Fatal Tide - Iris Johansen [80]
“Where are they?”
“On the slope of the extinct volcano on Cadora.”
“Then we'll go get them together. I can hardly wait. I'll meet you on the dock at Cadora at ten tomorrow night. You won't see me until I want you to. If there's anyone with you, I'll disappear and give the order to kill the dolphin.”
“There won't be anyone with me.”
“No, I think you're chastened enough for me to believe that. Good night, Melis. Dream of me.”
She probably would dream of him and death and the ugliness of Pete's bleeding. . . .
“Well?”
She turned to Kelby, who was sitting across the cabin. “Tomorrow night at ten. He's meeting me on the dock. If anyone else is with me, he'll no-show and kill Susie.”
“I guess he believed you were on the ropes.” His lips tightened. “I almost did. The son of a bitch was turning you inside out. It wasn't easy for me to sit through it.”
“Do you think it was easy for me?” She was still shivering with revulsion, and she crossed her arms across her chest to try to stop. “It had to be done. This is the moment. I won't have what happened to Pete mean nothing. We have to use it.”
“Well, you did.” He leaned back in the chair. “And if you think I'm going to let you go alone to Cadora, you're crazy. We made a deal that I'd take out Archer if you gave me Marinth. You sit here and let me do my job.”
She shook her head. “I'm the bait. I'm the person who can lead him to the tablets.”
“Even if he does believe he's harassed you into going off the deep end, he's going to hedge his bet,” Kelby said. “He's going to make sure you're helpless. Just the way he wants you.”
Kafas. He wanted to put her in a place like Kafas. Don't think about it. It won't happen.
“Then we'll have to make sure I'm not, won't we?” She crossed the cabin to look out the window. “I'm not closing you out of this. That would be stupid. That's why I brought you into it. But I have to be the one to spring the trap.”
Kelby muttered a curse. “You don't have to be the one. We don't have to use those damn research papers to get him. I told you that Nicholas found out the location of his ship.”
“It's not certain enough. He got away from you in Tobago. He could up-anchor and be gone tomorrow.” She could sense his anger and frustration and she spoke quickly, not looking at him. “The chest is in a glade on the west slope of the mountain. It's beneath the only lava boulder in the clearing. It's just a three-foot dig in rocks and sand, so Archer should be able to get to the chest in a few minutes after they move the rock. I think you and Nicholas should wait there in the woods until they finish digging. You're right, Archer will take out insurance. He'll search me for weapons and bring help along in case I'm not the cowed simpleton he thinks. Can you stay out of sight if they search the woods?”
“Hell, yes. What do you think we were trained for? But I don't want to go hide in the woods. I want to go after Archer's ship.”
She ignored his last two sentences. “After they find the chest and start going through the papers, they'll forget everything but that. That's the time to go after Archer.”
“While you're standing there on top of him? The first thing he'd do is shoot you. You'd be helpless.”
“I won't be helpless. Because you're going to hide my gun only a few yards from the cache. There are two pine trees to the north of the glade. Cover the gun with leaves and brush at the base of the one on the left. I'll be ready when you make your move and run toward the trees.”
“Let's get this straight. You're not faster than a speeding bullet. That was a joke. There's a good chance that he'll shoot you before you reach those trees.”
She shook her head. “It's only a few yards. If you provide interference, I should be okay.”
“Should? I don't like that word.”
“I will be okay. Is that better?”
“No.” He stood up. “It sucks. You've got it all worked out. You've been planning this for a long time, haven't you?”
“Since the night they found Carolyn's body.” She turned to look at him. “He has to die, Kelby. He's an abomination on the face of the earth.