Free And Then You Die by Iris Johansen

water in his face. The rats had not come to plague him in a long time. There must be a reason.
    The Grady woman. The nightmare had first come the night after she had escaped with Kaldak. When he found and killed Bess Grady, the rats would flee back into their holes.
    He moved to the tent entrance and stared out into the darkness. Bess Grady was out there somewhere. Close. His instincts seldom failed him when he was this near a prey.
    To hell with the darkness. He couldn't wait for morning.
    “Wake up, Perez!” he shouted as he pulled on his clothes. “Rouse the men. We leave in ten minutes.”
     
    “We can stop here and rest for a few minutes.” Kaldak shrugged off his backpack. “You'd better change the baby and give her some water.”
    “Of course I'll do that,” Bess said, bristling. “You don't have to tell me. We managed quite well without you.”
    “Sorry. I guess I'm used to running things.”
    “You don't have to tell me that either.” In the last eight hours he had demonstrated that characteristic time and time again. The decisions had all been his, and he had made them easily and surely, pushing and prodding her every step of the way.
    “You're cross with me.” His brows lifted. “I'm surprised you didn't let me know earlier.”
    “I don't like being left out of decisions.” She finished diapering Josie and held her hand out for the canteen. “But this is your area of expertise. It was clear you knew what you were doing. I would have been stupid to argue with you.”
    Kaldak's gaze focused on Josie. “She's a very good baby.”
    “Yes, she is,” Bess said, softening. She fed Josie a little more water and wiped her forehead and neck and then did the same for herself. Though the poor kid was hot and sweaty, and a heat rash was starting on her neck, she had let out only a few whimpers during the journey. Josie was a true miracle.
    She tenderly brushed the baby's dark wispy hair away from her face. Josie smiled up at her and Bess couldn't resist giving her a quick hug. “Do you have children?”
    He shook his head. “Do you?”
    “No, but I've always been crazy about kids.” She smiled. “Emily has a daughter, Julie, and she's a charmer. When she was Josie's age, she was cute as a button. Red hair and a yell that nearly brought the house down. Not placid like Josie.”
    “Josie has a pretty good pair of lungs herself.”
    “But she uses them to make her needs known. Julie usually just wanted to make a statement. I remember once we took her to the lake and she saw––” Good God, she must be tired. What was she rambling about? And to Kaldak, of all people. “I'm sorry, you can't be interested in this.”
    “I'm interested.” He stood up. “Are you rested enough to go on?”
    “What would you do if I said I wasn't?”
    “Tell you we have to keep pushing anyway.”
    “I thought as much,” she said dryly as she put Josie into the sling. “I'm ready.” Her gaze went to the hills behind them. “Do you suppose they're close?”
    “Closer than I'd like. I caught sight of them two hours after we started.”
    “Why didn't you tell me?” she asked, startled.
    “Why worry you? It was still dark and they were having trouble tracking. I did some weaving and lost them again.” He frowned. “But I didn't expect them to start before dawn. Esteban is driving them hard.” He started down the trail. “He wants you.”
    Her lips tightened grimly. “Well, he won't get me. How much longer do we have to go?”
    “Another few hours before we're clear to radio for the helicopter. After that, maybe two hours to the rendezvous point.”
    Relief rushed through her. Not much longer. “Thank God.”
    “Oh, yes, and me, of course.”
    Good heavens, Kaldak was actually smiling at her.
    She smiled back. “Of course.”
     
    Esteban looked down at the tracks. “Two of them?”
    Perez nodded. “Joaquin says a man is with her. A large man. He must have joined her last night. It was only a single set