He smiled, showing the very straight white teeth she had noticed before. "That's the goal of an undercover operative.
Thank God Huerta was also fooled. I've been a member of his organization since last summer. A truckload of people came across the border last night."
"It was intercepted about an hour ago," Galloway informed them. "As usual, the conditions inside were deplorable.
The people locked in were actually grateful for being taken into custody. They considered it a rescue."
"Huerta and I were on our way to make the sale to a wheat farmer up in Kansas. Huerta was to be arrested as soon as the transaction went down. We stopped here to get a snack."
He shrugged, as though to say they knew the rest. "I'm just glad that neither of us went into that store armed.
We'd left our weapons in the car-something that never happens. It was a twist of fate, or divine intervention, whatever. If Huerta had been carrying, it would've got real ugly real soon."
"Will you be in danger of reprisal?"
Again he flashed a smile. "I'm trusting the department to make me disappear. If you ever see me again, you probably won't recognize me."
"I see. One more question, why did you try and take the baby?"
"Huerta wanted to rush Ronnie, overpower him. I volunteered to distract everyone by grabbing the baby. Actually, I was afraid he'd do something to the child. That was the only way I knew to protect her."
Tiel shivered at the thought of what might have been.
"You seemed particularly hostile toward Cain."
"He recognized me," Martinez exclaimed. "We'd worked a case together a couple years ago. He didn't have the good sense to keep his trap shut. Several times he nearly blew it for me. I had to shut him up." Looking at Galloway, he added, "I think he needs a refresher course at Quantic"
Tiel hid her smile. "We have you to thank for several acts of bravery, Mr. Martinez. I'm sorry you got shot for your effort."
"That guy-Doc-did what he had to do. If the situation had been reversed, I'd have done the same. I'd like to tell him I don't hold a grudge."
Galloway said, "He's already left."
Hiding her disappointment and despite the small cuts on her palm, Tiel shook Martinez's hand and wished him well, then was helped down out of the ambulance, where Gully was smoking a cigarette while waiting. As the ambulance pulled away, Gladys and Vern joined them.
Apparently they had returned to their RV, because they were wearing different clothes, smelled of soap, and were looking as spry and alert as though they'd just returned from a two-week visit to a health spa. Tiel hugged them in turn.
"We couldn't leave without giving you our address and getting your promise to stay in touch." Gladys handed her a slip of paper on which was written an address in Florida.
"I promise. Are you continuing the honeymoon from here?"
"After a stop in Louisiana to see my son and grandchildren,"
Vern said.
"Who are without a doubt the five most ornery little bastards on earth."
"Now, Gladys."
"I'm only telling it like it is, Vern. They're heathens and you know it." Then her demeanor changed. She blotted away the tears that suddenly appeared in her eyes. "I just hope those two young people come through this. I'll be worried sick until I hear that they're all right."
"So will I." Tiel squeezed Gladys's small hand.
Vern said, "We had to give our statements to the sheriff, then to the FBI agents. We told them you couldn't help hitting that Cain with the chili on account of he was such an idiot."
Gully snickered. Galloway tensed, but he let the criticism go without comment.
"Donna's hogging the TV cameras," Gladys said with pique. "To hear her tell it, she was a heroine."