Chasing the Night - Iris Johansen [5]
A man, hands tied, shot execution style in the center of his forehead. Catherine Ling swore beneath her breath as she sat back on her heels beside the body. She had known that it was a strong possibility Munoz would keep his word and kill Ned Winters when the Colombian government refused to give up Munoz’s brother. Stupid bastards. What difference did it make if they had to go back and catch one more scumbag drug dealer? No, they’d rather risk an international incident and the death of an innocent American businessman.
“He’s dead. You should have come sooner.”
Catherine whirled to the corner of the tent at the whisper. Even in the half darkness she could see the glint of fair hair of the girl huddled against the fabric of the tent. Kelly Winters, fourteen years old, taken in Caracas two weeks ago at the same time as her father. Catherine felt a rush of relief. At least she had a chance of getting the girl out.
“Shh.” She crawled toward the girl. “I’m Catherine Ling. I work with the CIA. Don’t talk. They’ll hear you.”
Kelly gazed numbly at her. “You should have come sooner.”
“I’m here now.” She nodded at the slit in the tent. “Come with me.”
The girl didn’t move.
Catherine glanced at the flap. The guard was a good ten feet on the other side of that thin canvas, but she couldn’t afford to argue and have him hear her. Choose her words and hope that they strike a chord. “Stay and we’ll die and they’ll win. They killed your father. Do you want them to win?”
The girl looked at her for a moment. Then she shook her head and began to crawl toward the slit.
Relief flooded through Catherine. She quickly crawled after her. “Now listen,” she whispered, as they emerged from the tent. “Run into the forest, try to be as quiet as you can. I have a friend, Ron Timbers, who will keep an eye on the camp for the next few minutes and make sure that your escape isn’t noticed. Then he’ll take off and meet us at the helicopter. When you come to a stream, you stop and wait for me, and I’ll take you the rest of the way. The helicopter will be landing about three miles from the stream, and we’ll board it and fly away from here. You’ll be safe.”
Kelly shook her head. “No, I won’t,” she said dully. “No one is safe.”
How could Catherine argue when she knew that was true? “As safe as you can be. Wait at the stream no more than about five minutes, then take off running north. Don’t wait for me.”
Kelly glanced back over her shoulder, her blue eyes wide. “You think Munoz may catch you.”
“No, but if he does, you don’t want him to get his hands on you again. Then he’d win, wouldn’t he? If you’re smart, he won’t be able to catch you.” She put her finger on her lips. “No more talk. Run!”
Kelly didn’t hesitate. She was already on her feet and streaking into the shrubbery.
Good.
Now to make sure any pursuit was disrupted and thrown off track when they heard the sound of the helicopter.
And the best way to do that would be to remove Munoz himself from the mix.
No guards at his tent. From the reports she’d read, Munoz was too macho-arrogant to think he would need help in any situation.
Let’s see if you do, Munoz.
She started crawling toward his tent.
Chapter
2
Munoz went limp against Catherine’s body as her dagger entered his heart.
She pushed at him and struggled to free herself from his bulk.
It had been close. He had been almost as good as he thought he was. Her side was bleeding, but she had no time to deal with it now.
Get out of Munoz’s tent. Their struggle had been brief and almost silent, but she couldn’t be sure that someone didn’t hear.
Move!
The stream was just ahead.
She saw the glint of moonlight on Kelly’s fair hair.
“Run!” Catherine broke through the shrubbery that bordered the stream and grabbed the girl’s hand. “We don’t have much time before the helicopter gets here.”
“I thought you weren’t coming.”
For a moment back in Munoz’s tent she had thought the same thing. Munoz had been awake and lethal. “I had something I had to do.” Did she hear the sound of rotors to