Your Next Breath

by Iris Johansen

  Eve tried to smile. “I’m glad you came. I needed you today.”

  “I thought you would.” Bonnie plopped down in a chair. “I would have come before this, but I wasn’t sure … I thought you might need me more later.”

  “You thought she was dying.”

  “Yes.”

  “She is dying. Or that’s what those doctors tell me. They could be wrong. Tell me they’re wrong, Bonnie.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Then tell me she has a chance.”

  She didn’t speak.

  “Sometimes you know things, don’t you? You’re a ghost.” She smiled shakily. “You have contacts. I wouldn’t mind if you’d wield a little influence.”

  “I would if I could.” She shook her head. “It’s hard. She wants to come to us.”

  “So did I. I still do sometimes. But I had to stay, and they gave me you, baby.”

  She smiled. “And you thought I was a hallucination for a long time. You weren’t easy to convince.”

  “I didn’t care if you were a hallucination or a dream or a ghost, just so you were here.” She could feel the tears sting. “And now it’s starting all over again. And this time I’m not sure if I’d ever get Jane back. You keep telling me that it doesn’t happen often. So, dammit, she has to live. I lost one daughter, I can’t lose another one.”

  “I know. Sometimes there are adjustments, but I can’t even promise you that.”

  “Adjustments. I don’t know what you mean.”

  She shook her head. “We won’t talk about it. I can’t give you answers, but maybe I can give you comfort.”

  “You always do.” She leaned back in her chair, her gaze on the red hair, the glow, the shining warmth that had always been her special little girl. “And I don’t mean to be ungrateful, but I’m hurting. I have to do something.”

  “And you are,” Bonnie said gently. “You’ve called Seth Caleb.”

  “Will he do any good?”

  “Maybe. He’ll want to do good for her. I can’t promise that he’ll be able to do anything.”

  “Sorry. I won’t ask you again.”

  “I wish I knew all the answers. I wish I could give Jane back to you. But all I can do is stay with you until right before Caleb comes. Will that help?”

  “You know it will.” To have the love, to see her Bonnie, to remember the days when she’d had her to hold close, before she was only a memory. “Oh, yes, that will help me, baby.”

  * * *

  Cameron.

  Catherine could sense him in the darkness of her room before she opened her eyes. He was sitting in a chair a few yards from her bed. “What are you doing here?”

  “Watching you sleep. You’re beautiful. When you’re awake, you’re all alertness and wariness, every muscle tense and ready. That has its own charm, but when you sleep, there’s an innocence and a sensuality.”

  Heat.

  Push it away.

  “It can’t be both. That’s a contradiction.”

  He chuckled. “But so was Eve in the Garden of Eden.”

  “Why are you here?”

  “Not for seduction. I realize that it’s not the time.”

  It might not be the time, but just sitting there in the dark he was pure seduction. The strong, lean line of his body, the scent of him, the memory of him over her, in her. “I’m not going to ask you again.”

  “I wanted to tell you I’ve located Eduardo Montez. I thought you’d want to know.”

  “I do.” She sat up in bed. “But it wouldn’t wait until morning?”

  “No, by morning we should be well on our way to meeting the good doctor. Unless you want me to go by myself?”

  “You know better than that.” She reached over and turned on the lamp on the bedside table. “Where is he?”

  “I’m not certain. Not in Guatemala City, where his mother and sister live. He’s still on the run from Santos. By the time we get to Guatemala, I should get an update from the head of the group I hire to do jobs for me in Central America.”

  “The committee strikes again,” she said sarcastically. “Do you have special forces you can call on all over the world?”

  “Almost.” He smiled. “I’m still working on some countries. After all, I’m only one man.”

  “With unlimited funds and influence. It’s no wonder Venable is getting nervous about the conglomerate.”

  “But the CIA has its own army and influence.” His eyes were twinkling. “I’m just fortunate to be on my own and not strangled by red tape. I think Venable is just jealous.”

  “You might be right.” She swung her legs to the floor. “You might have the opportunity to discuss it with him soon. Did you find out anything more about Montez?”

  “Eduardo Montez has a general medical degree and three Ph.D.s in various other fields. He attended a university in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but his family is from Argentina. He spent most of his childhood and school breaks at a rancho in the hills outside of Buenos Aires.”

  “How did he end up in Guatemala? And why did Santos order a hit on his brother?”

  “And the most pertinent question is: Why did he order that on no account was Nagoles to kill Eduardo Montez?” He got to his feet. “Which we will know when we come back from Guatemala.”

  “We’d better.” She frowned. “Because I’m scared shitless about leaving here. Besides that hospital in Atlanta, everyone else I love in the world is in this house. Talk about putting all my eggs in one basket.”

  He nodded. “But you have the equivalent of a special forces army guarding that basket.”

  She shook her head.

  “Not enough? What about the fact that you have Hu Chang to ramrod the security? He’s both wise and ingenious. He wouldn’t permit anything to happen while you’re gone.”

  “He might not be able to help it.” She grimaced. “I’m being negative. You’re right, they’re as safe as they can be.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I think that the pressure will be diverted by our going after Montez. Montez is important to Santos, and he might consider him a threat if we got hold of him. He’ll be concerned about what you’re doing and how to stop you.”

  “Unless he decides to stop me by hitting at someone else close to me.”

  His expression turned thoughtful. “It’s always possible. But I’d bet that the action will be aimed at us. The only exception might be if you frighten or anger Santos enough to make him strike out.”

  “Great.” She headed toward the bathroom. “And the chances are that I’ll do both before this is over. Something I won’t be able to avoid—”

  She inhaled sharply. He had reached out as she’d passed him and grasped her forearm.

  Electricity.

  She looked down at his strong, hard, beautifully shaped hand against her softness.

  His fingers on her wrist, his thumb rubbing her forearm. “But maybe not in Guatemala.” His lips brushed the hollow of her elbow. “We might be able to get back before you piss him off.”

  His tongue on the softness of her flesh …

  “Let me go, Cameron.”

  “In a minute. I’ve been very good. Do you know how much I’ve wanted to do this?”

  She only knew how much she’d wanted him to touch her.

  “Or how often I thought of you in the summerhouse with your legs wrapped around me. It sent me into a fever, and all I wanted to do was drop everything and come back to you.”

  “But you didn’t come back.” Her breasts were swelling, tightening. The muscles of her stomach were clenching. She had to get away from him. She jerked her arm free. “And you shouldn’t have come back. There’s nothing here for you. I told you that when you left me.” She moved toward the bathroom. Walk, don’t run. Don’t look back. “I’ll be dressed in ten minutes. Providing you still want to go with me.”

  He chuckled. “Catherine, of course I want to go with you. I’ll do my best to be good. Sex is at the top of the list of the thing
s I want to do with you. But followed closely behind it is fighting the bad guys with you. It’s very exhilarating.” His smile faded. “And I find I can’t bear the thought of Santos taking either one of those pleasures away from me.” He turned and headed for the door. “Ten minutes. I’ve arranged for a plane and pilot to be waiting at the airport. I’ll be downstairs in the foyer.”

  PEDRO AMADOS AIRPORT

  OUTSIDE GUATEMALA CITY

  “We’re landing.” Cameron came out of the cockpit and handed her a manila envelope. “Documents. You’re Narda Seldano. Memorize the rest of the info before we get on the ground.”

  “Not much time,” Catherine said. “If you had these documents before we got on this plane, why didn’t you give them to me before this?”

  “I’m sure you’re a quick study. I had to make sure that they were authentic and not traceable. I told Dario to verify and get back to me before we landed. He came through just in the nick of time.”

  “Dario?”

  “Rafael Dario. He runs the group that is going to spearhead our search for Montez.”

  “Well, it was more of a close shave than the nick of time.” She was already scanning the documents. They seemed fairly good, including the passport photo and driver’s license. “I’m not sure I’d have much faith in Dario.”

  “He’s a good man.” He was buckling his seat belt. “A little unusual, but nothing wrong with that. I’d rather he take his time than give me bad service.”

  “And no one can say that you’re not a little unusual yourself,” she said dryly. “No wonder you’re comfortable with him.”

  “You’ll be comfortable, too.” He was looking out the window as the Gulfstream’s wheels touched down. “I see him waiting by that hangar. See how reliable he is?” His eyes widened as he saw the tall man he’d just indicated was now running across the tarmac toward the plane. “Maybe…” He tore off his seat belt and ran toward the passenger door and called to the pilot in the cockpit. “Stop the damn plane!” The plane had barely stopped moving when Cameron threw the door open. “What the hell are you doing, Dario?”

  “Being inventive and brilliant.” Dario threw himself into the plane. “And trying to save the life of the beautiful Catherine Ling. You can take care of yourself, Cameron, but it would hurt me to see her go down. Get this plane back in the air.” He was breathing hard. “Not a safe airport, Cameron.” He got to his feet. “And if you’d gotten off the plane at that hangar, anyone would have been able to get a shot at you from those foothills. Right here, the plane is out of range of any sniper bullet. At the hangar, you’d be vulnerable. And my information is that a shot would have a 92 percent chance of occurring at present. Someone knows that you’re in town and doesn’t like you.”

  Cameron headed for the cockpit. “You told me this would be a safe airport, dammit. What changed?”

  “Situations ebb and flow. This one overflowed.” He turned to Catherine. “I’m Rafael Dario. I’m delighted to meet you. You should also be delighted to meet me since I risked my life to save you.”

  “Should I? So far I’m not impressed by you, Senor Dario.” It wasn’t the truth. She might not be impressed by Rafael Dario’s actions, but there was no way not to be impressed by his appearance. He was literally larger than life, standing nearly six-foot-five and as muscular as he was graceful. His dark hair was meticulously barbered, and his features were regular except for a nose that was long, hooked, and somehow made his face appear all the more appealing. “I’m sure that Cameron paid you very well to do that.”

  “Fantastically well.” He grinned. “But I always have a choice. I believe I would have chosen your life even if the money had been a mere pittance. When I saw your photo in the dossier Cameron sent me to help in getting your documents, you reminded me of my mother.”

  “What?”

  He nodded as he sat down and buckled his seat belt. “She was very beautiful, too. And I always felt safe with her. Not many people felt that way about her since she fought with the rebels in Colombia, and she was very, very good. And then, too, beauty often gets in the way. Don’t you find that?”

  “No.”

  “I think you’re wrong. My mother had a lot to overcome.”

  “And did she succeed?”

  “Yes, until the very end. She was ambushed. It took twelve men to take her down.” The words were spoken with no expression. “But I regard that as also a success.”

  “So would I.”

  He smiled. “You see, that’s why you remind me of my mother. I sensed it would be so. You understand that the—”

  “Okay, we’ll be out of here in a few minutes,” Cameron said as he came out of the cockpit. “So where the hell are we going, Dario?”

  “North. The hills. There’s another private airport near the border at San Esposito that will accommodate jets. I wanted not to be too obvious about our destination, but now it’s just a question of getting you to Montez in time.” He got to his feet. “I’ll go up with the pilot and give him directions.”

  “What do you mean, getting us to Montez in time?” Catherine asked. “In time for what?”

  “In time to make sure he’s still alive for him to do you any good.” He was heading for the cockpit. “His sister, Lena, was tortured and butchered last night. If she knew where Eduardo is hiding, then Santos probably does, too.”

  “And is he hiding?”

  “Yes, he took off for the hills with his brother when Nagoles was on the hunt for them. His brother was caught and killed, but Eduardo escaped. It’s been presumed he’s been hiding out in the rain forests ever since. No sign of anyone in pursuit.”

  “Until now,” Catherine said.

  “As you say,” Dario said. “It seems you stirred up a hornet’s nest. When Cameron engaged me to find Montez, I sent out men in all directions and found that there was a recent call out to capture him.”

  “Kill him?” Cameron asked.

  “No, capture, underlined and very definite. I have an idea that Santos might have had a general idea where to find him but it wasn’t a priority.” His lips twisted. “But I lost a man at Montez’s sister Lena’s place. Alfredo Ruiz was shot when he ran into Santos’s men searching her house. Montez’s sister and my man, Ruiz, were killed without a second thought. Only Eduardo evidently was to be spared.” He paused. “I liked Ruiz. I believe that I’ll have to do something about evening that particular score.”

  “You said that Santos might know where Montez is hiding,” Cameron said. “Do you?”

  “Of course.” Dario looked at him in surprise. “You said you wanted to know. I make my living by acquiring information, then acting on it.” He looked at Catherine. “Like you. Your dossier said that you sold information in Hong Kong when you were very young. It’s another sign of our kinship.”

  “I sold. I didn’t act.”

  “But you would have if it had become necessary.” He opened the cockpit door. “I will get you to Montez, Cameron. And then you will give me permission to kill the man who killed Ruiz. Agreed?”

  “If we don’t need him for bargaining,” Cameron said. “If there’s a problem, we’ll negotiate.”

  “I find it hard to negotiate when one of my men has been killed. I choose them, I train them, I become close to them. They are mine.”

  Catherine chuckled. “That sounds familiar, Cameron. You should understand that philosophy.”

  “I do. That’s why I hired you, Dario. But in the end, I’m the only one who gives the orders.”

  He shrugged. “We will see.” He went into the cockpit.

  “Not your usual obedient drone,” Catherine said mockingly. “Clearly, Dario didn’t get the memo about the committee or your being all-powerful when you hired him. I’ve seen how you’re usually treated by the people who work for you. Lots of bowing and scraping.”

  “And you think I like it?”

  “No, I think it exasperates you.” The plane was starting to roll down the runway, and she looked out the w
indow at the distant hills. Had there really been a possible shooter in that mass of green vegetation? “But I don’t believe you’re going to have to worry about it with Dario. You may have trouble controlling him.”

  “Then I’ll get rid of him. But I’ve always found independent thought is better than a ‘drone’ mentality. If I can work with him, I’ll do it.” He glanced at her. “Have you changed your mind about him?”

  “Maybe. He appears not to hesitate when it comes down to pulling the trigger.”

  “Literally and figuratively.” He studied her. “But what is this kinship bullshit?”

  “Nothing.” She made a face. “He says I remind him of his mother.”

  “What?” He smiled. “If I didn’t know who Dario’s mother was, I’d think that was a very tired line.”

  “He said she fought with the rebels in Colombia.”

  He nodded. “Elena Dario. Very smart, very dedicated, very tough. Rafael Dario grew up in the jungles while they were dodging and raiding both the cartels and the government forces.”

  “But they finally killed her? He said it took twelve men to take her down.”

  “Yes. He was fourteen at the time, and he found out names and went after each one of those men. It took him three years, but he killed every one of them. After that, he left Colombia and surfaced in Peru. He was a mercenary for a few years, then formed a unit of his own in Guatemala. Since then, he’s struck a balance between working for the local police and private organizations that aren’t necessarily on the right side of the law.”

  “Like you.”

  “Like me. Do you expect me to deny it? What a waste of time. Law is defined by the particular country or party that’s in control at a given time. It’s much more sensible to embrace your own code and forget the rest of that nonsense.”

  “Venable would not agree.”

  “But you do,” he said softly. “Deep in your heart, you know that I’m right. You walk your own path.”

  “Not as long as I’m CIA.”

  “Yes, we do have to get you over that hurdle.”

  “It’s not a hurdle, it’s a vocation.” She changed the subject. “It’s fairly clear that your probing around the Montez killing got a quick and explosive response. Santos may not have wanted Eduardo Montez dead, but he didn’t want us to find him, either. You told me that Nagoles said his brother’s death was an example killing. That meant it was to warn Eduardo Montez in the most terrifying way possible that he wasn’t to talk or he’d be next in line.” She frowned. “But he wasn’t next in line. He’s still out there, and Santos is being very careful to keep him alive. Why?”