Chasing the Night (7 page)

“Then who can blame Catherine for trying to put an end to it now.” Eve sat down and shook out her napkin. “Particularly since Luke may be caught in the middle if the CIA and Rakovac part ways.” She picked up her fork. “Venable as much as admitted that Rakovac may soon be a CIA target.”

Joe gave a low whistle. “I can’t think of anyone more deserving. But unless they manage to put him down with no advance knowledge, he could cause a hell of a lot of damage.”

“That’s what Catherine believes. She doesn’t want Luke caught in the blast.” She started to eat. “She’s trying to find some clue to Luke’s whereabouts in that file. Venable wasn’t encouraging about it.”

“And what if she does find something?” Joe asked. “What’s it going to mean to you?”

“I’ll be glad for her,” Eve said quietly. “That’s all, Joe. I’m helping her all I can with the age progression. The rest is up to her.” She smiled. “You don’t look relieved.”

“I am…for now.” He picked up his fork. “But I also know how events can change intentions. I wanted to hear you say it. I’ve been watching you weave back and forth like a cobra with a snake charmer.”

She chuckled. “You’re calling me a snake? Not complimentary. And Catherine is making no attempt to charm me.”

“I wasn’t referring to Catherine as the charmer with the power,” Joe said quietly. “It’s the boy. He’s holding you captive with a fascination far stronger than anyone else could ever have.”

She couldn’t argue. Every moment she spent working on Luke’s age progressions was drawing her close to him. She was always involved with her reconstructions, but this was different. This was like living with a child, watching him grow beneath her fingers. It was almost as if Luke were becoming her child. “I can’t help it. I don’t want to help it. I have the feeling the more I become involved with Luke, the closer I can make these progressions. There’s nothing more important right now.”

“Look, I understand.” Joe leaned toward her across the table. “I even understand Catherine Ling. But I’m damn well going to stand between you and any involvement with Luke and Catherine. I won’t have Rakovac bring you down, too.” He leaned back. “That’s all I have to say.”

“And it’s nothing that I didn’t expect to hear.” She tilted her head, studying him. “I think you’re beginning to like Catherine.”

He sighed. “Is that all you got out of my little speech? I don’t know Catherine well enough to like her. I prefer not to get to know her that well. I admire her endurance and strength and cleverness. I’m wary of her desperation and total ruthlessness where her son is concerned. That’s a mixed bag of emotions if I ever heard of one. Now may we talk about something else?”

She nodded. “By all means.” She gazed out the window as rolling thunder came from the east. “The forecast is for rain all night. Catherine would be more comfortable in here.”

“I’m sure she’s accustomed to that tent. She’s one tough cookie.”

Eve didn’t answer.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Joe pushed back his chair. “Okay, I’ll go get her out of her tent and bring her into the house.” He headed for the door. “Heat up the casserole. She might as well have dinner with us.”

Chapter
5

Catherine looked up warily from the Rakovac surveillance file as she heard the crunch of Joe’s footsteps on the stony bank. She studied him, trying to decipher his mood as he came toward her.

No anger.

Impatience?

Maybe.

But not as obvious as she’d encountered in him before.

“It’s starting to rain,” he said curtly. “Eve is worried about you melting. You’d better come up to the cottage.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“That’s what I told her. She knows how tough you are, but she’s instinctively protective. You probably counted on that when you came to ask her for help.”

“Yes, I did. But not for me, for Luke.”

“Whatever. Grab some clothes and come along.” He glanced at her computer. “Eve said you were reading that Rakovac e-mail. Bring it with you. You can read it after dinner.”

“I’m mostly scanning, hoping something will jump out at me.”

“Good luck. From what I’ve found out about Rakovac, he’s pretty clever.”

“It’s been a long time since he took Luke. He must have made blunders somewhere along the way.”

“Then you can find them after we put Eve’s mind at rest and we feed you and tuck you in. I figure we have less than five minutes before the rain starts. I’ve no desire to get soaking wet and have to change before dinner.”

But he didn’t really mind the weather, she could tell. The wind was blowing his hair back from his face and his tea-colored eyes were glittering in his tan face. He looked a little wild and stormy himself. “Then go back before you get caught.”

He shook his head. “She wants you.”

“And you always give her what she wants?”

“When I can. She doesn’t ask much. I wish I could give her more.”

“I think you probably give her a good deal. Does she do the same?”

“We have a relationship we both have to work at. That’s natural.” He frowned. “Stop asking questions and let’s get out of here.”

She shook her head. “You don’t want me. I won’t put you in a position in which you’re forced to accept me. That will just make you resent me more. I can’t afford to have that happen.”

“I’m not forced. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be. Spending a few hours with you isn’t going to affect me one way or another.” He paused. “And it will keep Eve from going right back to work and give her a little rest. That’s always a plus.”

She smiled. “It could be an uneasy evening.”

He shook his head. “Not for me. And I think you probably got over being uneasy about anything when you left the cradle.”

“Not very much later.”

A lightning bolt streaked out of the sky, and a crash of thunder echoed across the lake.

Joe held out his hand. “Come, dammit.”

She hesitated, then jumped to her feet. She disappeared into her tent and grabbed her duffel. A moment later, she was outside, and Joe was grabbing her elbow and running toward the cottage. The heavens had opened, and the rain was pelting them as they dashed for the porch. It felt strange having a man’s hand helping her, supporting her, even in such a small thing. She had been on her own for such a long time, asking nothing, depending on her own strength.

She didn’t pull away. It felt…nice.

“Okay?” Joe asked her, as they reached the front door. He wasn’t even a little breathless, she noticed. He looked strong and reckless and was as charged as the lightning flashes across the lake.

“Of course.” She pulled her arm away. “It’s only a storm.” She ran her hand through her damp hair. “I like it.”

He nodded. “I thought you would.” He opened the front door. “I would have been disappointed in you if you hadn’t. Or rather in my own judgment. Eve sees you as a mother and victim. I see you as a warrior and a mover and shaker. I’d say we’re both right. At any rate, we’re already learning about each other.”

“Yes.” She couldn’t deny that she had seen a new side of Joe Quinn in these last minutes. He was right, the learning process had begun.

And one of the things she had learned was that for the first time, she could see the magnetism that had drawn Eve to Joe and held them together these many years. She had experienced it herself as he had stood before her outside her tent. It had shocked and piqued her curiosity. It was the first stirring of physical interest she had experienced since Terry had died. It was odd that it had happened at this weird time and circumstance. Perhaps it was because her entire life was in a state of upheaval and change.

Yes, it was odd and completely unacceptable. Dismiss it. Whatever future relationship she was going to have with Joe Quinn, it would not be anything that would interfere with the bond she and Eve were forming. That tentative friendship was too precious and rare to risk being destroyed.

Joe gestured for her to precede him. “Go in. I’ll find a towel so that you can dry your hair.”

“You need one yourself.” She walked past him into the cottage.

Eve looked at her with a smile. “You took long enough. I knew you’d give Joe an argument. But he always perseveres.”

Catherine watched Joe disappear into the bathroom in search of that towel. “I can see that.” She turned back to Eve and asked brusquely, “There are wonderful smells drifting from the kitchen. What can I do to help?”

“It’s still pouring,” Eve said as she leaned back in the porch swing and gazed out at the veil of rain enclosing them. “See, Catherine. You’re much better off here for the night.”

“If you say so.” Catherine lifted her cup of coffee to her lips. “I spent most of the last year in a tent in the jungle. I would have survived.” She smiled. “But just surviving isn’t macaroni casserole and a warm, cozy home. I enjoyed dinner. Thank you for having me. I should be grateful for the storm. I
am
grateful.”

“That’s saying something since I had to blast you away from that tent.” Joe was leaning against the porch rail a few yards away. “More coffee?”

“Yes.” Catherine jumped to her feet. “But I’ll get it. You’ve waited on me enough for one day. I’m not accustomed to it.” She headed for the door. “Joe? Eve?”

“Not for me,” Joe said.

“I’ll take another cup,” Eve said. “I need the caffeine. I want to work an hour or two more tonight.”

“Good. I’ll join you.” Catherine disappeared into the house.

“You’ll probably both be working until dawn.” Joe’s gaze had followed Catherine as she’d gone into the house. “And through no manipulation by Catherine. Amazing.”

“She’s trying to be fair,” Eve said. “It’s difficult for her. She wants so desperately to forge ahead.” She lifted her cup to her lips. “She didn’t mention Luke or Rakovac once this evening.” Catherine had spoken of her life growing up in Hong Kong, her years working for the CIA, her last job trying to rescue the Winters father and daughter. She had led a bizarre and colorful existence, and her recounting of it had been matter-of-fact and completely without self-pity. Eve had gotten an entirely different view of her. Tough, cynical, she certainly was, but there was a humanity that tempered that hardness. “It must have been difficult for her. I know that must be all that’s on her mind now.”

“But she’s smart enough to know that overwhelming melancholy is hard to live with. Instead, we’re seeing her as a complete, balanced person.” He paused. “And, therefore, worthy of any help she needs.”

“You’re thinking she’s that calculating?” She shook her head. “Bullshit. You’re fighting it, but you don’t believe she’s that cold. Admit it, you like her.”

He chuckled. “How could I help it? She made sure we both saw her tonight as warm and human, even vulnerable. Yes, I like her. But I won’t discount the fact that she’s clever as hell and has the potential for being a ticking time bomb.”

“Neither will I,” Eve said. “But you have to accept her as a complete package.”

“Remember that when you’re melting with sympathy. She’s…complicated.”

“Is that why you were watching her all through dinner? You’ve never appreciated the simple in anything.”

“I was staring at her because she’s very watchable. In case you haven’t noticed, she’s damn good-looking. She’s a cross between Lucy Liu and Angelina Jolie with megawattage thrown into the mix. It’s hard not to look at her.”

“I noticed.” But she felt a ripple of surprise that Joe had admitted to being conscious of that attractiveness when he was clearly so wary. “But I don’t think that she’s aware of it.”

“Oh, she’s aware of it.” His lips twisted. “It’s a weapon, and Catherine would know how to use it if it became necessary. She knows all about weapons. Perhaps it’s just not a weapon of choice.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “You may be right. She’s had to live in a man’s world, and that kind of weapon would end in a sexual battle. I can’t see her using sex to beat out an opponent. She’d regard it as beneath her.”

“You think you know her that well?”

She shrugged. “As well as I can under the circumstances. We all have instincts about people. My instincts say that she saw her mother as a sexual victim and she would never want to engage anyone on that particular battlefield. And growing up in the streets, she must have been exposed to all kinds of vice. It just shows how strong she is that she overcame that twisted background enough to marry and have a child.” She added softly, “A beautiful child, Joe. The older he gets, the more he looks like Catherine. I’ll show you the progressions if you like.”

“I’ll wait until you finish. You’re already besotted with the kid. That’s almost more dangerous than your liking for Catherine.”

“But you said you liked her, too.” She smiled. “And that logical, analytical mind of yours would like to take her apart and put her back together again to see how she ticks.”

“That leads to thoughts of ticking bombs.” He inclined his head. “I’m curious, and I don’t mind being the one to defuse her. Better me than you.”

“I’d mind. I don’t want either you or her to be hurt.”

He lifted his cup to her in a half salute. “As you command. Then I’ll try to restrain my curiosity…within limits.”

“Curiosity?” Catherine stood in the doorway with a carafe of coffee in her hand. “Have you been talking about me, Joe Quinn?”

“Yes. Though Eve and I do have other things to discuss than you.”

“But I’m the new comet on the scene.” She came toward them and filled Eve’s cup. “And I’m a very flashy comet. I’ve disturbed your lives, and naturally I’d be the center of attention.” She filled her own cup and set it on the swing before turning to Joe. “Go ahead. Ask your questions. I promised Eve I’d have no secrets from her.” She crossed to stand before him, and said challengingly, “Try me.”

He smiled faintly. “What bravado. Wouldn’t you be deflated if I said I just wasn’t interested?”

“But you are. I overheard the word ‘curious.’” She topped off the coffee in his cup and turned back to the swing and sat down beside Eve. “You’re a detective. You have an inquiring mind. It goes with the territory. I tried to be open with you at dinner. Not enough?”

“I found myself wondering about a few things.”

“What?”

“Your relationship with Venable and the CIA. Why are you still working with them? They wouldn’t help you search for your son. You should have been furious with them.”

“I was. I still am. They did try to find him, but when they couldn’t locate him, they refused to go any further. They wouldn’t go after Rakovac.” She took a drink of her coffee. “I resented it with all my being.”

“But you still continued to work for them.”

“Because I knew my time would come.” She gazed at him. “And, bitter as I feel, I understand who they are and where they’re coming from. When I’m able to think about it sanely, it’s exactly what I’d expect from them. Venable thinks that he recruited me all those years ago. He’s wrong. I went after that job with all the determination I put into everything I do. I had a choice. Either continue in the path I’d started or walk a different road. I was tired of fighting the scum on their level. I wanted to be one of the good guys.”

“There are those who would give you an argument about the CIA’s good-guy quotient.”

“Because they haven’t been on the other side. How do you keep to some idealistic set of rules when your opponent has no rules? It’s a complicated world, and someone is always trying to destroy it in one way or the other. The only thing we can do is try to keep it intact. That way it has a chance of building itself back into something worthwhile.” She shrugged. “Sometimes it gets dirty and ragged while we’re doing it. That’s too bad, but it happens. Sometimes, important, personal things get pushed aside.”

“Like your son,” Eve said.

She nodded. “But there’s no way in hell I can see past Luke to the big picture. He
is
the big picture.” She glanced at Joe. “You were FBI at one time. One of those white knights bound by law and rules and structure, but I’d bet there were times when you felt like breaking every one of them.” She leaned forward, her gaze fixed intently on his face. “Am I wrong?”

He was silent a moment. “No.”

“And you had the U.S. courts backing you.”

“Sometimes.”

“Well, most of the time the CIA has backing when it’s a popular cause and none when it’s a less publicized mission to some Podunk country most citizens never knew existed. But we do our job anyway.”

“We? In spite of everything, you’re still aligning yourself with them.”

“They would have helped me if they could. Hell, Venable might not have freed Luke, but he might have saved his life.” Her lips twisted. “They are good guys. They just wear black hats.”

“Interesting reasoning,” Eve said as she looked at Joe. “Complicated enough, Joe?”

“Actually, I understand her viewpoint perfectly,” he murmured. “I’m sure the complications are all under the surface.”

“Any other questions?” Catherine asked.

“I’m thinking,” Joe said. “There may be something I’d like to—”

Catherine’s cell phone rang.

“Excuse me.” She pulled the phone out of her pocket. “It’s probably Venable wondering if I read—” She inhaled sharply as she gazed at the ID. “No, it’s not Venable.” She moistened her lips. “It’s Rakovac.”

“Are you sure?” Joe asked. “Criminals don’t usually broadcast their IDs on—”