"I needed a little help. It may be a difficult situation. I kept my promise. He's not a fed. Did you bring the evidence?"

"No, we'll have to go together and get it. It's nearby."

"Why don't you go and bring it to us?" Galen asked.

She ignored him. "I don't know how much time we have. Chavez will know I crossed the river ten miles from here. He may decide to call in more men and spread out over the countryside."

"And how does Chavez know that?" Galen asked.

"I had to kill two of his men to get across the river."

"My, my, that prison cell came very well equipped."

She ignored Galen and turned to Forbes. "I stole some sup-plies from a pharmacy and some clothes in a village near the river. I don't have time for this inquisition. Just bandage me up and we'll get on the way."

"Unfortunately, if we do that you might bleed to death," Galen said. "I can stitch her up properly, Forbes. You can have a nice chat while I do it. It may distract her. Of course, it could hurt a bit."

She bit her lower lip. "Do it." She glanced at Forbes and then slowly held out her hand. "Will you stay with me until it's over? I don't want him to get too much pleasure out of this."

He smiled and his hand closed on hers. "I'll stay."

Elena's breath released in a relieved sigh. "Thank you." Her gaze shifted to Galen. "Get it over with."

Chapter 2

Elena withstood the pain without a word but slumped into a faint as Galen finished the stitching.

"Tough," Galen murmured as he started bandaging the wound. "Very tough."

"Is she going to be okay?" Forbes asked.

He shrugged. "Providing she doesn't get an infection. If it's any comfort to you, I think she did sew herself up. The stitches were pretty messy and uneven. We'd better get her back to camp before she wakes up." He lifted her and started for the woods. "Be sure and bring my kit."

"You're pretty good at this. And that first-aid kit-do you always lug that thing around?"

"Sure. When I need first aid, it's usually not for anything minor. Like the Boy Scouts, I'm always prepared."

"You're from Liverpool, aren't you? Did they have Boy Scouts there?"

"Of a sort. But my mum never liked me to mix with those rough-and-ready types." He looked down at Elena. "Like this one. She'd be turning over in her grave if she knew I was associating with such a piranha."

"I don't believe you have anything to worry about," Forbes said dryly. "A shark could gobble up a piranha."

"Really? Must hurt." They had reached the camp and Galen carefully laid Elena down on his blankets. "You know, she looks slight, but she's very strong. See her shoulders. ?"

"I think you're still brooding about that right hook."

"It's possible. How old do you think she is?"

"Mid-twenties maybe."

At the moment she looks younger, Galen thought. In sleep she had a childlike vulnerability. When Elena was awake, her expression had been so full of vitality and intensity that he had only been conscious of the character behind the face. Now he could see that the woman's olive skin was perfect, her cheekbones high and her mouth wide and well shaped. The lashes lying on her cheeks were very long and as dark as her hair. "She must have learned a lot in those years. Some of those moves could have killed me if I hadn't blocked them. She's been trained very well." He glanced at Forbes. "She could put you down in seconds."

"I can hold my own. I'm no amateur."

"You're a policeman. But violence isn't a way of life for you. You told me she's been a guerrilla since she was a child. She's a pro."

He shrugged. "So are you. It's a question of choice."

"But she wouldn't be here if she hadn't made the choice before."

"Neither would you."

"You keep comparing us."

"Because you make me feel like an outsider. It's as if the two of you belong to a private club."

Galen smiled. "I'd never be so rude as to exclude you."

"The hell you wouldn't." He paused. "Give her a chance, Galen. She may be legitimate."

"And she may be drawing you into a trap. She's smart. She took one look at you and set out to appeal to every protective instinct in your body. I suddenly became the enemy, being cruel to a helpless woman."

"Would you really have hurt her?"

"I might have been a little clumsy. I need to know more. We can't afford to accept her at face value."

"I believe you've made that clear to her."

"Good. Then we may be-"

"We have to leave here." They both looked down at Elena and saw that her eyes were open. "How long was I out?"

"Ten, fifteen minutes."

"Not too bad." She struggled to a sitting position. "I hope. Let's go."

"Where?"

"It's not far. I'll show you."

"Where?" Galen repeated.

She glared at him. "You'll know when we get there. Do you think I'd trust you?"

"You trust Forbes."

"I had to trust him." She whirled on Forbes. "We made a deal. I'll give you what you want. Keep your part of it."

"Galen knows what he's doing."

"He could have been bought. Chavez buys everyone."

"He'll get you out of here, Elena."

Her hands clenched at her sides. "How?" she demanded, turning to Galen. "No village from here to Bogot  is going to be safe. Those who Chavez can't buy will be afraid of him. You can't trust the government, the paramilitaries, or the rebels."

"Not even your own group?"

"Particularly not my group," she said bitterly. "They've been funded by Chavez for years."

"Then it seems like a good idea to avoid them," agreed Galen.

"How?" she asked again.

"I have a team on standby in the area. When I call them, they'll helicopter in and pick us up. There's a jet waiting at an airport near Medell¡n."

She was silent a moment. "It sounds simple."

"It probably won't be."

"He's done it before, Elena," Forbes said. "He got Katz away from the splinter rebel group."

"Katz." She frowned. "I heard about that. You blundered. Chavez caught you off guard."

"He won't this time."

"He'd better not." She started to get to her feet and then fell back down. She turned to Forbes. "Will you help me up?"

Forbes bent down and helped her to her feet. She swayed, holding tight to his arm to keep from falling.

"You've lost some blood," Forbes said. "We can wait a little while."

"No, we can't. I've not come this far to be stopped now." She took a deep breath. "Let's go."

"If you tell me where we're going, I'll be able to get us there if you pass out," Galen said.

"I won't pass out." She moved haltingly toward the jeep. "I've had wounds worse than this. I'll be fine."

"Whatever. Put her in the passenger seat, Forbes." Galen quickly folded up the bedrolls, tossed them in the back of the jeep, and climbed into the driver's seat. "The roads aren't great. It's going to be a rough ride for you."

"It's all been a rough ride. But it's almost over." She leaned her head back. "Go straight ahead. Turn right at the next fork in the road."