Iris Johansen - Stalemate

"I definitely want to see the show." She'd already jumped out of the jeep. "Which way?"

"There's a path to the left." He grabbed her arm. "There it is."

She moved up the path behind him. "How far?"

"Sorry. Montalvo wasn't that precise. He said to climb to the top of the hill."

The hill was steep and the shale path slippery underfoot. She slipped twice and righted herself. Her breath was coming hard by the time they'd been climbing only five minutes or so.

"Okay?" Galen whispered.

"Hell, no. I'm still wobbly from that concussion but I'll make it."

"I don't have the slightest doubt you will. But if you could use a hand feel free to tell me."

"As an alternative to falling at your feet, you can be sure I'll yell," she said grimly.

"Well, don't yell. That might arouse any snipers Montalvo missed accounting for. But a gentle tug would-I think we're there." He reached behind him and pulled her the last few feet to the crest of the hill. "There's Diaz's kingdom."

If this was a kingdom, the castle on the hill across the way did justice to the concept, she thought. The moon was still behind the clouds and the castle was the only structure that was brightly lit and easily discernible in the darkness. It was a Spanish-Moorish mansion on the grand scale. Turrets and massive arched windows were sprinkled throughout the exterior of the castle and as far as she could tell the grounds were equally impressive.

Her gaze shifted from the castle to the village directly below her. Darkness. She could barely make out the roofs of the houses but nothing was distinct. "I didn't come here to see the castle. I can't see anything but those lights on the-"

The moon came out from behind the clouds.

"Right on cue," Galen murmured. "Maybe Montalvo does have influence on the higher plane."

She barely heard him. Her gaze was searching the village below for some sign of-

"There it is." She dropped to her knees and lifted the binoculars to her eyes. "The cemetery is behind that small church to the left. Jesus, it's on the edge of the village, in the open. There aren't any houses around it to shelter it. If Diaz's men looked down from that monstrosity of a castle, they'd see everything that's going on."

"Then Montalvo had better hope they're not looking down. Do you see him and his men yet?"

"No."

"The grave should be two-thirds back to the right of a large stone tomb."

"Montalvo told you that?"

"I didn't want to waste time."

She scanned the cemetery in the direction he'd indicated. The large tomb… "Got it. It's not large, it's enormous. It doesn't look like it even belongs in a country cemetery."

"Oh, it belongs. It's the final resting place of Rosa Maria Diaz, Ramon Diaz's mother."

"And Montalvo's wife's body was buried almost on top of it? Not very smart. The area around it must be the best-tended site in the cemetery. Not to mention the fact that Diaz must come there frequently."

"It was actually a very smart choice, according to Montalvo. The area isn't tended at all. Diaz hated his mother. He's rumored to have caused her demise. She turned him in once to the police when he was just starting out."

"Then why bury her here where she'd always be with him?"

"Perhaps some sick badge of triumph to gloat over. He was the king on the hill and his stupid, interfering mother was moldering in that vault at his feet."

"I'm at a wrong angle. I have to move." She started shifting to the left. "That's better." She stiffened. "Montalvo's already there. He's digging. Two other men are digging too."

"Good. The more manpower, the quicker we get out of here." He lifted his head and looked back at the path they'd taken. "Things have gone too smooth. I don't like-"

"Nerves?" She lowered her binoculars. "Do you have any concrete concerns?"

He shook his head. "Nothing is concrete about this job. I'm winging it. May we leave now?"

"In a minute." She lifted the binoculars to her eyes again. "When they find the skeleton."

"Then I hope he didn't bury her deep."

"So do I." She went still. "I think they've reached it. Montalvo is jumping into the grave and Miguel is handing him a box." Her hands tightened on the binoculars. "He's got it. He's climbing out and they're running through the-" She turned to glance at Galen. "That's all I need. We can-"

Galen wasn't there!

Panic. Her heart leaped in her chest.

She whirled and started down the path at a run.

Stop. Slow is better. Be cautious. You don't know what's happening.

"Eve."

She jumped as Galen appeared out of the bushes beside the trail. "You scared me."

"Good. We may need a little adrenaline right now." He grabbed her arm and took off at full speed. "We've got to get out of here."

"Why? Where did you go?"

"I did a little backtracking. I had a feeling…" He was glancing on either side of the path as they flew down it. "I ran into one of Diaz's sentries who was on the trail behind us. I took care of him but I don't know if he notified anyone we were here."

"What about Montalvo?"

"He's on his own. He's not going to do anything differently if he knows Diaz is coming. He expects it. He may get lucky. We're providing a diversion." They'd reached the jeep and he jumped into the driver's seat. "Come on." He started the engine. "Let's get out of here."

She was already in the passenger seat. "You flicked on the lights. We'll be seen."

"I'd rather risk being spotted than end up in a ditch if Diaz's men are going to come pouring down that hill." He pressed the accelerator. "Four miles and we're out of Diaz's territory and into Montalvo's jungle. They can still follow but we'll be safer. Montalvo and his men know that jungle like the backs of their hands."

The jeep was bouncing over the rutted dirt road and she held on tightly to keep from being tossed against the seat belt. "Four miles isn't that far. We may-"

A bullet shattered the corner of the windshield.

"Down."

She released the seat belt and leaned down in the seat. The jeep was weaving back and forth on the road like a serpent on a sand dune.

Another shot.

"A miss," Galen muttered. "Same weapon. One sniper. If we can get out of range we'll make it. Idiot didn't aim for the tires…"

How far was it to safety? Eve wondered desperately. He'd said four miles but they were moving fast. Three? Two?

Another shot.

"He's out of range," Galen said. "Hold on. I have to keep zigzagging in case there's another sniper up ahead. Another minute and we'll be out of Diaz's territory."

" You hold on. And don't you dare get shot, dammit."

"I'm doing my best." He grinned down at her as he swerved back and forth on the road. "And that's pretty damn good. Admit it."

"I admit it. Superior. Stupendous. Now get us back to the compound."

"Home free." He made a sharp turn and they were suddenly enveloped in darkness. "You can sit up now."

She sat up and looked around.

Jungle. The thick, pervading darkness was caused by the overhanging foliage blocking out the night sky. "It's not what I call home." She gave a sigh of relief. "But it will do for now. Let's call Montalvo and check and see if he ran into the same trouble."

"Montalvo's phone is off," Galen said. "That could mean that he's not in the clear or that he's been captured by Diaz."

"Or that he's dead," Eve said.

"Don't be pessimistic." He paused. "Or maybe it's optimistic. That would end your obligation to do a job you don't want to do."

And it would end a chance to find Bonnie.

"You're not answering," Galen said.

"He didn't lie to me. I saw everything just the way he described it. I think what he told me about Diaz and his wife's skull was true."