Deadlock

'We know Zelov is definitely involved in something crooked. And that he did something for this man and was paid off. Did he give him that Book of Living*. Or did he give him the hammer?' She thought of something else. 'Or the amulets. Plural. That meant there had to be more than the one we found in Nemid's wall.'

'It would seem so.' He paused. 'But the man who paid Zelov off promised to protect him, and that may mean he'll try to rid him of us.

So I believe that we should get out of here and head for Moscow as soon as possible.'

She shook her head. 'Not until I get a transcript of Mikhail Zelov's letters and journals, the ones that were used at that trial.'

He nodded. 'I was going to send Dardon to Hartford to get copies as soon as the records office opened, but I have a lot for him to do. We'll go ourselves. I want to be there before Zelov gets sober enough to request that the documents be kept confidential. Though they can't be that revealing if they've been public for years.'

'There could be something that will give us a lead. We've got to try.'

'Easy, 'Garrett said. 'We are trying. I'm just saying that I don't want you to build up your hopes, then be disappointed.'

'I don't care if I'm disappointed. I'll just go down another road.' She stood up. 'I'm going to my room. I'll see you in the morning. What time?'

'Six. I'll order room service for the three of us and we'll get moving.' He swung his legs to the floor. 'I'll walk you to your room.' 'That's not necessary.'

'Yes, it is. And it's necessary for you to keep your door locked and not open it to anyone but me.' He opened the hall door for her and followed her out into the corridor.

'You think that man Zelov called will send Staunton after us.'

'Perhaps. It's an open game. We're not even sure Staunton is con¬nected to Nicholas Zelov yet.'

'They're connected. I feel it.' She stopped at her door. 'And maybe we should stay here and let Staunton come to us.'

'Not when we're ready to widen the circle.'

'We can widen the circle later. I want Staunton now.'

'What a bloodthirsty woman you are, Emily.' He smiled down at her. He reached out and touched her lower lip with a forefinger. 'And you look so wholesome and ail-American.'

Her lip was suddenly tingling beneath his finger. An instant before, she had been only thinking of Staunton and how to trap him. Yet the moment he had touched her she had become acutely, physically aware of everything about Garrett. The spicy, male scent of him, the warmth of his body, his eyes looking down at her. How did he do that to her? She moved her head to avoid his touch. 'I don't feel wholesome. And I do want Staunton's blood.'

'You'll get it.' His hand dropped away from her. 'We'll get them all.' He turned away. 'But don't answer your door no matter whether you want it to be Staunton or not. Not without me beside you, and right now you're obviously not ready to let me occupy that position all night. We don't know how soon or in what manner that promise is go¬ing to be kept to Zelov.'

STAUNTON CURSED AS HE SAW the name on his phone ID. Dammit, it was Babin. He didn't need this. He was pissed off enough that Borg had told him that Garrett had probably managed to get his hands on the amulet in Nemid's study. Borg had bribed one of the Afghani officials who had been crawling all over the library to describe the condition of the crime scene, and that hole in the drywall had not been Borg's work. Staunton didn't want to have to admit that to Babin before he got it back. The bastard hadn't wanted him to use the amulet to strike the deal with Nemid.

Staunton started talking the moment he picked up. 'I was just go¬ing to call you. We plugged the leak in Kabul, but Garrett managed to get his hands on the amulet. Not that it will do him any good. No one can tell anything from it, and we'll take care of Garrett before he makes a connection.'

'He's already made a connection,' Babin said coldly. 'I just re¬ceived a call from Nicholas Zelov squealing like a pig. Emily Hudson paid him a visit tonight. And if she was there, then Garrett must have been there, too.'

Oh, shit.

'I didn't think Garrett would track him down quite so soon. As I said, I got rid of Nemid. He was the immediate threat.'

'I didn't tell you to kill Nemid. I could have handled it. And I told you that you shouldn't use one of the amulets with him.'

'I had to offer him a bargain he couldn't refuse. We needed him. It's my job to keep you from worrying about details. And we'll do damage control.' He changed the subject. 'Did Zelov tell her any¬thing?'

'He said he didn't, but the idiot called me immediately after she left him. The drunken fool didn't even realize the risk.' 'I told you that you should get rid of him.' 'I couldn't, dammit.'

'I'll jump on the next plane for New York. Do you know where they are?'

'No. Figure it out for yourself. Prove your worth. But you'll arrange for someone else to find and dispose of Garrett and retrieve Emily Hud¬son in the safest and least public of ways. It's clear you haven't been able to keep a low profile. You know of such a person?'

'Yes, but I'd rather do it myself.'

'I don't care what you'd rather do. You'll come here in case I need you.' He hung up,

Cold, arrogant bastard, Staunton thought, as he hung up. He was tempted to ignore Babin and go to New York himself. He didn't want anything to happen to Emily before he could get his hands on her. He'd waited too long.

But Babin was a force he had to reckon with. Staunton wasn't quite ready to make a move yet. Everything and everyone had to be in place. This was his big chance, the bonanza he'd searched for all his life. He had to be calm and patient. It would be better to do as Babin ordered, find someone else to do the job, and trust that his orders would be obeyed. He had to have Emily Hudson.

But if he couldn't do what he wanted to do at the moment, then he would find another way to sting Emily. She had to realize that he was still in control.

He reached for his phone and dialed Borg. 'Are you still in Kabul?'

'Yes. I thought I'd call you and ask-'

'Get a plane to Morocco. Isn't that where you said we followed Irana Povak?'

'Yes, Tangiers. She's working with some doctor there.' He paused. 'But I don't know if I can get to her. Dardon has her surrounded with security.'

'We'll get to her. One of those security men will make a slip, and we'll find a way to take her. Find someone to bribe. Find someone to kill. Until then we just have to be patient. Watch and wait, Borg. Watch and wait.' He hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. Good advice, but he wasn't feeling in the least patient. He didn't want Irana Povak. He wanted Emily, dammit. But Emily could be reached by anyone she cared about, and she cared about Irana Povak.

You want another experience like the one with Joel Levy, Emily? Let's see if I can oblige you.

But now he had to throw a bone to Babin and do as the arrogant bastard commanded. He had to find someone else to do the job of go¬ing after Emily in Connecticut that he wanted to do himself. Who was efficient that he could control?

Sal Caprini. Sal was smart and lethal and would know that Staunton would come after him if he didn't do exactly as instructed. But there was the problem of finding Garrett and Emily. He frowned as he concentrated on the problem. Emily and Garrett had found Zelov and were digging deep. What would Garrett's next move be? In his position, what would he do?

Then it came to him.

He started to dial Sal Caprini in New Jersey.

DARDON KNOCKED ON THE DOOR at six forty-five the next morn¬ing, and when Garrett answered, Dardon said, 'Got him. He was down in Miami doing a job for IBM.'

'Hello, Pauley,' Garrett said to the man standing beside Dardon. 'Thanks for coming.'

'Dardon said it was going to be profitable,' Pauley said. 'I've de¬cided I have to retire like you. Keeping up with all this new technol¬ogy is making an old man of me.'

'Emily, this is Mark Pauley. Emily Hudson.' Dardon gestured to the man who entered the room with him. 'He's going to break into a phone-company database that everyone says is unbreakable and get us the information we need. Or so he says.' He headed for the room ser¬vice table where Emily was sitting. 'Breakfast. I'm starved. At