Page 81 of Vistaria Has Fallen

“Do you have a car Icould use, Nick?” she said at last. “Minnie took my Uncle’s car. I could follow her up the coast, see if I can find her that way.”

“You would not have lasted five minutes outside the gates here once the people realized who you were. Do you think you would have an easier time of it with people on the run from their homes, from violence?”

“Damn it, Nick, I have to do something!”

“I know.” Hetouched her cheek. “I would not have you running into the same boiling cauldron as Minnie.”

His cell phone rang. He cursed and reached for his back pocket. “Only the most critical people have this number. I can’t ignore it.”

“It’s okay,” she assured him, with a sigh.

“Sí?”He listened, then looked at her sharply. “Duardo, where are you?” he said into the phone.

Calli sat up straight.

Nicklistened for a long time. “Wait,” he said into the phone and looked at her. “I must speak Spanish. It’s quicker for us, okay?”

She nodded.

Nick spoke rapidly, with few pauses. “Do you know for certain that Minnie would go to Duardo’s house in Pascuallita?” he asked her.

Calli shook her head. “Minnie already knew Pascuallita had fallen. That was why she left. She went to find Duardo. I thinkshe would go to the base, or try to.”

He nodded and spoke to Duardo again. Then he shut down the phone and tucked it in his back pocket. “Come with me,” he said briskly.