On the Hunt

This piqued Harlan’s interest. “My friend’s wife is doing much the same thing.”

Belson nodded. “Sarah Logan. She actually mentored Kira Drake at her Summer Island facility. They’ve worked together for years.”

“Interesting.”

“But Drake is probably better known for her work as a tracker. Most dogs are trained for one specialty, be it bomb sniffing, cadaver seeking, or straight-out tracking based on a scent. She’s trained her dog, Mack, for all these things, and he’s accompanied her all over the world for a variety of missions. She’s even used him for a few archaeological projects. The dog can identify areas where foreign objects have been placed in the earth hundreds or even thousands of years ago. Like I said, extraordinary.”

Harlan looked down at the photo of Kira Drake on the magazine cover. Long gold-brown hair pulled back from a face that was dominated by huge dark brown eyes and a smile that held a hint of mischief. “Lovely,” he said absently. “And character in every line of her features. I suppose it couldn’t hurt to take a chance interviewing her.”

“If she’d permit it,” Belson said. “Like I said, she turned me down flat when I approached her last week.” He grinned. “I don’t know if she even knew who you were. Amazing. Rich as Croesus, two Nobel Prizes, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Do you want me to keep on trying? It might be worth it.” His eyes were twinkling. “If your ego can take it.”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Harlan asked with a small smile. “It might be worthwhile to make another try at persuading her to take my money. I’m sure you’ll enjoy a second opportunity to watch me fail to impress her with all that hype you’re so eager to spread. It’s one of your favorite sports, and you relish the chance to tell me about it later.”

“Perhaps,” Belson said. “Everyone needs to face an occasional put-down. Even me. But I don’t think that this will be one. I believe I have a way to get to her this time. I know someone who might persuade her that she wouldn’t be doing you a favor but saving the world. That way, she won’t think she’s wasting her time in the service of a rich, selfish playboy. My plan might work, but you’ll need to do something.”

“Heaven forbid. Marching orders, Belson?”

“Just a phone call. You’ll need to reach out to your friend John Logan and his wife and see if they’d be willing to put a good word in. As I said, Sarah Logan mentored her, and John has poured hundreds of millions of dollars into the Summer Island research facility. Kira Drake might be more willing to listen to them than to either of us.”

Harlan nodded. “You want me to use my friendship with them to recruit her?”

“For the very best cause. To catch someone who just murdered two hundred and thirty people. I know John Logan casually, and he might be willing to do it if I talked to him…”

“I don’t doubt it,” Harlan said dryly. “John Logan gave you a fantastic reference when you were applying for this job with me. You certainly managed to do a terrific con, talking him into doing it.”

“Con? I’m hurt. You know I’m a man who can reach out and make anyone come to terms with the world around them. It’s one of my gifts. This is relatively simple. One phone call from you, and then I’ll follow up myself. Yes or no: Should I tap the person who might lure Drake into your camp?”

“John Logan?”

“John’s wife, Sarah. He gave her Summer Island when they were newlyweds, and she allows Kira to use the island for training whenever she’s not on a mission. It’s fortunate Sarah has wonderful taste and finds me appealing and fairly brilliant.”

Harlan thought about it. “Why not? I’ve been after Taylor for a number of years and haven’t been able to catch him. I’m willing to try any avenue at the moment.” He dropped down in his office chair and opened the magazine. “I’ll research Kira Drake in depth and see what she has to offer.”

“That’s all I wanted,” Belson said. “You and Taylor have been playing cat and mouse ever since Taylor killed your brother, Colin. It’s become an obsession. You need to try something different. I like this job and don’t want to have to look for another one anytime soon. I told you that I investigated this woman, and she has the reputation of being a bloody wonder. There might be a way to use her to help you get to Taylor. He almost cut your throat in Rome last year.”

“And I was within a breath of getting him in Athens two months later.” Harlan’s lips twisted bitterly. “It’s only a matter of time.” He held up his hand as Belson started to interrupt. “But I admit I’ve reached a point where I’m desperate enough to listen to you. I’ll even read about this woman and her blasted dog and try to see what you see in her. Heaven forbid you end up on the unemployment line.”

“I won’t,” Belson said. “You wouldn’t let me. I’m too valuable. You’ll find you can’t exist without me. You just have to listen to me. It’s time you tried something new. So let’s go hunting. We can start near Mount Blue Sky in Colorado, where Taylor is rumored to have a hideout. You’re almost as good a tracker as that woman you’re so scornful about. You might even be able to get your hands on Taylor before she does. It’s what you wanted anyway. She’s unique enough that both the local cops and the Colorado governor might go for the idea of bringing her in just for the media exposure. They wouldn’t touch you given that you’re practically a national treasure.”

Belson chuckled as Harlan made a rude sound. “It’s true. No one wants to antagonize NATO or Congress. And this woman is something of an outlier, but she just might be able to help in some way. Give her a chance.” He got to his feet. “It’s time for me to get out of here. By the time you talk to John Logan, I’ll be on my way to Summer Island to try to persuade Sarah Logan to talk Kira Drake into giving you a chance to get what you want.” He tapped the magazine. “Be sure you read about how our dog lady managed to find that pirate treasure trove in the Bahamas. That should amuse you.”

“I doubt it. The only thing that will amuse me is getting Taylor in my sights.”

“Which might be the same thing,” Belson said. “Kira and her dog spent almost a year on that Caribbean island searching for those Spanish doubloons. When she found them, she insisted it was her dog’s keen nose that located the site where they had been buried. A bit hard to believe.”

“Don’t worry,” Harlan said grimly. “I’ll research everything about her before I interview her.”

“If you interview her,” Belson said as he left the office. “It depends on whether your connections and my charm are still as potent as ever. But you’ve got a great chance…”

SUMMER ISLAND

TWO DAYS LATER

Kira pressed her forehead against the private jet’s side window and looked down. “Feels good to be here, doesn’t it, Mack?”

The dog licked her hand appreciatively.

“It’s good to have you back,” the pilot said as he guided the plane over the island. “Both of you.”