“You think he’ll buy it?”
“No, but it lets him save face. It gives him an excuse, keeps him from looking weak to his men when he goes back to working with us. As soon as that happens, we all go back to making money.”
“What about Michael?” Simon asked.
“Montoya wants some kind of payback. Holding my son sends a message, but I don’t think he’ll kill him. It would just escalate the trouble between us.”
“You think he’ll let him go?”
“Hard to say. Long as he has Michael, he has leverage.” Knox took another drink, giving himself time to think. “Harper’s in Colombia with Chase Garrett. Much as I dislike the SOB, he’s good. If there’s a way to find Michael and get him out of this mess, Garrett will find it.”
“So we just sit back and wait?”
“We’ll make a few overtures, then wait for Montoya’s next move.”
“Shall I let our people down there know what’s going on?”
“Not yet,” Knox said. “We don’t want to make things worse than they are already.”
Simon crossed one long, lean leg over the other. Unlike Knox, who admittedly had a volatile temper, nothing ever ruffled Simon’s sophisticated feathers. “I guess time will tell.”
“Always does,” Knox said. “One way or another.”
Chapter Fifteen
Harper couldn’t get the phone call out of her head, her father’s seeming lack of concern. Surely he was as worried as she was. That he and Michael hadn’t gotten along these past few years—never really—didn’t change the fact that Michael was his only son.
“Been a long day,” Chase said. “Before we head for the motel, we need to fill the cruiser, then get something to eat. After tonight, we’ll be living on MREs till this is over.”Meals Ready to Eat. Rations supplied to soldiers. She’d heard the guys talking about the packaged food on the road—and not in a good way.
“I could definitely use some grub,” Kil said. “I’ll fill up and meet you there.”
Chase waved to Kil as he fired up the cruiser and headed for the only gas pump in town, then Chase and Harper crossed the street, heading for the only restaurant—La Paloma, The Dove—in the run-down building next to the cantina.
The owner, a stout older Colombian woman recommendedsancocho de bocachico, a fish and chicken dish served with Colombian cheese bread. One of only three items on the menu. Considering how worried she was, Harper was surprised to discover she was hungry, and the food was delicious.
It was dark by the time they finished their meal and climbed into the cruiser, ignoring the heat that had built up inside. Kil started the engine, and they drove off toward the motel a mile and a half down the road.
El Palacio.The Palace.What a laugh. The run-down pink stucco two-story building had a total of eight small rooms and an office. Surrounded by palm trees, it sat on the ocean, just off the beach. Kil parked the cruiser next to a pothole in the asphalt lot and went into the office. He came out with keys to a pair of adjoining rooms on the second floor and one to a room downstairs.
Kil tossed an upstairs room key to Chase and one to Harper, then grabbed his duffel out of the back of the cruiser and crossed the lot toward the room downstairs. He stopped when he reached his door and turned back.
“By the way...did I forget to mention your brother’ll be here in the morning?”
“Bran? What the hell?” Chase asked.
“We made a deal when he called me in on this mission, said I had to keep him posted. I phoned and told what we’d found on the boat and he said he was coming down, said something about your brother Reese and using the company jet. With a fuel stop, it’s about five hours.”
Kil stuck the key into the lock, turned the knob and pushed open the door. “He’ll bunk with me when he gets here.” Kil disappeared into the room and closed the door behind him.
Chase rubbed the back of his neck. “Looks like we’re going to have extra backup.”
Harper stared up at him. “So your brother’s coming to Colombia?”
“That’s right. Can’t really say I’m sorry.”
“You said he was Special Forces. If he’s coming, he must think things could get bad.”
“They could, Harper. I won’t lie to you. We have no idea what we’re going to be facing when we get up there. If I thought you’d be safer here—”
