And there wasn't much time.
She quickly stepped beneath the spray.
Thirty minutes later she was running down the staircase. The first floor was a turmoil of activity. Men dressed in khakis and trail boots, all fully armed, were everywhere. She caught sight of Soldono near the front door.
'Where's Montalvo?' she called from the landing.
'Outside on the ramparts, I think,' Soldono said. 'He's been in and out all afternoon.' He gave her an appraising glance. 'You look surprisingly healthy considering that blow to the noggin you took. When I first saw you lying underneath Quinn, I thought you were dead.'
'I'm okay.' She passed him and went through the front door. It was almost dark but there were lanterns everywhere and she caught sight of Montalvo almost immediately. He was coming down the steps from the rampart talking to someone behind him.
'Montalvo.'
He smiled as he turned to look at her. 'Ah, you've come to bid me good-bye. Do you have a favor to give me as I ride into battle?'
'No. That's not why I came.'
His smile faded and he gave a sigh. 'I was afraid of this. I was hoping that you were too wounded and light-headed to react in the most characteristic manner for you. Evidently my hopes were to no avail.'
'I'm going with you.'
'Not possible.'
'I'm going with you.'
'Eve, we're moving fast and you'd get in our way.'
'I'm not saying I want you to give me a gun and let me go after that bastard Diaz. I'm not stupid. I leave the fighting to those who are trained to do it. But I'm going to be there when you dig up that skull.'
'No!' Soldono was standing behind her. 'Eve, this is foolish. You'll get yourself killed. Why would you insist on going?'
'It's a matter of trust.' Montalvo's tone was mocking. 'The trust she does not have in me. Isn't that correct, Eve?'
'Of course it's correct. You spun me a fine tale of a lost love and a monster who sits in his castle like a fat gargoyle and smears his poison on everything he touches. What if you're lying? What if you have this skull hidden away somewhere and you take your men out and come back a few hours later with the skull? Only maybe it's not your wife's skull. I've been lied to before. Maybe the reconstruction is to be of someone else. Or maybe this body is buried somewhere else other than Diaz's territory and I'm violating a grave. How do I know?'
'A matter of trust,' he said. 'Catch-22.'
'I won't do that reconstruction unless I'm at least marginally certain that you've been telling me the truth.'
'How marginally?'
'I want to see the cemetery for myself. I want to see that castle you said Diaz lives in that towers over the village. I want to see you dig up that skull.'
'Eve,' Soldono said protestingly. 'It's a mistake.'
'I've made a lot of mistakes lately.' She stared Montalvo in the eye. 'But I won't compromise my ethics because of gullibility. That's one mistake I won't make.'
She heard Soldono mutter a curse behind her but she ignored him. This was between her and Montalvo.
'You can't keep up with us,' Montalvo said. 'You could hardly get out of bed yesterday.'
'Then find a way to make sure I will keep up. Use your ingenuity.'
'You won't change your mind?'
'I won't change my mind.'
He was silent a moment. 'You'll slow us down. That won't matter going in but it could be fatal getting out.'
'I don't want anyone dying because of me. Position me somewhere so that I can see what's happening. Once I see the skull in your hands you can send me back ahead of your team. Then you can move at your own pace.'
'If everything goes right.'
'I've got to make sure that you're telling me the truth.'
'Don't let her go, Montalvo,' Soldono said. 'You know what Diaz will do to her if he catches her.'
'Oh, yes. Kill her, throw her in a swamp. And someday someone will find her skull and wonder who would be so fool-hardy.' Montalvo shrugged. 'But that won't be me. Because I won't let it happen again. Therefore, I can't let him catch her.' His gaze shifted back to Eve. 'Go upstairs and get back in the shower.'
'What?'
'Wash off all the lotion and soap residue. You smell very pleasant but I could tell you were coming from yards away. Some of Diaz's men have the same commando training.'
She nodded. 'Anything else?'
'Miguel will give you some standard-issue mosquito repellent.' He checked his watch. 'You have forty-five minutes.'
'I'll be here.' She was already moving quickly toward the front door.
'I'm afraid you will.'
Soldono caught up with her as she reached the staircase. 'This is crazy.'
'I don't have time to argue with you. I'm going to do it. Leave me alone, Soldono.'
'I can't leave you alone. You're my job. I'm supposed to be here to offer you protection.' He frowned. 'If you go, I go.'
'Montalvo won't let you go. You're a CIA agent and he wouldn't run that risk.' She was taking the steps two at a time. 'I can't waste any more time talking to you. I want to see Joe before I hit the shower.'
'Perhaps he can talk you out of it.'
'Joe's not going to know about this.' She glared at him over her shoulder. 'Do you understand, Soldono?'
'I think someone should-' He broke off. 'I understand.'
'Good.' She'd reached the top of the steps and tore down the corridor past the guard to Joe's room. She opened the door quietly. She'd expected to see Galen there but the room was empty except for Joe. She moved across the room to stand beside the bed. Joe's eyes were closed and at first she thought he was asleep.
'Eve?' He opened drowsy eyes. 'I thought it was you. That gardenia body lotion…'
'Too much? Evidently I should tone it down.'
'No, I've always liked it. It smells clean…'
'From yards away,' she repeated Montalvo's words dryly. She gently touched his hair. 'Are you still in pain?'
'Not much. They keep giving me those damn drugs to ward it off. Tomorrow I'm going to tell them to go to hell.' He took her hand. 'You didn't come to see me today. I missed you. Was it because you're pissed at me?'
'It was because I practically fell unconscious when I went to bed.'
