Iris Johansen - Stalemate

"Go wait at the turn of the trail," Eve told Soldono. "I'll be with you in ten minutes."

"The hell you will," Joe said as Soldono moved away. "You're out. You're going to stay out."

"I came for one reason and it wasn't to-"

"It's no use. He's turning a deaf ear." Galen appeared out of the darkness behind Joe. "Hello, Eve. Quinn's a bit upset. You really shouldn't have taken off like that."

"Shut up, Galen." Joe didn't look at him. "Go away. I don't need you."

"I was about to do that. I need to do a little reconnoitering to make sure that Montalvo's not planning a double-cross."

"I've already done that," Joe said impatiently.

"I believe I'll do a second round," Galen said. "I wouldn't want Quinn to be dead meat, Eve. I've grown accustomed to his endearing nastiness. I might miss it."

"Montalvo's not going to ambush him," Eve said.

"I'll just take a look…" Galen disappeared into the shrubbery.

Joe's hand closed on her wrist. "We're going."

"Let me go, Joe. I promised Montalvo I wouldn't run."

"And I didn't promise anything." He smiled recklessly. "So I clip you on the chin, just hard enough to put you out, and you've kept your word and I've gotten what I wanted."

"You wouldn't do that."

"Look at me. I'd do anything to keep you safe. Anything."

She was looking at him and she didn't like what she saw.

His eyes were glittering with savagery in his taut face. "You're enjoying this," she whispered.

"No, I'd enjoy it if I could get my hands on Montalvo. Are the juices flowing? Hell, yes. Do I knock you out or do you come with me?"

"Neither." She looked down at her arm held by his hand. "Don't threaten me, Joe. And you're bruising me. Every time I look at my arm, I'll remember those bruises came from you."

"Better bruised than dead." But his grasp loosened on her arm. "And I don't care if you remember me as a brutal son of a bitch. Not if you're still alive to remember."

He was just as hard and angry as she'd known he'd be. Don't argue. It wouldn't work. She'd come here to explain. Do it. "I have to stay, Joe. It's my chance. Will you listen to me? Montalvo gave me a report. It was about Bonnie and I didn't…"

Galen slid silently through the shrubbery, his gaze raking the trees and palmettos on either side. He could hear Eve's voice but couldn't make out any words. Her tone was urgent, persuasive, almost pleading as she talked to Quinn. He doubted if it was going to do any good. Quinn was on the edge and ready to fall off.

What the hell? Wouldn't he feel the same if it were Elena in the same spot? He could tell Quinn that he should handle Eve with diplomacy instead of reaching out and grabbing, but Quinn was a desperate man and primitive instinct was para- mount now. Galen could only strike a balance and hope that Quinn didn't-

Something was moving up ahead.

He froze, listening.

An animal?

If it was an animal, the sound of its passage through the shrubbery indicated it was as large as a man.

Shit, it probably was a man. The direction of the movement was changing, cutting toward the path where Quinn and Eve were talking.

Galen started forward, his ears straining to hear the slightest sound.

Move fast.

Move quiet.

He had a fix on the location.

But the rustling had stopped, he suddenly realized.

Christ.

Screw being quiet. He took off at a run.

"The report could have been an elaborate fake," Joe said.

"That's what you said about the Valdosta report on Marty," Eve said wearily. "It turned out to be authentic."

"You know the saying: when you're about to tell a big lie, you pad the way with small truths. This could be the big lie."

"And it could be the truth. It could be the break I've been looking for all these years."

"You have the names. Let me go after them. You don't need Montalvo."

"Montalvo didn't need to give me those names. He trusted me to keep my part of the bargain."

"And after he has what he wants, he won't care what happens to you. Don't be blind. If he doesn't kill you, Diaz will. Opt out now while you have-"

"Eve! Down!"

Galen!

She heard Joe muttering an oath and then he was jerking her toward the ground.

A shot.

Pain streaked through her temple.

Darkness all around her. Fight it. Keep it at bay.

She was on the ground and Joe was covering her body with his own.

Another shot.

Joe's muscles jerked as the bullet entered his body.

No. No. No.

Her arms tightened around him.

Help Joe. Help Joe.

Darkness smothering her.

Help Joe. He was a dead load on her.

Dead. Don't think dead.

Help Joe.

Darkness swimming, increasing with every panicky breath.

Help Joe.

Oh, God, she couldn't even help herself…

Music.

Chopin, she realized vaguely. Beautiful… She'd always loved it. More soothing than he usually-

Joe!

Her eyes flew open to see Montalvo sitting by her bed. She struggled to a sitting position. "Joe. Where's-"

Montalvo was spinning crazily, the room was whirling around her.

"Easy." Montalvo was there, gently pushing her back on the pillow. "Quinn's alive. Galen's alive. Everyone's being taken care of. Rest."

The twitch of Joe's body on top of her as a bullet entered him.

"How the hell can I rest?" Her voice was shaking. "You bastard, you shot him."

"I didn't shoot him."

"Then one of your men did it. You warned me that it might happen."

"Yes, I did. That's why I wanted to be the first one to talk to you when you woke." He stared her in the eye. "It wasn't me. It wasn't my men. I know that it's difficult for you to think right now but I'm asking you to try to use a little logic. The first bullet was aimed at you. Quinn pulled you down and sideways or it would have blown your head off. It was the second bullet that got Quinn. There's no way on this earth that I would have tried to kill you. Every effort I've made for the last year has been aimed at keeping you alive and able to work. Why would I want to blast all that work to kingdom come?"

"How do I know? I don't know anything about how you think."

"Yes, you do. You don't want to realize how close we already are." He handed her a glass of crushed ice with a straw. "Drink a little water. It will give you time to consider and ease that parched throat. You've been out for almost twenty-four hours. You had a hell of a concussion. I was getting worried when you didn't wake up."

She sipped the water. Her throat was dry and the cold water felt good as it went down. "Joe. Tell me about Joe."

"The bullet entered his back, hit a rib, and angled upward. It didn't strike a major organ but he did lose quite a bit of blood. He had to have a transfusion." He smiled. "I was the same blood type so Quinn is now cursed with a pint of my blood. I'm sure it will annoy him no end when he becomes aware of it."

"I'm sure too." Relief was flowing through her. "He's going to live. You're certain?"

"I'm certain. It will take him a couple weeks to get back to something like normal. But I've survived worse wounds than that and I'd bet Quinn is very tough."

"Yes. Yes, he is." She closed her eyes. Thank God. "When can I see him?"

"Right now he's pretty well out of it on pain medication. Probably tomorrow. Can you go back to sleep now? The doctor said that rest is the best medicine for-"

"No." Her eyes flew open. "Galen?"

"Galen is the one who saw the shooter and took him out. He wasn't hurt at all."

"Then I want to see him."

"I thought you would." He took the glass of water and put it on the nightstand. "I'll send him to you in three hours. No sooner. I want you to get that nap that Dr. Diego recommended."