This Side of Heaven

sky, seeking and finding a bright star. With all the faith in her heart and soul, she prayed that a power far beyond any earthly force would keep Nate safe.

Cyn heard the back door directly behind her open. Jerk­ing her head around she saw a man bending over, slipping inside. She opened her mouth to scream, but before she could emit one sound, the stranger tossed a large white en­velope into the front seat, then pointed a gun in her face.

'I wouldn't cry out if I were you, Ms. Porter.' His voice had a ring of familiarity. She looked at him, recognition dawning.

'Ah, yes, I see that you understand.'

'You can't get away with this,' Cyn told him, stealing a quick glance toward the phone booth. Bedford was stand­ing outside, looking at her and smiling. What's wrong with him? she asked herself, can't he see the man in the back seat? Perhaps in the darkness, he couldn't. 'There's a man with me. A government agent.'

Bedford opened the door on the driver's side, bent over and peered inside. 'You have my money?' he asked.

The man in the back nodded toward the front. 'On the seat. Feel free to count it.'

Suddenly Cyn felt disoriented, knowing and yet afraid to admit that she understood what was happening. She glared at Art Bedford. 'You're handing me over to this man. You're betraying the agency for money.'

'Smart, isn't she,' Bedford said. 'And pretty. You wouldn't care to share her with me before you confront Hodges, would you?'

Fear, searing and painful, choked her. The very thought that either of these men would touch her made her physi­cally ill.

'Get in, Bedford,' the stranger said. 'You will drive us back to Sweet Haven, to Nate Hodges's home. And then you will leave. I suggest you disappear quickly. You can buy yourself a woman, a dozen women, with the money in that envelope.'

Bedford obeyed, getting in, starting the car and pulling out onto the highway. 'Oh, yeah, Ms. Porter, word is that Nick Romero has a visitor and that visitor has just received a message about you.'

No, no, she wanted to scream. This was all a trap, a trap to capture Nate, and she was the bait. The man in the back seat lowered his gun, but continued holding it in his steady right hand.

'Don't think about doing anything foolish, Ms. Porter. I much prefer that you're still alive when Nate Hodges comes to me. You see, I have dreamed of the day I could take from him what he once took from me.'

Cyn stared at the man, noting the sinister black patch over one eye. His other eye gleamed a silvery blue in the flash from an oncoming car's headlights. His left arm lay limp at his side. The sleeve of his expensive silk jacket, creased just above his wrist, hung loosely over the hidden stub of his hand.

'Turn around and relax, Ms. Porter. We have a long drive to Sweet Haven.'

Cyn ordered herself not to tremble, not to cry, not to give this monster the satisfaction of seeing her fear. When he reached out and touched her shoulder, she cringed, but forced herself not to pull away.

'I'm sorry that I've been so rude. I just realized that we haven't been properly introduced, although I'm sure the Conquistador has spoken of me. I am Ian Ryker.'

Chapter 15

Nate stepped outside the intensive care trauma unit. He hated hospitals, the smell of pain and death everywhere. Although he and Nick Romero had both suffered combat injuries in Nam, they'd both been damned lucky to be part of a highly trained unit where death had been the exception instead of the rule.

Romero looked awfully rough. He was so high on medi­cation that his speech was slurred and his thinking con­fused. He'd been calling for a woman, the name familiar to Nate although he had no idea who she was. Once, years ago, Romero had mentioned her name when he'd been so drunk he couldn't stand. Nate had asked him about her later, and his old friend had laughed and said that she was the one blonde he'd never been able to forget. Nate wished he knew who she was and how to contact her. If ever Romero had needed someone to care about him, it was now.

In critical condition and the safety of his leg still in doubt, Romero was as tough as they came, and if anyone could live through something like this, he could.

Nate only hoped that he would be as lucky himself and be the one still alive after his confrontation with Ryker. Life had never meant so much to him. He had always been reck­less and unafraid. But that was before Cynthia Ellen Porter had entered his life in the form of a flesh-and-blood woman who loved him as he had never dreamed anyone could love him. He didn't want to die. He wanted to live.

Walking down the hall in a meditative daze, Nate acci­dentally bumped into someone. He looked up and saw J. P. Higdon. 'Romero's still alive,' Nate said. 'And he's still got both legs.'

'He'll make it,' J.P. said. 'You can't kill old battle-scarred warriors like you and Nick.'

'I hope you're right.' Nate noticed the strange concen­trated stare Higdon gave him, the telltale nervousness as he shifted his feet repeatedly. 'What's wrong?' Nate felt his heart in his throat, pounding loud and wild.

'We just received a message from Ryker.'

Out of the corner of his eye, Nate saw Emilio Rivera standing several yards away near the elevators. 'The mes­sage was for me?'

'Yeah, it was for you.'

'Hell, man, quit beating around the bush and tell me.'

'Ryker has Cynthia Porter.'

Pain, intense and all-consuming, spread through Nate like high-voltage electricity. Anger more fierce than any he'd ever known claimed him. Grabbing Higdon by the lapels of his jacket, Nate shoved him up against the wall. 'How the hell did this happen? You said Bedford was one of your best men.'

Higdon, his eyes bright with fear, his upper lip coated with sweat, shook his head in a plea for understanding. 'I have no idea what happened. Bedford could be dead for all I know. Does it really matter right now? Ryker has Ms. Porter at your place.'

Nate knew immediately that Ryker had taken her to the storage rooms, to the old mission. In Nate's recent night­mares, Ryker had been in a dark, musty room when he had smiled triumphantly at Nate as he held Cyn's lifeless body.

'Ryker has threatened to kill her unless you come alone and we call off your protection,' Higdon said, struggling to free himself from Nate's menacing hold.

'Then call them off.' Nate loosened his grip. 'And if Bedford isn't dead, he will be if I ever find him.'

'You can't face Ryker alone. Your best chance of sur­vival is to take some cover. Our boys can be discreet.' When Nate released him, Higdon straightened his jacket, shirt and tie.

'Ryker is nobody's fool. I'm sure he isn't alone. He'll have lookouts just waiting for any sign of agents. He's probably got all the help he needs from the Marquez fam­ily.' Nate glanced over at Emilio Rivera. 'And from our friend Carranza.'

'All the more reason for you to take backup,' Higdon said.

'When I leave here, I don't want anybody following me. My survival isn't what's important to me. If I don't go alone, Ryker will kill Cyn.' Nate knew his chances were slim, but that didn't really matter. The only thing that mat­ tered was Cyn.

'How the hell do you think that you, one man alone, can rescue her?'

'I'm going to kill Ryker. Once he's dead, the Marquez family will have no reason to keep her, and they can do whatever they want with me once she's free.'

Nate gave Higdon one last warning look before walking to the elevators. Punching the call button, he glanced over at Emilio Rivera. The big man nodded, but didn't say a word. The elevator doors opened. Nate stepped inside. Emilio stepped in beside him.

When the doors closed, Emilio spoke, his voice deep and quietly controlled. 'Senor Carranza is waiting downstairs in the limo. He wants to speak to you.'

'To hell with what Carranza wants!'

'You would be wise to speak with him, Nathan Hodges,' Rivera warned.

Neither man spoke again as the elevator descended. The doors opened, and they stepped out onto the entry level of the hospital. Together they walked outside into the warm May night.

Nate hesitated momentarily when he saw Carranza sit­ting inside the back seat of the limo, the door wide