Silencing Eve

not regard me as any real danger to her. It’s actually safer for you to let us shadow her.” She paused. “Please, Venable, I know Harriet Weber. Everything I’ve told you is the truth. I can understand where your loyalty lies, but just give me two hours.”
    He was silent.
    “She’s as fanatical as Doane about honoring her Kevin with this nuclear holocaust. Don’t make the mistake of not thinking she’ll do anything she has to do.”
    Venable was talking to someone in the background again. “Breital says that a Learjet was chartered late tonight and told it had to be ready for an immediate departure.”
    “Harriet’s parking,” Caleb said. “Hangar 23.”
    “Hangar 23, Venable,” Jane said. “Is that the Learjet?”
    He was gone for a moment. “That’s it. Gassed and ready to go. Breital is trying to find out what flight plan was filed.”
    “Providing the pilot follows the plan,” Caleb said. “I’ve been known to fudge a bit.”
    “I can get a satellite and radar verification of the progress of any plane in the air once we get a fix on it,” Venable said. “If I decide to let her get in the air.”
    “Well, bully for the CIA,” Trevor murmured. “But you can’t keep her from blowing up herself and two very fine cities if she chooses to do it.”
    “Yes, he could,” Jane said. “His friends are all for the efficiency of drone strikes. But if she had even a hint that it was coming, she’d press the button.”
    “Breital just reported that a woman of Harriet Weber’s description boarded the plane,” Venable said.
    “I thought as much,” Caleb said. “The GPS indicates a move across the tarmac.”
    Relief flooded Jane at his words. It had been logical that Harriet would not leave Kevin’s box of letters in the car after she’d taken it from the hotel, but it was good to have it confirmed.
    The airport exit was just ahead, but they still had no confirmation from Venable.
    “Two hours,” Jane pleaded. “Give us a chance, Venable.”
    He was silent for a long moment. “Two hours,” he said at last. “No more. And I’m making alternate plans in case there’s a screwup. You wouldn’t like my alternate plans. Junot’s already made arrangements for the plane you requested. He commandeered an executive jet that was ready to fly to Las Vegas. That plane better be a hell of a lot faster than that Learjet because you’ll have to arrive ten to fifteen minutes before Harriet Weber does.”
    Jane felt limp with relief. “Thank you, Venable.”
    “I won’t say you’re welcome. I’m still mad as hell with you. And I want those nuke locations.” Someone was talking to him again. “Hangar 43. Get there and get there quick. It’s a Gulfstream. Harriet’s Learjet is requesting takeoff from the tower. You’ve got to hope she doesn’t get it right away, or she might be too far ahead for you to make up the time.”
    “We’re almost there,” Trevor said.
    But Venable was no longer on the line, and Jane could visualize him shaking and moving, cracking orders with whiplike effectiveness. She had no problem with that awesome efficiency as long as it wasn’t leveled against them.
    “I’ll give Venable what he needs to know about the nukes as soon as we’re on the plane,” Margaret said quietly. “I’ll have time to go through those security videos and see if I can zero in on a probable location.”
    Jane nodded. “Give the security tape to her, Trevor.” She was glad not to have to concentrate on anything at the moment. Her mind was a jumble of fear and hope and desperation.
    They pulled into the parking space by Hangar 43, and she jumped out of the car. She could see the Gulfstream, sleek and golden, like a crouching puma under the bright lights.
    That plane has to be fast, Venable had said.
    Everything was now dependent on their reaching Seattle before Harriet.
    “We’ll do it.” Trevor took her hand as he came around the car. He smiled down at her. “Stop worrying. We’ll send Caleb up to the cockpit to take over for the pilot. I’ll bet he has a few tricks to cut some time off the trip.”
    “I’d already planned on it. I’ll get us there on time.” Caleb was striding across the tarmac toward the plane. “But you’re not helping by standing around holding hands. Nauseating. Get on the damn plane.”
    *   *   *
    HARRIET GAZED OUT THE window of the plane and watched a plane take off from the next runway.
    The pilot had told her they were fifth in line