Stalemate

'We've located the car that picked Jane MacGuire up in that parking garage,' Nekmon said. 'It was spotted at a grocery parking lot this morning in Tucson and the driver was a man in his late forties.'

'Did they follow him?' Diaz asked.

Nekmon nodded. 'Of course. We think we've found the safe house. The driver of the car went to a house in the Sunset View subdivision and unloaded a few sacks of groceries.'

''Think' isn't good enough. Has anyone seen her?'

'Not yet. But the house seems well-guarded and the chances are good she's there. I told them to get close enough to confirm her presence but not to risk getting caught. We don't want to blow our hand.'

'I want men ready to move in the minute I say the word. No mistakes, Nekmon.'

'With all due respect, I seldom make mistakes.'

'Once is too much. I need to-' The ringing of his phone interrupted him and he picked it up. 'Diaz.' He listened for a few moments and then hung up. 'She's finished the reconstruction and Montalvo has it.'

'Should we move on the girl?'

He thought about it. 'Not yet. There's another possibility emerging now that may be quicker and more effective.'

'That's the third checkpoint,' Eve said as Montalvo started the jeep again. 'Armandariz certainly doesn't play around with security.'

'That's why we arranged a formal meeting and didn't try to infiltrate his lines,' Montalvo said. 'He may be a bullheaded father, but he's a damn good soldier or he wouldn't have lasted this many years.'

'How far away from the camp are we?'

'Five minutes.' He glanced at her. 'Nervous?'

'Of course I'm nervous. I'm supposed to talk a neurotic man into the fact that he's betrayed his daughter and his cause at one and the same time. Even if he believes me it doesn't mean that he'll admit it.'

'We have a decent chance. He's going to be surrounded by men who knew Nalia most of her life. A few of them were like brothers to her. They'll recognize her from the reconstruction and they may carry Armandariz along with them.'

'Did she have any brothers?'

'No, that's why Armandariz raised her like a son. He needed someone to share his dream and Nalia was his only family.'

'But she violated the dream.'

'So he thinks.' His lips tightened. 'She died for his damn dream. She believed in it as much as he did and was trying to protect it from being betrayed.' He pulled over to the side of the road. 'We walk from here.' He got out of the jeep and grabbed the leather box. 'Let's go.'

She got out of the jeep. 'Give me the box.'

'Why?'

'If I'm here to do a job, I'll do it my way. Armandariz resents you. The minute he sees you carrying the box he's going to get defensive. You may get some pleasure out of opening the box and saying 'I told you so,' but it's not going to be productive.'

'I wouldn't do that.'

'Not in so many words. The moment you show up with the box, it's an immediate implication.'

He hesitated. 'True.' He handed her the box. 'But I do the initial explanation.'

'By all means.' She kept her eyes on the path ahead. 'I've no desire to do any more talking than I have to do. I don't even want to be here. I just want to have this over and find a way to get Joe out of here.'

'I know that. I'm grateful that you-' He broke off as the bushes ahead parted and a dark-haired, thirty-something man appeared. 'It seems the show's about to start.' He stepped ahead of her. 'Manuel, it's been a long time. I wasn't sure you were still alive.'

The man he'd called Manuel smiled faintly. 'But I knew you were alive and exactly where you were. When my belly was empty, I thought about you sitting all fat and rich behind your high walls.'

Montalvo shrugged. 'A man has to survive. Armandariz called me a liar and threw me out of the camp.'

'You survived very well.' Manuel's smile faded. 'And he isn't going to change his mind.' His gaze went to the box in Eve's hands. 'Is that it?'

'That's her,' Eve corrected. 'And Armandariz will change his mind.'

'Eve Duncan, this is Manuel Estevez. We knew each other for a long time before I became a pariah.' Montalvo nudged her forward. 'And I assume you're going to take us to Armandariz?'

'Yes.' Manuel turned on his heel. 'I have to warn you that he's ready to laugh in your face. It's not going to do any good.'

'Encouraging,' Eve murmured as she followed Manuel. Well, she hadn't expected this to be easy. She wasn't even sure that it would be successful. Montalvo hadn't given her any false hopes.

They abruptly emerged from the forest into a large glade dotted with a score of tents. The large tent to which Manuel led them was on the outskirts of the camp and he lifted the flap and gestured them inside. 'Good luck,' he said to Montalvo. 'If you deserve it.'

'I deserve it,' Montalvo said. 'Are you coming?'

Manuel hesitated and then shrugged. 'I'm a little curious. Why not?' He followed them into the tent. He nodded at an older man sitting in a camp chair at a table. 'May I stay, Antonio?'

'I've no objection.' Antonio Armandariz was a thin, handsome man somewhere in his sixties with a mane of gray-white hair and magnificent dark eyes. 'You were always too fond of Montalvo. You need to see him as the fool he is.'

'Nalia loved him,' Manuel said. 'She usually didn't make mistakes about people.'

Armandariz's eyes glittered with anger. 'Don't defend her. She made the biggest mistake anyone could make. Why won't you understand that?'

'I try,' Manuel said. 'Because you're an honorable man and you believe it.' He sat down in a chair in the corner. 'Maybe Montalvo will convince me how wrong I've been to doubt you, Antonio.' He gestured to Montalvo. 'Entertain us, my friend. Let's see what you have to say.'

'He has no friends here,' Armandariz said. 'He almost destroyed us with his wild actions against Diaz.' He stared coldly at Montalvo. 'Talk and then get the hell out of my camp.'

'That's my intention.' He nodded at Eve. 'This is Eve Duncan. You read the dossier on her I sent you?'

Armandariz barely glanced at her. 'I read it. Probably lies.'

'You know better than that,' Montalvo said. 'And you've done a check on her yourself. I know you. You wouldn't be able to help yourself. I'm sure that you only wanted to prove to yourself that I was lying and she was a complete charlatan, but it didn't turn out that way, did it?'

Armandariz didn't answer.

'You didn't like the fact that she was reputable and totally honest and had no axe to grind. It must have been difficult for you.'

'Not difficult at all.' His gaze shifted to Eve. 'She can be corrupted like everyone else. Nalia was honest and she betrayed us.'