Rogue Diamond (14 page)

"Calculating the enemy? You sound like were fighting a war!"

He released her. "Well, in a way, I feel as if we are. It's a hard bu
si
ness, taking a child like this. It's cruel and barbaric. We have to be the same if we're going to win."

"I don't think it's pos
si
ble for me."

"Then leave that part up to me. Just don't get hysterical.
Stay calm and do as I say.
"

"Are we? Going to win this . . . this 'battle', as you say?"

"It's going to be tough. I don't know yet."

Alex took a shaky breath, verging on tears yet not able to fully release her emotions. "It's easy for you to be hard and unfeeling because you aren't emotionally involved with Jenni. You just think of her as a thing, a name of something, not a little girl who might be afraid and hungry and crying for her mama
.
"

Nick's eyes flickered with something close to a savage viciousness. "I'm more involved than you think. But one of us has to be calm about it
.
"

Alex turned her back on Nick and hugged her arms in distress, trying to block out the inner pain she felt. "I'm sorry, Nick. It's hard to be calm when I've just learned someone might be s-selling Jenni."

"
On the other hand, w
hat that means, Alex," Nick's voice became gentle and another
si
de of him surfaced, "is that she's being well cared for, that she's warm and dry and being
fed and . . . whatever is neces
sary to keep her in good condition."

Alex turned around slowly and lifted her eyes
to meet his. The savage expres
si
on was gone, replaced by a tenderness that surprised her. "Do you really think so, Nick?"

He nodded. "Yes, I do."

"And cuddled?"

He gestured impotently. "
Sure.
If that's necessary."

"It is. For a littl
e child. For Jenni. She's accus
tomed to lots of attention. And love."

"Then, I suppose ... oh, hell, Alex. I don't know. I don't
know much more about this
si
tua
tion than you do."

She narrowed her eyes accu
si
ngly. "Yes you do, Nick. And you're only telling me what you have to, when you have to. I feel like I'm the last to know anything that's happening."

"It's better this way, Alex." His hands hung limply by his
si
de, itching to touch her, to feel her softness. He fl
exed them once, trying to elimi
nate the urge to embrace her, to claim her as his own, to protect her from the pain she now felt. Maybe she needed the comforting. Maybe he was the one to give it. He lifted his hands, then let them drop. Oh, hell, that was crazy. There was only one way he wanted to hold her: the way he'd hold her if they were making love.

"I'd better leave, now," he said quickly. "Thanks for the sandwich and coffee. If you want to go to Guaymas, meet us around ten tomorrow."

"I'll be there." She swallowed hard, wishing he'd pull her into his arms. Wildly, she wanted his touch, his hot, hungry kiss. Her eyes grew
misty. "It'll be difficult to sleep tonight, thinking about her . . . about Jenni."

Nick's eyes flickered sharply. "Yeah. Difficult
for all of us
to sleep. See you tomorrow." He he
si
tated, then turned and bolted from the room.

As Nick jerked the gray rattletrap van into gear, he knew how close he'd come to lo
si
ng that degree of restraint he tried to force on himself whenever he was around Alex. Tonight he needed to be lost in her softness, and she needed his strength. It was an intangible feeling, but something he knew. She wanted him, and
oh God,
how he wanted her! Wanted her with more driving de
si
re than any woman he'd wanted in a long time. But now was not the time, he thought. And this was not the woman. Alex was too vulnerable; she'd been hurt too much already. And he was no good for her
in that respect
.

The next morning,
Nick squinted in the bright sunlight and wielded a huge
wrench over the rotor head. Af
ter rechecking the rotor blades, he jumped down from the heli
copter. "The newspaper photogra
pher! Hell,
Jose
, I don't know why we didn't think of him first
! As an eyewitness, he was prob
ably the most observant person there that day."

Jose
nodded in agreement. "I bet he has more photos than the one in the paper. They always take more than they need."

"Oh, hell, yeah. You've got to get to him soon. Today!"

"And forget about Guaymas? What about the tip from Padre
Ramon
?"

"We'll check it out. Alex and I. It's senseless for you to make this trip. Might
well
be a waste of time for us too. But I'd never rest easy if we didn't see it through, and Alex would be a basket case.
She may be anyway.
"

Jose
climbed on the helicopter and leaned over the turbine engine, watching its action with calculating eyes. "But what about the change in plan and tonight's pick-up at Guaymas?"

"I'll take care of it. No big deal."

"You sure yo
u can handle this haul by
yourself
?"

"What's to handle? It's just birds! Anyway, I'll have Alex along to help."

Jose
rolled his eyes comically. "That's what bothers
me, Capita
n."

"Not to worry,
Jose
. I won't expose our game. She doesn't know a thing."

"But how do you expect her not to question these extra passengers?"

"We have a deal," Nick answered
si
mply.

"Ah,
s
í
. I should have known."
Jose
slid off the helicopter an
d bent to adjust the main under
carriage wheels, hiding a smug smile. "I won't ask what kind of deal."

"Good." Nick shrugged amicably. "Then I won't tell you. Be
si
des, it's more important for you to talk to thi
s photographer as soon as pos
si
ble. I'll take care of Alex and the birds, you take care of this photographer while we're gone."

"Then you don't expect to find Jenni in Guaymas?"

Nick
si
ghed and leaned against the helicopter's tail. "I just have a feeling
that
we're heading up an
empty street. It
was a poor tip, and Father Ramo
n even said there were strange circumstances about it. But
.
. . Nick shrugged and left the rest unsaid. "Our cargo is getting stranger and stranger,
Jose
. Whoever thought we
'd be go
ing for
a bunch of
damn birds?"

Jose
stood
and reached in
si
de the helicop
ter's back cabin. "Exotic birds are important,
Capitan
. Thousands of dollars are exchanged in their safe transport. Avoiding the thirty-day quarantine period and excess costs of feeding and testing them is the key to big profits." He waggled a brown paper bag. "This is for the birds. Not too much, now, or you'll kill them. But, used discriminately, it'll quiet them down."

Nick smiled wickedly. "Is there any for the pilot?"

"No,
Capitan
. You have to keep a clear head."

"Hell,
Jose
. It's a slam dunk
."

Jose
stuffed the paper bag in the rear cabin and slammed the sliding door. "Okay, you have plenty of rags to hide the birds in the back."

"No cages?"

"Won't need them. Except for the boas. And they're already crated."

"Boas?
D
amn! You didn't tell me about them!"

Jose
smiled, making his mustache waggle at the ends. "It's a cinch,
Capitan
. You can handle it. I'm confident. There is much money hanging on this deal
.
"

"Birds!" Nick fussed. "I'd rather haul crates of
oranges
.
At least they're quiet
.
Now how the hell am I going to explain boas to Alex?"

"How are y
ou going to explain birds, Capi
t
a
n?"
Jose
taunted.

"Damned if I know." Nick looked up at the sound of an approaching car. "That must be Alex's taxi. Now you get to that photographer as soon as pos
si
ble,
Jose
. We'll be back tonight, birds and boas in transport. I'll bring Alex here, drop her off, and pick you up. Then we can take them on to the border drop."

"There will be
a message confirming it, Capi
ta
n
. Same place."

"I'll call you jus
t before we take off." Nick nod
ded curtly and turned to watch Alex as she paid the taxi driver. H
e felt an unbidden swell of mas
culine admiration as he observed her approach, her shoulder bag banging jauntily against a slightly swaying hip as she walked. She looked devastating in a white peasant blouse and a full colorful skirt. On closer inspection, he could tell she hadn't slept much. Well, hell, neither had he.

"Hola,
Jose
," she smiled in greeting. "Nick . . . ready to g
o?" Expectation buoyed her flag
ging spirits. Nick could tell she was anxious to get started.

"Buenos dias, senorita,"
Jose
returned happily.

Nick tossed the wrench into a nearby metal case of tools and wiped his hands on a damp rag. "Alex, there's been
a slight change of plans.
Jose
isn't going with us. He has work to do here. So it's just the two of us."

"Fine," she murmured nonchalantly. "Are we ready to go?"

"You anxious? You look like you didn't sleep much last night."

She cast him a weary glance. "What did you expect, after the news you dropped on me? Who could sleep?"

His dark eyes looked at her with tenderness. "Neither could I. Come on." He reached for the door.

She paused, fumbling in her purse. "I know I owe you some money. How much for this trip?"

Nick stared at her for a moment. "Nothing. You don't owe anything, Alex."

"Oh yes I do. This trip wasn't a part of the original bargain. I realize that. I expect to pay extra for trips."

"It's included," he muttered gruffly and took her arm to as
si
st her into the helicopter.

Stubbornly, she re
si
sted. "
Listen
Nick, I realize that gas for this thing is expen
si
ve and—"

"No
.
I tell you, I had to make this trip anyway. It's bu
si
ness." He practically shoved her aboard the helicopter.

"Bu
si
ness? What kind of bu
si
ness?"

"I'll explain . . . later." Nick slammed the door and gave
Jose
a weary glance. Dealing
si
mple answers to this woman might not be so easy after all.

Jose
gave him the thumbs-up
si
gn and backed away as the overhead rotor blades started rotating. He had watched the exchange between
Nick and Ale
x, observing their unspoken com
munication with an uncanny understanding. Their eyes said everything. He piled the tools into the back of the gray van and watched the chopper as it whirled noi
si
ly over Hermo
si
llo, heading for the west coast. Ah,
Capitan
,
he thought. S
he is very pretty. Big, beautiful eyes. A little sad. And you are caught, whether you know it or not
.

The sea
si
de village of Guaymas nestled like a multicolored pearl against the clear blue Bay of California. The
y set down at the miniature air
port between jagged mountains and the bay. If it weren't for their emotion-charged mis
si
on, the place could be beautifully romantic. Alex almost wished . . . then she quickly dismissed such thoughts. Nothi
ng must interfere with that mis
si
on. Jenni must be found
.
Maybe it would be today
.