“You can do anything you have to do,” she said fiercely. “Just as I can. If you’re still blaming yourself for that damn miscalculation, go ahead. It will just give you more reason to make certain that Sasha comes out of this alive. I might call to your attention the fact that I’m the one who’s painting a bull’s-eye on Sasha’s back this time. Now sit down and help me stage this so that all the pieces will fall just the way we want them. Judging from what’s happened between Sasha and Reardon lately, I’d guess that Reardon will be the major stumbling block we’d have to target. You’re the only one who knows how he thinks, what the trigger would be to drive him to react. Get to work.”

He stared at her for a moment. Then he smiled slightly and nodded. “You’re right, we can do whatever we have to do.” He fell to his knees and leaned closer to the map. “Reardon has always been stronger than Masenak, and we’ll have to deal with that. But there’s a possibility of striking a balance to use their antagonism against them. I’ll deal with that later. Right now I want to see how difficult it would be to spring your trap.” His gaze was narrowed intently on the winding road leading from the helicopter pad and utility garages to the cliffs on the north side of the canyon. “I think you might have chosen very well…”

“Of course I did,” she said. “As you said, there are only two guards that patrol that north escape road. We’d have no trouble getting rid of them. And if Masenak hasn’t altered the numbers and locations of the other guards, then taking them out would be completely manageable.”

“I can see that. But you don’t only want manageable,” he said absently as his finger traced the road from the castle down to the canyon floor. “It has to be fast, distracting, with maybe a little surprise…Let’s see what we can do to polish this a little…”

Chapter 17

Chapter
17

Jubaldar
5 A.M.
12 Hours to Race Time

The horses.” Sasha had listened carefully to everything Alisa said, but that was the first thing she’d asked her when she’d finished. “What about Zeus and my other horses?”

“As soon as the race starts at five this afternoon, Margaret and those Berber boys from Samlir will have them out of the main stable and on their way. I promise. Margaret and Juno will get them the rest of the way down to the pine forest. The race itself will be a massive diversion, but we’ll also stage another one if necessary.” She paused before adding, “But if all goes well, you won’t have to worry about them being shot anyway.”