“No, it just means I’ll have to get out of the car so that I’ll have a clear line to the dogs.” That was a lie, but it would get her out of the close confines of this backseat with Nicos. The ride out here had been overpoweringly intimate, like being in the same straw basket with a cobra. She had felt his eyes on her for the entire trip. She opened the door and jumped out. “I’m going over there to that ditch by the fence and sit down. This may take an hour or two. If you want to watch me, do nothing but stare at that house. You’re welcome to go over there with me, but you’d be much more comfortable in the car.”
He slowly got out and followed her. He frowned. “It’s muddy.”
She settled herself gingerly on the edge of the ditch. “You ordered me to do this, Nicos. I have to do it my way.”
“I’m wondering if it’s a little too much your way.”
She ignored him and turned her gaze to the house.
Focus.
Ignore him.
Where are you?
No answer.
But she could detect a stirring. One of the dogs had heard her.
What do they call you?
Bewilderment at the intrusion.
They call me Margaret. What do they call you?”
No answer.
And then …
Taro.
It had started. Now to reach the other dog …
She was vaguely aware that Nicos was no longer beside her. It didn’t matter. She was too absorbed to let him bother her anyway. The other dog’s name was Pedro and he was the less dominant of the two. She would have to balance both the emotions and the competitiveness of the two. It could take quite a while. But she would start the way she meant to finish.
You do fine work. Smart. Both of you are so smart. You do your duty and that’s wonderful. But there may be something you need to do better. Let’s think about it together.…
*
“It’s about time,” Nicos said sourly as Margaret climbed back into the car. “I thought you were going to be out there all night.”
“You gave me orders. I had to obey you.” She slammed the door shut. “I told you that you’d be bored.”
“You were right.” He nodded at the driver. “And I couldn’t see that you were doing anything. I’m beginning to believe Salva may be right about your powers all being bullshit.”
He couldn’t be allowed to go in that direction. He was too volatile right now. “One dog is a tan-and-black German shepherd whose name is Pedro. But you were wrong; the other dog isn’t a German shepherd; he’s a black Lab and his name is Taro. The Lab is dominant, but the German shepherd is much more highly strung. Pedro, the shepherd, will be harder to handle and could be more easily confused. But now they both know me and recognize that I’m more dominant than either one of them. Tomorrow they’ll do whatever I tell them to do.”
He was silent for a moment. “You found out all of that tonight?”
She nodded. “You were right to give me the extra time with them. I would have had better control before if you’d seen that I’d had that opportunity.”
“Of course I was right.” He paused. “I’m going to check and make sure that there’s a Lab instead of two German shepherds.”
“Go ahead. I’d be stupid to try to fool you on something so easy to verify.” She leaned wearily back on the seat. It had been a tiring couple hours reprogramming the dogs and she still couldn’t be sure that she’d done enough.
And the night’s work was still not done. She had to call Lassiter when she got back to the hotel and tell him she was here in Montego. Lord, she hoped he’d been able to do something with Salva’s call directory. “And you’ll see tomorrow if I managed to do what I said I’d done.”
“Yes, I will.”
He reached out and put his hand on her knee.
She went rigid.
It doesn’t matter if he touches my body, she thought. No one could hurt her if she didn’t let them. Her body was nothing. It was what was inside that counted. And no one could destroy that but herself.
But sometimes, at moments like this, it seemed as if it mattered.
“You don’t like that, do you?” His voice was mocking as his hand moved up to her inner thigh. “Too bad. I can do anything I like with you. You’re nothing and I’m everything.”
She had to go carefully. He was closer than he’d ever been to dragging her down into those depths where he’d taken Rosa. “I know,” she said without expression. “And, no, I don’t like it. But you wouldn’t care about that. It’s all about suffering to you. So do whatever you want with me. But you should realize that it disturbs me and it interferes with my concentration. It keeps me from focusing on what I have to do tomorrow. Perhaps that would be better for me in the long run, because it would give me an excuse if I mess up my part in the airport delivery.”
Nicos stared at her for a long moment. She could see that he was trying to stifle the anger. Then his hand fell away from her. “No excuses, Margaret. Not tomorrow.” He smiled mockingly. “We’ll have to wait a little longer.”
“Whatever.” She looked away from him so that he wouldn’t see her relief. It had been terribly close. This entire night had been another nightmare to get through. Just being in the close confines of the car with Nicos had been suffocating. And, from what he’d said, it wasn’t going to end. After tomorrow he’d feel free to—
What was she thinking? Tomorrow she had a chance to escape from Nicos. It wasn’t as if she was alone. She had told Lassiter that she might not be able to get away from Nicos if he didn’t help her here in Jamaica. He’d told her to call him when she arrived in Montego. He would have a plan. She wasn’t alone.
But Lassiter would probably now be frantically working to free Sean Patrick, who had been the reason and the impetus that had brought them together. How could she expect him to drop that hunt to help her when he knew that Patrick had a chance to be saved?
She might be alone after all.
*
“Sleep well, Margaret.” Nicos watched her unlock her door with that faint smile that was tinged with malice. “You have to be alert and ready to face the day. I wouldn’t want you to disappoint me.”
“I won’t.” She slipped inside the room and closed the door behind her. She stood there savoring the moment of privacy. She wasn’t permitted to lock the door, but just being able to shut herself away from Nicos and Salva was a merciful relief.
And after the tension of being with Nicos tonight, she’d take whatever reprieve she could get. Okay, it was over. Try to forget Nicos and make the call that Lassiter had asked her to do when she arrived in Montego.
She took her phone from the lining of her khaki jacket and started to place the call. She stopped before she’d completed entering the number.
No, not yet.
Allow another ten minutes to pass.
She wanted to make sure Nicos and Salva were settled in their rooms and would not come and interrupt her.
She sat down in the chair beside the bed and waited.
The ten minutes passed very slowly.
Then she called Lassiter.
No answer.
No message. The phone just kept on ringing.
She waited for ten rings before she hung up.
What the hell was wrong? What has happened to Lassiter, she thought in a panic. He had asked her to call. He wouldn’t ignore her.
Calm down. It could be nothing.
And, if there was a problem, she would handle the problem herself. It was what she had done all her life. He had offered to help her, but that didn’t mean help would come. She could hope, but she’d have to assume she’d be alone in this.
She tried to call him again.
Fifteen rings this time.