toward them. He was pale, obviously nervous, and carrying a medium-size brown-leather suitcase. It had to be Swanson, Jill thought with relief.
He stopped short as he reached Novak, his gaze fixed warily on Jill. “Who is she? You were supposed to be alone.”
“Yes, I was,” Novak said dryly. “Plans changed. You’re not compromised. She’s just an expert to make sure that you’re not trying to pass off bogus merchandise.”
“I couldn’t do that. The imprint of the ID on the skull can’t be counterfeited.”
“She’ll verify it.” He handed Swanson an envelope, then the shopping bag. “The replacement. And if anything is wrong, I’ll be back for you.”
“Nothing will be wrong.” Swanson stuffed the envelope in his jacket pocket. “But you have to have it back by Monday. When the inspectors come, I can’t cover for you.”
“I know that. Get out of here and get that replacement skull in the vault.”
Swanson turned away. “I’m going. You have only three minutes before that guard will be back at the gate after his smoke. You’d better hope he doesn’t come back early.”
He was gone.
And Novak was grasping Jill’s arm and running with her toward the gate. He pushed her through it and was locking the gate behind them. “Run! South to the end of the block and around the corner.”
Jill ran.
She didn’t look back.
Three minutes.
But it must be less than that now…
Then Novak was passing her, and the next moment pulling her around the corner.
She pressed back against the high stone wall, breathing hard.
“Don’t stop. Keep moving.” Novak jerked her back into motion. He was still running, holding tight to the suitcase. “My jeep’s a half block down.”
She saw it, the black jeep he usually drove. She dived into the passenger seat as soon as he pressed the lock release.
Novak shoved the suitcase onto her lap and slammed the driver’s door. The next instant he was starting the car and pulling away from the curb.
Jill’s heartbeat didn’t slow until they were three blocks away from the U.N. headquarters. “So I’m an expert?” she asked after she got her breath.
“What else was I supposed to say? It was as good a lie as any. I would have been ready with a better one if I’d known you’d do this to me.”
He was angry, she realized. It wasn’t unexpected. He liked to be in control. He probably thought he had a right to be angry with her for interfering with his plans. Too bad. She hadn’t been about to let him do this without her.
“I think you did know. You even said it when I called you. So stop growling about it. You know I had to be here.”
“The hell I did. If I hadn’t thought that you might do something to blow the switch if I didn’t monitor you, I’d have hung up when you called.”
“I would have been careful. I wouldn’t have done anything to put you in danger. That’s what this was about.” Why couldn’t he understand that? “We’ve been together since the beginning. I wasn’t going to let you be alone. You might be CIA’s golden boy, but stealing this skull could cause you big trouble if anything went wrong.”
“I can take care of myself.” He was gazing at her incredulously. “What could you have done to save my ass anyway?”
She shrugged. “I’d just say that I was the one who was going after the skull because of the story potential. Everyone would believe me. Reporters have the reputation of doing anything for a story.” She added quietly, “And I’d tell them that you were trying to stop me. But I had to be there at the switch tonight or it wouldn’t have worked. Swanson had to see me.”
Silence. “Oh, he saw you all right.” He looked straight ahead. “And he’ll remember you. You’re crazy, you know.”
“Maybe. And it might have all been for nothing. Everything seems to have gone smoothly. But I had to do it.”
“Why, dammit?”
“I owed you,” she said jerkily. “The night I was…hurt, you came after me. You didn’t have to do it. You’d already told me to stay out of it. But you found me, and you took care of me.” She moistened her lips. “It was a bad time for me. I’ve been alone most of my life. I wasn’t alone that night.”
“Your thinking is wonky as hell,” he said hoarsely. “That’s not how I remember it.”
She shook her head. “And then you did everything you could to let me help, to let me find them.