No One Lives Forever

Most of all, she prayed for strength. Bianca turned herself over to Ayza, trusting in his benevolence and power. In the end, it was all she had.

Taking a risk, Eduardo Silva shoved the door open and leveled his weapon, but the sun's glare blinded him, watering his eyes. He held up a hand to see, looking up the alley and down. In the distance he spotted foot traffic near a busy street, but it was too far away to matter. Sounds of the city closed in.

'Foda!' he swore under his breath.

Had he been wrong about hearing the creak of the door? Old buildings played tricks with your head. Anger had gotten the better of him. Lowering the gun to his side, he picked a direction and walked. His eyes searched for movement.

How far could an old woman get?

Heading for the nearest door, he tried to anticipate where a scared old lady would go. If he was right, this one had nerves of steel to stay quiet so long. Reaching out a hand, he gripped the doorknob and turned. It didn't budge.

Eduardo caught a shadow near the Dumpster. He clenched the grip of his weapon and crept closer, careful not to make a sound. The metal refuse bin lined up near a brick wall, square with it. But it had a noticeable gap from the wall, big enough for someone to hide behind. He held his breath—listening— filtering out the sounds that didn't matter.

A slow sneer slid across his face.

In a sudden burst he lowered his shoulder and shoved against the huge metal container. The groan of steel echoed down the alley, resonating off the walls. It slammed against the brick in a loud thud. He didn't wait for a scream.

Gun drawn, Eduardo raced around the bin and found . . .

Nothing. Damn it! Absolutely nothing.

After a long moment, he quit gnashing his teeth and lowered his gun, tucking it in the waistband of his pants. His men were waiting out front and they had to get the kid off the street. Before he left, Eduardo reached into his pocket and pulled out the ID he'd found in the purse, memorizing Bianca Salvador's face. This wasn't over. He'd meet the old woman on his turf.

He hated complications.

Bianca had trusted the spirits. And Ayza told her to run, even when everything in her gut yelled, No, stay put! Hesitation would have gotten her killed. She knew it as surely as she understood the Orixas were with her.

Using the Dumpster as a shield, she had stayed low and crept along the wall, heading for the corner ahead. It felt like forever, but she eventually made the turn. The talisman swung from her neck. She felt its burden. Bianca grabbed the hem of her skirt and watched every footstep, avoiding broken glass or the scuff of a shoe that might give her away. After she'd gotten far enough from that place, she picked up the pace and never looked back.

Bianca ran.

She felt the steady thump of the talisman against her chest, in perfect rhythm with her frantic heart. Every breath pained her. And tears made it hard to see.

Still, she ran.

If the police had taken Hector, she would be on her own. As she saw it, she had only one place to go. And she would not doubt the spirit Ayza now. Her only hope to save her nephew lay in the hands of a man with striking green eyes, the one laden with a heavy aura of death. Her rational mind told her it was foolhardy to trust a stranger, but blind faith had gotten her this far. In truth, she had no other choice.

She had made the talisman for a reason. Now she understood its purpose.

CHAPTER 18

'I can't stand waiting. I'm no good at it.' Christian stalked the suite, dragging a hand through his hair.

'Good to know we have something else in common.' Raven's oddball humor didn't defuse the stress of the situation. Christian may not have heard her at all.

The late-afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting shadows into the room. Raven watched him from the couch, understanding the frustration he must be feeling. She felt it too.

'What can we do?' She leaned forward. 'If you have a plan, I'm with you.'

He stopped and stared, his mind working.

'Maybe they have Jasmine at Genotech.' Christian narrowed his eyes and chewed a corner of his lip, hands on his hips. 'That place is a damned fortress. Plenty of security. And Duarte probably has a holding cell there. Those addicts I told you about wouldn't last long in a hospital ward. They'd find a way to escape if they weren't confined.'

'Makes sense.' She nodded. 'You trust Chief Zharan?'

A simple question without an easy answer.

'I've got no choice. I need someone on the inside. Someone with resources.' He shook his head. 'Duarte's not a guy to mess with, not without a game plan. And this is his home turf. He's well connected . . . been ahead of us all the way. Can't believe I let Jasmine out of here on her own. Damn it! I should've known she was up to something.'

He clenched his jaw and pinched the bridge of his nose. A tension headache brewing.

'Don't blame yourself.' Raven stood and walked toward him. She put an arm around his waist and caressed the side of his face with her hand. 'I got a feeling that woman rarely hears the word no. She must've played a hunch. You and I might've done the same.'

Christian closed his eyes and nudged her hand with his cheek, a tender gesture she'd grown to love. But the moment didn't last.

'This waiting is killing me.' He lowered his head, glancing at his watch. 'Can't imagine the chief launching an operation this time of day. It's gonna be dark soon.'

'Jasmine being taken by Duarte has been a real distraction from Charboneau's case.' Raven shrugged. 'Maybe that's the whole point.'

After a long moment she asked, 'How about the ransom? You have it arranged?'

'I told Fiona not to pay until she heard from me. If the kidnappers got the money early, my father's life wouldn't be worth a dime. I had hoped to know more by now.'

The reality of his deadline hit Christian hard. He would have to contact Fiona soon if he thought paying the money would help Charboneau's chances. If not, there would be a point of no return that he'd take upon himself. Could he live with the guilt if he guessed wrong? The muscles of his shoulders knotted with tension. He wrapped his arms around her, but comfort wouldn't come so easy.

Suddenly, the phone rang, making Raven jump. His anxiety was contagious. Christian kissed her forehead and rushed across the room to answer it, expecting it would be Chief Zharan.

'Yes?'

'Is this Christian Delacorte?' The timid voice of a woman.

'Yes. Who is this?' He shook his head and shrugged to Raven. What now? he wondered.

'We've never met, but I need to speak to you. Please.' The woman cleared her throat, the sound more of a sob held in check. 'My name is Bianca Salvador. Something has happened—'

Christian heard sounds in the background, but the woman never finished.