Haunted

CHAPTER 30

AFTER A MOMENT, I PUSH ADELITA GENTLY AWAY. “We need to get out of here. I’m sure they’ll spot the fire in the village. We can’t be here when they come to see what happened.”

She steps back. “Where are we to go?”

I take her hand and lead her back to and across the road, going as quickly as I can. I feel the broken bone begin to knit, but the process would be much less painful if I could just stop and let the magic of vampiric healing work unfettered. Instead, the constant tug and pull of keeping up a brisk pace makes me wince with every step.

Adelita sees it. She stops abruptly. “You are hurt.”

“Never mind. It’s nothing. We can’t stop now. My friends are not far. We need to get to them as quickly as possible.”

She frowns but I turn away and keep going deeper into the brush. Already I hear the rumble of a motor approaching from the direction of the village. Adelita can’t hear it, but I can. If I were by myself, I’d wait and see who they sent out. See if the fire coaxed Santiago from his hiding place. But I can’t risk Adelita’s safety. If anyone spotted her, she’d most likely be blamed for the accident. My hope is that I can get her back to her home or at least have Max send her to a safe house while we finish what we came to do.

Adelita and I continue toward the spot where the three men hunkered down to await nightfall. It’s hot, dirty work, pushing through bushes that catch and scrape at our skin and arms. There are clouds of pesky no-see-ums that rise from under trampling feet and swarm around our heads and into our eyes. I guess we traveled farther in the truck than I realized. Finally, we’re at a point where I think I can reach Culebra telepathically, and I draw Adelita to a stop.

“We’ll rest here a minute,” I tell Adelita. Seems more plausible then telling her we’re stopping so I can contact my shape-shifter friend via a mind meld.

Adelita’s look of sympathy says she figures I want to stop because my ribs hurt, and she doesn’t argue. She does hear the engine from the approaching vehicle now and takes cover. She makes herself as small as possible by folding her body against the thickest clump of bushes she can find. There is fear shadowing her eyes again. I mimic her action and place a finger to my lips.

The sound of a truck engine draws closer to the scene of the “accident.” I put off trying to communicate with Culebra so I can listen to the flurry of activity—doors opening, footsteps running, excited yelling. I understand some of the conversation. First there is confusion as to how the driver, a new guy, could have left the road and hit the rocks. Then anger that he must have been drunk or high. Finally, a furious round of arguing as to who would be the unlucky one to break the news to El Jefe. He won’t be happy that he lost a truck or that the driver cost El Jefe the income he would have gotten from the girls when they were put to work back in town.

That last bit brings a bitter smile to my lips. Obviously El Jefe didn’t know that the new guy had his own plan for the girls. Rape and murder. He’s probably better off dead. So is Toadie if he is the unlucky one who got him the job. I remember how they glad-handed each other in the village.

I catch Adelita watching me with a curious expression on her face. She can’t hear what I hear. She must be wondering why I’ve grown so still, head tilted in the direction of the road. She doesn’t ask questions, though, only waits for me to indicate that it’s safe to continue our trek. Under normal circumstances seeing me become vampire should have sent her racing in the opposite direction. Instead, here she is, quietly waiting to follow my lead. Her faith in me is extraordinary.

After ten minutes or so, the men return to their truck and head back to the village. The smoke rising from the burned vehicle thins out, and I wonder if I should go back and see how completely it burned. Hopefully, there is too little left to make it obvious two bodies and not three were in the back. If we were in a city, a forensic team would scope it out in a heartbeat. Since I doubt Horatio Caine and his crew are vacationing anywhere near this dump, we may just get away with it.

Time to see if I can reach Culebra.

I open the conduit. Culebra? Are you awake?

The answer comes back immediately. Yes. Where are you? Did you find Santiago?

I’m close. I don’t know about Santiago. There is someone hiding in that village. But he never came out. I have a girl with me who may be able to help. I’m hoping Max has a picture in that bag of tricks he brought.

A girl?

I give him a brief recap, including what I found when I followed the truck and how Adelita and I took care of the problem.

There is silence for a moment. Then, he says, I saw the smoke.

I thought you’d be asleep.

He makes a sound like the huffing of a breath. We should be. But something has got Ramon in a state. He’s watching Max and me like we’re going to bolt. His nervousness is putting us all on edge.

He didn’t get a phone call, did he? I’m thinking of Maria. Gabriella would have awakened eventually to find her mother bound and gagged and me gone. If Gabriella did indeed have a cell phone like I suspected, Maria would have lost no time in contacting Ramon and telling him I was on their trail.

I don’t think so. But who can tell? With these new phones, she might have sent him a text and I’d never know. In any case, are you coming in?

I glance over at Adelita. She’s watching me intently again, as if I might be planning to bolt. I smile at her and stretch, as if working kinks out of my legs. She gives me a tiny smile back.

What does Ramon plan to do when it gets dark? I ask then.

He hasn’t said. I think he and I should get as close to the village as we can, scope it out. Leave Max behind as backup in case we get into trouble. Can you tell me where Santiago may be hiding?

I explain the layout of the village, tell him where I saw the girls taken.

Were there many guards? Culebra asks.

No. And that’s surprising. I only saw one armed man. He had an AK-47. If Santiago was there, you’d think he’d have an army to protect him.

We can’t be sure he doesn’t. Well, what do you want to do?

I glance again at Adelita. She is leaning against one of the bushes, her head has fallen to her chest. I think the poor kid is asleep. I check my watch.

There’s only three more hours of daylight. I’ll wait for you and Ramon to leave camp. Let Max know that I’m here. Have you warned him about Ramon?

Didn’t have a chance. I told you Ramon is watching us. That’s another reason I want Max to stay behind when we go to the village tonight. If Ramon and I get separated, I don’t want Max to become a target. I feel better knowing you will be with him.

Let me know when you’ve left for the village.

Culebra closes the link between us abruptly, as if someone may have called to him. I scoot myself over to where Adelita is sleeping and work my way into the brush beside her. She looks so small and fragile, so defenseless. Another surge of bitter rage against the men who abused her turns my blood hot. When I gather her to my chest, she gives one jerky start. I touch her hair gently and draw her head down to rest on my shoulder and she settles against me. Her breathing again becomes deep and regular. I wonder how long it’s been since she felt safe enough to fall asleep?