She threw her rifle and pistol out into the glade. "Now you."

Would he do it?

He stepped out of the forest into the moonlight and threw a rifle and handgun down. "Come, Elena." His tone was mocking. "Show me how you beat me all those years ago."

Elena and Chavez circled each other, knives drawn.

Elena sprang forward. Chavez ducked aside and his knife darted out and raked her. She spun away before he could follow through.

"First blood, Elena," he murmured. "You should have expected that."

She whirled and gave him a roundhouse kick to the stomach."I did."

He grunted in pain and sank to his knees.

She knew better than to close in on him. She had seen him fake weakness too many times and then take advantage of an unguarded moment.

He lunged to one side and regained his feet. "Good move. Now let's see you counter." He made a series of lightning-quick karate moves she was barely able to counter. God, he was fast. Too fast. The attacks had brought him close enough to her that he got in a punch to the chin.

Darkness.

Hot pain in her arm as his knife lunged forward.

She staggered back.

Clear your head.

She had only seconds before he would be on top of her.

Buy time.

She kicked and connected with his groin.

She was vaguely aware of his grunt of pain as she fought off faintness.

Chavez didn't fall, but she was in no shape to follow through.

Dammit, she had to follow through. Now. Ignore the dizziness. She would never have a better chance.

She did a sidekick to his throat and he fell to the ground. She stepped forward to stomp on the side of his head, but he grabbed her ankle.

She was down.

She rolled over and straddled him, her knee pinning his knife hand while her own knife hovered over his throat.

"Very good," he whispered. "But you can't do it, Elena. You'll never be able to do it."

"The hell I won't."

"No, you won't. Do you know why? Because I've told my man if he sees me down, he's to slit your son's throat."

"You're lying."

"Can't you see the blood spurting? I can-" He spat in her face.

She instinctively flinched and his pinned arm broke free. His knife thrust toward her.

She was able to escape it by inches as she rolled over and away from him.

"I almost had you. You could have killed me then, but that convenient maternal instinct raised its head again." He was on his feet and coming toward her. His foot lashed out, connecting with her wrist, and her knife fell to the ground. She scissored his ankles between her legs and brought him down again.

He recovered and was on top of her, his knife coming toward her chest. She quickly brought her arm up to block it.

A bullet skimmed his cheek.

He stiffened. "What the-"

Elena rolled, grabbing his wrist and pressing the nerve at the same time. The knife fell from his numbed hand, and she scrambled sideways and took possession of it.

Chavez tackled her. She twisted under his body and lunged upward with the knife.

He froze on top of her. "Elena?"

She pushed him off her and sat up.

Blood was gushing from the wound in his chest and he was looking down at it in disbelief.

"I told you I'd do it." Jesus, she was shaking. "Where's my son?"

He shook his head.

"Damn you, where is he?"

"Dead."

Panic soared through her and her hand darted out and clutched his throat. "Stop lying. Where is he?"

"Elena." His eyes closed and he slumped sideways.

Barry couldn't be dead. Even with his last breath Chavez had to be lying to hurt her.

"You're bleeding." Galen was kneeling beside her. "Where are you hurt?"

Did a man lie when he was dying?

"Elena, where are you hurt?"

"Dammit, I'm not hurt. It's nothing." She leaped to her feet. "He said Barry was here but that he was dead. He had to be lying. I have to find him. He had to be-"

"He was lying." Judd stepped out from the trees. "Barry is behind that oak tree. I gave him a Mickey, but he should be coming around in a little while. I'd get him off this mountain before he does. There's quite a bit of carnage he shouldn't see."

"That tree?" Elena was already running toward it.

God, make it be true. Make him be safe.

There he was. But he was so still.

She fell to her knees and gathered him close.

He was breathing. Sleeping, as Judd had said.

She rocked him back and forth in an agony of joy.

He's going to be all right. Do you hear me, Dominic? Our boy is safe.

"He's not hurt?" Galen asked Judd.

"Hell, no. He may wake up with the tiniest headache, but I'm pretty good with sedatives. He shouldn't have any aftereffects."

"He'd better not. If Elena doesn't cut your throat, I will."

"And both of you are very talented in that area. After I finished my business with Chavez, I climbed that poplar tree near the glade and watched you operate."

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I had to keep an eye on the kid to make sure Chavez didn't do anything unexpected, and I thought I might as well be entertained. There's nothing I liked better than seeing those slimeballs meet their maker."

Galen's gaze narrowed on his face. "And helping a couple of them along yourself? I ran into two bodies on the way up that I wasn't responsible for. I thought maybe Elena. but she wasn't supposed to be anywhere near that trail."

"I got a little bored waiting."

"Then why didn't you do something constructive and take out Chavez?"

"That was Elena's job. She needed to do it."

Galen started to curse.

"We look at things differently. You're protective. I'm on the outside looking in."

"You came in from the outside and kidnapped Barry, damn you."

"I needed the money," Judd said simply. "I was sorry I had to use him, but I was feeling the pressure."

"You not only used him, you used me. I brought Elena and Barry to the ranch and I trusted you."

"I never told you that you could trust me. You didn't want to believe that I'm capable of doing things you'd never dream of doing. But you might consider that the boy will have no bad memories of this episode. He's had an adventure that he'll remember for some time."

"And Elena's been through hell."

Judd nodded soberly. "And I knew exactly what I was doing to her when I took Barry. I'm not asking forgiveness. I know that's not possible."

"You're damn right it's not."

"Then I'll be on my way. I just wanted to make sure she didn't have to search for Barry." He turned away. "Good-bye, Galen. Good luck."

"And where are you going?"

"Washington. I have some intricate bribing to do."

"You're an idiot. They'll catch you and hang you out to dry."

"What do you care?" He smiled faintly as he strolled toward the trees. "I'm not your problem anymore."

He shouldn't care. He wouldn't care. What Judd had done was beyond the pale. Son of a bitch.

As he reached the edge of the glade, Judd took off his black windbreaker and dropped it on the ground. "Tell Elena to put on my jacket. She's covered in Chavez's blood and she wouldn't want to scare the kid."

He disappeared into the trees.

Galen gazed after him in anger and frustration. and regret.

Damn him.

"Let me take him." Galen reached out and took Barry from her arms. "How is he?"