Galen grinned. "I wouldn't want to disillusion you by telling you." He spread out the board. "I'll take the black pieces. Like to like, as my mum used to say."

"Time to get up."

Elena's eyes flew open to see Galen standing inside the curtains.

"It's okay. You have an hour before we land. Do you need any help?"

She shook her head and scrambled to a sitting position. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine, but you're probably better than you were. You were out like a light. How long has it been since you got any sleep?"

"I don't remember. It doesn't matter. How is Barry?"

"He slept a couple hours himself." He turned to go. "If you need any help in the bathroom, give a call. By the way, Forbes wants to talk to you."

She tossed the sheet aside. "I want to talk to him."

Fifteen minutes later she dropped down in the seat beside Forbes. "Where are you taking us?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Forbes said. "There's a place north of San Francisco in the wine country that we've used before as a safe house. It used to be a working vineyard, but it's deserted now. I've called and made arrangements to have a team pick us up at the airport and drive us straight there."

She stiffened. "What team?"

"DEA." He went on hurriedly. "I know you didn't want the government involved, but I can't protect you by myself. I've notified my superiors of the situation and they've agreed to go along with me. We got you out of the country without pulling in the agency, but I can't give you enough protection on my own."

She had known that would probably be the case. She didn't like it, but there was little she could do about it right now. "Do you know the men who'll be on this team?"

"I know the lead agent, and I've had the other three men on the team checked out and they came up 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 whole world. 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 Bogot .

Chapter 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. Poor baby, he had been assaulted with so many new experiences in the last twenty-four hours. "No. This place belongs to Mr. Forbes's company. We may not stay here long."

"Will we go on the airplane again?"

"Maybe." Her gaze was focused on the building they were approaching. It was a two-story adobe hacienda with a red tile roof. Two rusty wrought-iron balconies hung over a flagstone courtyard, and the place appeared as old and worn out as the brown vines of the vineyard. "You said someone has already checked the place out, Forbes?"

"Yesterday." He pulled up to the front door. "Stay here. I'll go inside and give it the once-over."

"We'll wait." Elena stopped Barry from jumping out of the car. "Not yet. We have to make sure there aren't any bugs or snakes inside."

"Very apt description," Dominic murmured.

Forbes came out of the house five minutes later. "It's okay."

"Go on, Barry." Elena opened the door for him. "We're going to be sleeping in one of those rooms with the balcony. Why don't you go find it for me?"

Barry jumped out of the car and ran inside.

"I'll go with him," Dominic said. "He's so excited he'll be jumping off that balcony."

"He's got more sense than that. I'll be there in a moment." Elena got out of the car. "Show me the back of the house, Forbes. What's that outbuilding?"

"Fermenting shed. It's where the vats are kept."

"Did you check it?"

"Of course. I went out the back way." He motioned to the men in the SUV and they began to get out of the vehicle. "I'm not incompetent, Elena."