Chasing the Night - Iris Johansen [57]
“I imagine that if you had an opportunity to put Rakovac down, it would all become very clear to you,” she said dryly. “Don’t try to tell me anything else.”
He stared at her for a moment before he said, “I might, if I thought I could make you believe me.” Then he chuckled. “But that won’t happen, so I’ll hold my peace.”
“‘Peace’?” she repeated. “You and that word are strangers to each other. How is Natalie?”
“She’s well. As well as she can be. She’ll be much better once I kill Rakovac.” He changed the subject. “You said you had Rakovac’s surveillance file. Is there anything in it that will help us?”
“Not so far as I can tell. I still haven’t finished.”
“Who is Natalie?” Joe asked.
“Natalie Ladvar,” Catherine said. “Another one of Rakovac’s victims. We found her two years ago in a town near what was his headquarters at that time. Sixteen years old and the daughter of one of Rakovac’s men. Rakovac thought she’d amuse him for a few months, so he raped her and set her up as his mistress. She decided she didn’t appreciate the honor and took off. He was insulted and found her and brought her back.” Her lips tightened. “He kept her prisoner for six months, and she can’t even talk about the torture he put her through. When he decided he was finished with her and let her go, she was almost a zombie. We found her in the brothel where he’d sold her. I thought she might be able to tell me something about Luke, so Kelsov went in and got her.”
“And?”
Catherine shook her head. “I told you, she was a zombie. She couldn’t even talk.” She made a face. “But we couldn’t just let her go back there. So Kelsov took her home with him.”
“At Catherine’s orders,” Kelsov said.
“You didn’t argue,” Catherine said. “So shut up. If I hadn’t told you to do it, you would have done it anyway. And you never tried to get rid of her.”
“She doesn’t talk much, and she cooks pretty good.”
“After you worked with her for a year.”
“Which just demonstrates how much I hate to cook.”
“That must be it.” She glanced back at Eve. “Anything from the institute?”
Eve shook her head. “Not yet. I’ll e-mail them again.”
“Wait until we reach the farmhouse,” Kelsov said. “The reception is better.” He turned a curve in the road and nodded. “It’s just ahead.”
The house he’d indicated was a small stone building that was set far back from the road. An equally small barn was situated to the rear of the house. A brown-haired woman opened the door as they drove up the driveway. She was small, thin, dressed in brown pants and a loose white shirt, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. If this was Natalie, she appeared far older than her eighteen years. Eve had expected her to be the zombie Catherine had called her, but she only appeared to be pale and withdrawn. Her enormous brown eyes weren’t terrified, only uncertain.
“You lied,” Catherine murmured. “She is better.”
“I worked with her. I couldn’t leave her like that. Rakovac would love it if he’d totally destroyed her. I wasn’t having it.”
“And that’s the only reason you helped her? I don’t think so.”
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m getting soft,” he said quietly. “I’m a selfish bastard intent on getting exactly what I want. I’m just no monster. In comparison, I look pretty good to her.”
“Better than good.” Catherine got out of the car and moved toward the girl. “Hello, Natalie. Do you remember me? I’m Catherine Ling.”
Natalie nodded. “I remember. You were with Kelsov when he took me from that place.” She tried to smile. “Though Kelsov says I shouldn’t remember anything about that time if I can help it.”
“You should pay no attention to him,” she said. “Don’t dwell on it, but it will always be with you. You can’t ignore it, or it will sneak up on you when you least expect it.” She studied her. “You’re looking well.”
Natalie nodded. “I looked in the mirror one day last week, and I could almost see…I looked alive.”
“You are alive,