“To Rennell’s regret. But he got some satisfaction out of it.”

“Anton is dead, too. I killed him.” She shook her head. “Things are changing…It’s what we wanted, but it’s still strange.”

She straightened. “I guess I’d better go and be with Lara. Can you give me a ride back? Rennell forgot about me.”

“He has a lot on his mind.”

“Do you think I don’t know that? I wasn’t complaining. I understand him…I think.” She ran her hand through her hair. “And he gave me what I wanted today. I have to see if I can help him.” She turned and headed for his car. “But Lara first.”

He got in the driver’s seat. “By all means, Lara first.”

* * *

“Maria?”

Tanner had just told Lara what Maria had done, but she was still having trouble believing it. Yet there was no doubt it was Maria, though her shirt and jeans were dirt-stained, and there was a bruise on her left cheek. Maria looked up and smiled, then waited for Lara to come to her. Lara fought her way across the rocks to where Maria was getting out of Tanner’s car. “Are you crazy?” Lara enveloped her in a quick hug before she pushed her away. “What are you doing here? Are you all right?”

“Where else would I be? Did you actually think that I’d let you go without me? You’ve been on too many Trials over the years and left me behind. Not this one. I wasn’t going to sit back there and wonder what was happening to you. I needed to keep it from happening.” Her lips twisted sardonically. “But first I had to convince Rennell that I wouldn’t get in his way.”

“Tanner said you were with him. That was pretty weird, Maria?”

“He was the one who was going to be in the action. It seemed the place for me to be.” She glanced down the hill to the casino at Rennell, who was now in deep conversation with Tanner. “And it still does.” She started the Land Rover. “My job’s not finished yet. I’m going to follow Rennell out to Volkov’s place and see if I can help him.”

“Volkov’s place? What are you going to do?”

“Whatever I can. Probably not much.” Her gaze was still on Rennell and Tanner. “Rennell said this entire area is probably going to have law enforcement crawling all over it soon. We were a little…loud. Rennell said he and Tanner had talked and they want to get Sandrino out of that cave and take him home to Sandrino Place before that happens.”

“Of course they do. I’ll go with you.”

“No, you won’t. Rennell is going ahead. That’s the way he wants it. Tanner will follow us after he gets all the team safely away from here and on the road. You help him.” She paused. “After Tanner comes and they get Sandrino ready to go home, I’ll start making anonymous calls to the police, sheriff’s department, and Immigration. I’ll tell them what we found there. That way perhaps we’ll be able to send those poor victims home to their families, too. It shouldn’t take that long, and it might answer some of the questions they’ll be asking when they find what we did here to Volkov, Anton, and party.”