Iris Johansen - Stalemate

The brutality of the words didn't shock her. The vision she'd seen earlier that evening was too vivid in her mind. Montalvo believed in revenge and it was natural that he'd want to punish the man who'd perpetrated that horror on the boy he cared about. She couldn't blame him. She was feeling angry and terrified that Diaz thought he could go through life hacking and maiming as if it were his right. The message he'd sent was very clear. Do as he commanded or risk Joe being the next victim. What the devil could she do?

She opened the door and went into Miguel's bedroom. He was lying in the bed Joe had occupied. Both of his hands were bandaged and his usually olive complexion was pale, his mouth strained.

He opened his eyes as the door closed behind her. "I… should have… stopped Quinn," he whispered. "I didn't think they'd… catch him."

"Yes, you did wrong. I'm not going to tell you that it was all right just because you've been hurt." She came to him and stood beside the bed. "I will tell you that I'm sorry that you've suffered so much. Is there anything that I can do for you?"

He tried to smile. "Kill… the bastard?"

"Not a bad idea. I can't think of anyone who'd deserve it more."

"Just…joking. Not your job. The Colonel will… do it. He promised… me."

"Then I'm sure it's as good as done. Anything else?"

"Don't give in to Diaz. Never… give in. I thought my father was a bad man. Diaz is-" He shuddered. "Don't give in. No one should give in to him. He won't let Quinn live no matter what… you do."

"Did he say that?"

"He's… angry with you. He wants you dead. He wants to hurt you. Killing Quinn will hurt you." He looked down at his bandaged hands. "He likes to hurt. He laughed when they were pounding the stakes into… my hands."

Tears stung her eyes as she reached out to touch his arm. "Don't think about it. It's over."

"I think in time I can forget the pain. It's the sound I keep hearing over and over. The sound of the stake going into-" He stopped. "You're crying. I didn't mean to make you cry." His lips lifted in the faintest smile. "It's not so bad. Though I won't be able to play the piano again."

"And the next line is that you never played before. That's a very old joke." She said unsteadily, "And if you want to play the piano, I'm sure Montalvo will make sure you're able to do it."

"Me too." His eyes closed. "He… feels sorry this happened. He won't admit it but he… likes me."

"I believe that's an open secret."

"And he doesn't want to let me… help get Diaz." His words were becoming slurred. "Wrong. I have to do it."

"For pity's sake, you're wounded. You're not in shape to do anything."

"Didn't stop… Quinn."

"And Joe is being held by Diaz."

"Have… to… help. Maybe it will stop the sound…"

"Miguel, your job is just to concentrate on getting well. There's nothing else that-"

He was asleep. His chest was moving steadily in and out, his breathing deep and regular. Montalvo had warned her that Miguel was sedated and her visit couldn't be for long and she'd probably exceeded that limit. She was torn by pity and anger and a kind of maternal protectiveness as she gazed down at Miguel. He was only a boy, dammit.

She gently tucked the sheet higher around him and moved toward the door.

Don't give in to Diaz.

Easy to say. The last thing she wanted to do was to follow any order from that beast.

Joe. What about Joe?

Yet Miguel had said Joe was dead whether or not she disobeyed Diaz.

He would not die. She would not allow that to happen.

Think about it. There had to be an out. Diaz was a dragon who was scourging all of their lives. They couldn't let him win. Although right now it seemed as if that was what was happening, she thought bitterly.

She closed the door and went down the hall toward her own room. Grab a shower. Change her clothes and then sit down and try to puzzle a way out for all of them.

Her cell phone rang before she reached her door.

"How did you like my messenger?" Diaz asked. "I thought it was quite a dramatic way to convey my wishes."

"It was hideous. You're hideous."

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words may never harm me. Isn't that the way the English saying goes? I didn't use words to break Miguel Vicente's bones. I gave my men a baseball bat."

"And then you crucified him."

"I thought it fitting. Rather biblical in flavor."

"Satanic in flavor."

"It's nothing to what I'll do to Quinn if you don't follow my orders to the letter. Did you know I boiled a man in oil once? It took him a long time to die. I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it would be over in the blink of an eye." His tone hardened. "I want the skull in my hands by tomorrow night. I want assurance by tomorrow afternoon that Armandariz believes you to be a lying bitch."

"I'd be a fool to do all that without some proof that you'd release Joe. I could never trust your word."

"That's true. But I'm in control here. You'll do as I say or Quinn dies."

She hesitated, a hundred frantic thoughts cascading through her mind. What did she know about Diaz? Dammit, she wasn't prepared for this. Okay, go with instinct. "And I may die too. Why should I risk my life when you're not offering me any chance of a way out?"

"Because you're a soft woman and he's your lover."

That was the strongest wild card Diaz was holding. She had to take it away from him. "I'd hate to have anything happen to Joe for old times' sake but he's no longer my lover."

Silence. "You lie. He followed you here. He took a bullet for you."

"But why did he have to follow me here? Why did I take this job? Money? If you investigated me, you have to know money doesn't mean that much to me."

"Money is important to everyone." He paused. "Why else?"

"Montalvo. I was bored with my relationship with Joe. Montalvo is new and exciting."

"You're fucking him?"

"Every chance I get."

"I don't believe you."

"Believe what you like. I've tried to keep our relationship under wraps because I didn't want to hurt Joe before I could make a final break. But life is looking very good to me right now and I'm not going to toss it away for a man I'm going to leave anyway. If I decide to do what you wish, I'm going to walk away safe and sound."

"Back to Montalvo?"

"Back to Montalvo. I'll put Joe on a plane to Atlanta and wave him good-bye."

"You're making a bad exchange. Montalvo's not going to live longer than the next few weeks."

"You haven't managed to kill him yet. He's a survivor. That's one of the things that excites me about him."

"Whore."

"Beast. Find me a safe way out and I'll find a way to get that skull."

Another silence. "I'll think about it." He hung up.

But he'd call back if she'd managed to convince him. Toward the end of the conversation she'd thought he'd accepted the lie as truth. Jesus, she'd taken a giant leap and wasn't sure if she'd plunged Joe off that precipice. She hadn't had any option. Diaz was using her love for Joe as a weapon that could kill both of them. The only way to keep him from dominating the situation was to take that weapon away from Diaz.

And what would she do when he called her back? Listen to his deal and then try to find a way to save Joe. At best, it would be a stopgap measure. She had to do better than that. She had to take the control away from Diaz. Initiate instead of defend. And she had no idea in hell how to do that.

It had better not remain a mystery for long, she thought desperately as she went into her room. She had to have a coun-terplan ready to meet any trap Diaz was going to set for her.

Go on. Do what she'd been starting to do when that call had shaken her to the core. Shower. Change. Get something to eat. And during every minute she was doing those mundane tasks keep thinking, keep searching for a way out…