Blood.

Chavez squatted and touched the spattering of dark red on the floor of the pharmacy.

Elena's blood.

She was hurt and trying to heal herself. Like an animal on the run, she was seeking a place to hide.

No, if that had been the case, she would have hidden in the hills near Belim. There was a reason why she had pressed forward. She had a purpose, a goal.

And he knew what that goal was.

He stood up and turned to Gomez. "Spread out. Cover every town and village in the area. Someone must have seen her. She's hurt and she's moving too fast to be cautious. She may be trying to reach Dominic. If you can't locate her, try to find him." He smiled as he looked down at the blood on his fingertips. First blood, Elena. "No excuses. I want her found within the next twenty-four hours."

The headlights skewering the black road ahead were wavering, darkening, and blurring.

Don't faint, Elena told herself. Hold on. Only a little longer. After all these years, only a few miles more. The huge palm tree. "Turn left here."

"I thought you'd left us," Galen said as he made the turn. "You're sure you don't want-"

"Be quiet." She couldn't cope with him right now. From the moment she had opened her eyes and looked at Galen, she knew he was a man to be reckoned with. God, she wished Forbes hadn't brought him. She only hoped that he wasn't on the take. Forbes trusted him, but that didn't mean she could afford to. When she'd realized she had to leave, she waited months before choosing Forbes. She had investigated, asked questions, listened to every story about him. She now knew that he was a solid and honest man and suspected that he had his own thread of desperation. She knew about desperation. She had lived with it for years.

Galen was not a desperate man. He was hard and tough and glittered with a mirrorlike surface. He would be difficult to fathom and more difficult to handle.

Maybe she wouldn't have to do either, she thought wearily. Let him get them out and then she'd be through with him. "The next right."

"This place is hidden well enough," Forbes said. "But the road curves like a snake around the side of this mountain. Will we be able to get a helicopter in, Galen?"

"I'll take care of it."

The house.

Her heart leaped in her breast as the headlights gleamed on the glass of the windows. "Here. Stop here."

Galen stopped the jeep a hundred yards from the small adobe house.

"Wait here." She started to get out of the jeep. "I'll be right-"

"I don't think so." The muzzle of Galen's.45 pistol was suddenly pressed to her temple. "Let's wait and see if anything unpleasant happens."

"Nothing's going to happen." Her voice was shaking. "And you're going to have to shoot me to keep me from going into that house. I've waited too long-`

"Elena?" A man was standing in the doorway of the house, his hand shading his eyes from the glare of the headlights. "I was worried. I expected you days ago."

"I had a few problems." She gave Galen a cold glance as she got out of the car and walked toward the man. "They're not over."

"You're here. We'll take care of the rest." He enfolded her in his arms and gave her a hug before looking beyond her to the jeep. "They're safe?"

She nodded. "DEA. They're going to get us out of here." She turned to Forbes. "You can get out of the jeep. No one is going to hurt you. This is Father Dominic."

"A priest?" Galen got out of the driver's seat.

"Yes."

"No," Dominic said at the same time.

"Among other things," Elena said. "He's also a teacher. He takes good care of the people in these hills."

"How do you do?" Dominic said to Galen and Forbes. "My name is Dominic Sanders."

"Is everything all right?" Elena asked him.

He smiled. "Fine." He turned and headed for the kitchen. "Introductions later. You all look like you could use some coffee."

She nodded. "Call your helicopter, Galen. Have him here at first light."

"I believe we have some business to transact first. You made a deal with Forbes."

"Oh, yes, his pound of flesh. Don't worry, it's here."

"Show me."

She looked at him for a moment and then deliberately turned to Forbes. "I'll show you. Come with me."

"Go on, Forbes." Galen followed them into the house. "You won't mind if I just trail along?"

"I do mind." She threw open a door down the short hall. "But you don't care about that, do you?" She lit the oil lamp beside the door. "Don't raise your voice or I'll cut your heart out." She moved toward the bed across the room. "It's okay, Barry. Don't be scared."

"Mama?" The little boy threw himself into her arms. "Dominic didn't tell me you were coming."

Her arms tightened around him. God, he felt so good. Warm and safe and wonderful. "He didn't know. How are you?"

"Fine. I'm learning to play Dominic's keyboard. He says I'm old enough now. I know one song. I'll play-" He pushed away from her and wrinkled his nose. "You don't smell good."

"I know." She gently brushed the dark curls back from his forehead. "That's why I tell you that you should take your bath every night. I haven't gotten a chance to do that lately. But you really shouldn't be so rude as to tell me about it."

"I didn't mean-" His brow furrowed. "I didn't make you sad, did I?"

"No. You never make me sad." She gave him a hug. "Go back to sleep, love."

"You'll be here in the morning?"

"Yes, and there may be a surprise for you."

"A present?"

"An adventure." She kissed him on the forehead. "A wonderful, splendid adventure like none you've ever dreamed of."

"Who are they?" Barry was looking beyond her at Forbes and Galen.

"Friends." She tucked him in and stood up. "You'll meet them tomorrow. Good night."

"G'night." His eyes were already closing. "G'night, Mama."

"Your child?" Forbes asked as she shut the bedroom door and led them outside the house. "How old is he?"

"Five."

"He's quite beautiful."

"Yes, he is." Her smile was radiant. "Inside and out."

"You probably did some damage to your stitches hugging him like that," Galen said.

"I didn't feel a thing."

"Oh, I think you were feeling all kinds of emotions in there," Galen said. "I suppose you want me to take him with us?"

"There's no question that he goes with us." She paused. "He's the prize. He's the magnet that you wanted, Forbes."

He frowned. "I don't understand."

"Barry is Rico Chavez's son."

"What?"

"You heard me. Any blood or DNA test would prove it."

"Wait a minute. You stole Chavez's son?"

"I stole nothing. He's my son. Chavez didn't even know he was alive until two months ago." Her lips tightened. "But that won't stop him from trying to take him away from me." She met Forbes's gaze. "Or from coming after him."

"I've heard he has a wife and children of his own," Galen said.

"He does. Three beautiful little girls. His mistress in Bogot  also has a little girl. He was tested by a specialist after she was born and told that there was something wrong. That he might not be able to father sons. He was furious. It damaged his self-image. He sees himself as a conqueror, and a conqueror has to have sons." She paused. "Then he found out he did have a son."