closeness was like a bond link¬ing them.
'Hello, Emily.' Staunton strolled out of the shrubs, cradling the AK-47 in his arm. There was a thick bandage on his right shoulder, but it didn't seem to be hindering him. 'Now stand very still while I search you. You've got to have a weapon.'
'Of course, I do.' She stood still, gritting her teeth as his hands moved over her. He found the gun in her jacket and stepped back. 'How else could I hope to kill you?'
He chuckled. 'But it's not doing you any good now, is it? Now where is Sister Irana? Borg saw her enter the forest with you. I'm not really worried that she may leap out and attack me. She's one of those do-gooders who will always be a victim.'
'When we heard the shot, she went back to see if she could help.'
'There won't be anyone left alive to help. Borg will see to that. All that will be left is for her to pray over their bodies.' His lips curled vi¬ciously. 'Stupid bitch.'
'She's not stupid.' She studied his expression. 'And I don't be¬lieve you think she is. But you're very angry with her. Why would a 'do-gooder' manage to disturb you that much?'
'She didn't disturb me. I told her that I was the one who called the shots. I was the one who made people afraid.
'And did you make Irana afraid?'
'Of course, I did. She just pretended that she wasn't afraid. She had to be afraid. I hurt her, then I hurt her again. I kept hurting her, and all she did was look up at me with those big dark eyes as if she was seeing right through me. Stupid bitch.'
'I think she probably was seeing through you, Staunton.' She paused. 'You might have hurt her, but she beat you.'
'You're crazy.'
'No, she saw you for what you are, and she didn't let what you are really touch her. She beat you.'
'No, if I'd had time I'd have-' He stopped. 'But I will have time if Borg doesn't kill her. I'll have both of you. It was kind of you to bring her with you. Of course, I'm disappointed you didn't bring Garrett. I didn't think you'd pull Garrett into the fray. Though he might come calling anyway. He appears to be quite devoted, by the ex¬treme lengths he's taking to protect you.'
'You killed his friend, Karif.'
'That's true. Karif was very difficult to break. But Garrett was in¬volved with you before I eliminated that Afghan. He's going to be very disappointed that I snatched you away from him. I half expect him to come swooping down to rescue you.' He smiled. 'But you chose not to bring in the big guns. I knew you would. That's why I took the oppor¬tunity when you offered it. It was too good a chance to pass up. I can always get Garrett later. You'll make excellent bait to lure him.'
Bait. Yes, Garrett would come after her. He probably was trying to find her now. The idea sent panic racing through her.
She had to get this over before he found a way to do it.
'THE BLIP STOPPED,' DARDON said. 'Joslyn must have reached his destination.'
'How far?' Garrett asked.
'A few miles to the northwest-3.5 to be exact.' He frowned. 'It could be-'
'What?' Garrett said.
'I'm not certain. But it could be the monastery.'
'WHY HERE, STAUNTON?' EMILY asked, her gaze going to the looming monastery barely visible in the distance through the trees. 'Is it supposed to make me think of those poor victims who were thrown down that shaft? Some kind of mind game?'
'I do like mind games. But actually, I've been here a few times since I came back to Russia.' He gazed up at the mountains. 'It was the site of one of Zelov's biggest defeats. I can see him going down into the waters at the bottom of the mine shaft, searching for that last amulet. Maybe I wanted to prove that I could do better. A sort of encore performance. Yes, I do feel a deep sense of competitiveness with Zelov. In fact, before I take you to a cottage near here to com¬mence our final relationship, we'll go to the museum where Zelov discovered that the Tsar had hidden his hammer. Another defeat for him. I want you to be there and see that place, too. I think you should know what a failure he was in comparison to me. Wouldn't that be amusing?'
'I know you're a sadistic bastard, but I didn't think that Mikhail Zelov had that deep an influence on you.'
'Oh, he did. He inspired me with a strange mixture of admiration and jealousy. When I was reading his Book of Living, I felt as if I was the one who was pulling the strings of all those fancy people in that Imper¬ial Court. At first, I was only going to be a man for hire for Babin. I was just curious about what was behind this entire search for a hammer. So I broke into Babin's safe and made my copies of Zelov's book and all three amulets. I saw what a man could accomplish if he was bold enough.'
'Or evil enough.'
'Evil is always subjective, according to Zelov's bible. And that was what his Book of Living was all about, you know. He set himself up to be a god. So he had to have a bible. He just didn't quite get there.'
'Thanks to Bishop Nartova.'
'Yes, it's very curious. Zelov and I seem to be traveling on the same path with similar obstacles. But I'm stronger than Zelov. You saw that Bishop Dimitri didn't have a chance against me.'
'I saw that you murdered a defenseless old man. Did it make you feel brave?'
'No, it made me feel like a god. Zelov had the right idea.' He took a step closer to her. 'But I didn't have time to really enjoy it. But I will with you, Emily.' He reached out and touched her cheek. 'So brave to come alone.'
'I didn't come alone. Don't touch me.'
His finger remained on her cheek. 'You might as well have come alone. Joslyn, Pauley, and Sister Irana will be nothing for me to get rid of. Borg's probably taken one of them down already.'
'I'm surprised you have someone as loyal to you as Borg. But then he has the same killer instincts, doesn't he?'
'Yes, he's been useful. I'll be sorry to have to dispose of him when this is over.'
'Even Borg?'
'He's a witness. I kept as much as I could from him, but he still knows too much. But I don't want to talk about Borg. He'll do his job. I'm too absorbed with you, my Emily.'
He was so certain that it sent a chill through her.
'And you're absorbed with me,' he said softly. 'I can feel your fear. It's making me hard. I don't really like to fuck women, but you've always been the exception. I'd finish with Levy for the day and come in and sit beside you and talk to you, watch you. It was the most exquisite sexual thrill I'd ever known. You've become quite the obses¬sion to me.'
Her stomach was churning. 'Take your hand away.'
'Presently.' His head bent and his lips were hovering over hers. 'Do you know what I'll do if you bite me this time? I've thought of many new things I could do to Garrett that I never tried on Levy.'
'You won't be able to touch Garrett.'
His tongue touched her lower lip. 'Then bite me, Emily. Sink your teeth into me and show me that- Another shot rang out!
She jerked away from him, her gaze flying in the direction from where the sound had come. The clearing again.
'It's just Borg,' Staunton said. 'That's number two. I wonder who he took down this time. Joslyn or Pauley? Or maybe it was your friend, Irana. Well, it doesn't matter who went down. Borg will keep on going until they're all dead. He has his orders. That's another two off my list. Soon you'll be truly alone, Emily.'
Dear God, she hoped he wasn't right, that Borg hadn't killed them. 'You can't be sure of that.'
'Yes, I can. Borg is very good. I trained him.'
'All these deaths, and for nothing. You can't even be sure you'll find that hammer.'
He smiled. 'I told you, it will come to me.'
He was so damn positive. 'Not from me. I never knew where it was, and I still don't.'
'But it's so enjoyable to probe and dig.' He nudged her down the path. 'My car is on the road a few miles from where you parked. Now I think we'd better go and get to a more comfortable place to continue our discussion. I
