Page 61 of Cutter’s Lady

“Those other organizations that claimed it, they are nothing. They couldn’t manage a kidnapping. I am sure of that. But the NLF doesn’t have him. I would have heard; we have spies in Mendez’s camp. They know as little about it as we do.”

Cutter stared. “You’re sure? None of those groups took him?”

“No. Very strange. You see?”

“Surely it couldn’t have been Robles’s men,” Cutter mused.

“Who?” In all of Leslie’s communications with the San Cristóbalian government she had never heard the name before.

“The group in the south that I told you about.”

“Why couldn’t it be them?” Leslie pressed.

“Kidnap a Yanqui imperialist?” Mora scoffed. “Never. They exist on U.S. support. They wouldn’t endanger that.”

“But I thought the U.S. supported the present government,” Leslie put in, confused.

Mora waggled his hand. “It’s possible to keep a foot in both camps. Robles couldn’t hope to gain anything by such a gesture.”

“Then who has him?” Cutter asked.

Again Mora shrugged. “Who would benefit by it?”

“That’s just it. No one’s asked for a ransom.“

“That would remove the gangs in La Luz. But there are others who would benefit without any money. From the publicity.”

“But if it wasn’t any of you four who…” Cutter trailed off, and he and Mora stared at each other for a moment. Finally Cutter said softly, “The government?”

Mora nodded. “Who else?”

“The government?” Leslie repeated, dumbfounded. “You mean you think the government kidnapped Blake?”

Cutter nodded. “That’s what he’s saying.”

“You’ve got to be joking. Why would the government kidnap him?”

“Bad publicity for the rebels,” Cutter explained. “It puts the U.S. more firmly in the government’s corner than ever and makes it more set against the revolutionaries. That’s very important, especially if they’ve detected any weakening in U.S. support.” He paused, thinking. “It explains why no ransom was asked for.”

“Why?”

“If they started negotiating, it would come out that the kidnappers weren’t operating for any guerrilla organization. The various groups might want the credit for the action, but they wouldn’t like the idea of someone else getting the money in their name. They’d let it be known that they hadn’t done it.”

Mora nodded. Leslie looked from one man to the other. “But that’s insane. The government?”

“You think too much like an American,” Cutter told her. “We’re talking about a country where citizens spy on each other, where the real rulers of the army and the government are the secret police, where you can get arrested and thrown into jail with no reason given, no charges, no trial.”

“It’s so awful.” Leslie swallowed. “To think that they would do that to a person—cause him and his family so much anguish—just to make the rebels look bad.” She gazed down at the dirt floor for a moment, then said, “What does it mean for Blake? Will they release him?”

Cutter glanced at her, then away. “If the government took him, I wouldn’t think it looks good. If they release him and he’s able to identify them, their whole scheme could backfire. They can’t afford that.”

“You’re saying they’ll probably kill him.”

Cutter’s eyes came back to her, and Leslie saw compassion and regret in them. “I’m afraid they already have.”

Tears sprang into Leslie’s eyes, and her mouth quivered. She looked down. “Poor Blake. I wish—why did he have to come here!” She stood up abruptly and strode across the room. “Damn it!”

She slammed the door open and stepped outside. She’d forgotten momentarily about Mora’s guards, but as they firmed their stances and looked at her with suspicion, she was struck through with fear. Luckily Mora came out, holding up his hand in a halt gesture, and went over to the guard he’d had the most trouble getting to leave earlier. They called out to the other men and they backed up a few paces, giving her space to move around.