Power. Strength. Cruelty.

The mat.

She hurriedly lowered the binoculars. "That's him."

"Then you were right: Barry did draw him here," Galen said. "I wasn't sure a selfish bastard like him would actually come after the kid."

"I was sure. Coming after him was all about selfishness. He wants to play God." Her lips tightened. "Not with my Barry."

"Easy." His hand clasped her shoulder. "Your muscles are in knots."

"How do you expect me to feel?" She drew a deep breath. "When are we going to leave here?"

"Tomorrow morning." He lifted the binoculars to his eyes again. "I count eight men in those two cars. They seem to be settling down at the house for the night. Remind me to burn the bedsheets when we return. Come on, let's go back to camp." He started down the slope. "I'll check on them again later."

She took one more glance at the ranch house before she slowly followed him hack to the encampment.

Barry was sitting heside Judd Morgan. "Judd's teaching me how to whittle, Mama. Did you see his big knife?"

She had a memory of that switchblade pressed against Galen's throat. "Yes, I've seen it."

Judd smiled. "I won't let him use it. That's advanced play." He glanced at Galen. "See anything interesting?"

"What I expected to see. There are a few animals out there. Nothing to worry about, but it wouldn't hurt for us to take turns on guard."

"I'll take first watch," Elena said.

"I wasn't going to insult you by leaving you out of it," Galen said. "But you take second watch. That way you can get Barry to sleep first." He went over to the cave. "I don't think we'll light a fire tonight, so I'll have to see what I can come up with in the way of cold rations. I'm sure I can concoct something perfectly splendid."

Galen's digital phone rang as they were finishing up the meal.

"Where are you, Galen?" A deep voice, heavily accented.

Galen tensed. "Chavez?"

Elena's gaze flew to his face.

"Yes, I'm getting impatient. I want my son. Give him to me."

"Screw you." He got up and moved out of the cave and beyond Barry's hearing. "You don't have a son. He belongs to Elena. It's going to stay that way."

"It won't stay that way." He paused. "I was very angry at your interference and I wanted you punished. But I'm a reasonable man and I know how to cut my losses. I'm willing to pay to have my son turned over to me. Five million dollars. You set up the terms of the drop-off."

"Noway."

"Ten million."

"We're not trading, Chavez."

"I'll go higher."

"And you'll get the same answer."

"The bitch isn't that good a lay."

"I'm terminating this conversation."

"Think about it. I'll give you my phone number."

Smother the anger. They might be able to use it. He took out his pen and pad. "What is it?"

Chavez rattled off a number. "Be reasonable. I'll get him anyway. If you hand him over, you become a very rich man."

"No deal. "He hung up.

"What did he want?"

He turned to see Elena and Judd standing behind him.

"What he's wanted all along. Only he offered to pay for him." His lips twisted. "The last offer was ten million, but he would have gone higher."

Judd gave a low whistle. "That's impressive money. It would cause a lot of men to turn traitor. You may have a tough time keeping the kid if he's spreading that kind of money around."

"You took his phone number down," Elena said to Galen.

"Oh, for God's sake, I thought we might need it. Did you think I was hedging my bets?"

"No." She looked away. "I don't know what to think."

But she had doubted him for that moment. What else could he expect? From the moment she had learned Chavez was on his way, she had changed. She had gone back into the battle mode she had learned from childhood-wary, tense, trusting no one.

It hurt, dammit. "No, I'm not going to take the damn money."

Judd glanced from one to the other and changed the subject. "Who takes first watch?"

"I do," Galen said curtly. "I need some space."

He walked away.

Elena could see only one guard circling the house.

She crawled slowly, silently, grasping the rifle with her left-hand.

There wasn't much brush in this level meadowland, and she had to keep low and move with painstaking care.

The lights in the office were burning. Chavez was probably trying to find a way to trace them.

Once she reached the barn, it would shelter her until she had a look around. She would have to take out the first guard, and she'd already spotted another man at the corral. If she took him out too, then she might be able to get to the house.

Her gaze was fixed on the window of the study as she crawled forward.

I'm coming, Chavez. Do you feel it?

She could imagine him in her sights, sitting at the desk shuffling papers. No, don't think about it. Just do it. She had to distance herself, as her father had taught her. Just do the job and the-

A heavy weight dropped on her.

She struggled over onto her back, reaching for her pistol.

"No," Galen whispered, pinning her down. "You shoot me and Chavez's men will all run out here, and Barry won't have a mother. Is that what you want?"

She froze. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to stop you from getting yourself killed."

"Get off me. I'm not going to get myself killed. I know how to do this. My father sent me out to-"

"You've told me. But that doesn't mean you can take down Chavez when he's being guarded by fifteen men."

"There are only eight men."

"That's what I thought. The others must have arrived after dark. Where were you headed? The study? There's a man around the corner and one inside with Chavez. They're all over the place, and they're pretty good. I almost got caught when I was scouting the area."

"Scouting? When?"

"When I was supposed to be on watch. Do you suppose you're the only one who hoped we could end this thing with one bullet? It's no good, Elena. I was going to tell you the chances were nil, but when I came back to camp you'd already left."

"Let me go."

"Not until you tell me you'll go back to camp."

"The only thing I'll tell you is that if you don't get off me, I'm going to break your ribs and then crush your nuts."

"Oh." He studied her face for a moment. "What a persuasive woman you are." He released her. "Now what?"

"We go back to camp. I'm not stupid." She turned and started crawling across the meadow. "But don't you ever strong-arm me again, Galen."

"It seemed the only way to catch your attention. Now I suggest we shut up until we get back to the hills."

It was several hundred yards before they came to the first straggly trees that signaled the start of the foothills. Galen pulled her to her feet. "Where did you get that rifle?"

"I took it from Judd's truck. I thought he'd have one. I wasn't sure I could get close enough to use my thirty-eight."

"You were planning this ever since you knew we were staying here tonight."

"Evidently you were too. I was wondering why you didn't want to leave the minute you found out Chavez was really here."