No Boundaries, page 18
As they pulled in front of the house, every bit of her energy drained as it suddenly hit her what her father was capable of doing. Tony turned off the key, and she looked at him as she realized something.
"He did the same thing to King, didn't he?"
Tears filled his eyes. "I was too late to try to save him. I buried him under that big tree he liked to lie under."
Her hands curled into fists. She’d thought he gave King away. Oh, damn, it hurt so much to know the truth. Why had he done it? What kind of person does something like that? She pressed her lips together, trying to regain control of her emotions. The truth hit her like cold water dumped over her head. She looked at Tony, then Renegade. "He'll come after everyone I care about."
"But we're not poor helpless animals. We’re going to hit him with everything we have," Tony said.
Sophia hurried from the barn, running toward Amelia. "Are you okay? I was so scared." She brushed at the tears that ran down her cheeks.
"I'm fine. But Storm…" She heard a familiar whinny and looked toward the barn. "Storm?"
"Red is seeing to his wound,” Sophia said. “Whoever fired at you just grazed Storm. He’s going to be okay."
The air was knocked out of her lungs. She closed her eyes and drew in shaky breaths. She’d thought he’d been killed. "I want to see him." She scooted off Renegade's lap but wobbled just a little.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked as he jumped out right after her. He grabbed her arm to steady her. “You should see a doctor.”
She looked at him and saw the worry etched on his face. She reached up and caressed his cheek. “I’m fine. It’s just a reaction to everything that’s happened.”
“Okay, but I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”
She smiled at him. “Good, I like knowing you’re close.”
He nodded. “Then let’s check on the horse.”
They hurried to the barn, and just as he promised, he stayed right beside her. Storm looked toward her as she entered the building. "How bad is it?"
"He'll be okay," Red said as he moved back so she could examine the wound. “I put some of your salve on it, but it wasn’t too deep.”
The bullet grazed his neck. "I was turning him around to come back. If not, the bullet would've hit differently, killing Storm. That's probably what was supposed to happen."
For just a moment when she’d been riding, she’d felt regret about what could've been between her and Alejandro. What a fool she'd been. Normal people didn't go around killing innocent animals as they tried to force people to conform to their will. Alejandro had accomplished one thing. Her resolve strengthened to make sure he would never hurt anyone else. "We've got to stop him." She looked up at Renegade for confirmation.
"We’ll stop him. But are you ready for what might happen to him?"
"Yes, he made his bed. Now he'll have to lie in it."
They left the barn when they heard the van pull up out front. Storm would be okay, but what about next time? They might not be so lucky. Or anyone connected to her. As Carter climbed out of the van, she looked at him.
He shook his head. "Someone was there, but they were gone when we arrived. We found a shell casing and boot prints that led to tire tracks. He probably couldn't get another shot off after the horse ran away. I don't think he was supposed to hurt you."
"Probably not. Alejandro still wants to use me. When he realizes that won't happen, that's when I’ll be in jeopardy."
"We won't let him," Kanon reassured her. The other men nodded their heads in agreement.
She only hoped they were right. "We'll have to act fast before he can hurt anyone else."
"I'm already on it," Carter said. "Capt. Sanchez has the location of Alejandro's homes you and Tony gave us. We're coordinating everything with him. Some other men on my team will work with him and his men. They'll keep us updated."
“Will that be enough?” she asked.
“A helicopter will monitor everything from the sky,” Carter continued. “That should keep Alejandro busy and out of trouble."
She glanced toward Tony. He met her gaze. She knew what he was thinking. They were underestimating Alejandro. Yes, she knew they were trained in covert operations and highly skilled, but they needed to understand what Alejandro was capable of.
She looked at Carter, then everyone else on his team, and knew there was more. Something they weren't telling her. "What?"
Carter looked at Renegade.
“Go ahead and tell her.”
She had a feeling she wouldn't like what Carter had to say.
“We need to move our headquarters closer to the mountain range. Just in case he gets past the federales. If they fail to catch him, that’s when we’ll intercept him. I found an abandoned hacienda for us to stay.”
She nodded. “When do we leave?”
Renegade faced her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “I’m a tracker. You saw how I found Marco. That’s what I’m good at.”
“He’s the best I’ve ever seen,” Cutter said.
She didn’t like the way this was going. “What are you saying?”
"Ethan can fly you back to the States. Tony and Sophia will go with you. Red and the other hands will take care of everything here. Maria and Angela will go to Angela's parents' home."
She nodded and watched him relax. “No.”
He frowned. “What do you mean, no?”
“I told you from the beginning that I needed to be involved—up to a point, of course. Yes, I've seen how good you are, but what if you had someone to lead the way? It would save time. There are too many places, too many wrong turns."
“The place I found isn't much,” Carter said.
“I don’t care.”
Renegade looked at Carter, then back at her. “We’re used to eating MRE’s and sleeping on the ground. I don’t think you are.”
If it would stop her father, she would endure any hardship. "I can handle it."
“Don’t you see, I don’t want you to go. I want you where I know you’ll be safe.”
“You had the chance to get away from Carlos. You could’ve stolen the horse and rode away. Why didn’t you?”
He grimaced when she brought up his past. “That was different.”
“How? Alejandro will never be anything to me.”
He shook his head. “You were having second thoughts. That’s why you wanted to be alone.”
“A momentary lack of judgment. Nothing more. I wanted what will never be, with a man who never existed.”
“And if he dies?”
She stepped away from him, turning her back. Little things exploded across her mind. Her nanny leaving, and she wasn't the first. What happened to her friend? The little boy of one of the workers. They'd fought, and he pushed her down. They disappeared.
So many people she never really questioned where they had gone. She believed Alejandro when he said they moved away, but had they? The same thing happened with her mother. One day she was there, then he said she’d died. Amelia questioned him once but he told her the memory was painful, so she never brought it up again. Had Alejandro killed her? She rubbed a hand across her forehead, suddenly feeling very weary. Now, she doubted everything he’d ever told her. How many more lives would he destroy?
She faced them again. “He had the chance to give himself up, but he chose not to. He has more money than he’ll ever spend.” She waved her arm in front of her. “He could’ve walked away from it all, but he craves power. He’ll never stop—unless someone captures or kills him. I know that, and I’m still willing to get you close to the fortress.”
Savage studied her. "She needs to be there," he finally spoke up. "She needs closure. Just like each of us has needed closure in one way or another. Sometimes, no matter how much you'd like to have a mother or a father who will love you to the ends of the earth and back, it will never happen. Some people aren't redeemable."
Their gazes met, and she saw the deep pain buried in his eyes. For a moment, she felt a connection. He knew what she was feeling and could relate to at least some of it. "You're right, it does hurt, but some fairytales won't come true. My father is the villain, and I know he has to be stopped. I need to be a part of it so I can heal.”
Savage nodded, then turned to Renegade. “We’ll protect her.”
His lips set in a grim line. She held her breath, waiting for him to say something.
“You’ll stay out of the way, do everything you’re told, and…”
She put a hand on his arm. "I'm just there to get you through the mountains. That's all. As soon as I know you can make it alone, Tony and I will stay put or return to the hacienda—whatever you decide."
He didn’t look as if he liked her decision, but at least he agreed to it, so they quietly began the move to the rented hacienda. Tony, Sophia, Renegade, and Amelia were in the Jeep, along with supplies they would need. Sophia had refused to stay behind, but she did agree not to go with them up the mountain.
Once they were ready, she grabbed a stick and began to draw on the ground. One by one, the men came over. She placed rocks where they needed to be, and when she was finished, she took a step back and looked at what she'd done.
“What is it?” Renegade asked.
“Alejandro’s fortress. It’s like a castle with a walkway on top. There are openings so they can fire at intruders.”
Carter moved forward and pointed at the rocks. “What are these?”
“Shed-like structures within the walls. That one is for the animals, if I remember correctly." She pointed to another. "This is where they keep food supplies. You could live there for a year without running out of food. Ammunition and more weapons are stored here. On the inside, the sleeping quarters for the family and Alejandro's top men are in the east wing up the third staircase. My bedroom was right above them in the tower. The other men stay in the west wing, but they'll be in constant rotation guarding the fortress."
“What about the surrounding area?” Dylan asked.
“Mountains and forest flank the fortress, but you'd only be able to get so far without his men picking you off one by one. It's impenetrable."
"And the only way to get in is to scale the walls or through the front?" Kanon asked.
She shook her head. "No, there's a door on the side, but the back of the supply shed blocks it."
They were all staring at her.
“And you know this how?”
She grinned. “Curiosity. I was playing in the shed and looking for something sweet. Alejandro rarely let me eat sweets. I was caught by one of the women who told me if I wasn’t careful, a Chaneques would grab me and carry me off." When she saw the confusion on some of their faces, she explained. "He's a legendary trickster. They're small and hideous. I still didn't believe her, and she was just as stubborn as I was. She moved a heavy dresser and showed me the door where the evil little monster would slip inside and steal little girls."
Renegade looked at the others. “We might just have our way in.” When he smiled at her, her insides turned to mush.
Ethan and Blade would take the plane back, and the rest of the team would leave in the van. It would look as if they were giving up and going home. She hoped that’s what Alejandro would think. She didn’t think he would fall for it, and she didn't think Carter thought he would either. Alejandro's ego was big enough that he might buy into it. Either way, they would be standing by if he made a run for the mountain fortress.
The drive was long, hot, and dusty. Even with the soft top on, the windows up, and the air conditioning running, the swirling dust made its way inside. The vehicle was old, and because of the rough terrain, it had taken a beating over the years.
When they finally arrived, she noted the hacienda wasn’t in much better shape. It wasn’t meant for long-term stays, she frowned, or any stays right now. Not all the rooms were livable, and a small family of goats left behind had taken up residence in one of them.
Sophia looked at her. "It's doable." She opened the oven door, and it fell off. "Or not."
“You can’t stay here after we leave,” Tony growled. He’d already refused to let her go up the mountain. Which she said was fine since she didn’t like to ride anyway.
"Don't worry, I won't. I will rent a room at that hotel we passed in town. Carter gave me a radio so we can stay in touch."
“You’re going into town alone to rent a room?” Tony looked at Amelia as if a woman never rented a room before.
“I think I’ll check out the other rooms,” Renegade said.
“I’ll go with you.” Amelia hurried after him, but she could still hear Sophia talking.
“Yes, and I can drive the Jeep all by myself, too. I know it would look strange if we all rented rooms, at least until we know what’s going on.” Sophia sauntered closer to him. “I’m a big girl, Tony.”
“I worry about you, though.”
“Good, you’re supposed to worry about me.”
Amelia looked at Renegade and smiled. “I’m glad they're together," she said.
"Me, too. Tony finally stopped glaring at me whenever I mentioned Sophia's name." He frowned. "You didn't have anything to do with getting them together, did you?"
“Absolutely not. They just realized they were meant for each other.”
“Yeah, if you say so.”
The others arrived, and everyone got busy making the place decent enough to spend the night. Renegade and Tony built a fire and set up the tripod made of solid steel and galvanized chain that would hang down and hold an iron pot. Sophia had packed everything before they left.
Now, she started a stew in the pot for dinner that night. Amelia, Tony, and Sophia were able to redirect the goats to the barn with the vegetable scraps and they seemed quite happy with their new rooms.
They continued working but stopped long enough for the sandwiches the maids and Sophia had packed for their lunch, washing them down with sodas from the ice chest.
“This is why I need you,” Amelia told her. “You think of everything.”
“She’s worth keeping,” Tony said with a smile.
Sophia frowned as she brought up her hands and studied them.
“What?” Tony asked, his expression turning worried. “Did you hurt yourself?”
“The only man keeping me is the one who puts a ring on my finger.” She turned and sashayed over to check on the stew.
Tony frowned. “But sassy as hell,” he mumbled. “I’m going to see if I can help someone do something.” He stomped back inside the house.
Everything began early the next morning. The federales and more men from Carter's team were hitting each of his homes simultaneously. The first three houses they raided were empty, other than a few staff members, and they didn't fight. The rest took longer because Alejandro had men stationed at each one and they did put up a fight. By the time they defeated them, they knew Alejandro had already fled.
"What about the helicopter? Has he spotted Alejandro or his men?" she asked, squeezing Renegade's hand. If Alejandro made it to the mountain range, they would lose him. Taking him down would be much harder if he made it to the fortress.
"Don't worry, we’ll get him. He can't hide from us forever."
But Alejandro was evil. He'd already made a deal with the devil. That's why no one had ever been able to kill him. She silently prayed that no one would get hurt. She knew it wasn't her fault Alejandro was so cruel. No one had a choice of who their parents would be. But still, she couldn’t stop the guilt she felt.
She’d tried to be a better person to make up for all the gifts she’d taken from him. She went out nearly every day searching for people trying to escape the cartels. But Renegade had been right when he said Alejandro was using her by letting her rescue some of the people.
"We just spotted him and about twenty of his men," the helicopter pilot came over the radio.
She jumped, her gaze moving to Renegade. She didn't recognize the man who held her hand. There was a change in him. He’d become one of the team. She didn't think he even noticed when she pulled her hand away. He was moving into fighting mode. This was the man he became after he left Carlos. Someone who would do anything to take down evil.
"We're backing off," the pilot said. "They’re firing at us, and they have heavy artillery." He quickly gave them the coordinates.
Carter pulled out a paper map since the internet was unreliable here and practically non-existent most of the time. He laid it flat and studied it. “We’re right about here.” He moved his finger across the paper. “And Alejandro and his men way over here.”
"He's going in a different way,” Tony said.
“That's the problem we were afraid of,” Carter said. “There's more than one way into the fortress."
"I can still lead you in," Amelia said. "He’s not going to change his mind. He’s headed there."
"If you can get us close enough,” Renegade began, “we’ll have Tony bring you back. I won't have you risking your life."
She wasn't going to argue with him. Besides, if she was safe, Renegade wouldn't worry about her. "I can do that," she promised him.
There were so many things that could go wrong, though. No, she couldn't think like that. She had to believe that they would capture Alejandro and put an end to his cruelty.
Chapter Twenty-three
Amelia stared at the sharply rising peaks of the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountain range. Why did everything look so different? It wasn't at all like she remembered. What if she couldn't lead them to the fortress?
She shifted in the saddle, looking to the right, then to the left. Alejandro would know she was coming after him with the team and that she might lead them to him. He wouldn't let her live after this. He would hunt her down, along with everyone she cared about, and he would kill them, too. What had she done?
Renegade nudged his horse closer, then reached out and took her hand. "Things change over time, but there will still be landmarks you’ll remember."
She looked at him. "What if I can't do this? Alejandro will go free. He will become the hunter and us his prey."
"Close your eyes, take a deep breath, then exhale. Remember back to the last time you came here. What did it smell like?"
