Blood Trust - Eric van Lustbader [67]
“So she’d be twenty-two, twenty-three now. And nothing since then?”
Alli shook her head. “She could be alive or dead, no one knows.”
“Someone must know,” Jack said.
“Do you think her disappearance is relevant to Billy’s murder?”
“I don’t know,” Jack said. “But I keep coming back to that take-out menu you found in your uncle’s study.”
“It seems both irrelevant and somehow important. I mean, he wouldn’t be caught dead eating Chinese take-out.”
“Which is why it’s sticking in my mind,” Jack said. “Anomalies are always important.”
Alli stared at him for a minute. “What are you thinking?”
“I’m wondering if there’s a link between the Stem, that take-out menu, and Caroline.”
“You think Caro was kidnapped and auctioned off?”
“I’m wondering if that’s the direction your uncle is going in.”
“But if he knows about what was going on at the Stem, why didn’t he have it shut down?”
“That’s an interesting question,” Jack said.
Alli dug in her pocket. “Maybe this will be of some help.” She handed over the cell phone. “I also found this in Uncle Hank’s study.”
Jack was about to open it when Paull came up to them.
“Okay, we’re all set. You need to get into your mountain gear.”
Jack pocketed the cell as he took a look at the forbidding mountains. “How are we getting up to Tetovo?”
Paull drew out a map covered in clear waterproof plastic and opened it. He clicked a pen flash and pointed. “This is the best route, according to our geotech boys.”
Jack nodded. He didn’t bother studying the map because he wouldn’t be able to make sense of it. “What about the kid?”
Paull’s eyes were dark and hooded. “We can’t trust him to go any farther.”
“You can’t just cut him loose out here in the middle of nowhere.”
“He stays with the plane until we get back,” Paull said curtly.
“That would be a mistake.”
They all turned to see Thatë standing behind Paull.
“Get back,” Paull flared.
Alli held up a hand. “Hold on a minute, you two.”
Paull’s head swiveled around and he glared at her. “Listen, missy, Jack may cut you an unreasonable amount of slack, but as far as decisions here are concerned—”
“Thatë’s been here before,” she said. “He knows the mountains, he knows this area of Macedonia.”
Jack turned to the kid. “Is that true?”
Thatë nodded. “I lived in the mountains for eighteen months before I came to Washington.”
Jack beckoned him with a finger and the kid joined their circle.
“Show him the route we’re taking, Dennis.”
When Paull made no move, Alli traced the route on the map.
Thatë shook his head. “There are at least two good reasons why this route will get you into trouble. The first is here.” His forefinger stabbed out. “This village, Dolna Zhelino, belongs to Xhafa. If we go anywhere near it, he’ll know within an hour that you’re coming.”
Paull rolled his eyes.
Jack said, “What else?”
“The route takes you along this ridge above the Vardar River.” His fingertip traced a line. “Here.”
“It’s the most direct route,” Paull said. “Otherwise, we’ll waste time going miles out of our way.”
“It will be a waste of time,” Thatë said, “once you’re buried in a rockslide.”
Paull made a noise in the back of his throat. “Alli, take the kid back inside the plane.”
When the two had mounted the folding stairs and vanished into the jet’s interior, Jack said, “What’s your problem, Dennis?”
“My problem is this kid.”
“Really? He’s already proven useful.”
“Why the fuck should I believe anything he says?” Paull’s eyes engaged Jack’s. They had dark circles under them. Lines of tension scored his face. “My sense is he’s working for Xhafa, and if he is, he’ll lead us right into a mortal trap.”
“What if he’s telling the truth?”
“Jack, he has no incentive to tell the truth and every reason to make sure we wind up dead.”
* * *
INSIDE THE plane, Alli sat down in the seat nearest the door. After a moment’s hesitation, Thatë sat beside her.
“Dennis Paull.” She shook her head. “What a dickwad.”
He laughed. “You’re not afraid of anything, are you?”
“Shit,” she said. “I’m afraid of everything.”
“You’re lying.”
She laughed softly, mocking