“But is he getting answers?”
“Maybe. I haven’t been able to track him for the last day or two.”
Galen stiffened. “Could he have left the country?”
“It’s possible. He’s being very quiet.”
“Tell me about Gomez. He’s Chavez’s number one man?”
“If Chavez has such a thing. He likes to be totally in control. Gomez was a hit man in Caracas for four years before Chavez picked him up. He’s not a genius, but he’s canny and he has a healthy respect for Chavez. Chavez would like that. He doesn’t tolerate rivals.”
“Let me know if Gomez surfaces.” Galen hung up. He didn’t like the feel of this. Forbes had hoped Chavez would come running after Elena and her son, but sending a competent underling made much more sense to Galen.
Not his business. Call Forbes and warn him and then sit back and forget about it.
He flipped open his phone and dialed the directory. He was halfway through the dial when he hung up. What could he tell him? That his trap was going to be sprung by the wrong man? He didn’t even know if Gomez was in the country. Manero hadn’t been able to pin him down.
For all he knew, Gomez could be sitting fat and sassy somewhere in Colombia, not heading for that vineyard and Elena Kyler and her son.
There was a full moon shining over the hills. Elena leaned against the wall of the courtyard and took a deep breath of the fragrant night air. It smelled different from Colombia. Not damp or tropical or any of the things to which she was accustomed.
“Is the boy asleep?” Forbes had stopped beside her.
“Probably. Dominic is with him.”
“And I take it you’re not out here enjoying the scenery?”
“Actually, I am enjoying it. I was thinking it was different from Colombia.”
“But you don’t come out every evening to savor the differences. You go over this place like a sentry on duty.”
“Habits die hard. I was a soldier from the time I was twelve. I didn’t know any other life.”
“Strange life.”
“Galen wouldn’t think so.” Why had the thought of Galen popped into her mind? “You mean because I’m a woman? There were quite a few women in the rebel army. You have women in your army here in the States.”
“But we poor males are still struggling to keep them away from the front lines.” He paused. “And we don’t send children to fight.”
She shrugged. “It’s all about what you become accustomed to.” She looked back at the house. “You’re disappointed, aren’t you? You thought Chavez would be here by now.”
“I hoped he would be.”
“Perhaps he’s on his way.”
“No, my informants say he’s still in Colombia.”
“Then maybe you think I lied to you.”
“No.” He paused. “But you may have overestimated Chavez’s reaction to you taking his son.”
“That’s one thing I didn’t do. He’ll come for Barry. It’s only a matter of time.” Her hands clenched. “Though I didn’t think it would be this long either.”
“You are so sure he’ll find you?”
“Of course. There are too many ways he can get to people. Drugs, money … He’ll find me.”
“Then I suppose I should be flattered by your trust in my ability to keep you safe,” he said ironically.
“I needed whatever help I could get. It’s better to have you and a DEA team than to be on my own. The odds are stacked too high against me. I have to put an end to Chavez. I don’t want to live like this, staking Barry out like a sacrificial lamb.”
“I’d say you’re the sacrifice. You stole the kid.” He held up his hand. “I mean in Chavez’s eyes.”
“That’s exactly how Chavez will see it. Which is why he’ll come.”
He hesitated. “I don’t know how long I can keep a protective watch on you without proof there’s need.”
She stiffened. “You’re going to leave me alone?”
“Not if I can persuade my superiors that we have a valid chance of catching Chavez.”
“But you doubt that they’ll go along with you.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She had known this might happen, but she hadn’t thought it would come this soon. Get over the shock. Think of a way to survive. “Will you still get false ID for Dominic, Barry, and me?”
Another hesitation. “I’m a federal officer and you’re in this country illegally.”
“And the deal is off if Chavez doesn’t come calling.” She lifted her chin. “I understand.”
He stared at her for a moment and then muttered an oath. “You’ll get your ID. Just don’t tell me where you’re going to go.” He started to turn away. “But we won’t worry about that yet. I’ll see if I can buy more time. Coming in?”
“Not yet. I have to do some thinking.”
“I guess you do. Sorry.”
“Forbes.”
He looked back at her.
“Thank you. You’re a fine man. I won’t forget you helping me.”
He shrugged. “I like the kid. I don’t want Chavez to get hold of him.”
“He won’t.”
He smiled and strode back into the house.
He was a decent man and probably sticking his neck out for her. If bureaucracy worked here in the U.S. as it did in Colombia, the government would generally tie hands and punish initiative. The DEA was not going to help her. But, dammit, she’d had no one else to turn to. Chavez was in control of a massive operation, and people weren’t standing in line to help a woman Chavez wanted dead.
Well, she was better off than she had been a few weeks ago. She was in the United States and soon she would have fake ID. She couldn’t count on them catching Chavez, so she would have to go on the run. She was alone, but she was used to being alone.
What about Dominic? She had brought him here because she thought he’d be safer. Now he was as exposed and vulnerable as she. He would be better off away from her.
But then she would never be sure if Chavez was tracking him. Another problem.
Damn Chavez to hell. Even by staying his hand and doing nothing he’d managed to create torment.
“Chavez is still at the compound. The Delgados are paying a return visit to him. He gave a party for the Brothers Grimm and their wives three days ago,” Manero said. “Gomez did not attend.”
“Then where the hell is he?” Galen asked.
“No word.”
No word. The answer repeated in Galen’s mind after he hung up.
Manero was a good man and his sources were excellent. If he couldn’t unearth information about Gomez, it meant that Gomez was planning something and was making sure no one got wind of it.
What was he up to? Where was he?
The immediate grounds were secure. Now for the fermenting room.
Bill Carbonari was standing at the rear door of the house when she rounded the corner. “It’s okay, Ms. Kyler. I checked it.” He smiled. “What am I saying? You’ll do it anyway.”
“No offense.”
“None taken.” She could feel his gaze on her back as she walked down the path toward the fermenting shed. Carbonari appeared fairly alert and he was pleasant enough. She could sense a little resentment in the other three agents. She supposed it was a blow to their self-esteem that she didn’t trust them.
She swung her flashlight from side to side as she walked down the aisle between the huge vats.
Nothing.
Nothing but the wooden cylinders and the sound of her own footsteps.
She stopped short, her gaze on the darkness behind the last vat. She had caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye.
Something gleaming, metal.
Shit.
Aluminum ladder.
There hadn’t been any ladder in this room since that first night when she’d asked Forbes to check the vats.
There was one now, propped against the last vat.
She ran forward, ki
cked the ladder, and brought it crashing to the ground. She raced for the door.
A noise behind her, inside the vat.
She was outside, running for the house.
“Carbonari! Call Forbes—”
Carbonari was lying on the ground and a man was standing over him.
He whirled and blocked the blow she aimed at his head. “Dammit, stop trying to murder me. I’m here to help you.”
Galen.
“By killing Carbonari?”
“All I know is that when I came on the scene, I saw him draw his gun and head for the shed right after you went inside. He didn’t appear to be looking for wine.”
“Someone’s in the vat. I knocked down the ladder but they’ll—”
“Hurry. Get the kid.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the house. “I’ll bet Gomez will be driving up with reinforcements any time now.”
“Gomez?”
“He’s been camping out in the hills.” He was climbing the steps two at a time. “I checked out all the nearby hotels and then went scouting for the last few days. I ran across them—surprise, surprise. Where’s Forbes?”
“Second door on your right.”
“And Dominic?”
“With Barry.”
“Then get them out of the house and down to the vineyard. Avoid any of Forbes’s men. I don’t know if anyone besides Carbonari is on the take. Hide beyond the first rise of the hill until I come.”
“What are you going to do?”
But he was gone, disappearing into Forbes’s room.
She wasn’t about to follow him. She had to get Dominic and Barry out of the house.
“I promised her they’d be safe, Galen,” Forbes said dully.
“She will be safe, if we get out of here before Gomez shows up.”
“I checked out Carbonari. I thought he was the best of the lot. What the hell are you doing?”
Galen was setting fire to the velvet draperies. “We need a distraction when Gomez shows up. You do the same in the kitchen. I want this whole place blazing.”
“Why?”
“Would you want to face Chavez if you were responsible for letting his kid burn up? Gomez will have to try to get inside and make sure Barry isn’t here.” He glanced out the window. “Here they come … about three miles away. Move it, Forbes.”
“It’s burning, Mama,” Barry whispered, his eyes fastened on the hacienda. “The house is burning.”
“Shh, I’ll explain later, baby. You just have to be very quiet. Okay?”
Where was Galen?
She would give him a few minutes more and then she would have to start moving Barry and Dominic out of this field and toward the road.
No, not the road. She could see the headlights of a car racing toward the house.
Gomez.
“Come on, Forbes.” Galen turned toward the door. “Time to get out of here.”
“I can’t leave my agents. They may be wounded and unable to respond.” He thrust the phone into his pocket. “I’ve notified San Francisco to send backup, but there’s no way they’ll get here in time. I have to check on my men.”
“Listen, why didn’t they come running in here when they saw the fire?”
“It’s been only a few minutes. They can’t all belong to Chavez. I won’t believe that.”
“I’m not saying they do. But there could have been another agent on the take, and it’s easy to surprise someone if you work side by side with him every day.”
“I know that.”
“Then let’s get the hell out of here. Or do you want Elena to be caught by that son of a bitch?”
Forbes hesitated and then headed for the back door. “Let’s go.”
“Good. We go alongside the house and then head for the vineyard.”
The thick smoke poured out of the house. Galen’s eyes stung as they raked the area and then the road.
The headlights were closer, but they still had time.
“If I’m not there in a few minutes, get Elena out of here,” Forbes said.
Galen turned to see that he had stopped at the corner of the house. Shit. “Don’t be an idiot.”
“The smoke will cover me, and I know exactly where they’re stationed. I have to make sure. I won’t leave them for Gomez. They’re my responsibility.”
“It’s your responsibility to stay alive,” Galen said roughly. “Don’t be a fool. Don’t take the risk.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“For God’s sake, it’s not even Chavez.”
“Get Elena out.” Forbes darted around the side of the house.
Galen started to go after him and then stopped with a muttered curse. No time.
The lights of the oncoming car were closer. Too close.
Galen took off at a run for the vineyard.
Shots. Behind him.
Galen’s hands clenched at his sides.
Christ.
Forbes’s head was almost blown off by the barrage of bullets.
My God.
Elena quickly buried Barry’s head in her shoulder and looked at Dominic. “Did he see it?” she asked unevenly.
“I don’t think so.” Dominic’s lips tightened. “I wish I hadn’t.”
She wished she hadn’t seen it either. She felt sick.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.” Galen was suddenly beside them. “Gomez will be at the house any second and it won’t be long until they start searching the fields. My car is parked over that hill, in the trees.”
“Forbes—”
“Move.”
She was already moving, keeping low and pushing Barry ahead of her.
And trying to forget the sight of Forbes’s head exploding.
Galen didn’t speak again until they were in his car and driving down the road that led to the highway. “How’s Barry?”
“Scared.” Her arms tightened around the little boy on her lap. “But he’s being very good, aren’t you, baby? He’ll be fine.”
Barry didn’t speak, only nestled closer in her arms.
God, she hoped she was telling the truth. Ever since his birth she’d protected him from the violence she had lived with all her life, and now in one night he had been exposed to this horror. “Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you to a friend’s apartment in the city for the night. He lends it to me when I come to town. We’ll make a decision once we’ve had time to think.”
“Forbes,” she whispered.
“I couldn’t stop him. He wanted to make sure his men were okay.”
She glanced down at Barry. He seemed to be too stunned to pay attention, but she still kept her voice down to a whisper. “It was one of his own agents. It was Wilder. I didn’t see any of the other men, but I saw Wilder raise his gun.”
“And I’m sure he’ll be well paid.”
“I … liked Forbes.”
Galen’s lips tightened. “So did I.”
“No pursuit yet,” Dominic said from the backseat as he looked through the rear window.
“We’ll be on the freeway in a minute,” Galen reassured the priest. “I think we’re okay.”
She didn’t feel okay. She felt scared for Barry and Dominic and, yes, for herself. It was a terrifying world where a decent man like Forbes could be butchered by those he trusted. Why am I even surprised? she wondered wearily. It was no different from the world she had known all her life.
But it was different. During these few short weeks she’d begun to believe they could have a better life. Maybe it was still possible.
A hope that shone that bright was hard to surrender.
The apartment was a penthouse that overlooked the bay, and it was the most luxurious place Elena had ever seen. The living room was exceptional: beige velvet couches, deep burgundy carpets, and one wall that was all window.
“Several bedrooms with baths.” Galen gestured to the south wing. “Why don’t you find a cozy place for the three of you while I make a pot of coffee?”
/> Cozy? That was the last term she’d use for this place, Elena thought wearily. Barry’s grasp was tight on her hand and his eyes were wide with wonder. He’d been through too much tonight. So had they all. “I’ll be back to talk to you after I put Barry to bed.”
“I thought you would. This place is kind of big. I’ll leave a trail of bread crumbs to the kitchen.”
“I’ll find you.” She moved down the hall. “Come on, Barry. Time to get to bed.”
“This is a strange place.” Barry’s eyes were big as he gazed over his shoulder at the glass wall. “Can you see the whole world from here?”
“No, only the city and the bay.”
“Does Galen own the city?”
“Nobody owns it. Or maybe everyone does.”
“Oh.”
He didn’t speak again while she got him undressed and tucked into a king-size bed in one of the guest rooms. He was too quiet, she thought worriedly. She sat down beside him on the bed. “Okay?”
He nodded and closed his eyes.
It wasn’t okay. “Barry, bad things happened tonight, but we’re all safe now. Nothing can hurt you.”
His eyes opened. “Who did it, Mama?”
“Bad men.”
“Why?”
“It’s hard to explain. Bad men do bad things.”
“It was burning.…”
“I know.” What could she say when he was almost in shock? “But we’re safe now.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.” She pressed a kiss on his forehead. “I’d never let anything happen to you. Don’t you know that?”
He didn’t answer for a moment. “This was an adventure, wasn’t it?”
“I guess some people would call it that.”
“I didn’t like this adventure, Mama.”
“Neither did I. Sometimes adventures aren’t very much fun.”
“I didn’t know that.”
She could feel the tears stinging her eyes. He was already absorbing lessons she had wanted him never to learn. “There are wonderful adventures too.”
“I guess so.” He turned over and closed his eyes. “Mr. Forbes wasn’t in that fire, was he?”
“No.”
“Good. I was worried. He’s a nice man.”