by Iris Johansen.
Bantam paperback, 301 pages. 2002.
Contemporary. South America/North America.
Sean Galen is asked by his friend to go to South America and rescue a female who says she can help them capture South America drug lord Chavez. She is currently in prison but has said she will be at a certain location by a certain date. The rescue is made and she brings with her a young boy and a priest. Elena is not your typical female. She has fought as a guerilla since a young child. Her parents are now dead and her brother has been lost to drugs. Her son is the bait for Chavez, for she knows that Chavez will leave no stone unturned to get him.
Galen and his entourage, later joined by another man, move from place to place to evade the South Americans who come after them. There are many deaths and a blossoming love between Galen and Elena.
This has many bodies and a lot of gruesome deaths, so be forewarned. It tends to be on the melodramatic side and hard to relate to since these people (and she) are well-trained mercenaries and quick to kill without a second thought - as are the South Americans. She has no soft side to her and that is understandable, but it makes it hard to be too sympathetic towards her. I really liked Galen and even the tough Judd. They showed more of a soft side than she. But Iris Johansen is known for her powerful and ruthless thrillers and this is no exception. Some shocking scenes and lots of thrills and suspense.