up into his face. "I'm finished."
His eyelashes swept halfway down as he stared at her, concealing his expression from her. “I see my friend.” Guerrero kept her close to them, making his way into the center of the market. He stopped near an alley. “Bob, I’m glad you could make it on such short notice.”
“No problem. I’ve got all you need.” Bob passed Guerrero a sack then glanced at Tory. “You must be the lady he’s helping.”
“Yes.”
Guerrero dug into his wallet and pulled out money. “Does that cover it?”
“Yeah. Stay safe, man. You and the lady have a nice time in the forest.” He raised his brows.
Guerrero’s body tautened as though he suddenly realized the potency of their close proximity, but he didn't remove his arm about her. “We'd better be going." He scanned the crowd. "I don't like this. Too many people."
Tory searched the faces of the men and women nearby. They all seemed innocent enough, but she knew the foolhardiness of that line of thinking. She was glad when she saw the Jeep. Only a few more yards, and they would be on their way to Juan's office and then to the dig site.
Crack!
Guerrero threw Tory to the pavement, the breath rushing from her lungs at the hard impact. He covered her body with his, shielding her completely from view. She tried to inhale, but her heart was beating so rapidly she couldn't get a decent breath.
Terror clawed at her throat as another shot rang out in the marketplace. Sensations bombarded her: screams, sounds of people fleeing, of stands being turned over, the grit of the pavement beneath her, the pressure of Guerrero's massive body on hers.
An eternity later, silence ruled, a silence as thick and heavy as the humid air.
"When I get up, run for the Jeep," Guerrero commanded in a whisper.
He rose.
Tory did too. She twisted around to look at the marketplace—deserted, a chaotic mess. Stunned by the suddenness of the violence, she couldn't believe the destruction. Guerrero grabbed her hand and began running toward the Jeep. She had to force herself to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.
He flung open the door and shoved her inside then himself, pushing her over to the passenger's side. Throwing the Jeep into gear, he sped away from the market.
Tory looked back. People began to emerge from their hiding places. They started to right their stands, picking up their scattered merchandise. Life went on. The sound of a police siren would soon be the only thing that attested to the fact something violent had happened.
Finally, she twisted back around and stared at the road ahead. Half-formed questions weaved in and out of her mind like a drunk walking a straight line.
"Did that have to do with me?" she asked when Guerrero parked near the government building where Juan's office was located.
Guerrero faced her, his arm sliding along the top of the seat she sat in. "I honestly don't know. Like everywhere else, this country has its criminal elements. Sometimes they disagree."
"Does that happen often?"
"Usually Puerto Sierra is a peaceful country. Lately, there has been more activity."
"Drugs?"
"Maybe, but also this could be tied to antiquities."
"The black market?"
He nodded curtly, his expression fierce. "As you know, some parts of Puerto Sierra are remote, and many sites weren't found or explored until recently."
The danger she was in was worse than she thought. "What is the government doing about it?"
"As much as a poor country can do."
"Which means?"
"Not much. Not enough manpower. According to Juan, something has to be in immediate danger to warrant him removing men from one site to place at another."
"I would consider the Temple of the Stars in that category."
"As you said, it's a minor site. It has to be an important site." Guerrero kept sweeping his gaze over their surroundings.
"You seem to know a lot about it."
A shadow crossed his face briefly before he was able to mask his expression. "Juan is a good friend. We talk about the problems facing Puerto Sierra’s heritage. My mother was from here.”
Tory wondered about that fleeting glimpse of pain that had clouded his eyes. She sensed his life was full of secrets as deep and mysterious as the lake near her home in the United States. Could she delve beneath his depths as she had explored beneath the lake's? Dare she try? "Your heritage means a lot to you. Is that why you finally agreed to help me?"
"Like you, Juan thinks there's more to the Temple of