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Fort? Two years ago?” Rafe looked at Helen, his brow furrowed. She shrugged, equally confused.
    An odd expression swept Rafe’s face then. He lowered one arm and hit the side of his head with the heel of his hand as if to clear his muddled brain. “Are you trying to say this is 1850?”
    â€œ Sí . Of course, amigo.”
    â€œIs this Candid Camera ?” Rafe asked suddenly, turning to scan the trees surrounding the clearing. When Peter Funt failed to step forth, he narrowed his eyes. “Is this one of those movie sets, like a sequel to The Three Amigos ?”
    â€œA move-hee? What ees that?”
    Rafe exhaled loudly with exasperation. “My name is Rafael Santiago. Captain Rafael Santiago. And this is Major Helen Prescott.”
    â€œMajor? A woman soldado ?” Ignacio burst out laughing and elbowed one of the other grinning bandits in the ribs. “Major? Heh heh heh! Do not try to deceive us, señor .”
    Helen lowered her hands and pointed to the oak leaf on her shoulder. “I am Major Helen Irving Prescott, and you men are under military arrest.”
    Ignacio made a rude kissing sound at Helen, commenting, “Esa mujer está pendejada,” at the same time twirling his forefinger in a circle near his head. Then he indicated with the barrel of his gun that Helen should raise her hands back up.
    She decided not to argue.
    â€œWe know she ees the famous Elena,” Ignacio told Rafe impatiently. “Do not think to keep her corkscrewing only to yourself.”
    â€œCorkscrewing?” Rafe and Helen asked.
    Uncaring of the order to keep her arms raised, Helen lowered her hands and braced them on her hips, glaring at each of them.
    â€œEsa senorita tiene figura de la primera,” Ignacio remarked to Rafe. The bandit rolled his eyes, which roamed lewdly over her body.
    Rafe grinned from ear to ear, then nodded in agreement.
    â€œWhat did he say?” she asked.
    Rafe still grinned—smirked actually. She barely resisted the temptation to whack him on the head.
    â€œYou don’t want to know.”
    â€œOf course, I do.”
    â€œHelen, believe me—”
    â€œTell me, damn it.”
    Rafe breathed deeply, then told her, “Loosely translated, Ignacio said, ‘That lady is built like a brick shithouse.’”
    â€œLiar,” she hissed.
    â€œTrust me,” Rafe said with a wink.
    â€œHah!”
    â€œLos tetas esta que bonita,” Ignacio continued, speaking to his companions while he gazed appreciatively at—oh, Lord—her breasts.
    â€œDon’t you want to know what he said now?” Rafe asked, obviously enjoying her discomfort.
    â€œNo. Yes.”
    Helen could see the gears grinding in Rafe’s mind. But then his expression softened. “I shouldn’t be teasing you like this, Prissy. You’ve really had enough harassment for one day, and there’s nothing funny about it—whether from an Army sergeant or a bozo bandit. I’ve been pretty hard on you myself.”
    His gently spoken words touched Helen like a kiss. And she nodded her acceptance of his apology. In truth, she couldn’t have spoken over the lump in her throat.
    And she really didn’t need Rafe to translate, anyway. One of Ignacio’s sidekicks held two hands cupped in front of his chest, chortling at his leader’s words.
    Helen felt her face flame.
    Ignacio spat out a big mouthful of Spanish words then, and Rafe answered him. Back and forth they conversed, their exchange tense. Ignacio’s little band raised their guns higher.
    Shaking his head incredulously, Rafe turned back to her. “You won’t believe this. They think you—”
    â€œDo not waste our time, señor ,” Ignacio interrupted him. “We know she ees Elena, your mistress. She ees famousthroughout the West for her secret trick, el corcho tornillo . The Americanos call it the corkscrew. Men pay much gold for her