She left the bathroom and opened the door of the closet she’d passed on the way down the corridor. Four parachutes, a first-aid kit, some rations. Nothing really useful unless she wanted to jump out of the blasted plane. Not practical until she was able to figure out how to use those parachutes and found out where the plane was heading. For all she knew they might be over the ocean.
The thought frightened her. She didn’t know where she was or how much time had passed since Tanner had knocked her out. Did Volkov know about Gregor and Razov yet? What about Maria?
“Considering the parachute exit?” She whirled to see Tanner standing in the aisle behind her. He had two cups of coffee in his hands. “I really wouldn’t, until you hear what I have to say. You’re much better off with me.”
She tensed. “And what do you have to say?” she asked. “What time is it? Do my father and Volkov know what happened with Razov and Gregor?”
“It’s a little before dawn. Since I was told you had all night to dispose of Razov and Gregor, I assume Volkov won’t know yet how efficient you were. But they should very shortly. We didn’t have time to dispose of the bodies.”
“Damn you.” Her hands clenched into fists. “Why couldn’t you have kept out of it?”
“Because I was given an extremely good reason not to do that. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.” He stepped to the side and nodded at the seat across the aisle. “Now why don’t you sit down and drink your coffee and I’ll explain.”
“I don’t want to sit down. I want you to take me back. You’ve probably ruined everything, but maybe I can convince Volkov I did the kill.” She ran her hand through her hair. “But if he paid you, that won’t work. Maybe I can think of something else. What can I do to get you to lie to him?”
“Stop.” Tanner put the coffee cup in her hand and pushed her down onto the seat. “Now listen to me, and then you can try to bribe me. Volkov didn’t send me into that forest, your friend Sergai Kaskov did. He didn’t like the odds you were facing and thought that you might need help.”
“Kaskov? He’s not my friend.” Or maybe he was, but Lara had never been sure. “He should have stayed out of it. He might get Maria killed. I didn’t ask for help.”
“Kaskov evidently didn’t care whether you wanted help or not. I’ve never found him to give a damn what anyone else thinks in the scheme of things. He just decided that he wanted you away from a bad situation and tapped me to get you out of it.” He took a drink of his coffee. “I have experience in extraction, and my job is to whisk you away from here and out of the country. I’m to settle you somewhere you’ll be safe from both your father and Volkov.”
“Why you?”
“He knew I could do the job, and he offered me something that would give me enough incentive to go to any lengths to do it well. Which I will do.” He smiled crookedly. “So get used to me. I agreed to take this job, and you’re stuck with me until I finish it.”
“You’re supposed to take me out of Russia?” she asked slowly. His words were gradually sinking in and her gaze flew to his face. “Truly? You’re not joking?”
“It’s no joke. Kaskov said that you wouldn’t be safe from Volkov while you were still in Russia. My deal was to get you out and then somewhere he wouldn’t find you.”
“Yes, I’ll be safer out of Russia.” It was difficult to believe. It was too good to be true. But she mustn’t get this excited. “But that doesn’t mean Volkov will stop searching for me. He never lets go of anything that he owns.”
“Owns?” Tanner repeated slowly. “I don’t believe I like the way that sounds.”
“I don’t care what you like. Volkov is what he is. He practically owns my father, so he owns me, too. It’s been like that since the games started.” She leaned forward, her gaze focused on his face. “But this could be a way out. If you’re not lying. If Kaskov isn’t playing some kind of game. He’s very…strange. I’ve never been sure about him.”
“I’m not lying, Lara,” he said quietly. “I can’t vouch for Kaskov, but he’s going to a lot of trouble and expense if this is a game to him.”
“That wouldn’t matter to him. Men don’t care about pain or money or trouble when it comes to their games. It’s worth it to them.”
“Is it?” His gaze was narrowed on her face. “I suppose there’s something in what you say, but not in this case. I fully intend to get you out of here.”
She met his eyes. “You really mean it,” she said in wonder. She drew a deep breath and then let it out. “But it’s not that easy. I can’t go with you. Not unless you find a way to take Maria with us.”
“Maria?” he repeated. “Your mother? I’d hardly leave her behind. Kaskov already told me that you wouldn’t go without her. I had two of my men pick her up before I went after you. She should be over Finland by now. She’ll be meeting us in Stockholm.”
“Finland.” He’d rattled off those words so casually. Why not? He had no idea what they meant to her. Or how often she’d dreamed of flying away anywhere to freedom. She’d almost done it once before, but she’d been caught…and punished.
“I hope that’s okay?” Tanner was staring at her quizzically.
“I don’t know if it is or not. It might be. If it’s the truth.”
“Would you like to talk to her?”
“Yes.” She moistened her lips. “Could I?”
“I don’t see why not.” He smiled as he took her cup from her. “You didn’t drink this. I’ll get you a fresh cup when I go get Nash’s phone number from Mallory. He took your mother’s phone away and got rid of it so that she couldn’t be traced. It’s standard operating procedure. I did the same with yours. We’ll replace them in Stockholm.”
“It seems like a smart idea,” she said absently. Then as he turned away, she suddenly called, “Tanner.”
He looked back at her.
“No one’s ever done anything like this for me,” she said awkwardly. “If it’s true. If it really works, I’ll always be grateful to you. There’s nothing I won’t do to pay you back.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said lightly. “I’d much prefer gratitude to the fate you had in mind for me when you first opened your eyes.”
“I thought you were just another enemy,” she said. “I’m not used to having anyone do anything for me. It was…strange.”
“But then so is our entire encounter to date.” He smiled. “We’ll just have to become accustomed to it, since we’re going to have to be around each other.”
He was gone again.
She leaned back in the seat and tried to relax. It was either a lie or the truth. She was still leaning toward thinking he had lied to her. As she had told him, she couldn’t see why anyone would want to help her. She and Maria were alone in a world that had seldom shown them mercy. Why should Kaskov or this stranger bother themselves to interfere with her life?