He jumped to his feet and ran back toward the butcher shop. He was out the gate and turning left at the street.
Go straight for another couple blocks then turn east again, he thought. Try to find other alleys and byways that would lead toward the fireworks factory.
It had been the right thing to do. He was on the right track.
He didn’t know why he was so certain, but there was no doubt in his mind.
He just had to follow his instincts, and he’d be okay.
* * *
Catherine glanced at her watch. “It’s been forty-five minutes. Where the hell is Cameron?”
Hu Chang shrugged. “Why are you concerned? He said he’d left men across the street if there was a problem.”
But they weren’t Cameron, she wanted to tell him. He was trained in mayhem and was a bloody expert at this kind of trouble. She had wanted him here, dammit.
“It’s time you took Erin down to the basement, Hu Chang. Get her out that passage to the next building. We’ve got to keep her safe.”
“And leave you here alone? I don’t believe I could tolerate that scenario. Think of another one.”
“Cameron said he’d be back. You weren’t having any trouble with the idea of that before.”
“That was before I knew I had to leave you alone.”
She drew a deep breath. “Okay, take Erin out of the building and get her safely settled with Blake’s man. Then come back to me. Does that work for you?”
“Not entirely.” He was silent. “But it will have to do. Erin is no warrior and should not be here. If it’s to be done, it must be done immediately.” He turned and moved quickly across the room. “Call me if there is danger.”
She heard the freight elevator going down two minutes later. They should be out of the building within another few minutes, she thought. Hu Chang could move at warp speed when he wished.
It was good that he was taking care of Erin. Good that he was no longer in the building. It had been a good decision to send them away now.
The darkness was oppressive and lonely.
For God’s sake, this was her job. She had been in similar situations dozens of times since she had become an agent. What difference did it make if Cameron was with her or not? None at all. She could handle it. She would just sit here and wait for Kadmus to call or the action to start.
Eight minutes later, the telephone rang. She let it ring only two times before she answered. “You’ve only got one minute before I hang up, Kadmus. I’m not going to give you Cameron or Erin, so this call is useless.”
“Useless? No such thing.” Kadmus sounded almost amused. “And one minute will be sufficient. I’m in the proverbial catbird seat, and I’m ready to go after you, Catherine.” He added softly, “And, when I get you, you’re going to tell me everything I need to know. Do you know why?”
“Evidently you’re going to tell me.”
“Because I’ll have the boy. I’m tracking him now. What a fool you were to let him go wandering around Chinatown. Or did he just slip away from you?”
She lost her breath. “You’re bluffing.”
“Why, I believe you didn’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
“He’s wearing a dark blue sweatshirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. Familiar?”
Oh God, yes. It was what Luke had been wearing at the dinner table this evening. She closed her eyes as waves of sickness rolled over her.
“I should have him at any minute. If you don’t tell me where to find Cameron, the pain I caused Erin will be nothing to what your son suffers.”
“You don’t have Luke. You won’t have him.” She had to hang up. “And if you or any of your men try to hurt him, you’ll be a dead man.” She hung up.
She only had five or ten minutes before Kadmus and Brasden would have their men surrounding the factory.
But Luke was somewhere out there in the streets. Kadmus didn’t have him yet.
Yet.
From what Kadmus had said, Luke was being followed. She had to guess Luke had somehow found out about the factory, and he must be on his way here.
He’d be coming straight toward Kadmus.
No!
She was across the room and jumping on the three boxes at the window. She climbed out on the fire escape. She took a glance around. No sign of Luke. No sign of Kadmus or his men.
Not yet.
She had to make sure. She called Celia. “Listen, Celia, is Luke with you?”
“No, of course not. I’m sorry, Catherine, but I told Cameron that I had no idea the boy would—”
“You told Cameron?”
“Yes, when he called to check on—”
Catherine hung up the phone.
Cameron had known Luke was not at Celia’s and not told her. He had set off on his own to find him without a word to her.
She was going to kill him.
She flew down the fire escape.
“Cameron! Do you hear me? If there’s one time you should be in my head, it’s now, you bastard. Where the hell are you?”
“At the end of the next alley over. I’m handling it, Catherine. I’m taking care of Luke. Go back to the factory. I’ll bring him to you.”
“I’m not going to do anything but safeguard my son. I’m on my way to you. You have Luke?”
“Not yet. I’ve been leading him toward me.”
“Not yet? Kadmus knows about him.”
“I know, Luke’s had one of Kadmus’s men on his tail since Spring Street.”
“How close?”
“Luke’s lost Kadmus’s man twice, but the guy’s pretty savvy. I’ve had to do some gentle guiding to keep Luke avoiding him and on the right path.” He paused. “But Luke’s too close to the factory now. I’m going to have to step in and permanently rid him of his tail.”
“This is my job. Why the hell didn’t you tell me what was happening?”
“Because I knew you’d go after him, and there wasn’t any way that you wouldn’t be recognized if you were spotted. That wouldn’t be good for you or for Luke. I had a chance of leading him here without Kadmus’s knowing about him.”
“Well, it didn’t work.”
“I’ve kept him alive so far, haven’t I?” He paused. “I won’t let him be hurt, Catherine. I made you a promise.”
“You keep that promise,” she said fiercely. “But I’m not relying on you. How close is that scumbag following Luke?”
“Very close. And Luke is thinking about doing something rash. I’m trying to keep him—”
Cameron was no longer there.
Panic.
Catherine tore across the street and down the alley.
Luke.
Oh, God, she could see Luke at the far end of the alley. But he wasn’t running, he was standing still, slightly crouched.
On the attack? He was just a boy. But he had attacked Tashdon on the helicopter. No, Luke, please don’t do—
Too late.
A man in a yellow jacket had rounded the corner.
Luke sprang forward and gave him a karate chop to the neck.
But the man recovered and whirled away from him.
He was cursing as he pulled out his gun and aimed it at Luke.
“No!” This was a nightmare. She jerked her own gun from the shoulder holster. Let her be in time.
Cameron.
Suddenly there, out of the darkness, incredibly fast.
He dove between Luke and his attacker.
A shot.
Cameron jerked.
Had he been shot?
No, Cameron leaped on the man in the yellow jacket and with two moves stunned him with a blow to the neck before slicing his throat.