Page 79 of Poison Evidence

Luke and Ian had spent the last two days running down leads in Koror with Palea, as they waited for Umetaro to return from a second trip to Kayangel. The only new information that had come their way was forwarded to Palea by the DIA. The real Jack Keaton had been tracked down in Madagascar. The man was happy and healthy, but a dead end as far as information on Dimitri was concerned.

As they waited for the seaplane pilot to return to Koror, Ian and Luke had outfitted a boat for cruising the Rock Islands. If Umetaro hadn’t returned this morning, they’d have set out already.

“We’ll pay you twice the going rate,” Ian said.

Alec Ravissant had given them carte blanche over the budget for this job, and Luke knew that for Ian, the search was more urgent knowing that Zack Barrow was here and on the hunt for Ivy.

“Where do you boys want to go?” Umetaro asked. His thick accent thinned the longer they talked. Umetaro was an interesting man. He seemed like he’d been playing an exaggerated version of himself until Luke presented him with Dimitri’s card.

“Rock Islands,” Ian said.

“That’s a little broad. Have a fancy for a particular island?”

“Wherever it is that Keaton has spent the most time in the last few months,” Luke said.

Umetaro stood. “Tell you wot, if Keaton calls me and says he wants to talk to you, I’ll pass on your number.”

Luke rolled his eyes, while Ian gave the man his Raptor business card and, Luke suspected, at least two hundred dollars. “There’s a sat phone number written on the back, for when we’re out of cell phone range.”

“I’ll let you know if I hear from him.”

They thanked the man and left the enclosed hangar and proceeded down the dock to the yacht they’d rented. Once they were aboard, Luke asked, “Did you plant the tracking device on the plane?”

“Yep. He knows something. Bet he flies out of here in ten minutes.”

“Nice of you to give him gas money,” Luke said.

“If he’s going to lead us to Veselov, I figured it was the least I could do.”

For the third time, they heard a plane pass over their refuge. Ivy glared at the cave ceiling. The solar panels on the hilltop might be missed on a first or even second pass, but a third flyover was a bad sign. “What do we do?”

“I’m going to swim out through the tunnel and see who it is.” Dimitri rolled from their mattress and reached for his Under Armour briefs and shirt.

“With scuba?” Ivy asked as she grabbed her own discarded clothes from the cave floor.

“No time.”

“Dammit, Dimitri, it’s too dangerous!”

“I’ve done it many times.”

“I don’t care. It scares the hell out of me.”

“Scarier than being snuck up upon by one of your ex’s cronies?” He wrapped a hand around her neck and pulled her to him and kissed her, hard and fast. “Do you remember the PIN for the satellite phone?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He grabbed the neoprene holster with his Sig sealed inside and strapped it on. “If I’m not back in thirty minutes, or if you hear gunfire, use the phone. Call Curt Dominick and give him your coordinates. Then shoot anyone who tries to enter the cave, unless you know it’s someone Dominick sent. It’ll take a team of SEALs at least an hour to mobilize from Guam.”

He turned to the water, then glanced over his shoulder, giving her a meaningful look. “I love you,” he said, then took a deep breath and dove into the pool.

He disappeared in the dark depths, his bubbles lost to the rippling surface.

She hadn’t had a chance to say the words back. She didn’t know if she could, so maybe it was for the best. But now she held her breath in unconscious sympathy, wondering how long it would take him to traverse the tunnel and surface again.

Given the pounding of her heart and panic in her soul, she suspected she did love him.

She should have insisted on exploring the tunnel herself. They had scuba equipment. She might feel better if she knew what he was facing.

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