He turned and found himself facing Colonel Ramon Acoca. My God, he's frightening-looking, Santiago thought.
"I am Sergeant Santiago, sir."
"Has anyone left the inn?"
"No, sir. They're all inside, probably asleep by now."
The colonel turned to his aide. "I want half our men to form a perimeter around the hotel. If anyone tries to escape, they are to shoot to kill. The others will come with me. The fugitives are in the two back bedrooms upstairs. Let's go."
Santiago watched as the colonel and his men entered the front door of the parador, moving quietly. He wondered if there would be a lot of shooting. And if there was, he wondered if his uncle might be killed in the cross fire. That would be a pity. But on the other hand, there would be no one he would have to share the reward money with.
When the colonel and his men reached the top of the stairs, Acoca whispered, "Take no chances. Open fire as soon as you see them."
His aide asked, "Colonel, would you like me to go ahead of you?"
"No." He intended to have the pleasure of killing Jaime Miro himself.
At the end of the hall were the two rooms where Miro and his group were staying. Acoca silently motioned six of his men to cover one door and the other six to cover the other door.
"Now!" he screamed.
It was the moment he had been burning for. At his signal, the soldiers kicked in both doors simultaneously and rushed into the rooms, weapons ready. They stood there in the middle of the empty rooms, staring at the rumpled beds.
"Spread out. Hurry! Downstairs!" Acoca shrieked.
The soldiers raced through every room in the hotel, smashing doors open, waking up startled guests. Jaime Miro and the others were nowhere to be found. The colonel stormed downstairs to confront the room clerk. There was no one in the lobby.
"Hello," he called out. "Hello." There was no response. The coward was hiding.
One of the soldiers was staring at the floor behind the desk. "Colonel..."
Acoca strode over to his side and stared down at the floor. The bound and gagged body of the clerk was slumped against the wall. A sign had been hung around his neck. It read: PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Rubio Arzano watched in horror as Lucia disappeared under the rushing waters and was swept downstream. In a split second he turned to race along the river bank, leaping over small logs and bushes. At the first bend of the river, he caught a glimpse of Lucia's body coming toward him. Diving in, he swam frantically to reach her, struggling against the powerful current. It was almost impossible. He felt himself being pulled away. Lucia was only ten feet away from him, but it seemed like miles. He made one last heroic effort and grabbed her arm, his fingers almost slipping away. He held her in a death grip as he grappled his way to the safety of the shore.
When Rubio finally reached the river bank, he pulled Lucia up on the grass and lay there, fighting for breath. She was unconscious and not breathing. Rubio turned her over on her stomach, straddled her, and began to apply pressure to her lungs. A minute went by, then two, and just as he was beginning to despair, a stream of water gushed out of her mouth and she groaned. Rubio uttered a prayer of thanks.
He kept up the pressure, gentler now, until her heartbeat was steady. When she began to shiver from the cold, Rubio hurried over to a clump of trees and pulled down handfuls of leaves. He carried them over to her and started to dry her body with them. He was also wet and cold, and his clothes were soaked, but he paid no attention. He had been panicky with fear that Sister Lucia would die. Now, as he gently rubbed her naked body with the dry leaves, unworthy thoughts came into his mind.
She has the body of a goddess. Forgive me, Lord, she belongs to You, and I must not think these wicked thoughts...
Lucia was gradually awakened by the gentle stroking of her body. She was on the beach with Ivo, and his soft tongue was moving down her body. Oh, yes, she thought. Oh, yes. Don't stop, caro. She was aroused even before she opened her eyes.
When Lucia had fallen into the river, her last thought had been that she was going to die. But she was alive, and she found herself looking up at the man who had saved her. Without even thinking, she reached out and pulled Rubio down to her. There was a look of shocked surprise on his face.
"Sister - " he protested. "We can't - "
"Sh!"
Her lips were on his, fierce and hungry and demanding, and her tongue was exploring his mouth. It was too much for Rubio.
"Hurry," Lucia whispered. "Hurry."
She watched as Rubio nervously stripped off his wet clothes. He deserves a reward, she thought. So do I.
As Rubio moved hesitantly toward her, he said, "Sister, we shouldn't - "
Lucia was in no mood for conversation. She felt him join his body to hers in a timeless, mindless ritual, and she gave herself up to the glorious sensations that flooded her. It was all the sweeter because of her close brush with death.
Rubio was a surprisingly good lover, both gentle and fierce at the same time. He had a vulnerability that took Lucia completely by surprise. And there was a look of such tenderness in his eyes that she felt a sudden lump in her throat.
I hope the big oaf isn't falling in love with me. He's so eager to please me. When was the last time a man cared about pleasing me? Lucia wondered. And she thought of her father. And she wondered how he would have liked Rubio Arzano. And then she wondered why she wondered whether her father would have liked Rubio Arzano. I must be crazy. This man is a farmer. I'm Lucia Carmine, the daughter of Angelo Carmine. Rubio's life has nothing to do with my life. We were thrown together by a stupid accident of fate.