Barry eagerly pressed his face to the window. "I see a castle and a-" He turned to Elena. "Is that where we're going?"

"Not this trip. We have business here, and we thought you might enjoy the helicopter ride." Elena glanced at Galen in the copilot's seat. "How far?"

"Another five minutes," Josie McFee answered for him. "It's a little far out, but Galen said it's private. There's a car waiting at the hangar." She smiled at Barry again. "I hear you're going to wait with me in the copter. Maybe we could do a little sightseeing."

"Mama?"

She shook her head. "We need Josie to wait for us."

"Ten minutes and we'll be back at the airport," Josie said. "You can't even drive to Kissimmee in that time."

"It's not a bad idea," Dominic said.

She supposed it would be all right for Dominic and Barry to leave the airport for such a short time. It would keep Barry from becoming bored and fidgety. It was just weird to think of pleasure excursions in connection with their mission here. But it was no more weird than being forced to bring a child on that same mission. "Ten minutes."

"Right," Josie said. "Trust me. I have grandchildren of my own. I'll give him a bang-up tour."

She did trust the woman. It was strange that she would feel so at ease with a woman she had just met, but Josie McFee inspired confidence. She was a woman in her fifties with graying hair, a plump build, and an animated manner. "I'm sure you will. Just don't drop down too close to that castle."

"No danger," Galen said. "This entire city is controlled by Disney, including the airspace. They're very sensitive to anything that would disrupt the family fun."

"We're going down." Josie banked the helicopter. "We'll be on the ground in a couple minutes."

It seemed less than that when the helicopter settled on the tarmac.

"There's the car. I'll go check it out. Wait here." Galen jumped out of the aircraft and ducked beneath the whirring rotors to run toward the hangar.

"Want to sit up front with Josie?" Dominic asked Barry. "You can see better."

Barry's face lit up. "Could I?"

"Sure," Josie said. "Come ahead."

Dominic was already out of the copter and lifting Barry into the copilot's seat. "There you go." He fastened the seat belt. "Now, you pay attention to everything Josie does and maybe you'll learn how to fly this bug."

Barry's gaze was eagerly wandering over the controls. "Wow. It looks like a spaceship."

"Not quite." He caressingly touched Barry's hair and then stepped back. "I think I dropped a slip of paper when I got out. Will you see if it's on the floor, Elena?"

He was right; there was a square piece of paper on the floor. She bent to retrieve it.

"Have a good trip." He slammed the door and waved at Josie.

Elena stared at him in disbelief. "Dominic!"

The helicopter was lifting, turning, and leaving Dominic standing below.

"Land, dammit."

"I can't hear you," Josie shouted over her shoulder. "And I don't think you want my copilot to hear. You have a note to read."

Elena took one final, enraged glance at Dominic walking toward the car where Galen waited. It was a damn conspiracy.

The note.

She unfolded the piece of paper.

Elena,

My job, I think. It's not only because you and Luis and Barry would never have been put into this position if I hadn't trusted Luis. I've always believed he could be saved if I just went that extra mile for him.

This is the extra mile.

I'm no hero. Galen has promised to check out the garden and make it as safe for me as possible. I'll only take Luis to the car and give my support to ward off his fear. He's always been a frightened boy, and as you've taught your son, fear is a terrible thing. Don't blame anyone but me for this. I convinced Galen, and Galen convinced Josie.

Now I have to convince you that even if you force poor Josie to land, the action will be over by the time you find a way to get to the hotel. In addition, you'll have to leave Barry unprotected and probably frighten him witless.

Convinced?

I hope with all my heart you are. Because you have to bite the bullet and let someone else shoulder this burden. Your job is to take care of our boy.

All my love,

Dominic

Tears stung her eyes as her hand crumpled the note. "Damn you. Damn you, Dominic."

Josie glanced over her shoulder. "Sorry. I obey orders, and Galen's the boss."

But Galen hadn't been the boss in this case. After years of staying in the background, Dominic had stepped forward and was running the show.

God, she was scared.

"What the hell?" As he opened the door, Judd stared quizzically at the police uniform Galen was wearing. "You'll pardon me for telling you that uniform doesn't suit you. It requires a certain air to carry it off."

"People seldom question police officers." Galen entered the room and dumped the large box he was carrying on the bed before striding over to the window. "You checked out the rooms in this hotel?"

"I'm not even going to bother to answer that question." He followed Galen to the window. "The sniper was in the third room to the right, fifth floor of the Kissimmee across the street. Pat Reilly, former IRA, pretty good."

"Not good enough?"

"All passion, no intellect. His demise won't inconvenience us. I left a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door of his room." He gestured to another room on the sixth floor. "That one has me a little worried. No one was in the room last night and I checked it again two hours ago, but the drapes are drawn now. It's not impossible that someone could pick the lock and take up residence."

"A second shooter."

"We'll see. No time to go over there now. I'll have to handle it from here." He handed Galen his binoculars. "Two men just delivered Luis Kyler to the bench beside the koi pond. He's not a pretty sight."

Galen focused the binoculars on the man on the bench. Luis Kyler might once have been a handsome young man, but he was now so painfully thin that his neat gray suit hung on him. His face was bruised and swollen, and he was sitting on the edge of the bench as if too nervous or too hurt to lean back. "He can walk?"

Judd nodded. "He was getting some support, but he's mobile."

"Then that's all we need. His guards left?"

"Out the back gate."

"I'll do a walk-through just to make sure. Then I'll let Dominic go after Luis." He handed Judd the binoculars. "It should all be over within fifteen minutes."

"If we're lucky." Judd picked up his rifle from the bed and went back to the window. "And if you don't foul up getting us out of here. I'd bet that street out there is crawling with Chavez's men."

Galen opened the door. "No bet."

"What's in that box on the bed?"

"Your disguise."

"Disguise? That box is kind of big for a police uniform." He crossed back to the bed, opened the box, and looked inside. He started to laugh. "My God, you've got to be kidding."

"Ready?" Galen asked Dominic. "You can change your mind. I'll go in and get him."

Dominic shook his head. "He wouldn't trust you. Besides, you're the getaway man." He smiled. "That sounds like one of those old gangster movies."