Silencing Eve (40 page)

Trevor flinched back as the bullets tore into his body.

Jane screamed.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.

She jumped to her feet.

She had to get to Trevor.

Not fast enough.

Not fast enough.

He was falling …

The muzzle of Harriet’s gun swung toward Jane.

“No!” Trevor was stumbling toward Jane. “Get down. Let me do—”

Then, suddenly, Caleb was there on the scene, moving lightning fast. His knife sliced across the throat of Harriet’s henchman, Craig, who was scrambling for his gun. An instant later, he was knocking Jane to the ground and covering her body with his own.

“Good … That’s good … Caleb…” Trevor’s knees buckled, and he fell, his gun firing at Harriet.

Blood blossomed on Harriet’s shoulder. Then she was gone, running toward the road.

Jane didn’t even look at her as she struggled to get from beneath Caleb’s weight.

Trevor …

Agony tore through her.

Three shots. Three bullets.

She ran to him and fell to her knees.

Blood. Dear God, so much blood. Stomach. Chest.

So much blood.

“She’s gone?” Trevor was looking up at her. He whispered, “You’re safe?”

“She’s gone.” He was
alive.
She had to keep him alive. “I’ll call 911 and get someone out here. Don’t talk. I have to stop the blood, Trevor.” She was so scared. The tears were running down her cheeks. “You hold on, okay? I have to find a way to stop the blood.”

“I’ll … hold on.” He smiled at her. “It’s not yet, Jane.”

Not yet. Those two words scared her more than she had been before. “Not ever, Trevor.”

“Ever … After,” he said. “You shouldn’t be afraid.”

Today. Tomorrow. Ever After.

“Of course, I’m afraid.” She started to unbutton his shirt. “I will be until I get you well. Be still. I don’t want to hurt you.” She pushed aside his shirt. “I
hate
that she did this. I want to—” She gasped as she saw his chest and abdomen. Three wounds and so much blood she couldn’t see where one ended and the next began.

“Do you want me to try to help?” Caleb asked quietly. She hadn’t known he’d come to kneel beside her. “I don’t know how much of the blood flow I can stop, but I can try to direct it somewhere in his body.”

“Yes, help him. Do something.” She grabbed her phone and called 911 while she watched Caleb place his hands carefully on the wounds.

Was the flow slowing? Make it slow, she prayed. Caleb knew so much about blood. He had said he was no healer, but just this once let him be able to heal Trevor.

She waited, holding her breath.

And her prayers seemed to be answered. “See, it does seem to be slowing,” Jane said, relieved. “Thank you, Caleb.”

“Don’t thank me,” he said harshly. “I couldn’t stop—” He took his hands away from Trevor. “Don’t thank me.”

She looked at him in bewilderment.

“Then I’ll thank you, Caleb,” Trevor whispered. “You gave me a little time, didn’t you? Precious gift…” His gaze was on Jane’s face. “Listen … I have to go away now. I don’t know much about this, but I don’t think it’s forever. But you have … to go on as if it is forever.”

“Trevor?” She couldn’t understand what he was saying. She wouldn’t understand. Because if she did, it was the end of everything.

“Caleb stopped everything but the internal bleeding.” His voice was unsteady. “He couldn’t … stop that. She … did too much damage.”

“No.” She shook her head. The panic was rising. The darkness was moving closer. “Stop talking like that. You’re not going to die.”

“I don’t know what death … is, but I’m mad as hell I’m not going to be able to be with you and Joe and Eve at the barbecue on the lake. Maybe the … second time around.” His voice seemed to be failing. “And I won’t be there to take care of you and make sure that you’re happy and safe and that everything—” He stopped. “That worries me.”

This couldn’t be happening, Jane thought dazedly. Where the hell was that ambulance? Surely someone could save him. He was so good, so special, someone had to save him. “I can take care of myself,” she said brokenly. “But I want you here. You have to stay with me. Do you hear me?”

“Shh, love. You’ll get through it. You’re so strong.” He reached up and touched her cheek. “My own love.” His glance went past her to Caleb. “You know … what’s necessary…”

Caleb stiffened. “No,” he said emphatically. “I won’t do it. You can’t do this to me. I won’t be used.”

Trevor smiled. “Yes, you know…” He turned back to Jane. “Now just hold my hand and tell … me you love me. Okay? I think that’s all we have … time for.”

“I do love you.” She kissed him, the tears running down her cheeks. “And I’ll love you forever. You gave me … so much. I just wish you’d stay so that I could start giving back. Please. Please do that.”

“Not this … time. I want to give you … anything you want. I can’t … do it, love…” His eyes were closing. “Maybe … Ever After…”

CHAPTER

18

“THE MEDICAL EXAMINER IS HERE,
Jane,” Caleb said gently. “There are things to do. You have to let them take him.”

She looked up at him dully. She’d been aware of the flashing lights and the techs, but it was as if they had been on another planet.

She didn’t want to let go of Trevor’s hand even though she knew he was no longer in that body. It would be the final parting, and she didn’t think she could bear it.

“Jane,” Caleb said. “Dammit, what can I do? I’ll do anything you want me to do. Tell me.”

He was angry. No, that wasn’t it. His eyes were glittering with moisture. Strange …

“Jane.”

They were all waiting, she realized. Waiting for her. She had to do what the world judged right and normal.

She had to let him go.

She closed her eyes. It’s not really good-bye, Trevor. You said I was strong, and I’m not right now. But I have to be strong for you. They’re right. It’s not finished, not for you, not for me. She opened her eyes. She tried to steady her voice. “I heard you, Caleb.” She put her lips for the briefest moment on Trevor’s hand, then slowly, slowly released him. Stop the tears. They would only get in the way. “I’ll see you later … Trevor.”

Later, my love.

She got to her feet and turned away. She couldn’t stand to see them take him away from her. “It’s okay, Caleb.” It was a lie. Nothing would ever be okay again. “Tell them to do their job.”

She stood there, vaguely aware of Caleb’s voice, the voices and movement of the ME ambulance techs, and the slamming of the ambulance doors.

“Jane.” Margaret was standing beside her. Jane had been vaguely aware of her reaching out in silent sympathy from the moment she had run down to the beach when she had heard the shots. But she had been careful not to intrude on Jane’s grief until now. “I’m not going to talk about Trevor right now. You’re not ready. But there are things I have to tell you. I think Venable knows what happened here. You said he’d be monitoring what we were doing and would step in if he thought he should.” She made a face. “I’d say death and Harriet on the loose would qualify. The police didn’t bother you when they got here, but they started to question me and Caleb. Then the detective got a telephone call, and they suddenly backed off and just started the forensic stuff. I think Venable pulled strings to keep them off us until he could get here.”

“You’re probably right,” she said dully. She had to concentrate on what Margaret was saying. “And that should be pretty soon.”

“Yes.”

“That’s not good.” She forced herself to turn and look at the flashing lights of the ambulance as the driver got back in the vehicle.

“They’ll be gone in a minute,” Caleb said quietly as he came back to her. “Hold on, Jane.”

She
was
holding on. It’s better now, Trevor. I can do it.

“Go with them, Caleb. You, too, Margaret.”

He turned to face her. “We’ll follow them in the car with you.”

She shook her head. “I’m not going with him. Not right now.”

He went still. “Why not?”

“I have something else to do.” Keep your voice even. Don’t break down. Every minute that passed, she was getting stronger. You were right, Trevor. I can get through this. I can do what has to be done. “You said you’d do anything. Well, I’m asking you to go with Trevor, take care of him, and do all those things that have to be done. I can’t stand the thought of his being alone.”

“He’s dead, Jane. I know you can’t think straight, but try, try.” Caleb cursed beneath his breath as he saw her expression. “I know what you think you have to do. You want that bitch dead? You go with Trevor and let me do it.”

She shook her head.

“My God, look at you, you’re a basket case. Trevor wouldn’t want you to do this. You know that, Jane.”

“He would want me to be strong. She killed him, Caleb.”

“Let me do it.”

“I can’t do that. Evil. She’s so evil. She killed him to get to me. She didn’t care that he was good and fine and everything that her monster of a son could never be. She just … destroyed him because he was in her way.” She gazed at the ambulance. “She’s never going to kill again. I’m going to send her to hell to join her son.”

“I’m not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?” His eyes were burning in his taut face. “I’m tempted just to knock you out until you’re thinking clearer.”

“Everything is very cIear to me, Caleb. It couldn’t be more clear.”

“Look, if I get close to Harriet I can—”

“You said you’d do whatever I wanted you to do.”

He stared at her in helpless fury. “Shit.” Then he turned on his heel and strode toward the ambulance. “I’ll take care of your dead lover. And then maybe I’ll have to come back and bring your body back to the same morgue.” He jumped into the passenger seat and motioned to the driver. “At least make a token effort to keep me from having to do that.”

“He’s right, Jane,” Margaret said gently. “But it doesn’t matter if he’s right or wrong. You won’t let me stay with you?”

She shook her head.

“I’m not going to force it. I want to do it, but I’d probably feel the same way if it was someone I loved.” She gave her a quick hug. “Take care,” she whispered. “And move very fast. Venable should be roaring up anytime now.” She turned and moved toward the ambulance.

Jane watched the taillights of the ambulance until the vehicle disappeared around the curve in the road.

“I have to do it, Trevor,” she whispered. “You’d understand. You always understood.” But Caleb was right, Trevor wouldn’t like it. He always wanted to keep her safe.

But her safety didn’t matter any longer. Nothing mattered but Harriet’s death. By Caleb’s last words, she knew he had known that, and it had added to his frustration.

Move.

If Margaret was right, Venable might be here and get in her way.

Harriet had at least an hour head start, but she would not be hiding. She would be going to Driftwood Cottage to accomplish her final act of revenge for Kevin’s death. She had a destination.

And so did Jane.

As soon as she reached her car, she pulled out her phone and called Catherine.

“I’ve been trying to reach you,” Catherine said. “We were worried. You hung up, then there was no answer when I called back later.”

“Some things were happening. The last thing that I heard you say was that you thought you’d found that Driftwood Cottage. Did you find it?”

“Yes, we’re on our way there now. We’re about thirty minutes away at a powerboat-rental facility at a town near there. Joe Googled it, and the cottage is on the beach, surrounded by hills, but he says that there’s too much danger of being spotted as you approach the cottage. It’s better that we come in from the sea.”

“The sea?”

“That’s what he says. I trust him to know what he’s doing.”

“Then you’d better hurry. Harriet is on her way, too. And she’s not going to care if Doane spots her coming toward the cottage.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. But she’s wounded. She’s bleeding. I don’t think it’s serious, but it could delay her if she has to stop the bleeding. I can only hope it does.”

“Wounded?” Catherine was silent. “Jane, what the hell happened?”

If she told her, it would break the fragile balance. “I’ll tell you later. Look, maybe I’m closer to the cottage than you. Give me the location.” She typed in the location on the GPS. “I am closer. I’ll get on the road right away.”

“Wait for us. Don’t do anything on your own.”

“I won’t be on my own.”

Catherine was silent. “Jane, is everything all right with you? You sound…”

“Nothing is wrong.” Except that her world had ended. Except that Trevor was in the back of that ambulance and would never come back to her. “I’ll call you when I reach Driftwood Cottage.” She hung up and buried her head on the steering wheel.

Take just one minute.

Get control again.

One more call. She sat up and dialed Venable.

“You blew it, Jane,” Venable said harshly as he picked up the call. “Stay where you are. I’m coming after you.”

“I know you are. I don’t care. Shut up a minute. I have to tell you something. Harriet has the detonator. I wasn’t sure before, but I saw her with it. She has it, and she’ll use it.” She paused to steady her voice. “So do whatever you can to locate those devices and defuse them.”

Silence. “We’ve already located them. They’re in the clock towers as you said. Our flyovers picked up the plutonium signatures. I’ve already got a team headed inside. Very discreetly, as we agreed.” His tone hardened. “But there’s nothing discreet about what happened with you and Harriet Weber tonight.”

“Forget being discreet. It’s too late for that. By the time they get to those nukes, it will be settled one way or the other.”

She hung up the phone as he started to fire questions.

She’d done what she could.

Now all that was left was getting that detonator away from Harriet and trying to save Eve.

Hurry.

Even if Harriet had been delayed by doing first aid on that wound Trevor had inflicted, she was probably close to the cottage now. When she got there, it could be only a matter of minutes until Harriet and Doane decided to make their kills.