“Private hangar. We’re taking Logan’s private jet and pilot. I told him that he could damn well contribute more than lip service. We’ll land the jet at an airport outside Medellín and there will be a jeep waiting for us to drive to Tomaco. You don’t report in to your superiors. You don’t talk to anyone unless I okay it. I run the show. The minute you call in the feds is the minute I step out of the picture. Understand?”
“We’ll talk about it later.”
Galen tried to hold on to his temper. “Listen to me, Forbes. I’m pissed. I have an idea I may get nailed because I’m idiot enough to go along with you. Therefore, it’s not the time to fancy-dance with words around me. I know you like to run the show yourself and you may do a good job. But not this one. This one’s mine or I don’t get on that plane.”
Forbes was silent a moment. “I made her a promise, Galen.”
“My way.”
“Okay.” Forbes sighed. “Your show.” He hung up.
Galen put his phone in his pocket and headed for the door. It was no small victory. Forbes was stubborn and had the confidence of his years in the field. Galen had a hunch that he also had a streak of old-fashioned gallantry and that could be why Chavez had chosen a woman to bait the trap.
If it was a trap. The scales were weighted against Elena Kyler’s story being legitimate, but stranger things had happened in Galen’s life than the scenario Forbes had described.
Galen would have to treat it like a trap: It was the only way to keep Forbes alive.
And his own skin intact.
“Repeat that very slowly, Gomez.” Rico Chavez’s hand tightened on the phone. “She escaped?”
“Last night. She killed two guards at the prison and escaped in one of their uniforms.”
“You fool. You relied on prison guards instead of our own men?”
“Juarez, the warden, didn’t like the idea of our men having the run of the prison. He said it wouldn’t look good.”
“He’s paid well enough so that we shouldn’t have to worry about what he likes and doesn’t like. Why did you stow her at the prison instead of taking her to the compound?”
“We were close to Belim, and I thought a few days in that cell first might soften her up.”
“Find her.”
“We’re already tracking her. A woman of her description was seen heading for the hills south of Belim. She won’t get away. After all, she’s only a woman.”
“I wonder if that’s what those two guards thought before she killed them,” Chavez said silkily.
Gomez realized he’d blundered. “I won’t take anything for granted. I’ll report as soon as we’ve located her.”
Idiot.
Chavez’s knuckles were white as he hung up the phone. He forced himself to release the receiver. He had warned Gomez to be careful, but the man had no conception what Elena Kyler could do. He was the only match for Elena. If he hadn’t decided it was essential to come to this meeting with the Delgados, this disaster would never have happened.
No matter. Two more days and the negotiations should be completed and he would be free to leave. He went to the mirror and straightened the lapels of his tuxedo. He found the Delgados’ fondness for formal dress almost as tiresome as their lack of ambition. It would be another night of drinking and gambling and he would be expected to fuck the blonde they’d provided to entertain him. It was always a blonde, usually tall and curvy—and soft.
It was that softness he found most distasteful. A man was a hunter, a conqueror, and he couldn’t enjoy his power if the woman was only a weak vessel. A woman should be strong and clever and have enough power of her own to provide amusement.
Like Elena Kyler.
He could hardly wait to leave here and get on the hunt.
“You’ve been on that phone since we’ve been airborne,” Forbes said. “Am I allowed to ask whom you’ve been calling?”
“Jose Manero, for one.”
“Manero?”
“He’s one of the premier information gurus in the world. He’s supplied me with info for any number of jobs in S.A. and the U.S. He has the best contacts in the business and has moles in practically every drug operation in Colombia.”
Forbes frowned. “I’ve never heard of him.”
“He likes it that way. You’re DEA. And I’m trusting you to keep his name to yourself. I’ve also been getting a team together.” Galen crossed out the last name on his list. “It will take twenty-four hours for all the members of the team to arrive in Colombia. That may still be okay. I called a contact in Mexico City and Chavez is still there. My man will let me know when he gets on the move.” He looked down at his scrawled notes. “Belim Prison shouldn’t be difficult. It’s scarcely larger than a city jail, and the guards are as crooked as their warden. I’d rather put a bribe in place than have to use explosives. But explosives are quick and a bribe sometimes requires time and finesse. We’ll have to see if—”
“I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about Belim.”
Galen looked at him. “I thought that’s what this was about.”
“I’ve just called my own contact in Belim.”
Galen’s lips tightened. “I told you not to phone anyone unless you talked to me.”
“It wasn’t official and you were busy.” Forbes hurried on. “There was a big stir at the prison two nights ago. Two guards killed. Elena Kyler escaped.”
“I see.”
“Your enthusiasm is overwhelming,” Forbes said. “This will make it much easier for us. It’s just a simple pickup now. We go to Tomaco and wait for her to come to us.”
“Come to you, you mean. I’m out of it. I warned you, Forbes.”
He stiffened. “I didn’t do anything that would warrant—okay, I didn’t follow your instructions. I won’t do it again. No exceptions. Okay?”
Galen didn’t answer.
“Please.”
Galen gazed at him for a minute and then shrugged. “You may not need me now anyway.”
Forbes suddenly grinned. “You’re disappointed. You dug out all that information and made all those plans and now you’re not going to get to use them. Too bad, Galen.”
“I’ll adjust.” He threw his pen down. “And it may not be as simple as you might think. She may be captured before she gets to Tomaco. It’s over seventy miles from Belim. Or maybe this is just another twist in Chavez’s plans to zero in on you. Or it could be she’ll be so scared that she’ll take off and you’ll never hear from her again.”
“She won’t run away.” He shifted his gaze to the darkness outside the plane window. “You didn’t talk to her. I’ve never heard anyone more determined. She’s on her way, Galen. I can feel it.”
The mud was in her mouth.
Elena spit it out and kept crawling. The rain last night had been bad and good. The wet earth left tracks, but it spoiled the scent for the dogs. If she wasn’t stupid, she’d be able to avoid the trackers.
She wouldn’t be stupid. She’d avoided them for two days and she’d keep on eluding them. She’d take her time and listen and move as her father had taught her. Keep to the ground. They couldn’t see you if you were on the ground. The river was only a few miles over this hill, and that would drown her scent even more.
She stopped to listen. She had to wait a moment before she could hear anything but the sound of her own heart and labored breathing.
A dog yapping, far away. Good.
But Gomez might have sent men ahead to guard the river crossing. Everyone knew that this was the only place shallow enough to cross the river for another forty miles. She had to be prepared to go around them. No, she was so tired she wasn’t thinking straight. Being prepared was only defensive. She had to attack. Her father had always told her that when hunted, the only thing to do was turn hunter and eliminate the threat entirely.
She closed her eyes. More death. More blood on her hands.
Stop whining. Chavez would agree perfectly with her father’s philosophy. He w
ould think nothing of killing her after he got what he wanted. Had Chavez come back and joined that pack behind her? How that bastard would enjoy the hunt. The thought sent a thrill of pure rage through her that banished any regret. If it had to be done, then do it. Start thinking about where they would be planning to ambush her.
Her eyes flicked open and she pulled out the gun she’d taken from the guard. She started to crawl forward again, her elbows digging into the mud. Her gaze searched the woods near the river. Are you there? Are you waiting for me?
Turn hunter. Eliminate the threat.
Tomaco
The house was a crumbling three-bedroom hacienda some five miles outside the town of Tomaco. After a preliminary search, Galen permitted Forbes to go inside.
“I’m not impressed. Not the greatest pad I’ve ever stayed at,” Galen said as he ran his finger over a dust-covered table. “I’m disappointed in you, Forbes. You should have at least provided maid service for a man of my consequences. This is where she said she’d meet you?”
Forbes nodded. “She didn’t want a chance of our arrival leaking to anyone in the village. She said no one has lived here for the past six years.”
“How does she know? This is pretty far from the hills where the rebels hang out.”
“I didn’t ask. Which bedroom do you want?”
“None of them. Neither do you.” He turned and headed for the door. “I told my guys to make sure to stash bedrolls in the jeep. We camp out in the forest and keep an eye on the house from there. My mum always told me that fresh air was good for me.”
“And you don’t trust Elena Kyler not to have lured me to this house as a trap.”
“Did I say that?” He went outside and climbed into the jeep. “Hop in and we’ll hide this fine vehicle in the brush before we unload and set up camp. As compensation for depriving you of a roof over your head, I’ll fix you the finest al fresco meal you’ve ever eaten. I’m an extraordinary cook.”
Forbes got into the passenger seat. “I suppose your mum told you that too.”
Galen started the jeep. “How did you guess?”
It was after midnight when Forbes jerked wide awake. Something was wrong. A sound?
Galen’s bedroll was empty. Shit.
He tossed his blankets aside and jumped to his feet. The house.
He ran through the woods. A branch slapped him in the face.
He could see the driveway of the house just ahead.
Two men struggling. Galen was on top. A gun was lying on the ground beside him.
Galen grunted, his head whipping back as the man’s fist lashed out and caught him on the chin.
The man took advantage of the temporary weakness to lunge up and over, bringing Galen with him. Then he was breaking free, scrambling for the gun.
Forbes stepped forward and kicked the gun away.
Galen took advantage of his opponent’s moment of distraction and chopped down on the side of his neck.
The man went limp.
Galen breathed a sigh of relief as he rose to his feet. “Fast.” He picked up the gun. “And tough. She almost broke my jaw.”
“She?” Forbes stiffened. “It’s a woman? You’re sure?”
“Believe me, even in extreme circumstances I can tell the difference.”
Forbes gave a low whistle. “Elena Kyler?”
“Presumably.”
Forbes took a step closer to get a better look. The woman was wearing black jeans, a dirty white shirt, and a leather jacket and was little more than a shadowy figure in the moonlight. She appeared to be of medium height with short dark hair.
“I felt something warm.… She’s bleeding.” Galen was kneeling, flipping open the leather jacket. The white shirt was stained with blood.
“For God’s sake, Galen. Did you have to do that?”
“I didn’t. It’s a knife wound. It’s been stitched, but it broke open. If we don’t do anything, she could bleed to death.” He glanced up at Forbes. “It’s your call.”
“What?”
“She was good. There’s an excellent chance Chavez sent her to take you out. Don’t ever let anyone tell you women can’t be as deadly as males.”
“You’re crazy. It was probably Chavez who did this to her.”
“Somebody stitched up that wound. Showing up here with a stab wound would make any story she told you much more believable. Hell, you want to believe her already. It’s only her bad luck that she ran into me before she found you. So you tell me, do we stop the blood?”
“Of course we stop it.”
“I thought that’s what you’d say. I hope you won’t regret it.” He unbuttoned the shirt and applied pressure to the wound. “Go back to the camp. I have a first-aid kit in my duffel, and bring those two lanterns. I’ll try to stop the bleeding. I don’t think any major organs were hit. The blood flow seems to be lessening.”
“Right.” Forbes hurried back toward the woods.
“You’re not out anymore. Open your eyes,” Galen said. “Talk to me.”
No response.
“Talk to me or I’ll open that wound another two inches before Forbes comes back, and then we won’t be able to save you. What a shame.”
Her eyes opened. Huge dark eyes, staring up at him warily.
“Good. That’s progress,” Galen said. “Elena Kyler?”
“Yes.”
“Where’s Rico Chavez?”
“I don’t know.”
He lifted the compress. “Oh, my, it must have slipped. Look at all that blood.”
“I tell you, I don’t know.” She glared at him. “I was at a prison in Belim. He may be near here. He may still be in Mexico City.”
“You have the prison story right. That deserves a reward.” He put the compress back. “Think about it. I’ll give you a couple minutes. I’m sure you’ll be able to pin his location down.”
“Was that Ben Forbes who just left?”
“You could have seen who he was if you’d chosen not to play possum.”
“No one was supposed to be here but him. It could have been a trap.”
“My thought exactly.”
“Who are you?”
“Sean Galen.”
“DEA?”
“Not in my worst nightmares.”
“I didn’t think so. I’ve seen your kind before. I’ve fought side by side with mercenaries from all over the world. My father was one. You all have the same edge.”
“Don’t generalize. I’m unique. I’m also supposed to be your savior. Superman incarnate. Faster than a speeding—”
“Here’s your first-aid kit. If you can call it that.” Forbes dumped the large kit down beside Galen. “Good God, it’s as complete as an EMT unit. And you have enough equipment in that jeep to withstand a siege. Talk about being prepared. What were you—oh, she’s awake.”
Galen nodded. “Wide awake. It is Elena Kyler.”
Elena was looking at Forbes. “You’re Ben Forbes? You were supposed to come alone.”
“I needed a little help. It may be a difficult situation. I kept my promise. He’s not a fed. Did you bring the evidence?”
“No, we’ll have to go together and get it. It’s nearby.”
“Why don’t you go and bring it to us?” Galen asked.
She ignored him. “I don’t know how much time we have. Chavez will know I crossed the river ten miles from here. He may decide to call in more men and spread out over the countryside.”
“And how does Chavez know that?” Galen asked.
“I had to kill two of his men to get across the river.”
“My, my, that prison cell came very well equipped.”
She ignored Galen and turned to Forbes. “I stole some supplies from a pharmacy and some clothes in a village near the river. I don’t have time for this inquisition. Just bandage me up and we’ll get on the way.”
“Unfortunately, if we do that you might bleed to death,” Galen said. “I can stitch her up properly, Forbes. You can have a
nice chat while I do it. It may distract her. Of course, it could hurt a bit.”
She bit her lower lip. “Do it.” She glanced at Forbes and then slowly held out her hand. “Will you stay with me until it’s over? I don’t want him to get too much pleasure out of this.”
He smiled and his hand closed on hers. “I’ll stay.”
Elena’s breath released in a relieved sigh. “Thank you.” Her gaze shifted to Galen. “Get it over with.”
2
Elena withstood the pain without a word but slumped into a faint as Galen finished the stitching.
“Tough,” Galen murmured as he started bandaging the wound. “Very tough.”
“Is she going to be okay?” Forbes asked.
He shrugged. “Providing she doesn’t get an infection. If it’s any comfort to you, I think she did sew herself up. The stitches were pretty messy and uneven. We’d better get her back to camp before she wakes up.” He lifted her and started for the woods. “Be sure and bring my kit.”
“You’re pretty good at this. And that first-aid kit—do you always lug that thing around?”
“Sure. When I need first aid, it’s usually not for anything minor. Like the Boy Scouts, I’m always prepared.”
“You’re from Liverpool, aren’t you? Did they have Boy Scouts there?”
“Of a sort. But my mum never liked me to mix with those rough-and-ready types.” He looked down at Elena. “Like this one. She’d be turning over in her grave if she knew I was associating with such a piranha.”
“I don’t believe you have anything to worry about,” Forbes said dryly. “A shark could gobble up a piranha.”
“Really? Must hurt.” They had reached the camp and Galen carefully laid Elena down on his blankets. “You know, she looks slight, but she’s very strong. See her shoulders …?”
“I think you’re still brooding about that right hook.”
“It’s possible. How old do you think she is?”
“Mid-twenties maybe.”
At the moment she looks younger, Galen thought. In sleep she had a childlike vulnerability. When Elena was awake, her expression had been so full of vitality and intensity that he had only been conscious of the character behind the face. Now he could see that the woman’s olive skin was perfect, her cheekbones high and her mouth wide and well shaped. The lashes lying on her cheeks were very long and as dark as her hair. “She must have learned a lot in those years. Some of those moves could have killed me if I hadn’t blocked them. She’s been trained very well.” He glanced at Forbes. “She could put you down in seconds.”