She wasn’t going to help Parker until she knew the truth. Too many questions needed to be answered.
Liddie started walking toward the back of the camp. Parker wouldn’t like it, but Liddie was going to help Garrett provide water – and food if possible – to whatever animals were in the second barn as well.
Chapter Eleven
There was a heavy chain and open padlock hanging from the latch of the second barn door. Liddie had seen Garrett go in and assumed he had the key. As she got closer to the door, she didn’t hear any animal sounds coming from inside.
Please let there be a truck or something.
She glanced back at the cabins to make sure no one was watching or coming after her. Then she opened the door and slipped inside, remaining close to the wall until her eyes adjusted.
Immediately, she pulled her shirt up to cover her mouth and nose. A stink far worse than what she’d smelled in the first barn brought a slight gag. The air was thick and putrid.
A flash of light. Then another. Was Garrett taking pictures?
The inside of this barn was darker than the first. The cracks in the wood planks that let daylight leak into the other barn were here as well, but blocked in most places by something.
Liddie’s eyes were adjusting and when the third flash of the camera illuminated a corner of the building, her eyes focused on a horror she hadn’t been expecting.
As much as she had come to despise Parker Maxon, Liddie would never have suspected him capable of this.
There were no Land Rovers, trucks, or anything else mechanical stored in the barn.
Instead, Liddie saw nothing but piles of animal parts and hanging skins. Fur pelts, fresh with wet blood, were spread about the dirt floor like carpets from a slasher film.
A sound, something like a scream wrapped in despair, escaped her lips. Then came true nausea. Her head was spinning. She had to get out of this nightmare, and all she could think to do was run.
Liddie burst out the door and ran around to the back of the barn, spitting the bad air out and choking on the good. A panic flew through her. She hadn’t run far enough. She could still see the images; could still smell the rancid stench of dead flesh.
An opening between trees looked like a narrow path. Liddie propelled herself forward and started running, slapping and pushing away the sticks and vines that got in the way. She wanted to find people. A community. Someplace safe.
After what must have been a quarter mile, the path came to an abrupt end. Like a box, the jungle closed up around her. Liddie looked around, wet and breathless. Foliage sprouted from the ground to meet hanging twists of leafy vines that hung from branches above. She’d need a machete to go any farther.
Liddie was in a panic. Where could she go? Tears mixed with sweat, stinging her eyes. She crouched down and buried her face into hands that began to shake uncontrollably. The sobs came quick and hard. Her whole body trembled.
Parker and his men were monsters. Common poachers. The thought of it made her sick, but what crushed her most was the realization that Garrett was a criminal as well.
The dream was long dead, along with the hope that she’d ever survive it. Like the animals, Liddie now realized, she was doomed.
Garrett had been her one hope. He’d gotten her to believe in him. He’d convinced her that he wasn’t like Parker and would protect her. Now Liddie realized, she’d been a fool for them both.
Men like that could never care for her, and she could never care for them.
A twig snapped, and Liddie popped up to see Garrett running toward her. At first she was frightened and turned to run, but there was nowhere to go.
“Liddie!” His face was twisted with concern, his voice unsteady. “Stay still.”
Despair gave way to anger. He was still pretending.
Liddie propelled herself toward him. With hands outstretched, she pushed hard against his body, then balled up her fists and started punching his chest, his shoulders, and his face.
“You bastard!” she screamed. “How could you do such a thing?” She kicked at his legs and ripped at his arms. “I hope you rot in hell! All of you!”
Garrett stood his ground, taking the blows like a boxing bag. He tried to grab at her hands, and when Liddie pulled back to catch her breath, he caught hold of her. One of her scratches drew blood and a drop of it fell from his face to his shirt.
“No, Liddie, listen to me.”
“Don’t touch me!” she cried. “Don’t ever touch me, Garrett!” Her voice was disappearing into sobs, and she was almost hyperventilating.
His fingers circled her wrists and tightened. Liddie pulled and pulled but couldn’t get him to release. “I hate all of you.” She looked up at him. “You’d better kill me now, because I will not be part of this.”
“Listen to me, damn it!” He shook her hard. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Garrett’s voice was harsh and filled with frustration. “I would never do that.”
The pained tone of his voice surprised her so much, Liddie took a step back and tried to calm herself. “But you’re part of this.”
“No,” he answered angrily. “I am not one of them, Liddie.”
“How can you say that? I saw you.”
Garrett let go of her arms and reached around to grab a small digital camera that was hanging from a strap around his neck and shoulder.
“You saw me taking photographs for evidence.” He shook the camera in front of his body, then let it drop before reaching around again to pull something from a back pocket.
Before showing her what he had, Garrett quickly looked down the trail to see if anyone else had followed them.
“I’m an undercover agent for the WTB. The Wildlife Trade Bureau.” He shoved an identification card in front of her face and waited. “It’s Parker, Liddie. He’s the monster.”
Liddie tried to focus on the card. She wiped her face and looked at his.
“It’s true. I swear to you.”
“Why did you attack me in the bathroom? Right from the start you’ve been…” She couldn’t find the words.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Garrett sighed. “But I didn’t want you on this trip. I thought I could scare you away. When you wouldn’t leave, I assumed you might be part of it.”
“Me? Part of this?” Her voice started to rise with horrid indignation.
He shook his head. “I know you’re not,” said Garrett. “You pretty much told me that yourself in the hotel room.”
“Is that why you were asking me about the passport?”
Garrett wiped the sweat from his face. He’d had a chance to shave this morning and was thankful now that he had. “If I could have gotten you out of there, Liddie, I would have. But all I could do was get Parker back to the plane for an early takeoff.”
Now she understood. “You and I? In the hotel?” She didn’t know how to talk about it, but had to. “Was that part of the job?”
“We kissed,” he said bluntly. “I wanted to go on, but I didn’t.” He took a deep breath. “And no, that wasn’t part of the job. None of that has been part of the job.”
Liddie shook her head in shame and embarrassment. “I must be the biggest idiot in the world.”
“No, Liddie. Parker’s the fool.” Garrett brought his hands up to hold her arms and give a comforting squeeze.
“Your arm,” Liddie touched him lightly. “You cut it on purpose?” A proper patch had replaced the panty.
“I had to talk to you. I was afraid you might try to fight him.” He shook his head slowly. “It would have been a bad idea, Liddie. You’re in real danger.”
“I know. He never cared about me.” She looked past Garrett and down the trail. “He doesn’t care about anything.” She thought about all the live animals still suffering in the heat of the barn.
“Why, Garrett? Why is he doing it?”
“Greed. Pure and simple.” He sighed. “The Maxon’s have been financing some pretty sophisticated poaching operations here in Malaysia and
a few other places. For a few years now, they’ve been using the paper business as a cover for this and so much more.” Disgust crept into his voice. “In some areas, they’ve wiped out protected species in order to harvest specific forests. They legitimize their work with proof that the animals are gone, then they finish the environmental destruction with the deforestation of the rainforest.”
“I thought local poaching was the problem,” said Liddie. “I didn’t think people like Parker could be involved.”
“Poachers, like Jerry and Paco, are often part of sophisticated crime syndicates. Foreigners like Parker finance the operations and work their connections. If you can manage without a soul, there’s big money to be made,” Garrett shook his head in disgust, “at least, until the animals run out.”
Until the animals run out.
Liddie thought of the tigers. They, and so many others, could disappear soon. It made her furious. “Where are the police? Why can’t they be stopped?”
Garrett turned to check the path behind them. “The local rangers try, but it is dangerous work and there are more bad guys than good. Many rangers are killed in the line of duty.”
“You work with them?”
Garrett nodded. “I’ve lost three good friends in two different countries, and I’ve got evidence that Parker is responsible for the death of one.”
“Oh, my God, Garrett. I’m so sorry.” Liddie now realized that Parker and his family were not financial icons to be respected. They were barbaric leeches, sucking the life out of innocents, murdering their protectors and destroying national resources – all for personal gain.
She didn’t have to look any further than those two barns to realize that.
“He wants me to have his baby,” Liddie whispered, ashamed that she’d fallen for his charade. “Who would want a father like that?” She hung her head, so embarrassed. “Oh, Garrett, I’m so sorry to have been such a problem. I should have left when you warned me.”
Garrett pulled her into a tight hug. “It’s true. You’ve been a problem and a distraction, Liddie, but you’ve also stopped the killing. Parker was trying to hide that part of it from you, and it has bought the animals some time.”
“Hold me tighter.” Liddie closed her eyes and rested her head on his khaki‑covered shoulder. She wanted everything but the two of them to disappear.
Garrett brought a hand up under her chin and lifted her face up. Comparing his gentle touch to Parker’s was like comparing night to day.
“You have no idea how relieved I was to know you’re not involved.” He lowered his lips and kissed her forehead.
“I feel the same way.” Liddie reached up to stroke his face. “Why didn’t you tell me, Garrett? When you knew I wasn’t involved, you should have told me.”
Garrett breathed hard, running his hands up and down her back. “I couldn’t risk you blowing my cover. It’s all I have to protect you.”
She suddenly realized he was right. Parker had to think that Garrett was as lowly as he, Jerry and Paco.
She went to move away, but he held her still. “Listen, Liddie. I’ve been working for almost a year and a half, trying to find out where Parker’s next chop shop would be. We knew he was financing poachers here, but we didn’t know where. I had to confirm the location of this camp.” He squeezed her hard. “If I don’t remain undercover until I get word out, everything could be lost.”
“How can you notify anyone from here?” A sudden thought terrorized her. “Please don’t leave me here alone.”
He squeezed her reassuringly. “No, no. There’s a radio in the office somewhere,” he explained. “I tried to get in there last night, but Jerry didn’t drink the beer.”
“You spiked all their drinks? Is that why Parker slept so late this morning?”
Garrett nodded. “There was no way to find the radio with Jerry standing guard.”
“They’ve got guns?” The news got worse and worse. She didn’t wait for Garrett to answer. “Once you get to the radio, how long will it take for someone to come?”
“They’re standing by, waiting to hear from me. It wouldn’t be long. Maybe a couple hours for the first team to get in.”
“A swat team or something?”
Garrett nodded. “The cavalry, so to speak. If we can keep Parker in the dark until then…”
Liddie finished his thought. “Then we’ll be safe.” She let her fingers press into the back of Garrett’s shirt. Large muscles became taut beneath her touch.
“I’ve been helping him, haven’t I?” The realization of her last three years of employment released a wave of horror and guilt. How much of the paperwork she’d processed was a cover for shipping containers filled with illegal animal parts? The shame of it washed over her.
“It’s so horrible,” she sobbed. “How stupid am I to have helped him.”
Garrett pulled a handkerchief from a pocket and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “You didn’t know, Liddie. You didn’t know.” He kissed her quickly. “I couldn’t feel the way I do about you if you did.”
She took a moment to study his eyes. There was a softness and pain she hadn’t seen before. “You really care?”
He smiled. “From the moment you stepped out of that limo and onto those heels.”
She let out a short grunt. “I’ve fallen five times in those shoes,” she confessed.
“I don’t doubt it.”
Garrett leaned in for a long, deep kiss, and Liddie obliged. The relief of knowing his identity and intentions filled her with a renewed strength.
“Do you know when I started thinking about you?” she asked when they released.
“When I caught you half‑naked in the bathroom? Or maybe when I found you half‑naked in the hotel room.” He shrugged. “Maybe it was when I had you all‑naked last night.” He laughed self‑consciously. “By the way, I apologize for that.”
Liddie blushed and smacked him lightly. “No. Although you’ve now seen more of me than anyone on Earth.” She reached up to touch the tiny wrinkles that framed the eyes of the man who’d risked so much to protect her – who was risking his own life to protect the birds, monkeys, tigers and more.
“When you took those sunglasses off in the plane,” she said softly, recalling the intensity she’d seen in his eyes. “I knew then.”
Garrett took a deep breath and pulled her as close as he could. Liddie felt her body fold into his.
They kissed silently for several minutes.
“I could stay here with you forever, Liddie.” He kissed her again. “But we need to get moving. If we’re not missed yet, we will be soon.”
She knew he was right. “I need to help you, Garrett. Just tell me what can I do.”
****
Parker sat in the office with Jerry and Paco. He didn’t even want to think about Liddie and what a problem she’d become.
He grabbed a banana and looked in the fridge for something with protein to eat. There were various sliced meats. Grabbing some bread, he sat down at the table and started putting together a sandwich with what was there. It filled Parker with a sense of pride knowing that he could easily survive in the wild. He didn’t need fancy restaurant meals every day of the week.
This trip had become such a disappointment. He had hoped that Liddie wouldn’t be so skittish. Now he was disgusted with himself. He should have known better.
He had to fix the situation, if it was to be any fun at all. The last thing he needed was for her to figure out what was going on before she was ready. He could just hear the condemning words of his father if he screwed this up. Parker would be exiled from the business for a year, like he had been after the rape accusation in Mexico. His father had taken care of that legal predicament, keeping it out of the press and off his record. It would be humiliating to have to ask him to take care of this situation as well.
Parker recalled his conversations with Garrett. That was a more preferable option. He could let the pilot take Liddie off his hands. Simply disappear with her.
If she didn’t play ball and if things continued as they had, Garrett was the tool Parker needed to defuse the situation. He’d certainly make it worth the man’s trouble.
Oh, Liddie, why did you have to turn into such a problem?
It was three months ago, when he decided that Liddie would be the one to bear his child. Sweet Liddie. Parker had done all he could to gain her trust and treat her like more than an employee. Now, he realized, he’d pushed her too fast. She hadn’t been as ready as he thought. Her casual flirtations at the office were just that. Liddie was too much of a prude to back up her own talk.
“Cheer up, boss,” said Jerry, handing him a cold beer. “She’s here. She’s not going anywhere. In a day, the animals will be gone. The barns will be clean. There won’t be any distractions. Beat the shit out of her, and she’ll be yours forever.”
Paco agreed. “She got nowhere to run.”
“And you always have those cages,” laughed Jerry. “Hose one of them out and put it to good use.”
Parker perked up. “Now there’s an idea I hadn’t thought of.”
****
“Where’s your laptop?” asked Garrett, walking Liddie down the path and back to the barns.
“I hid it behind the cabin, under some leaves.”
Garrett nodded. “Very smart. At least we know Parker trusts you with it for now. That’s going to add to an impressive pile of evidence against him.”
“While we were in the plane, Paco transferred folders with all the forms needed for exporting Malaysian paper and furniture.” With a smirk she added, “Non‑existent paper and furniture.”
“They’ll export the smaller animals alive for the exotic pet market, but not the larger ones.” Garrett cursed. “Half the little ones will die during transport.”
Liddie brought a hand to her mouth and stopped walking. The thought of such cruelty filled her with frustration and disgust.
Wild Suspicions (Romantic Suspense) Page 14
