Before Nightfall - Kat Martin Page 0,15

of Romero Aeromotive in Laredo, a small, private and corporate aircraft terminal. He punched in the code Alex had given him and a gate slid back, opening a portion of the chain-link fence surrounding the property.

Colt drove through the gate and continued across the asphalt to a blue metal hangar with an office on one side. He turned off the engine, and both of them climbed out of the Mustang.

The damp heat hit him. The asphalt felt soft under the soles of his low-topped leather boots. He liked Texas, but he wasn’t crazy about the weather.

A good-looking Hispanic man sauntered out of the office to greet them, about five-eight, thick black hair, linebacker shoulders, and the thighs of a weightlifter.

“Colt! My friend, it’s good to see you!” They embraced and leaned in to bump shoulders.

“Good to see you, too. Alejandro Romero, meet Lissa Blayne.”

She stuck out her hand, and in typical Alex fashion, he clasped it tight and engulfed it in both of his. The guy was a charmer, always had been. Colt usually found it amusing. Today, when Lissa flashed Alex a wide white smile, Colt felt a trickle of irritation. Since he wasn’t the jealous type, he forced himself to ignore it.

“It’s good to meet you, Lissa,” Alex said. His voice was smooth, with a trace of a Spanish accent. “Come inside out of the heat and we’ll figure all of this out.”

They walked into a cluttered office, over to a metal desk with a computer on top, a wheeled chair on one side and two metal chairs upholstered in blue vinyl on the other. A bulletin board loaded with newspaper clippings about the air force base hung on the wall, along with framed pictures of Alex’s blue-and-silver chopper, an Airbus EC 120.

“You want a beer or something?” Alex asked.

“No, thanks,” Lissa said.

“Maybe later,” said Colt, keeping his options open. For the next few minutes, he filled Alex in on the missing boy, his father, Ray Spearman, and the compound El Puñal owned in Monterrey.

“You need more than just a helicopter, my friends,” Alex said. “You need information. We’ll fly down together, stay till we get what we need. I have family in Monterrey. And I know people there who can help us.”

“Us?” Colt repeated.

Alex shrugged those linebacker shoulders. “Things have been pretty dull here lately. I could use a little excitement.”

Lissa brightened. “That would be great, Alex. We could really use your help.”

“Things could get rough,” Colt warned.

Alex grinned, flashing a mouth full of ivory in a darkly masculine face women loved. “Sounds perfect.”

Colt leaned back in his chair, damned glad to have Alex on board. “All right,” he said. “Let’s make it happen.”

The three of them went to work.

CHAPTER EIGHT

LISSA REALLY LIKED Alejandro, who preferred she call him Alex. He was smart and capable and, once they had come up with a plan, determined to make it work.

“We’ll leave this afternoon, fly across the border into Nuevo León and down to Monterrey. It’s only a hundred and thirty miles, an easy flight in this weather.”

“Where do we land?” Colt asked.

“There’s a small private airport south of the city. The owner, Benito Cortez, is a friend. He and his family are extremely well connected. I’ll call him, ask him to find out what he can about El Puñal. We need a location. Info about the area where the guy lives, and anything else Benito might be able to come up with.”

Lissa felt a rush of excitement. She was eager to get started, but she wanted to find out if there was anything new on Spearman or Timmy first. “I need to make some calls, as well. See if there are any new developments before we leave.”

Pulling her cell from the pocket of her black stretch jeans, she excused herself and walked out into the hot, humid air. She made the call from a spot in the shadow of a metal building, which provided at least a little shade.

This was her second call to Julie that day. She had phoned from the motel first thing that morning. Ray hadn’t brought Timmy home or phoned to let Julie talk to him.

“Lissa...” Julie’s voice trembled over the line. “I was hoping you’d call again. Have you found Timmy?”

“Not yet. I just wanted to let you know we’re still on the road. We’ve got a couple of leads we’re pursuing. I’ll keep you posted. If you hear from Ray, phone me immediately.”

“I will.”

“I’ve got another call to make, so I’ve got