Ben shook his head in dismay and said, “She has to live. She saved my life.”
Paris gently let go of Olivia’s hand, laying her arm on the bed without waking her. She rose from the chair, and as she walked around to stand by Hugh she motioned to Ben.
“Come out in the hall so we can talk, but softly. I want to know everything that happened. What does it all have to do with the gold shipment?”
“I don’t know the whole story at the moment,” he said. “It’s all related, but I don’t know how. The inspector I talked to about finding Olivia and Valerie, a man named Macias, is looking into it. He’ll need to check at the station nearest the house. All I can tell you right now is what happened there and at the Bull Run.” He paused, thinking of the man who died and that he felt somehow responsible. “I chased one of the kidnappers into the path of a bull.” He looked directly at his father and said, “I didn’t even know the bull-run was going on. And he had tried to explain something at the house, but I was so angry that I wouldn’t listen.” Ben seemed saddened as he continued to recount what led to the man’s death. “He was younger than me—no more than thirty maybe—athletic type. He looked scared and had to be guilty of something or he wouldn’t have run.” Ben thought for a moment then murmured, “Or maybe he wasn’t involved by choice.”
Hugh could see that the outcome greatly troubled his son. “You took quite a risk deciding to give chase. As far as I know you were unarmed, and there was a possibility the man would turn on you rather than run.” Ben nodded in agreement but looked down as if guilty of something. His father added, “But that didn’t happen, and I assure you I would have done the same. I think we can be quite sure the man was involved somehow. I’m proud and very thankful you’re all right— other than some aches and bruises.”
”Ben looked up and said, “Seconds before that thug would have squeezed the last breath out of me, Valerie made a lucky shot and killed him. I had started to lose consciousness.”
Ana moved closer to him and took hold of his arm. “It was the same man that attacked Ben twice in London. There’s no doubt. I saw him lying dead on the floor.”
“And Valerie killed him? How did she get a gun?” Hugh asked.
“She had already been shot with the same gun before I arrived. She must have dragged herself to where it had landed on the floor before losing consciousness. I don’t know how it got there, and I didn’t see her shoot him. I was fighting for my life… and losing.”
That information was too much for Paris and although she maintained a stoic expression, tears began to run down her cheeks. Hugh wrapped his arms around her, and the tension drained from her face. Ana told them how she had stayed with Valerie until the ambulance arrived, but that she was unconscious and in shock, unable to say anything about what had happened.
Paris got herself under control and asked, “Surely they can’t charge Valerie with anything. Can they, Hugh?”
“Right now our only concern should be whether she survives the injury, but I can’t see how she would be held accountable in this type of situation. Once the police have the whole story, she would more likely be made the heroine.”
Just then Hugh’s phone began to vibrate in his pocket. He excused himself and went out to the hallway. Paris commented that perhaps the call was about the robbery. Ana wondered how the police would be able to tie the gold shipment and the kidnapping together.
Ben said, “We have to wait for the report on how things went down at the airport—whether one of the men arrested gives up the others. The whole thing is clearer to me now, but we have to hope it becomes clear to the Spanish police.”
Paris added, “That’s Interpol’s job.”
Hugh ended his call and returned to the ward. He peaked through the curtain to check on Olivia then motioned Ben to come outside with him. Once in the outer hallway, they spoke in hushed voices. “It was my Interpol contact. The intervention at the airport turned into more than just apprehending thieves ‘in the act.’” A nurse passed them and put a finger to her lips, shushing them further. Hugh leaned in closer to Ben and continued in a near whisper. “There was a chase that ended with one dead. They think it was the man behind all of it. He ran his car full speed into a large truck being loaded, and the car burst into flames on impact. They’re going to need DNA and dental records to confirm identity.”
“I hope there’s enough left of him to make an ID.” Then Ben asked, “Are any of the rest of them in any shape to talk?”
Ben wanted all the facts before being formally interviewed by Inspector Macias. Hugh explained that one of the men offloading the gold had been more than willing to give up his boss and everyone else involved. Interpol’s plan had gone off without a hitch. Ben added that he was expected at the Comisaria by the next morning at the latest to give a full statement of the events in the little house. But he turned down his father’s offer to accompany him. Hugh was anxious to share the news with Paris and Ana so he asked that they be buzzed through again.
Olivia was now awake, and her first words were about Valerie’s condition. When she saw Ben she reached out for him. He came closer and she took his hand in both of hers. “Thank you for saving me,” she said, and then repeated it several times.
“Anytime,” he answered, trying
