“I’m terribly sorry about that. Here, let me clean you up.”He wiped her mouth and breasts with a damp cloth. “You can relax a little, Ms. Dalton. I have no plans to rape you. I find rape a vulgar and offensive act. The position you’re in, it’s… how do I word this? Designed to create maximum insecurity. It’s especially effective on men, probably because they’ve never been in this position. Sadly, I wish I could say this won’t be painful, but that would be lie and I think we should be honest with each other.”

“Please. I don’t know anything!”

“My dearest Nichole, how charmingly arrogant. What makes you think this has anything to do with you?”

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Nathan and Harvey lifted off from Montgomery Field just after 1300 hours and flew due east to avoid entering MCAS Miramar’s airspace. With a little luck, they’d be landing at Bullfrog Basin Airfield by 1900.

“We’re at a distinct disadvantage,” Harv said. “We can’t initiate a full-blown pursuit using dozens of federal agents without spooking him into deep hiding, and we probably won’t find him without using dozens of agents. We’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t.”

“The key to finding him is in here.” Nathan lifted his hand off the collective for a split second and pointed at his flight helmet. “We just have to dig it out.”

“That could be dangerous.”

“Tell me about it.”

“You aren’t seriously considering Holly’s hypnosis idea, are you?”

“Actually, I am. If the question’s whether it’s worth the risk, then I’d have to say yes. I really hate the idea of the woman and her little girls in Montez’s possession.”

“Yeah, me too. Who else is at risk? Montez will keep torturing and killing for decades if we don’t stop him. Apparently he loves his work too much to quit.”

“Whatever he’s up to, the stakes are high. He wouldn’t involve himself in a trivial operation. I’ll bet he’s being paid a bundle.”

A telephone tone interrupted them. Harv patched it through the NavCom. He pressed the transmit trigger on his cyclic control. “Hello.”

“Harvey? It’s Holly.”

“Hi, Holly. Nathan and I are on our way out to Lake Powell.”

“Just wanted to let you know that through my counterpart in Salt Lake, I’ve arranged for your transportation and lodging at Bullfrog Bay.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Nathan said.

“It’s no trouble at all. A special agent from our Monticello resident office will meet you at the airstrip. Can you write his cell number down?”

Harv noted the phone number on the aeronautical chart.