Medusa’s Master Page 15

  Jeff sighed heavily and looked away from her.

  Meanwhile, her teammates stared back and forth between the two of them in nothing less than open shock. As well they should. She’d never shown a single hint of temper, let alone defiance, in all the time any of them had known her.

  Damn. Damn, damn, damn.

  She’d known from the very beginning that it would never work between her and Jeff. And sure enough, it had come to this.

  She stood up from the table and said woodenly, “I’m going for a walk. I’ll be back in time for the final briefing.”

  Kat was mildly surprised that none of the Medusas followed her down to the beach. But she supposed they were so stunned by her outburst that they didn’t know what to do. She’d been walking aimlessly along the beach for about an hour, oblivious to the magnificent sunset glinting scarlet off the pristine sand, when her cell phone rang.

  Reluctantly, she pulled it out. Startled at the caller, she opened the phone. “Hi, Vanessa. Did the others sic you on me?”

  “Hi. And yes, they did. Wanna talk?”

  “If I say no and hang up, will you call me back continuously until I do talk to you?”

  “No. I’ll be on the first plane down there to get in your face until you talk to me.”

  Kat sighed. The woman would do it, too. Vanessa wasn’t known for taking no for an answer. Thing was, of all her teammates, her boss came the closest to understanding her. She sometimes thought Vanessa had an inkling of her true capabilities but chose to honor her secret. Vanessa also seemed to have a handle on Kat’s view of things like honor and right and wrong.

  Kat asked in resignation, “What did they tell you?”

  “That Captain Steiger, while making a rational mission decision, is forcing you into doing something he shouldn’t.”

  Her teammates had supported her? She ought to have expected it, but it surprised and pleased her nonetheless. “They said that?”

  “Aleesha said he asked you to go against your personal code of honor. She’s worried that you’ll disobey him and get in trouble.”

  Kat didn’t reply.

  “Will you disobey him?” her boss pressed.

  “No offense, Vanessa, but I’ll face a court-martial rather than go against my code of honor. I know you’ll think I’m a fool, and you can tell me how I’m throwing away my career, but it’s who I am. I can’t go against my prom—” she broke off, horrified at what she’d just revealed.

  “I don’t think you’re a fool, Kat. And I’d never ask you to go against the vows you made to your grandfather.”

  Kat practically dropped her phone. “How do you know about him?”

  Vanessa had the good grace to sound apologetic. “I talked to Captain Steiger a few minutes ago.”

  Kat’s stomach burst into butterflies. Not the excited, happy kind. The nervous, unpleasant ones. When Vanessa didn’t continue, she asked reluctantly, “What did he say?”

  “He loves you, Kat.”

  “He said that?”

  Vanessa laughed. “Are you kidding? Of course he didn’t say it. He probably doesn’t even know it himself yet. But he’s a wreck. He’s tearing himself in two over what he believes to be his duty and his feelings for you. He could hardly form a coherent sentence when he was talking to me. He’s a mess.”

  “Then how do you know how he feels?” Kat challenged.

  “Because I watched Jack go through the exact same thing.”

  Jack Scatalone. Their training officer and supervisor, and Vanessa’s husband. The man who’d been assigned to train the Medusas—and to break them. He’d been ordered to make sure they never became Special Forces operators. Except no matter what he’d thrown at them, they’d survived and succeeded. He’d reluctantly come to the conclusion that they deserved to take their place in the Spec Ops community, yet he’d been ordered to dismantle the team regardless of his pleas to let the Medusas have a shot. And to top it off, he’d been falling in love with Vanessa at the same time he was forced to sabotage her team.

  Of all people, he probably was the one who could best understand the dilemma Jeff found himself in. Vanessa probably got it, too. Heck, even Kat could understand why Jeff was doing what he was doing. But that didn’t mean she could meekly go along with it.

  “Look, Vanessa. The Ghost appealed to my honor. He gave me his word that he meant no harm and that this meeting was vital. If I show up, I’m tacitly giving him my word in return that I won’t pull any stunts on him. I can’t take the guy down.”

  “Any idea why this thief wants to talk to you so much?”

  “We’ve been chewing on that all day. No one has any idea. We all agree it’s insane, and something compelling must be driving him to it.”

  “Does he know who you are?”

  Kat mulled that one over. “He probably has a good idea. He ripped off my throat mike during the fight. When I hit the ground, it was gone, so he must’ve taken it with him.”

  “And after examining it, he’d probably have a pretty good idea that he’s dealing with at least a U.S. government agent, if not a military member. Not too many civilians have access to the caliber of equipment we use. Let’s assume he does know roughly who you are.”

  Kat frowned. Okay. So that only made his request to meet her all the more puzzling. Vanessa was quiet on the other end of the phone, and Kat didn’t fill in the silence. Viper’s intellect was formidable, and her instincts were pretty much without exception spot-on.

  Finally, Vanessa sighed. “Jeff said this guy was old school. Carried no gun and made no effort to do serious injury to the two of you. Is that your impression of this guy as well?”

  “It is.”

  “Something extraordinary has happened. Something he wants the American government to know about—badly enough to risk his life to tell it to you. You’re the logical person for him to approach. Particularly since you could’ve killed him and didn’t. You’ve earned a measure of trust from him.”

  Kat burst out, “And Jeff’s asking me to betray that trust!”

  “I’ll talk to Jeff. You go to that meeting. Do what you have to do.”

  “Are you telling me to follow Jeff’s order?” Kat asked in disbelief.

  “I’m telling you to follow your heart. You’ve got more courage and decency in your pinkie finger than most people muster in a lifetime. I’m telling you to do what you think is right. Then, no matter what consequences follow, I’ll back you up and you’ll be at peace with yourself.”

  It was as if a wash of cool water flowed over her, flushing away all the bad energy, all the anger and disquiet making her sick at heart. Kat took a deep breath. Released it slowly.

  “Thank you, Vanessa.”

  “There’s nothing to thank me for. I told you to do what you were already going to do anyway.”

  “I haven’t made up my mind—”

  “Sure you have.”

  “Huh?”

  “You’re the heart and soul of my team. The arrow on the Medusas’ compass that always points us in the right direction. You never waver; you always know the right thing to do. Whenever I’m not sure of what I’m doing, I can always look into your eyes and see exactly what I’m supposed to do. Tonight, I hear in your voice that you know the right thing to do. And I’m telling you to go with it. You’ve never steered me wrong before. I’ve no reason to believe you’ve read this one wrong, either.”

  Kat was speechless. Such a ringing vote of confidence from Vanessa, whom she arguably admired more than any other person alive, was overwhelming.

  “You still there, Cobra?”

  “Uh, yeah. Thanks. Wow.”

  Vanessa laughed. “So does this mean Junior and I get to stay home to look after my swollen ankles and eat chocolate tonight?”

  Kat chuckled. “You do realize you’ve probably just signed the death warrant on my career, don’t you?”

  “You know, about half the folks in the Spec Ops community said Jack would never make colonel because he broke ever
y rule in the book to bring the Medusas into existence. The other half said he was a shoo-in for colonel precisely because he broke every rule in the book and brought the Medusas into existence. And here he is, sporting a shiny new set of eagles on his shoulders. Risk takers are rewarded more often than not, Cobra. You’ll come out of this okay.”

  “I’ll hold you to that.”

  “I’ll stand beside you no matter what happens.”

  Too bad Jeff couldn’t say the same thing. “Thanks, boss.”

  “Any time.”

  In a much calmer frame of mind, Kat performed an ancient tai chi routine as the sun slid away into the west. She had a job to do, Jeff or no Jeff. And she would not fail Vanessa or the Ghost. She would live up to both of their best opinions of her.

  No matter what Jeff did to her for it.

  Chapter 14

  Thankfully, the last-minute preparations for the meeting kept Kat—and Jeff—occupied enough that she didn’t have to speak to him alone before they left for the rendezvous.

  As soon as they arrived at the park, Jeff and her teammates melted away into the sultry stillness at the bottom of the sheltered valley. She was left to cool her jets in the car and listen to the others murmur over the radio as they covertly searched the park and moved into position to observe the meeting. The Medusas found no sign of the black-clad men from last night’s robbery.

  And then the waiting began.

  Typically, when Kat waited before a kill, she dropped into a state of relaxation where time flowed over her and around her without touching her. But tonight she was unable to achieve that fugue state of waking sleep. She fought back jitters over and over. Under normal circumstances, if she were this agitated, she’d step away from the shot and let someone else take it. But tonight there was no one else. The Ghost would speak to her and her alone.

  Finally, eleven-forty-five flashed on her watch. She got out of the car gratefully and made her way into the deserted park. Jeff had decided she’d move into place early to give the team of assailants from the last robbery plenty of time to reveal themselves.

  She went to the bench and sat down. Acutely aware of the eyes of her team upon her, she schooled herself to utter stillness. After all, she had a reputation to maintain. The Medusas often called her the ice cube when she was waiting to make a kill. She could sit for two or three days with barely a twitch. She could surely sit on this bench for ten minutes without fidgeting.

  But it turned out to be surprisingly hard to do. She was used to being the hunter, not the hunted. She knew all too well how easy a target she was, motionless and out in plain sight like this. Even the most inexperienced of snipers could pick her off like a tin duck in a cheap shooting gallery.

  Must think about something else.

  Jeff was out there. He’d never let anyone take a potshot at the future mother of his children—good Lord, had she just thought that? Since when had she bought in to his crazy notion of love at first bolt?

  Good thing the Medusas had shown up when they had, or she might have been in serious danger of doing something entirely inappropriate in the middle of a mission. Except why didn’t she feel relief at that thought? Why was vague disappointment at her team’s inconvenient timing rattling around in her gut instead?

  Jeff would be looking at her right now. He’d assigned the Medusas to scan the forest while he watched the immediate vicinity around her. Was he undressing her with his eyes? Imagining what they could’ve done together last night had they not had their argument? Whatever was on his mind, the heat of his gaze was palpable at a distance of a hundred yards or more. Or maybe that heat was coming from her own risqué thoughts. There was no question in her mind that he’d be a skilled lover. He was too comfortable with women, too physical a being, too at home in his own skin to be anything else.

  Midnight came and went.

  And still she sat. Alone.

  She’d expected this, however. The Ghost would approach carefully, reconnoiter the area. Make sure she hadn’t set a trap for him. Come in, already, Mr. Ghost. My friends won’t hurt you. Not if I have anything to say about it.

  The bench she sat on faced the main walking path that wound through the gully. Behind her fell a curtain of hanging vines and ferns from a stone arch that had once supported the ceiling of an ancient cave. Beyond the vines, the eroded remains of several massive stalagmites marked what used to be the cave floor. Between them, a faint path led the way back to an old entrance to Harrison’s Cave—an extensive complex of caves stretching away beneath her feet. An iron security gate blocked the cave entrance to protect the caves from the local kids and vice versa.

  “Don’t turn around.”

  The whispered voice was quiet, barely reaching her ears. Male. Strongly French accented.

  “Are you alone?” he asked.

  “Of course not. My partner wouldn’t hear of me coming out here by myself. He’s hiding in the trees somewhere.”

  Two things happened simultaneously. Jeff swore sharply over the radio into her earbuds as he realized she was speaking aloud—off radio, and a quiet laugh floated out of the darkness behind her.

  “Such refreshing ’onesty. I like you.”

  “Why did you want to speak with me?”

  “Yes, let us go directly to the point. The danger this night is much greater than your friend.”

  She asked quickly, “What are you talking about?”

  “As you may know, I ’ave been busy ’ere in Barbados.”

  She answered dryly, “So I’ve heard.”

  Another chuckle. “When a fisherman casts ’is net, ’e hopes to catch one kind of fish. But often, ’e catches another as well. Like the fisherman, I took a painting, but by accident, I took something else as well. Something you need to see. It was affixed to the back of a canvas.”

  “What is it?”

  “In a moment. First, you must tell me true. Do you work for the American government?”

  “I do.”

  “Perfect. If you will come over to the gate behind you, I will give it to you.”

  Startled, she stood up. The movement caused a flurry of chatter in her earpiece as the Medusas readied themselves for her to go mobile. She picked her way with exaggerated caution toward the gate, both because it was dark and hard to see in the shadow of the thick curtain of vines, and also to give her teammates a few extra moments to reposition themselves.

  Isabella was the first to announce that she’d acquired a heat signature inside the opening to Harrison’s Cave.

  Kat murmured low, “Step back from the opening a little. My colleague has you in his sights.” She might be willing to save the Ghost’s life tonight, but she wasn’t foolish enough to give away to him the true degree of backup she had out here.

  “Merci.” The French voice took on a faint echo as he spoke from farther inside the cave.

  “Do you want me to come in there?” she asked as she approached the heavily padlocked gate.

  “It is not necessary. Please, if you will reach your hand through the bars…”

  She did as the Ghost directed.

  Something smooth and flat that felt like cardboard was laid in the palm of her hand. “What is this?”

  “This—’ow you say—self-explanatory.”

  “A warning, my friend. This time we have met in honorable truce. But I cannot extend that to you after tonight. My boss has ordered me to use whatever force is necessary to stop you. And next time, I will be bound by that order.”

  “Understood. In return, I ’ave a warning for you as well. If anyone finds out that I ’ave given this disk to you, you will find yourself in immediate and extreme danger. Be very careful.”

  “Danger from whom?” she asked, startled.

  “You spared my life—for we both know you could ’ave killed me if you wished—and now I ’ave paid you back. Equal warnings ’ave we traded as well. I count us even.”

  She drew her hand back through the gate, tilting the cardboard sleeve in her hand t
o pass it through the metal bars. It held a CD of some kind.

  Jeff announced sharply, “H.O.T. Watch says we’ve got heat signatures incoming. Four hostiles. Moving fast. Armed.”

  Kat started. She’d momentarily forgotten that the folks in the Bat Cave were monitoring tonight’s meeting via surveillance satellite. She murmured, “The men who chased you from the scene of last night’s theft are coming. Time to go, my friend.”

  “What men?” The Ghost’s question was sharp. Alarmed.

  He didn’t know? She thought fast. Should she warn him or not? Maybe they were some law enforcement agency that the H.O.T. Watch wasn’t aware of working on the case. If she gave the thief any more information, she could be compromising a criminal investigation. Except she’d already revealed the men’s existence. And her gut instinct said to tell the Ghost about the men.

  Jeff spoke in her ear. “Move out, Kat. Take cover.”

  She spoke fast. “Last night. Six men. Armed. Wearing black. White van. They staked out the estate. While I was chasing you, they were chasing both of us.”

  “What ’appened to them?”

  “Their van crashed. We took measures not to be followed home. Do they know who you are?”

  Jeff’s voice was more urgent. “Get out of there, Kat! They’re almost here. We don’t need a firefight out here.”

  The Ghost murmured, “Merci. I am in your debt once more.”

  Kat felt his swift departure into the bowels of the cave as a faint whiff of air against her skin. She took a quick look around and dove behind the curtain of hanging vines. Lying on a bed of moss, she announced quietly over her throat mike, “He’s gone.”

  Jeff snorted and muttered, “And they’re here. Everyone pull back. Quietly. No confrontation.”

  Kat reached out with her senses, hearing, smelling, even tasting the verdant night around her. If she crawled on this tender moss, it would rip, leaving obvious black gashes to mark her passage. Moving slowly, she drew her pistol and held it over her head with both hands in a firing position. Then she began to roll, gradually easing away from the cave opening. With each revolution, her gaze roved all around, seeking any movement, any shadow that was not of the night and of the forest.