Gage scrubbed a hand over his face. Seconds passed before he nodded. “All right, we comply with the letter, go to the address in Mérida—but we do it prepared. We set things up our way, go in and find out what’s going on, but we’re armed. And we’re ready to get out of there if we need to.”
Abby started nodding. “Okay, that sounds good.”
“And we take backup. Edge, Trace, and Skye. They’re good at what they do, and we need their help.” Gage reached out and tipped up her chin, bent his head, and gently kissed her.
“You scared the hell out of me when you fell in that hole today,” he said. “Now it looks like things could get worse. I never should have brought you down here.”
“I would have come without you.”
He made no reply.
“I’m glad it’s you,” she said. “I’m glad you’re with me.” She managed to smile. “We’ll do this together, just like everything else.”
Something moved across his features, something warm and oddly tender. Then it was gone. “You can’t get your hopes up, Abby.”
“I won’t,” she said.
But it was a lie, and both of them knew it.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
THERE WAS A NUMBER ON THE LETTER. GAGE MADE THE CALL ON his satellite phone instead of his cell. The people on the other end already knew their location, but there was no way to know how many others were out there tracking them.
The line picked up, but there was only silence.
“This is Gage Logan. I assume you’ve been expecting our call.”
“Señor Logan,” a male voice said. “I look forward to meeting you. However, the message was left for Abigail. Please put her on the phone.” The words were spoken in English, the Spanish accent mild. The voice sounded educated, cultured, but rang with authority.
Gage clenched his jaw and handed the phone to Abby. Her fingers brushed his as they wrapped around the receiver, and a knot of worry tightened in his stomach. More trouble. More danger for Abby.
“I want to see my grandfather.” She held the phone so Gage could hear. “The note says he is alive.”
“Your grandfather has been quite ill, but he is still breathing. If you wish to keep him that way, you will do exactly what I say.”
Her fingers tightened around the phone. “I’ll do whatever you ask.”
“You will come to the address on the letter. You will arrive there no later than midnight.”
It was almost ten. Mérida was over an hour away. They didn’t have enough time to get things set up. Gage pointed to his watch, mouthed the words more time.
“We can’t get there by then. It’s late and dark on the roads. We need more time.”
“One o’clock. No later. Be at the address I gave you, or the old man will suffer. And be sure to come alone.”
Gage grabbed the phone out of her hand. “That isn’t happening. I go with her or she doesn’t go at all. And before we do anything, we’re going to need proof King’s alive. Put him on the line.”
Silence fell.
“You may come, Señor Logan, if that is your wish. I have no intention of harming Ms. Holland. The proof you seek lies in a sick bed in a cell beneath my hacienda. If you do not come, his life will end tonight.”
Abby’s face paled.
“We’ll be there by one,” Gage said, and the line went dead. He walked out of the room and banged on Edge’s door, which immediately swung open.
“What is it?” Edge wore clean jeans, but no shirt. Beads of water clung to the dark hair on his chest from the shower he had just taken.
“Abby got a letter from someone in Mérida. They claim her grandfather is alive but very ill. Basically, they’re using King as a lure to get to Abby. They’re after the gold.”
Edge ran his fingers through his wavy black hair. “Jesus, Gage. I didn’t realize hunting for treasure was like going to war.”
“These are unusual circumstances.”
“Yeah, right. So what do they want?”
“They want Abby to come to Mérida, to the address on the letter. They’ve given us three hours, and it’s going to take more than half that long to get there.”
“We’ll need to work fast, get everything set up before you go in. What’s your plan?”
“My plan is to leave it to you.”
Edge straightened. “Good choice. What’s the address?”
Gage handed him the letter.
“Trace is on watch. I can reach him on the radio. You talk to Skye. Tell her to grab her gear, including firearms, and bring it here.” He ducked back into his room, and Gage caught a glimpse of him opening his laptop, typing in the property address.
Gage strode down the corridor, banged on Skye’s door, and relayed Edge’s message.
“We’ve got a problem in Mérida,” he added. “I think you’re about to earn some hazard pay.”
Returning to his room, he found Abby, dressed in a clean pair of dark blue jeans and a black T-shirt, her face freshly washed. Gage stripped and also put on clean, dark-colored clothes.
“What’s the plan?” Abby asked.
“Edge is the plan. I’m trusting my brother to figure the best way in and out of this mess.”
“When do we leave?”
“As soon as Edge gets things set up. He doesn’t have much time, so he’ll have to improvise.” Gage walked over and grabbed his gear bag, pulled out the Beretta semiautomatic Mateo had provided when they’d first arrived.
“So Trace and Skye will be going along,” Abby said. “What about Mateo?”
Gage had pondered that. “Mateo is with the boy. I don’t want Carlos involved. Mateo can stay here and keep an eye on him and our equipment. I’d like our stuff to be here when we get back.” And Edge, Trace, and Skye were all former military. They understood the language, knew how to move as one.
“You’re right,” Abby said. “All three of them were soldiers. They’ve worked together before. Mateo might be more of a liability than an asset.”
His thoughts exactly. “I’ll bring Mateo up to speed and tell him what we’ve decided.”
When he returned, he found Edge, Skye, and Trace loading their gear into the back of one of the Hummers.
“We’re leaving ahead of you,” Edge said. “We need to check out the location, find the best way to handle the situation. Give us a twenty-minute head start. That’ll still get you there before the deadline. When you arrive, you won’t see us, but we’ll be there.”
Gage just nodded.
“Good luck,” Abby said, as Edge started walking.
He stopped and turned back. “Don’t either of you try to be heroes out there. Just do what they say, and let us handle the rest.”
“We’ll do our best,” Gage agreed, but if things went sideways, he’d do whatever was necessary to keep Abby safe.
Edge’s blue eyes locked with his, and the truth passed between them. His brother was no fool. By now, he knew Abby meant more to him than just a woman to share his bed. He would protect her at any cost.
“I’ll see you there,” Edge said and climbed into the Hummer.