Smokescreen Read online

  “I’m not going to get myself killed. Not if you stay out of my way.” She had to get through to him. In spite of his coldness, she could tell that Novak was listening, his face was very intent. She had an idea he always listened, was always thinking, trying to put everything together. “Zolak only became involved in this war because he thought that it would be just like the raids he’d been doing most of his life here in the mountains. From the time he was a young boy, that was what he was taught. But he didn’t count on all the deaths, and the slaughter of children all around him when this country exploded. He told his wife it made him sick. There’s no way he wants to join those cutthroat mercenaries Botzan hired. He wants out if we can find a way to bring him home honorably.” She reached out, and her hand closed on his arm. “Help me to do that, Novak. I’ve heard you’re smart and have enough influence to pull it off. Or just let me do it on my own.”

  He was silent, gazing down at her hand on his arm. Then he looked up at the top of the hill. “You said he agreed to meet with you?”

  She drew a relieved breath. “Yes, but he said I’d have to come alone. I’ve been writing my stories from his home village for the last month. I’ve grown to know his wife and children. They’re the ones who told me how he felt about the war. I talked to him on the phone myself last week. He wants to go home to protect his own village from all the Varaks of the world. I believe him.” She added: “But he’s very proud, he could be forced to go the other way if we don’t let him keep his dignity.”

  Novak’s eyes were narrowed on her face. “You think you know him that well?”

  “Some stories are easier than others to read. Will you stay here and let me go up there?”

  His lips indented in the faintest smile. “What would you do if I didn’t?”

  “Find a way to go around you. But I don’t think I’ll have to do that. You have a job to do, and you’ll do it. What do you care if some egotistical reporter thinks she can do it better?” She paused. “As long as you think I’ll get Zolak to go home, you’re going to let me go up that hill.” She took her gun from her pocket and handed it to him. “Will you keep this until I get back? Zolak said I can’t be armed.”

  Novak looked down at the gun for an instant. “Then of course you have to obey his rules.” He put the Beretta in his jacket pocket. “Go on. You don’t want Zolak to get nervous. You can tell him that I’ll work out something for him once he’s back at his village if you think it will help.”

  “It will help.”

  “Good.” Then he reached for his automatic rifle and settled down on his stomach, sighting down the scope before lifting his head to look at her. “But you’ll have to put up with me covering you for the entire time you’re up there with Zolak. I’d find explaining away the death of a reporter much too awkward.”

  “Don’t interfere, Novak.”

  “Did I say I’d interfere? I’ll give you your chance. But we’ve just met, and how do I know whether or not I’d regret it if Zolak decided to kill you? I do hate regrets.” He smiled. “But you’ll learn what I hate most is to lose an opportunity.”

  She inhaled sharply. She wasn’t sure what he meant. Yet she found she couldn’t look away from him. The intensity, the force, the intelligence that was far more interesting than just good looks. She wanted to stay and see what else was there…

  He nodded at the hill. “Get going. It will be fine. I’ve got your back.”

  She hesitated for only a second, then she was turning and swiftly climbing the hill. She could see the bushes move as Zolak’s sentries spotted her. She felt she was safe from Zolak, but she didn’t know how nervous those sentries would be.

  Forget it. Think of what she had to say to Zolak. How to persuade him to save his life and that of his family. How to keep him from joining those butchers. She couldn’t worry about anything else right now.

  Not even that strange, intimate moment before she had left Novak.

  Besides, she found that anxiety was ebbing away. She could almost feel Novak down there, watching her, aiming that rifle, protecting her. With every step she took, she was beginning to have a feeling that everything was going to be okay. She was going to pull this off. She was going to be able to convince Zolak to change his story or start a new one.

  And somehow it all had something to do with the fact that this time she wasn’t alone and that Novak had been there for her. Strange. When she was almost always alone.

  You’ll learn what I hate most is to lose an opportunity, Novak had said.

  Well, so do I.

  But at this moment, my opportunity is with Zolak waiting for me on that hill. I don’t have time for you.

  But I do admit it does feel good that right now you have my back, Novak.

  * * *

  And that day Jill had talked Abdi Zolak out of going to join the mercenaries and gone with him back to his village to get him settled with his family. But the next week she’d been sent to Jokan to cover an attack. Novak was right, they’d been at opposite ends of the country for almost a year, only seeing each other casually.

  But there had been nothing casual about him tonight, nor the way she was feeling. Which was an indication she should regard it as even more dangerous. Damn right, they couldn’t let it affect the work they had to do.

  So forget everything but getting rid of the monster who might already be knocking on their door.

  * * *

  Dawn

  The first pearl shading of dawn was lighting the sky as Joe punched in Jed Novak’s number. He’d just done an initial reconnoitering of Robaku. “Your security sucks, Novak,” he said curtly. “Two sentries? And they were deaf and blind. I could have taken them down in my sleep. Is this how you’re supposedly keeping Eve safe?”

  “No,” Novak said. “There’s another sentry nearer to the museum that you didn’t see who informed me that you were near the village. Plus there’s another guard down the road furnishing surveillance on anyone approaching from Jokan. I’m also using a drone that’s equipped with an infrared monitor to make a pass over the village every ten minutes. It just identified you as an unknown object and will notify those three sentries immediately.”

  “Two of whom would already be dead,” Joe said. “But the drone is a decent idea if you increase the number of flyovers.”

  “I’ll consider it.” He paused. “And those sentries are good men, you’re just better. If you’re through critiquing my arrangements, would you like to come and have a civilized discussion? Where are you?”

  “In the palmettos behind you.” Joe moved out of the trees. “And I’m not feeling particularly civilized at the moment.” He swiftly covered the yards that separated him from Novak. “But we might as well get this over with before I go to see Eve.” His gaze went to the stucco building behind Novak. “That’s the museum?”

  “Yes, but you probably already know that. I imagine you had Gideon draw you a map of the village or you wouldn’t have been so familiar with it. And you have plenty of time. Eve’s asleep, and Jill said she’s been pushing too hard and really needs it.”

  “That should make you both very happy,” Joe said bitterly.

  “It doesn’t. We don’t want to drive her to exhaustion,” Novak said. “But the sooner we get this over with and have an answer, the better for all of us. We can’t do that without Eve.” He met Joe’s eyes. “I realize you want her out of here, but you don’t have a chance until she finds out if that skull she’s working on is Varak’s. I believe you know that.”

  “Oh, I do. Because you have her caught in your net. So by all means let’s move fast. Tell me what else you’re doing other than depending on my wife. You wouldn’t be able to stand in the background any more than I would. You’d go straight to find the scientist who could have created the DNA evidence. Gideon said he knew you’d been investigating, but no details.” His lips twisted. “He said you were a very secretive man. Imagine that.”

  “Wouldn’t it only be practical to wait for Eve to
give us some evidence of proof?”

  “But that’s not your style. I’m surprised you didn’t ask for the money to pay off Hadfeld in the beginning. Politics in the director’s office?”

  Novak nodded. “The U.N. was being difficult. And I’d already been accused of being something of a fanatic about Varak.” His lips tightened. “But Jill wouldn’t wait. She went for it herself. Which ended with her going after Eve.”

  “Big mistake,” Joe said. “I still haven’t decided what I’m going to do about that. But I do know that if that reconstruction is not Varak, I’m not going to stand around and wait for politicians to decide what to do. I’ve got to be ready. So go back to the DNA evidence. Who do you believe to be responsible?”

  Novak gazed speculatively at him. “No questions about the possibility of even being able to defeat the mighty DNA? What do you know about falsifying DNA evidence?”

  “Enough,” Joe said curtly. “I had a murder case two years ago in which I was positive I knew who the murderer was but couldn’t prove it. I knew that Richard Sander had killed his wife. But the DNA blood evidence seemed infallible. So I assumed that it was a big lie and went out to prove it.”

  “And you did it? Interesting. How?”

  “Followed the money. I traced a bank draft from Sander to Tel Aviv to a dummy company. Then, when I started digging, I found out that one of the scientists, Sol Goldfarb, who had set up the company, had previously worked for an Israeli think tank that created a way of proving whether or not DNA evidence had been falsified.” He shrugged. “And if you know how to prove that, then it’s the next step to be able to create a better way to do it yourself.”

  “And did you get your killer convicted?”

  “No, I had an extradition problem getting Goldfarb out of Israel. But I’m still watching him. I’ll do it someday.” His expression became more serious. “And then I’ll hang them both out to dry.”

  “I’m sure you will,” Novak said. “And Israel did do some groundbreaking work in that direction. You must have learned a lot while you were trying to gather in Goldfarb. But I don’t think that the person who falsified the DNA on Varak is in Israel. I’m betting on Egypt.”

  “Why?”

  “Because Yusef Dobran is the most talented scientist I’ve ever run across in that line of work. His execution is nearly foolproof. He’s also the most expensive, and it would take big money to hire him. He’s got money to burn these days, and he can afford to be picky. Besides, anyone undertaking a replication of Varak’s DNA would think twice about doing it. Not only would it be dangerous because of the consequences of being caught, but the first thing Varak would do is eliminate the witnesses.”

  “Then why would Dobran do it?”

  “I have no idea. Fear? Blackmail? A staggering amount of money that he just couldn’t refuse? We’ll have to find out.”

  “If he’s still alive.”

  Novak nodded. “He’s alive. He’s rich enough to be able to afford excellent protection and lives in an exclusive area just outside Cairo, with a bevy of bodyguards.” He paused. “But everyone has an Achilles heel. He has an assistant, Hassan Sebak, who’s willing to cooperate for the right price.”

  “And he’s already told you Dobran did the job?”

  “No, he’s very cautious. But he did tell us that Dobran had recently done a very big job. For a price, he’s willing to find a way to bypass Dobran’s guards and get me in to see him. After that, it’s up to me to find out if he did the job and who hired him.” He paused. “Or up to you, Quinn.”

  “You’d rather risk my neck than your own?”

  “Any day of the week.” He smiled faintly. “But I realize it’s your decision. We’ll play it your way. My highest priority is keeping Eve working, and I’ll do that any way I can. I don’t want you to persuade her to do anything else.”

  “You must realize that’s bullshit,” Joe said impatiently. “Jill Cassidy researched her, and you know exactly what Eve will do. I’ve done all the persuading I can, and now I have to jump in and help her try to stay afloat.”

  “She thought that would be your plan, so I’m offering you the opportunity. I’ll send Gideon with you to Cairo along with any backup you need. Find out what you can about Dobran and everything he knows. It’s not many men I’d trust to go after him, but you’ll be able to do it. I’ll stay with Eve and protect her while she’s finishing the reconstruction.” He paused. “Or you can stay here and hold her hand, and I’ll go to Cairo.”

  “And that remark is obviously aimed at sending me down the road. I’ll think about it.” He started toward the museum. “But right now, I want to see Eve.”

  “Not yet.” Novak was suddenly moving past him. “Give me ten minutes. Jill insisted on staying with Eve to protect her, and I don’t want her shooting you. I’ll go and get her out of there.” He disappeared into the museum.

  Joe muttered a curse. Patience. But he was not feeling patient. Ten minutes? He didn’t want to stand here twiddling his thumbs. He wanted to see Eve now. He wanted to talk to her, see her face, and he wanted to know why she was willing to risk everything for this madness.

  If you could have seen that schoolroom, you’d understand.

  The schoolroom. The place that had horrified and captured Eve in a way that Novak and Jill Cassidy would never have been able to do.

  The schoolroom…

  He turned on his heel and started down the path.

  * * *

  “Joe…”

  He was near her. The familiar scent of him surrounded her. Eve could feel his warmth, sense the strength…

  “Shh,” he said softly. “It’s not time to wake up yet. Just let me hold you…”

  He was here, gently sliding onto the cot and turning her into his arms. Safety…Love…Home…

  Her arms slid around him, and she nestled closer. “Not much room on this…cot, Joe.”

  “We’ll manage.” His lips brushed her temple. “We always manage. Though I agree it’s not conducive to doing what I’ve been wanting to do since I left you in Atlanta. So just rest a little longer and let me hold you. That will be good, too.”

  Yes, they always managed to be together. And it was wonderful just having him here beside her.

  She relaxed against him and lay still, listening to his heartbeat. “Jill was…here. Where is she?”

  “I have no idea. Nor do I care.” He kissed her ear. “I believe Novak removed her from the premises to avoid conflict.”

  “She meant well.”

  “And she’s won you over,” he said grimly. “She won’t find me that easy.”

  “I wasn’t easy. She just proved to me that I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t do the reconstruction.” She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. “I have to do it, Joe.”

  “I know.” He was silent a moment. “I saw the schoolhouse. I could see the effect it would have on you.” Then he burst out, “Hell, it tore me apart.”

  “It’s the children,” she whispered. “I keep thinking about Michael. Outside of the home, a schoolroom is where a child feels safest. What if Michael had been in that classroom facing Varak with those other children? You wouldn’t be able to keep from trying to stand between them either, Joe.”

  “No, I wouldn’t.” Joe was silent again. “Then let’s get moving and make sure no one else will ever have to face him.” He brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead and gave her a kiss on the tip of her nose. “So much for you getting a little extra rest.” He carefully released her and moved off the cot. “That wasn’t going to happen, was it? Lights?”

  “Wall switch beside the door.” She was already missing the feel of him. She saw him silhouetted against the faint light pouring into the glass of the windows as he lithely crossed the room. It must be almost dawn. “I slept longer than I intended anyway.” She sat up and swung her legs to the floor. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

  The lights flashed on, and Joe’s gaze immediately zeroed in
on the skull on her dais. “This is him?” He went to the workbench and examined the reconstruction. “You’ve only done the basic measuring…” he murmured. “You have a long way to go.”

  “Not so long,” she said defensively. “I had repairs. It will go faster now.”

  “I’m not on the attack,” he said. “I’m just trying to gauge the time frame I have to work with.” He paused. “Novak wants me to go and check out a scientist who might have been capable of doing the DNA substitution. Did you know anything about that?”

  “Not about the DNA.” She had to be honest with him. “But I told him I didn’t want you hovering over me while I did the reconstruction. I would have trouble concentrating. Is what he wants you to do something that would be helpful?”

  He nodded slowly. “It would have been my first move anyway. I just don’t like leaving you again.” He was still looking down at the skull, thinking. “But Novak seems to have your security well in hand.” His lips twisted. “And your friend, Jill, is apparently ready to stand guard over you. Which is only right considering that she got you into this.”

  “I don’t think I could call her a friend, but she will protect me as much as she’s able.” She met his gaze. “I’ll be okay here, Joe. Don’t worry about me.”

  “Of course I’ll worry about you,” he said roughly. “You’re barely recovered from being poisoned. You look exhausted and pale, and you’ll drive yourself until you get this finished.” He tapped the skull. “But I can’t help you do it, so I’ll have to go and find another way to reach the same goal. I suppose I’ll head for Cairo.”