Flame of Diablo (29 page)

covered it, crying his name, as if she

would dig with her bare hands to reach

the man she loved. Thin choking dust

was ascending from the tunnel she had

just used, invading her mouth, making

her eyes stream.

She said, 'Vitas,' over and over again

like a desperate litany, her imagination

creating for her the terrible picture of the

lithe bronze body which she had clasped

in ecstasy lying crushed and broken in

the darkness below.

She was crying in earnest now, the tears

pouring from her smarting eyes and

making runnels in the grime on her face.

She pressed her fist against her mouth

like a child, trying to suppress the moans

which rose up inside her.

Hands touched her, and she stiffened in

rejection. 'Leave me. Go away,' she

begged. 'I just want to die!'

'But life is still sweet,
querida,
as I told

you last night.'

She rolled over on to her back, her eyes

widening with disbelief as she stared up

at him. He was as dirty as she was, his

clothes in shreds. There was a nasty

contusion on his forehead, and blood

welling from a gash on his shoulder,

clearly visible through his torn shirt.

'Vitas!' She flung herself into his arms

which closed round her, crushing her

against him. 'What happened? How did

you get out?'

'The same way as you did, Raquel, but

without Pablo's helping hands to assist

me over the last few yards.' His mouth

claimed

hers

with

hungry

possessiveness. 'At one point I didn't

think I was going to make it, then I heard

you calling me,
amada, queridissima.''

'I thought you were dead. I heard the shot

—and then the landslip begin. I didn't

see how anyone could survive down

there ...' She broke off and stared at him,

suddenly numb with horror. 'Mark,' she

whispered. 'Oh God—how could I have

forgotten? Where is he? You didn't bring

him with you.'

'He was still in the lower tunnel when I

provoked Rodriguez into firing his gun. I

told him to run. If he obeyed, then he has

a chance.' He took her in his arms again,

stroking her hair. 'I would have got him

out with you through the air shaft,

querida,
if it had been possible. You

know that.'

'Yes,' she said dully. She turned her face

into his uninjured shoulder and stayed

still and quiet, resting against him, trying

to regain her control.

After a while, Vitas helped her to her

feet, and they began the slow difficult

descent to the base of the cliff. She could

see

the

remaining

members

of

Rodriguez' gang, including Carlos, being

rounded up by the military and herded

away at gun-point. But she couldn't even

rejoice in that. Her eyes were drawn

painfully to the tunnel entrance where

soldiers were digging. She remembered

the dream she'd had, and began to

tremble.

'Vitas,

amigo.'

Captain

Lopez

approached at a run. Tor
Dios,
I would

not have believed anyone could survive

such an earthquake.' He gestured behind

him. 'They are bringing them out now.'

Rachel made a small convulsive

movement and his eyes went to her.

'Oh, not your brother,
senorita.
He has a

broken leg, but he is alive. He was

almost at the entrance when the rockfall

began. One of my men is putting a splint

on his leg, and then you may talk to him

—reassure yourself.'

'Captain Lopez,' Rachel's voice shook,

'I'm going to kiss you.'

'Senorita.'
The look he sent Vitas was

wary in the extreme, but his smile was

delighted! 'I should be honoured.'

He bent his head while she pressed her

lips to his cheek.

'All my life,' she said, 'I shall remember

you pulling me out of that hole into the

air. It was a miracle, your being there

like that. And now you've given Mark

back to me.'

He laughed. 'Hardly a miracle,
senorita.

They require no planning, and we have

been waiting for a chance to annihilate

Rodriguez and his men for a long time.

Vitas has been working with us, using

himself as bait. When we realised

Rodriguez was holding your brother, we

knew the chance we needed had come at

last. But our plans had to change when

we found that you had gone down to the

mission.'

'Plans?' Rachel said quietly.

'Why, yes,
senorita.'
He glanced at Vitas

in surprise. 'At least ' he laughed

awkwardly.

'It's all right,' she assured him levelly. 'I

know what happened. You've been here

for quite some time, haven't you, keeping

an eye on the mission—at least two

days?'

He nodded. He looked hotly aware that

he had blundered in some way, but had

no idea where his transgression lay.

'Si, senorita.'

She gave him a dazzling smile, in spite

of her coating of dirt. 'You're very good

at your job,
senor
captain. I hadn't the

least idea there was a soldier within a

hundred miles. If I had—if I'd realised

the whole thing from beginning to end

was a set-up, just to trap Rodriguez—

then all sorts of things might have been

different.'

Captain Lopez gave her an unhappy

look. He said, 'You must not minimise

the danger,
senorita.
Things could have

gone wrong at any minute. Rodriguez is

an animal, he obeys his instincts. He

does not reason. He might well have

shot Senor de Mendoza when he walked

into the courtyard last night.'

She said sweetly, 'Oh, but the Senor is a

gambler, as you must know. He would

know how to calculate the odds. And

when he holds a winning hand,' she

added, her voice shaking with temper.

Captain Lopez gave her a baffled but

respectful glance. 'You will excuse me,

senorita?
And you, Vitas? I have much

to attend to.'

'Yes, go, Pablo.' There was a note of

grim resignation in Vitas' voice. 'I will

talk with you later,
amigo.'

He waited until the captain was out of

earshot, then said gently, 'Raquel, I know

what you must be thinking.'

'Too damned right, you know!' She faced

him stormily, her breasts heaving. 'I'm

thinking of the fool I made of myself last

night. I'm dying with shame when I think

of it. You could have told me that Lopez

and his men were all around, but you

didn't.'

'No, I did not. But I had a reason. I had

to convince Rodriguez that my surrender

to him was genuine. If I'd told you the

truth, your relief might have betrayed us

all. One word, one gesture might have

been enough.'

'Well, that's all right, then,' she said

tightly. 'Because the only person I

betrayed was myself. Pushing my way

into your room, arguing with you, forcing

myself on you— because I thought it was

the last night—the only night.. She broke

off with a little gasp as his hands

gripped her shoulders.

'And because you now discover you

were wrong, that makes a difference?' he

grated. 'Is this some strange quirk in the

English character, that you are permitted

to enjoy your men only in retrospect,

never in the flesh? Are you trying to tell

me you'd prefer me as a dead hero

instead of a live lover? That was not

your reaction just now when I found you

weeping on top of the cliff. Or were you

demonstrating your skill as an actress?'

'I'd had a terrible shock,' she flung back

defiantly. 'And if we're talking about

acting ability—you should be in the

profession yourself,
senor.
Oh, before I

forget,' she bent, thrusting her fingers

down inside her boot. 'There's this little

bit of scene dressing—that touching

letter I was supposed to carry to your

mother. Let's get rid of that, shall we?'

She tore the letter savagely into

fragments and scattered them.

'Just a minute.' He caught her arm. 'If

Rodriguez' bullet had hit me just now,

you would have been delivering that

letter, Raquel. Do you realise that?'

'I'm only sorry it didn't!' The thought of

the previous night, the things she had

said, the things she had done, was

burning her up inside, making her

careless how she wounded him 'But you

knew it wouldn't. You weigh up every

risk before you take it, don't you,
senor?

And all the possibilities. That's what I

can't forgive. The way you faced me and

gave me every reason why I shouldn't—

sleep with you, except the true one. You

let me sacrifice myself ...'

'Sacrifice!' He uttered a mirthless laugh.

'
Dios
, the virgin martyr! Besides,' he

added

sardonically,

'I'm

sure

a

sacrificial victim wouldn't enter quite so

fully into the spirit of the occasion. I

have scratches on my back from your

nails, little wildcat.'

'You dare,' she hissed, 'to insult me by

reminding me of any of the humiliating

details and I'll...' She paused, lost for a

suitable revenge.

'Bite?' he supplied, his brows lifting

mockingly. 'You did that too,
querida.

Shall I strip and show you exactly

where?'

She cried out and her hand came up,

striking him across the face. For a

moment he looked incredulous, then

incredulity hardened to fury, and she did

not need to look round to know that her

action had been witnessed by some of

Captain Lopez' men. But even so she

was not prepared for what happened

next.

As she turned to walk away, going in

search of Mark, his hand-caught her,

jerking her backwards, lifting her off her

feet and downwards over his bent knee.

His hand descended with stinging effect

four times before he released her,

kicking and struggling, her cheeks flying

scarlet banners of temper.

'You swine,' she choked. 'You—you ...'

'Strike me again, Raquel, and you now

know what to expect,' he said coolly.

'Don't worry,' she said between gritted

teeth. 'I wouldn't lay a finger on you. I

hope I never have to see you again!'

'A hope sadly destined to be unfulfilled,'

he drawled.

There was something in his voice which

halted her once more in her tracks.

'What do you mean?'

He shrugged. 'We had a bargain,

querida,
which I intend you to keep. I

brought you here in return for—certain

favours. The taste I had last night has

whetted my appetite for more. This is

only, the beginning, Raquel.'

And it was he who walked away,

leaving her staring after him white-faced

and suddenly speechless.

CHAPTER TEN

Captain Lopez' quarters at the army post

might be Spartan in their simplicity, but

they boasted a small private bathroom

where water gushed from taps. It also

had a door that bolted, and Rachel gave

a sigh of relief as she slid the bolt into

place.

She had to be alone, to think, to plan

what she was going to do next, and she

wanted peace and privacy for this. Even

Vitas, she thought, would hesitate to kick

down a bathroom door which did not

belong to him.

They had travelled to the post by jeep,

and the presence of the driver, not to

mention Pablo Lopez, had obviated

conversation of a personal nature, and

Rachel could only be thankful.

She winced as she lowered her body

into the warm water, and each separate

scratch and graze made its presence felt.

Not to mention the bruises she had

suffered

subsequently,

she

thought

morosely.

But if the truth were told, the slaps Vitas

had administered had hurt little but her