Escape Out of Darkness (Maggie Bennett 1)

“We can waste time fencing, Senora Bennett, or you can invite me in and we can come directly to the point.” There was no answering polite smile on his face.

“Or we could come directly to the point without inviting you into our room,” she said sweetly. “I think I like that option the best. That way if you decide to finish what you started this afternoon, there will be witnesses.”

“Senora Bennett, you know as well as I do that if I had really wanted you and Senor Pulaski dead, nothing would have stopped me. A machine gun and armed soldiers against two civilians on foot is a very uneven match.”

Maggie nodded, having come to the same conclusion. “So you just decided to scare the hell out of us, General? For what purpose?”

“If you would care to invite me in, I might tell you.”

Maggie found herself in the midst of a paralyzing struggle. On the one hand, she wanted to turn and get Mack’s opinion. On the other, she was still fighting like crazy having to rely on anyone else. So she stood there, motionless, fighting herself, until common sense finally reared its ugly head. It was Mack’s life, after all. He deserved some say in the matter.

“One moment, please,” she said to the general with exaggerated politeness, closing the door in his face. She turned to Mack, leaning against the door. “What do you think? Should we let him in?”

Mack stood there, staring at her for a long moment. And then he crossed the room, caught her face in his strong, warm hands, and kissed her full on the mouth. “Sometimes, Maggie,” he whispered, “you absolutely amaze me.”

She fought the treacherous warmth that swept over her. “That still doesn’t answer my question, Mack,” she said, keeping her voice stern.

“Sure, have him in. I don’t think he’d come out in public if he was planning to murder us.”

Maggie reopened the door, gesturing the general in with a flourish. The one bed was a wreck of tangled sheets and tossed pillows, and Mack was still casually buttoning his shirt, his feet bare, his eyes bland. There was clearly no question as to what the two of them had been doing all afternoon, and Maggie met the general’s quizzical expression with a look almost of defiance.

“Senor Pulaski,” he greeted him. “We were not properly introduced earlier today, but I of course know who you are.”

“Of course,” said Mack in his rasping voice.

“The question is, how are we to get you two safely to Chicaste?”

“Why would we wish to go to Chicaste?” Maggie perched on the wide dresser, her eyes never leaving Castanasta’s hands in case they felt like straying to one of the guns strapped around his torso.

“Because that is where the CIA has set up military training camps. And that is where Van Zandt has been serving as an adviser, off and on for the last three years.”

That was also the name of the town that had escaped her memory, Maggie had to grant him that much. “You intend to help us?” She didn’t bother to keep the skepticism out of her voice.

“I intend to help you, senora. If you were to meet with Mendoses and follow his instructions, I doubt you would make it as far as Danli.”

“Lieutenant Mendoses didn’t send armed men to chase us through Tegucigalpa,” Mack said, sitting down on the bed and pulling on his shoes. Maggie took a moment to notice that he, too, kept his attention on Castanasta’s weapons.

Castanasta hesitated for a moment. “I will, as you say, lay my cards on the table. You know that the RAO and the ACSO are bitter rivals. What you don’t know is that the ACSO was behind the drug deal that Senor Pulaski so unfortunately stumbled into. They are riddled with informers, incompetents, and traitors, and we of the RAO want nothing to do with them. Unfortunately we have certain agreements. And one is that you were to be disposed of if you made an appearance. Your knowledge is very embarrassing to the ACSO.”

“Sorry about that,” Mack said.

“However, I have no desire to serve as executioner for those fools. We put up a good show, my men, eh? I think the ACSO was convinced we tried our best to eliminate you. We have no quarrel with you, senor, nor do we have any stake in keeping you alive. We do, however, have need of getting in touch with the training camp, and we are willing to assist you in return for you being the bearer of certain information.”

“Why don’t you send one of your own men?” Maggie questioned sharply.

Castanasta spread his hands. “Again I will be honest and tell you something that you probably already know. We are very short of men. We have no more than eight stationed in Tegucigalpa, and I can spare none of them.”

“And how many do you have in Chicaste? Not two thousand, as you told me earlier.”

“Not even two hundred, senora. We need money quite desperately, and we have been waiting for Van Zandt to bring it.”

“Bring it from where?” Maggie demanded.

“Don’t you mean from whom?” Mack interjected.

She considered glaring at him, then thought better of it. “You’re right, I mean from whom. If it’s coming from my country, I want to know who’s sending it. The last military aid package was voted down, thank God, and …” Belatedly she realized that opinion wouldn’t go over too well with the man in front of her, but he just shook his head.

“I already know that you don’t approve of our revolution, senora. It is of no concern to me, as long as you do not interfere.”