hoping... but I knew. Tell me what they did to him. Tell me how you found out.” It was odd hearing Markoff called by his first name. “I don’t know
if that’s a good—” “What happened?” she demanded. As much as he wanted to keep the facts from her, he knew he
couldn’t. “I got a call about a week ago,” he said, then told her what he knew. When he finished, more than her lip was trembling. He took a few steps forward, ready in case she collapsed. But she remained standing.
“At least you were the one who buried him,” she said. She looked Quinn in the eyes. “When this is over, I want you to show me where he is.”
Quinn hesitated, then nodded, knowing that was one promise he
didn’t want to keep. “Jenny, I—” “But what are you doing
here. What did you mean?” “Markoff left a message. It led us to the island.” “What do you mean? Where on the island?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said.
“What if it does?” she said. “Where on the island? Do you have an address?”
The last thing he wanted was for her to go off on her own and try to find out what was in the apartments at the Quayside Villas. “The signal was gone by the time we got here,” he lied. “So we have no idea where exactly he was pointing us.”
She sighed and put a hand to her forehead. “It could have been the help I needed. It could have proved everything.”
“Proved what?” he asked.
She didn’t answer.
“Jenny,” he said. “I know you feel like you need to finish what you set out to do. And that you won’t be safe until then. But maybe I can help you.”
“This isn’t about me,” she said, her brow furrowed. “I don’t care about me. Especially now.”
“It’s the congressman, isn’t it?”
“You know?”
“Not everything,” he said. “But enough to—”
“Tell me, is he here yet?”
“What?”
“Is he here?” she asked, her voice suddenly anxious. “Did he come?”
“He was supposed to arrive tonight,” Quinn told her. “He should be here now.”
“Do you know where?”
Again it was a question Quinn didn’t want to answer. “Does he have something to do with an organization called LP?”
Her head snapped up. “What?”
“LP. That was part of the message Markoff left. But I’m not sure what it means. Only that it’s a group or organization, and that it scares the hell out of a lot of people.”
“I...I don’t know... what that is.” She looked around nervously as if she was seeing the small clearing for the first time. “I have to go. I have to find him. I have to warn him.”
Quinn reached out and grabbed her arm as she was turning away.
“Hold on,” he said. “What do you mean ‘warn him’? What’s going on?” “You’ll die just like Steven did. I can’t be responsible for that.” She tried to pull herself free, but Quinn wouldn’t let her go. “I don’t care what you think,” he said. “I’m not leaving. I’ll find
out what’s going on with or without your help.” He almost asked her about LP again. She knew something, but like Blackmoore and Peter, the letters had scared her. That wasn’t what he wanted to do. Not to Jenny. “I’ll do everything I can to keep you from getting hurt.”
“Please, Quinn. Don’t.” “Let me help you.” The look on her face was pained and pleading. But he continued
to look at her, unwavering. After a moment, she looked down and she pulled a small rectangular box out of her pants pocket.
She held the item up. Even in the low light, Quinn could see it was a micro audiocassette, something that was used less and less in a world of digital recorders.
“I need you to hold on to this,” she said. “You can help me that
way.” “What is it?” he asked. She handed it to him. “The only thing keeping me alive,” she said. She pulled away again, and this time he let his fingers fall from her
arm. “I’ll contact you,” she said. He knew he couldn’t stop her, so he said, “I’m not going any
where.” She gave him a half smile, then disappeared into the brush.
CHAPTER
