ran after him. Queen might not be as deadly as Black, but he was totally without conscience, and that itself was dangerous.

She stopped short as she came around the turn.

Queen was standing in the center of the path staring warily at John Gallo.

Queen glanced at her as she came into view. “Eve Duncan? I don’t believe we’ve formally met, but I feel as if I know you intimately. You must think she’s expendable, or you wouldn’t have brought her along, Gallo. Black will kill her, you know. Probably in front of you if he thinks you have a passion for her.”

“I know he’ll try.”

Queen smiled. “I’ll bet on him. He’s remarkable in his field. Of course, he has one glaring fault. He’s unpredictable. His bloodlust is so extreme that it sometimes dominates his reasoning. I’ve had a few problems with him on that level lately, but I’ve worked them out.”

“Congratulations,” Eve said dryly. “Maybe because you’re two of a kind.”

He shook his head. “He’s only a tool. We’re nothing alike.” He turned back to Gallo. “The ledger.”

John reached into his pocket and pulled out the ledger. “Catch.” He threw it to Queen. “For all the good it may do you.”

“Sour grapes? You mustn’t be bitter that I’ve finally won the prize.” Queen pulled out a small pen flashlight and was shining it on the first pages of the ledger. “Okay, no tricks. Not that I’d ever suspect you of trying to cheat me.” He tucked the ledger in his jacket. “Now I’d better get back to Black. We wouldn’t want him to get nervous. He meant it when he told you he’d kill the kid.”