Page 65 of Prisoner of War
He had the pistol aimed at her. Dead center, with not a fraction of an inch of movement. It was like looking intothe dead, blank eye of eternity. She shivered.
“I killed your precious captain, but only because he tried to kill me,” Zalaya told her.
“Bullshit! Why would Duardo try to kill you?”
Zalaya made an impatient sound. “Because I was in the same army once. I was posted to Pascuallita, just like Peña. He recognized me in the hospital.”
“You worked with Duardo?” Minnie shook her head. “Why wouldhe kill you, then?” The reason dropped into place for her and she answered it herself, picking her phrases carefully to ensure the deception was maintained. “Because you betrayed Vistaria. You sold out to the Insurrectos.”
“Things like that happen in times of war,” Zalaya said dismissively. “Besides, I left the army long before the revolution began. Peña carried a grudge since then. At the hospital,when I was brought in and lay helpless, he saw his chance.”
“This grudge you speak of. Is that the reason you left the army?”
Zalaya waved the pistol impatiently. “Do not attempt futile diversions with me. I have no reason to give you this explanation. You should recognize that fact by remaining silent. Accept what I tell you, woman. No one else can offer you this boon.”
“Why do you bother,then?” she shot back.
“To show you how you waste your time mourning for a weak failure of a man.”
She shook her head. “He was not weak.”
“I stand here. He does not. Who is the stronger, hmm?”
“He was recovering from a bullet through the back that would have killed any other man.” She smiled. “Yet he still came close enough to killing you that you were scared into retaliating with deadly force.”She put her hands on her hips. “In fact, I’m betting he came at you with no weapons but his own bare hands and you took him out with a gun.” She pointed to the deadly eye staring at her. “I bet it was that one.”
Zalaya snapped on the safety and shoved the gun back into his pocket. “I will return in two hours. Be naked and waiting for me.”
“Why don’t you give Torrez that order instead? He’d bendover for you in a heartbeat.”
Zalaya grew still. “I will turn off the screens this time,” he said softly. “You hear far too much for your own good.”
She crossed her arms. “Who was it that ordered the roof over the outside path be taken away?”
Zalaya’s eye widened in surprise. “If I was not certain before, you have just confirmed that you can be no one other than Minerva Benning, one of onlytwo Western women who would know there was a roof there once.”
“Yeah, like you didn’t already know,” she shot back. “Who ordered the roof be torn down?”
His eye narrowed. “You are not in a position to ask questions,” he reminded her.
“Call this my boon, then. Your heroism in slaughtering an unarmed man you can shove up your ass.”
He considered it for a moment then shrugged and looked at hiswatch again. “I seem to recall that General Serrano gave the order.” He walked to the door, limping heavily. He maneuvered around the broken china and shattered glass. At the door, he paused, head down, hand on the handle. Considering. He spoke softly. “It would appear that your quest here is over, would it not? You have found what you came for.”
He stepped through the door and shut it firmlybehind him.
Minnie was careful not to look at the camera as she sat on the bed. Her skin crawled with the knowledge that someone other than Zalaya could be watching her right now. It had to be Serrano—the paranoid general who needed someone like Zalaya to monitor everything and everyone, the general who took away the roof of the walkway so he could watch all who approached his palace.
Who watchesthe watchers? There was only Serrano left. But why watch at all?
The answer was obvious.
He didn’t trust Zalaya either.
That was not the only reason for her shiver. It was Duardo’s last message to her:Your quest here is over. You have found what you came for.
Added to his last message on the mirror, it was a demand that she find a way to leave.
Without him.
