No One to Trust (6 page)

“A helicopter,” Chavez murmured. “Flying low. Interesting.” And possibly detrimental to the hunt. He had thought Elena
was alone and desperate, trying to find a cave in which to hide. If she had enlisted the kind of help who could supply a helicopter as an escape vehicle, the balance of power might have seriously shifted.

Gomez ran out of the hut. “I have the directions. Dominic’s house is on the mountain road. About twenty minutes from here.”

“Then let’s get on the move.” He lifted the binoculars to his eyes. “Have one of the men get the number on that helicopter and try to trace it.” The craft was having difficulty, battered by the strong winds. It would be difficult for it to land.

Bad luck, Elena.

“He can’t make it.” Galen watched as Carmichael made the third pass and then turned and headed away from the trees bordering the mountain. He lifted Dominic and put him in the back of the jeep. “Pile in and give me directions to that clearing.”

“We should have tried that first.” Elena lifted Barry into the passenger seat.

“Hindsight is always better, isn’t it? I didn’t want to parade you all over the countryside if I didn’t have to.” He raised his voice and shouted for Forbes.

But Forbes was already running toward him. “Two cars are coming up the mountain. One late-model sedan, one Land Rover.”

Galen cursed and turned to Elena. “What are the odds?”

“In this area? The people are as poor as dirt. Most of them don’t even have cars. It’s got to be Chavez.”

“Is there a way of going up and around the mountain without passing them?”

“No, the road runs out before it reaches the top. About five miles from here.”

“Dammit. It’s still the only way to go. Get in and start driving. Forbes, you sit in back with Dominic.” He reached for the radio. “I’ve got to talk to Carmichael.”

Chavez lifted the lid of the toy box and took out the bow on the top of the heap of toys. She had given his son these cheap toys. She had hidden him in this house and let him only know what she chose to tell him.

His son.

He flipped open the nearly empty album and saw a picture of Elena smiling down at a small boy. Damn her. He tore the picture in two and stuffed the half with the boy in his pocket.

“There’s no sign of anyone around the house or in the forest,” Gomez said behind him. “But the helicopter is still hovering nearby.”

“And no one passed us on the road. They’re still here. We just have to find them.” His gaze returned to the toy bow in his hands. Chavez had been enjoying the hunt so much it had not fully hit home what that bitch had done to him.

He broke the flimsy bow in two and threw it aside. “Torch the place. Burn it to the ground.”

Elena stopped the jeep. “This is as far as the road goes.”

“At least there are no trees up here.” Galen jumped out of the jeep and ran around the back. “Help me get this gear out, Forbes.”

“It’s still too windy for him to land,” Forbes said. “He’ll crash against the mountain if he tries.”

“Then the mountain will have to come to Muhammad.” He took out the gear in the back of the jeep. “Or something like that. We don’t have any choice.”

“What are you going to do?” Elena was beside them.

“Put on this harness.” He threw two canvas harnesses at her. “And put one on Dominic. Carmichael is going to drop a line and pull us away from the mountain and then into the copter. The harnesses fasten onto the O ring on the line. Then it’s up to them to use the winch to pull us up.”

“He’s going to pull us off this mountain into the air?”

“Do you have a better idea?” Galen tossed a harness to Forbes. “I wasn’t expecting this many people, so I’ve told Carmichael to drop another harness with the line. It’s good strong equipment. It’s the same issue used by the Special Forces for difficult extractions.”

Elena had finished putting the harness on the priest and was putting on her own. “Have you used them before?”

“Hell, yes. I never take a chance on everything going right. It usually doesn’t.” He checked the fastenings of all the harnesses before he waved to Carmichael. “We have to stagger the ascent. You and Dominic go first. Forbes and I will clip on the second rung. I’ll take the kid.”

“Is Carmichael dropping a harness for Barry?”

“We don’t have a harness that will fit him, so I’ll tie him to me and hold tight.”

“No, I’ll take him.”

“This wind is blowing up a gale and it’s going to get worse when the helicopter is overhead. You’re strong, but I’m stronger. It’s a fact of life that men have more upper-body strength, and you’re wounded. He’s safer with me.” He smiled. “And I know what would happen to me if I dropped him. I’d never make it onto that helicopter.”

She didn’t want to admit he was right. She didn’t want Barry’s safety depending on anyone but her.

But he
was
stronger. She had found that out when they struggled. With this wound she couldn’t chance Barry being torn from her arms. “You’re absolutely right. If anything happens to him, you won’t survive either.”

“Comforting.” He went around to where Barry was still sitting in the jeep. Galen squatted down beside him. “Pretty exciting stuff, huh?” He smiled at the little boy. “Are you afraid?”

“No.” He looked at Elena. “But Mama is worried.”

“That’s because she doesn’t understand. She thought we were just going to take a plane ride. But it’s going to be even better.” He lowered his voice. “We’re going to fly.”

Barry’s eyes widened. “Like Peter Pan?”

“You know about him? Of course you do. And Tinker Bell?”

Barry nodded.

“But we can’t exactly flit like them. We have to have a rope to swing on. The helicopter is going to pull us along for a while
and then bring us up. Your mama is going first, and then you and I are going to fly together.”

Barry’s gaze went to the edge of the mountain. “It’s a long way down. Are you sure we won’t fall?”

“Look at me.” Galen held the boy’s eyes with mesmerizing force. “We won’t fall. I promise you. Like your mother said, it will be a grand adventure. Will you come with me?”

Barry stared at him gravely. “Mama will be safe? She won’t fall either?”

“Your mama will be safe.”

A sudden luminous smile lit the child’s face. “When can we go?”

Galen laughed, stood up, and lifted him from the jeep. “Right now.” He pointed to the helicopter, whose side door was opening. “You stand right here while I get your mother and Father Dominic fastened up.”

“Can I help?” Barry asked eagerly.

“No, you just keep an eye on the helicopter for me.”

Galen had practically hypnotized Barry, Elena thought in amazement. Talk about Peter Pan.

He grabbed the harness Carmichael dropped, put it on, and then spaced a twenty-foot length from Elena’s position before clipping his and Forbes’s harnesses onto the line.

“Shit.” Forbes’s gaze was on the road. “Cars. Only a few minutes away.”

“It might be enough time.” Galen waved at Carmichael and then grabbed Barry and tied him securely to his body. “All set, lad?”

Barry nodded as his arms slid around Galen’s neck. “I just hold on?”

He lifted his thumb to signal Carmichael. “You just hold on. See, there goes your mama.…”

Elena tried to keep an eye on Barry below her, but the wind was too strong. It was twirling her like a top as the helicopter lifted her and spun away from the mountain.

The figures looked like puppets dancing on the end of a cord.

Gomez lifted his gun. “I’ll try for the gas tank of the helicopter.”

“No!” Chavez struck his hand. “If the helicopter goes down, so does my son.” He could feel the rage tear through him, choking him. “See if you can get a good shot at the woman. Blow her head off.”

Gomez aimed carefully and then lowered the gun. “Too far away. And she’s almost up to the helicopter door. If you don’t want the chopper downed, I can’t risk it.”

They were almost gone from view. The bitch had stolen his son not once but twice. She had won.

No, he wouldn’t accept that.

“Find out who helped her. Did you recognize any of the men?”

“No, but I’ll check with the men in the other car. One of them might have gotten a better look.”

He turned away from the cliff. “Do it. Find out who helped her. They’re going to pay for what they’ve done.”

Barry was laughing as they pulled him into the helicopter. “I flew, Mama.” He hurled himself at Elena after Galen unhooked him. “Wasn’t it fun? Can we go again?”

“Maybe someday. But not quite like this.” She gave him a hug. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“I did.” He turned to Galen. “Thank you very much.”

Galen nodded solemnly. “You’re very welcome. It was my pleasure.” He shook hands with the two men who’d manned the winch. “Good job.” He turned to Elena. “Tad Pullman and Dave Jebb, Elena.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

Galen said to Barry, “Would you like to go up and meet the pilot who gave us such a great ride?”

“Please,” he said eagerly. “Carmichael?”

“Yes, that’s his name.” He looked at Elena. “May I?”

She nodded curtly. Dominic was stirring and she didn’t want Barry to be present when he found out what had happened.

Forbes was staring out the window down at the ground below. “Come here for a moment, Elena.”

She went to the window. “What’s wrong? Is there—”

Black smoke. Flames spiking up against the sky.

“Dominic’s house?”

“Yes,” she whispered. All those memories of Barry’s childhood—gone, destroyed in one cruel act. She closed her eyes for a moment until the pain subsided. “We’re not going to tell Barry.”

“I’m sorry.”

“So am I. I have to break it to Dominic. He spent six years
in that house. It was his home too.” She sat down beside Dominic and leaned back against the fuselage. She could feel the craft vibrate against the muscles of her spine, and she shifted to ease the pressure. Her wound was throbbing again and she felt a little light-headed.

Hold on. She could let go soon. But it wasn’t safe yet.

She closed her eyes and waited for Dominic to wake.

“You shouldn’t have let Galen do it,” Dominic said.

“It was done before I realized what was happening.” Elena was silent for a moment. “But I won’t lie to you. I would have done it myself. I was planning on it.”

He shook his head. “You can’t take people’s choices away from them, Elena.”

“I can if it means keeping them alive. I don’t have that many people in the world that I care about. I won’t let any of you be taken from me.”

He smiled crookedly. “Even if it means taking us on one by one.”

“Chavez burned your house. He would have killed you.”

“I’m no novice at hide-and-seek. Remember all those years I spent with the guerrillas. I’m just a little out of practice.”

“Chavez wouldn’t have given you the opportunity to regain any lost skills. He would have tracked you down and butchered you. He’ll do anything to hurt me now.”

“Now?” He reached out and gently touched her cheek. “He’s already tried hard to ruin your life.”

“He didn’t care before. It didn’t mean anything to him. I
was only an amusement.” She added bitterly, “I guarantee he’s not amused now.” She took his hand, her voice vibrating with feeling. “I know you’re thinking about not getting on that plane in Medellín. Please come with us. What would happen to Barry if I don’t get through this? We need you.”