"And what price do you want for my son?"

"We'll discuss that when I call back tomorrow. I want you to know that I have the merchandise and I can deliver."

"It could be a trap."

"Then I'll give you the same advice you gave Elena when you set up Luis. Protect yourself. You want the boy, I want the money." Judd hung up and leaned back in the chair.

That was the first step, and it had gone as he thought it would. Chavez was suspicious, but that would be partially erased when he saw the photograph. After that, it would come down to negotiations. Christ, he hated dealing with that slime-ball.

But he had dealt with snakes like Chavez before and for less return.

Elena and Galen didn't get the information they needed until the next evening.

"Three touring carnivals operating in Georgia, one in Alabama and one in North Carolina, none in South Carolina or Florida," Galen said. "And the only one near a wild-game park is the one outside Birmingham, Alabama."

"How far is Birmingham?" Elena asked.

"About two and a half hours' drive."

"Then why don't we fly?"

"By the time we get to the airport, find a flight, and arrange for a rental car in Birmingham, we could be there already."

"Then let's go." She headed for the door. "It's only six o'clock. We might be able to catch-"

"It's a long shot, Elena."

"I don't care. Do you have a better idea?"

He shook his head. "I just don't want you to get your hopes up."

"Hope is all I've got. I'm not going to give it up." She opened the front door. "I'm going to Birmingham."

"And I'm going with you." He followed her out to the porch. "You need to remember that Judd heard everything Barry said to you. He might not even take him to the carnival."

She had already thought of that possibility. "He's trying to keep Barry so happy that he won't have time to question anything Judd says or does. An outing like that is a big thing in a little boy's life. He won't want to disappoint him. I think he'll try to take him, even if it's only for a short time." Her lips twisted bitterly. "I've never had an opportunity to take Barry to a carnival. I'm going to owe that bastard for cheating me of that too."

"Hey, big deal. We'll take him to Disney World when we get him back."

When, not if?

"We'll get him back," he said quietly to her unspoken question. "Even if we have to take him away from Chavez."

"If Chavez gets him out of the country, it will-"

Galen's phone rang. "Galen." He handed the phone to Elena. "Chavez."

She slowly raised the phone to her ear. "You bastard."

"Why are you so upset with me? It was your dear brother who killed his old mentor."

"You're the one who put a gun in his hand and gave him enough heroin to make sure he wouldn't care if he killed his sister or a man who had been nothing but a friend to him."

"Luis wasn't supposed to kill Dominic Sanders. I was expecting you to show up at the hotel and I told Luis it was his job to take care of you. Those drug addicts never get anything right."

She was so angry that she had to wait before replying. "You didn't get it right either. Luis is dead, and I have no reason to talk to you again."

"That was unfortunate. But you took out two of my men in exchange. I never expected you to have a marksman on call. He was extremely gifted. Galen?"

"No."

"Then who was it?"

"Why do you want to know? Do you want to put out a contract on him?"

"Just curious. How is my son?"

"He's not your son."

"I have an idea he will be soon. What do they say about possession?"

"And I'm in possession."

"Are you?"

"Yes, dammit." She hungup and looked at Galen. "I think Judd has already contacted him. He was feeling me out. Christ, Judd's moving fast."

"Then we'd better do the same." He started down the steps. "Come on, let's see if we can find that carnival before it closes down for the night."

Chapter 14

The carnival grounds smelled of cotton candy, popcorn, and the sweat of the crowd milling about the booths. The shrill sound of the calliope grated on Elena's nerves as her gaze searched desperately.

"Where do we start?" Elena murmured. "The Ferris wheel. He mentioned the Ferris wheel."

"As good a place as any." Galen grabbed her elbow and was already pushing her through the throng. "You have his picture to show people?"

She nodded, her gaze anxiously searching the crowd. Where are you, Barry? Where are you, baby? She looked up at the giant wheel, trying to see if he was in one of the boats. She couldn't see the one that had stopped on top.

The wheel started again and the occupants of the top boat came into view.

Two teenage boys.

"Let's go," Galen said. "We'll split up. You start at the shooting booth and I'll scout the opposite direction. We'll meet at the front entrance."

"Right." She was already moving, searching, listening for Barry's voice in the crowd. She passed a catch-the-fish booth, a tent advertising hoochie-coochie dancers, a spinning-cup ride. Where was he, dammit?

It took only fifteen minutes to make her way back to the ticket booth at the front entrance.

"Nothing?" Galen asked.

She shook her head dejectedly. "Maybe we were wrong about this being the carnival. Or it could be that-`

"Jesus." Galen's hand closed on her arm. "That's Judd's truck pulling out of the parking lot." Galen was running toward their car. "He must have seen us. He's peeling out."

Elena looked over her shoulder as she jumped into the passenger seat. She caught a fleeting glimpse of a black truck with two occupants. One man, one little boy.

Barry!

Then the truck was gone, traveling at high speed down the road.

"Catch him." Her hands clenched into fists. "We've got to catch him."

"I know." Galen's wheels screeched as he backed out of the parking space. "Fasten your seat belt."

By the time they reached the road, Judd was almost out of sight.

Galen's foot jammed on the accelerator and the car jumped forward.

Faster.

Gas stations, convenience stores.

Faster.

She couldn't see the black truck any longer.

One mile.

Two miles.

Where was that damn truck?

"Where is he?" she whispered.

"We lost him. He must have turned off somewhere." He turned around. "We'll go back and go down some side streets."

They spent the next hour crisscrossing the main road.

No black truck.

No Barry.

Galen finally pulled over to the side of the road. "He got away from us."

"I know that." Her disappointment was so sharp it was almost physical. "We were so close."

"We'll get there again." Galen moved the car back into the flow of traffic. "What now?"

She tried to think. "Motels. They had to be staying at a motel in the general area. Let's find a phone book and go check them."

"A slim chance."

"So was the carnival."

"Good point. I'll pull over at the first convenience store and we'll go through the phone book."

They called thirteen room clerks at various motels before they struck pay dirt. Ten minutes later they were standing in front of the check-in desk.