Tillman leaned back in the chair and poured himself another cup of coffee from the Donahues' pot. Only Doyle knew that Tillman had been on the mountain. The others thought he had just returned from Johnson City. He hadn't even told Brennan.
'I don't think we dare do anything until he arrives here. These men aren't smart enough to ambush him without being detected,' Tillman said.
'With a chap like this who knows the terrain, it's nearly impossible to move on that mountain without tipping him off. Especially when we don't know where he's going to leave that cavern.'
'I'm going to go out by myself tonight.'
'I have an idea,' Doyle said.
'Go ahead.' Tillman took another sip and let his stare test the man.
'I'd like to talk to Kier and the woman alone. I'd like them to think I'm an undercover FBI agent.'
Tillman lowered his chair to the floor, intent on Doyle's every word. 'I'm listening.'
'When I worked for Her Majesty's government, one of the things they taught us was FBI procedure. Even went to Quantico for a fortnight. Their antiterrorist course was supposed to be the finest in the world. If I could get with the FBI woman, talk to her, I believe I could convince her that I'm on her team. Maybe I could convince Kier. If either of them believed me, it would be over quickly.'
Tillman reappraised Doyle. 'Why does a man with your background go to work as a mercenary?'
'Had a run-in with my supervisor. He had strong feelings about my taking some favors from some rich business types. Just vacations. They were recruiting for private security. It was the one really thick thing I did, but believe me, it was enough. Got demoted very quietly. At first I thought it was a disaster. Until I learnt the private money was a lot better, if you don't count the lost pension.'
Tillman was silent while he thought about it. Something made him slightly uncomfortable, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Maybe it was the way Doyle told the story so easily, as if he'd never lived it.
'How do you propose to do this?'
''Tonight we leave the greenest men in the house. You and I get on the most likely trails. We put a few more men, the best ones, in the woods around the house. We try to capture him or her-either one. Preferably the bird. But we've got no control over that. If anybody gets either of them at gunpoint, I come along and promise to save them when I can. Then I pitch them.'
'You turn them loose?'
'Certainly not. But if I convince them I'm on their side- maybe I can get the sixth volume.'
'Sounds like a long shot. Might work.'
'To make it work I need something.'
'What's that?'
'I need to know whatever Kier would know if he read Volume Six. If I were the FBI and investigating, you see, I'd know why the hell I'm investigating. Only way to be convincing is tell them some seemingly secret stuff.'
It was a seductive pitch. Doyle was the brightest of his men. The subterfuge would be elegant if it worked. Tillman wanted to trust him.
'In short, I need to know what's going on or I won't be effective.'
Tillman wanted a drink and rose to pour one.
'You like a Scotch?'
'Please.'
Tillman had discovered that the Donahues had no liquor cabinet. An oversize kitchen drawer held the libations. He removed a bottle of Glenlivet, amazed that the Donahues would have a single malt.
As he returned to the table and poured them two Scotches, neat, he decided to begin by giving Doyle a rundown of the Marty Rawlins diary, then observe his reaction before deciding how much more he would disclose.
He might even tell Doyle just how far ahead of the rest of the world he really was.
Chapter 27
One sunset with a maiden surpasses ten Tilok feasts.
It didn't matter in what light he saw her, the clothing she wore, composed or unkempt, perspiring or chilled- he found her beautiful.
Kier wanted her.
Jessie seemed resigned to losing him, judging from her sigh, from the sadness in her eyes, from her frown. The gulf between them measured mere inches, but added to that separation were the expectations of his family, friends, and, even though he had not proposed marriage, the innocent expectations of Willow. Once Kier reached across to Jessie, would it be the beginning of a betrayal or the end of one?
He could not think of what to say or how to speak what he felt.
'I never asked you about the mare. What were you doing with the pointing and the chanting?' she asked.
''Body language that a horse would understand. The chanting really just underscores the body language… helps get their attention with the changes in volume and tone.'
Finally he managed to move his hand so that it was touching hers. Every millimeter that separated them was closed by him. She gave him no help. But the feeling was heady.
'Body language is important with horses too, huh?'
'The most important by far. They're herd animals. In the wild, horses have a pecking order in their band. The lead mare enforces behavioral norms. When she runs a horse out of the herd to enforce discipline, certain things have to happen for the horse to be accepted back. At first the dominant horse squares off, looking the outcast in the eye-challenging. When the subservient horse turns broadside and cocks an ear, it's a half-apology, so to speak. If the lead horse is satisfied, it also turns broadside, takes its eye off the bad horse, and ignores it. If the half- apology doesn't work, the outcast may have to drop its head to get back in-that's a sure sign it wants to come back.
''I was using the two horses as a herd; I was the lead mare. I got her thinking about joining the herd. It's a natural thing for a horse in trouble. I just followed the pattern.'
'How did you learn all this?'
'Here and there. A little from Grandfather. Mostly though from horse trainers-even books.' He chuckled. 'And vet experience. It's not genetic. We Tiloks walked around the mountains. My ancestors didn't have horses nearly as early as the plains Indians. Only the chant was Tilok, and it's a medicine chant to ward off evil spirits and promote healing. I don't know if it works, I just prefer it to humming or yelling.'
''I read that people sometimes use body language more than they use words,' she said.
''Yeah. First, they square off, like this.'' He looked into her eyes. 'But with people it's more of an invitation.'
'And how does a person accept this invitation?'
'Prolonged eye contact,' he replied while she continued returning his gaze.
'Will that do?'
'That will do. Then you come closer to me.'
In response she came around the table. He rose and she pulled him tight. 'Like so?'
''You pick up on this very well. Now you get heavy-lidded and half close your eyes. Then you turn your face up just slightly.'
Before she finished he covered her lips with his, silencing her next line.
She finished it in her mind: Should I put my head down now? The kiss was better than good. But when she looked into his eyes, she saw the trouble there.
