Iris Johansen - Stalemate

"Very good. You are coming to know me."

"Not enough. How many people did you pay off to keep any information about you buried as deep as that man you killed and threw in the ground?"

"A good many. I'm flattered you've been interested enough to try. And, as I told you before, this is between the two of us. I'm sure Joe Quinn has been putting up roadblocks since the moment I called you. He gets in the way. You know that as well as I do. I can't have him doing that. He stands over you like a guardian angel protecting you from my devilish ways."

"He's a good man and I listen to his advice."

"I know. That's one of the things I've had to overcome. But I have overcome it, haven't I? When all is said and done, you don't care if you're being wise. You don't care if there's danger. You're tired and hurting and you want your heart eased of pain." His voice lowered to soft urgency. "I'll give you that ease, Eve. Come to me. Help me and I'll help you."

Christ, she was bending, yielding to his words as if he were indeed Lucifer tempting her with untold riches.

But the riches were not unspecified; she knew exactly what she would get from him.

"Call me when you're ready to come and I'll make arrangements." He hung up.

Dear God.

She rose to her feet and went to the window to look out at the lake.

Help me and I'll help you.

Lord, she did need help. She needed someone to tell her she was crazy to be drawn into the web Montalvo had woven. Yet that was what Joe had been doing all along and she had been ignoring him, fighting him.

Because she didn't want to be saved. From the moment he had mentioned Bonnie she had wanted to risk everything for the chance that Montalvo was not lying to her. Somewhere deep within her she had desperately wanted Montalvo to be successful in finding out Marty's identity and locating his killer. If he could do it once, he might be able to do it twice.

And he had done what he had promised. He had met the test.

Help me and I'll help you.

She closed her eyes as the words repeated over and over in her mind.

Help me and I'll-

Her eyes flicked open and she turned away from the lake. There was no need to dwell on Montalvo's words. They had already done their work. He hadn't even had to be particularly persuasive after the first attempt. It had been overkill. On a subconscious level she had been persuading herself these last days.

And there was no question in her mind or heart that she was going to let Montalvo help her find Bonnie.

She phoned Montalvo back thirty minutes later. "I'm coming. But on my terms, not yours."

"What terms?"

"You're not sending any plane for me. I'll arrange with the CIA to bring me to you."

"Agreed."

"And you'll have Gonzales and his family waiting when I get off the plane and they'll board it and the CIA will fly them out of Colombia."

"Agreed."

"And you won't wait until I finish the job to get your people working on finding my daughter. You'll start at once."

"Agreed. Anything else?"

"No." She paused. "I'm good, but I'm not a miracle worker. I may not be able to do what you wish. I'm bargaining for the attempt, not the success."

"I've seen your work. At times you come very close to miracles."

"I mean it, Montalvo."

He didn't speak for a moment. "As long as I feel you're giving it your best effort, I won't quarrel with you."

"I can't do anything else but my best. It's the only way I work. One other thing. Joe Quinn."

"He can't come with you."

"I don't want him to come with me. I may be willing to risk my own neck with you, but I won't risk Joe's. But he's not going to see it my way. I need a promise from you. Under no circumstances will you harm my family, particularly Joe. No matter what he does, what he says, how much trouble you believe he's going to cause, you will not hurt Joe Quinn."

"That may be a most difficult condition. I've checked his background. Police, FBI, ex-SEAL. He could cause a disturbance."

"You're damn right he could. Ask me if I care. Give me your promise."

"Would you trust my word?"

"Probably not. But if I make it a part of the bargain you'd know it was a deal breaker."

"I do keep my word. It's one of my eccentricities."

"We'll see. Give me your promise. I want the words."

He sighed. "Under no circumstances will I harm your admirable Joe Quinn. Satisfied?"

"No, I'm not satisfied about anything connected with this. I'm just trying to minimize the damage."

"And you've done a good job. I'd expect nothing less of you." His voice became crisp. "Now let me go over arrangements. You'll be landing at a strip in a small village, San Cristal. The countryside is rough and it's difficult for even a helicopter to land near the compound. You'll be brought by jeep to within one mile of the compound, where you'll go through the checkpoints."

"Very isolated. How do you do business?"

"By staying alive and not inviting anyone too close. My men know the jungle around the compound and can spot anyone who gets too near."

"Like Aquila?"

"Yes, he got much too near. When may I expect you?"

"I'll let you know. I have to talk to Venable."

"He'll be full of warnings and gloom, but he'll go along with you. He's very concerned about Gonzales. For such an experienced agent, I found he has a conscience where innocent bystanders are concerned."

"You act as if that's rare."

"I appreciate those who have a code and stick by it. Most of us change with the winds."

"Speak for yourself. I don't. Neither does Joe. I'll call you when I firm up the flight with Venable." She hung up.

Committed.

Fear. Uncertainty. Excitement.

And the excitement was growing, she realized. Facing the unknown, a challenge to be met, a chance to find Bonnie. She suddenly felt vibrantly alive. She hadn't expected this reaction. Now that the decision was made it was as if every facet of her mind and body were readying for a battle.

And that's exactly what it might prove to be, she thought ruefully.

Well, time to call in reinforcements. She looked up the number and quickly dialed Venable.

"It's my duty to try to dissuade you," Venable said. "You're putting yourself at risk and we're not in a position to help you if you need it." He added wearily, "I'd think you'd realize that. We haven't even been able to help Gonzales."

"I won't ask for help. This is my choice. If I get in trouble, it's up to me to find a way out."

"What about Quinn? What have you told him?"

"Nothing." She paused. "He's not involved with this."

"Yet."

"He's not going to know anything until I'm halfway to Colombia. He's going to be angry and he's going to try to get you to do something to get me out of Montalvo's compound. You're not to do it. If you come for me, I won't go with you. And you may lose men trying to make me. Do you understand?"

"Understood. But there's no way you'll get Quinn to understand. He may come after all of us."

"I'll try to explain-I have to do this. Try to keep him away from me and safe, Venable. You owe me for Gonzales. Pay me back by protecting Joe." She had to get off the phone. She was getting too emotional. "I'll be waiting for someone to pick me up at nine-thirty in the morning."

"I'll have a man there. You won't change your mind?"

"I won't change my mind."

She stood there a moment, fighting for control, after she'd hung up. Talking about Joe had brought the effect on him of what she was doing to the forefront. He would understand her going, he would not understand her not letting him go with her. He would regard it as a betrayal of their relationship.

So be it. She would worry about damage control later. She had done all she could to keep him safe. She just had to forge forward.