“Desperate measures,” Kelly said. “And I told him I’d take the chance of missing you. He said that if I didn’t find you, he’d set me up somewhere else safe to work. I told him it wasn’t a deal unless I could be with you.”
“A deal?” Catherine said.
Kelly met her gaze. “He said you might think he was putting another roadblock in his way, but it isn’t true. He wants you to find Rakovac now, and he doesn’t care how you do it. He said the time was over for being diplomatic.”
“Interesting,” Kelsov said. “Does that mean he’s going to help us nail the bastard?”
“He would if he could.” She smiled tentatively. “That’s why he sent me. He said it was urgent. None of his agents have been able to find Rakovac, and he has to find him soon.”
“Urgent?” Catherine said. “How soon?”
“He’s not sure. A week or ten days. He doesn’t know how much time he has left. That’s why we have to get to Rakovac.”
“And why is he suddenly so urgent?” Joe asked.
She shrugged. “He wouldn’t tell me. He just said that you have to let him know when you find him.” She paused. “I have to let him know. He made me promise.”
“Part of your deal?” Catherine asked. “And what are the other details of this deal?”
“I’m to figure out where he’s hidden your son. If Luke is still alive, at some point Rakovac will be near him.” She moistened her lips. “But you mustn’t kill Rakovac. He should have either a journal or computer file in his possession. Perhaps both. Venable said he probably won’t have it on him. You may have to follow him back to his office or residence. But Venable has to have that file.”
“Why?”
“He wouldn’t tell me. But he said that Rakovac mustn’t die until we get the file.” She paused. “That you wouldn’t want him to die.”
“I can’t think of any circumstance where I wouldn’t want Rakovac to die…after I find Luke.”
“Venable said that you…” She trailed off. “I’ve given you his message. That’s all I can do. He’ll have to convince you to pay attention to it.” She took a sip of her coffee. “All I care about is that I’m here with you.”
“Why did he send her?” Kelsov asked. “I still don’t understand. Does she know something about Rakovac that we don’t?”
“No, she’s a whiz kid who sees patterns where no one else does. Sort of a juvenile Einstein,” Catherine said. “She thinks that she can find Luke…and Rakovac. Evidently, Venable believes that she can, too.”
Kelsov gave a low whistle. “Venable isn’t a gullible man. I’d listen to him. How is she supposed to do this?”
“A good question,” Joe said.
“The Rakovac surveillance file,” Kelly said. “The one you wouldn’t let me read, Catherine.”
“And now I’m supposed to turn it over to you?”
Kelly shook her head. “Venable sent me my own copy.”
Of course he would, Catherine thought in frustration. “And that’s going to send you down the right path?”
“Perhaps. Or maybe I can talk to people who know him and try to see which way he would go in certain circumstances.” She met Catherine’s gaze. “I’m not going to get in your way. I know that’s what you’re afraid of.”
“Dammit, yes, I’m afraid you’ll get in my way.” She knelt by Kelly’s chair and brushed the girl’s fair hair away from her face with rough tenderness. “And I’m more afraid you’ll get in Rakovac’s way. Let me call Venable and get him to pick you up and take you back to the U.S.”
“It’s too late. We made a deal.” Kelly smiled. “And he wouldn’t come and get me. He told me I was on my own. I think he considers me…expendable. Isn’t that the word?”
Catherine’s lips tightened grimly. “That’s the word.”
“He’s very worried about something Rakovac is going to do. I’m not very important in comparison.”
“Well, you’re important to me.” She gave Kelly a quick hug and sat back on her heels. “We’re leaving this morning to try to find the grave you saw in that photo. Can I convince you to call Venable and tell him to come and get you?”
“No.”
“Then will you stay here with Natalie and work on the file? That’s what you promised to do, and you can’t do it trailing after us through a swamp.”
Kelly shook her head.
“Use your head.” Catherine took her shoulders and gently shook her. “This is the only way you’re valuable to me. Now stay and do your job.”
“I don’t know what will happen to you in that swamp.”
“Neither do I. But I have a better chance of surviving if I don’t have to worry about taking care of you. You can see that.”
“Yes.” She was frowning. “But I don’t want to see it.” She looked at Eve. “What’s going to happen in that marsh?”
“We’re going to try to find that grave and dig up the skeleton again,” Eve said.
“Won’t Rakovac have left someone to watch the grave?”
“More than likely. We’ll have to take action to avoid them.”
Kelly’s gaze went to Joe. “I can’t see him avoiding anyone.”
Joe smiled. “You think I’m confrontational?”
“You climbed out a window and went hunting the night I came to your house.”
“I was defending my turf.”
“You looked like you were enjoying yourself.” She glanced back at Eve. “What happens next?”
“After we find the skeleton, I do a quick examination to see if there’s even a possibility that it might be Luke.”
“And if there is?”
She hesitated and glanced at Catherine. “I take the skull.”
Catherine inhaled sharply. She had known that would be the procedure. There was no way they could remove the entire skeleton. But the thought of wrenching the head off any skeleton that might be Luke’s was painful. She steadied her voice. “Of course she does. It’s the only way to handle it. She’ll have to bring the skull back here and do the reconstruction.”
“And I can’t help you do that?” Kelly looked at Eve. “Is she right?”
Eve nodded. “You don’t need me to tell you that.”
“I guess I don’t.” Her glance shifted back to Catherine. “Okay, I’ll stay here and work.” She added fiercely, “But you come back. Don’t let anything happen to you.” She looked at Natalie. “I guess you’re stuck with me. I’ll try not to be any trouble.”
Natalie nodded but turned back to Kelsov. “Is that what you want?”
Kelsov was already moving toward the door. “Take care of her. Answer any questions she asks.” He glanced back over his shoulder at Kelly. “You say you might need to contact people who have known Rakovac for a long time. That’s me, and that’s Natalie. I’m not going to be around and Natalie is going to find it difficult to answer any questions. You’ll just have to make do.” He looked at Catherine. “I’ll put gas in the car. You, Eve, and Quinn get ready to move out in the next forty minutes.”
“I’ll be ready.” Catherine got to her feet. She brushed a light kiss on the top of Kelly’s head. “I think you’ll be safe here. Kelsov assures me that you will be. But if you or Natalie gets spooked for any reason, grab that gun Natalie was brandishing around, take off and call me. Do you understand?”
Kelly nodded. “Yes, can I help you get ready?”
“No, just hang out and keep out of the way until we leave, then take a shower and get a nap. You probably didn’t get any sleep on the way here.”
Kelly smiled. “I was too nervous. I don’t like you to be angry with me, and I knew you would be.”
“But it didn’t stop you.”
Her smile faded. “You need me. And Venable says he needs me. That’s reason enough to bring me here. Maybe I’ll be able to prove to myself that I’m worth something after all.”
“Don’t talk nonsense. You’re worth more than practically anyone I’ve ever run across.” She turned away. “Just
