Stalemate

8

Music.

Chopin, she realized vaguely. Beautiful… She'd always loved it. More soothing than he usually-

Joe!

Her eyes flew open to see Montalvo sitting by her bed. She struggled to a sitting position. "Joe. Where's-"

Montalvo was spinning crazily, the room was whirling around her.

"Easy." Montalvo was there, gently pushing her back on the pillow. "Quinn's alive. Galen's alive. Everyone's being taken care of. Rest."

The twitch of Joe's body on top of her as a bullet entered him.

"How the hell can I rest?" Her voice was shaking. "You bastard, you shot him."

"I didn't shoot him."

"Then one of your men did it. You warned me that it might happen."

"Yes, I did. That's why I wanted to be the first one to talk to you when you woke." He stared her in the eye. "It wasn't me. It wasn't my men. I know that it's difficult for you to think right now but I'm asking you to try to use a little logic. The first bullet was aimed at you. Quinn pulled you down and sideways or it would have blown your head off. It was the second bullet that got Quinn. There's no way on this earth that I would have tried to kill you. Every effort I've made for the last year has been aimed at keeping you alive and able to work. Why would I want to blast all that work to kingdom come?"

"How do I know? I don't know anything about how you think."

"Yes, you do. You don't want to realize how close we already are." He handed her a glass of crushed ice with a straw. "Drink a little water. It will give you time to consider and ease that parched throat. You've been out for almost twenty-four hours. You had a hell of a concussion. I was getting worried when you didn't wake up."

She sipped the water. Her throat was dry and the cold water felt good as it went down. "Joe. Tell me about Joe."

"The bullet entered his back, hit a rib, and angled upward. It didn't strike a major organ but he did lose quite a bit of blood. He had to have a transfusion." He smiled. "I was the same blood type so Quinn is now cursed with a pint of my blood. I'm sure it will annoy him no end when he becomes aware of it."

"I'm sure too." Relief was flowing through her. "He's going to live. You're certain?"

"I'm certain. It will take him a couple weeks to get back to something like normal. But I've survived worse wounds than that and I'd bet Quinn is very tough."

"Yes. Yes, he is." She closed her eyes. Thank God. "When can I see him?"

"Right now he's pretty well out of it on pain medication. Probably tomorrow. Can you go back to sleep now? The doctor said that rest is the best medicine for-"

"No." Her eyes flew open. "Galen?"

"Galen is the one who saw the shooter and took him out. He wasn't hurt at all."

"Then I want to see him."

"I thought you would." He took the glass of water and put it on the nightstand. "I'll send him to you in three hours. No sooner. I want you to get that nap that Dr. Diego recommended."

"I want to see him now."

"Then you'll have to crawl out of that bed, search the house, and risk injuring yourself. In which case you'd be no good to Galen or your Joe." He started for the door. "We'll talk later after you finish being reassured by someone you trust." He glanced back over his shoulder as he opened the door. "Remember, the first bullet was for you."

"But it didn't kill me," she said bluntly. "And it took Joe out of the picture. That's what you wanted."

He shook his head. "I was hoping you wouldn't explore that path but I should have known you would, considering how clever you are. Ask Galen whether that bullet would have killed you if Quinn hadn't interfered."

"Don't worry. I will."

He smiled ruefully and inclined his head. "I expect nothing less of you, Eve."

He left the bedroom.

Damn him. She didn't want to lie here in this bed and be bombarded by worry about Joe. She wanted to see him. Galen would help her to see him. She lifted herself on her elbow and then fell back as pain shot through her head.

Maybe not now. Montalvo was right. She'd have to crawl out of this bed if she tried to get up.

Three hours. Montalvo had promised to send Galen in three hours…

Galen.

He smiled down at her as she opened her eyes. "It's about time, luv. I was just going to give you a good shake."

"You would not." She tried to smile. "Or I'd have a very firm word with you. My head is very fragile at the moment."

His smile faded. "I don't doubt it. You had me scared when I ran over there and saw the two of you drenched in blood."

"Drenched?"

"Well, perhaps not quite. But in my heightened state it appeared that way."

"I want to see Joe."

He nodded. "I suspected as much. He's better today. He's still going in and out of consciousness but he won't scare you like he would have yesterday when you first woke up."

She frowned. "Yesterday? I woke up three hours ago."

"I beg to disagree. Montalvo sent me in here yesterday but you weren't stirring. So I've been checking every few hours and waiting for you to wake up."

"It doesn't seem possible." But she did feel better. Her head was less painful, her thinking was sharper. "Did he drug me?"

"I wouldn't know. I wouldn't put it past him." He shrugged. "Or maybe it was just Mother Nature who put you out. You were pretty messed up." He gazed at her critically. "You still look weak as a kitten. Suppose I get Miguel to bring you some soup and then we'll make the attempt to see Joe. I have no desire to have you fainting and forcing me to lug you around."

"And I have no intention of-" But she still felt weak. "Okay, soup sounds fine. Thank you."

She watched him leave the room before she carefully sat up in bed. A little dizziness but it passed quickly and she swung her legs to the floor. Get to the bathroom, wash her face and brush her teeth.

Slowly.

Her legs felt like spaghetti.

But by the time she reached the bathroom she felt stronger. By the time she finished cleaning up she felt almost like a human being again.

"Eve?" Galen was knocking on the door.

"I'm okay." She threw open the door. "I feel better now."

"You look better." He handed her a pair of khakis, underwear, and a loose white shirt. "I rifled your suitcase. I'll help you dress when you finish your soup."

"That won't be necess-" Screw being independent. She had to get to Joe and she'd take any help that would be necessary. "We'll see." She dropped the clothes on the bottom of the bed and climbed back under the covers with a sigh of relief. She felt as tired as if she'd run the Boston Marathon. "For God's sake, it's only a glancing wound. But it doesn't feel that way."

"It's a head wound, and concussion isn't just a minor inconvenience." Galen tucked the covers around her. "And an inch to the left and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Could it have been a deliberate miss?"

"No, you were the target. And I hate to toot my own horn but if I hadn't tackled that son of a bitch at just that second you'd have been with the angels."

Or Bonnie. Her Bonnie.

"You don't look upset," Galen said. "It's the truth, Eve."

She shook her head to clear it. "I know, Galen. Tell me what happened."

"I was cruising around and I spotted someone moving toward the path where I'd left you and Quinn. He was kneeling and aiming his rifle, drawing a bead, when I got close enough to see him. I reached him in seconds but he got off two shots before I put him down."

"You weren't hurt at all?"

He shook his head. "But he wasn't easy and he was a professional. I might not have been able to save your necks if he hadn't been concentrating so completely on the shot."

"Montalvo's men are professionals."

He studied her expression. "You want that shooter to be one of Montalvo's men. Why?"

"It's not that I want it to be him. I have to question everything Montalvo does." Because too much was riding on whether she could trust Montalvo. "What happened after you spoiled that shot?"

"I broke the bastard's neck. Then I ran over to you to see if you were both still alive. By that time Soldono was there checking you out. He called Montalvo and got his guy Miguel, and a team of men out there at top speed. They brought the two of you back to the compound and had their medics do emergency procedures. They sent for Dr. Diego, who lives in the village, and he was here within the hour."

"And the shooter?"

"Miguel thought he recognized him as one of Diaz's men. Paulo Duarte. Very lethal. Very nasty. Diaz saves him for special jobs that require-"

"How do you know Miguel is telling the truth?"

"A good question." Miguel was standing in the doorway with a smile on his face and a tray in his hands. "I would lie for the Colonel. There's no question about that being true." He came forward. "It's also true that I'm very happy that you're looking better. I was worried about you." He set the tray down on the bedside table. "So was the Colonel. He wouldn't leave your side until he was sure you were out of danger."

"I'm sure that wasn't entirely unbiased concern."

"No, of course not. But he does regard you highly. Even if you weren't useful I'm positive he wouldn't want you to be killed."

"How kind."

He chuckled as he handed her a napkin. "I've no way with words like the Colonel. He's always reproving me." He glanced at Galen. "You're going to take her to Quinn?"

"That's my intention. Any objections?"

"No, the Colonel said when I thought she was able that I shouldn't interfere." He headed for the door. "But I'd better check with the doctor. That would affect my decision."

"The hell it would," Eve said. "I'm seeing Joe."

"I have to ask the doctor," he repeated as he left the bedroom.

"Stubborn kid," Galen murmured. "But that kid commanded that troop of men who came after you like a seasoned veteran. Montalvo's lucky to have him."

"Not lucky for Miguel. He hero-worships Montalvo." She was eating the soup quickly. "And, as he said, he'd lie for him without a thought."

"He didn't lie about the shooter being Duarte. I rifled his pockets and didn't find any ID but I took a photo of him with my phone and sent it off to my contact in Bogota. The ID came back six hours later. Paulo Duarte. He's been working for Ramon Diaz for the last three years. One ugly customer."

"And Diaz sent him to kill me."

"Presumably. Montalvo told me the reason why he'd have a motive to do it. You do get yourself in tight corners, luv."

And she'd gotten Joe into that corner too. He was lying in another of these palatial rooms fighting to survive because she'd waded recklessly into this mess.

"No one had to follow you, Eve," Galen said quietly, his gaze on her face. "You told us to stay away. So stop blaming yourself. We came because we couldn't do anything else. You didn't know what you'd be up against."

"I knew it could be bad." She finished her soup and threw back the covers. "I need to see Joe. I'm still a little unsteady. Will you help me dress?"

"My pleasure." He smiled as he picked up the bra on the bed. "Turnabout is fair play. You've seen me naked."

Naked? Oh, yes, she'd almost forgotten that night in Louisiana. "Joe didn't get much pleasure when you told him, you devil."

"He needed stirring up." He helped her take off the nightshirt. "And I'm always willing to oblige…"

Montalvo met her at the door as she walked slowly down the hall toward Joe's bedroom. "It's good to see you on your feet." He nodded at Galen. "I'll take her in to see him."

Galen's brows raised. "Eve?"

She nodded curtly. "I don't care. I just want to see Joe."

"I'll deliver her safely back to her room, Galen." Montalvo opened the door for her. "She won't be long."

"Don't count on it." She went past him into the room that was dimly lit by a single lamp on the bedside table.

Joe was lying in the massive bed across the room. For a big man he looked… small. Small and oddly helpless. It shook her. She wasn't accustomed to Joe looking anything but tough and totally pulled together.

She sank down in the chair beside the bed.

"He's just had his medication," Montalvo said behind her. "He won't be awake again for another couple hours. That's why I thought you might want to go back to your room after you assured yourself that he wasn't any worse than I told you."

"For once you were wrong about me." She took Joe's hand in both of hers. "I won't go anywhere until he knows I'm alive and with him." She leaned back in the chair. "So you might as well run along, Montalvo."

"Soon." He sat down in a chair a short distance away. "I'll keep you company for a time."

"I don't need your company. I have Joe."

"Who's not with us at present."

"He's always with me."

He was silent a moment. "Your history with Quinn must be extraordinary."

Joe holding her through the night in the time after Bonnie had been taken. Joe talking to her, trying to make sense out of the madness. Joe giving, taking, beside her through a thousand dawns and sunsets.

"You have no idea," she said unsteadily.

"No, but I wish I did. I had Nalia for only three years. We had the joy. We had no real time to bond as you did with Quinn. We were cheated of that." He stared down at the carpet at his feet. "And she was cheated of so much more. There was a whole world I was going to show her. She grew up in the jungle and only knew struggle and war. Yet she became… a wonder. Do you believe people are born with souls?"

"Yes."

"I didn't. Not before I met her." He paused. "Your Joe will be fine. I promise you."

Her hand tightened on Joe's. "I know he will. I won't let it be any other way."

He got to his feet. "And I had no part in hurting him, Eve. I gave you your chance. I didn't betray you."

She didn't answer.

"I know you're confused and you don't want to waste any time thinking about anything but Quinn. That will pass. Truth is important. We both realize that in the end there's very little as vital."

"Except your revenge."

"And your revenge." He headed for the door. "I'll have Miguel check on you during the next few hours. He'll get you anything you need."

"I don't need revenge right now. I need Joe to get well."

"I believe that will also pass after he recovers. And you might consider what Quinn's reaction is going to be. Revenge is a very basic desire. How primitive is your Joe Quinn?"

She remembered the Joe who had met her that night in the jungle. Primitive? Hell, yes. "I don't want to think about that right now. Go away, Montalvo."

He smiled. "Forgive me. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"No, with you it comes naturally."

"Perhaps. Or it could be that I'm eaten up with envy of your history with Quinn. But new history is formed every day. Sometimes you just have to put the old history behind you."

She frowned. "What the devil are you talking about?"

"Something you don't want to hear. Good night, Eve. I'll see you in the morning. Or if you want to talk to me, I'm always at your disposal."

She watched the door close behind him. As usual, he was being maddeningly enigmatic, and she didn't want to deal with him right now. She had enough on her plate and she needed to concentrate all her attention on Joe.

Jesus, he was pale. Montalvo had said he'd lost a lot of blood and there was clear evidence that was true.

Wake up, Joe.

Look at me. Let me see that you're going to be fine. Just wake up…

"Eve?"

Eve's lids flew open. Joe was awake and looking up at her.

"Hi," she said softly as she leaned forward, her hand grasping his. "You're being very boring lying there sleeping. I must have dozed off."

"Sorry." His gaze was on the bandage on her temple. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"How fine?"

She should have known Joe wouldn't accept a pat answer. "The bullet grazed my temple. It was a little too close and I ended up with a concussion. It put me out for a time or I would have been here sooner."

"Montalvo was here. I asked… He said you were alive and well." His lips tightened. "Liar."

"No, I was as well as could be expected. He didn't want you to worry."

"Is that why they kept giving me drugs?"

"No, they gave you drugs because you were in pain. You got the worst of the attack. You covered me with your body."

"Not in time. You were still hurt."

"In plenty of time. I'm alive. According to Galen, I wouldn't have been if you hadn't jerked me down. The bullet was aimed at my head."

"Damn him." He was silent a moment. "Then it probably wasn't Montalvo. He wouldn't mind me dead. But he wants you alive and functioning."

"Galen checked his ID and the shooter was named Duarte and he works for Ramon Diaz. Diaz must have sent him to make sure I didn't do the job I was brought here to do."

"He came close." Joe's eyes were once again on the bandage on Eve's temple. "Too close."

She didn't like the hard edge she heard in his voice. She had heard it before and it usually meant anger barely leashed. "It didn't happen, Joe."

"He hurt you."

"Not nearly as much as you were hurt."

"And you think Diaz isn't going to come after you again? You're caught in the middle between him and Montalvo. He's going to keep on coming until he puts you down."

"That's not going to happen. Stop thinking about it. Concentrate on getting well. That's what's important right now."

He nodded curtly. "Damn right, that's important. I'll be out of this bed by the end of the week."

"Not likely."

"Entirely likely." He closed his eyes. "Tell Galen I want to see him, will you?"

"Hey, are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Hell, no." He didn't open his eyes but he squeezed her hand before releasing it. "I'm just making sure no one else does."

How primitive is your Joe Quinn?

Montalvo's words came back to her as she looked down at Joe. She hadn't even wanted to consider the answer to a question that would have opened a whole can of worms. Yet she knew it had been in the back of her mind. There was no one who was more protective or more vengeful than Joe if the occasion warranted it.

Jesus, and this occasion definitely warranted it.

"Stop fretting and get me Galen," Joe said.

"I'm not fretting. I want to shake you."

He opened his eyes and smiled faintly. "The way I wanted to shake you when you wouldn't come back to Bogota with me? Don't argue. I'm not listening."

Her hands closed in frustration as she stared at him. "Joe, this isn't the-"

"Galen," he said again.

She jumped to her feet. "I'll get Galen because you're hurt and I don't want you upset." She strode toward the door. "But this isn't the end of this discussion." She jerked open the door. "What the devil am I talking about? You won't even let me argue you back to some sort of reason."

"I'm being perfectly reasonable. It's the oldest logic in history. Cause and effect. Action and reaction."

"Logic, hell." She slammed the door behind her. Then she leaned back against it and tried to get her breath. Dizzy.

And angry.

And scared.

"Are you well?" Miguel was beside her. "May I help you?"

"I'm okay." Not well. Definitely not well. "Yes, you can help me. Go get Galen and tell him to go and see Joe."

"After I help you back to your room."

"I'm not going back to my room. Where's Montalvo?"

"His bedroom. It's after three in the morning. He's retired for the night."

"Where's his bedroom?"

Miguel nodded to a room at the end of the corridor. "I could wake him and send him to you."

"No, you go find Galen. Joe will probably get out of bed and try to go after him if he doesn't show up in his room soon. The idiot doesn't know his limitations."

"Neither does the Colonel. That's why he often succeeds in doing impossible things. Perhaps Quinn is the same?"

"Impossible attempts can kill you." She started down the hall. "And you're as bad as all the rest of those blasted macho men in this place. All for glory and revenge. It doesn't matter that the odds are-"

"You're sure you don't want me to wake the Colonel for you?"

"No, I'll do it. Didn't you hear him? He's always at my disposal."

"I'm sure he will be. However, I should warn you he does sleep naked."

"So?"

"Nothing." He turned away and headed down the hall. "Just a random piece of information I thought might hold some interest. Galen will be with Quinn in fifteen minutes. I hope that will please you."

"No, it doesn't please me. Not one bit. But it's not your fault." She knocked on the door of Montalvo's room and then threw it open. "I need to talk to you, Montalvo."

"By all means. Come in."

It was dark, but she could dimly see the outline of his body in the huge bed across the room. "Turn on the light."

"As you wish." He turned on the bedside light. "As you can see, I wasn't expecting guests." He smiled. "Although I'm sure that nudity doesn't bother you."

"No, it doesn't." But he was a magnificent specimen, she thought. Big, muscular, and the epitome of the totally adult sensual male.

He sighed. "I didn't think so. One can but hope." He pulled the sheet over the lower half of his body and sat up. "Your 'history' is too hard to overcome at the moment."

"Good God, you'll try any ploy to get your way, won't you?" She sat down in the chair by the window. "Sex is not a weapon I use or accept. I'd think you'd be intelligent enough to realize that."

"Oh, I do. I'd never use it as a weapon. But I'm a lonely man and it's seldom I come across a woman who pleases me mentally as well as physically." He smiled. "And there's a certain closeness between us that would be interesting to explore." He held up his hand as she opened her mouth to speak. "But since you didn't come here on an exploratory mission we won't discuss it. It must be urgent if it wouldn't wait until morning."

"Urgent enough."

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No," she said impatiently. "I told you I need to talk to you."

"I'm listening."

"Joe is going to go after Diaz."

"I thought it likely. I'm sure that if you'd allowed yourself to consider the possibility that you would have come to the same conclusion. Are you certain?"

"Do you mean has he told me that's what he's going to do? No, but I know him and there's no doubt in my mind. He asked to see Galen. He wants information and maybe his help. He's going to work like hell to get back on his feet and then he's going after him." Her folded hands clenched together on her lap. "He's angry and he wants to protect me. There's no way I'm going to be able to talk him out of it."

"What do you want me to do? Drug him? Lock him in his room?"

"No, Joe would find a way to get free. He's very smart and savvy."

"That leaves you very few options, doesn't it?"

"You know damn well it does."

"Then tell me what you're going to do."

"Are you mocking me?"

"Because I'm smiling? I'm smiling because I believe I'm going to be made a very happy man. Am I right?"

"I'll do your reconstruction. Go after the skull. Bring it here."

"The conditions?"

"You keep your word about finding Bonnie. And you go after the skull immediately, no waiting for just the right moment. I want to be able to start working on her tomorrow night."

"Why?"

"I believe you know why. The sooner I get her done, the sooner you're able to go after Diaz. Joe can't possibly be in any kind of shape to tackle Diaz for another week or two. By that time, with any luck you'll already have blown Diaz and his scumbag cohorts to hell."

"What a charming plan." He chuckled. "But you've set me quite a tight timetable. How do you know I can meet it?"

"You came damn close when you set yourself that deadline with Marty. You like challenges. This is one you've been preparing to meet since your wife was killed. I imagine you've been going crazy twiddling your thumbs, waiting for your chance."

"At first. But I've learned patience. It was forced on me. Just as it was with you, Eve."

"I'm not going to be patient about this. Joe's not going to go after Diaz. He said I was caught in the middle between you and Diaz, but it was my choice to come down here. I won't have Joe caught in the cross fire." She leaned forward, her voice lowered to steely softness. "I'll give you what you want and you'll keep your promises, Montalvo. You'll move and move fast. Not one hair of Joe's head is going to be singed while you two tear each other apart. Do you understand?"

"You couldn't be more clear." He threw aside the sheet and got out of bed. He bowed slightly and started for the bathroom. "Speed you shall have. And I'll try to have Diaz taken out before Quinn can totter from his sickbed."

"Not 'try.' You'll do it." She shrugged. "Use one of your damn missiles if you have to."

"My, how violent you can be when your emotions are involved. Quinn isn't the only one who's protective."

"It goes with the territory."

He smiled over his shoulder. "Or the history? I told you past history was a strong foe to overcome." He disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door. A moment later she heard the shower.

It was done. She was committed. She'd spurred Montalvo to kick his attack on Diaz into high gear. Not that he'd needed kicking. She'd seen how passionately eager he could be when he wanted something.

How would that eagerness translate in bed?

She felt a ripple of shock at the thought. It had come out of nowhere. She couldn't remember the last time she'd even had a sexual thought about a man other than Joe.

It meant nothing, she assured herself quickly. She was a woman who'd spent the last fifteen minutes in a room with a strong, virile, naked man. She was not a nun and it was natural that instinct would rear its head. It didn't mean that she loved Joe less or that she would ever act on that instinct. It was like watching Brad Pitt in a movie and thinking maybe it wouldn't be so bad to-

Dismiss it. She had gotten what she wanted from Montalvo and it wasn't a quickie in that monster of a bed. Joe would be safe. She might have a chance at finding her Bonnie.

If everything went well for Montalvo and his men tonight. It all rested on him being able to fade into that village and snatch the skull before Diaz knew he was there.

She stood up and started toward the bedroom door.

A big if, she thought worriedly. A terribly big and forbidding if.