The Casa de Empeños was just ahead. She was only a few minutes late. She could see that the lights were on in the shop. The men were waiting for her.
She began to walk faster, then she was running. She crossed the street and burst through the open door.
Inside the police station, a uniformed officer was behind the desk. He looked up as Lucia appeared.
“I need you,” Lucia cried. “A man has been stabbed. He may be dying.”
The policeman did not ask questions. He picked up a telephone and spoke into it. When he put the phone down, he said, “Someone will be with you in a moment.”
Two detectives appeared almost immediately.
“Someone has been stabbed, señorita”
“Yes. Please follow me. Hurry!”
“We’ll pick up the doctor on the way,” one of the detectives said. “Then you can take us to your friend.”
They picked up the doctor at his home and Lucia hurried the group to the church.
When they entered the church the doctor walked over to the still figure on the floor and knelt beside him.
A moment later he looked up. “He’s alive, but barely. I’ll call for an ambulance.”
Lucia sank to her knees and said silently, Thank you, God. I’ve done all I can. Now let me get away safely and I’ll never bother you again.
One of the detectives had been staring at Lucia all the way to the church. She looked so familiar. And then he suddenly realized why. She bore an uncanny resemblance to the picture in the Red, the top-priority circulation from Interpol.
The detective whispered something to his companion and they both turned to study her. Then the two of them walked over to Lucia.
“Excuse me, señorita. Would you be good enough to come back to the station with us? We have a few questions we wish to ask you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Ricardo Mellado was a short distance away from the mountain cave when suddenly he saw a large gray wolf trotting toward the entrance. He froze for a single instant, then moved as he had never moved in his life. He raced toward the mouth of the cave and burst through the entrance.
“Sister!”
In the dim light he saw the huge, gray shape leaping toward Graciela. Instinctively, he reached for his pistol and fired. The wolf let out a yelp of pain and turned toward Ricardo. He felt the sharp fangs of the wounded beast tearing at his clothing and smelled the animal’s fetid breath. The wolf was stronger than he had expected, heavily muscled and powerful. Ricardo tried to fight free, but it was impossible.
He felt himself begin to lose consciousness. He was dimly aware of Graciela coming toward him and he yelled, “Get away!”
Then he saw Graciela’s hand raised above bis head, and as it started to descend toward him, he glimpsed a huge rock in it and thought: She’s going to kill me.
An instant later the rock swept past him and smashed into the wolf’s skull. There was a last savage gasp and the animal lay still on the ground. Ricardo was huddled on the floor, fighting for breath. Graciela knelt at his side.
“Are you all right?” Her voice was trembling with concern.
He managed to nod. He heard a whimpering sound behind him and turned to see the cubs huddled in a corner. He lay there, gathering his strength. Then he rose with difficulty.
They staggered out into the clean mountain air, shaken. Ricardo stood there, taking deep, lung-filling breaths until his head cleared. The physical and emotional shock of their close brush with death had taken a severe toll on both of them.
“Let’s get away from this place. They may come looking for us here.”
Graciela shuddered at the reminder of how much danger they were still in.
They traveled along the steep mountain path for the next hour, and when they finally reached a small stream, Ricardo said, “Let’s stop here.”
With no bandages or antiseptic, they cleaned the scratches as best they could, bathing them in the clean, cold spring water. Ricardo’s arm was so stiff, he had trouble moving it. To his surprise, Graciela said, “Let me do it.”