She grabbed a pair of binoculars off the console and looked toward the horizon. "I think I see something. A small, beat-up cruiser that's not moving."

Jack grabbed the binoculars to look for herself. "Ca.s.s," she said. "Let's take the goons out now."

"Still too many boats around. Be patient, you're close."

"d.a.m.n it." Jack gripped the wheel with both hands. "If he's hurt her, I'll kill him on sight."

"Rozsa's almost to it," she said, following his progress with the binoculars. The red boat pursuing him picked up speed, but before she could tell Jack to gas it, too, Jack hit the throttle and she had to hold on for balance. "He just changed boats," she said as Rozsa climbed aboard the cruiser.

They were gaining rapidly on the boat carrying Dario's goons.

"Slow down, they saw us," she said when the two men turned their attention to their yacht and pulled out handguns. "Get down, Jack, they're going to-"

* 358 *

She pulled Jack down with her when the bullets started to fly around them. She stuck her head up during a brief lull and saw Rozsa peek out of the cruiser's c.o.c.kpit, then duck back down again.

Dario's men were getting dangerously close to Rozsa's boat.

She and Jack had only a minute or so to stop them before they went aboard and killed both Rozsa and Ca.s.s.

Jack pulled a grenade from her rucksack and handed it to her.

"You know where this is for. I'll cover you." She revved the engine to full throttle and sped toward the men. The goons started shooting again and they shot back, Jack with one hand on her gun and the other on the wheel. They stayed low and were only a few yards from the boat when Jack yelled, "In five."

She removed the pin and held it.

"In two," Jack yelled, and slowed down.

She released the spoon, which gave them five seconds to detonation, and stood up while Jack kept firing. They were no more than four feet away when she threw the grenade into the other boat.

Jack hit the gas to get as far away as possible and they braced themselves for the impact. Seconds later, the air seemed to reverberate from the ma.s.sive explosion, nearly knocking them off their feet, and bits of fibergla.s.s and other debris rained down all around them. When she looked back, all she could see were floating plastic cushions and lawn chairs, and a swath of fire on the oily surface from spent gasoline.

Rozsa's cruiser was close enough for the waves to toss it around like a ball. Jack turned their boat around and headed for him.

As they pulled alongside, he started shooting at them from a broken window of the enclosed c.o.c.kpit.

Jack and Chase crouched down and waited. "How many bullets do you think the crazy scientist has?" Chase asked.

"Enough to put one in Ca.s.s."

"Not if he thinks we're here for the money," she said. "He'll use or kill Ca.s.s if he thinks she's important to us. Otherwise, she may still be his only meal ticket." She hollered over at the other boat as another bullet whizzed over their head. "Stop!"

"Who are you?" Rozsa yelled back.

* 359 *

"We just want the money."

"Are you with Dario?"

"Yes," Chase hollered.

"Who was on the other boat?"

"I don't know, but they looked like feds. They've been following us since the bathhouse."

"Why did you kill them?"

"Dario asked us to. If you get caught, he's screwed."

"I made a deal with that idiot," Rozsa shouted angrily. "Money in advance, for services not yet rendered."

"Look, man..." she shouted, then whispered to Jack, "Go now," before turning her attention back to Rozsa. "I don't know what your deal with Dario is. I'm just doing my job." Jack crawled to the side of the boat away from Rozsa and slipped over and into the water.

"He wants me dead," Rozsa yelled. "He can go to h.e.l.l."

"Just give me the money and we can get out of here." She tried to keep him occupied. "The police will be here soon after that explosion. I don't want to be around when that happens. Do you?"

"I made a deal with-" Rozsa stopped talking and, a few seconds later, Jack's voice rang out.

"I've got him!"

She looked up. Jack had Rozsa in a headlock from behind, his gun in her hand.

Chase jumped on the other boat and took him from Jack.

"Take the money," Rozsa pleaded. "It's in the cabin."

"f.u.c.k you and your money. I'm going inside." Jack opened the hatch and disappeared below.

"Who are you?" Rozsa appeared confused.

"The people you stole from," Chase replied.

"But the money-"

"Stole the woman from."

"What?" Rozsa stared at her, obviously shocked.

* 360 *

ChaPter thirty-nine.

Jack pa.s.sed through the galley and opened the door to the tiny sleeping compartment. A pet.i.te figure wrapped in blankets lay on the floor. "Ca.s.s?" she whispered. "Ca.s.s? Baby, is that you?" When the figure didn't stir, Jack's heart almost stopped. She knelt and slowly pushed back the blanket a bit. She saw her angel's blond hair, immediately recognizable. But still, she didn't move.

Jack was close to losing her sanity. "Ca.s.s?" she said again, her voice shaking. She pulled the blanket down farther. Ca.s.sady's back was to her, and Jack gingerly touched her neck.

The skin beneath her fingertips felt cold. "Oh...f.u.c.k," Jack croaked as tears streamed down her cheeks. "f.u.c.k. G.o.d, please, no." She touched Ca.s.s again and gently pulled her by the shoulder until she was lying on her back. Ca.s.s's eyes were shut, bruised and hollow, her lips were cracked, and her forehead had a long gash across it. Although she was dressed in an oversized sweatshirt, Jack could tell she was severely underweight. Jack touched her face and it, too, felt cold.

"G.o.d, baby, what did he do to you?" She fell back against the wall in anguish and pulled her hair. "I'm so sorry, Ca.s.s, I should have been there. I should have never let you go. I-"

"Jack, is she...?" Chase asked through her earpiece.

She couldn't bring herself to answer and admit the truth.

"I'm so sorry, Jack," Chase said when she didn't respond.

* 361 *

She rested her head on her knees and sobbed until she couldn't breathe.

"Jack?" The familiar voice was so faint she barely heard it.

Holding her breath, Jack scrambled to kneel beside her lover.

"Baby?" Ca.s.s opened her eyes.

"I'm here, baby." Jack caressed her hair. "I'm here, now." Her tears of grief became tears of relief, and she let them fall freely.

"Landis, call for a f.u.c.king ambulance. Now!" The rescue helicopter arrived ten minutes later, as the local police pulled up in two boats. Chase could tell Jack was doing her best not to shoot Rozsa as she watched the paramedics load Ca.s.sady onto the chopper. Every now and then, she had to remind Jack that Ca.s.s would be okay and that it was over.

Some of the local cops took Rozsa into custody and left immediately, while the rest stayed to interview them. After some discussion and a call to Interpol, Chase was given possession of the duffel bag with Dario's money. By the time they were escorted back to the harbor, the FBI and Interpol had agents there, waiting for a debriefing. One of the feds was already giving an interview to the media about how they had done their best to catch Rozsa and that all their efforts, time, and money had paid off.

"News travels fast."

"Especially where grabbing the glory is concerned. Some things never change," Jack said.

"No, they don't." Chase's phone rang and she checked the caller ID. "It's Pierce. Want to take it?"

"Yeah, right," Jack replied.

"Chase 200967."

"Is Lynx all right?" Pierce asked immediately.

"She'll be fine. They took her to the hospital."

"And Phantom?"

"She's next to me. Do you want to talk to her?"

"Yes. Great job, Chase."

"It was all Jack, Pierce. I could have never done it without her.

She's the best you ever had."

* 362 *

Pierce cleared his throat. "I'm aware. I hope she stayed out of trouble."

"I kept her straight." She smiled. "Oh, I need you to call the feds and get the paperwork started on relocating Heather and her brother."

"Will do. Reno's already working on your transport home."

"Great. Here's Jack." She held out the phone.

Jack cringed. "I said no."

"He just wants to thank you."

Jack rolled her eyes and put the phone to her ear. "Yeah?" She tapped her finger impatiently on the cell as she listened for a few seconds. "Yeah, okay," she said, and hung up.

"I swear," Chase said, "sometimes you two are like father and daughter."

"And you would know this through all your years of experience with one?"

"Touche, but you know d.a.m.n well what I mean."

"Scary thought," Jack said.

"Could be worse. By the way, I haven't smelled nicotine on your breath since we got here."

"I quit after I met Celeste."

"Did she scold you?" Chase smiled.

"Yeah, something like that." Jack chuckled. "I'm going to get my stuff from the hotel and head over to the hospital. They should be done examining Ca.s.s by then. I should have shot that medicopter b.a.s.t.a.r.d for not letting me go with her."

"There wasn't enough room."

"There would have been if I'd shot him." Jack laughed.

"It's good to hear you laugh again." Chase put her arm around her shoulder as they walked to the van.

Jack paused and looked at her. "We good again?"

"Yeah. We're good."