Morgan's Rescue (38 page)

     
Pilar's lips parted, slick and glistening from his kisses, the corners lifting tenderly. She raised her hands and settled her small, slender fingers on the sides of his face. The love shining in her eyes shook him to the depths of his soul, and for the first time, Culver realized just how much Pilar loved him—had always loved him. Her love was fierce, he discovered, and no less loyal than his for her. His smile was very male, very tender, as he leaned down and barely touched his mouth to hers.

     
"I love you," he whispered thickly against her lips. "Forever…"

     
C
ulver tried to contain his surprise when they arrived back at the village that evening. Major Mike Houston was standing near their hut deep in conversation with several of the village elders. Culver's grip on Pilar's shoulders tightened momentarily, and she gave him a worried look. No one had expected to see
Houston
again. Why was he here, in their village?

     
Grimly, Culver quickened his pace. His hand dropped from Pilar's shoulder and he captured her hand, squeezing it gently to convey his support.

     
"There you are,"
Houston
said, looking up.

     
Culver sized up the Special Forces officer, dressed in his fresh, tiger-striped utilities, a dark red beret on his head.
Houston
's pistol was at his side, and his black jump boots gleamed with a high polish. "What's going on?" Culver growled, halting and holding out his hand in greeting.

     
Houston
smiled a little, nodded deferentially to Pilar,
then
devoted his attention to Culver. "I've been waiting a couple of hours for you,
Lachlan
." He gestured toward the clearing near the village where a U.S. Apache helicopter had landed, fully loaded with weapons. "I decided to drop in and let you know that the Peruvian government has taken out Ramirez."

     
Culver's brows dipped. "Taken him out?"

     
Houston
's face grew hard. "Remember the fortress where he kept Morgan?"

     
"Of course."

     
"It's been leveled. The government decided to go after the son of a bitch—" He broke off abruptly, giving Pilar a distressed look. "Pardon me, ma'am, I didn't mean to be so graphic. . . ."

     
Pilar nodded. "I understand, Major."

     
Relieved, his mouth twitching with the hint of a smile, he held Culver's assessing gaze. "Ever since you two rescued Morgan, the Peruvian government has been working overtime to locate Ramirez. Our spies told us he'd returned from
Bogota
. We found out he was planning to completely destroy this village as an act of revenge." With a shrug, he said, "When I found that out, I suggested to the general that we ought to do a little leveling of our own first. Of course, the Apaches were flown by Peruvian pilots. I just went along as an observer." His smile broadened. "Too bad you weren't there,
Lachlan
. You'd have been our cheering section. Those Apaches destroyed the army of choppers Ramirez used to ferry the cocaine in and out of the country. Not only that, but the chief was there and got caught in the cross fire."

     
Culver's eyes narrowed. "Ramirez is dead? How can you be sure?" The drug lord had the nine lives of a cat. Over the years, Culver knew, the Peruvian government had tried many times to capture him.

     
"I saw it with my own two eyes."
Houston
settled his large-knuckled hands over his narrow hips. "After the Peruvian pilots leveled the fortress, we landed and went in with a company of land-based troops to finish the job. Whoever had survived was taken prisoner at that point. We found Ramirez's body in some of the rubble near the hacienda. He was dead."

     
Culver saw the glitter in
Houston
's eyes and understood the officer's pleasure in finding the drug lord dead. He felt Pilar's reaction and looked down at her. She'd gone pale. Automatically, Culver placed his arm around her small shoulders and drew her gently against him.

     
Houston
sobered. "One of the women from the village, who had watched the attack, came up to us. She asked for a pistol from one of the officers and he gave it to her. She and her daughter had been raped by Ramirez. She put the gun to the man's head and pulled the trigger. So I know he's dead."

     
"Justice," Culver muttered, "finally."

     
Houston
nodded gravely. "I was telling the elders of the village that they're really safe now. And so are you. One of Ramirez's men spilled the beans. During interrogation, he told us there was a mole in Hector Ruiz's office—it was his secretarial assistant, Manuela. She's in jail awaiting trial."

     
Pilar's eyes widened enormously. "Manuela gave us away, then?"

     
Culver nodded. "We were attacked by Ramirez's men at Hotel of the
Andes
," he explained to Mike. "And I thought Ruiz had sold us out. I was wrong." He gave Pilar an apologetic look.

     
Houston
's eyes narrowed speculatively on Culver. "I understand you're going to stay down here and make your home in the village?"

     
Culver nodded.
"For now.
We may decide to alternate years between the village and my family's home in
Colorado
. We can have the best of both worlds for our daughter that way. My parents want to see Rane grow up, too."

     
With a shrug, Mike grinned a little and looked around. "Not a bad way to live, really. You've got the sun for light, clean water from the
Andes
and good volcanic soil to raise food." He smiled down at Pilar.
"And a good woman.
Wish to hell I had one."

     
"Someday, if you get lucky like me, you might,
Houston
. Until then, you'll be another lone wolf."

     
With a sigh,
Houston
took off his beret to wipe the sweat from his forehead,
then
settled it back on his head. "Yeah, I was afraid of that. One more bit of information and then I'll leave you to your safe, idyllic life here,
Lachlan
. I called Perseus the other day to check on Morgan's condition."

     
"How is he?" Culver asked. The man had never been far from his thoughts in the past two months.

     
"The same, I'm afraid. He spent eight weeks recovering in the navy hospital at
Bethesda
. The doctors have written him off. Nothing they do
seems
to bring back his memory. He doesn't know his name. He doesn't remember Perseus. Worse—"
Houston
grimaced "—he doesn't recognize his wife, Laura, or their two children. Helluva sad situation, isn't it? It's going to be a pleasure to make a call to Jake Randolph. He's still running Perseus, and I can't wait to let him know we've taken Ramirez permanently out of the picture."

     
"How sad," Pilar whispered, tears in her voice, "for Morgan and his family. What will his wife do?"

     
"I guess she's planning on taking Morgan to a special place he loves—a cattle ranch in
Arizona
. Morgan made friends with the rancher's son in
Vietnam
, and the family has offered them a cabin on their property that's fairly isolated, so they can have time to get to know each other again. Jake said that Laura's extended family will take care of their children while they take some time off together. I think Laura's hoping that relaxing surroundings and getting him out of that hospital setting will help jog his memory. Quality time alone, you might say."

     
Pilar shook her head and pressed her hand to her lips. "Oh, I feel so badly for Laura. How awful to be with her husband, who once loved her and now sees her as a stranger. How hard it must be for her. . . ."

     
Culver squeezed her gently. "We know from experience that love is never easy."

     
Pilar wiped the tears from her eyes as she absorbed Culver's tender, loving look. "No, it's not. But love, if it's true, will never die."

     
Houston
sighed. "At least there's one happy ending in this ongoing mess. I've got to get back to
Lima
before they start wondering where the hell that Apache helicopter is." He smiled a goodbye to Pilar,
then
held out his hand to Culver. "Stay well and happy,
Lachlan
. Since I'm permanently assigned to
Lima
as a military attaché, let me know if there's anything you need, okay?"

     
Culver gripped the officer's lean, spare hand. "You bet I will. Thanks, Mike—for everything." With Ramirez dead, Culver knew, people of the region could breathe a huge, collective sigh of relief.

     
"I hear from Pilar's grandparents that they're hoping you're going to be a papa—again—real soon,"
Houston
teased.

     
Culver had the good grace to blush. He looked down to see Pilar blushing, too. Automatically, she placed her hand on her belly in response, and the elders surrounding them chuckled indulgently.

     
With a hearty laugh,
Houston
clapped Culver on the shoulder and left, striding toward the waiting helicopter. Culver turned with Pilar to watch him walk away.

     
"I cannot believe all this," Pilar whispered as they saw
Houston
disappear inside the helicopter, the door shutting behind him. The blades began to turn slowly.

     
"What?
About Ramirez?"
Culver asked, his gaze on the helicopter, but his heart centered on Pilar.

     
"Yes. It's like a prayer that's been answered. He was such a monster, Culver."

     
With a sigh, Culver turned and led her toward their hut. The elders nodded, the group breaking up and heading to their homes for the evening meal. As the helicopter took off, the noise echoed against the slopes above the village. At the door to their hut, Culver turned and watched the dark green aircraft lift into the sky, hazy now as the sun rode low on the horizon. Pilar's arm went around his waist, and she leaned on him.

     
"Major Houston is a good man. I don't understand why a woman hasn't fallen in love with him yet."

     
Culver chuckled. "Sweetheart, Houston is a professional soldier."

     
"You are a mercenary. What is the difference?"

     
"Was," he corrected as he led her into the hut. Someone had left a vase filled with colorful wild orchids in the main room. The soft dusk light filtered through the windows, and Culver seated himself on one of the wooden chairs. Pilar took a seat on the straw mat at his feet and began to prepare the evening meal.

     
An incredible peace blanketed Culver. He had everything, he realized humbly as Pilar leaned against his knee. Her legs were crossed beneath her skirt, her bare feet hidden by the material. As he looked around the simple hut, he realized he was the richest man on earth. He'd seen the envy in
Houston
's eyes—for the man didn't have a good woman to love and accept him. Culver had recognized that look of longing, and it made him feel damned lucky.

     
Reaching down, he caressed Pilar's hair. "Rane will be here soon. Grandmother Aurelia said she would bring her home at dusk, if you're worried."

     
Pilar looked up and smiled tenderly at him. She tied off one long, thick braid with a scrap of red yarn. "I am not worried,
mi querido.
" She caught and captured his hand. Guiding it down to her belly, she placed her two hands over his one large one. "Do you wish for another child?" she whispered, holding his burning gaze.