Fatal Tide - Iris Johansen [82]
“You know about the slave-and-master game? It's one of my favorites with the little girls at my favorite house in Buenos Aires.”
“Please. Let's go.”
“She's so eager.” He said over his shoulder, “Pennig, I believe we're going to have to let her give me the papers.”
“It's about time.” Pennig came out of the shadows. It was the same man she'd seen in Athens. But he was wearing a bandage on his throat, and his expression was much uglier. “Stubborn bitch.”
“Now, you mustn't be angry with her. Little girls get upset when you're angry.”
“She shot me, dammit.”
“But she's willing to make amends, and we must be generous. Search her.”
Pennig's hands were rough, hurting, as they moved over her body from shoulders to feet. “She's clean.”
“I didn't think she could hide much in those khakis and shirt.” Archer's gaze went to the deserted pier. “Was it difficult to make Kelby let you come alone?”
“He's got what he wants. Marinth. I'm just an encumbrance now.”
“But such an enticing one. I envy him. I'm sure you made the search very enjoyable.” He smiled. “But you're getting more upset by the minute, aren't you? I'll be kind and put you out of your misery.” He spoke into his phone. “It's okay. Bring the car around, Giles.” He hung up. “How far can we go by car?”
“Just past the foothills. The cache is a mile past that point.”
A black Mercedes roared around the corner two blocks away and barreled toward them.
“The chest is buried beneath a lava rock in a glade on the side of the mountain.” Melis's gaze was on the Mercedes. Christ, it looked like there were three in the car, and with Archer and Pennig it would be five.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Archer turned to Pennig. “Take the box and put it in her tender.”
Box?
Pennig was taking a large gift-wrapped box from the shadows and running down the pier with it.
“What is it?”
“Just a little good-bye present. It's a surprise.”
The Mercedes pulled up and Archer opened the back door for her. “Then we'd better get going, hadn't we?”
Look frightened at the sight of the men in the car. It wasn't hard to do. She was frightened. A protest would be reasonable now. “I can tell you where it is. I don't have to show you. You said you'd let me go.”
“After I have the papers,” Archer said. “Get in the car, Melis.”
She hesitated and then got into the Mercedes.
“How long?” Archer asked as he got in the passenger seat. Pennig rushed up to the car and got in beside him.
“Maybe fifteen minutes,” she whispered as the driver started the car. The two men she was sitting with were silent, but their presence was close, smothering.
It was going to be a long, long fifteen minutes.
“A Mercedes stopped at the end of the road,” Nicholas said as he ran back into the trees. “Five men and Melis. Archer and Melis are waiting by the car. The other four are on their way up.”
It was what Kelby had expected. There was no way Archer would endanger his hide until he was sure the area was secure. He started to climb the tree he'd staked out. “We let them go past on the first go-around. They'll probably station one man to overlook the road and one or two here in the woods. We don't take them out until Melis and Archer are here.”
“It's a terrible temptation,” Nicolas murmured as he shinned up the tree several yards from where Kelby was located. “But I'll try to restrain myself. I'm closer to the road. I'll take him out.”
“I'll play it by ear. But I want as few guards functioning as possible when they unearth that chest.”
“The birdcall?”
“Right. Owl. I saw one in the trees.” Kelby drew the camouflage brush around him as he settled on the second branch. From this viewpoint he could see both the road and the rock in the middle of the glade. Melis was standing by the front bumper of the Mercedes, and she looked small and infinitely fragile from this distance.
Don't think about her.
Think about the business at hand. The four men Archer had sent up the trail were close. In a moment they'd be here in the trees.
Silence. Breathe shallow. Don't move a muscle.
The man