Your Next Breath (13 page)

No, Cameron could be more ruthless than she could ever be. She was just frustrated that he’d not been able find out more. “Where is Nagoles? Santos said he just disappeared.”

“They’ll find him in a cave in the rocks if they look hard enough.” He reached into his jacket and pulled something out of his pocket. “It was difficult for me to finish questioning him after I found this little trifle on him.” He dropped it into her palm. “It made me exceedingly angry.”

A gold dog tag with her name engraved on it.

Her lips twisted. “Santos’s signature for all of his targets. He must have meant it for Erin. Very elaborate planning, even down to this macabre piece of jewelry.”

“Son of a bitch.”

“You
are
angry.” She looked at him curiously. “Why?”

“It bothers me. I don’t like anyone using you, dirtying you like that.”

“Neither do I.” She shrugged. “But as I said, it’s just something he does with every target and—” She stopped. “Oh, my God.”

“What?”

“
Every
target. He does it with every chosen target.” She moistened her lips. “But there wasn’t one of those dog tags in the pocket of that killer, Shaw, who went after Kelly. I was very thorough searching him, but there was no dog tag. Why with all the other people Santos targeted and not Kelly?”

His eyes were narrowed on her face. “I think you’re about to tell me.”

“Because she wasn’t the principal target.” She shook her head. “My God, she was only meant to be a distraction. Maybe someone to keep me occupied while he went after the designated target. Santos said to guess who was next on his list. I guessed wrong.”

“Easy. Perhaps not. There’s no doubt Shaw meant to kill Kelly. It could be that he screwed up about leaving the dog tag. I told you he wasn’t Grade-A material.”

“And why would Santos have someone who wasn’t absolutely expert to do the job? That’s not Santos. Maybe because Kelly was a last-minute addition to his plan. And Shaw used a knife, not a gun. You even said that wasn’t as smart.” She was going down the list, and it was leading her where she didn’t want to go. “And Kelly said he trailed her for a long time in those woods. He wasn’t in a hurry. He had to be stalling. Waiting for word to take her out.”

“And you believe he got it.”

“I think that he was told to get rid of her because they’d managed to make the target kill. I wouldn’t be able to stop it.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.” She tried to steady her voice. “I tried to make everyone safe. Hu Chang is with Erin. Joe is taking care of Eve. But Santos is finding other targets. He’s not just going after the ones I thought he’d kill. He told me that I could never be sure.” She reached for her phone. “Maybe he’s found a way to get to Erin or Eve. Or Hu Chang. I always think that no one can touch Hu Chang, but maybe Santos found a way.”

“I doubt it. I’ve found that he’s pretty well bulletproof. Who are you calling?”

“Everyone. I have to make sure that they’re all safe. That maybe I’m wrong. God, I hope I’m wrong.” She dialed quickly. “I’ll start with Eve.”

*   *   *

The car crashed into Jane’s Toyota from behind!

Her head snapped back from the whiplash impact.

Crazy. That driver had to be crazy. It had to be deliberate. The road was treacherous from the rain, but that impact had intent behind it.

Crash!

He’d done it again.

Her Toyota skittered across the gravel, and she was barely able to keep it on the road.

Again!

And the driver of the car who hit her was drawing beside her on the road. Metal scraped against metal as his passenger door screeched against her car.

Jane struggled desperately to keep the Toyota on the road, but she was being pushed toward the ditch.

“Idiot!”

But he had to be more than just stupid. Deadly. She could see the driver only dimly through the pouring rain, but she recognized the body language. Tense, intent, every muscle aimed at what he was doing.

And what he was doing was shoving her into that ditch.

He crashed against the side of her car again.

And the Toyota went out of control, and she headed for the ditch.

She went off the road and into the water in the ditch.

Her head hit the steering wheel.

Pain. Dizziness.

The air bag deployed, whipping her back in the seat.

More pain.

Her horn was blowing. She must have hit that, too, she thought dimly.

Her driver’s door was opening.

She dazedly raised her head.

Someone in a brown jacket was standing in the road, the rain pouring off him.

He was smiling.

And he had a Luger pistol in his hand.

She instinctively tried to reach over, to grab her handbag, and throw it at him.

The air bag got in the way, and the handbag fell to the mud of the ditch.

The gun fired, exploded.

Agony.

Her chest …

He was throwing something at her. Something gold … a chain …

It didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered.

The pain was going away. The rain was going away. Everything was going away but the warm, golden light that was suddenly surrounding her.

And beyond that light was Trevor. Tall, strong, his blue eyes shining and full of love.

He was shaking his head, but she didn’t care. She could see the love, feel the everafter that was there for them.

“It’s okay, Trevor.” She was running toward him. “Do you hear me? It wasn’t my fault. I would have lived. I would have done what you wanted me to do. But this just happened. I couldn’t help it.” She was getting closer, and the golden light was around her, in her. Soon she’d be in his arms. “So you must be wrong. It must be okay that we’re going to be together…”

CHAPTER

6

“I’m fine, Catherine,” Eve said. “So is Joe. He’s right here.” She was trying to be soothing since Catherine was obviously upset. But her own heart had plummeted when Catherine had rattled out that frightening suspicion about Santos’s intentions.

“Jane.” Joe was at Eve’s elbow. “Jane’s not here. She should be home by now.”

“Call her.” She said to Catherine, “I’ve got to go. Jane was driving here from the airport. We have to check on her.”

“Jane…” Catherine repeated. “God, yes. Make sure she’s safe.” She hung up.

“No answer, Eve,” Joe said as he hung up his phone.

“Call that policeman who was supposed to be following her.” Eve was already shrugging into her rain anorak as she headed for the door. “We’ve got to go look for her.”

“It’s raining.” He was following her down the porch steps. “It could have slowed her down. Maybe traffic…”

“I’ve been telling myself the same thing,” she said jerkily as she jumped into the Jeep. “But I’m scared, Joe.”

“So am I.” He hung up the phone. “Particularly since I can’t rouse that security black-and-white that should have been following her. That’s damn strange. I’d call the precinct but … that can wait.”

And Jane might not be able to wait, Eve thought as she tore down the gravel road toward the freeway.

Not if Catherine was right.

Not if that bastard had decided to target Jane.

God, she wished this rain would stop. She could hardly see anything ahead of her.

No, that wasn’t true. She could see bright headlights ahead.

But not on the road.

The car was in a ditch, but the headlights were still blazing.

“Dear God,” she whispered. She stomped on the accelerator, and the Jeep jumped forward. They were stopping beside the Toyota in the ditch in seconds.

“The driver’s door is open,” Joe said. “But I don’t see the driver.” He jumped out of the Jeep and ran toward the Toyota. “Maybe the driver got out and is looking for help. It’s a poss—” He broke off as he reached the car. “No, she didn’t get out.”

Eve was beside him, looking at Jane pinned back against the seat by the air bag. Blood. Her chest was covered with blood. “Oh, baby.” She knelt beside the driver’s seat, tears pouring down her cheeks. “Jane…”

Joe had taken his pocketknife and deflated the air bag. He was examining the wound, trying desperately to find a way to stem the blood. “Shot in the chest, close range.”

“Dead?” Eve asked unevenly. “Is she dead? Are we too late?”

“She’s still alive,” Joe said. His eyes were glittering with moisture. “But I won’t lie to you. I don’t think she’s going to make it. She’s dying, Eve.”

Shock. Followed by overwhelming sorrow. She reached out and touched Jane’s hair. Then denial came, hard, fast, rejecting those words. “If she’s not dead yet, we have a chance. I’m not going to let her die. I’ll hold on to her until the last minute. You stop the blood. I’ll call 911.”

He nodded. “Yeah, you bet we’ll give her a chance.” He reached out and gently touched the curve of Jane’s lips. “What the hell? I think she’s … smiling.”

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

“I have to call Eve back,” Catherine said as she got out of the car in front of her house after driving from the airport. “I’ve been trying to leave her alone. I didn’t want to get in her way when she was trying to find Jane.” She watched Luke, Sam, and Kelly go into the house before she turned to Cameron. “And I’m nervous as hell about what she’s going to find. What she’s already found. Eve wouldn’t keep me waiting without knowing anything if there wasn’t a reason.”

“Then call her and stop fretting about it,” Cameron said. “From what you’ve told me, Eve is too responsible not to keep everyone informed.”

“I don’t need your permission. I told you I was going to do it.” Catherine was already dialing. The phone rang four times before it was picked up. “Catherine, Eve.”

“I meant to call you,” Eve’s voice was unbearably weary. “Sorry. I’ve just been busy. Things are … bad.”

“Jane?”

Silence. “We think she’s dying. Shot in the chest.”

“Oh, my God.”

“They got the bullet out, but there are all kinds of vein and arterial damage that can’t be repaired. She’s in a coma.” Her voice broke. “The doctors say that she won’t wake up.”

Catherine’s hand clenched on the phone as waves of pain washed over her. She seemed to be feeling Eve’s pain as well as her own. “Specialists?”

“We’re bringing in one from Houston. It might not help.” She cleared her throat. “But then it might. I can’t stop hoping, can I?”

“No. Look, I’m coming down there to be with you. What hospital?”

“St. Joseph’s. But I have Joe, Catherine.”

“And he’s probably all you need. But I need to be with you right now. I need to be with Jane.” Her voice was unsteady. “For God’s sake, she may be dying because of me.”

“Not because of you. Because of Santos.” She paused. “But it will be good to see you. I’m kind of ragged, and Joe is feeling torn about whether to help Jane or me. He’ll be glad to have someone around to strike a balance. Get some rest and come tomorrow morning. That will be soon enough.” She stopped and had to compose herself before she could continue. “The doctors think she may linger for anywhere from a week to ten days.”

“Okay, whatever you say. Tomorrow. God, I’m sorry, Eve.”

“I know you are. Good-bye, Catherine.” She hung up.

Catherine could feel the tears brimming as the waves of sorrow and regret overwhelmed her.

“Jane?” Cameron asked quietly. “Dead?”

“Not yet. Soon.” She wiped her eyes. “Shot in the chest.”

“If she’s not dead, there’s still hope.”

“That’s what Eve said, but she’s having trouble believing it. I’m going down to Atlanta to see her at the hospital tomorrow morning.” Hold on. Keep the pain at bay. Don’t think of Jane in that sleep that would probably last forever. She started for the front door. “Now I have to make sure that Luke and Kelly are settling for the night and that Sam has told security to put Kelly under their protection.”

“I’d bet that your Sam has already done it.” Cameron followed her into the foyer. “You can’t be responsible for everything, Catherine.”

“Yes, I can. I’ll accept responsibility for the whole world if it keeps the odds down that there won’t be another death Santos tosses at my door.” Her lips twisted. “You know about that kind of burden. You shoulder all kinds of responsibility your precious committee throws at you. After all, you’re the Guardian.” She turned to look at him. “But I suppose I should thank you for killing Shaw and saving Kelly. I might not have been there in time.”

“And then again, you might. Kelly was putting up a good fight.” He reached out and touched her hair. “But I’m still a little annoyed that you pointed that gun at me. You know me well enough to know I wasn’t going to hurt her.”

“I couldn’t take a chance. You’re always a surprise, Cameron.” His touch on her hair was gossamer light, but it still sent a ripple of heat down her cheek and throat. She moved her head and took a step back. Ridiculous. It had to be a purely automatic response to him because at this moment she was hurting, and sex was the last thing on her mind.

“I’m having the same problem,” Cameron was looking directly in her eyes. “I’m trying to be sympathetic and helpful, but the sex keeps getting in the way. It may always be that way. We’ll have to work on it.”

“No, we won’t.” She turned and went toward the stairs. “Because you don’t even have to be around me. I can handle Santos.” She started up the stairs. “Go and take care of Erin.”

“You’re dismissing me?” He shook his head. “I can’t accept that, Catherine. Erin will always be important. But I find I’m feeling very angry toward Santos … and possessive toward you.”

“Possessive?” She looked over her shoulder. “The hell you are. I told you when you left me that wasn’t going to happen. I’ll never be your mistress, waiting for you to come back from trying to—”

“It doesn’t matter,” Cameron interrupted. “That can be settled later. Right now, the possession is centered on keeping you alive so that I’ll have another chance.” He headed toward the door. “Now I’ll go and make sure I approve of Sam’s security arrangements. I may have to bring some of my own men here.”

“Sam is perfectly capable of choosing good men. I trust him.”

“Does Hu Chang?”