Quicksand

been found. The area was now cordoned off. Not that it would do any good after all the trampling that had gone on last night.

He moved closer to the bog and looked up into the trees. The men had been shot after they had entered the quicksand, and judging by the wounds, the bullets had come from the front and angled downward. That meant Kistle had probably been waiting for them in one of those trees. Which one…?

'The big oak on the other side of the bog.'

He stiffened but didn't turn around. 'Hello, Montalvo.'

'What a pleasure to see you looking so strong and well again, Quinn. I was most unhappy when you were ill and a mere shadow of yourself.'

Joe turned to face him. Montalvo was dressed in the same type boots, khaki pants, and shirt that had been almost his uniform in Colombia, and he looked very much at home in these woods. 'Bullshit. I was in your way and you would have loved it if I'd croaked.'

Montalvo chuckled. 'Not true. That would have guaranteed that you'd remain a part of my life. Eve would never have forgiven me.'

Joe felt a surge of rage tear through him. He had hated those days in Montalvo's compound when he'd been hurt and helpless, and in contrast Montalvo had been everything that was vibrant and powerful. The memory was still a throbbing wound. Keep calm. Calm, hell, he wanted to break the bastard's neck. 'You're right.' He turned back to the bog. 'Eve is completely loyal to the people she loves.'

There was a silence behind him. 'A wonderful quality. A wonderful woman.'

'What are you doing here, Montalvo?'

'Keeping a promise.' He moved forward to stand beside Joe. 'Is that so hard to believe?'

'Yes.'

'I can see how you'd have problems, considering the stakes. But in my way I'm an honorable man. One has to have some code to live by. I always keep my promises and I always repay my debts.'

'And you don't have trouble collecting debts owed you,' he said through his teeth.

He smiled. 'That goes without saying.'

'Do I have to ask why you're here?'

'The same reason you are. I want to bring in Kistle.' He added softly, 'I want to drag the dragon in front of the lady and cut off his head. And then I hope she'll think it worth giving me a prize. Isn't that what you want, Quinn?'

'That's simplistic.'

'It's honest. Do I want to ease her pain? Yes. Do I want to give her the solace she gave me when she did the reconstruction on my wife's skull? With all my heart. Do I want to take her to bed and never let her go back to you? Absolutely.' He looked out over the bog. 'And this may be the way to do all three. So I'd be a fool to miss the opportunity that's offered.'

'Why did you ask Venable to bring in the FBI if you wanted to go after Kistle yourself?'

Montalvo turned to him and smiled. 'Can't you guess? If I don't catch Kistle, I don't want you to be the one to do it. I'd much rather the FBI pick him up than you be the hero. You're an ex-SEAL and I'm sure you can be very impressive when you're on the hunt. I'd really hate to see you slaying the dragon for Eve.'

'You may be disappointed. Cassidy doesn't want to be here and he's looking for excuses to go back to St. Louis.'

Montalvo nodded. 'I gathered that from talking to him earlier. I'll have to find a way to change his mind.'

'Then I assume that we'll get no cooperation from you tracking down Kistle.'

'Yes, you will. That would be stupid of me. I'll help you all I can.' He pointed to the oak tree across the bog. 'For instance, that's the tree that Kistle used. It's the only one that would have given him the right angle.'

'He was being chased and he had to take time to spread those branches over the quicksand. He would have had to run an extra quarter of a mile to go around the bog to get to that tree.'

'He didn't run.' Montalvo pointed to the branches of the three trees that overhung the bog. 'He used the branches. He went hand over hand over the bog. It would have taken him practically no time to swing over the bog and settle himself in that oak tree.'

'How can you be sure?'

'I'm not. But I saw two fresh scuff marks in the bark of that maple on this side of the bog. That has to be the one he used to climb and access the others. It makes sense.'

Yes, it made sense, Joe thought. It shouldn't have surprised him that Montalvo would be able to work out the scenario. He had been a colonel in the rebel army before he had become an arms dealer and he had lived in the jungle for years.

'He would have to be extraordinarily strong and agile.'

'Not so extraordinary. I could do it.' Montalvo's gaze shifted back to him. 'You could do it.'

'We've had training and experience.'

'So has Kistle.' Montalvo smiled. 'He spent six months surviving in the jungles of Nicaragua.'

Joe stiffened. 'How the hell do you know that?'

'Do you think I've been twiddling my thumbs since I left Colombia? I had to stay with Miguel during his surgery, but I've had investigators working nonstop on digging for information. I don't have your police contacts, but money is very persuasive.'

'What else did you find out?'

'Not enough. Kistle has been brilliant about covering his tracks. But some of it may give us a clearer picture of him.'

'Us?' His lips twisted. 'Don't tell me you're going to share?'

'Of course. Eve wouldn't understand me doing anything else.'

Damn, the bastard was clever, Joe thought bitterly. And he had studied Eve enough to know exactly how she would react. 'And when are we going to be privy to this information?'

'That's up to you. Whenever you and Eve decide to set up a meeting with me. I'm entirely at your disposal.'

'I could probably find out the same information if I worked at it.'

'I'm certain you could. If you took the time.' He glanced at Cassidy, who was talking to the deputies. 'Perhaps he could help you. Oh, that's right; you'd prefer the FBI to do a quick exit.'

'I didn't say that.'

'No, but you want to catch Kistle and wring the truth out of him. It could get very messy and the FBI could interfere.'

'So could the sheriff's department.'

'You'd have no trouble with them.' He turned away. 'Miguel is at the hotel guarding Eve. When you want to see me, ask Miguel to contact me.'

'Don't hold your breath. Where are you going?'

'I'm going to join Cassidy and tell him we should go check out that tree. Who knows? We may find something interesting.'

Joe doubted it. Kistle's moves so far had been smart and careful. His gaze returned to the overhanging branches of the trees. Yes, he could almost see Kistle moving across that bog. Joe had crossed a narrow river that way when he was on a mission in Libya. Hand over hand, hands gripping, moving, gripping again, muscles straining. His heart had beat fast, hard, but not with fear. Joy, fierce exhilaration in the celebration of his own strength and the conquering of the river below him. He could feel that same flow of heady exuberance now. He had a sudden urge to climb that tree and follow the-

'It brings it all back, doesn't it?' Montalvo said softly. Joe turned to see him standing a few yards away, staring at the branches as Joe himself had been doing. 'Life was simpler then. A soldier has so few rules to live by. Kill or be killed. Survive the fires, the rivers, the bullets. Live for the moment and enjoy that moment. Sometimes I miss it.'

So did Joe. Every now and then he welcomed the chance to break free and become that man again, to embrace the savagery. 'It was a long time ago.'

Montalvo nodded and turned away again. 'Yes, for me, too. But today it seems like yesterday. Isn't that strange?'