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“We left them where we found them,” Dimitri said solemnly. His eyes glittered as they looked over at his search partner, Harvard. “Didn’t we?”
Harvard nodded, equally solemn. “When we left, they were secured to a tree and unharmed.”
Ryan shook his head. The morons had staked the cartel members out like offerings to the jungle predators.
“I think you might need to write a new memo,” Rachel said to Lake. “Maybe add more detail this time.”
Dimitri and Harvard grinned at each other.
“If the cartel doesn’t already have Beast and Belinda,” Ryan said, “there’s a good chance the pair will stumble into them anyway. Elle and I figure they have to be just hours away from walking straight into the mine. One way or another, things are coming to a head at that mine tomorrow.”
“We need to go back in tonight,” Lake said.
“Damn it to hell,” Callum said. “We only just got back.”
“We don’t have a choice. The cartel is closing in on them and the press are going to start arriving at dawn.” Lake shook his head at Belinda’s brother. “If they wait that long. I wouldn’t be surprised if a helicopter or two turn up tonight. We can’t be here when they arrive. It will make everything harder.”
“I thought I was helping,” Daniel whined, and Megan turned to him and hit him hard. Right on the jaw. Daniel hit the floor.
“Don’t talk,” Megan ordered him before turning back to her team.
“I wanted to hit him,” Callum said.
“What was it Violet said? You snooze, you lose?” Megan grinned at their boss.
“We can’t go in by air tonight,” De la Cruz said. “Can’t see to land.”
“We’ll take the boat,” Lake said. He looked over at Ryan. “Think you can drum up another at short notice?”
“No problem.” Ryan pulled out his phone and sent a text. He had a boat on standby, just in case. “It’ll be ready to go in half an hour.”
Lake nodded at him. “We’ll go in from both directions and drop teams north and south of the camp. We’ll work our way in on foot and get there before the sun rises.” He turned to the youngest Collins, who was still on the floor. “You will not speak to the press. Under any circumstances. Are we clear?”
Daniel rushed to assure Lake he was very clear, all the while keeping an eye on Megan.
Ryan felt a tug at his arm and turned to find Elle looking up at him.
“I need you to look at something for me.” Her unusually serious attitude set off alarm bells in his head.
“Sure.” He followed her over to the end of the large table where she’d set up her workstation.
She hit some keys then turned the laptop towards him. “Is that Esperanza?”
Ryan sucked in a breath as he saw the woman who’d used him and run. The photo showed her in a yellow T-shirt, her smile wide, as she looked straight into the camera. “Yeah.”
Elle nodded and brought up a new screen. “Her real name is Esther Redgrave. She’s an Australian national who went missing almost a year ago while trekking through the Andes.” Elle gave him a look that was equal parts compassion and trepidation.
“Spit it out,” Ryan said.
Elle licked her lips before continuing. “She was on the holiday of a lifetime.” She glanced at Ryan before turning to the screen. “With her husband.”
It was like being punched in the gut. Ryan actually took a step back before he righted himself. She was married? She’d played him. Slept with him. Stole from him. And she was married? He ran a hand over his face, wondering if this could get any worse.
“I’m sorry, Ryan,” Elle said softly.
“It’s fine. Give me the rest.” He knew from the way she was hesitating that there was more bad news to come.
“On the same day she went missing, her husband’s body was found at the bottom of a ravine, outside of Cusco.”
