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“Hello?” I could hear the rotors of a helicopter whirring in the background, presumably more agents arriving.

“Vicente, it’s Lexi.”

“Lexi?” He raised his voice, presumably to make sure I heard him over the rotors. “Where are you?”

“I’m at the drug compound. The area is clear and all prisoners are safe. You’ll be able to speed your arrival by having the pilot land right at the compound.”

“What did you say?”

I raised my voice hoping he could hear me better. “I said the prisoners are free and the drug runners are all tied up. You can fly right here to the compound.”

“Tied up? Who did that?”

“The villagers. The women villagers, to be exact. They kicked ass.”

For at least fifteen seconds all I could hear was thewhoop, whoopof the helicopter blades. Then he spoke.

“Did you just say the village women took down an entire compound of drug runners...with no guns?”

“That’s exactly what I said. How far out are you?”

I heard him talking to someone for a minute and then came back on the line. “About an hour. IsEl Esqueletothere?”

“Slash says no. Or not yet, anyway. There’s a chance he might be arriving today.”

“We’re counting on that. Where will you be and where are the prisoners?”

“We’ve moved the prisoners away from the compound so they won’t immediately alert anyone that something has gone awry. Slash and Salvador will stay with the prisoners until you arrive, but we want to get the villagers out of here before you show up.”

Our line was breaking up, probably due to helicopter interference with the satellite line.

“Good idea,” he said. “Be careful.”

“I will. I’m going to turn off this phone to save the battery.”

“Understood. Over and out.”

He hung up, and I did the same, turning off the phone and hanging it around my neck. I walked back to the building where Slash had just finished up.

“One hour,” I said as soon as I crossed the threshold. “The agents are on their way.”

Chapter Fifty

Lexi

No matter how hard Slash, Salvador or I tried, the chief wouldn’t budge about me. Either the entire village stayed at the compound, including the wounded man, or I went with them back to the village.

“Why aren’t they listening to reason?” Slash said, frustrated, scratching at his chin where a beard was growing in. “They should have left twenty minutes ago. It’s not safe, and I don’t want them here when the agents arrive.”

“I don’t have a clue why the chief is being so stubborn. I tried to explain, but it’s really hard to communicate without Vicente. Obviously, I can’t justify their reasoning if I don’t understand it.” I checked the battery on the satellite phone to see how fast it was charging and set it back down. “Look, Slash, we know the villagers aren’t going to hurt me. Let me go back with them to the village. When Vicente arrives, take his phone and call me at two o’clock sharp on the satellite phone. If all is quiet at the compound, you can return to the village to retrieve me, tell me to wait, or I’ll ask one of the villagers to escort me back here so we can catch a helicopter out. Would that work?”

He shook his head. “I don’t like it. We’ll be separated again, there are too many variables, and I don’t know what the chief is thinking.”

I touched his cheek. “He knows I belong to you. I don’t like being separated any better than you, but it’s the best plan we’ve got. It’s theonlyplan if we want to get the villagers out of here now.”

He pulled me into his arms, resting his chin on top of my head. “This goes against my better judgment, but if you’re sure about this, I’ll support you. But be careful,cara. Don’t make me come after you again.”

“Believe me, that’snotpart of the plan...not that I actually have a plan. But somehow it’s important to the chief that I return with them, and I don’t want them here when the agents and helicopter arrives. Plus, I think the sooner they get the injured man home, the better.”