Run, Hide - By Carol Ericson Page 0,17
through my PC, and they couldn’t detect anything.”
She yanked Gavin’s blanket over his shoulder and smoothed imaginary creases from it. “Maybe all we have to do is keep out of sight until whoever has those plans makes Zendaris an offer he can’t refuse.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Where you’re concerned, it never is.”
This time he ignored her. “The person who stole the plans may not want to make a deal with Zendaris at all. Maybe he wants to replace Zendaris as top-dog arms dealer and sell the plans to the highest bidding terrorist organization or rogue nation.”
“Then Zendaris will find out soon enough.” She spread her arms to encompass the small room. “Isn’t there some sort of terrorist network where that kind of news would travel fast?”
“There is and it does.”
“So, again, once Zendaris realizes you don’t have the plans, he’ll back off. We...Gavin and I will be safe.”
“Never did like the idea of relying on something out of my control to keep my family safe. I don’t want to sit around and wait for the person with the plans to make his move.”
“What does that mean?”
“Prospero is planning to go after Zendaris.”
“Why haven’t you before?”
Cade propped up the mantel with his shoulder. “He’s evasive, slippery. We don’t even know what Zendaris looks like. We don’t know where he lives. We don’t know if he has a family.”
“Wow, Prospero is really slipping.” She tossed her head, and her gleaming hair caught the weak light seeping into the room from the east-facing window. “I guess Jack Coburn isn’t superhuman, after all.”
Case shook his head and chuckled. “He’d be shocked to hear himself described as superhuman.”
“That’s how you made him come across. You idolized him.”
Jenna’s blue eyes fogged over with wistfulness. As ridiculous as it seemed, Cade knew Jenna had always felt he’d chosen Jack Coburn over her when he’d decided to join Prospero.
Well, hadn’t he? Just like his father had chosen the life of a con man over staying with his family. Cade had learned how to abandon his family at the knee of a master.
He shrugged off the mantel and circled behind Gavin’s chair. He leaned his forearms on the back, hunching over his son. “Coburn’s a good man, Jenna, an honorable man, but I didn’t join Prospero out of any blind hero-worship.”
“I guess I don’t blame you for joining Prospero so much as I blame you for marrying me when you knew darn well the life of a secret agent loomed in your future.”
He leaned farther over the chair, nearly touching her forehead with his. “That was totally your fault. One look at you, and I could no more resist you than I could turn down any cockamamy dare.”
She drew back. “Don’t change the subject. Do you have any idea who might have taken the plans from you?”
“Could be any number of people or groups, but whoever has them would want to keep his identity secret for as long as possible to keep Zendaris off his tail.”
“And keep him on ours.”
“Exactly.”
“Once you catch Zendaris, Gavin and I can stop running.”
“Once we catch Zendaris...” How many times had he repeated those words to himself? They’d taken on an almost-magical quality because they represented freedom for him, freedom to claim his family.
His gaze shifted to Jenna, watching as she ran her hand across Gavin’s new buzz cut. Would he be able to claim them? Would Jenna take him back?
He had to make sure she’d want nothing more.
“Yes? Once you catch Zendaris?”
Was she holding her breath or was he?
He cleared his throat. “You and Gavin will be safe once Zendaris is out of the picture.”
“I’m sure Prospero has plenty of enemies. How can I be sure there won’t be another one ready to take Zendaris’s place, ready to threaten me and my son?”
Our son.
“There’s only one Zendaris. With him, it’s personal.”
“You never did explain what happened on your first assignment with Prospero. All I know is you left me and then returned only to warn me to get lost and never show my face again.”
He braced his forehead against his clasped hands. “I know it must’ve seemed that way, but I warned you out of necessity. After we completed our mission, Zendaris found out about our families and vowed to take revenge.”
“That must’ve been one heckuva mission. What did you do to him?”
“We spoiled his biggest arms deal to date.” Cade closed his eyes as heat surged through his body, even the memories powerful enough to pump adrenaline into his veins.
“What did he expect,