Well, whether or not she would have to be used long term, he would have to use her to get over this bad patch with Ned. She was the right person in the right place, and he had little choice.

Get moving. She'd be busy on the search on the mountain for only a short while, then she'd be back. The excavators would have done the initial work by the time she got there. Whether or not she found anyone alive when she came back, she would still be suspicious and full of awkward questions. He took out his cell phone and dialed his pilot, Walt Franks.

Walt picked up on the second ring. "It's about time. Is Ned going to keep you up there all night?"

"Ned's been shot. Where are you?"

"Shot," Walt repeated. "How is he?"

"Okay. I had to have the vet here at the mountain take a bullet out of him, so I don't want to move him yet. Where did you set down?"

"But he's going to be okay?"

"Fine." Walt was crazy about the Lab, and Marrok should have known that he wouldn't get any information until Franks was assured Ned was not in danger. Well, he would have responded in the same way. "Two weeks, and he'll be bounding around like a puppy."

"That's good."

"Now, where are you?"

"I set the helicopter down in a glade on the other side of the island. Do you want me to come and get you?"

"No, you'd be spotted. The mountain is crawling with soldiers right now. The vet put a burr under them about a rescue dog being shot, and they're searching for the villager who did it."

"It was a villager?"

"No way. It was a Remington sniper weapon."

Walt was cursing. "Danner? He's found you?"

"That's my bet."

Walt was silent. "It's been four years, Marrok. How the hell did he do it?"

"Money. Manpower. Determination."

"I was hoping that we'd slipped under the radar."

"It was only a matter of time. Danner isn't going to give up until we find a way to take him out." He paused. "But first we have to take out his shooter here on the island. We can't risk leaving a trail for Danner to follow. If we can slide out from under here, we may have a little time for damage control."