“Very true. But wouldn’t it be easier to just let me run the show? It will be much more comfortable for you.”
“No, it wouldn’t.” They’d reached the ground and the plane was bumping down a runway. Maria. In a moment she was going to see Maria and find out if all of this had been truth or only a cruel elaborate trick by Volkov to raise her hopes and then dash them. She unbuckled her seat belt. “But I can’t talk to you anymore right now, Tanner. I have to get off this plane. I have to see her.”
“Yes, you do.” He undid his seat belt and was heading for the door. “And you will. I do play games, but not that kind.” He motioned to Mallory, who had come out of the cockpit. “Okay?”
Mallory nodded. “They’re opening the door and putting down the steps.” He grabbed a suitcase from the coat closet by the door. “Better take this. Tanner thought you might need it.” He tossed a Sherpa jacket over Lara’s shoulders. “Wear it. It’s colder out there.”
She put it on impatiently as she heard sounds on the other side of the door. Then the door was sliding open and she was flying down the steps!
“Lara!” Maria was running toward her. “I was afraid to hope. It was like a miracle…”
Then Lara was in her arms, holding her tight. “I know. I know. Me, too. But maybe it’s not.” She pushed her back and looked at her. “They treated you well? You weren’t lying about Nash?”
Maria shook her head. “I just didn’t understand. I was afraid Volkov was playing a trick to hurt you.” She tenderly cupped Lara’s face in her two hands. “You really got away from them?”
“We got away from them.” She was trying to keep the tears from falling as she went back into her mother’s arms. “And we’re never going back. You’re not going to have to worry about them ever again. I’ll find a safe place for you.”
“Shh, now isn’t the time to talk about that.” She looked beyond Lara to Tanner standing a few yards away. “You brought Lara to me? You must be the Logan Tanner that Nash was telling me about.” She was studying him. “I believe we all have a lot to talk about. Can you find a place where we can do that?”
“That’s not on a plane,” Lara added quickly. “Not yet.”
“Right. I’m very glad to meet you, Madam Balkon,” Tanner said. “From what I’ve heard about you from your daughter, you must be an extraordinary woman.”
“Maria.” She was still looking at Lara. “Call me Maria.”
“Whatever.” He smiled and waved his hand toward the building across the tarmac. “Maria, I thought we might need a bite to eat and a little neutral ground, so I asked Oliver Radkork, the manager of the airport, to let us use his office facilities and his apartment for the rest of the day. If you’ll take Lara over there and get settled, I’ll see if I can get Oliver to recommend something good from a restaurant in town to deliver.” He smiled. “If that’s all right with you?”
“It’s fine. Thank you.” She looked at Lara. “Thank you for everything.” Then she slipped her arm around Lara’s waist and led her away. “Come on. Let’s get inside out of this chill. You need a shower and I need a hot cup of tea and a lot of information from you. Nash kept telling me I’d have to ask Tanner every question I asked him, which did me no good at all. I hope to hell you had better luck getting something from Tanner.”
“He wasn’t hesitant about talking to me if that’s what you mean. Whether it’s true or not…” She glanced back at Tanner, who was still talking to Mallory. “He brought you to me, that was the truth. That’s all that’s important now. We’ll decide the rest later.”
Chapter
4
I’m very impressed by Mama Bear,” Mallory murmured to Tanner. “She’s not what I expected. Lara was so protective of her that I thought she’d be more…helpless. And that photo Kaskov gave you didn’t do her justice. She’s very attractive, almost as stunning as her daughter.” He looked critically at Maria’s dark hair swept back in a plain chignon and her features that were almost classic though without even a hint of makeup. “When Kaskov visited Lara and had her play for him, maybe he was really after the mother. What do you think?”
“I think you’re way off base about Kaskov. But I agree that Maria is unexpected. She’s very strong. So it’s a puzzle why she could let her daughter take the punishment she has.” He was watching as the two women disappeared into the airport office. “Exceptional affection and protectiveness on both sides. Understandable. Very natural that the closeness would be that extreme considering what they’ve shared through the years.”
“You’re taking her apart, piece by piece.” Mallory smiled. “I assume you have a reason other than my idle query?”
“Your queries are seldom idle,” Tanner said. “They almost always have an objective. And I’m taking her apart because I just realized that I have to understand her as well as I do Lara. As you say, she’s strong. She’ll fight me if she believes I’m doing something that isn’t in the best interest of the team.”
“Team?”
“That’s how I’ll have to think of them until I get Maria on my side.” He grimaced. “I’m going to have to call Kaskov and ask him a few questions.”
“About Maria?”
“And several other subjects.”
“Sandrino?”
“Definitely Sandrino.” He turned away. “Why don’t you see about setting up a decent dinner. A mellow atmosphere will ease my way this evening. I don’t know how long this call will take.”
To his surprise he was able to get past a secretary to Nikolai in under thirty minutes and then was instantly put through to Kaskov. “All is going well, I assume?” Kaskov asked. “Lara Balkon is out of Russia and not injured?”
“We’re outside Stockholm and I’ve brought Lara together with her mother. They’re both safe, and I’m getting ready to make final transfer plans. What about Sandrino?”
“I’m making progress,” Kaskov said. “I’m sure I won’t disappoint you.”
“Progress isn’t good enough. I want facts. How far have you gotten?”
“I know Sandrino was in Moscow about the time you told me you’d tracked him down to Kazan.”
“That’s all?”
“That’s more than you’ve found out from anyone else. Patience, Tanner.”
“Are you playing me, Kaskov?” Tanner asked softly.
“A good question. But you’re much better at that than I am. And you’re too valuable for me to break faith with you when I might need your services in the future. I should be able to give you what you need by the time you finish my job.” He paused. “But I understand Volkov and Balkon are already in a fury trying to find her. Balkon is asking a lot of questions, and he’ll eventually get answers if he pays enough. That final transfer had better be made quickly, and be far away from Stockholm. It’s definitely too close for me. Where are you taking her?”