No Easy Target

She shook her head. “I can help. A few minutes … Tell me what you know about Nicos. I’ll see if I can add to it.”


Lassiter didn’t speak for a moment, his gaze on her face. “He’s in his early forties, born in Kingston, Jamaica. His father was Erik Nicos, a drug kingpin on the island, as well as the owner of several bordellos. Nicos’s mother was Azara Lua, a prostitute in one of the bordellos. She was made the madam of the place when she gave birth to Erik Nicos’s son. She raised Stan Nicos until he was ten and then his father decided he wanted a son and heir for the family business, so he took the boy away from his mother. He was very pleased with young Stan, who was even more brutal and bloodthirsty than he was. The drug business thrived, but his son was ambitious and wanted to branch out into running arms to the rebels in Colombia and the Taliban in the Middle East. They had a conflict of interests that ended in his father being found in a ditch in a swamp with his throat cut. Then Nicos was free to rise to his full potential. He continued with the drugs but often used them to bargain with arms suppliers and sweeten the pot with the buyers. He did so well that he bought himself Vadaz Island and surrounded himself with an army of goons like himself. But he was smart enough to make that island impregnable to anyone attempting to infiltrate or attack it. And he believes he’s made himself so secure on and off the island than no one can touch him.” His lips tightened. “Other than that, he’s a vicious cobra who has a penchant for torture, which he enjoys even more than the money I offered him for Patrick.”

“It’s not only Patrick,” she said. “Patrick is only a means to an end. He wants to torture you. You’re the one who beat him. Of course he wouldn’t give up someone you wanted. And he stretched out the torture to make certain that it wouldn’t end too soon. Not for either of you.”

His lips twisted bitterly. “You do know him.”

She nodded jerkily. “I know him well enough to realize that he’ll never give Patrick to you. He may pretend he’ll do an exchange, but in the end he’ll kill him. You’d better find that password.”

“That’s what this is about. Can you remember anything that Nicos might lean toward using as—” He stopped as he saw she was shaking her head.

“Let it go for now. I’ll work on it tonight and I’ll ask you again in the morning if I don’t have a breakthrough.” He grimaced. “I’m sure that I’ve kept you from getting any decent amount of sleep again. You might come up with something.”

“I’ll try; it’s not that I don’t want to—” She stopped. How could she explain the memories that kept blocking anything not connected to that nightmare she had lived?

Don’t explain it. Try to overcome it.

She got to her feet. “Then I’d better go to bed and try for a nap at least.” She headed for the door. “Which is better than you’ll be getting while you’re—”

Lassiter’s phone rang.

She instinctively went rigid as she recalled the night on deck when he’d received that other call.

It didn’t have to be Juan Salva.

It didn’t have to be another horrible photo of torture and pain.

Hell, it could be Cambry calling to check to see if Lassiter had eaten that damn sandwich.

But she could see by Lassiter’s expression that it wasn’t Cambry.

He nodded at her as he answered the phone and put it on speaker. “I said I’d be in touch with you, Salva.”

“Yes, but it appears that Nicos has time constraints and is too impatient to wait for you to get around to making a deal. You’ll have to do it now. He has to have her right away.”

Margaret flinched as she heard Juan’s familiar smooth, mocking voice. She could almost see his face before her.

“He’ll have to be patient,” Lassiter said. “I need at least a week to get her to you. After three years, a few more days won’t be that long.”

“It’s too long for Nicos. He has a schedule to keep. He needs her in four days. July twenty-third. And he wants her here ahead of time for a little schooling. So two days at the longest.”

“I said he’ll have to wait,” Lassiter said harshly.

“Not possible. You’re hesitating.” He paused. “Could it be that you don’t have her after all? That would be a blow to me, and a reason to take action for Nicos.”

“I have her. But it will be my decision when to turn her over.”

“Wrong. You saw the latest photo? The next one will be somewhat different if you don’t supply Margaret on time.” He paused. “Nicos just came into the office. He wants to talk to you, Lassiter. I believe he thinks reinforcement is necessary.”

“Did you lie to Salva, Lassiter?” It was Nicos’s voice. Margaret’s stomach clenched at the sound of it. The same. He sounded exactly the same. “I hope you didn’t. I’ve been enjoying our little talks and texts so much during these last months. But if I find you’ve lied to me or if you fail to give me Margaret in the next few days, then I’ll have to do without that occasional burst of stimulation. I need her by the twenty-third. If she’s not on the island by the twenty-first, then I’ll give your friend Patrick a final twenty-four hours of extreme torture and send you a photo with him minus body parts, including his head.”

“You’re bluffing. What are a few days more? We can arrange an exchange that will—”

“We might have discussed an exchange if I didn’t have a pressing need for Margaret. All you’ll get right now is more time for Patrick. If that’s valuable enough for you to give her to me, then he’ll live for another week or month.” He paused. “But I’m concerned that we’re not certain that you’re not lying. I have plans to make. I believe I need to talk to Margaret. Is she there with you?”

“I won’t let you—”

“I’m here Nicos.” She hadn’t known she was going to speak until the words came out. She had been standing here as horror after horror raced through her. As she had listened to him, she had felt dizzy, as if she couldn’t catch her breath, chilled to the bone. She wanted to hide. But there was no hiding from him now. “Lassiter didn’t lie. He tracked me, and took me down just as you would have done.”

“How good it is to hear your voice,” Nicos said softly. “You’ve been a very bad girl. But I’ve missed you, Margaret.”

“I’m sure you have.” She had to keep her voice steady. “I haven’t missed you, Nicos.”

“That’s because I hadn’t completed your training. I can make you miss me. I can make you feel anything I want you to feel.”

“No, you can’t. That would spoil everything for you.”

“It might be worth it. Or perhaps I can work around it.” He laughed. “I’m going to get the opportunity. Please tell Lassiter that I meant what I said. Patrick dies if you aren’t on the island by day after tomorrow. I’ll need you at Montego Bay two days after that.”