He shook his head. “No, he was probably busy.”
“That’s what I thought. I just thought he’d tell someone he was safe.”
He frowned, puzzled. “But Cameron is always safe.”
“Always? Why?”
“Because he’s—”
“The Guardian?” she finished mockingly for him as he stopped.
“I don’t know what you mean.” He added, “I was going to say competent. Cameron is … competent.”
“No one can argue with that.” She said, “And I’m sorry that my son … well, I’m not sorry you got what you deserved, but I’m sorry that Luke was the one who did it.” She didn’t wait for him to answer but hurried and caught up with Erin. “He hasn’t heard from Cameron. I thought I’d check.” She smiled ironically. “Though he informs me that Cameron is competent. Isn’t that a shocker? I’m losing faith in Cameron’s personnel choices. He almost slipped and called him the Guardian.” She glanced at Erin. “You don’t seem surprised that I know that term. I found out a little from Cameron and Hu Chang but damn little. It would help if you’d open up and tell me more.”
“I’m not surprised,” she said quietly. “I knew you’d dig until you found out all you could. You’ll never stop. But I told you that it will have to come from Cameron.”
“I have to know. It’s the only way I can protect you,” she said. “We both know that we’re not free yet. We won’t be free until Kadmus is dead, and I’ll bet he’s already started searching again.” She added in frustration, “And he knows more about all this than I do, dammit.”
“Look, I’ll hide out. I’ll let you and your CIA people guard me. I’ll cooperate fully. I appreciate what you’re doing, and I don’t want to be a burden.”
“Then tell me why Kadmus—” She broke off. She’d gone down that path before and gotten nowhere. New path. “That lotus pendant you wear that Kadmus seemed to be so fascinated with. Where did you get it? Did Cameron give it to you?”
Erin’s hand flew to her necklace. “Sort of.” She quickly shook her head. “Leave it alone, Catherine. That’s out of bounds, too.”
“I’ll stop questioning you, but I won’t leave it alone.” They had reached the jet, and she stopped at the steps. “I’m not going to endanger anything or anyone you’ve suffered to protect, but I
will
know what this is all about. So far I’ve only been concentrating on getting you free and keeping us alive. But I’ve got breathing room now, and it’s a long flight from here to the U.S. I can think, and I can research. However, it would be easier if I learned it from you.”
Erin shook her head.
“Fine.” She turned to the small, dapper Eurasian, wearing a brown leather flight jacket who was coming down the steps. “Jack Sen? Catherine Ling. Tashdon tells me that you’re the only one who’s been advised of Erin’s destination. Where are we going?”
“San Francisco.” He shook her hand. “Well, actually, an airport east of the city, but we’ll have transport for you. Everything will go smooth as clockwork.” He had a faint British accent and pleasant manner. “Cameron will have nothing to worry about.”
“Thank you. It seems we’re all primarily concerned that Cameron suffer as little distress as possible.” She started up the steps. “Come on, Erin. Mr. Sen, since we’re on a five-minute deadline set by Cameron, perhaps we’d better take off.”
* * *
“He got away?” Kadmus asked incredulously. “How could that be? He was alone. He’s only one man.”
“He just slipped away,” Brasden said. “He must have been helped by the villagers.”
“You said that the villagers had all abandoned their towns and gone upland.”
“What do you want me to tell you?” Brasden asked. “We’re still looking. I’m not giving up, but I think we’d better start using those photos.” He pulled out his phone and dialed up the photos. “This last one is fairly decent. Anyone who saw it would recognize him. He has a memorable face.”
Kadmus glanced at the photo. “Yes, he does.” He thought about it. “Start asking questions. I want a name to go with that face.” The bastard looked like he was enjoying himself, he thought sourly. That would end when he got his hands on him. “And a location to go with that name.”
“It may take a while to find any villagers who will talk about him. We haven’t been able to find any—”
“Then leave here and go somewhere that you can find someone who will answer questions.”
“Where?”
“Fly over to Yorshoi region. That’s where Erin Sullivan was working after the earthquake. I’d bet that’s where she made contact with him. There’s a chance he’s well-known there.”
“Right away. What about the registration on the helicopter?”
“I’ve checked it. The registration number is bogus. But send someone to Hong Kong with a description of the helicopter and see if they can get a lead. I want to get my hands on that pilot.”
Brasden nodded. “Though it may be too late for a strike at him. Erin Sullivan is probably well on her way home to the States.”
“And will feel all the safer for it.” She wouldn’t be safe. Things weren’t as bad as he’d thought. He might have temporarily lost Erin, but he had a lead on the man who had taken her from him.
He looked down at the photo and the face that was glowing with excitement and recklessness and scorn.
You made a mistake. And you made it for Erin Sullivan.
Or did you make that mistake to protect Catherine Ling? It was a novel idea that had occurred to him and one that was probably without any basis. But it would be interesting if Ling could be used as a weapon against him.
Yes, things weren’t nearly as bad as he’d thought …
* * *
“This food is exceptional,” Hu Chang said as he took Catherine’s tray and gave it to Luke to take back to the well-equipped galley in the rear of the jet. “I spoke to Jack Sen, and he said that Cameron had it catered from the Princess Hotel in Hong Kong.” He smiled at Catherine. “You remember the Princess? You had your first meeting with Venable there.”
“And you were the one who arranged it for me.”
“I wanted you safer than you were selling information on the streets. Though that was no doubt a case of six of one, half a dozen of another.” He added, “And Cameron also arranged for a complete wardrobe for all of us to be brought to the plane this morning. Besides that case with the laptop and satellite phone you grabbed as soon as you set eyes on it. He appears to be wanting to meet our every need and wish.” He tilted his head. “Or perhaps he wants you comfortable so that you won’t strike out at him.”
“I haven’t struck out at him.”
“No, and you were ready to jump out of the copter to save him. But he didn’t know then that you’d do that when he provided all of these comforts.” He added, “Oh, that’s right, evidently he did. He reads you very well. And you hate to be predictable. Is that why you were so angry with Tashdon?”
“I was angry that he’d been stupid enough to do what Cameron told him. And that Cameron had chosen someone who didn’t know what he was doing and gave me a headache.” She glanced at Luke, who had come out of the galley with some kind of electronic game and dropped down in a seat to play it. “And that it triggered something in Luke that I didn’t want to see.”
“He’s your son, and I saw nothing that I would not approve and embrace.” He corrected, “Except a lack of control, and we’ve already discussed that.”
“But you’re no more judge than I. We’re both flawed.”
“I do not like that word. I prefer to call it multiexperienced.”
“Call it what you like. We’re not normal, and I want a normal life for Luke.” She held up her hand. “I know, he made it clear that he couldn’t be what I wanted him to be. I just want him not to enjoy killing someone because he thought I was hurt.”
“You
were
hurt,” Hu Chang said. “And I have no quarrel with his receiving pleasure from punishing the person who did it. I would do the same. And so would you if that act were aimed at Luke or me.”
“You see? The case rests. Flawed.”
He smiled and shook his head. “Multiexperienced.”
She chuckled reluctantly. “Whatever. But it will be better if I get Luke away from this situation as soon as possible. Agreed?”
“Better for your peace of mind. Not necessarily better for your relationship with Luke. You would see that for yourself if you were not so torn by what other people think is correct.” He waved his hand. “But I will agree that your heart will be soothed if you’re not confronted by other situations like the one with Tashdon. So what is your solution?”
“Find out what is going on with Cameron, Erin, and that ugliness with Kadmus.”
“I suspected that would be your answer.”
“Of course you did,” she said curtly. “But it didn’t lead you to point me in the right direction.”
“I told you facts and reasonable surmises. I only held back a few wild guesses.”
“Which can sometimes be the most valuable of all. Go ahead, hold them back. I’ll work around them.”
He gave her a pleased smile. “Indeed? I will enjoy watching you.”
“Bastard.” She settled down in her seat. “Go away. I’m going to take a two-hour nap and clear my mind before I get to work on the computer.”
* * *
Cameron?
She woke two hours later with the thought of him in her mind like a persistent pop song.
No answer.
Of course not. And there was nothing to worry about. It was just Cameron doing his own thing and ignoring everyone else.
And it was time for her to do her own thing.
She straightened in her seat and reached for her bottle of water. She took a drink and then set it aside and took the computer out of the case and flipped it open.
First, verify what Hu Chang had told her about Cameron’s identity being erased. She accessed Langley’s database.
Thirty minutes later, she exited the Interpol database. She had also scanned NSA, FBI, and Scotland Yard. It was probably a waste of time to go any further when she was getting the same answer. She sat back and let the information sink home. The sheer power that it would take to make a man invisible on so many fronts was astonishing. They must have believed that Cameron was totally unique to even make the effort.
And who were “they”?
The committee, whoever they were.
Skip that one. She didn’t have enough information to even make guesses.
What she did know was that Erin had made contact with Cameron sometime after she had come to Tibet. He had “sort of” given her that lotus necklace, and it had attracted the attention of Kadmus. When had Cameron given her the necklace? She apparently always wore it.…
She started to access stories about Erin in the computer. There were a couple photos of her before the earthquake. No sign of the necklace. The day she had received the Pulitzer she’d worn a simple, round-necked dress. No necklace. The next story was a feature about Erin working with the orphans of Yorshoi.
Around her neck was the lotus necklace.
What date?
Six months after she had been given the Pulitzer.
So it was only a fairly recent gift from Cameron.
And during that time Erin had just been doing her job, nothing that was unusual. No contact with Kadmus or his men. She had just been writing stories about the Tibetan people and their problems.
But Beijing didn’t like stories written about those problems. It was very bad public relations.
But Venable hadn’t thought there was any direct link with Beijing to Erin’s kidnapping.
Forget Beijing. Back to the necklace.
She closed her eyes and mentally went over the details of the necklace.
Time to Google it and see if anything it brought up struck a spark.
She typed: Eight-sided lotus.
Good Lord.
The search results appeared to stretch into infinity. Everything from water plants to mythology and ancient history.
This was not going to be easy.
She sighed and clicked on the first link.
How to grow the eight-sided lotus.
* * *
“The transfer was made?” Cameron asked. “You saw the plane take off, Tashdon?”
“Yes, as you instructed. Everything went well.” He paused. “Well, almost. I only meant to stun Catherine Ling and get her away from the door. But she was unconscious for a few minutes.” He added hurriedly, “But she was fine when she woke.”
“Not good. That’s not what I wanted.”
“I know. She was angry, but there was a distraction, and I think that may have made her less upset with me … and you.”
“What distraction? Never mind.” He was too impatient to wait for an answer that would be defensive. He quickly scanned Tashdon’s memory. “The boy?” He started to laugh. “I’d be angry with you, but you appear to have had a hard enough time.”
“He was a kid. I wasn’t expecting—”
“That’s when you have to be most on guard. When you don’t think you have to be. You did well enough, considering the circumstances. I wouldn’t say the same if you’d really hurt her.” He changed the subject. “Leave the helicopter at the heliport and get out of Hong Kong. Lose yourself until I tell you it’s safe.”
“Yes, sir. I’m on my way.”
Cameron was still smiling as he closed the connection.
The boy …
It was no more than he had anticipated after he had read Luke. He was unusual and on his way to being extraordinary. In the years to come Catherine would have to deal with a boy in her own image. It would be interesting to watch.
She
was interesting to watch. Not only that body, which was a constant temptation, but the way she moved, the quickness of her mind.
Even now, she was probably trying to solve the puzzle, go forward instead of sitting still on that long flight to San Francisco.
And she would eventually solve the puzzle. What would he do then? He knew what the committee would say. She wasn’t one of the accepted. She hadn’t been sanctioned. She was therefore unsafe. There was only one thing to do with anyone in that category.
Kill Catherine Ling?
No!
He violently rejected the thought immediately. There were other alternatives and he would find them. He did not have to—
His phone rang and he smiled as he looked at the ID. Hal Beecham was the only committee member who had never been comfortable enough with mental telepathy to give up his beloved electronic communication. It didn’t really bother Cameron. He liked Beecham, and that fault made him all the more human. “Erin Sullivan is on her way to San Francisco,” he said when he picked up the call. “The problem is partially solved.”