No Place To Hide

He didn’t miss the apprehension in her voice or the hint of fear in her eyes as she caught his gaze. But he also didn’t miss the look of fierce determination. The bottom line, though, was that someone was out there, looking for her, and from what his father had told him, they weren’t going to stop until they found her.

“You know my father,” he said. “He will do everything in his power to stop whoever’s behind this. Including finding out what this doctor knows. But you don’t have to do this on your own. It’s not safe. We need to get to the airport and return to the States.”

She shook her head. “You don’t understand. You don’t have to come with me, but I’m going.”

TWO

Ellie started walking away from him, toward the water, still carrying the helmet she’d been wearing. She needed to clear her head. She wished she didn’t feel so angry. Wished her nerves weren’t so rattled. Surely flying to the Amazon to meet the doctor wasn’t nearly as dangerous as riding a motorcycle across Rio with Ryan Kendall. Unless, of course, the cartel managed to track her there as well.

Memories engulfed her, dragging her back to a place she didn’t want to be. Like the last time she’d spoken to her father. He’d apologized for burdening her with his problems, telling her that this case had him on edge, and with the evidence he’d seen, he was ready to give his judgment and see Mauricio Arias remain in prison for the rest of his life. It might not have been the first time he’d received threats, but for some reason, when she’d hung up the phone, she’d been left with the impression that this time was different. This time it was personal.

She had already been worried over the toll the case had been taking on his health, which was why she’d insisted on coming over and making dinner. Normally their weekly Friday-night dinners included takeout and a couple hours of conversation, where they were forbidden to mention politics or law. But after the week her father had had, she’d figured he’d enjoy a home-cooked meal rather than spicy Thai or greasy pizza.

Instead, she’d found her father in the entryway. He was lying on the hardwood floor, a pool of blood beneath him, and his eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping.

Except he hadn’t been sleeping.

She’d knelt over her father and quickly felt for a pulse or a breath—anything that would assure her it wasn’t too late. She’d begged that God would step in and wake her up from this nightmare. Her stomach had twisted as she pulled back his suit jacket, revealing where the bullet had struck his chest. Everything her father had feared had become a reality.

A second later, a bullet had slammed into the wall behind her. She’d glanced at the figure standing in the doorway on the other side of the room as time seemed to momentarily freeze. Dark hair, piercing brown eyes, spiderweb tat on the side of his neck... Details imprinted on her mind as she’d grabbed her phone, then dived behind the paisley couch. A second bullet had struck the arm of the piece of furniture, missing her by only a couple inches. Her father was still lying motionless on the floor, but there had been nothing else she could have done for him. He was already gone. Which meant she’d had to find a way out of the house before it was too late.

She tried to shake off the memories that had yet to stop chasing her the past couple months as she walked past a beach vendor selling coconut water straight from the coconut to a couple of tourists. On any other day, Copacabana Beach, with its long stretch of shoreline, crystal blue waters and the magnificent Sugarloaf Mountain in the background, was one of her favorite places in the city. But today, she didn’t really see any of it.

How was she supposed to make Ryan understand she couldn’t return with him?

She stopped at the edge of the sand, not far from where a father and son were building a sandcastle. She and Ryan always had been polar opposites growing up. His father had mentioned that he’d spent a decade as a navy diver and now worked as a saturation diver for oil companies. She wasn’t sure what the job entailed, but she was pretty sure it was dangerous. She definitely wasn’t the adventurous type, but this wasn’t the time to admit to him how terrified she felt. If she did, she had a feeling he’d kidnap her himself in order to get her to return.

But the risks involved didn’t change anything. Not now.

“Ellie...”

She felt a surge of resolve run through her as he stepped up next to her. She studied his lean, solid profile, stopping at his strong jawline and five-o’clock shadow. She trusted him, but only because she trusted his father, and his father had sent him. She also knew that flying to the Amazon hadn’t been a part of the bargain. But until the authorities found her father’s killer, she’d always be looking over her shoulder, and that wasn’t a life she intended to live any longer. Which was why she had no plans of backing down. With or without his help.

“I need to find out the truth,” she said, “because I’m tired of running. Nor can I simply ignore the information the doctor has.”

She caught the hesitation in his eyes, knowing they needed to leave. Even if they had managed to evade the man who’d tried to grab her in the favela, they were still out in the open and exposed. But this wasn’t a fight she was willing to walk away from.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that,” he said. “Once we get to the safe house back in the States, you can meet with my father and tell him about this doctor and the information he has. I’m sure he’ll be willing to send someone to meet with the man.”

The warm sun made her long to take off her shoes and dig her toes into the sand, as if it was just a normal day. “That’s not good enough. Dr. Reynolds is risking his life to meet with me, which means I owe it to both him and my father to go speak to him. And he told me that he’ll only meet with me. Not the authorities.”

“Are you forgetting that not only did your aunt manage to track down your cell phone number and location, we were just chased out of the favela?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but I need to show you something.” She pulled a couple photos out of the side pocket of her bag, desperate for him to understand. “This is my father a couple months before he was killed. He was a huge sports fan, and I surprised him with tickets to watch the Dallas Mavericks for his birthday. And this—” she showed him the second photo “—this is the sketch I drew of the man who killed my father, then burned down his house.”

Ryan let out a soft sigh. “My father told me about what happened, and I am truly sorry for your loss.”

“What exactly did he tell you?” she asked.

“That three months ago your father was murdered by members of the cartel and his house was burned down in connection to a high-profile case he was presiding over. And that you were a witness to who murdered him—and despite what the news channels all reported, you were very much alive.”

Except for Ryan’s father, she hadn’t spoken to anyone about that day. Her friends back in the United States thought she was dead, and her new friends here couldn’t find out what had happened to her. It was a burden she’d had to face on her own with only her faith to carry her through.

“The last time I spoke with my father,” she continued, “he sounded distracted. Preoccupied. He’d hinted about the strain of the cartel-related triple homicide. When I pressed him for more information, he assured me nothing was wrong, but I didn’t believe him. Especially when he admitted there was missing evidence and a string of threats directed toward him.

“The next day, I found him lying in the entryway of his house in a pool of blood.” She fought back the emotion as she looked up at Ryan. “I don’t need a sketch to remember what his murderer looked like, because I see him every night when I close my eyes to go to sleep, and every time I’m reminded of why I’m here. Your father helped me disappear. Helped leak the rumor to the media that I’d died in the fire so the cartel wouldn’t come after me. And yet even that didn’t stop them from looking for me.”

“Why don’t you contact the authorities and tell them what’s happening?” he asked.

She ignored the string of vendors heading their way with offers of ice cream, skewers of shrimp and henna tattoos. “Because there’s a leak somewhere in the investigation, and besides your father, I still don’t know who I can trust. Your father’s been trying to figure out the truth, but he’s walking a fine line, and so far, he hasn’t been able to.”

“You have to understand that I’m truly sorry for everything that has happened to you,” Ryan said, motioning to the men that they weren’t interested in buying anything. “But my father sent me here to ensure your safety. Not to take you on some wild-goose chase that may or may not pay off.”

“And I need you to understand why I have to stay and find out the truth.”

“I do, but—”

“No. I don’t think you do understand. Arias is known for his brutality. He has people working for him—hired to do his dirty work—along with people he pays in order to ensure he walks, which is why my father is dead. And why I’ll be dead as well if he gets his way.”

“I get that, but you and I aren’t equipped to carry out an investigation. What you just told me about Arias should be reason enough for both of us to get as far from here as possible.”

“So, what? I just keep running. Keep playing this game of cat and mouse until someone finds my dead body and he gets away with murder again. He knows I’m alive.”

“No. Of course not—”

“That’s why I need to meet with the doctor.”

Today, Ryan Kendall might not be the irritating teenager she remembered—after all, he had just shown up unexpectedly and rescued her—but he was still just as stubborn. And so was she, and she had no intention of changing her mind.

“I need you to take me to the bus station,” she said, heading back toward the bike.

Ryan hurried to catch up with her. “Why?”

“I decided that if I ever needed to get out quickly, I was going to be ready this time. I’ve got a bugout bag in one of the lockers with some things I’ll need, including a burn phone. I’ll stay at a hotel tonight, then take a taxi to the airstrip in the morning.”

“And this contact you’re supposed to meet with, this doctor. Where are you meeting him?”

“I’ve got a pilot flying me to an airstrip that’s located near the small village where he’ll be.”

“I’m coming with you.”

She stopped, turned around, then quickly stepped out of the way of a couple of kids. “I’m not asking you to come with me.”

“Maybe not, and while I’ll probably regret this, I’m volunteering. But on one condition. Once you talk to the doctor, you have to promise you’ll leave with me. And in the meantime,” he said, “we’re going to have to find a way to keep you safe.”

* * *

Ryan frowned as they headed back toward the motorcycle, certain he was going to regret what he’d just agreed to. He still wasn’t sure why he’d offered to go with her to the Amazon despite undeniable evidence that someone was after her. So much for his father’s clear-cut plan to simply escort her back to the United States to the safe house he was setting up.

But one of her questions had struck a chord, making it impossible for him to just walk away. He glanced at the watch Heather had given him a month before their wedding. Two weeks before she’d died. He knew all too well how hard it was to have someone you love snatched away from you with no warning. And how important it was to find the answers that would bring closure. Even if it meant risking everything. Heather would have told him to go. Just like she would have already told him to let her go.

He glanced behind them, still unable to shake the uneasiness. Someone was still out there looking for them. He needed to keep her safe, but they’d tracked her to the favela. Who was to say they couldn’t track her to the Amazon?

“You know you don’t have to do this,” she said as they stepped up next to the bike.

“Don’t you even start trying to talk me out of this,” he said, slipping on his helmet.

She smiled for the first time. “Thank you for coming with me.”

“Just doing what my father asked and keeping you safe.”

He took a few seconds to study her as he pushed the strap down under his chin. Shoulder-length dark hair. Warm smile. Wide almond-colored eyes. She’d turned out incredibly beautiful.

Not that it mattered.

What mattered was getting them both out of here in one piece.

Thirty minutes later Ryan pulled into the parking garage that was attached to the bus terminal. Outside the busy station, scores of people bustled about, surrounded by yellow taxis. Ryan watched a couple lug a suitcase out of the trunk of their car as he and Ellie headed through the garage. Three tourists with backpacks were heading toward the terminal in front of them. He forced himself to shake the worry. No one had followed them here, and no one was going to follow them to the Amazon. They’d fly in, meet the doctor and fly out.

Simple.

He might not have been able to save Heather, but he was going to save Ellie.

“Do you remember the last time we saw each other?” he asked, pushing the lingering memories away as they started across the catwalk that had access to the upper boarding sector of the bus terminal.

“It was the summer before I started eighth grade if I remember correctly,” she said.

He had a feeling she hadn’t forgotten. Her family had visited his parents’ ranch, and Ryan had dared her to jump off the roof and into the swimming pool. She must have gotten tired of his taunts, because she’d eventually climbed onto that roof before propelling herself into the deep end of the pool below.

It hadn’t ended well. She’d panicked and his father had ended up jumping into the pool and rescuing her.

“I was thinking I probably owed you an apology,” he said.

“Forget it. That was a long time ago, though I did think I was going to drown that day. And for the record, I now have an irrational fear of drowning.”

“Like I said, I owe you an apology, though I have grown up since then in case you were wondering.”

She smiled, but he could still sense the tension in her stride. He’d hoped that breaking the ice between them would help her relax, but she’d been right when she’d told him that this wasn’t some exotic holiday. Neither of them had any idea what was going to be waiting for them once they arrived. Which meant he was going to have to be prepared for anything.

Inside, the crowded terminal looked more like a shopping center, with its dozens of shops and food vendors. But while there might be safety in numbers, he also knew that whoever was after her would probably assume she was going to try to leave the city. And Rio’s main bus terminal was as good as anyplace to start surveying. He searched the crowded space for anyone who looked out of place. Someone without any luggage, or someone he’d seen earlier today. But the odds were in their favor. They might know she was in Rio, but Arias’s men couldn’t keep tabs on every plane, bus and car exiting the city.

“Just give me a minute,” she said as they approached the lockers. “I need to pay, then grab my bag.”

His cell phone rang as they stepped in front of the lockers. He checked the caller ID. It was his father.

“Did you find her?” his father asked.

“Yeah. I was just getting ready to call you.”

“And...?”

Ryan turned around, hesitating with his answer. “They know she’s here in Rio. A guy was after her, and we barely made it out of the favela.”

“Ryan, you need to get out of there now. Everything’s arranged on my end with the safe house. Get to the airport. You’ll be safe there until your flight—”

“It’s not going to be quite that simple.” He glanced at Ellie, who was busy paying for the locker rental. His father might have trusted him to get her to safety, but he wasn’t going to be happy when he heard they wouldn’t be making the flight back to the United States.

“Ryan...what’s going on?”

“She’s arranged a private flight to the Amazon. She’s been in contact with someone she believes has information on her father’s killer. Evidence that could potentially help take down Arias. She’s insisting on meeting with him tomorrow.”

“Forget it. I don’t care what she’s found at this point. You need to get her out now. It’s not safe where you are.”

“And if she’s determined to go?” Ryan pressed his phone against his ear in order to hear better in the noisy terminal. “I can’t just let her fly out on her own—”

“I promised her father if anything ever happened to him I’d take care of her. He would have done the same thing for you or your sister.”

“I told her I’d go with her.”

“Then tell her you changed your mind. I don’t care if you have to drag her to the airport, you get her on that plane, Ryan. Do you understand me?”

“I can try, but I can’t make any promises.”

Ryan hung up as Ellie walked up to him with a large, gray backpack hanging off her shoulder.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

He slid his phone into his front pocket. “That was my father.”

“He doesn’t want me going, does he?”

“No.”

She shifted the backpack on her shoulder. “Your father’s done a lot for me, but I’m not going to change my mind. My contact knows what he’s up against and has made it very clear that he won’t speak with anyone else. I can’t lose this opportunity to find out the truth.”

He pulled her out of the way of a group of travelers who weren’t paying attention to where they were going, and felt her jump at his touch.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “My nerves are on edge.”

“Which is why my father is right. These people who are after you...they aren’t going to stop looking. We could fly your contact somewhere safe until this is over, or—”

“He won’t meet with anyone else, but I’ll understand if you want to change your mind about coming with me.”

“When I said I’d come with you, I meant it,” he said as they started back to the parking garage. “We can get a couple rooms at a secure hotel I know about, and leave in the morning.”

“And your father?” she asked.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll deal with him later.”

Because in the meantime he had plenty of other things to worry about. He knew enough about Arias and the cartel to realize they were about to walk into a war zone. Her father’s death was related to the cartel. All along the Amazon were drug gangs, cartel leaders and even pirates, all on the rise due to rapid changes throughout the area. A surging population paired with organized crime had helped to fuel a sense of lawlessness. And they were headed right into the middle of it.

THREE

At seven thirty the next morning, Ellie and Ryan sat in the small waiting room adjacent to the hangar while their pilot filled out the necessary paperwork for their flight. Perspiration had beaded across the back of her neck, making her wish the stuffy room had an air conditioner, or if nothing else a fan to circulate the air. Even though they were just easing into summer, today’s temperatures were supposed to hit eighty degrees with high humidity. Along the Amazon, the temperatures would probably be even higher.

While she honestly hadn’t expected him to go with her, Ryan had already gone far beyond the call of duty. He’d secured two rooms for them at a hotel, where they’d ordered room service to ensure no one saw them. But as much as she’d wanted to catch up with him, she’d been too exhausted emotionally to be very sociable. By nine, she’d fallen into a restless sleep filled with nightmares of someone chasing her through the Amazon rain forest.

She yawned, then glanced at her phone for the umpteenth time, stood up and started pacing the VIP departure lounge. Her determination to follow through with their plan wavered. Maybe Ryan and his father had been right, and they should have taken last night’s flight back to the United States. She had no experience in tracking down a killer. Which was why she should leave the investigation to the authorities and trust that they would find out the truth as to who had killed her father. Just like the legal process would—at some point—put them in prison, where they belonged. All she was doing now was risking the lives of both Dr. Reynolds and Ryan.

“Ellie...what’s wrong?”

She glanced at her phone again, the familiar worry gnawing at her gut. “I’m hoping nothing, but I still haven’t heard from Dr. Reynolds. I texted him this new number. He was supposed to send me a signal when he arrived this morning so I knew he was okay.”

“I wouldn’t worry. Things run slower in this part of the world and never keep to a schedule. Which means there could be any number of explanations. The boat he’s on could have broken down, he might simply be running late—”

“Or they could have gotten to him.” She turned around and faced Ryan, his casual answer doing little to reassure her. “I’m sorry, but I’m the one who dragged him into this mess and if anything happens to him...”

Ryan leaned forward and rested his forearms against his thighs. “From what you’ve already told me, the doctor made his own decision to gather information against the cartel, which means I’d say he did a pretty good job of dragging himself into this situation on his own.”

“I know. But while I’m not the only person affected by Arias, this has become personal. I need to find a way to put an end to it.” She sat back down next to him. “My father’s dead, my aunt thought I was dead, too, and all my friends and the people I worked with think I died in that fire. I just want this all to be over.”

“That’s why we’re going,” he said, catching her gaze. “It will be. Soon. I promise.”

“The two of you ready to go?” The pilot she’d hired stepped into the room, interrupting their conversation.

She nodded at the balding man in his early fifties, praying that the trip that had eaten up most of her savings would be worth it. Ryan grabbed his small backpack and walked with her toward the plane as she shoved aside any second thoughts. If it meant bringing her father’s murderer to justice, she could do this.

Fifteen minutes later, while the small craft was heading north above the city, Ellie stared out the window. The blue-green ocean was to the right, running along Rio’s skyline surrounded by the mountain chain that ran along the coast of South America. She loved flying. Loved the feeling of climbing to altitude, then soaring across the miniature images below.

It was almost enough to make her temporarily forget where they were going and why. She took in a slow, deep breath, and for the first time in weeks she felt her muscles begin to relax. Maybe it was simply the calm before the storm, but even if that was all it was, it was a moment she intended to hold on to for as long as she could. In another four hours or so, they’d be on the ground, and she’d have to deal again with the reality of her situation and how someone wanted her dead.

She glanced at Ryan with those striking blue eyes of his. He sat beside her, mouth tight, hands clasped tightly in his lap. Her brow furrowed. She would never have pegged him for someone with a phobia of flying.

“Not much of a flyer?” she asked.

“I don’t mind flying, actually. I just hate the takeoffs and landings,” he said, opening his eyes and shooting her a grin. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but I’ve always preferred to be under the water, for some reason, than thousands of feet above it.”

She chuckled, enjoying talking with him after the awkwardness of yesterday seemed to have passed. “Your father mentioned you used to be a diver for the navy. That sounds a lot more frightening—and more dangerous—than flying.”

“I left the navy after about a decade and now work as a saturation diver.”

“Your father told me that’s what you’re doing now, but he didn’t really explain what the job was.”

“I work for oil companies using a saturation system. We live in a pressurized chamber for up to a month, then are transported to the underwater work area every day in a closed bell.”