“Perhaps I’ll tell you…when the job is finished.”
Kaskov chuckled. “Tit for tat? Just so you don’t make the mistake of using her against me. That’s not permitted. I haven’t made my final arrangements for her yet.”
“I imagine she might have a few objections to you doing that,” he said dryly. “It’s clear you don’t know her that well.”
“And it’s clear you think you do. No, I admit I wasn’t really interested in anything about Lara but her music.” He paused. “Did you play the DVD I sent with you?”
Tanner was tempted to lie, but that would be an admission that the answer mattered to him. “Yes.”
“How many times?”
The son of a bitch. “She’s very good.” He changed the subject. “But she’s also exceptionally difficult. I might have trouble with her. And Maria Balkon was a surprise to me. They’re close and might present a united front that will make it necessary to separate them to avoid problems.”
“Separate them…” Kaskov repeated. “From what I’ve observed in my time with them, that might be a challenge. Actually, the idea is amusing. I’m glad that you’re the one that’s going to do it. Do tell me how it works out.”
“I’ll be sure to do that.” He kept his temper. “But I’d like to avoid a radical step like that if I can. So I want you to tell me everything you know about Maria Balkon and I’ll see if I can use persuasion. I hope you paid more attention to Maria than you did Lara.”
“Only her attitude toward Lara, but naturally she was part of the picture when I made the decision. You’re right, Maria Balkon is an interesting problem…”
* * *
“You’ve told me everything, Lara?” Maria asked. “All Tanner wants is to take us away somewhere safe until Kaskov finishes making his arrangements? What arrangements?”
“I have no idea.” Lara held up her hand as Maria opened her lips. “And Tanner didn’t ask. He made it clear this is just a job and as soon as it’s finished, he’s gone. But not until then. He has some kind of code where his work is concerned.” She frowned. “He’s probably going to get in my way.”
“A code isn’t bad.” Maria’s lips twisted bitterly. “Though very rare. I can’t remember either one of us running across anyone else who has one in all these years.”
“Maxim,” Lara said quietly. “He had one about the music and he taught it to me.”
Maria nodded. “I’d forgotten. Of course he had a code.” She quickly changed the subject. “So how is Tanner going to get in your way?”
“We don’t know anything about him, so there’s no way we can really trust him. I have to find a secure place for you that only you and I know about. That’s the only way I can be certain you’ll be safe.”
“And then you’ll go and lead Volkov and Anton away from me?” Maria was shaking her head. “No, Lara. That’s not the way it’s going to be.”
“That’s the way it has to be. If I have you safe, then I’ll be able to go wherever I need to so that I’ll be free, too.”
“While you’re looking over your shoulder and waiting for him to find you? He will find you eventually, Lara. The only value Anton ever had for Volkov was that he could use him to get to you. First with the Trials, and then with the fact that Anton’s family has contacts with cartels all over the world that he can tap for information. That’s how he found us before.”
“But we never managed to get out of Russia that time, only to the Ukraine border. It will be different now. I’ll make sure of it.”
“You’ll try,” Maria said softly. “And if you don’t succeed, it will only be you that suffers. That’s been your philosophy all these years, but it’s going to stop. You’re right, we do have more of a chance now. But we’re not going to waste it with you trying to persuade me to hide away while you go on the run and enjoy that nonexistent freedom you’re telling me about. So we’ll come up with a way that makes sense to me. One that won’t involve either of us hiding away and still being a victim.” Her lips were trembling as she tried to smile. “We’ve had enough of that, haven’t we?”
Lara flew across the room and into her arms. “Yes,” she whispered. “But none of it was your fault. You should let me do this.”
“Let you lose all the joy and the music?” She held her closer and then let her go. “Because that’s what it might mean, and I couldn’t bear it, Lara. So you’ll let me have my way in this. Say it.”
She was silent. “I’ll let you have your way if I can. But only if I can see another path that will keep you safe.”
“Then we’d better start exploring,” Maria said. “And one of the paths might be Tanner. We might not have to trust him as long as we can come to terms with him. I got Nash to talk about him a little on the way here. He respects him. And it wasn’t like the fear of Volkov’s men. What do you know about him?”
“Not much. He’s intelligent. He’s really good at karate. He took down Razov better than I could have. He’s not afraid of Kaskov even though he knows him better than Volkov does. Mallory says he’s always watching and trying to see beyond what you’re seeing, which usually puts him a step ahead. I believe that’s true. And when he promised me that he’d tell me something, he kept his word. He likes control.” She frowned. “I think that’s all.”
“Really?” Maria raised her brows. “I’d say that’s quite a bit for one plane ride. I believe it would be worthwhile to probe a little deeper and see if he can be of use.”
Lara shook her head. “He likes control.”
“Then we’ll give it to him. But that doesn’t mean we can’t shape the way we want him to use it.” She put her cup down on the coffee table.
“I want to talk to him. I’m certain that you’re right about everything you’ve said about him, but I need to make my own judgments. So why don’t you go and take that shower and wash your hair while I give Tanner a cup of tea and we size each other up. I’m sure he’s curious about me, too.”
“You’re trying to get rid of me.”
“Absolutely.” She smiled. “Don’t be so wary. He’s only another man, and you know I’ll have no problem.”
“Yes.” She slowly got to her feet. “If that’s what you want. But be careful, he’s…different.” She picked up the suitcase and started back toward the bedroom. “He might surprise you.”
“I doubt that. It’s more likely that I’ll surprise him,” Maria said. “But either way, we’ll both know where we stand.” She paused. “And he’ll understand that you’re not alone in this. And so will you, Lara.”
“I’ve never thought I was alone. You were always there for me.”
“Was I? It didn’t seem that way to me.” She grimaced. “But this is a new day. We both have another chance.” She made a shooing gesture. “Now jump in that shower. I don’t want you to get in my way.”