“Oh, baby, don’t do this. I don’t want to put a gag in your mouth, but I will. I won’t let you talk about him like this.”

“All right, but didn’t you wonder about how crazy I was when he showed up here, knocked me over the head, and drugged me? When he nearly killed James?”

Amory St. John pulled away from Amabel. He walked to the bed and stood there, staring down at Sally. “In this dim light I can’t tell if you’re going to be bruised or not.”

“You really hit her that hard, Amory?”

“Don’t fret, Ammie. She deserved it. She spit on me. Over the years I learned exactly how hard I could hit Noelle to get a certain kind and color of bruise. But everyone’s skin is different. We’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?”

“You’re nuts,” Sally said. “You’re fucking nuts.”

“I would have whipped you if you’d ever said that when you lived under my roof.”

“It doesn’t matter, Amory. She’s frightened. She doesn’t know what’s going to happen to her.”

Sally said, “I know exactly what’s going to happen to me. He doesn’t have Doctor Beadermeyer to hold me prisoner for him anymore. No, he’s going to kill me, Amabel. You know that as well, otherwise you wouldn’t have admitted everything to me. No, don’t deny it. You’ve already accepted it. But I don’t really count. What will bring both of you down is hurting the FBI agents. You try killing James, and all hell will break loose. I know his boss, and you can count on it.”

“They’re stupid, all of them,” Amory said. He shrugged. “I know things will get even more difficult, but we’ll deal with it. Actually I’ve already set things in motion. It’s true I just didn’t count on that bastard getting you away from Doctor Beadermeyer again. That’s what ripped it apart. All my plans, Sally, everything has had to be rearranged. It has put me out. Now I’m no longer dead, thanks to the two of you. Now I’ll have to leave the country forever.”

“Just try it. They’ll catch you. With those arms sales to Hussein, you’ve got the Feds ready to tear the world apart looking for you.”

“I know. Such a pity. But it will be fine. I got most of my money out of the Caymans and Switzerland nearly a year ago. I left just a bit in all those foreign accounts, just to tantalize the Feds, just so they’d realize I knew exactly what I was doing. It will make them crazy, and they won’t catch me.”

“James will catch you.”

“Your James Quinlan isn’t going to catch a cold. He won’t have time before he’s sent six feet under.”

She felt such rage she couldn’t stop herself. She heaved up, hitting him in the face with her bound fists. Hard. He cursed, shoving her back, his own fist raised.

She heard Amabel yell, “Don’t, Amory!”

But that fist just kept coming down, not toward her face but toward her ribs.

31

“WELL, HELL,” QUINLAN said.“ Sorry, guys, but the old codgers were thorough. My army knife is gone. I always taped it to my ankle. Damn.”

Thomas said, “Damn is right. Corey, what are you doing? Why are you heaving around like a gutted fish? Why are you making those weird groaning sounds?”

She was breathing hard. “You’ll see. I didn’t count on Quinlan finding that knife. Just wait a moment, I’ve nearly made it through.”

“Made what through?” Quinlan said, desperately straining to see her in the darkness.

“I was a gymnast. I have the dubious honor of being the most flexible agent to go through the program at Quantico. I’m getting my arms beneath my butt and pushing on through and in just a minute—Jesus, this is tougher than it used to be when I was younger and skinnier—” She stopped, breathing hard, straining. “There.”

She was panting, laughing. “I did it!”

“What, Corey? For God’s sake, what did you do?”

“My hands are now tied in front of me, Thomas. Thank heaven they left enough leeway between me and the wall. The rope around my waist was higher than the rope tying my wrists together. Now, I’m going to turn around and untie the rope around my waist. When I’m free, I can do my feet and then get to you guys.”

“Corey,” Quinlan said, “if you get us out of this, both Thomas and I will recommend that you become the special agent in charge of the Portland field office. Right, Thomas?”

“If she gets out us out of this, I’ll beg her to marry me and be the SAC.”