The Sands of Time (28 page)

Megan stood there watching as Jaime and Felix left. She sensed a tension between the two men that she did not understand.

Amparo was studying her, and Megan remembered her words:
Jaime is much too much man for you.

Amparo said curtly, “Make up the beds. I’ll prepare lunch.”

“All right.”

Megan went toward the bedrooms. Amparo stood there watching her, then walked into the kitchen.

For the next hour, Megan worked, busily concentrating on cleaning and dusting and polishing, trying not to think, trying to keep her mind off what was bothering her.

I must put him out of my mind,
she thought.

It was impossible. He was like a force of nature, taking over everything in his path.

She polished harder.

When Jaime and Felix returned, Amparo was waiting for them at the door. Felix looked pale.

“I’m not feeling too well. I think I’ll lie down for a bit.”

They watched him disappear into a bedroom.

“Paco called,” Amparo said excitedly.

“What did he say?”

“He has some information for you, but he didn’t want to discuss it on the phone. He’s sending someone to meet you. This person will be at the village square at noon.”

Jaime frowned, thoughtful. “He didn’t say who it is?”

“No. Just that it was urgent.”

“Damn it. I—never mind. All right. I’ll go meet him. I want you to keep an eye on Felix.”

She looked at him, puzzled. “I don’t un—?”

“I don’t want him using the telephone.”

A flash of understanding crossed her face. “You think that Felix is—?”

“Please. Just do as I ask.” He looked at his watch. “It’s almost noon. I’ll leave now. I should be back in an hour. Take care,
querida.”

“Don’t worry.”

Megan heard their voices.

I don’t want him using the telephone.

You think that Felix is—?

Please. Just do as I ask.

So Felix is the traitor,
Megan thought. She had seen him go into his bedroom and close the door. She heard Jaime leave.

Megan walked into the living room.

Amparo turned. “Have you finished?”

“Not quite. I—” She wanted to ask where Jaime had gone, what they were going to do with Felix, what was going to happen next, but she did not want to discuss that with this woman.
I’ll wait until Jaime returns.

“Finish up,” Amparo said.

Megan turned and went back into the bedroom. She thought about Felix. He had seemed so friendly, so warm. He had asked her many questions, but now that seeming act of friendliness took on a different meaning. The bearded man was looking for information that he could pass on to Colonel Acoca. All their lives were in danger.

Amparo may need help,
Megan thought. She started toward the living room, then stopped.

A voice was saying, “Jaime just left. He will be alone on a bench in the main plaza. He’s disguised in a wig and mustache. Your men should have no trouble picking him up.”

Megan stood there, frozen.

“He’s walking, so it should take him about fifteen minutes to get there.”

Megan listened with growing horror.

“Remember our deal, Colonel,” Amparo said into the telephone. “You promised not to kill him.”

Megan backed into the hallway. Her mind was in a turmoil. So Amparo was the traitor. And she had sent Jaime into a trap.

Backing away quietly so Amparo would not hear her, Megan turned and ran out the back door. She had no idea how she was going to help Jaime. She knew only that she had to do something. She stepped outside the gate and started down the street, moving as fast as she could without attracting attention, heading toward the center of the city.

Please, God. Let me be on time,
Megan prayed.

The walk to the village square was a pleasant one, with side streets shaded by towering trees, but Jaime was unaware of his surroundings. He was thinking about Felix. He had been like a brother to him, had given him his full trust. What had turned him into a traitor willing to put all their lives in jeopardy? Perhaps Paco’s messenger would have the answer.
Why couldn’t Paco have discussed it on the telephone?
Jaime wondered.

He was approaching the village square. In the middle of the plaza was a fountain and shade trees with benches scattered around. Children were playing tag. A couple of old men were playing
boule.
Half a dozen men were seated on the benches, enjoying the sunshine, reading, dozing, or feeding the pigeons. Jaime crossed the street, slowly moving along the path, and took a seat on one of the benches. He looked at his watch just as the tower clock began to chime noon.
Paco’s man should be coming.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jaime saw a police car pull up at the far end of the square. He looked in the other direction. A second police car arrived. Officers were getting out, moving toward the park. His heart began to beat faster. It was a trap. But who had set it? Was it Paco, who sent the message, or Amparo, who delivered it? She had sent him to the park. But why? Why?

There was no time to worry about that now. He had to escape. But Jaime knew that the moment he tried to make a run for it, they would shoot him down. He could try to bluff it out, but they knew he was there.

Think of something. Fasti

A block away, Megan was hurrying toward the park. As it came into view, she took in the scene at a glance. She saw Jaime seated on a bench, and the policemen closing in on the park from both sides.

Megan’s mind was racing. There was no way for Jaime to escape.

She was walking past a grocer’s shop. Ahead of her, blocking her path, a woman was pushing a baby carriage. The woman stopped, set the carriage against the wall of the store, and went inside to make a purchase. Without a moment’s hesitation, Megan grabbed the handle of the baby carriage and moved across the street into the park.

The police were walking along the benches now, questioning the men seated there. Megan elbowed her way past a policeman and went up to Jaime, pushing the baby carriage ahead of her.

She yelled,
“Madre de Dios!
There you are, Manuel! I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I’ve had enough! You promised to paint the house this morning, and here you are sitting in the park like some millionaire. Mother was right. You’re a good-for-nothing bum. I never should have married you in the first place!”

It took Jaime less than a fraction of a second. He got to his feet. “Your mother is an expert on bums. She married one. If she—”

“Who are you to talk? If not for my mother, our baby would starve to death. You certainly don’t bring any bread into the house…”

The policemen had stopped, taking in the argument.

“If that one was my wife,” one of them muttered, “I’d send her back to her mother.”

“I’m damned tired of your nagging, woman,” Jaime roared. “I’ve warned you before. When we get home, I’m going to teach you a lesson.”

“Good for him,” one of the policemen said.

Jaime and Megan noisily quarreled their way out of the park, pushing the baby carriage before them. The policemen turned their attention back to the men seated on the benches.

“Identification, please?”

“What’s the problem, Officer?”

“Never mind. Just show me your papers.”

All over the park, men were pulling out wallets and extracting bits of paper to prove who they were. In the midst of this, a baby began to cry. One of the policemen looked up. The baby carriage had been abandoned at the corner. The quarreling couple had vanished.

Thirty minutes later, Megan walked through the front door of the house. Amparo was nervously pacing up and down.

“Where have you been?” Amparo demanded. “You shouldn’t have left the house without telling me.”

“I had to go out to take care of something.”

“What?” Amparo asked suspiciously. “You don’t know anyone here. If you—”

Jaime walked in, and the blood drained from Amparo’s face. But she quickly regained her composure.

“What—what happened?” she asked. “Didn’t you go to the park?”

Jaime said quietly, “Why, Amparo?”

And she looked into his eyes and knew it was over.

“What made you change?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t changed. You have. I’ve lost everyone I loved in this stupid war you’re fighting. I’m sick of all the bloodshed. Can you stand hearing the truth about yourself, Jaime? You’re as bad as the government you’re fighting. Worse, because they’re willing to make peace, and you’re not. You think you’re helping our country? You’re destroying it. You rob banks and blow up cars and murder innocent people, and you think you’re a hero. I loved you, and I believed in you once, but—” Her voice broke. “This bloodshed has to end.”

Jaime walked up to her, and his eyes were ice. “I should kill you.”

“No,” Megan gasped. “Please! You can’t.”

Felix had come into the room and was listening to the conversation. “Jesus Christ! So she’s the one. What do we do with the bitch?”

Jaime said, “We’ll have to take her with us and keep an eye on her.” He took Amparo by the shoulders and said softly, “If you try one more trick, I promise you you’ll die.” He shoved her away and turned to Megan and Felix. “Let’s get out of here before her friends arrive.”

C
HAPTER
T
HIRTY-FIVE

“Y
ou had Miró in your hands and you let him escape?”

“Colonel—with all due respect—my men—”

“Your men are assholes. You call yourselves policemen? You’re a disgrace to your uniforms.”

The chief of police stood there, cringing under the withering scorn of Colonel Acoca. There was nothing else he could do, for the colonel was powerful enough to have his head. And Acoca was not yet through with him.

“I hold you personally responsible. I’ll see that you’re relieved from duty.”

“Colonel—”

“Get out. You make me sick to my stomach.”

Colonel Acoca was boiling with frustration. There had not been enough time for him to reach Vitoria and catch Jaime Miró. He had had to entrust that to the local police. And they had bungled it. God alone knew where Miró had gone to now.

Colonel Acoca went to the map spread out on a table in front of him.
They will be staying in Basque country, of course. That could be
Burgos or Logroño or Bilbao or San Sebastián. I’ll concentrate on the northeast. They’ll have to surface somewhere.

He recalled his conversation with the prime minister that morning.

“Your time is running out, Colonel. Have you read the morning papers? The world press is making us look like clowns. Miró and those nuns have made us a laughingstock.”

“Prime Minister, you have my assurance—”

“King Juan Carlos has ordered me to set up an official inquiry board into the whole matter. I can’t hold it off any longer.”

“Delay the inquiry for just a few more days. I’ll have Miró and the nuns by then.”

There was a pause. “Forty-eight hours.”

It was not the prime minister whom Colonel Acoca was afraid of disappointing, nor was it the king. It was the OPUS MUNDO. When he had been summoned to the paneled office of one of Spain’s leading industrialists, his orders had been explicit: “Jaime Miró is creating an atmosphere harmful to our organization. Stop him. You will be well rewarded.”

And Colonel Acoca knew what the unspoken part of the conversation was:
Fail and you will be punished.
Now his career was in jeopardy. And all because some stupid policemen had let Miró walk away under their noses. Jaime Miró might hide anywhere. But the nuns…A wave of excitement coursed through Colonel Acoca. The nuns! They were the key. Jaime Miró might hide anywhere, but the sisters could find sanctuary only in another convent. And it would almost certainly be in a convent of the same order.

Colonel Acoca turned to study the map again. And there it was: Mendavia. There was a convent of the Cistercian order at Mendavia.
That’s where they’re headed,
Acoca thought triumphantly.
Well, so am I.

Only I’ll be there first, waiting for them.

The journey for Ricardo and Graciela was coming to an end.

The last few days had been the happiest Ricardo had ever known. He was being hunted by the military and the police, his capture meant certain death, and yet none of that seemed to matter. It was as though he and Graciela had carved out an island in time, a paradise where nothing could touch them. They had turned their desperate journey into a wonderful adventure that they shared together.

They talked endlessly, exploring and explaining, and their words were tendrils that drew them even closer together. They spoke of the past, the present, and the future. Particularly the future.

“We’ll be married in church,” Ricardo said. “You’ll be the most beautiful bride in the world…”

And Graciela could visualize the scene and was thrilled by it.

“And we’ll live in the most beautiful house…”

And she thought:
I’ve never had a house of my own, or a real room of my own.

There was the little
casa
she had shared with her mother and all the uncles, and then the convent cell, living with the sisters.

“And we’ll have handsome sons and beautiful daughters…”

And I will give them all the things I never had. They will be so loved.

And Graciela’s heart soared.

But there was one thing troubling her. Ricardo was a soldier fighting for a cause he passionately believed in. Would he be content living in France, withdrawing from the battle? She knew she had to discuss this with him.

“Ricardo—how much longer do you think this revolution is going to go on?”

It’s already gone on too long,
Ricardo thought. The government had made peace overtures, but ETA had done worse than reject them. It had responded to the offers with a series of increased terrorist attacks. Ricardo had tried to discuss it with Jaime.

“They’re willing to compromise, Jaime. Shouldn’t we meet them halfway?”

“Their offer is a trick—they want to destroy us. They’re forcing us to go on fighting.”

And because Ricardo loved Jaime and believed in him, he continued to support him. But the doubts refused to die. And as the bloodshed increased, so did his uncertainty. And now Graciela was asking,
How much longer do you think this revolution is going to go on?

“I don’t know,” Ricardo told her. “I wish it were over. But I will tell you this, my darling. Nothing will ever come between us—not even a war. There will never be words enough to tell you how much I love you.”

And they went on dreaming.

They traveled during the night, making their way through the fertile, green countryside, past El Burgo and Soria. At dawn, from the top of a hill, they saw Logroño in the far distance. To the left of the road was a stand of pine trees and beyond that a forest of electric-power lines. Graciela and Ricardo followed the winding road down to the outskirts of the bustling city.

“Where are we going to meet the others?” Graciela asked.

Ricardo pointed to a poster on a building they were passing. It read:

CIRQUE JAPON
!

THE WORLD’S MOST

SENSATIONAL CIRCUS FRESH FROM JAPAN
!

JULY
24
TH FOR ONE WEEK

AVENIDA CLUB DE PORTIVO
.

“There,” Ricardo told her. “We’ll meet them there this afternoon.”

In another part of the city, Megan, Jaime, Amparo, and Felix were also looking at a circus poster. There was a feeling of enormous tension in the group. Amparo was never out of their sight. Ever since the incident at Vitoria, the men treated Amparo as an outcast, ignoring her most of the time and speaking to her only when necessary.

Jaime looked at his watch. “The circus should be starting,” he said. “Let’s go.”

At police headquarters in Logroño, Colonel Ramon Acoca was finalizing his plans.

“Are the men deployed around the convent?”

“Yes, Colonel. Everything is in place.”

“Excellent.”

Acoca was in an expansive mood. The trap he had set was foolproof, and there would be no bungling policemen to spoil his plans this time. He was personally conducting the operation. The OPUS MUNDO was going to be proud of him. He went over the details with his officers once again.

“The nuns are traveling with Miró and his men. It’s important that we catch them
before
they walk into the convent. We’ll be spread out in the woods around it. Don’t move until I give the signal to close in.”

“What are our orders if Jaime Miró resists?”

Acoca said softly, “I hope he does try to resist.”

An orderly came into the room. “Excuse me, Colonel. There is an American here who would like to speak to you.”

“I have no time now.”

“Yes, sir.” The orderly hesitated. “He says it’s about one of the nuns.”

“Oh? An American, did you say?”

“Yes, Colonel.”

“Send him in.”

A moment later, Alan Tucker was ushered in.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Colonel. I’m Alan Tucker. I’m hoping you can help me.”

“Yes? How, Mr. Tucker?”

“I understand that you’re looking for one of the nuns from the Cistercian convent—a Sister Megan.”

The colonel sat back in his chair, studying the American. “How does that concern you?”

“I’m looking for her too. It’s very important that I find her.”

Interesting,
Colonel Acoca thought.
Why is it so important for this American to find a nun?
“You have no idea where she is?”

“No. The newspapers—”

The goddamn press again.
“Perhaps you could tell me why you are looking for her.”

“I’m afraid I can’t discuss that.”

“Then I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

“Colonel—could you let me know if you find her?”

Acoca gave him a thin smile. “You’ll know.”

The whole country was following the hegira of the nuns. The press had reported the narrow escape of Jaime Miró and one of the nuns in Vitoria.

So they’re heading north,
Alan Tucker thought.
Their best bet to get out of the country is probably San Sebastián. I’ve got to get hold of her.
He sensed that he was in trouble with Ellen Scott.
I handled that badly,
he thought.
I can make up for it by bringing her Megan.

He placed a call to Ellen Scott.

The Cirque Japon was held in a huge tent in an outlying district of Logroño. Ten minutes before the circus was to begin, the tent was filled to capacity. Megan, Jaime, Amparo, and Felix made their way down the crowded aisle to their reserved seats. There were two empty seats next to Jaime.

He stared at them and said, “Something’s wrong. Ricardo and Sister Graciela were supposed to be here.” He turned to Amparo. “Did you—?”

“No. I swear it. I know nothing about it.”

The lights dimmed and the show began. There was a roar from the crowd, and they turned to look at the arena. A bicycle rider was circling the ring, and as he pedaled an acrobat leaped onto his shoulder. Then, one by one, a swarm of other performers jumped on, clinging to the front and back and sides of the bicycle until it was invisible. The audience cheered.

A trained-bear act was next, and then a tightrope walker. The audience was enjoying the show tremendously, but Jaime and the others were too nervous to pay any attention. Time was running out.

“We’ll wait another fifteen minutes,” Jaime decided. “If they’re not here by then—”

A voice said, “Excuse me—are these seats taken?”

Jaime looked up to see Ricardo and Graciela, and grinned. “No. Please sit down.” And then, in a relieved whisper, “I’m damned glad to see you.”

Ricardo nodded at Megan and Amparo and Felix. He looked around. “Where are the others?”

“Haven’t you seen the newspapers?”

“Newspapers? No. We’ve been in the mountains.”

“I have bad news,” Jaime said. “Rubio is in a prison hospital.”

Ricardo stared at him. “How—?”

“He was stabbed in a bar fight. The police picked him up.”

“¡Mierda!”
Ricardo was silent a moment, then sighed. “We’ll just have to get him out, won’t we?”

“That’s my plan,” Jaime agreed.

“Where’s Sister Lucia?” Graciela asked. “And Sister Teresa?”

It was Megan who answered. “Sister Lucia has been arrested. She was—she was wanted for murder. Sister Teresa is dead.”

Graciela crossed herself. “Oh, my Lord.”

In the arena a clown was walking a tightrope, carrying a poodle under each arm and two Siamese cats in his capacious pockets. As the dogs tried to reach the cats, the wire swayed wildly and the clown pretended to be fighting to keep his balance. The audience was roaring. It was difficult to hear anything over the noise of the crowd. Megan and Graciela had so much to tell each other. Almost simultaneously, they began to talk in the sign language of the convent. The others looked on in astonishment.

Ricardo and I are going to marry
…

That’s wonderful…

What has been happening to you?

Megan started to reply and realized there were no signs to convey the things she wanted to say. It would have to wait.

“Let’s move,” Jaime said. “There’s a van outside waiting to take us to Mendavia. We’ll drop the sisters off there and be on our way.”

They started up the aisle, Jaime holding Amparo’s arm.

When they were outside in the parking lot, Ricardo said, “Jaime, Graciela and I are getting married.”

A grin lit up Jaime’s face. “That’s wonderful! Congratulations.” He turned to Graciela. “You couldn’t have picked a better man.”

Megan put her arms around Graciela. “I’m very happy for you both.” And she thought:
Was it easy for her to make the decision to leave the convent? Am I wondering about Graciela? Or am I wondering about myself?

Colonel Acoca was receiving an excited report from an aide.

“They were seen at the circus less than an hour ago. By the time we could bring up reinforcements, they had gone. They left in a blue and white van. You were right, Colonel. They are headed for Mendavia.”

So it’s finally over,
Acoca thought. The chase had been an exciting one, and he had to admit that Jaime Miró had been a worthy opponent.
The OPUS MUNDO will have even bigger plans for me now.

Through a pair of high-powered Zeiss binoculars, Acoca watched the blue and white van appear over the crest of a hill and head for the convent below. Heavily armed troops were hidden among the trees along both sides of the road and around the convent itself. There was no way anyone could escape.

As the van approached the entrance to the convent and braked to a stop, Colonel Acoca barked into his walkie-talkie, “Close in! Now!”

The maneuver was executed perfectly. Two squads of soldiers armed with automatic weapons swung into position, blocking the road and surrounding the van. Acoca stood watching the scene for an instant, savoring his moment of glory. Then he slowly approached the van, gun in hand.