as he took the porch steps two at a time. “Venable’s down there running the operation. Tell him I sent you.”
“I’d rather not have a CIA man hovering over me.”
“Too bad. We’re all in this together.” His voice was harsh with frustration. “I keep going down blind alleys. I’ve got to find a way to get to Eve.”
Vancouver
ZANDER SHRUGGED OUT of his jacket as he let himself back into the library after spending two hours working out at the gym. He should be feeling tired, but he was not. He was alert, revved, every sense alive.
He didn’t turn on the lights as he crossed the room to the desk. There was moonlight, and that was usually enough for him. He had trained his eyes to crystal sharpness over the years, and he kept them that way through constant practice. The gadgets and infrared glasses were all very well, but there was always that time when you didn’t have them. Then natural weapons always prevailed.
He dropped down in the executive chair and stared down at the Duncan dossier.
Are you still alive, Eve Duncan?
And why should I care? I gave up the luxury of emotion years ago. Or it could be that it gave me up.
Perhaps he didn’t care. He had dealt with death since he was a young man and knew to become involved was to open himself to defeat. At times he believed that defeat would be welcome, but he still had a keen sense of self-preservation and enjoyed some aspects of the life he’d carved out for himself. If he died, it would be his choice and not that of Doane.
Maybe what he was feeling was distaste at the idea of Doane’s entering his space, not rejection at the possibility of his killing Eve Duncan.
Whatever it was that was moving him, he didn’t like it.
Then face it and get rid of it. The worse thing that could happen was to sit around and think about Doane. He wasn’t worth it.
He reached for his phone and quickly dialed Donald Weiner, his telecommunications expert. “Do you have it?”
“Zander?” Then the sleepiness left Weiner’s voice. “Yeah, I think so. I wasn’t sure that you still wanted it when you didn’t call me back.”
“I wasn’t sure either. I’m sure now. Have you traced Doane’s call or not?”
“It wasn’t that easy. He didn’t stay on the line that long and he had it bouncing off satellites and—”
“He stayed on longer than he should have to be safe. I thought at the time that he might have wanted to lure me to wherever he is. Besides, you’re a genius. If I’d wanted excuses and easy, I’d have hired someone from a Geek desk at BestBuy to bug my phone.”
“I wish you had.”
“Don’t worry. You didn’t hear anything incriminating that would make me nervous in that conversation.” That call when Doane had phoned, spitting venom and threats and put Eve Duncan on the phone, had been more incriminating to Doane than to him, and Weiner was too afraid of him to be a threat. When Venable had told Zander that Doane was on the move, Zander had known that Doane might call him and taken precautions.
“I didn’t really listen to it,” Weiner said. “I just started tracking the signal.”
“Liar.”
“Okay, maybe a little. But I’m not stupid, I hear lots of stuff in my business, and I destroy the records as soon as I finish with them. You can trust me.”
“I don’t have to trust you. All I have to do is pay you; and then you give me the information. Where is Doane?”
“Somewhere in southern Colorado. Wild mountain area. I couldn’t zero in on the exact location, but I’ve got the tower.”
“Map it and send it to my cell phone. Now.” He hung up and leaned back in the chair.
Colorado. Mountain area.
Even if he had a start, it wouldn’t be an easy hunt.
He had done his own research on Doane and his son five years ago, when Venable had snatched Doane away and stuffed him in that safe house. Doane was a hunter and very good at it. Zander couldn’t see him exposing Eve to wild conditions when she was doing the
“I’d rather not have a CIA man hovering over me.”
“Too bad. We’re all in this together.” His voice was harsh with frustration. “I keep going down blind alleys. I’ve got to find a way to get to Eve.”
Vancouver
ZANDER SHRUGGED OUT of his jacket as he let himself back into the library after spending two hours working out at the gym. He should be feeling tired, but he was not. He was alert, revved, every sense alive.
He didn’t turn on the lights as he crossed the room to the desk. There was moonlight, and that was usually enough for him. He had trained his eyes to crystal sharpness over the years, and he kept them that way through constant practice. The gadgets and infrared glasses were all very well, but there was always that time when you didn’t have them. Then natural weapons always prevailed.
He dropped down in the executive chair and stared down at the Duncan dossier.
Are you still alive, Eve Duncan?
And why should I care? I gave up the luxury of emotion years ago. Or it could be that it gave me up.
Perhaps he didn’t care. He had dealt with death since he was a young man and knew to become involved was to open himself to defeat. At times he believed that defeat would be welcome, but he still had a keen sense of self-preservation and enjoyed some aspects of the life he’d carved out for himself. If he died, it would be his choice and not that of Doane.
Maybe what he was feeling was distaste at the idea of Doane’s entering his space, not rejection at the possibility of his killing Eve Duncan.
Whatever it was that was moving him, he didn’t like it.
Then face it and get rid of it. The worse thing that could happen was to sit around and think about Doane. He wasn’t worth it.
He reached for his phone and quickly dialed Donald Weiner, his telecommunications expert. “Do you have it?”
“Zander?” Then the sleepiness left Weiner’s voice. “Yeah, I think so. I wasn’t sure that you still wanted it when you didn’t call me back.”
“I wasn’t sure either. I’m sure now. Have you traced Doane’s call or not?”
“It wasn’t that easy. He didn’t stay on the line that long and he had it bouncing off satellites and—”
“He stayed on longer than he should have to be safe. I thought at the time that he might have wanted to lure me to wherever he is. Besides, you’re a genius. If I’d wanted excuses and easy, I’d have hired someone from a Geek desk at BestBuy to bug my phone.”
“I wish you had.”
“Don’t worry. You didn’t hear anything incriminating that would make me nervous in that conversation.” That call when Doane had phoned, spitting venom and threats and put Eve Duncan on the phone, had been more incriminating to Doane than to him, and Weiner was too afraid of him to be a threat. When Venable had told Zander that Doane was on the move, Zander had known that Doane might call him and taken precautions.
“I didn’t really listen to it,” Weiner said. “I just started tracking the signal.”
“Liar.”
“Okay, maybe a little. But I’m not stupid, I hear lots of stuff in my business, and I destroy the records as soon as I finish with them. You can trust me.”
“I don’t have to trust you. All I have to do is pay you; and then you give me the information. Where is Doane?”
“Somewhere in southern Colorado. Wild mountain area. I couldn’t zero in on the exact location, but I’ve got the tower.”
“Map it and send it to my cell phone. Now.” He hung up and leaned back in the chair.
Colorado. Mountain area.
Even if he had a start, it wouldn’t be an easy hunt.
He had done his own research on Doane and his son five years ago, when Venable had snatched Doane away and stuffed him in that safe house. Doane was a hunter and very good at it. Zander couldn’t see him exposing Eve to wild conditions when she was doing the
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