"Dickens will call you when he's near the hotel and tell you where to meet him tonight."

"What time?"

"Nine." He paused. "I hope you know how important you've become to me. I had to think long and hard before I decided to give up the satisfaction I'd feel to rid myself of Raztov in the way he deserved. But I had to throw a few red herrings out to keep you from thinking about your brother."

"Carmela wasn't enough?"

"She probably would have sufficed, but it took me a while to set up our little meeting tonight. Everything had to be just right, and I was afraid you might become suspicious at the delay and start thinking about other possibilities. So, since I'd made a deal with my honored patron anyway, I decided to let him dispose of Raztov a little early to cloud the waters."

"Who killed Raztov? Dickens?"

"God, no. Dickens can be lethal, but he has no skill. I had to make a deal with my future patron to hire an expert. He was very expensive."

"But you had the 'resources.'"

"Exactly. At least, Ki Yong had and he was willing to cooperate. But he struck a hard bargain, so I'm determined to make sure that our time together is worth it."

"What kind of bargain?"

"I'm going to let him take care of Senator Kimble and Handel right away so that my business here is completed. He's very tired of waiting. But in return I have to turn over Firestorm to him immediately after I finish here tonight."

"You'll never turn over Firestorm."

He chuckled. "How clever of you to realize that. But Ki Yong isn't that smart, even though he thinks he is. He knows he needs me for the initial testing period. And I'll be able to dangle the carrot for quite a while before I decide to skip away from him."

"Like you skipped away from our government? And killed Helen Saduz while you were doing it."

"I didn't kill her. She killed herself." His tone was sad. "I truly loved her. She would have completed me."

"But you didn't feel guilty sending her into danger."

"How could I feel guilty? She wanted to take Firestorm away from me. I knew from the moment she offered to go get those rather unimportant documents I'd left behind that she was going to betray me. I was profoundly grateful when the lab blew and I wasn't forced to deal with her myself."

"So grateful you immediately started negotiating with someone else for Firestorm."

"I couldn't bear doing business with anyone connected with Helen. It hurt too much."

"You're incredible."

"Yes, I am. And so are you. That's why tonight is going to be such a fascinating experience." He hung up.

Silver was studying her face as she pressed disconnect. "Okay?"

She nodded jerkily. "He has my father and I think he has my brother. But he wouldn't let me talk to Jason. Dickens is going to pick me up tonight and take me to Trask."

"What time?"

"Nine."

"Shit." He looked at his watch. "Three hours. We don't have much time."

Three hours. Fear jolted through her. "You and George are out of this. He said that Dickens would know if he was followed."

"He won't know." He opened the front entrance. "Trust me."

"I can't trust you. Jason is too-" She stopped, trying to gain control. She had to trust someone. "What can you do?"

"I'll be waiting near the place where you're to meet Dickens. I doubt if he'll be closed to me. I'll go in and he won't even know I'm there."

"What if he is closed to you?"

"Don't borrow trouble. Trask is the exception. I'll get through. If Dickens is difficult, I'll bulldoze him like a tank."

The words were confident, cold, and totally brutal. "Bulldoze? You said you had to be careful. You were worried about Carmela. Would Dickens's mind survive that kind of treatment?"

"No, but his body's not going to survive long either, so it doesn't matter." He looked at her. "He's a dead man, Kerry. I don't know if he helped Trask kill Cam, but I'm not taking any chances. Sorry if you're feeling qualms."

She wasn't feeling sorry for Dickens. It was shock at the ruthless transformation she was seeing in Silver that was causing her to question him. She hadn't seen this side of Silver since those first days she'd known him. "I'm not arguing. I don't know if he was an accomplice to your brother's murder, but I know he helped Trask set up Carmela to burn to death." She started toward the car George had pulled up to the curb. "Do what you have to do."

"Oh, I will," he murmured as he opened the car door for her. "And it won't be letting you go dancing into that booby trap alone."

She looked up at him as she got in the car. "In the end I'm going to have to go in alone. He mentioned a house where he's keeping Jason and my father. If you rush that house, he'll press his little button and everything will go up in flames."

"With him in it?"

"I'm not taking a chance with that crazy bastard when Jason's life is at stake."

"Then you'll have to get us a target," George said. "Can you get him to stand in front of a window or door where we can pick him off?"

"Maybe."

"And maybe not," Silver said. "You don't know yourself if you'll be able to push him to do what you want."

"You will not rush that house. You don't run any risk that might endanger Jason."

He lifted his shoulders and slammed the door. "Okay, we don't rush the house."

But he hadn't addressed her last, more comprehensive demand, she realized.

Well, she couldn't argue with him right now. The full impact of Trask's call was hitting home. She had to garner her strength and try to rid herself of this cold, paralyzing terror.

The call came from Dickens promptly at nine that night.

"Walk two blocks east to the Baptist church. I'll be there in ten minutes. If there's anyone with you, I take off and I won't be back."

"I'll come alone." She hung up the phone and turned to Silver. "Ten minutes. The Baptist church two blocks east."

"We're on our way." He headed for the door. "Come on, George."

"Action, at last," George said as he stood up and grabbed the duffel at his feet. "Let's go."

"Wait," Kerry said. "How long will it take you to get into Dickens's mind?"

"Not long. It depends on the subject. Five. Ten minutes."

"And how will I know whether or not he's blind to you?"

"You'll know. I won't let you go two blocks with the bastard if I can't do it."

"The hell you won't. I'm not going to forgive you if you do something to make Trask-"

"What have I got to lose?" There was a touch of recklessness in his tone. "You're not big on forgiveness where I'm concerned, anyway. If it comes down to you or your brother, guess which one I'm going to choose?"

"Out, Brad," George said quickly. "Haven't you ever heard honesty is overrated in a situation like this?" He opened the door and pushed him out. "It seems Brad's barbaric instincts are at the forefront, Kerry. I'll make sure you see us tailing you, since Brad says he'll make Dickens blind to us. I don't quite believe him, but it's a most interesting situation."

Interesting? It was terrifying, she thought. "You listen to me." She stared Silver directly in the eyes. "You've broken your promise to me before, but you can't break this one. You promise me right now that you'll wait until I give you a safe target to take out Trask."

"And what if you find you can't push him? I'm supposed to sit around and watch him burn you all to kingdom come?"

"Then you'll have to trust me to find some other way to lure him to expose himself."

He just looked at her.

"Promise me, Silver."

He was silent a moment. "I promise you I'll give you your chance." The door closed behind him.

It wasn't the answer she'd wanted, but it was all she was going to get. It was bad enough that she wasn't sure she could influence Trask. Silver had become an unknown quantity.

She checked her watch. Only a few minutes had passed, but it was time she left. How did she know what Dickens would do if she wasn't there on time? He was another unknown quantity. Her life seemed to be full of them.

The blue Ford made three passes around the block where Kerry stood before it pulled over to the curb.

"Get in." Dickens leaned over and opened the passenger door. He took her purse, rifled through it, and then ran his hand over her breasts and arms.

She pulled away. "What are you doing?"

"Checking for weapons and to see if you're wearing a wire." He gave a nervous glance at the Baptist church and then down the street. "Let's get out of here. I want to get this over with."

"No more than I do." She slammed the car door. "Where are you taking me?"

He dialed his phone. "I've got her. No, there's no one around. I made sure before I picked her up. I know my business, Trask."

"I want to talk to him."

He shrugged and handed her the phone.

"You said I could talk to my brother, Trask."

"Ah, yes. I was a little worried he'd be reluctant, but I believe he has something to say to you."

Jason came on the line. "Kerry, don't come. Find a way to get away."

He was alive. She hadn't realized until this moment how frightened she'd been that Trask had already killed him. "Are you okay?"

"Don't come," Jason said desperately. "My life isn't worth-"

Trask came on the line. "He must care a great deal for you. He's a smart man, and I don't believe he has any doubt that his own life is on the line. Now, you be good and don't give Dickens any trouble. He's nervous and he can be quite lethal. I don't want anything to happen to you." He hung up.

She handed Dickens the phone. "He said you're nervous. That must mean you don't like doing this. Wouldn't it be smarter to help me save my brother and bring Trask down?"

"Shut up." He pulled away from the curb. "I'm not nervous. Everything's fine. This is all going to be over tonight."

Where was Silver? He'd said five or ten minutes, and yet Dickens showed no sign that- Hell, what did she expect? She didn't know whether she'd even be able to tell any difference in Dickens's behavior if Silver had managed to get into his mind. "They'll catch you, Dickens."

"No, they won't. I'm through here the minute Trask gets on that plane with Ki Yong." He turned the corner and headed for the edge of town. "I'll disappear into the sunset with a bag full of money."

"If Trask doesn't decide you'd be perfect for one of his experiments with Firestorm." With seeming casualness, she shifted her gaze to the side mirror. Her heart sank as she saw the street behind them was empty. No one was following.

Dear God. Had something happened? Don't think about it. If she had to cope, she'd do it. "Trask is capable of any deceit. You must know what he did to Fairchild. What's to keep him from-"

A brown Lexus had turned the corner with George at the wheel.

Get closer," Silver said curtly. "You can't lose him."

"No?" George raised his brows. "You'll excuse me from being ignorant of the process, but wouldn't you be able to find out where he's going?"

"I don't want to waste the effort," he said curtly. "I'm having to dig down beneath layers of slime to find out what I need to know about the guards surrounding the farmhouse."

"Farmhouse?"

"That's where he's taking her. A farmhouse. Dickens had to scout it out for Trask."

"Then maybe you should find out where it is so that we can go ahead and wait for-"

"For Christ's sake, it doesn't work that way. I don't know this asshole's mind. I have to pick up what I can until I get control."

"Okay," he said soothingly. "Just a suggestion. You're right, I don't how this works. Who the hell does?"

"Sorry." Silver's gaze never left the car ahead of them. "Just get closer and don't lose him."

"You're sure he won't see us?"

"No, I'm not sure, but I don't think he will. I believe I've already got that much control."

"Then it's a chance."

"Hell, yes."