"It wouldn't come to that. You'd want to make your own kill." Her lips tightened. "What do you want to know? Could I do it? Of course I could do it. My father used to send me out to clear the way before the troops moved out."

"Clear the way?"

"Find and kill any snipers or sentries who might be waiting. He taught me well. I was very good at it."

"Bully for him." He got to his feet. "You know, I don't think I would have liked your father."

"I loved him."

"That makes it worse. Go to bed. I have some phoning to do."

"You're going to help us?"

"I thought we'd already established that fact. Yes, I'm going to help you. I have a ranch in southern Oregon that should fit the bill as far as security is concerned. I buried the paperwork on the place and it should be extremely difficult for anyone to find out I own it."

"But not impossible."

"Nothing is impossible. It only gives us an edge and a little time to make plans. I have a contact who can probably tell me when Chavez is getting close." He stared her in the eye. "And you're going to do everything I tell you to do. That's the only way I play the game."

"If I think what you're doing is right for us."

He shook his head.

She bit her lower lip. "All right. If you don't do anything stupid."

"It will be difficult, but I'll try to restrain myself." He added, "And for your cooperation, I'm going to give you a bonus."

"A bonus?"

"Chavez. I'm going to give you Chavez's head on a platter."

"Why?"

"I'm very irritated with him. A few years ago he killed two of my men, and I didn't like that. But that was business and they knew the risk they were taking. Forbes was different. Forbes was more. personal. I think it's time Chavez took the fall."

"You may be disappointed. Chavez didn't come after Barry himself as I thought he would."

"I'm not surprised. Barry may be important to Chavez, but Chavez is smart and wouldn't risk his neck if he could risk someone else's. But Gomez failed. It's not likely Chavez will trust anyone else again. I think he'll come this time." He smiled grimly. "And Forbes would be disappointed: Chavez is not going to survive to spill his guts to the DEA." He paused. "Not that he probably would have anyway."

She stiffened. "What do you mean?"

"You'd have killed him. You wouldn't have chanced him bribing himself out of jail. And you wouldn't have risked Barry being drawn into any messy courtrooms. The answer? Kill the son of a bitch."

"You didn't tell Forbes you thought I'd do that."

"Why should I interfere? I had no desire for Chavez to live to a ripe old age in some cozy jail." He moved toward the door. "Good night. Don't be afraid to go to sleep. You're safe here. Logan's alarm system is awesome, and I'll be up most of the night."

She stared after him for a moment before getting up, going to the sink, and washing out her cup. It was strange to think that after all these years of caring for herself, she was putting her life into someone else's hands. Strange and a little intimidating. Galen was too perceptive, and his will was as strong as her own.

But he didn't have her motivation. He didn't have Barry. She could do anything if it meant keeping Barry safe, and that made her stronger than Galen.

She would be able to handle him.

"Forbes is dead," Gomez said.

"And you have my son," Chavez said. "Of course."

Gomez hesitated. "We'll have him soon. There was a little problem at the vineyard."

Chavez smothered the surge of rage. "Problem?"

"She must have been warned. They set fire to the place and were gone before we got there."

"How could she have been warned? Unless you were so exceptionally clumsy as to have been spotted."

"We were careful. I had bribes in place with two of the DEA team members. It should have gone smoothly."

"Don't tell me how it should have gone. Where is my son? Does the DEA still have them in custody?"

"We don't think so. I've been in touch with Carew, our contact at the agency, and he says the agency is in the dark about where she is now."

"As much in the dark as you are?"

"I think I know who got them away from the vineyard," Gomez said hurriedly. "We caught up with Carmichael in Rio. It took a little time, but he talked. Sean Galen got them out of Colombia and delivered them to San Francisco. If the DEA didn't pull her out of the safe house, Galen has to be the one who did it."

"Why? It appears to me that an orangutan would have had enough brains to take my son away from you."

Silence. "He's the only person she knows in this country. He's our strongest lead."

"Then follow it. Dig until you unearth everything about Galen. Find out where he took them." He lowered his voice to silky softness. "And don't phone again and tell me you've failed me, Gomez. The minute you zero in on them I want to know about it."

"It may take a little time. Galen works alone. It will be hard to-"

Chavez hung up on him.

Whining bastard. He didn't want excuses. He wanted his son.

And the chance to savage Elena Kyler until she begged him to kill her.

He drew a deep breath and tried to rid himself of the anger. Two more days and the Delgados and their network would be in his pocket. Then he would be free to finish this business with Elena himself. He should have known better than to rely on Gomez to take care of her. He was the only one strong enough to defeat the bitch. He had done it once and he would have no problem doing it again.

Elena lying on the mat, her eyes blazing up at him.

The memory gave him a burst of pleasure that was part sexual and part heady triumph. He was almost glad Gomez had failed. He had forgotten the sheer enjoyment of making her submit to him. He had never felt stronger or more the conqueror than in those last days with her. It would be good to have a little quality time with Elena before he cut her heart out.

"It's beautiful." Elena looked out at the blue mountains in the distance. "I've never seen anything like this. It's so. wild."

"And Colombia isn't?" Galen leaned out the window and punched in the number on the electronic gates. "But I know what you mean. Barrenness has a power of its own."

"It's not really barren," Dominic said. "A little stark. Is it your ranch?"

"Yes." Galen drove through the gates and they swung closed behind the jeep. "I occasionally come up here to relax."

"Livestock?"

Galen shook his head. "Too much commitment. You have to take care of livestock. Or hire someone else to do it, and then I'd have to have them report to me. A regular Pandora's box. It would defeat the purpose of coming here to relax."

"When was the last time you came here?" Elena asked.

He thought about it. "About three months ago. I think."

"Then you must not need to relax very often."

He shrugged. "I get bored."

She stared at him appraisingly. "I bet you do."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." Her glance shifted to the ranch house. "This place is huge."

"I never liked to rough it. I did too much of it when I was a kid."

"Where was that?"

"In Liverpool. And other places." He parked in front of the long wraparound front porch. "My mum always believed that if one place was good, the next was sure to be better." He got out of the jeep. "Come on, Barry. I'll show you the barn. There's a hayloft you'll appreciate."