Shattered Mirror (Eve Duncan #23)(97)

“She can’t do that,” Joe said. “Give her a break.”

“I don’t have time.” He glanced at Kaskov. “Norwalk is going to want you there when he kills her. That means that he’ll call you and set it up. I want to know when that happens.”

“That’s entirely possible.”

“And you’re going to go where he tells you to go. You’re not going to sit here in this antebellum mansion and send Nikolai.”

“I’ll do what I wish.” Kaskov met his eyes. “As I always do. And if I didn’t see how upset you are, there would be a reckoning for your insolence.”

“I am upset,” he said softly. “You have no idea. I’ll use you if I can. If I can’t use you, I won’t permit you to get in my way. I won’t let Cara die.” He turned on his heel. “If neither of you can help me, I’ll have to go back to using Ladeau. I brought him with me. I have two maps in the car that Ladeau selected as possible sites for building a shelter in the swamps that would have the total isolation Norwalk needs. I’ll bring them in, and we’ll take a look at them.”

“A cooperative effort?” Joe said dryly. “What a surprise.”

“I’ll use anyone I can,” Jock said. “You were a SEAL. You know about operating in swamp terrain, and that could prove valuable. Eve might find a detail in the maps that could trigger something. Kaskov is intelligent and may know more than he’s telling us. And eventually he should know where he’s going to have to go to meet with Norwalk.” He headed for the front door. “I’ll be right back.”

*

“I don’t believe I’ve seen this Jock Gavin,” Kaskov said as he gazed after Jock. “He’s always been innovative and lethal but not this … reckless.”

“He’s not reckless.” Eve could see how he might mistake the total focus and icy concentration. “He just doesn’t care. He’s driven. He’ll do anything he has to do and nothing must get in his way. And he’s incredible in what he does.” She looked at him. “Don’t you get in his way, Kaskov. Ordinarily, I’d try to stop him. Cara would be very upset with me that I didn’t. She hates it when anything twists him like this. So do I. But if anyone has a chance of getting Michael and Cara back, it’s Jock.” She gazed directly into his eyes. “This Jock.”

“I told you once that you’d kill for your son.” He smiled faintly. “And now you’re willing to use Jock as the weapon.”

“No, I’m not. Because I’ll be there beside him when he finds Norwalk.”

“If he permits it. Everything appears to be ebbing and flowing at the moment.” He shrugged. “We shall see.”

“Two possibles.” Jock was back and unrolling the first map on the coffee table. “This one is Green Cypress Swamp. Both of these swamps are off the beaten routes of any of the swamp tours because the waters are too difficult to negotiate, and it’s too easy to get lost. Once lost, you’re in bad trouble. Ladeau says nothing lives in either one of them but snakes and alligators. Very prehistoric.”

“Are there islands?” Eve came over to look down at the map. “I don’t see any islands.”

“Ladeau said he thought he remembered seeing a couple, but he was there only once. No reason to go back when it would have been foolish to try to take any tourists back there. But, if they exist, this map doesn’t show them.” He unrolled the second map. “Black Pool Swamp. Same scenario. Ladeau knows there was at least one island there because he tried to set up a tour through this swamp once and thought he might be able to use it as a rest stop. But once the interest faded, he thought it would be a lost cause to keep it on his agenda.” He pointed to the first map. “He thinks the chances are that it’s either one or the other. But they’re halfway across the state from each other. We can’t afford the time to try to wind our way through both those swamps. We have to guess right.”

“Not much information,” Joe said. “Can’t you go back to Ladeau and dig deeper?”

“I could. I have him tied up and locked in my car outside right now. But it would be useless. Ladeau told me everything he knew.”

Joe frowned. “You’re certain?”

“Everything,” he repeated with emphasis. “These were the only two options he could see that would afford Norwalk the isolation he’d need. I only brought him with me because I’ll need to take him along to act as guide when I make a decision.” He turned to Eve. “Joe’s right, neither choice is good. Do you see anything? Do you have any … hunches?”

He meant could she relate anything she was seeing to what Michael had told her. She shook her head. What could she see? Two dense swamps that Jock had said were almost prehistoric in nature. One that had perhaps only one island when Michael had shown her three. The other might not have possessed even that. Nothing on the map.

Snakes and alligators.

Michael had mentioned those, but both swamps had them. Probably every swamp in Louisiana had them.

Think. Was there anything else that would set one apart? Anything Michael had told her that could help.

Help me remember, Michael.

But Michael had helped her all he could, it was her responsibility now. She gazed at the second map with the island where Ladeau had been going to set up his rest stop. But he had abandoned that idea when—