“Anything else?”
She shook her head. “But if everyone in his little world pooh-poohed his work, isn't it logical he'd try to take it to someone else?”
“Like Betworth, who's known as one of the shining beacons in U.S. environmental issues? So he set Lontana to work in the labs at Fairfax. Evidently with some success.”
She frowned. “But Powers said they lost him. Everything went wrong because they lost him.”
“Then we've got to find him. If he's still alive.” He dialed Galen's number. “I'll see if this new information helps.”
“It's all guesswork.”
“That fits together.” He walked out on the porch as he gave Galen a rundown on the computer info. “Have you found out anything else about him yet?”
“We didn't run across that report in Nautilus. We do know he no longer lives in Rio. He works out of Nassau in the Bahamas. We haven't been able to get in touch with him. I have a man on his way to Nassau now.”
“He may not be alive. When Powers said they lost him, he might have meant they had to dispose of him.”
“Stop being a pessimist. It doesn't sound like that to me.”
“Well, then here's something else you can be optimistic about. I want you to trace Al Leary and see what he's up to.”
“Leary . . . Oh, your old CIA contact. What do you want to know?”
“Everything. Including his cell-phone number.”
“Why?”
“Powers wasn't as much help as I'd hoped.”
“But Leary will talk?”
“Oh, yes. I'm a little irritated with him about setting me up after Fairfax. He'll talk.”
“Considering he's fully aware of your capabilities, I'd bet on it. What should I know about him?”
“He's smart, well educated, and gay. He's still in the closet because he thinks it's more politically advantageous for an ambitious man with the CIA.”
“Dangerous?”
“Definitely lethal if he's cornered.”
“Then we'll leave it to you to corner him.” Galen changed the subject. “How did it go with Logan?”
“As well as could be expected. At least he's moving and shaking. Have you heard from him?”
“The first night. He said people weren't talking. It could be because there's so much tension about the embassy attacks, but he said he was running up against a blank wall.”
“Shit.”
“There's that pessimism again. Logan doesn't like blank walls. He has a habit of blowing holes in them. He said he'd call you if he heard anything. Expect him to call.” He paused. “Thermal vents. That could be bad stuff to monkey around with.”
“Not half as bad as trying to access core power. Who the hell knows what that would do? All that magma . . . How's Elena?”
Galen chuckled. “Melted rock makes you think of Elena?”
“There are some similarities. But I really wanted to know if you'll be available if I need you.”
“Maybe. Why don't you come and ask her?”
“I'm serious. I may want to bring Alex to you. She won't go with Logan, but that's because she knows he'd put walls around her.”
“I'm not endangering Elena, Morgan.”
“Ask her. She knows what it's like to be on the run.”
He was silent. “Alex would come?”
“Maybe not right away. But there's going to come a time that I'm more danger to her than Jurgens or Betworth. She can't stay with me.”
“I'll ask her. I don't promise anything.” He hung up.
No promises, but Galen would do it. Elena was another matter. She was tough, protective of Galen, and she hated Morgan's guts. He would have to wait and see.
“Lontana's home base is Nassau,” he told Alex when he came back into the house. “Galen's sent a man down to locate him.”
“That's good.” She looked back at the computer. “I wonder if I should access another site and see if—”
“No.” His tone was firm. “You've done enough. Why don't you rest?”
“I'm too wired.”
“Then I may as well take advantage of you.” He went to the corner and got her duffel bag. “If I set up your developing equipment, will you develop that picture you took of the man running from Powers's place?”
“But you already think you know who it is, don't you?”
“I want to be sure. Will you do it?”
She nodded. “Set it up.”
“I don't know if you can tell who he is.” Alex wiped her hands on her towel. “There's blood all over his face.”
Morgan gazed down at the picture. “I know who he is.”
Her eyes narrowed on his face. “Runne.”
He nodded. “But you're right. No one else could tell who he was. And you may need to know.” He got his sketch pad and his pencil moved quickly over the paper. “This is Runne.”