"It's an interesting proposition."

"And one you won't get from me again. It will be easy for you. I don't even know why you're hesitating."

"I'll let you know." He hung up the phone.

It will be easy for you.

It was natural for Chavez to believe that betrayal and murder would be simple for him. It had been his life for too many years. How difficult would it be to slip back into the habits of the past?

Chavez was right. Judd needed to be done with these negotiations. Galen and Elena had almost caught him last night at the carnival. He was lucky that Barry had not seen them. He needed the money. He needed to be rid of the kid.

So what to do?

Chavez thought he knew what his decision would be. Was he right?

Betrayal and murder.

Chapter 15

"What are we waiting for? Judd's not going to call." Elena stood at the window gazing blindly out at the lake. "I think we should go to Miami to get Chavez."

"Let's give it just a little more time."

"He said he'd call yesterday and he didn't do it." Her hand clutched the curtain so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "He's made his deal with Chavez and he's going to turn over Barry. We have to stop him."

"Wait until noon and then we'll take off. We may he in a better position here to intercept him. He or Barry may drop-"

"No." She turned and headed for the front door. "He can call us on the road. I'm too frightened to-"

The house phone rang.

She jumped for it. "Hello."

"Is Galen on the line?" Judd asked.

"He will he in a minute. Let me talk to Barry."

"After we finish. He's fine."

"How do I know that? You promised Chavez you'd send him a picture of a dead boy."

"He told you that? He'll evidently do anything to hurt you."

"Was it a lie?"

He didn't answer immediately. "No."

"You son of a bitch."

"At times," Judd said. "But it's not kind of you to say so when I'm calling to give you an opportunity."

"What kind of opportunity?" Galen had picked up the extension.

"To get her son back."

Elena stiffened. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I've made a deal with Chavez. I get my money. He gets Barry. But the terms of delivery are in my court."

"Go on."

"I've told Chavez that he has to do the delivery himself. He brings the money, I turn over Barry. No escort or I don't deal."

"And you think he'll abide by it?"

"Probably not. I'll do a little scouting ahead of time to make sure I'm safe."

"And where do we come in?"

"I'll tell you where and when. You come after I've got my money and take Barry away from him. Simple."

"Too simple," Galen said. "It smells like a trap."

"Or a bad conscience trying to do the right thing," Judd said. "You take your choice."

"Trap," Elena said.

"I'll call you tonight with the time and place. Barry will be there. I'm sure he'll hope to see you." He called, "Barry, your mother wants to talk to you."

"Galen, it's a trap, isn't it?" She hung up after talking to Barry and walked into the kitchen. "That tricky bastard."

"Probably." He hung up the extension. "But it's also an opportunity, just as Judd said. I don't doubt Barry will be there. It's the only bait that would work."

"And Chavez will have his men there."

"Almost certainly. It's very risky." He smiled faintly. "But it's not going to stop you from going, is it?"

Even the slimmest chance to get Barry back? "Hell, no."

"Then we wait for Judd to tell us where and when."

Judd called at nine-forty that evening.

"Tomorrow night. In the glade at the top of Blackjack Mountain. One A.M."

"If this is the trap I think it is, I'm going to hunt you down and draw and quarter you," Galen said.

"Don't you think I know that? You have to do what you have to do. I can't guarantee the unpredictable, and everything about this delivery is unpredictable."

"Including you."

"Including me." Judd hung up.

"That sounded like a warning," Elena said.

"Who the hell knows?" Galen moved toward the desk in the living room. "We need to take a look at a state map and find Blackjack Mountain. We have some reconnoitering to do before tomorrow night."

She followed him and watched as he took out the map and looked up Blackjack Mountain. "It's about forty-five miles north of the city off Highway 76. I don't see any nearby towns. Evidently Judd wanted his meeting isolated enough not to disturb the neighbors."

She nodded, "We're not going to have much time to familiarize ourselves with the area."

"Time enough. I don't think either of us is going to sleep tonight anyway." He headed for the door. "Let's get on the road."

"Galen."

"What?"

"I just want this very clear. This is my son. We both have to go all out. You're not going to try to close me out or protect me."

He hesitated. "It's going to be hard for me not to do it."

"But you'll do it because you made me a promise."

He grimaced. "And I'll keep it. We go in together and we do the job together. Okay?"

She nodded and followed him to the door. "Just so you understand."

"I told you once I was chock-full of understanding. Since then I've begun to regret that particular talent."

They didn't get back from Blackjack Mountain until after noon the next day. They were both sweaty, dirty, and scratched from brush.

"Get a shower and try to nap," Galen said. "I've got to get a few weapons and some infrared night glasses from Hughes."

"You should sleep too."

"I will." He paused. "We'll draft several of Hughes's security guys to take out Chavez's men near the road and stand by for an alert from us. But if we go up that mountain like a SWAT team, there's a greater chance of Barry being hurt. We don't know what Chavez will do if he's cornered."

"I know that."

"And we can't be sure how many of Chavez's men will be guarding the way up to that glade. We'll have to pick them off one by one on the way to him. We can't afford noise."

She nodded. "Knives and hands."

"Right."

She heard the door close behind him as she headed for her bedroom. A few minutes later she was under the shower and the hot water was washing away the dirt, but not the cold anxiety that had gripped her all night. Christ, she was scared.

They had gone over that mountain until she was familiar enough with it to feel fairly certain she wouldn't blunder into unknown dangers. The dangers she knew about were bad enough.

She got out of the shower and toweled off. It wasn't as if she hadn't done this before, she told herself. She would just do what she had been taught all those years ago. It would be fine.

But it was Barry who was at stake.

Fear stabbed her and she had to push down the panic that followed. She mustn't be frightened. Think of something that would give her strength.

Galen. Some of the fear eased. Yes, Galen would be with her this time. Together they would be able to do it. Together they would be able to save her son.

Take care of our boy.

That was the last line of the letter Dominic had written her.