that Staunton was trying to blame him for everything that had gone wrong. After all, it was Staunton who had failed to get the information from the woman, then let her be rescued.
Is Staunton trying to avoid a possible dismissal by trying to frame me?
For the first time, Babin felt a jolt of fear. His instincts were usu¬ally sound, and they were screaming that Staunton was about to knife him in the back. Mistakes and failure that could not be corrected would not be tolerated. Not in Staunton. Not in Babin.
Staunton would have to be eliminated. He had found Staunton, and he would find another killer to rid him of the son of a bitch.
He was driving up to his impressive front gates and could see the towers of the castle through the trees. He felt the familiar flush of pleasure the sight always brought him. No grand dukes, no Tsars, no Tsarina. This world belonged to Babin now. He had worked for it. He had lied and cheated and trampled over anyone who got in his way.
Just as he would trample over Garrett and that bitch.
Just as he would trample over Staunton.
THERE HAD BEEN NO SOUND from Emily's room for hours, and it was close to midnight. Is she asleep or just avoiding me? Garrett won¬dered. It could be either. She had been upset when she had left him, and their coming together last night might represent an emotional over¬load to her.
He would have to deal with that possibility later. Tonight he was just as glad that he didn't have to find a way to avoid her. That would have been extremely delicate.
He listened. Definitely no sound. I hope you sleep well, Emily. Time to make the move.
He glided across the room and opened the front door. The car was parked down the driveway, and Pauley was leaning against it.
He straightened as Garrett came toward him. 'What the hell is happening? Dardon just told me to meet you out here.'
'We're going hunting. Get in the car. You drive.'
'Hunting?' he repeated warily. 'I'm not really the outdoor type. I thought you might have noticed.'
'I don't think it will require outdoor activity.' He got into the pas¬senger seat. 'But then again, it might.'
'Look, you're not going to drop me somewhere by the wayside, are you?' He started the car. 'I know you've been pissed at me, but just tell me, and I'll go.'
'How could I drop you? You're the one driving.'
'Well, it makes more sense than taking me hunting. I can't help it, you know. I'm irresistible to women. It's nothing I do.'
'Pauley, shut up.'
He was silent for a moment. 'Where are we going?' 'We're going to pay a visit to Babin.'
'Oh.' Pauley thought about it. 'Violence and mayhem? I'm not good at that either. Wouldn't you prefer to have Dardon?' 'With my whole being.'
Pauley sighed with relief. 'Then I'll turn around and go back.' 'I need someone I can trust to watch over Emily. That's more im¬portant than having him back me up. Dardon has his orders.' 'And what am I supposed to do?'
'Nothing that will get me in trouble. You may act as lookout or just as driver. I'll do the rest.'
'Good,' Pauley said. 'That sounds relatively bloodless. Babin lives in a fancy estate. How do we get in?'
'We leave the car at the gate and climb the fence.' He added straight-faced, 'Hopefully, it's not electrified.'
'Hopefully,' Pauley said. 'Look, I know that you probably know everything you could know about that estate. After all, it's a historical palace. I'd appreciate it if you'd get off my back. I'll do what you want me to do. I may not be good at it, but I won't say no.'
Garrett studied him, then slowly nodded. 'That's all I ask.' He shrugged. 'Dardon gave me a map of the place he got off the Internet, complete with security system. There's an alarm at the gate, but the fence isn't alarmed in any way. No electricity. The rest of the house has alarms, but it's a system that's twenty years old. It was installed by the former owner. I can get around it.'
'I'm sure you can. You're sure you don't want to go back for Dar¬don?'
'I'm sure. I think you need a new challenge. It's good to stretch yourself occasionally.' His smile was crooked. 'You told me it was no effort at all being irresistible.'
'STAY HERE, PAULEY.' GARRETT checked his infrared detector. 'Three people in the downstairs service quarters. One occupied bed¬room on the second floor. Two guards at two o'clock. They're not moving. Just stay here in the shadows and come and warn me if there's anything that-' 'Come where?'
Garrett did a pass with the detector to make certain. 'Bedroom. Second floor. I'll disable the side-door alarm and motion monitor.' He moved toward the huge door at the side of the palace. 'Don't move.'
'Not a muscle.' He tilted his head. 'Do you know, I'm beginning to get a kind of zing from this. I'll be watching like a hawk. Trust me.'
He wished he could trust Pauley, Garrett thought as he worked on disabling the security alarm. His response had surprised Garrett once he'd realized that he was going to have to go along with him. He might be able to trust his mind-set and willingness to help, but Pauley didn't have Dardon's experience. Well, he would have to do. Garrett needed to move forward quickly. Not only because Emily was on the edge and might go out on her own if he didn't show progress, but now that they'd exposed themselves to Babin, he might rush to cover his tracks before Garrett could convince him otherwise.
He made the final adjustment and swung the heavy door open.
No alarm.
It was strange that Babin hadn't updated the security. But maybe he had been so wrapped up in the past glories of the place that he'd assumed that everything was top-notch. Or maybe Garrett would get an unpleasant shock when he tried to get into the master bedroom.
He opened the door a tiny crack. He didn't get a surprise.
Okay. Move fast before Babin woke and could get his hands on a weapon.
He threw open the door and darted across the room toward the bed.
Babin wasn't there.
He'd rolled off the bed as the door opened and was clawing fran¬tically at the drawer of the nightstand.
Garrett encircled his neck with his arm and jerked him backward. The next moment Babin was on his back, Garrett on top of him, his knife pressed against Babin's throat. 'I thought it over, and I decided that we needed to talk a little longer.' He reached up and turned on the lamp on the nightstand. He wanted to see expressions. Babin's face was flushed and full of venom. No fear. That wasn't good. He pressed the tip of the knife a tiny bit harder, and a rivulet of blood ran down Babin's throat. That was better. A trace of fear flickered. 'Of course, if you choose not to tell me what you know, I could just kill you. That would be good, too. Emily would like that.'
'That bitch.'
He pressed a little harder. 'I wouldn't talk about Emily in those terms if I were you. It annoys me.'
Babin's dark eyes were blazing with rage. 'You can't do this to me.
This palace is full of guards. Any minute one of them will find out you're here.'
'You have four guards on the ground. Two near the gates. Two on the west side of the palace. My men will take care of them.' Yeah, sure. That was the bluff of the century. 'You have servants, but I doubt if they'd come to your rescue. No, it's just you and me, Babin.' He added softly, 'And soon it will be just me if you don't talk. These are such grand, majestic halls. Do you want your spirit to be haunting them with the Grand Duke Igor's? No, somehow I think you won't be allowed any earthly territory. Straight to hell, Babin.'
His expression changed, hardened. 'I don't know anything. I told you the truth.'
'Emily knows you were at that hut in the mountains. Staunton made a slip.'
Babin's lip curled. 'That son of a bitch. I knew he was out to get me.
'So you do know him. Now we're getting somewhere.' He leaned forward. 'Listen closely, Babin. Emily wants revenge, but I may be able to convince her that she doesn't need your head as well as Staunton's.' He added, 'If you give me something that I can work with.'
'You're not going to kill me,' Babin said. 'That would be stupid. You'd still end up in the dark, knowing nothing.'
