BooksBarbecue
Back The Last Mile Save as PDF
Chapters (49)
  1. Also by
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Epigraph
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT
  13. CHAPTER NINE
  14. CHAPTER TEN
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  48. EPILOGUE
  49. Teaser chapter

“As you said, I’ve got plenty of work to do. I’ll see you later.” Abby headed for the door. They would be leaving soon for Mexico. Nothing was more important. Especially not her unwanted feelings for Gage.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

AFTER A STOP IN HOUSTON, UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 3216 ARRIVED at Mexico City International Airport at 2:15 in the afternoon.

A white Lincoln stretch limo waited to take them to the Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico in the Zócalo district downtown, the area that housed the national palace, the seat of the Mexican government.

As Gage leaned back in the deep red leather seat, he couldn’t resist a glance at Abby, who stared out the window as if she were in a trance.

Gage smiled. The city was in every way amazing. With its wide, tree-lined boulevards and beautiful colonial buildings, it reminded him of Madrid. Not surprising since the Spanish had conquered the Aztecs in the sixteenth century and built the first cathedral in Mexico City on top of an Aztec temple.

“It’s beautiful,” Abby said, clearly in awe. “There’s so much color. It’s everywhere.”

Color splashed everything from murals and street art to food vendors and musicians playing guitars, drums, and horns with a distinctive Latin beat. Though the buildings in the center of the city were hundreds of years old, in the distance, towering, sophisticated, ultra-modern structures dominated the skyline.

“I wish we had more time,” Abby said wistfully.

Gage understood. He had wanted to see the world, and so far he hadn’t been disappointed. There was a dark side to every city, cruelty and injustice in every country, but the good mostly outweighed the bad. Everyplace he went held a certain unique appeal.

“We’ll finish our business, and as soon as we get the chance, we’ll come back.”

The minute the words were out of his mouth, he realized his mistake. Once the expedition was over, so was his time with Abby.

For a moment, her gaze met his, and he saw his thoughts mirrored there. She made no reply, just turned to look out the back window as if she might have missed something. Then he felt her hand on his arm.

Worried golden eyes met his. “Gage—I think someone’s following us.”

He turned toward the window. “Which car?”

“Older silver Mercedes. I noticed it as we left the airport, but I didn’t think anything about it. It’s been behind us all the way into the city.”

“Could just be he’s headed in the same direction.”

“Could be, I guess.”

But now that Abby had pointed it out, Gage kept an eye on the vehicle, which stayed at a steady distance about six cars back. More and more people knew he was heading up an expedition. Arrangements had been made, discussions with people who were experts on the history of the area, people in the government like Juan Ortega.