Eve - Iris Johansen [127]
“I’m coming, Cara,” he murmured as he started down the path. “I can almost hear your heartbeat. Run…”
CHAPTER
19
“BLACK’S MADE CONTACT,” Catherine said curtly as she hung up from talking to Eve. “He’s turned Cara loose on the hill at the north tip of the lake, and he’s staging some kind of macabre hunt. Eve and Gallo are on their way.”
“And so are we.” Joe stopped and gazed at the hill looming over the lake. “Black and Cara are approaching the hill from the east. Follow them on that route, and we risk an ambush. We need to climb the hill from the west slope and try to surprise Black.”
“But we can’t circle the lake and get on the other side of the hill. It would take too much time.”
“No, we can’t do that.” He gave her his gun and ammunition, but kept his knife. “We split up.”
“What?”
He moved down the bank and took off his boots and shirt. “I swim across the lake and go up the hill from the west side. You follow Black along the east route. One of us should be able to pick him off.”
“Okay, but I’m calling Eve and telling her I’m on my way to join them. I can help them zero in on Black if I can pick up that tower signal.” She hesitated. “The lake’s pretty wide. I couldn’t swim that distance. Can you make it?”
“Come on. I was a SEAL. I live on a lake.” He jumped into the lake and gasped. Cold. He started stroking. “Hell yes, I can do it. Get moving, Catherine.”
When he glanced over his shoulder, she had disappeared.
Good. No arguments. Just Catherine acting with her usual logic and efficiency. One of them had to stop Black and get the job done.
He swam harder, faster, fighting the cold. Block it out.
He had to get to the other side.
* * *
CARA WAS ALMOST TO THE TOP of the hill, Black noticed.
She was out in the open, and the moonlight shone on her like a pale spotlight.
Black could see her scrambling desperately, slipping on the rocks, falling, picking herself up, and running again. The child had more stamina than he had thought she possessed. Perhaps it was only fear that had seemed to paralyze her and made her appear less than she was.
And if Black could see her so well, then she would be clearly visible to Gallo and Eve Duncan if they were anywhere near.
“Perfect bait,” he murmured. “You’re doing well, Cara. That desperation is enough to wrench the heart. How could they resist?” He moved farther behind the huge boulders. His rifle was loaded and ready. Again, not his preference. He carried other weapons, a pistol, two knives. But a rifle would be safer with Gallo.
Was he still wary of Gallo?
Nonsense. It was just smarter to handle the kill this way. He would take his time and use one of the knives on little Cara later. It would be enough.
That idea would horrify Eve Duncan, he thought with amusement. Come save her, Eve, as you failed to save your own child. Come on, Gallo. Watch the little one struggle and fight for life.
His finger poised over the trigger as he watched the path.
But hurry, I’m getting impatient.
* * *
“OH, GOD, I SEE HER,” EVE said in agony. Poor child. Desperation and panic were in the little girl’s every movement. “But where’s Black? He has to be here.”
“Somewhere close.” Gallo’s gaze was raking the terrain. “And waiting for us. Don’t move. We have cover on the path at this point, but we’ll be wide open if we go another thirty yards.”
“Dammit, where’s Catherine? She said that she could tell us where—”
“Don’t curse the bearer of the Celltec.” Catherine had suddenly appeared out of the shrubbery to the left of the path. She was dressed in black pants and shirt and looked lean and graceful and totally competent. She caught sight of Cara and inhaled sharply. “Bait. He’s staking her out.”
“That’s obvious.” Gallo glanced at her, then looked back at the top of the hill. “You’re Catherine Ling. I’ve heard a