“In just a second. I have one more thing to do.” She set the blowgun and darts on the table beside her and ran over to the window. She drew back the curtains and struggled to open the window. It wouldn’t budge!
“That’s not a way out. It’s fifteen stories down to the street and there’s no fire escape.”
“But I have to open it. Julio told me to do it.”
“Well, Julio is going to be disappointed.” Gideon put a dart into his blowgun. “This is a recently built hotel and the windows aren’t constructed to open. The curse of an air-conditioned society is that fresh air is considered obsolete.”
“Oh, damn, why didn’t one of us think of this.” Serena stopped tugging and looked wildly about the room. The desk chair! She rushed to the Louis XV desk and dragged its bowlegged chair back to the window.
“What are you doing?”
“I told you. Julio said I was to open the window.” She picked up the chair and swung it with all her strength against the glass. It shattered, spraying shards in a sparkling shower. “I’m opening the window.”
“I see you are,” he said dryly. “I wish I could get you to obey my orders with such enthusiasm. Now, will you come back over here behind the door?”
“As soon as I get rid of these pieces of glass.” She was knocking the remaining slivers of glass out of the pane. “There, that should do it. It wasn’t so difficult. I guess—”
A key was turning in the lock!
“Oh, Lord,” she whispered, turning to face the door. “I guess he heard it.”
“Of course, he heard,” Gideon muttered. “It was louder than the damn machine-gun fire. Quick—drop to the floor.”
There was no time. Mendino was standing in the doorway, his face flushed and very ugly. There was a pistol in his hand and it was pointed straight at her. The open door made a barrier between Gideon and the colonel. Move forward, she prayed silently to herself. But Mendino simply stood there, aiming at her. Oh dear, she had to do something.
“Don’t just stand there,” Serena cried frantically. “Can’t you see? Gideon’s going to fall. I tried to stop him, but he said it was our only chance. He was going to crawl along the ledge.”
Mendino’s expression was arrested and then confused as his gaze went to the broken window. He took two steps into the room. It wasn’t enough, but one more step would do it.
Serena kept her gaze from straying toward Gideon. It wasn’t terribly difficult. Mendino’s pistol seemed to fill her entire field of vision. “It’s so far down there. I’m afraid he might slip and—”
Mendino took another step forward.
There was a low, whistling noise and Mendino’s eyes widened and then glazed over as a tiny silver needle embedded itself in his neck. He fell to the floor, unconscious.
Gideon stepped from behind the door. “Serena, I think I may break your neck,” he said grimly. “Why the hell didn’t you do what I told you? What if Mendino had remembered that there wasn’t a ledge?”
“Isn’t there? That was all I could think of on the spur of the moment. And Julio told me to—”
“Serena, this is too much.” Dane stuck his head through the opening she’d provided in the window, his eyes dancing. “When you ordered me to help Julio, you didn’t tell me I’d have to do windows. I don’t mind vacuuming or a little dusting, but I never do windows.”
“The hell you don’t.” It was Julio’s voice from somewhere beyond the window, but he was outside Serena’s line of vision. “Will you stop chatting and get them out here? The diversion Ross and my men are providing can’t cover us much longer. We were only able to smuggle four men up on the service elevator. Besides, I’m getting a nose-bleed out here.”
Serena took a step closer to the window. A window washer’s scaffold was hanging suspended by two slender metal cords like a fragile gondola over the street far below. Dane and Julio stood on the platform gazing at her with remarkably similar expressions—mischief, excitement, and tremendous joie de vivre. “Now I know why you told me to open the window, but you never mentioned what a challenge it would be.”
Julio grinned sheepishly. “How was I to know? I’m just a naive plantation owner, a regular old country boy. Where I come from, windows open.”
“This one opened too.” Serena found herself smiling back at him. “With a little persuasion.” She glanced over her shoulder at Gideon. “Julio and Dane are going to take us for a little ride.”
Gideon threw down the blowgun and picked up the gun Mendino had dropped. “Get on the scaffold. I’ll be right back.” He turned toward the door. “I have a little unfinished business.”
“Gideon!” Serena’s protest was almost a scream, but he was gone. “Oh, damn, I’m going after him.”
Julio shook his head. “You heard him. I told you Gideon could take care of himself, but if he has to worry about watching after you, it may add to the danger.” He held out his hand. “Step into my parlor, milady.”
“But they’re still shooting!” Serena wavered indecisively and then took Julio’s hand and let him pull her out onto the scaffold. “If he’s not here in two minutes, I’m going after him.”
“Would you know what was so important that Gideon had to go back?” Julio asked.
“I have an excellent idea,” Serena said with a sigh. “That lieutenant and the captain … I told Gideon it didn’t matter, but I don’t think I got through to him. What a time for his protective instincts to surface.”
Julio’s expression was suddenly as hard and relentless as Gideon’s had been. “They hurt you? I didn’t think there was any chance they’d be so stupid or I’d never have let you come here.” He smiled and it was a sharklike baring of teeth. “Stay with her, Dane. I think I’ll go and see if I can lend Gideon a hand.”
“Not you too?” Serena wailed. “Has everyone here lost his sense of proportion?”
“You stay with Serena,” Dane growled. “She’s my sister, dammit. I should be the one who gets to go after them.”
“Look, no one hurt me. The search was humiliating and degrading, but I wasn’t hurt. It’s over—”
“Now it’s over.” Gideon stood at the window, the gun shoved into the waistband of his jeans. He took Dane’s hand and climbed out on the scaffold. “Let’s get out of here. Mendino’s men are a little confused with only a corporal to give the orders, but they’re still fighting.”
“What happened to the captain and the lieutenant?” Julio asked with a grin.
“They’re … indisposed.”
“A permanent condition?”
“I don’t think so.” Gideon’s smile had a touch of the tiger. “But definitely a painful one.”
“Can we please leave now?” Serena asked, shaking her head. “And you told me you didn’t have a macho image of yourself.”
“There wasn’t anything macho about it.” Gideon slipped an arm about her waist and grabbed onto a metal cord as Dane and Julio began to hoist the fragile scaffold up with the pulley ropes. Serena shivered as a gust of wind playfully shook the scaffold as if it were a toy. She carefully avoided looking down at the street. She had always hated those outside glass elevators and this was even worse, with not even a protective wall around them. “It was revenge. You would have done the same, if it had been me.”
“No, I …” She stopped and then smiled reluctantly. “Well, maybe, but I would have chosen a more convenient time.”
“I decided I might not get another chance. You might say the people of Castellano are a bit upset with the military. Those two might not have been around once the government fell.”
The scaffold was now even with the roof, and Julio jumped onto the black tarred surface and then steadied the metal cord, which was fastened around the huge air-conditioning pump, as the other three left the scaffold.
“What now?” Gideon asked.
“We wait.” Julio checked his watch. “But not for long, I hope.”
“As long as we’re not doing anything, why don’t I run
down and help Ross?” Dane asked. “All of this was kind of tame compared to the job you gave him.”
“Tame?” Serena echoed blankly. “Blowguns, and scaffolds swinging hundreds of feet in the air? Tame?”
“Well, there’s no real contact involved.” Dane frowned discontentedly. “I was a little disappointed in you, Julio. I thought you’d provide more interesting entertainment.”
“I’ll try to do better in future,” Julio said solemnly. He smothered a smile as he turned away and shaded his eyes. “You don’t have to worry about Ross. His orders were to make a diversion and then get out. There wasn’t much risk involved. Besides, I’m afraid you won’t have time to join Ross at present.” He pointed to a blue and white helicopter on the horizon. “There’s our transport.”
“Thank heavens,” Serena murmured. All they needed was to lose Dane again.
The helicopter zoomed in, hovered, and then landed with pinpoint accuracy on the roof.
“Beautiful,” Julio said admiringly. “I couldn’t have done it better.” He started for the helicopter. “You haven’t lost your touch, Jeffrey.” He opened the passenger door. “Wonderful landing, considering the wind up here.”
“Wonderful landing, period,” the pilot said flatly. “I thought I’d show you how it’s done by the real pros, kid.” His curly brown hair was torn by the wind as he stuck his head out the window. “Gideon, get them into the copter and let’s move out.”
Gideon, Serena, and Dane were already hurrying toward the helicopter. Julio had climbed into the seat beside the pilot, and the other three scrambled into the rear. Then the helicopter was lifting, turning, and speeding off over the rooftops of Mariba.
“Serena, Dane, this is Jeffrey Brenden,” Julio said over his shoulder. “Jeffrey and I were partners in the air charter business, until he decided to retire.” He grinned teasingly at the older man. “I decided he needed his red corpuscles revitalized, so I asked him to make the pickup. I didn’t want the old man to get stale, vegetating on his coffee plantation.”
“You asked me to make the pickup because I’m the best pilot in the Caribbean,” Jeffrey corrected. “Even you would have had trouble with that wind.”
“Maybe,” Julio admitted. “Now let’s see if you can do as good a job landing in the glade by Kate’s tree house.”
“A piece of cake, my boy.” Jeffry smiled and turned the helicopter with faultless skill. “Just watch me.”
It was almost over. Serena leaned back and closed her eyes. They were all safe, and soon it would be over. Her muscles suddenly felt as if they had dissolved into gelatin.
“All right?” Gideon’s hand covered hers.
“Yes.” She opened her eyes. “I guess I’m suffering from aftershock.” She smiled shakily. “It’s been quite a morning.”
“Did you see that helicopter land?” Dane’s gaze was narrowed on Julio and Jeffrey quietly bantering in the cockpit and his tone was speculative. “Smooth as glass. I wonder how it feels to be able to do that.”
Serena groaned inwardly. Knowing Dane, she was very much afraid he would soon be moved to find out.
She heard Gideon’s amused chuckle, and felt his clasp tighten on her hand. “It could be worse,” he whispered in her ear. “Jeffrey isn’t exactly a sterling role model, but he’s not a smuggler any longer.”
“Smuggler?” Serena repeated faintly. “I don’t know why I’m even surprised. You do have the most interesting friends.”
He laughed again and settled back, as the helicopter took on added speed and left the environs of Mariba.
Eight
Jeffrey Brenden landed the helicopter in the glade in the rain forest with the consummate artistry of a butterfly settling on the petal of a fragile orchid. “There we go,” he said with satisfaction. “Now could you do better, Julio?”
Julio shook his head. “No one could do better,” he said with affection. He opened the door of the helicopter and stepped out onto the ground. “But don’t get too cocky. We have a few more challenges to meet before you go home to Mariana.”
“What challenges?” Serena asked warily. She had just been congratulating herself that the danger was almost past, and now Julio was speaking as if everything were only beginning. She jumped down beside him, closely followed by Gideon and Dane. “Haven’t we had enough challenges for one day?”
Julio grinned. “Don’t worry. You and Gideon and Dane are out of it from now on. Jeffrey is going to fly the three of you back to Santa Isabella in the Cessna. I’m taking the helicopter back to Mariba to join my men. Things are probably just beginning to liven up there about now.” He glanced at his watch. “I have a rendezvous in forty-five minutes, so if you’ll hop into the Cessna, Jeffrey will—”
“I’m going back with you,” Dane interjected swiftly.
“No!” Serena’s reaction was immediate and violent. “This is an uprising, not one of your parties, Dane. Do you think men as desperate as Mendino will be shooting blanks?”
“I’m going,” Dane said stubbornly. “We left Ross back there, and it’s only right I go back and help out.”
“Very noble.” Julio’s gaze was shrewd as it searched Dane’s face. “And besides, you didn’t get in on the real action and you’re jealous as hell.”
Dane smiled. “Right.”
Julio turned to Serena. “The only way you’re going to keep him from going with me is to knock him out and hog-tie him.” His smile was faintly regretful. “I should know. I went through the same kind of madness when I was a youngster. Only I didn’t have to go looking for trouble. It always found me.”
“But Dane’s not like you,” Serena protested.
Gideon took a step nearer and touched her arm. “Isn’t he? Just look at them, Serena. They’re cut from the same cloth.”
Gideon was right, she realized gloomily. Gazing at them now was like looking at Siamese twins. Dane and Julio’s expressions, their attitudes, the way they perceived life as a glorious game, were exactly the same. Julio might be older and more experienced, but he had the same daredevil eccentricity she recognized as her brother’s dominant trait.
“I’ll take care of him,” Julio promised. “And I’ll bring him back to you in one piece.”
“No one has to look out for me,” Dane said with indignation. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll be the one to have to take care of you.”
“Maybe,” Julio answered.
The two men exchanged smiles of perfect understanding.
Serena experienced a sudden twinge of sadness as if she’d lost something that would never be recovered. After all their years together, Dane wasn’t going to need her very much longer. He would move on to other companions, and form other attachments as he grew older. It was entirely natural and right that this should be true, but the realization still brought with it a touch of melancholy. This adventure might be the last she would share with her brother.
Gideon’s arm slid around her waist. “He’ll be safe, love. You can trust Julio.”
“I know.” She also knew she had to let him go, cut the loving strings that had been as much for her own benefit as Dane’s. She had never found it easy to let go of anyone she loved, and she loved Dane very much. She smiled with an effort. “Just promise me you’ll stay off scaffolds.”
Dane’s smile illuminated his face. “That was an exception. I told you I don’t do windows.” He turned back toward the helicopter with barely leashed eagerness. “Come on, Julio, we’ll be late for the rendezvous.”
Julio’s lips twitched. “Yes, sir.”
Jeffrey Brenden came around the helicopter. “Be careful.” He clapped Julio on the shoulder. “Luck doesn’t last forever.”
“I haven’t noticed any signs of your luck fading away,” Julio drawled.
“Because I had more than luck,” Jeffrey said gruffly. “I had friends.”
“And so do I.” Julio’s expression softened. “So do I, Jeffrey.”
There was a silence more intimate than a hand-shake between
them before Jeffrey turned jerkily away. “I’ll go check out the Cessna. See you on Santa Isabella.” He walked quickly toward the plane on the far side of the glade.
“You’ll be back on Santa Isabella within the hour,” Julio told Gideon. “And with any luck Dane and I will join you at the hotel for a midnight supper. Okay?”
“Okay,” Gideon said with deliberate lightness. “I’ll order a feast fit for Wellington’s return from Waterloo. See that you’re not late; I have a very temperamental chef.”
“I’ll instruct the junta it’s essential they topple from power right on schedule. We wouldn’t want to disrupt your plans.” Julio turned toward Dane and jerked his thumb in the direction of the helicopter. “Hop into the passenger seat, Dane. Time’s wasting.”
“I know,” Dane retorted caustically as he opened the door. “I’ve been waiting for you to realize that. You’re the one who’s been holding up the works. I haven’t heard so many touching farewells since I saw The Wizard of Oz. Take off your ruby slippers and let’s get moving, Dorothy.”
Julio’s dark eyes were suddenly dancing. “Something tells me I may regret taking you with me. You don’t have a fitting appreciation for the traditions. Heroic good-byes are de rigueur before engagements of this nature.”
“Well, they seemed a little silly to me. It’s not as if anything’s going to happen to either of us.”
“Ah, the immortality of youth.” Julio shook his head with a sigh. “I can remember when I felt like that.”
“Get into the helicopter,” Dane said with a grin. “You’re aging before my eyes and, if you get much more ancient, I don’t know if I’m going to trust you to fly this thing. I hope you realize I don’t appreciate your avuncular attitude. You’re acting more like my father than—” He broke off, his expression sobering. “Oh damn, I forgot!” He turned away from the helicopter, his gaze on Serena. “With everything that’s been happening, I forgot to tell you. Mendino contacted my father before Gideon arranged for the hostage switch.”
Serena’s breath stopped in her throat. “What?”