"What about Rodrigo's army?" Jake asked.
"No one knows how many men were there, but they've discovered at least a half dozen bodies. Some may have escaped, but since they ran instead of trying to save the ranch, their allegiance to Rodrigo and the cartel is doubtful. I believe the danger to Jake and his friends is gone."
Katherine let out a sigh, feeling as if the last weight had slipped off her shoulders. She smiled at Jake and TJ. "It's over then. We can go home."
Neither man immediately agreed with her. "What? We can't go home?"
"Rodrigo was just one part of the problem," TJ said somberly. "He's dead, but who else is out there? If I go back to Texas, knowing as much as I know, will I be safe? Will Mom?"
And just like that, her worries came rushing back. "You need to talk to some high- level authorities. Alicia said she had a contact at the FBI. We'll start there."
"We can also ask Danielle for help," Jake put in. "She works for Senator Dillon. He'll be concerned about whatever is going on at MDT. They're a big company in his home state."
"A company that supports his campaigns," TJ said.
"Then he'll want to make sure they're clean," Katherine said.
"All right, I'm game," TJ said. "Obviously, I didn't do that well on my own, so I'll take some advice."
"I do think we should stay under the radar until we get out of Mexico," Jake said.
"How are we going to get out? We don't have passports or ID or money," she said, suddenly remembering that they'd lost everything.
"I'll talk to Rusty. He can fax copies of our passports to the airport in Tuxtla Gutiérrez. We'll hire a small plane. It will be easier, and when we get to the States, we'll get Alicia or Dani to help us with whatever we need," Jake said.
"My passport is probably still at the inn," TJ said. "Unless someone cleaned out my room."
"We'll check on the way to the airport," Katherine said. "And if not, I'm betting Mom still has a copy. We'll get one of her caregivers to look for it."
"That's settled then," Jake said, swinging his legs off the side of the bed.
Katherine quickly moved to his side. "Don't get up for a second. Let me check your wound." She quickly unwrapped the bandage and was thrilled to see no sign of infection. "It looks good. I'm better than I thought."
Jake smiled. "You've always been better than you thought."
She smiled back. "Thanks." She re-bandaged his leg and then stood up.
"I have money for you," Sylvia said, pressing an envelope into Katherine's hand.
"We'll pay you back," Jake said.
"I'm not worried."
Paolo stepped forward. "You can take my truck to the airport. My cousin will drive me over there later to get it. I'll take Sylvia home."
"Thank you, Paolo—for everything," Jake said, shaking the older man's hand.
"You've freed our people from the devil. It is I who should thank you," Paolo said. "Sylvia? Shall we go?"
"A moment," she said. "I need to speak to my great-grandson before we leave."
Katherine stepped away from the bed. As Sylvia took Jake's hand, she decided to give them a little privacy. "We'll wait outside," she said, motioning for her brother to join her on the porch.
* * *
"Jake," Sylvia said.
He squeezed his great-grandmother's hand as she gave him a loving and somewhat sad smile. "Thanks for saving my life, Mamich. I don't know how you called the lightning, but when I saw the jagged streaks of light raining down around me, I felt your power."
"The power of our ancestors. I have wondered these past years what was left for me on this earth—why I was still here when so many others have gone before me. It was for this. I was waiting for you to come back."
He felt unsettled by her words. It sounded like she was ready to say good-bye. "We don't have all the answers yet, Mamich. We don't know how my father's medallion got to the ranch."
"You will find the truth, and then your father's soul will be free to move on."
He didn't know about freeing his father's spirit, but he would do everything in his power to find the truth.
"You didn't just rescue Katherine and her brother," Sylvia continued. "You stopped a lot of people from getting hurt."
He smiled at her. "I think we did that, Mamich. I wasn't a believer before, but I am now."
"You have the heart of a warrior." She leaned over and kissed his forehead. "One day you will hear of my passing. I do not want you to be sad. Remember that we had this adventure together. That we did something great."
He didn't want to hear her talk of death, but he could see she was determined to speak.
"Your father was a good man. If he was at the ranch, it was not because he was working with the cartel. It was because he, too, was trying to stop them. I believe that with all my heart."
"I know he was a good man. I have no doubts."
"I want to give you something else, Jake."
"You've already given me so much."
"It's not for you; it's for Danielle."
She pulled a heavy gold band off her finger. "This is the ring your great-grandfather gave me when we married. I want you to give it to Danielle." Sylvia smiled. "She won't like it. She'll think it's ugly, but tell her that if she needs strength, the ring will give it to her. She won't believe you, but it is true. She's the final piece in the puzzle."
He didn't think Dani would appreciate anything Sylvia was saying, but he took the ring and put it in his pocket. He'd make sure Dani took it, even if she just put it in her jewelry box. After his great-grandfather's medallion had saved him from a bullet, he didn't doubt that she knew best when it came to protecting her family.
"And tell Alicia that I leave her my house, my herbs, your father's letters, the story of our family. Tell her to come one day and collect whatever she needs."
He shook his head. "I will bring Alicia and Dani down here in the next few weeks. You can talk to them then. You can tell them what you're telling me."
"It would be good to see them," she said, but he could tell she was only saying what she thought he needed to hear. "But just in case—"
"No, Mamich. We're just getting reacquainted," he said. "Whoever is calling you from the other side—you tell them to wait. You have more to do here."
"My sweet Jake. Always know that wherever you are, I am watching over you. When the lightning strikes, it is only to show you what you need to see."
He nodded. She helped him to his feet, and they exchanged a long hug and then slowly made their way outside. Every step was painful, but for some reason the physical pain didn't feel as bad as the ache in heart as he watched Sylvia and Paolo get into their car.
"I was going to come and get you," Katherine said, putting her arm around him. "Everything all right?"
"Yes," he said, but his gaze followed Paolo's truck down the road. He had a feeling that he would never see his great-grandmother again. He would have been sad about her loss before this trip, but now he could feel the depth of the coming pain. He'd connected to her. They'd shared a powerful moment. He told himself he'd come back before too long and hope that she still had more time left on this earth. He turned back to Katherine. "Let's go home."
Eighteen
They made a brief stop at the inn on their way to the airport to retrieve TJ's passport. As Paolo had said, there seemed to be an air of celebration in the village with children playing, guitars strumming, and smiles on everyone's faces. Despite the festive atmosphere, Jake was happy when TJ got back in the truck, and they drove out of the village. He wanted to put as many miles as he could between themselves and any lingering members of Rodrigo's army.
"I almost forgot," Katherine said, handing him a cell phone. "Paolo gave me this. You should call Rusty."
He did so immediately and after making his conversation as brief and efficient as possible, he got Rusty to agree to find them a charter, pay for it and send copies of their passports to the airfield. While Katherine's name hadn't been o
n the charter to Mexico, Rusty had insisted on getting a copy of her passport before putting her on the plane. Now, Jake was happy that his boss had been so demanding.
After he hung up with Rusty, he called Alicia. There were so many things he had to tell his sister, he didn't know where to start, but he settled on the most pressing problem—making sure TJ would be safe once they got back to the States. He told Alicia that TJ had been kidnapped by a drug cartel who had probably been sold MDT-developed weapons by Jerry or someone else in the company. TJ had important information and was still in danger, so they needed to make sure he got help from the right people.
While Alicia had a million questions, she quickly realized that he couldn't answer most of them and told him she would call her contact at the FBI and see what they should do. He told her he would wait for her to call back and hung up.
"Alicia will make some calls," he told TJ and Katherine.
"You didn't tell her about your dad," Katherine commented.
"I wanted her to focus on TJ's situation. There will be time for all that later."
"Thanks for doing that," TJ said. "I probably should have called the FBI to start with, but MDT has a lot of friends in high places. I was too afraid to reach out on my own."
"You're not on your own anymore," Katherine said. "I'm not letting you out of my sight until I know you're going to be protected."
"I feel the same way about you," TJ said.
As the two exchanged a look, Jake wondered just what had gone on at the ranch before he'd gotten there. He had a feeling he was not going to like whatever it was. But he told himself that TJ and Katherine were fine; that was all that mattered.
Ten minutes later, Alicia called him back. "That was fast," he told her.
"I spoke to Special Agent Wolfe," Alicia said. "He's in DC. He thinks you guys should fly straight there rather than going back to Corpus Christi. He said a lot of governmental agencies will want to talk to you, and they can protect you."
"That makes sense," he replied.
"I spoke to Dani," Alicia continued. "She's going to talk to the senator as well. She said to come to her apartment when you land. I'm going to get on a plane, too, and meet you there."
"You don't have to do that."
"Are you kidding? I want to know everything, Jake."
Of course she did. "All right. I'll call Rusty and see if he can get us a flight to DC. I doubt we'll be there before tonight."
"Keep me posted and have a safe trip."
"Thanks." He ended the call and punched in Rusty's number. When Rusty answered, he said, "Looks like we need three seats on a plane to DC. Can you make that happen?" Rusty said he would do his best and to check in when they got to the airport.
Jake sighed and shifted positions as he handed Katherine the phone. He was a little cramped sharing the seat with Katherine—not that he'd ever complain about being too close to her, but his leg was starting to throb.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm good. Rusty is going to see what flights he can get us to DC."
"I'm sorry I ever doubted him, Jake."
"Don't worry about it."
"You should rest," she said, looking at him with a critical eye. "I think we've got a ways to go."
She was right. It took them almost two hours to get to the airport in Tuxtla Gutiérrez. They bypassed the main terminal for the smaller terminal on the other side of the airfield that serviced small private planes.
After calls between Rusty and the airport office, they were put on a plane shortly after eleven. It would be an eight-hour flight to DC. With the time change, they'd arrive around ten o'clock at night.
While they waited for their flight, they bought breakfast in the café with the money Sylvia had given them. Jake felt a lot better after downing an order of huevos rancheros and drinking two large glasses of orange juice.
"I'm glad you have an appetite," Katherine said.
"It never goes away," he said with a smile.
"I'm going to use the restroom," TJ said.
As TJ left the table, Jake saw Katherine's concerned gaze follow her brother across the room. "He's going to be okay," he assured her.
"I won't feel safe until we get in the air. I keep thinking someone is going to show up any second and try to stop us."
He couldn't deny that she had reason to be concerned. Rodrigo and his men might be dead, but whomever they were working with at MDT was alive and well.
Katherine turned her gaze back to him. "How are you feeling?"
"You have to stop asking me that. I'll tell you if there's a problem."
"I wish I could believe you would," she said pointedly. "But you're not a complainer."
"Finally, something you like about me," he teased.
"You know I like a lot of things about you. But I am worried the long flight is going to be too much for you."
"I'll make it."
"Those herbs your great-grandmother gave you are going to wear off, and you're going to hurt, Jake."
"I can take the pain. I'm so happy that we're alive, nothing else matters." He reached across the table and put his hand over hers. He had a dozen things he wanted to say to her, but before he could utter a word, TJ came back.
"Am I interrupting?" TJ asked. "Do you want me to wait outside?"
"No," Jake said, letting go of her hand. "It's time to go anyway, and I think the three of us should stay together."
"So you're worried, too," Katherine murmured as they headed toward the door.
"Like you, I'll feel better when we're off the ground."
The plane had eight passenger seats. Katherine took the window, while he sat on the aisle and TJ sat next to him on the opposite aisle. Also on board was an older couple in their sixties who said they were taking a second honeymoon. After some casual chatter, the couple turned their attention to their books and computers while TJ promptly fell asleep.
"Your brother is already out," Jake said as the plane took off.
"He's exhausted."
"You must be, too."
"I'm going to try to nap now that we're in the air." She tipped her head to the window, to the view unfolding before them. "Look at all that rain forest, Jake. I think we hiked through most of it."
"We did."
"I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever get out of it. I used to like being on the ground more than flying, but that's changed."
"It's a different perspective; that's for sure."
She glanced back at him. "Is it strange to be a passenger and not be in the pilot's seat?"
"Actually, I'm not too upset about it."
"Because you're in pain."
"It's not that bad."
"You have to tell me if you start feeling chilly, hot, or dizzy," she said, giving him a close look. "While Sylvia's herbal medicine seemed to take the infection right out of you, I don't know how long the effects will last."
"They'll last. She's good. So are you. Hailey would be proud."
A smile spread across Katherine's mouth. "She would have loved our adventure."
"I think she was with us."
"Me, too." Katherine paused. "When she died and I didn't, it made me feel like I had to do something important with my life, because she couldn't. That's part of what drove me, Jake."
"I know. And you did it, Kat. You're still doing it. Every day."
"So what did Sylvia say to you when you were alone in the cabin?"
"She said good-bye. It felt…final."
"I guess at her age any visit from a relative probably feels like it could be the last," Katherine said carefully.
"It was more than that. It was as if she'd done what she was supposed to do. She kept saying this was why she'd lived so long—it was for our destinies to cross, for us to save the village from El Diablo."
"She does have a way with words," Katherine said.
"I know it's all crazy. If we tell anyone that we blew up the ranch with some matches and the help of a bad-assed lightning stor
m, no one will believe us."
"Or they'd say we just got lucky with the timing of the storm."
"And that's probably what it was."
"As a scientist, I'd have to agree with that, but despite words to the contrary, I think your great-grandmother is a little bit of a witch. She spooks me, anyway. Mostly in a good way, but I wouldn't want to get on her bad side."
He grinned. "Me, either. She told me how to save you, and Paolo helped me set everything else up. I just had this terrible fear when I got to the ranch that you might not actually be there."
"I wondered if you would find me, too, because I wasn't sure where I was. They kept me blindfolded until I was inside. Rodrigo was there; he had an evil smile. He told TJ that if he didn't fix the weapons system, they would hurt me. He gave him two hours. You got there just before the deadline."
His stomach turned over. "God, Katherine. I had no idea."
Her somber blue gaze met his. "You came in time. That's all that matters."
"You must have been terrified."
"I was," she admitted.
"I was, too," he said, looking into her eyes. "When I realized they'd taken you from the yard, I felt a crushing blast of fear. I didn't know how I was going to save you." He took her hand. "I hate to think that you were so close—"
"Don't think about it," she said, cutting him off. "Because then I'll think about it, too, and I really don't want to."
He could see that despite her bravado, she was hanging on by a thread. "You should sleep, Kat. We'll talk it all out when we get to DC."
"We'll be able to keep TJ safe, right?"
He saw the lingering worry in her eyes. "We'll make sure of it."
"I wish I could have spoken to my mom."
Katherine had called her mother from the airport, but the caregiver had told Katherine that her mom was asleep, and Katherine hadn't wanted to leave a message.
"You'll talk to her when we get to DC."
"You're right."
He settled more comfortably into his seat. He wanted to keep talking to Katherine, but exhaustion was catching up to him. "I think I'm going to close my eyes."
"You should. I'll be here when you wake up."
He looked over at her. "You said that last night."
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