“You sound upset,” Santos said mockingly. “But I tried to tell you that you couldn’t stop me. How was your friend, Eve, when she told you about her dear, Jane?”
“How do you expect her to be? She’s broken. She was so sure that Jane would live, then you did this … monstrous thing.”
“Which was all your fault. I gave you the opportunity to persuade me to let her live.” His voice dripped malice. “You could have said yes, and I would have told Dorgal to scrub the assignment. Though he would have been disappointed because he knows how much I wanted her dead. However, I gave him the pleasure of taking her photo after she was killed. I’m sending you a copy. So beautiful, so peaceful.”
“I don’t want to see it. The idea of Dorgal’s gloating over—”
“You’re getting rather throaty.” His voice hardened. “You don’t want to see her photo? Would you rather see a picture of your son? Only he wouldn’t look peaceful or beautiful after I killed him. I have other more violent plans for him. There might not be enough pieces to put together to stage a photo shoot.”
“Shut up!”
“Frightened? It’s coming. I have it all planned. I wanted to pick them off separately, but I made contingency plans. He has a day, two at most, and he’ll be dead.”
“No!”
“Yes. Nothing and no one can stop it.” He paused. “Except you, Catherine.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“Jane MacGuire is dead. I warned you. Was that a bluff?”
Silence. “No.”
“Then why should I bluff about your fine son?” He paused. “I’m sending you another photo, and I’d advise you to look at this one.”
She felt a chill. “Why?”
“You’ll know.”
She heard a ping from her phone, and she accessed the photo.
Luke. Smiling.
But his head was in the sights of a rifle.
She inhaled sharply, and she didn’t have to pretend the panic she was feeling. She had thought he was safe. How had he become a target?
Just take one chance, and I’ll have them.
Luke must have taken that one chance.
“You’re not speaking,” Santos said mockingly. “I believe I’ve made my point.”
She swallowed. “What do you want from me?”
“Justice. Revenge. Pleasure. Step into my parlor, and I’ll have all of those things.”
“And where is your parlor, Santos?”
“I believe you’re getting close. Dorgal’s men tracked you and Richard Cameron to Port of Spain after Pablo delivered Montez to me. Of course, it would take you years to find me. By that time, you will have lost all of the people you love and also your life. So sad.”
She forced herself to look away from that photo. “I love my son. But you can’t expect me to just let you kill me. I’d have to know that I’ll have the chance to save myself and him.”
“By killing me?”
“Are you afraid, Santos?”
“Of a stupid bitch like you?”
“I wasn’t too stupid to kill your Delores. She wouldn’t be afraid to give me my chance.”
He was silent. “No, she wouldn’t. And I should have expected you to try to bargain with me.”
“All I want is a chance.”
“And maybe you’ll have it. Or maybe not. Go to the docks and walk down to the warehouse area near Beetham Road. Don’t bring Richard Cameron, or I’ll give the word for the boy to die. Only you, Catherine.”
“I’m going to bring a weapon.”
“No weapon. I want you defenseless.”
“Delores wasn’t defenseless.”
“No weapon.” He hung up.
“You heard him, Cameron.” She looked back down at the photo. “Dear God, Luke was within a heartbeat of having his head blown off. My home is surrounded by guards. Hu Chang wasn’t even afraid to let him go with him to check on the sentries. How did they get a bead on him?”
“I don’t know.” Cameron shook his head. “My men said it was safe, too. The two blocks around your home were checked out, then sentries were constantly on guard. No one could have gotten this close to Luke.”
“But they did. I’ve always known that the young think they’re immortal, but this terrifies me. I may never let him out of my sight.”
“And you’ll lose him.”
“But he’d be alive.” She shook her head to clear it. “Okay, I know he was probably unprotected only for an instant. I can’t even tell where the photo was taken. But it was enough…” She had to concentrate, but all she could think about was Luke. “It could happen again. Santos wanted to show me how vulnerable he was no matter what I did to save him.”
“Everyone is on alert, Catherine. But when I leave you, I’ll call Hu Chang and tell him that neither Luke nor anyone else is to leave the house until we tell them it’s okay.”
“Good.” And she had to pull herself together if they were all to survive. “And nothing will happen to them. Not if we handle this right.” She got her jacket from the closet. “No weapons. I expected that.” She took off the ankle holster for her dagger and handed it to him together with her gun. “You were on the island. Can you find a place that I’ll have access to them?” She made a face. “Providing I’m able to use my hands.” She had a sudden thought. “The tomb. He’s bound to take me there for one reason or another. Either to show me that I wasn’t able to destroy his Delores or to kill me in front of her. Is there a place there where you could hide them?”
“I wasn’t inside the tomb.” He nodded. “But I was thinking that there might be action there, so I took a good look around. There’s a large, oval, granite stone heaped with flowers outside the bronze door. I remember seeing gardenias…”
“Fine. Gardenias. I’ll remember.” She slipped on her jacket. “Don’t follow me, Cameron. You get my boy shot, and I’ll kill you.”