Caleb’s lips twisted. “She said two sentences. She probably didn’t consider the treasure important in the scheme of things. I’m not sure that I do.”
MacDuff shrugged. “The search of a decade, and it’s not important? That puts things in perspective.”
“We don’t think Santara knew about the treasure,” Eve said. “Another agenda?”
“Or the same one.” He paused. “With new bait.”
Eve stiffened. “Lisa said it was all about you. Is that true?”
“It could be. Probably. I’ll have to make sure.” He turned to MacDuff. “And I don’t think that you’re going to be contacted for ransom.”
“But you might be.” Eve’s gaze was searching Caleb’s face. “Money? Or something else?”
“Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.” He was silent an instant. “If I think it will do any good.”
Eve felt a chill. “And I’m supposed to let you make that decision? This is Jane, Caleb. One false step and she might die.”
“Do you think I don’t know that?” His voice was rough, his face tight. “I told you that I wouldn’t let that happen.” He said to MacDuff, “I don’t think that Santara would bring her back to this area after he had her, but I have to make certain. I’m going hunting tonight and I’ll verify.”
MacDuff nodded. “Jock is already setting up security for the camp while we go take a look in the hills.” He grimaced. “Verification that he slipped through our fingers? Not the hunt that we hoped for.”
“We’re here and we have to be certain,” Caleb said grimly. “Before we take that next step that Eve is so worried about.”
“And you’re not?” Eve asked. “You’re about to explode, Caleb. You’d just better not explode where Jane could be hit by the shrapnel.”
He didn’t answer. He asked instead, “Where’s Lisa?”
“Over there by the fire. Though she looks like she’s frozen there. She hasn’t said a word since she talked with you on phone.”
Caleb turned and started toward the campfire. “I’ll be ready to leave in fifteen minutes, MacDuff.”
*
Lisa watched Seth cross the grass to where she was sitting by the fire. She didn’t want to look at his face, because she knew what she would see there. She forced herself to do it anyway.
It was exactly what she’d expected.
“You have to go after her,” she said jerkily. “I knew it. The minute I heard about it, I knew that you wouldn’t be able to help yourself. They’ve got you, haven’t they?”
“Yes.” He sat down beside her and stared into the fire. “But only to the extent that I’m being forced to play their game. The results are always up in the air in any game.”
“It’s my fault. I thought they’d go after me again. I didn’t think it through. Jane was so protective of me, and I just accepted it.” She added bitterly, “Why not? I’m always the important one, aren’t I? At least to myself. I shouldn’t have let her go to Edinburgh without me, Seth. I should have been there for her.”
“You’re not to blame. I thought you’d be the target, too.”
“Of course I’m to blame. Just because I was the one they took before, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t go in another direction. Santara probably thought I was guarded too well.” She shook her head. “I guess they were smart to choose Jane. Your link with her is so strong.… But I didn’t think that anyone but me realized that. How did Santara know? Did he just take a chance?”
“I don’t believe he has the option of taking chances. I’d say that the order came directly from Teresa Romano.” His lips tightened. “And I found out a long time ago that Teresa can be very clever about things concerning me. I just didn’t think she’d bother to probe that deep.”
Her gaze flew to his face. “You did? You’ve never mentioned that about her.”
“It wasn’t necessary. She was doing what I needed her to do for you, and that was all that was important.” He added, “Or what I thought was all that was important. Evidently, she evolved and decided to use you to get to me.” He glanced at her. “I’m sorry that I made that mistake. I thought you’d be safe.”
“Do you think I care if you made mistakes? Everyone makes mistakes. Even me.” She reached out and grasped his arm. “The only mistake I won’t forgive is if you leave me again.” She added unsteadily, “And I won’t forgive you if you get killed, Seth. So that can’t happen.”
He turned his arm and took her hand. “I’ll keep that in mind. But right now I have to worry about Jane, don’t I?”
“I’d like to say no.” Her hand tightened on his. “I told Jane once that you were the only one I cared about. I wish that was still true. It’s easier like that.”
“Yes, but it’s changed, hasn’t it? I could see that before I left. I heard it in your voice whenever I phoned you.”
She was silent. “She can’t die, Seth,” she whispered. “And Santara can’t do the things to her that he did to me.”
“He won’t, Lisa. I promise.”
“How can you promise? She’s already been hurt. Eve doesn’t even know how badly.”
“But that’s the end of it. I’ll find a way to get to her and keep her safe.” He got to his feet. “I have to go check out the hills, which will probably yield nothing of value. But it’s something to do until Teresa makes her next move.”
“Teresa? Not Santara?”
“No, I have an idea that it will definitely be Teresa’s game from now on.”
“And you don’t think that any move will be here at the lake?”
He shook his head. “Everything seems to be centered in Dubai. Whatever Teresa wants to happen, she has plans to do it in Dubai. Probably somewhere in or near the American Hospital.” He leaned down and gently brushed his lips across her brow. “None of this was your fault. If there was a mistake, it was one I made years ago. But I’ll make it right, Lisa.” He turned and strode away to where MacDuff, Joe Quinn, and Jock were waiting.
Lisa gazed after him, her hands clenched into fists as she watched him disappear from sight. Yes, he’d make it right. He’d always made everything right for her. But no one had ever taken the trouble to make anything right for him. He’d never been permitted to make mistakes as a child. She could remember instant, almost savage punishment for any tiny infraction and Seth lifting his chin and just accepting it. She hadn’t realized until later how hard that must have been for him when he had known what he could do and how swiftly he could stop those cruelties.
And tonight he was shouldering all responsibility and blame again and would face it as he always had.
Alone.
*
“Nothing?” Eve asked Joe as he came into the tent.
He shook his head. “We found the remains of a few campfires on that third mountain. It looked as if Santara and his men had been moving around to keep from being spotted.” He looked down at the sleeping Michael. “But they were never close enough to be a danger to anyone here.”
She nodded. “Jane said we had an armed camp.”
“I wish to hell she’d stayed in it,” he said harshly. “Who would believe that—” He broke off. “But it happened. Now we have to get her back.”
“How? Interpol?”
“Any way that doesn’t get her killed. Lisa said that she was sure Santara was going to kill her before she escaped. We can’t count on anything better for Jane if they think she’s a danger to them.” He paused. “Caleb is asking us to back off until he can get a fix on how to do it. How the hell can I do that?”
“I don’t know.” She pulled him down and into her arms. “How can you? Tell me. Convince me that it’s the wrong thing to do.” She held him close. She could feel his pain. “Or is it the smart thing to do?”
He didn’t speak for a moment. “Yes. That’s the worst thing about it. Caleb thinks all this centers around him.”
“So does Lisa.”
“And it very well might be true. Everything points to it. I don’t see any way out. But I’d have to let Caleb go off and control every— It’s Jane.”