His eyes were huge, a rapid pulse beating in the side of his neck. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“We haven’t got much time.”
He ran toward her, and she pulled him in for a quick hard hug. “We’re going home. You just have to be brave a little longer.”
Some of the color washed out of his face, making his freckles stand out. A wheezy breath whispered out. “Okay.”
She thought of the asthma attack he’d had and a fresh rush of fear slipped through her. “Everything’s going to be all right. Colt’s waiting for us. You just need to stay calm and let us get you out of here, okay?”
He took a deep breath and released it slowly. Some of the strain in his face seemed to ease. “Okay.”
With a hand on his shoulder, she urged him out onto the balcony. It was still quiet in the courtyard, the woman working in the garden, the man in the straw hat still pulling weeds in the flower beds. She could see the rear gate, see one of the guards leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette. He was talking to a woman who must have just come out of the house. Lissa was too far away to tell much about her, aside from her petite size and black hair, but she seemed to be keeping the guard occupied.
Lissa hurried to the railing and turned to Tim. “It’s not far to the top of the truck. Just be careful as you climb over the rail.”
His shoulders straightened. “I can do it.”
“Good boy. There’s a ladder next to the door at the back of the truck. When you reach the ground, get in the back and hide behind the boxes. I’ll be right behind you.”
She took a last glance into the bedroom. The teacher was still in the closet. Lissa followed Tim over the railing to the top of the truck, down the ladder, then into the hot, humid darkness inside the back of the truck.
Five minutes, Colt had said. They were maintaining radio silence as long as he was inside the house. She glanced at Tim, saw the outline of the boy’s small body huddled in the dark behind an empty box, saw that he was trembling.
Lissa thought of Julie and how much she loved her son. She thought of Timmy and her promise to bring him home.
Five minutes, Colt had said. He’ll be back, she told herself, blocking any other thought. But she moved to the front of the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat just in case.
Easing down out of sight, she started praying.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
A KNOCK ON the rear door of the hacienda brought a uniformed guard to the door, a beefy guy with black close-cropped hair. Colt asked if the guy wanted him to carry the stack of parcels inside, and being no fool, the guy motioned him through the door.
“Ponlos en la mesa de la cocina,” the guard said—put them on the table in the kitchen. Which Colt did, taking as much time as he could, then both of them returned to the back door.
By then they were chatting, the conversation moving along without a problem, just two guys killing a little of the workday. He told the guard a slightly dirty joke, which seemed to put him at ease, and the guy told a foul joke in return.
Colt managed to come up with a laugh.
Then the guard began casting salacious glances at one of the young serving women, telling Colt that he planned to have the girl on her back by the end of the week. Instead of smashing his fist into the guy’s face, Colt forced a grin and wished him luck.
It was time to leave. Colt waved and started walking. He prayed nothing had gone wrong and Lissa and Timmy were safely back in the truck, but he couldn’t risk speaking into the mic until he was out of the house.
He had just reached the porch when his earbud crackled to life. “They found the teacher,” Zach said, info he’d gotten from the drone. “Get out now!”
Colt picked up his pace. He was stepping off the porch into the courtyard when all hell broke loose.
“They’ve taken my boy! They’ve got my son!” It could only be Spearman’s furious, booming voice. “Lock this place down! You hear me! We have a breach!”
Colt kicked into a loping run, heading for the truck. The engine roared to life before he reached it. He saw the vehicle pulling out of the space he’d backed into, so he changed direction, and ran for the open delivery-side door instead of the driver’s seat.
He was almost there when a tall, well-built guard stepped in front of him, blocking his way. “Alto!” he shouted. Stop!
Colt pulled the stun gun, jammed the prongs against the side of the guy’s neck, and he went down like a sack of grain. Colt kept running, caught up with the truck as it jolted forward and picked up speed as it rolled across the courtyard. He leaped into the open delivery door.
“Keep driving!” he shouted over the whine of the engine and steadied himself against the bump and sway of the van, relief surging through him at seeing Lissa safe. Relief and something far stronger. “Don’t stop, baby. Not for anything or anyone.”
Her gaze locked with his an instant before she stomped on the gas and the truck surged forward.
One of Spearman’s soldiers ran toward them. “Cierra la puerta! Cierra la puerta!” Close the gate! Close the gate!—as he raced across the courtyard, but the gate guard wasn’t at his post. The soldier continued running toward them, but Lissa had already reached the gate.
She gunned the engine, the truck burst through the opening and didn’t slow, roaring down the dirt lane back toward the main road.
Colt’s gaze searched the dim interior of the truck for Timmy, spotted him huddled in the darkness. “We’re going home, Tim!” he shouted over the engine noise and a sudden
