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Authors: Iris Johansen
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squeaky clean. You can trust them.”
She shook her head. “You trust them. I can’t afford to trust anyone. I don’t have the right. I’m responsible for Barry and Dominic.”
“And I’m responsible for you.”
“It’s not the same.” She paused. “You take me to this vineyard. I’m not going with anyone else.”
“I had every intention of going along.”
“No, you drive. You check out the vineyard. Your team can follow us.”
“We always check out a safe house before we bring in a subject. Chavez hasn’t had time to find out anything. There’s no need to worry, Elena.”
He was so sure, she thought in wonder. Didn’t he realize she would never be safe until Chavez was dead? “You do the checkout yourself.”
He shrugged. “If it will make you feel better. Don’t you know this is almost as important to me as it is to you?”
“No, it’s not. You want to catch a drug lord. I have to keep my son safe from him. There’s no contest.”
He hesitated and slowly nodded. “You’re right. Your son is important. But so are all the other children this son of a bitch victimizes with his damn drugs.”
“I can’t think about them right now. I can’t save the wholeworld. My job is to keep Barry safe.” Her gaze went to Galen, who was talking to Dominic a few rows ahead. “Will you ask Galen to come with us?”
“His job is over. He doesn’t like to work with federal agencies, and he’s very expensive. I was lucky to persuade him to do the extraction.”
“Will you ask him to come and just check over the security measures? He likes you. He might do it.”
“I’m surprised you want him. He’s not been exactly warm to you.”
“I don’t want him. But he knows what he’s doing. That’s enough for me. I’d use the devil himself if it meant keeping Barry safe.”
“I’ll keep him safe, Elena.”
“Ask Galen.”
He grimaced. “The private club again.” He stood up. “I’ll ask him, but I doubt if it will do any good.” He came back five minutes later shaking his head. “He said he was out of it and it was my job now. I told you that he wouldn’t do it.”
“It was worth a try.” Galen was turning to look at her, and she defiantly met his gaze. He mustn’t think she was pleading for help. I don’t really need you, Galen. You were just an insurance policy. If I did need you, I’d find a way of getting you.
He suddenly smiled and she had the odd feeling he’d read her thoughts. She looked away from him. Forget Galen. Think about this safe house in the country. Think about finding a way to make sure Chavez hadn’t gotten to any of those squeaky-clean agents Forbes had told her about.
Galen stood and watched Forbes drive the black sedan down the airport exit ramp, closely followed by the tan SUV with the DEA security team.
Gone. Job finished. Time to move on.
Forbes was smart and savvy and this operation meant too much for him not to be careful. Elena Kyler was tough and he’d pit her against almost anyone he’d run across. Let the two of them fight their battles with Chavez. He’d done his part in getting her out.
It was time to go fishing.
The idea left him with a curiously flat feeling. But then, it wasn’t unusual for him to feel let down like this after a high-pressure job, and being around Elena had been like a shot of pure adrenaline.
Too bad Chavez might end up killing her.
He saw Elena bend her head to listen to something the kid was saying to her.
Not his business.
The black sedan was almost out of sight.
Oh, what the hell. It wouldn’t hurt to make a few phone calls to Manero in Bogotá.…
4
Barry gave a relieved sigh when he saw the rolling hills of the vineyard country. “This is better. That city was … strange. Is this where we’re going to live?”
Elena could understand why he would think San Francisco was alien. He had never been away from Dominic’s little house, and the first excitement of seeing the city had faded quickly.
She shook her head. “You trust them. I can’t afford to trust anyone. I don’t have the right. I’m responsible for Barry and Dominic.”
“And I’m responsible for you.”
“It’s not the same.” She paused. “You take me to this vineyard. I’m not going with anyone else.”
“I had every intention of going along.”
“No, you drive. You check out the vineyard. Your team can follow us.”
“We always check out a safe house before we bring in a subject. Chavez hasn’t had time to find out anything. There’s no need to worry, Elena.”
He was so sure, she thought in wonder. Didn’t he realize she would never be safe until Chavez was dead? “You do the checkout yourself.”
He shrugged. “If it will make you feel better. Don’t you know this is almost as important to me as it is to you?”
“No, it’s not. You want to catch a drug lord. I have to keep my son safe from him. There’s no contest.”
He hesitated and slowly nodded. “You’re right. Your son is important. But so are all the other children this son of a bitch victimizes with his damn drugs.”
“I can’t think about them right now. I can’t save the wholeworld. My job is to keep Barry safe.” Her gaze went to Galen, who was talking to Dominic a few rows ahead. “Will you ask Galen to come with us?”
“His job is over. He doesn’t like to work with federal agencies, and he’s very expensive. I was lucky to persuade him to do the extraction.”
“Will you ask him to come and just check over the security measures? He likes you. He might do it.”
“I’m surprised you want him. He’s not been exactly warm to you.”
“I don’t want him. But he knows what he’s doing. That’s enough for me. I’d use the devil himself if it meant keeping Barry safe.”
“I’ll keep him safe, Elena.”
“Ask Galen.”
He grimaced. “The private club again.” He stood up. “I’ll ask him, but I doubt if it will do any good.” He came back five minutes later shaking his head. “He said he was out of it and it was my job now. I told you that he wouldn’t do it.”
“It was worth a try.” Galen was turning to look at her, and she defiantly met his gaze. He mustn’t think she was pleading for help. I don’t really need you, Galen. You were just an insurance policy. If I did need you, I’d find a way of getting you.
He suddenly smiled and she had the odd feeling he’d read her thoughts. She looked away from him. Forget Galen. Think about this safe house in the country. Think about finding a way to make sure Chavez hadn’t gotten to any of those squeaky-clean agents Forbes had told her about.
Galen stood and watched Forbes drive the black sedan down the airport exit ramp, closely followed by the tan SUV with the DEA security team.
Gone. Job finished. Time to move on.
Forbes was smart and savvy and this operation meant too much for him not to be careful. Elena Kyler was tough and he’d pit her against almost anyone he’d run across. Let the two of them fight their battles with Chavez. He’d done his part in getting her out.
It was time to go fishing.
The idea left him with a curiously flat feeling. But then, it wasn’t unusual for him to feel let down like this after a high-pressure job, and being around Elena had been like a shot of pure adrenaline.
Too bad Chavez might end up killing her.
He saw Elena bend her head to listen to something the kid was saying to her.
Not his business.
The black sedan was almost out of sight.
Oh, what the hell. It wouldn’t hurt to make a few phone calls to Manero in Bogotá.…
4
Barry gave a relieved sigh when he saw the rolling hills of the vineyard country. “This is better. That city was … strange. Is this where we’re going to live?”
Elena could understand why he would think San Francisco was alien. He had never been away from Dominic’s little house, and the first excitement of seeing the city had faded quickly.
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