Текст книги "Your Next Breath "

Автор книги: Iris Johansen

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 18 страниц)

“And the warm heart that made you send them.”

“A mistake.” She shook her head. “I can’t keep blaming myself. The mistake’s been made, now I have to do damage control.”

“No, now you have to relax and heal.” He met her eyes. “We will sit here in silence for a while. Then we will talk of Chen Lu and her beautiful gardens, and that glorious, ridiculous hat that Luke made you wear, and Erin’s good work with the villagers on that mountain in Tibet. Nothing hurtful, nothing disturbing. Understood?”

His eyes were almost hypnotic and his voice smooth and yet forceful. She felt surrounded, enveloped by the sheer presence of him. Warmth that was always his gift to her. Friendship that had been founded on shared experiences and years of exploring the depths of that bond. She could feel the tight knot inside her breast begin to loosen.

She leaned her head back on the chair and smiled. “It doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Where do we start?”

CHAPTER

7

It was going well, Santos thought with satisfaction as he leaned back in the deck chair and let the warm sun seep into his skin. Catherine Ling had tried to be defiant and scornful, but he had been able to tell that she was in pain. He had been right to let Jane MacGuire linger for a while. It had served to draw out the agony for Ling.

“You look pleased,” Dorgal said as he dropped down in a chair beside Santos. “You enjoyed the girl last night?”

“She was adequate.” Not like Delores. But no one was like Delores. But he’d had a bittersweet enjoyment of screwing the girl and remembering how amused Delores had been when he brought another woman to his bed. She would sit and watch them, then stroll over to the bed and caress the woman with gentle, loving hands. Then she would give her a lingering kiss while drawing her dagger from the pocket of her silk robe.

He remembered the anticipation he always felt as Delores glanced at him.

She would purse her lips in a mock kiss and blow it to him.

And stab the woman in the heart.

Dorgal shrugged. “I thought you might enjoy her more than the last one. Do you want me to dispose of her, or are you going to try her again?”

“I’ll try her again.” He glanced at Dorgal. “But you didn’t come down to the beach from the house to ask me about that little slut. What’s wrong?”

“Maybe nothing.” He paused. “You told me to tell you if there were any inquiries about Montez. I received word that there was a computer inquiry yesterday and one very recently.”

He went still. “From what source?”

“We couldn’t break the code. We’re still trying.”

“Ling.”

“Possibly.”

Santos muttered a curse. “Probably. Nagoles must have talked.”

“He didn’t know that much. We gave him only the name of the kill and where he could find him.”

“But Ling would be able to take that information and run with it. She’d dig and dig until she found out something she could use.”

“Then the logical solution would be to make sure the place where she dug would be barren. It shouldn’t be difficult. After we killed his brother, Montez got the message. He swore we’d have no trouble with him if we left his family alone.” He smiled. “He was scared shitless and took off running for the hills. Should I order he be taken out?”

“No,” Santos said sharply. “I’ve told you before. I may need him. Can you locate him?”

“He has a mother and a sister in Guatemala City. I’ll find him. What then?”

“Make sure no one else finds him.”

“Then I’d better start moving on it.” Dorgal got to his feet. “And Montez?”

“Bring him here. I’ve been uneasy lately about leaving him free out there on his own. I don’t want to have to go looking for him when she needs him. And I don’t want to risk having Ling find him and ask awkward questions. I don’t like her knowing as much as she does.” His lips tightened. “I wasn’t expecting her to be able to reel in Nagoles and question him. Any more information about who took down the helicopter? CIA?”

Dorgal shook his head. “Not according to the priests in the villages. From what we’ve been able to gather, it was someone they call the Guardian.” He shrugged. “But that could be religious mumbo jumbo.”

“Mumbo jumbo doesn’t blow up helicopters. Get me a name.” He added, “And a connection with Ling or Erin Sullivan.”

“Right.” He moved down the beach toward the path that led to the mansion on the hill. “But first things first. You can’t expect me to zero in on Montez while I—”

“I expect you to do what I tell you,” Santos said softly. “Whatever I say, whatever irons you have in the fire at the time. Have you forgotten that? Perhaps this island living has lulled you into being a little too comfortable.”

Dorgal tensed. “I haven’t forgotten.” He moistened his lips. “Of course, I’ll see to it.” He turned and strode quickly up the path.

Santos watched him scurry up the hill. Dorgal had been with him a long time and grown too comfortable with him. Delores had always told him it was necessary to occasionally keep Dorgal in order and apply the verbal whip. She was right, and most of the time he enjoyed the sensation of power it gave him.

But not this time. The news Dorgal had brought had destroyed the satisfaction he had been feeling after he had talked to Catherine Ling. He wanted that satisfaction back. He didn’t want to sit here by the sea. He wanted to move on that bitch.

No. Control and patience. He would not destroy the master plan he’d created because he was impatient. It would be a disservice to Delores.

Yet would Delores really want him to delay that final revenge?

She had always opted for bloodletting—swift, cruel, painful.

And was this doubt he was feeling her message to tell him that she was getting impatient, too?

It’s so hard, my love. I need you here to help me.

He could almost hear her scornful laughter drifting to him from her tomb on the hill. He could never expect softness or sympathy from Delores. It was part of her appeal for him that she was as sleek and dangerous as he. She was a glorious, shimmering mirror of everything he was or wanted to be.

Nothing was as good without her. Even that little whore he’d had last night had only brought back painful memories. He had told Dorgal he wasn’t finished with her yet, but there was only one last act to perform.

He got to his feet and moved toward the path.

You know it won’t be as exciting as when we finished it together. I have to play both roles. But I’ll be thinking of you every minute when I do it.

And then I’ll bring her to you, and she’ll belong to you forever.

ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Eve stared dully down at the caller ID on her phone. “It’s Catherine.”

“Do you want me to talk to her?” Joe asked gently.

She shook her head. “No. I promised her I’d let her know. I just haven’t been able to pull myself together yet.” She punched the access. “Hello, Catherine. It’s not good news.”

“Shit.”

“Dr. Basle just left. He was very thorough, very kind.” She tried to steady her voice. “And told us exactly what the other doctors had already told us. A week to ten days.”

Silence. “God, I didn’t want to hear that. Can you find another specialist?”

“I could. Basle is supposed to be the best.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s right.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling myself. I’m not giving up hope. I’ll bring in a shaman or witch doctor if he tells me he can help. I’ll hit the Internet and see if I can find any new drugs or procedures that have had success in other countries. You know that the U.S. is the last to approve new drugs. But Jane has nothing to lose now.”

“No. If I can help, let me know.” She added grimly, “I’ll get you any drug in the world, legal or not. If Hu Chang can’t create one or duplicate it, Cameron and I will steal it.”

“First, I have to find one that has a chance of working. In the meantime, you know how you can help. Joe and I will take care of our Jane. Good-bye, Catherine.” She hung up and smiled shakily at Joe. “Catherine is all set to raid the CDC if we want her to do it.”

“I’ve been on the computer while I was back in ICU sitting with Jane,” Joe said. “I haven’t found anything hopeful.”

“Neither have I.” Her hand tightened on Joe’s. “But we can’t give up. There has to be a way.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I was telling Catherine the truth. I’ll do anything I have to do.” She paused, then said deliberately, “Shaman or witch doctor or anyone else.”

He stiffened against her. “What are you saying?”

“She’s having problems with blood flow, damage to the arterial system. Those doctors say the usual arterial graft won’t work with her.”

“For God’s sake, I know all that.”

“Who do we know that could possibly adjust blood flow? Who have we seen actually kill by causing the blood to hemorrhage and induce a heart attack?”

He went still, then pushed her away from him to look down into her face. “Seth Caleb? You want to try to get Seth Caleb here to try to help her?”

“I’d try to get the devil himself here if I thought he’d help her.”

“Some people would say that Caleb’s uncanny ability to manipulate blood flow has a certain Satanic base.” He grimaced. “I understand he’s been accused of being a vampire on occasion.”

“Not to his face.”

“No, Caleb is too intimidating.”

“Besides, that’s totally ridiculous. It might just be that he possesses some kind of simple magnetic force.”

“You don’t think that. You were worried about Jane whenever he was around her.”

“But she wasn’t worried. He saved your life once, Joe. And she asked him to help her find me when Doane kidnapped me. She trusted Caleb.”

“Are you talking yourself into this? I remember watching him at Trevor’s funeral. He was almost explosive.”

She remembered that night, too. The dark fascination that always surrounded Caleb, the overpowering tension that he had generated. “Okay, he cares about her. But that could be a good thing.”

“Or a very bad thing.”

“For Pete’s sake, he’s not going to steal her soul or anything like that. He’s rich, he’s intelligent, and he has a certain … wildness. He travels around the world, but no one accuses him of anything that’s particularly—” Or maybe they had. She’d better drop that argument. Caleb kept his private life very private. “He’s been in and out of Jane’s life for years. She’s always been able to handle him.”

“She’s dying, Eve.”

“Yes.” She leaned her head on his chest. “So I may have to be the one who handles Caleb for her. If he needs handling. Maybe he’ll just want to save her like we do. No strings attached.”

He drew her closer. “Maybe he will. I’m not going to talk you out of it, am I?”

“No, not if he can help her. Maybe he can’t. He’s always been a wild card.”

“Wild, period,” Joe said dryly. “But I’m like you—if there’s a chance, I’ll take it. And I’ll be the one to handle him if he causes trouble. Do you want me to call him?”

“No, I’ll do it,” she said quickly. She didn’t want Joe and Caleb to go up against each other during a first encounter.

“Then I’m going to go back to Jane with my computer and try to find a reasonable alternative to Seth Caleb.” He kissed her nose and moved down the hallway. “And compared to him, almost anyone is reasonable.”

But not just anyone was able to do what Caleb might be able to do, Eve thought, as she pulled out her phone. She quickly dialed the number she’d looked up after she’d talked to Dr. Basle.

“Eve?” Seth Caleb’s voice was wary as he picked up the call. “What an unexpected pleasure. How are you?”

“Not good,” she said tersely. “I need you.”

“How flattering. I don’t believe you’ve ever expressed—”

“I should have said Jane needs you. She’s been shot.” She added baldly, “She’s dying, Caleb.”

Silence. “No.” His voice was dagger-sharp, vibrating with explosive force. “She’s not going to die. I won’t let her.”

The sheer power of his words filled her with a strange fear, yet gave her hope. “Then come here and keep her from doing it. She was shot in the chest, and they’ve managed to take care of most of the damage. But there’s some kind of blood-flow problem that they can’t seem to fix. She’s in a coma at St. Joseph’s in Atlanta. They say she has no more than ten days.”

“Ten days? Blood flow is damn tricky. It could be much less. You hold on to her. Don’t let her go. I’m on my way.”

“Where are you?”

“Edinburgh. I can be there in seven hours. You keep her alive until I get there.” He hung up.

Keep her alive, she thought wearily. How was she going to do that?

Talk to her and hope she could hear her.

Tell her how much they loved her, how much they’d miss her.

Pray.

“Perhaps a little of all three, Mama.”

Eve knew what she would see when she lifted her gaze at the soft child’s voice. Curly red hair, seven years old, and the most glowing smile in the universe. Bonnie, leaning against the doorjamb and gazing at Eve with love and sympathy. Bonnie, her little girl, who had died so many years ago. Bonnie’s spirit, who had somehow been permitted to remain behind to save her mother when she had been spiraling downward after her death.

Eve tried to smile. “I’m glad you came. I needed you today.”

“I thought you would.” Bonnie plopped down in a chair. “I would have come before this, but I wasn’t sure … I thought you might need me more later.”

“You thought she was dying.”

“Yes.”

“She is dying. Or that’s what those doctors tell me. They could be wrong. Tell me they’re wrong, Bonnie.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Then tell me she has a chance.”

She didn’t speak.

“Sometimes you know things, don’t you? You’re a ghost.” She smiled shakily. “You have contacts. I wouldn’t mind if you’d wield a little influence.”

“I would if I could.” She shook her head. “It’s hard. She wants to come to us.”

“So did I. I still do sometimes. But I had to stay, and they gave me you, baby.”

She smiled. “And you thought I was a hallucination for a long time. You weren’t easy to convince.”

“I didn’t care if you were a hallucination or a dream or a ghost, just so you were here.” She could feel the tears sting. “And now it’s starting all over again. And this time I’m not sure if I’d ever get Jane back. You keep telling me that it doesn’t happen often. So, dammit, she has to live. I lost one daughter, I can’t lose another one.”

“I know. Sometimes there are adjustments, but I can’t even promise you that.”

“Adjustments. I don’t know what you mean.”

She shook her head. “We won’t talk about it. I can’t give you answers, but maybe I can give you comfort.”

“You always do.” She leaned back in her chair, her gaze on the red hair, the glow, the shining warmth that had always been her special little girl. “And I don’t mean to be ungrateful, but I’m hurting. I have to do something.”

“And you are,” Bonnie said gently. “You’ve called Seth Caleb.”

“Will he do any good?”

“Maybe. He’ll want to do good for her. I can’t promise that he’ll be able to do anything.”

“Sorry. I won’t ask you again.”

“I wish I knew all the answers. I wish I could give Jane back to you. But all I can do is stay with you until right before Caleb comes. Will that help?”

“You know it will.” To have the love, to see her Bonnie, to remember the days when she’d had her to hold close, before she was only a memory. “Oh, yes, that will help me, baby.”

*   *   *

Cameron.

Catherine could sense him in the darkness of her room before she opened her eyes. He was sitting in a chair a few yards from her bed. “What are you doing here?”

“Watching you sleep. You’re beautiful. When you’re awake, you’re all alertness and wariness, every muscle tense and ready. That has its own charm, but when you sleep, there’s an innocence and a sensuality.”

Heat.

Push it away.

“It can’t be both. That’s a contradiction.”

He chuckled. “But so was Eve in the Garden of Eden.”

“Why are you here?”

“Not for seduction. I realize that it’s not the time.”

It might not be the time, but just sitting there in the dark he was pure seduction. The strong, lean line of his body, the scent of him, the memory of him over her, in her. “I’m not going to ask you again.”

“I wanted to tell you I’ve located Eduardo Montez. I thought you’d want to know.”

“I do.” She sat up in bed. “But it wouldn’t wait until morning?”

“No, by morning we should be well on our way to meeting the good doctor. Unless you want me to go by myself?”

“You know better than that.” She reached over and turned on the lamp on the bedside table. “Where is he?”

“I’m not certain. Not in Guatemala City, where his mother and sister live. He’s still on the run from Santos. By the time we get to Guatemala, I should get an update from the head of the group I hire to do jobs for me in Central America.”

“The committee strikes again,” she said sarcastically. “Do you have special forces you can call on all over the world?”

“Almost.” He smiled. “I’m still working on some countries. After all, I’m only one man.”

“With unlimited funds and influence. It’s no wonder Venable is getting nervous about the conglomerate.”

“But the CIA has its own army and influence.” His eyes were twinkling. “I’m just fortunate to be on my own and not strangled by red tape. I think Venable is just jealous.”

“You might be right.” She swung her legs to the floor. “You might have the opportunity to discuss it with him soon. Did you find out anything more about Montez?”

“Eduardo Montez has a general medical degree and three Ph.D.s in various other fields. He attended a university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but his family is from Argentina. He spent most of his childhood and school breaks at a rancho in the hills outside of Buenos Aires.”

“How did he end up in Guatemala? And why did Santos order a hit on his brother?”

“And the most pertinent question is: Why did he order that on no account was Nagoles to kill Eduardo Montez?” He got to his feet. “Which we will know when we come back from Guatemala.”

“We’d better.” She frowned. “Because I’m scared shitless about leaving here. Besides that hospital in Atlanta, everyone else I love in the world is in this house. Talk about putting all my eggs in one basket.”

He nodded. “But you have the equivalent of a special forces army guarding that basket.”

She shook her head.

“Not enough? What about the fact that you have Hu Chang to ramrod the security? He’s both wise and ingenious. He wouldn’t permit anything to happen while you’re gone.”

“He might not be able to help it.” She grimaced. “I’m being negative. You’re right, they’re as safe as they can be.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I think that the pressure will be diverted by our going after Montez. Montez is important to Santos, and he might consider him a threat if we got hold of him. He’ll be concerned about what you’re doing and how to stop you.”

“Unless he decides to stop me by hitting at someone else close to me.”

His expression turned thoughtful. “It’s always possible. But I’d bet that the action will be aimed at us. The only exception might be if you frighten or anger Santos enough to make him strike out.”

“Great.” She headed toward the bathroom. “And the chances are that I’ll do both before this is over. Something I won’t be able to avoid—”

She inhaled sharply. He had reached out as she’d passed him and grasped her forearm.

Electricity.

She looked down at his strong, hard, beautifully shaped hand against her softness.

His fingers on her wrist, his thumb rubbing her forearm. “But maybe not in Guatemala.” His lips brushed the hollow of her elbow. “We might be able to get back before you piss him off.”

His tongue on the softness of her flesh …

“Let me go, Cameron.”

“In a minute. I’ve been very good. Do you know how much I’ve wanted to do this?”

She only knew how much she’d wanted him to touch her.

“Or how often I thought of you in the summerhouse with your legs wrapped around me. It sent me into a fever, and all I wanted to do was drop everything and come back to you.”

“But you didn’t come back.” Her breasts were swelling, tightening. The muscles of her stomach were clenching. She had to get away from him. She jerked her arm free. “And you shouldn’t have come back. There’s nothing here for you. I told you that when you left me.” She moved toward the bathroom. Walk, don’t run. Don’t look back. “I’ll be dressed in ten minutes. Providing you still want to go with me.”

He chuckled. “Catherine, of course I want to go with you. I’ll do my best to be good. Sex is at the top of the list of the things I want to do with you. But followed closely behind it is fighting the bad guys with you. It’s very exhilarating.” His smile faded. “And I find I can’t bear the thought of Santos taking either one of those pleasures away from me.” He turned and headed for the door. “Ten minutes. I’ve arranged for a plane and pilot to be waiting at the airport. I’ll be downstairs in the foyer.”

PEDRO AMADOS AIRPORT

OUTSIDE GUATEMALA CITY

“We’re landing.” Cameron came out of the cockpit and handed her a manila envelope. “Documents. You’re Narda Seldano. Memorize the rest of the info before we get on the ground.”

“Not much time,” Catherine said. “If you had these documents before we got on this plane, why didn’t you give them to me before this?”

“I’m sure you’re a quick study. I had to make sure that they were authentic and not traceable. I told Dario to verify and get back to me before we landed. He came through just in the nick of time.”

“Dario?”

“Rafael Dario. He runs the group that is going to spearhead our search for Montez.”

“Well, it was more of a close shave than the nick of time.” She was already scanning the documents. They seemed fairly good, including the passport photo and driver’s license. “I’m not sure I’d have much faith in Dario.”

“He’s a good man.” He was buckling his seat belt. “A little unusual, but nothing wrong with that. I’d rather he take his time than give me bad service.”

“And no one can say that you’re not a little unusual yourself,” she said dryly. “No wonder you’re comfortable with him.”

“You’ll be comfortable, too.” He was looking out the window as the Gulfstream’s wheels touched down. “I see him waiting by that hangar. See how reliable he is?” His eyes widened as he saw the tall man he’d just indicated was now running across the tarmac toward the plane. “Maybe…” He tore off his seat belt and ran toward the passenger door and called to the pilot in the cockpit. “Stop the damn plane!” The plane had barely stopped moving when Cameron threw the door open. “What the hell are you doing, Dario?”

“Being inventive and brilliant.” Dario threw himself into the plane. “And trying to save the life of the beautiful Catherine Ling. You can take care of yourself, Cameron, but it would hurt me to see her go down. Get this plane back in the air.” He was breathing hard. “Not a safe airport, Cameron.” He got to his feet. “And if you’d gotten off the plane at that hangar, anyone would have been able to get a shot at you from those foothills. Right here, the plane is out of range of any sniper bullet. At the hangar, you’d be vulnerable. And my information is that a shot would have a 92 percent chance of occurring at present. Someone knows that you’re in town and doesn’t like you.”

Cameron headed for the cockpit. “You told me this would be a safe airport, dammit. What changed?”

“Situations ebb and flow. This one overflowed.” He turned to Catherine. “I’m Rafael Dario. I’m delighted to meet you. You should also be delighted to meet me since I risked my life to save you.”

“Should I? So far I’m not impressed by you, Senor Dario.” It wasn’t the truth. She might not be impressed by Rafael Dario’s actions, but there was no way not to be impressed by his appearance. He was literally larger than life, standing nearly six-foot-five and as muscular as he was graceful. His dark hair was meticulously barbered, and his features were regular except for a nose that was long, hooked, and somehow made his face appear all the more appealing. “I’m sure that Cameron paid you very well to do that.”

“Fantastically well.” He grinned. “But I always have a choice. I believe I would have chosen your life even if the money had been a mere pittance. When I saw your photo in the dossier Cameron sent me to help in getting your documents, you reminded me of my mother.”

“What?”

He nodded as he sat down and buckled his seat belt. “She was very beautiful, too. And I always felt safe with her. Not many people felt that way about her since she fought with the rebels in Colombia, and she was very, very good. And then, too, beauty often gets in the way. Don’t you find that?”

“No.”

“I think you’re wrong. My mother had a lot to overcome.”

“And did she succeed?”

“Yes, until the very end. She was ambushed. It took twelve men to take her down.” The words were spoken with no expression. “But I regard that as also a success.”

“So would I.”

He smiled. “You see, that’s why you remind me of my mother. I sensed it would be so. You understand that the—”

“Okay, we’ll be out of here in a few minutes,” Cameron said as he came out of the cockpit. “So where the hell are we going, Dario?”

“North. The hills. There’s another private airport near the border at San Esposito that will accommodate jets. I wanted not to be too obvious about our destination, but now it’s just a question of getting you to Montez in time.” He got to his feet. “I’ll go up with the pilot and give him directions.”

“What do you mean, getting us to Montez in time?” Catherine asked. “In time for what?”

“In time to make sure he’s still alive for him to do you any good.” He was heading for the cockpit. “His sister, Lena, was tortured and butchered last night. If she knew where Eduardo is hiding, then Santos probably does, too.”

“And is he hiding?”

“Yes, he took off for the hills with his brother when Nagoles was on the hunt for them. His brother was caught and killed, but Eduardo escaped. It’s been presumed he’s been hiding out in the rain forests ever since. No sign of anyone in pursuit.”

“Until now,” Catherine said.

“As you say,” Dario said. “It seems you stirred up a hornet’s nest. When Cameron engaged me to find Montez, I sent out men in all directions and found that there was a recent call out to capture him.”

“Kill him?” Cameron asked.

“No, capture, underlined and very definite. I have an idea that Santos might have had a general idea where to find him but it wasn’t a priority.” His lips twisted. “But I lost a man at Montez’s sister Lena’s place. Alfredo Ruiz was shot when he ran into Santos’s men searching her house. Montez’s sister and my man, Ruiz, were killed without a second thought. Only Eduardo evidently was to be spared.” He paused. “I liked Ruiz. I believe that I’ll have to do something about evening that particular score.”

“You said that Santos might know where Montez is hiding,” Cameron said. “Do you?”

“Of course.” Dario looked at him in surprise. “You said you wanted to know. I make my living by acquiring information, then acting on it.” He looked at Catherine. “Like you. Your dossier said that you sold information in Hong Kong when you were very young. It’s another sign of our kinship.”

“I sold. I didn’t act.”

“But you would have if it had become necessary.” He opened the cockpit door. “I will get you to Montez, Cameron. And then you will give me permission to kill the man who killed Ruiz. Agreed?”

“If we don’t need him for bargaining,” Cameron said. “If there’s a problem, we’ll negotiate.”

“I find it hard to negotiate when one of my men has been killed. I choose them, I train them, I become close to them. They are mine.”

Catherine chuckled. “That sounds familiar, Cameron. You should understand that philosophy.”

“I do. That’s why I hired you, Dario. But in the end, I’m the only one who gives the orders.”

He shrugged. “We will see.” He went into the cockpit.

“Not your usual obedient drone,” Catherine said mockingly. “Clearly, Dario didn’t get the memo about the committee or your being all-powerful when you hired him. I’ve seen how you’re usually treated by the people who work for you. Lots of bowing and scraping.”

“And you think I like it?”

“No, I think it exasperates you.” The plane was starting to roll down the runway, and she looked out the window at the distant hills. Had there really been a possible shooter in that mass of green vegetation? “But I don’t believe you’re going to have to worry about it with Dario. You may have trouble controlling him.”

“Then I’ll get rid of him. But I’ve always found independent thought is better than a ‘drone’ mentality. If I can work with him, I’ll do it.” He glanced at her. “Have you changed your mind about him?”

“Maybe. He appears not to hesitate when it comes down to pulling the trigger.”

“Literally and figuratively.” He studied her. “But what is this kinship bullshit?”

“Nothing.” She made a face. “He says I remind him of his mother.”

“What?” He smiled. “If I didn’t know who Dario’s mother was, I’d think that was a very tired line.”

“He said she fought with the rebels in Colombia.”

He nodded. “Elena Dario. Very smart, very dedicated, very tough. Rafael Dario grew up in the jungles while they were dodging and raiding both the cartels and the government forces.”

“But they finally killed her? He said it took twelve men to take her down.”

“Yes. He was fourteen at the time, and he found out names and went after each one of those men. It took him three years, but he killed every one of them. After that, he left Colombia and surfaced in Peru. He was a mercenary for a few years, then formed a unit of his own in Guatemala. Since then, he’s struck a balance between working for the local police and private organizations that aren’t necessarily on the right side of the law.”

“Like you.”

“Like me. Do you expect me to deny it? What a waste of time. Law is defined by the particular country or party that’s in control at a given time. It’s much more sensible to embrace your own code and forget the rest of that nonsense.”

“Venable would not agree.”

“But you do,” he said softly. “Deep in your heart, you know that I’m right. You walk your own path.”

“Not as long as I’m CIA.”

“Yes, we do have to get you over that hurdle.”

“It’s not a hurdle, it’s a vocation.” She changed the subject. “It’s fairly clear that your probing around the Montez killing got a quick and explosive response. Santos may not have wanted Eduardo Montez dead, but he didn’t want us to find him, either. You told me that Nagoles said his brother’s death was an example killing. That meant it was to warn Eduardo Montez in the most terrifying way possible that he wasn’t to talk or he’d be next in line.” She frowned. “But he wasn’t next in line. He’s still out there, and Santos is being very careful to keep him alive. Why?”