No One to Trust - Iris Johansen [82]
“Time enough. I don’t think either of us is going to sleep tonight anyway.” He headed for the door. “Let’s get on the road.”
“Galen.”
“What?”
“I just want this very clear. This is my son. We both have to go all out. You’re not going to try to close me out or protect me.”
He hesitated. “It’s going to be hard for me not to do it.”
“But you’ll do it because you made me a promise.”
He grimaced. “And I’ll keep it. We go in together and we do the job together. Okay?”
She nodded and followed him to the door. “Just so you understand.”
“I told you once I was chock-full of understanding. Since then I’ve begun to regret that particular talent.”
They didn’t get back from Blackjack Mountain until after noon the next day. They were both sweaty, dirty, and scratched from brush.
“Get a shower and try to nap,” Galen said. “I’ve got to get a few weapons and some infrared night glasses from Hughes.”
“You should sleep too.”
“I will.” He paused. “We’ll draft several of Hughes’s security guys to take out Chavez’s men near the road and stand by for an alert from us. But if we go up that mountain like a SWAT team, there’s a greater chance of Barry being hurt. We don’t know what Chavez will do if he’s cornered.”
“I know that.”
“And we can’t be sure how many of Chavez’s men will be guarding the way up to that glade. We’ll have to pick them off one by one on the way to him. We can’t afford noise.”
She nodded. “Knives and hands.”
“Right.”
She heard the door close behind him as she headed for her bedroom. A few minutes later she was under the shower and the hot water was washing away the dirt, but not the cold anxiety that had gripped her all night. Christ, she was scared.
They had gone over that mountain until she was familiar enough with it to feel fairly certain she wouldn’t blunder into unknown dangers. The dangers she knew about were bad enough.
She got out of the shower and toweled off. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t done this before, she told herself. She would just do what she had been taught all those years ago. It would be fine.
But it was Barry who was at stake.
Fear stabbed her and she had to push down the panic that followed. She mustn’t be frightened. Think of something that would give her strength.
Galen. Some of the fear eased. Yes, Galen would be with her this time. Together they would be able to do it. Together they would be able to save her son.
Take care of our boy.
That was the last line of the letter Dominic had written her.
“I’m trying, Dominic,” she whispered. “But everything is going wrong and I’m scared. If you’re around somewhere, I could use a little help.”
12:05 A.M.
Blackjack Mountain
Where was the bastard? Chavez wondered impatiently as his gaze searched the trees surrounding the glade.
“Chavez, I presume.”
Chavez whirled to face the man standing in the shadows of a huge oak tree. “Morgan?”
“Yes.”
“You kept me waiting,” Chavez said. “Come out where I can see you.”
“I’m afraid not. I’d be too good a target. Not that I believe you’d double-cross me. Is the money in that suitcase?”
“Yes, come and get it.”
“You come to me.”
“Where’s my son?”
“He’s here behind this tree. He’s sound asleep. I slipped him a Mickey and he should be out for a few hours.”
Chavez moved slowly forward until he was facing Morgan.
“No unfriendly moves.” Morgan was pointing a gun at him. “I hear you’re very good at hand-to-hand. Put the case on the ground and open it.”
Chavez unlatched the case. “It’s in large bills. That’s a lot of money to be crammed into a case.”
“I’ve no objection.” Morgan shone a penlight on the bills and then picked up several stacks and leafed through them one by one. “It seems to be in order.” He latched the suitcase and shone the light on Barry, who was sleeping behind the tree. “Your merchandise.”
Chavez glanced at the boy. “Where’s Elena?”
“She’ll be here in forty minutes or so. I wanted to conclude my primary business first and get out.”
“And I’m to trust you that she’ll come?”
“She knows the boy is here. Think what she’s gone through