No One to Trust Read Free Page A

Chavez is still there. My man will let me know when he gets on the move.” He looked down at his scrawled notes. “Belim Prison shouldn’t be difficult. It’s scarcely larger than a city jail, and the guards are as crooked as their warden. I’d rather put a bribe in place than have to use explosives. But explosives are quick and a bribe sometimes requires time and finesse. We’ll have to see if—”
    “I don’t think you’re going to have to worry about Belim.”
    Galen looked at him. “I thought that’s what this was about.”
    “I’ve just called my own contact in Belim.”
    Galen’s lips tightened. “I told you not to phone anyone unless you talked to me.”
    “It wasn’t official and you were busy.” Forbes hurried on. “There was a big stir at the prison two nights ago. Two guards killed. Elena Kyler escaped.”
    “I see.”
    “Your enthusiasm is overwhelming,” Forbes said. “This will make it much easier for us. It’s just a simple pickup now. We go to Tomaco and wait for her to come to us.”
    “Come to you, you mean. I’m out of it. I warned you, Forbes.”
    He stiffened. “I didn’t do anything that would warrant—okay, I didn’t follow your instructions. I won’t do it again. No exceptions. Okay?”
    Galen didn’t answer.
    “Please.”
    Galen gazed at him for a minute and then shrugged. “You may not need me now anyway.”
    Forbes suddenly grinned. “You’re disappointed. You dug out all that information and made all those plans and now you’re not going to get to use them. Too bad, Galen.”
    “I’ll adjust.” He threw his pen down. “And it may not be as simple as you might think. She may be captured before she gets to Tomaco. It’s over seventy miles from Belim. Or maybe this is just another twist in Chavez’s plans to zero in on you. Or it could be she’ll be so scared that she’ll take off and you’ll never hear from her again.”
    “She won’t run away.” He shifted his gaze to the darkness outside the plane window. “You didn’t talk to her. I’ve never heard anyone more determined. She’s on her way, Galen. I can
feel
it.”
    The mud was in her mouth.
    Elena spit it out and kept crawling. The rain last night had been bad and good. The wet earth left tracks, but it spoiled the scent for the dogs. If she wasn’t stupid, she’d be able to avoid the trackers.
    She wouldn’t be stupid. She’d avoided them for two days and she’d keep on eluding them. She’d take her time and listen and move as her father had taught her. Keep to the ground. They couldn’t see you if you were on the ground. The river was only a few miles over this hill, and that would drown her scent even more.
    She stopped to listen. She had to wait a moment before she could hear anything but the sound of her own heart and labored breathing.
    A dog yapping, far away. Good.
    But Gomez might have sent men ahead to guard the river crossing. Everyone knew that this was the only place shallow enough to cross the river for another forty miles. She had to be prepared to go around them. No, she was so tired she wasn’t thinking straight. Being prepared was only defensive. She had to attack. Her father had always told her that when hunted, the only thing to do was turn hunter and eliminate the threat entirely.
    She closed her eyes. More death. More blood on her hands.
    Stop whining. Chavez would agree perfectly with her father’s philosophy. He would think nothing of killing her after he got what he wanted. Had Chavez come back and joined that pack behind her? How that bastard would enjoy the hunt. The thought sent a thrill of pure rage through her that banished any regret. If it had to be done, then do it. Start thinking about where they would be planning to ambush her.
    Her eyes flicked open and she pulled out the gun she’d taken from the guard. She started to crawl forward again, her elbows digging into the mud. Her gaze searched the woods near the river. Are you there? Are you waiting for