Sidney Sheldon - The sands of time

Felix Carpio was thinking about Jaime and Megan. A blind man can see the electricity between them, he thought. It is going to bring bad luck. Nuns belong to God. It's bad enough that Ricardo has taken Sister Graciela from her calling. But

Jaime had always been reckless. What was he going to do about this one?

The five of them met for supper in the hotel dining room.

No one mentioned Amparo.

Looking at Jaime, Megan felt suddenly embarrassed, as though he could read her mind.

It's better not to ask questions, she decided. I know he could never do anything brutal.

They found that Largo Cortez had not exaggerated about the supper. The meal began with gazpacho—the thick cold soup made from tomatoes, cucumbers, and water-soaked bread—followed by a salad of fresh greens, a huge dish of paella—rice, shrimp,

chicken, and vegetables in a wonderful sauce—and ended with a delicious flan. It was the first hot meal Ricardo and

Graciela had had in a long time.

When the meal was over, Megan rose. "I should be getting to bed."

"Wait," Jaime said. "I have to talk to you." He escorted her to a deserted corner of the lobby. "About tomorrow…"

"Yes?"

And she knew what he was going to ask. What she did not know was what she was going to answer. I've changed, Megan thought. I was so sure about my life before. I believed I had everything I wanted.

Jaime was saying, "You don't really want to go back to a convent, do you?"

Do I?

He was waiting for an answer.

I have to be honest with him, Megan thought. She looked into his eyes and said, "I don't know what I want, Jamie. I'm confused."

Jaime smiled. He hesitated, choosing his words carefully.

"Megan—this fight will be over soon. We'll get what we want because the people are behind us. I can't ask you to share the danger with me now, but I would like you to wait for me.

I have an aunt living in France. You would be safe with her."

Megan looked at him a long time before she answered.

"Jaime—give me time to think about it."

"Then you're not saying no?"

Megan said quietly, "I'm not saying no."

None of the group slept that night. They had too much to think about, too many conflicts to resolve.

Megan stayed awake reliving the past. The years in the orphanage, and the sanctuary of the convent. Then the sudden expulsion into a world she had given up forever. Jaime Miró was risking his life fighting for what he believed in. And what do I believe in? Megan asked herself. How do I want to spend the rest of my life?

She had made a choice once. Now she was forced to choose again. She would have to have an answer by morning.

Graciela was thinking about the convent too. They were such happy, peaceful years. I felt so close to God. Will I miss that?

Jaime was thinking about Megan. She mustn't go back. I want her at my side. What will her answer be?

Ricardo was too excited to sleep, busily making plans for the wedding. The church at Bayonne…

Felix was wondering how to dispose of Amparo's body. Let

Largo Cortez take care of it.

Early the following morning, the group met in the lobby.

Jaime approached Megan.

"Good morning."

"Good morning."

"Have you thought about our conversation?"

She had thought of nothing else all night."Yes, Jaime."

He looked into her eyes, trying to read the answer there.

"Will you wait for me?"

"Jaime—"

At that moment Largo Cortez hurried up to them. With him was a leathery-looking man in his fifties.

"I'm afraid there won't be any time for breakfast," Cortez said. "You should be leaving. This is Jos й Cebriбn, your guide. He will take you across the mountains into France.

He's the best guide in San Sebastian."

"I'm glad to see you, Josй," Jaime said. "What's your plan?"

"We're going to take the first part of the journey by foot," Josй Cebriбn told the group. "On the other side of the border, I've arranged for cars to be waiting for us. We should hurry. Come along, please."

The group moved out into the street, which was painted yellow by the rays of the bright sun.

Largo Cortez came out of the hotel to see them off. "Safe journey," he said.

"Thank you for everything," Jaime replied. "We'll be back,

amigo. Sooner than you think."

"We go this way," Josй Cebriбn ordered.

The group started to turn toward the square. And at that moment, soldiers and members of the GOE suddenly materialized at both ends of the street, sealing it off. There were at least a dozen of them, all heavily armed. Colonels Ramón

Acoña and Fal Sostelo were leading them.

Jaime glanced quickly toward the beach, looking for an escape route. Another dozen soldiers were approaching from that direction. There was no escape. They would have to fight. Jaime instinctively reached for his gun.

Colonel Acoña called out, "Don't even think about it,

Miró, or we'll shoot all of you down where you're standing."

Jaime's mind was racing furiously, looking for a way out.

How had Acoña known where to find him? Jaime turned and saw

Amparo standing in the doorway, a look of profound sorrow on her face.

Felix said, "What the bloody hell! I thought you—"

"I gave her sleeping pills. They should have knocked her out until we got across the border."

"The bitch!"

Colonel Acoña walked toward Jaime. "It's over." He turned to one of his men. "Disarm them."

Felix and Ricardo were looking toward Jaime for guidance,

ready to follow his lead. Jaime shook his head. Reluctantly,

he handed over his gun, and Felix and Ricardo followed suit.

"What are you going to do with us?" Jaime asked.

Several passersby stopped to watch the proceedings.

Colonel Acoña's voice was curt. "I'm taking you and your gang of murderers back to Madrid. We'll give you a fair military trial and then hang you. If I had my way, I'd hang you here now."

"Let the sisters go," Jaime said. "They had nothing to do with this."

"They're accomplices. They're as guilty as you are."

Colonel Acoña turned and gave a signal. The soldiers motioned to the growing crowd of onlookers to move aside and let three army tracks drive up.

"You and your assassins will ride in the middle truck," the colonel informed Jaime. "My men will be in front of you and in back of you. If any of you makes one false move, they have orders to kill all of you. Do you understand?"

Jaime nodded.

Colonel Acoña spat into Jaime's face. "Good. Into the truck."

There was an angry murmur from the now sizable crowd.

Amparo watched impassively from the doorway as Jaime,

Megan, Graciela, Ricardo, and Felix climbed into the truck,

surrounded by soldiers with automatic weapons.

Colonel Sostelo walked up to the driver of the first truck. "We'll head straight for Madrid. No stops along the way."

"Yes, Colonel."

By now, many people had gathered at both ends of the street to watch what was happening. Colonel Acoña started to climb into the first truck. He called out to those in front of the truck, "Clear the way."

From the side streets more people began to emerge.

"Move along," Acoña ordered. "Out of the way."

And still they came, the men wearing the wide Basque chapellas. It was as though they were responding to some invisible signal. Jaime Miró is in trouble. They came from shops and homes. Housewives dropped what they were doing and moved out into the street. Shopkeepers about to open for business heard the news and hurried to the hotel. And still they came. Artists and plumbers and doctors, mechanics and salesmen and students, many carrying shotguns and rifles,

axes and scythes. They were Basques, and this was then homeland. It started with a few, and then a hundred, and within minutes it had swollen to more than a thousand,