No One to Trust - Iris Johansen [57]
“We go back to camp. I’m not stupid.” She turned and started crawling across the meadow. “But don’t you ever strong-arm me again, Galen.”
“It seemed the only way to catch your attention. Now I suggest we shut up until we get back to the hills.”
It was several hundred yards before they came to the first straggly trees that signaled the start of the foothills. Galen pulled her to her feet. “Where did you get that rifle?”
“I took it from Judd’s truck. I thought he’d have one. I wasn’t sure I could get close enough to use my thirty-eight.”
“You were planning this ever since you knew we were staying here tonight.”
“Evidently you were too. I was wondering why you didn’t want to leave the minute you found out Chavez was really here.”
“And I knew you’d jump at any chance to get to Chavez. I wanted to beat you to it.” His lips twisted. “We think too much alike. Like Forbes said, the private club.”
“Privacy isn’t a bad thing,” Judd said as he stepped out of the trees. He held out his hand to Elena. “My property, please.”
She handed him the rifle. “Sorry. I needed it.”
“You could have asked.”
“Would you have loaned it to me?”
“No.” His hand moved caressingly over the barrel. “I have a very special relationship with this rifle.”
“It’s a Heckler and Koch PSG1, right? Specially modified?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t think you would lend it to me. That’s why I didn’t ask you.”
“Makes sense. But don’t do it again or you’ll regret it. I don’t give second warnings.” He turned and strode ahead of them in the direction of their camp.
“He meant it,” Galen said. “That rifle has been part of him for a long time.”
“I needed a rifle. And I’d do it again. But it didn’t do me any good anyway. I was hoping …” She shrugged. “It didn’t happen. So we might as well pull up stakes and head out. I want to get Barry somewhere safe.”
“He won’t be safe anywhere now, Elena.”
She knew that was true. Now that Chavez was here in the United States, it would be only a matter of time until he found them. “Safer. Do you have any suggestions?”
“He’s probably been tipped off about my place in New Orleans. I have an idea of a place that might work for us, but I don’t want to involve any of my friends directly, because it’s going to get nasty.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’re going to leave it up to me? Amazing.” His tone was faintly sarcastic.
“I’m a stranger in this country.”
“You seem to want to do everything else on your own.”
She whirled on him. “What do you want me to say? I did what I had to do.”
“And you did it alone,” he said through his teeth. “You couldn’t ask for help. You couldn’t ask me to go with you.”
“I’m not used to asking for help.”
“That’s pretty clear. What have I got to do to get through to you?” He grasped her shoulders and shook her. “You are not alone. Do you hear me? Let me help. You’re not alone.”
He didn’t understand. There had been moments since they left the ranch when she’d been too terrified to think. She had been alone too long, and she was afraid to act except in the way experience had taught her.
“Trust me, Elena.”
“I trust you.”
“Not enough. Not enough to break through that glacier you’ve had around you since Chavez appeared on the scene.”
She stared at him helplessly.
He shook his head and his hands loosened. “Lost cause.”
“I’m … sorry.”
“Me too. It’s going to make everything a hell of a lot harder.” He checked his watch. “I have to make a few phone calls and see what I can do about finding a safe haven. I’ve already set tentative plans in motion in case this happened. There’s a small airport near here where we can get a hop to Portland and then a jet from there.” His lips twisted. “After all, I have to live up to my reputation as the great provider.”
She had hurt him. He was being flip, but the pain was there. She wanted to reach out and comfort him as she did Barry, but she couldn’t seem to move. “Thank you. I know it’s difficult for—”
“For God’s sake, shut up.” He drew a deep breath and tried to temper his tone. “We’ll let everyone sleep for another hour or two while I make sure we have