Stalemate

  He stood up and wandered over to the high arched window to look out at the rolling hills of coca lying before him. Such a sleepy, sunny scene. Nekmon would never know the thrill it gave him every time he stared up at those hills. There was more power invested in one of those fields of coca than most men would know in a lifetime of wheeling and dealing. The power to destroy, to twist minds, to lift a sucker to the heights and then take it away if it suited him. The fact that drugs had made him a very rich man was only secondary. It was the power that counted.

  And he wasn’t going to let Montalvo take one bit of that power away. He’d beaten him once. He’d beat him again.

  “You’re going to do nothing?” Nekmon asked.

  Yes, he’d definitely have to replace Nekmon at the earliest opportunity. “I didn’t say that. You’ll increase the surveillance of the compound. You’ll make sure that the security here is tight.”

  “And?”

  He smiled. “Why, we’ll wait and watch and scoop him up when he tries to retrieve his beloved bride.”

  The bedside clock read 6:35.

  Eve shook her head to clear it of sleep. She’d slept as if she’d been drugged, not Joe. The moment her head had hit the pillow she’d been lost to the world.

  The skull.

  She swung her feet to the floor and headed for the bathroom. Montalvo had said that he’d be leaving at eight. She had to get downstairs right away. He might leave early and she had to—

  She stopped short. Why was she in such a hurry? Why did she have this sense of urgency to see him before he left?

  She slowly went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Her entire being was alert, wired, expectant.

  Expecting what?

  And then she knew.

  And there wasn’t much time.

  She quickly stepped beneath the spray.

  Thirty minutes later she was running down the staircase. The first floor was a turmoil of activity. Men dressed in khakis and trail boots, all fully armed, were everywhere. She caught sight of Soldono near the front door.

  “Where’s Montalvo?” she called from the landing.

  “Outside on the ramparts, I think,” Soldono said. “He’s been in and out all afternoon.” He gave her an appraising glance. “You look surprisingly healthy considering that blow to the noggin you took. When I first saw you lying underneath Quinn, I thought you were dead.”

  “I’m okay.” She passed him and went through the front door. It was almost dark but there were lanterns everywhere and she caught sight of Montalvo almost immediately. He was coming down the steps from the rampart talking to someone behind him.

  “Montalvo.”

  He smiled as he turned to look at her. “Ah, you’ve come to bid me good-bye. Do you have a favor to give me as I ride into battle?”

  “No. That’s not why I came.”

  His smile faded and he gave a sigh. “I was afraid of this. I was hoping that you were too wounded and light-headed to react in the most characteristic manner for you. Evidently my hopes were to no avail.”

  “I’m going with you.”

  “Not possible.”

  “I’m going with you.”

  “Eve, we’re moving fast and you’d get in our way.”

  “I’m not saying I want you to give me a gun and let me go after that bastard Diaz. I’m not stupid. I leave the fighting to those who are trained to do it. But I’m going to be there when you dig up that skull.”

  “No!” Soldono was standing behind her. “Eve, this is foolish. You’ll get yourself killed. Why would you insist on going?”

  “It’s a matter of trust.” Montalvo’s tone was mocking. “The trust she does not have in me. Isn’t that correct, Eve?”

  “Of course it’s correct. You spun me a fine tale of a lost love and a monster who sits in his castle like a fat gargoyle and smears his poison on everything he touches. What if you’re lying? What if you have this skull hidden away somewhere and you take your men out and come back a few hours later with the skull? Only maybe it’s not your wife’s skull. I’ve been lied to before. Maybe the reconstruction is to be of someone else. Or maybe this body is buried somewhere else other than Diaz’s territory and I’m violating a grave. How do I know?”

  “A matter of trust,” he said. “Catch-22.”

  “I won’t do that reconstruction unless I’m at least marginally certain that you’ve been telling me the truth.”

  “How marginally?”

  “I want to see the cemetery for myself. I want to see that castle you said Diaz lives in that towers over the village. I want to see you dig up that skull.”

  “Eve,” Soldono said protestingly. “It’s a mistake.”

  “I’ve made a lot of mistakes lately.” She stared Montalvo in the eye. “But I won’t compromise my ethics because of gullibility. That’s one mistake I won’t make.”

  She heard Soldono mutter a curse behind her but she ignored him. This was between her and Montalvo.

  “You can’t keep up with us,” Montalvo said. “You could hardly get out of bed yesterday.”

  “Then find a way to make sure I will keep up. Use your ingenuity.”

  “You won’t change your mind?”

  “I won’t change my mind.”

  He was silent a moment. “You’ll slow us down. That won’t matter going in but it could be fatal getting out.”

  “I don’t want anyone dying because of me. Position me somewhere so that I can see what’s happening. Once I see the skull in your hands you can send me back ahead of your team. Then you can move at your own pace.”

  “If everything goes right.”

  “I’ve got to make sure that you’re telling me the truth.”

  “Don’t let her go, Montalvo,” Soldono said. “You know what Diaz will do to her if he catches her.”

  “Oh, yes. Kill her, throw her in a swamp. And someday someone will find her skull and wonder who would be so foolhardy.” Montalvo shrugged. “But that won’t be me. Because I won’t let it happen again. Therefore, I can’t let him catch her.” His gaze shifted back to Eve. “Go upstairs and get back in the shower.”

  “What?”

  “Wash off all the lotion and soap residue. You smell very pleasant but I could tell you were coming from yards away. Some of Diaz’s men have the same commando training.”

  She nodded. “Anything else?”

  “Miguel will give you some standard-issue mosquito repellent.” He checked his watch. “You have forty-five minutes.”

  “I’ll be here.” She was already moving quickly toward the front door.

  “I’m afraid you will.”

  Soldono caught up with her as she reached the staircase. “This is crazy.”

  “I don’t have time to argue with you. I’m going to do it. Leave me alone, Soldono.”

  “I can’t leave you alone. You’re my job. I’m supposed to be here to offer you protection.” He frowned. “If you go, I go.”

  “Montalvo won’t let you go. You’re a CIA agent and he wouldn’t run that risk.” She was taking the steps two at a time. “I can’t waste any more time talking to you. I want to see Joe before I hit the shower.”

  “Perhaps he can talk you out of it.”

  “Joe’s not going to know about this.” She glared at him over her shoulder. “Do you understand, Soldono?”

  “I think someone should—” He broke off. “I understand.”

  “Good.” She’d reached the top of the steps and tore down the corridor past the guard to Joe’s room. She opened the door quietly. She’d expected to see Galen there but the room was empty except for Joe. She moved across the room to stand beside the bed. Joe’s eyes were closed and at first she thought he was asleep.

  “Eve?” He opened drowsy eyes. “I thought it was you. That gardenia body lotion…”

  “Too much? Evidently I should tone it down.”

  “No, I’ve always liked it. It smells clean…”

  “From yards away,” she repeate
d Montalvo’s words dryly. She gently touched his hair. “Are you still in pain?”

  “Not much. They keep giving me those damn drugs to ward it off. Tomorrow I’m going to tell them to go to hell.” He took her hand. “You didn’t come to see me today. I missed you. Was it because you’re pissed at me?”

  “It was because I practically fell unconscious when I went to bed.”

  “You look fine now.” His gaze raked her face. “You’re flushed and your eyes are…I don’t know.” His own eyes were closing. “You look…good.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I think…it bothers me.”

  Jesus, if he hadn’t been under the drugs he would have been able to read her without effort. She bent over and kissed his forehead. “I’m fine and you’re going to be fine too. And, yes, I am pissed at you. That wouldn’t keep me from coming to see you when you’re ill. That’s not how it works. Not when you love someone.”

  “Glad…I knew that, but sometimes I forget…”

  He was asleep.

  She gave herself another moment to hold his hand, look at him, stay with him.

  Then she carefully put his hand on the counterpane and glided toward the door.

  She had less than thirty minutes remaining of the time Montalvo had allotted her and she had to hurry.

  Miguel was waiting outside the door. He handed her a bar of soap and a small bottle of mosquito repellent. “You’re being unreasonable. The Colonel isn’t happy.”

  “Sorry. I know that’s a major crime in your eyes.”

  “Yes. But I will not treat you as a criminal unless your lack of reason causes harm to the Colonel.” His glance was cool as he turned away. “That’s not acceptable.”

  “Not to me either.” She headed toward her room. “I don’t want anyone hurt.” She slammed the door behind her. She was tired of arguing and this was difficult enough. Take the shower and wash her hair, rid herself of this blasted scent and then get down to the yard.

  She was running down the stairs twenty minutes later. The hall was now clear, she noticed. Everyone must be assembled outside and ready to go.

  She was right. Two jeeps with engines running were parked in front of the house but she could see a truck loaded with men already pulling out of the gates.

  Montalvo was talking to someone in the shadow of the far jeep and she walked toward him.

  “I’m ready. No scent as you spec—”

  Galen.

  He smiled at her. “Hello, luv.”

  Montalvo turned away from talking to Galen. “Good. Get in the jeep. I’ll see you at the village, Galen.” He was striding away toward the jeep in front. “Or if we’re lucky, I won’t see you there.”

  Eve whirled to face Galen. “What the devil are you doing here?”

  “It appears I’m going to help rob a grave.”

  “I told you that I didn’t want you to—”

  “That was before you decided to risk your neck to make sure that Montalvo’s not lying to you.” He grimaced. “And I have a hunch that I piqued this move on your part. I asked you last night how you knew that Montalvo was on the up-and-up about this grave-robbing scenario.”

  “I would have probably thought it through and known I had to verify it myself. It was in the back of my mind anyway. I was just too exhausted to make the connection. You have no responsibility about—”

  “Hush. You have to have someone guarding your back and you gave Soldono his walking papers.”

  “Soldono ran to you and asked you to do this?”

  “He didn’t have to beg and plead too hard.” He helped her into the jeep. “Even if you hadn’t been involved I might have tagged a ride to the party. It looked like my kind of shindig.”

  “I don’t want you coming, Galen.”

  “Too late.”

  “Someone has to be here to take care of Joe.”

  “I designated Soldono to hold his hand.” He started the jeep. “Not that he’s needed with a doctor in attendance. And you talk as if we’re going to be gone for days. Montalvo is estimating six hours.”

  She looked at him in exasperation. “How did you persuade Montalvo to let you come?”

  “My reputation isn’t pure as the driven snow like Soldono’s and he saw I could handle myself. It frees one of his men from babysitting you. It wasn’t too difficult to convince him that I was a good addition to his merry band.” He glanced at her as he followed Montalvo’s jeep through the compound gates. “Now, wouldn’t it be more beneficial for you to stop arguing and discuss what Montalvo and I decided would give you what you want and still keep all of us alive?”

  There was no budging him. “Okay, tell me what’s going to happen.”

  “The hill overlooking the cemetery is heavily wooded. We can park the jeep on the road, climb the hill, and stay there and watch Montalvo and his men do the deed. When you’re satisfied, then we take off and hightail it out of there.”

  “It sounds very simple and efficient.”

  “Oh, did I forget to tell you that we don’t use the lights for the last four miles to the hill and we might end up in a ditch? Or that Montalvo has sent scouts out to make sure there aren’t any snipers on this side of the valley but he’s only eighty-five percent sure that one might not have slipped by?” He glanced at her. “Do you still want to go?”

  “Yes.” She stared out the windshield at the taillights of Montalvo’s jeep ahead of them. “I have to go.”

  “It should be up ahead.” Galen peered through the windshield. “Christ, it’s like crawling through a dark tunnel. Montalvo said there should be moonlight tonight. Where the hell is it?”

  “Evidently Montalvo can’t control everything. Clouds do come.”

  “Well, evidently he controlled the sniper situation. We got this far without being—There it is.” He swung the wheel and the jeep skittered off onto a side road. A hundred yards farther he turned the jeep around. “Out. Montalvo and his men should be ten minutes ahead of us. It took longer than I thought to crawl along that road. If you want to see the show, we’ve got to hurry.”

  “I definitely want to see the show.” She’d already jumped out of the jeep. “Which way?”

  “There’s a path to the left.” He grabbed her arm. “There it is.”

  She moved up the path behind him. “How far?”

  “Sorry. Montalvo wasn’t that precise. He said to climb to the top of the hill.”

  The hill was steep and the shale path slippery underfoot. She slipped twice and righted herself. Her breath was coming hard by the time they’d been climbing only five minutes or so.

  “Okay?” Galen whispered.

  “Hell, no. I’m still wobbly from that concussion but I’ll make it.”

  “I don’t have the slightest doubt you will. But if you could use a hand feel free to tell me.”

  “As an alternative to falling at your feet, you can be sure I’ll yell,” she said grimly.

  “Well, don’t yell. That might arouse any snipers Montalvo missed accounting for. But a gentle tug would—I think we’re there.” He reached behind him and pulled her the last few feet to the crest of the hill. “There’s Diaz’s kingdom.”

  If this was a kingdom, the castle on the hill across the way did justice to the concept, she thought. The moon was still behind the clouds and the castle was the only structure that was brightly lit and easily discernible in the darkness. It was a Spanish-Moorish mansion on the grand scale. Turrets and massive arched windows were sprinkled throughout the exterior of the castle and as far as she could tell the grounds were equally impressive.

  Her gaze shifted from the castle to the village directly below her. Darkness. She could barely make out the roofs of the houses but nothing was distinct. “I didn’t come here to see the castle. I can’t see anything but those lights on the—”

  The moon came out from behind the clouds.

  “Right on cue,” Galen murmured. “Maybe Montalvo does have influence on the higher plane.”

 
She barely heard him. Her gaze was searching the village below for some sign of—

  “There it is.” She dropped to her knees and lifted the binoculars to her eyes. “The cemetery is behind that small church to the left. Jesus, it’s on the edge of the village, in the open. There aren’t any houses around it to shelter it. If Diaz’s men looked down from that monstrosity of a castle, they’d see everything that’s going on.”

  “Then Montalvo had better hope they’re not looking down. Do you see him and his men yet?”

  “No.”

  “The grave should be two-thirds back to the right of a large stone tomb.”

  “Montalvo told you that?”

  “I didn’t want to waste time.”

  She scanned the cemetery in the direction he’d indicated. The large tomb…“Got it. It’s not large, it’s enormous. It doesn’t look like it even belongs in a country cemetery.”

  “Oh, it belongs. It’s the final resting place of Rosa Maria Diaz, Ramon Diaz’s mother.”

  “And Montalvo’s wife’s body was buried almost on top of it? Not very smart. The area around it must be the best-tended site in the cemetery. Not to mention the fact that Diaz must come there frequently.”

  “It was actually a very smart choice, according to Montalvo. The area isn’t tended at all. Diaz hated his mother. He’s rumored to have caused her demise. She turned him in once to the police when he was just starting out.”

  “Then why bury her here where she’d always be with him?”

  “Perhaps some sick badge of triumph to gloat over. He was the king on the hill and his stupid, interfering mother was moldering in that vault at his feet.”

  “I’m at a wrong angle. I have to move.” She started shifting to the left. “That’s better.” She stiffened. “Montalvo’s already there. He’s digging. Two other men are digging too.”

  “Good. The more manpower, the quicker we get out of here.” He lifted his head and looked back at the path they’d taken. “Things have gone too smooth. I don’t like—”

  “Nerves?” She lowered her binoculars. “Do you have any concrete concerns?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing is concrete about this job. I’m winging it. May we leave now?”