In Places Hidden
Page 22
“Caleb . . .” she whispered, then fainted dead away.
Patrick caught her before she collapsed to the floor. He hoisted her into his arms and turned back to her brother with a shrug.
“I guess I should have knocked,” Caleb said with a grin.
CHAPTER
24
Camri heard her name being called and fought against the darkness. She wasn’t sure where she was or what had happened, but someone seemed very insistent that she open her eyes.
“Come on, love. Open yer eyes.”
She forced herself to obey. Patrick looked down at her with a smile. “There ye are.”
Camri tried to sit up. “What . . . what happened?”
“Take it slow,” he said, helping her to sit. “Don’t ye remember?”
Camri pressed her fingers against her temples. The fog was finally lifting. She scanned the room and found what she was looking for. “Caleb.”
He stood by the fireplace, warming his hands. “It’s about time you woke up.” He came to sit beside her on the sofa. “I’m sorry for giving you such a fright.”
She reached out to touch his face. Was he truly here? She felt the warmth of his skin, but it still seemed impossible. She hugged him close. “I don’t—I don’t understand. I thought you were lost to me forever. I thought you might even be dead. You sent no word, nothing.”
“I know.” Caleb patted her back. “I couldn’t. I’m so sorry for the worry I’ve caused.”
“Mother and Father were devastated, and Catherine . . . well, you know Catherine.”
“Indeed, I do. As practical as she is I’m sure I’ve been dead and buried since I disappeared.”
Camri straightened and sat back so she could see him. She gripped his hands tightly, though, and didn’t let go. “We must let them know.”
“I’ve already handled it. I sent them a wire from Hawaii. It was for you as well.” He grinned. “I never figured to find you out here looking for me.”
“They sent me. We knew something was wrong. Hawaii?” She felt a wave of dizziness and thought she might faint again. “Could I have a drink of water?”
“I’ll fetch it,” Patrick said.
Camri leaned back against the sofa. “Where have you been?”
Caleb chuckled. “It’s a long story. From what Patrick said, you’ve figured out where it all began.”
“At the dance hall?”
“Exactly right.” He squeezed her hands, then got up and walked back to the fireplace just as Patrick returned with a glass of water.
“Here ye are.”
Camri took the glass and sipped. She still felt as if she were in a dream, but at least it was a good dream.
“As you learned,” Caleb began, “I went to Daniels’ place to negotiate Liling’s freedom. Daniels wasn’t having any of it, however, and when I threatened him with legal action, well, he’d had enough. He gave the pretense of being willing to let me see Liling, but as he led me to her room, one of his men hit me from behind. Next thing I knew, I was on a ship bound for the Orient.”
“Shanghaied,” Camri whispered.
“Indeed I was.”
“But how did you get away?” She looked at Patrick as if he had answers and then back to her brother.
“It wasn’t easy. When I woke up, my head hurt like nothing I’d ever known. I wasn’t even clearheaded enough to realize I was on a ship. A man treated my wound, then handed me a glass of something and told me to drink it. I thought he was a doctor and did just as he said. Before I knew what had happened, I was unconscious again.”
Camri chewed on her thumbnail. She still found it impossible to believe Caleb was here, safe and sound.
He continued. “When I woke up the second time, my leisure was behind me. A burly sailor all but dragged me from my berth. He took me to the captain along with a dozen other men. We were all rather groggy but awake enough to realize what had happened.”
Camri could almost see it in her mind. “Were you already at sea?”
“Yes. In fact, we were three days out. They had managed to keep slipping me medication, and that kept me asleep. It’s typically what they do with the men they take hostage.” Caleb took a seat in his favorite chair. He rubbed the arms and smiled. “I did miss this chair.”
This comment brought a smile to her face. She glanced at Patrick. “Of all that he could long for, my brother missed his chair.”
“’Tis a most comfortable chair,” Patrick replied with a wink.
Caleb laughed. “Well, I missed a lot more than just the chair, but we can discuss that at a later time. I know you want to know what happened next.”
“I want to know how you managed to get back here.” Camri made no pretense at patience. “Most men don’t.”
“I know.” Caleb sobered. “I saw some of those men die.”
She calmed. “I’m sorry. I’m just beside myself.”
He gave her a sympathetic nod and ran his hand through his dark brown hair. “I decided cooperation was probably my best choice. After all, we were days at sea with nothing around us and no hope of escape. They had stripped me of my money and watch, but to my benefit, they didn’t realize I had gone to Daniels that night prepared for almost anything. I had hidden some money in the cuff of my boot. I had a penknife there as well.”
“’Tis a wonder they didn’t steal yer boots and sell them,” Patrick said. “They’re known to strip a man bare and put him in rags.”
“I know. I have to believe God blinded them to the quality of my boots, or else they simply figured to get them off me later.” Caleb smiled. “Or maybe they didn’t have replacements big enough for my feet.” He stretched his legs out in front of him to emphasize his point.
“Your feet are no bigger than Patrick’s. He’s wearing your slippers, and they fit just fine. Now go on and tell me what happened.”
Caleb rolled his eyes dramatically. “Always bossing me around. Can’t a man tell a story in his own fashion?”
“So long as he gets to the telling of it,” Camri snapped back. Her tone suggested annoyance, but she gave a smile to let him know all was well.
“Now I’ve lost my place. Where was I?” He raised a brow and looked at Camri for help.
“You had decided to be a good sailor. Oh, and you still had your boots.”
He laughed. “Well, that alone gave me hope. Most of the new recruits, as they called the shanghaied men, were nearly out of their wits. They tried at first to figure out a means of escape. A couple of them actually went into the water, thinking to swim their way home, I suppose.”
“What happened?” Camri wasn’t at all sure she wanted to know, but the question came out of her mouth before she considered the answer.
“They drowned. The captain said it was the more merciful way to go, given that there were sharks in the water.” Caleb shook his head. “After that, most of the men realized their lot wasn’t going to change at their own hand. So when we were locked in the hold at night, I began to tell them about God’s faithfulness. At first, most weren’t interested. But the younger ones were desperate for anything that offered hope.”
“Poor men.” It was a terrible thing to imagine, being taken from all that you knew and cast into a situation where you had no means of escape.
“Little by little, we became friends, and I told them about the power of prayer. I suggested we pray that something would happen to cause us to have to return to America. We started praying together every night before we went to sleep.” He smiled at the memory. “It was like nothing I’d ever experienced.” He leaned forward, and his entire face lit up. “I’ve been a Christian for many years, but I’d never really experienced God in such a way until on that ship.”
“You sound almost grateful that you were shanghaied.”
“I am.”
Camri could see that he was absolutely serious. She grew angry. “How can you say such a thing? We were scared to death that you were dead—that we’d never see you again.”
She felt a flickering of shame, but her anger was far stronger. “Caleb Coulter, I am very glad that souls were saved, but I will never be grateful for you nearly losing your life. I can’t be grateful for months of worry and tears. You didn’t see what this did to our parents. They were so sick when I left that I feared I might never again see them alive.”
Caleb left his chair and knelt in front of her. “Camri, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you were afraid—that you worried. Truly, I am. But when you put your trust in God, there are no guarantees as to how life is going to go. The important thing is that we willingly go where He leads. I never planned for that to involve being shanghaied, but when it did, I felt it only right to serve Him there just as I would have here.”
She was humbled by his words. “You’re a good man, Caleb. I know that. I know that you love God, and I’m glad you were able to share His love with the other men.”
He took her hands. “If I could have gotten word to you—just to let you know I was alive and well—I would have. I’m sorry that you suffered.”
“I know.” She felt her anger subside.
“Mr. Patrick clothes dry now,” Mrs. Wong said from the entryway. She saw Caleb, and her mouth dropped open.
“Mrs. Wong!” Caleb declared, jumping to his feet. He crossed the room in three long strides and picked her up in an embrace. “I’m home!” He put her down, and Camri could see that Mrs. Wong was crying. Caleb hugged her close. “Now don’t go fretting. I’m just fine. I’ll come and tell you all about it in a little while.”
She nodded, and when Caleb released her, she hurried away. Camri wondered what the old woman would say to her husband. No doubt they would both be greatly relieved.
Patrick had been silent for most of the discussion, but he chose that moment to speak. “I can’t be stayin’ much longer. I have to report to Daniels for work at six, and I need to sleep.”
Caleb looked at him oddly. “You’re working for Daniels?”
“Aye. I tracked ye down to that bein’ the last place ye’d gone. Then Camri found yer papers under the desk and the handbill with Liling’s name and room number. I’d already managed to get a job there in order to find out what, if anything, they knew about yer disappearance.” He came and sat beside Camri.
Caleb frowned. “They know plenty. You and I need to talk before you leave. I can finish this story later.”
“You aren’t leaving me out of this,” Camri said, getting to her feet.
Patrick laughed and pulled her back down. “For sure ye’ve got yer hands full with her.”
She wanted to stick out her tongue in defiance, but instead crossed her arms and fixed him with a glare.
Both men laughed, and Caleb shook his finger at her. “I know that for certain. She’s very headstrong.”
“Aye.”
Camri gave an exasperated sigh. “Don’t you need to go home, Patrick?”
“I’ll finish where I left off, but I’ll do it quick so Patrick won’t miss out.” Caleb reclaimed his seat. “We prayed for God to intercede, and He did. The ship began having one problem after another, and finally things became critical. The captain decided he had no choice but to go to Hawaii for repairs. Of course he knew we shanghaied men would do whatever we could to escape, so he locked us up. He didn’t want to risk any of us speaking to anyone who might come on board, so he put us in the deepest, darkest part of the hold. But you recall that I had money in my boot, and I decided the time had come to use it.
“That night when everyone had gone ashore except for the men left to stand guard, I told the others my plan. When the guard came with our supper, I took him aside and talked to him. I was in good standing with him, and he had no real loyalty to the captain. I told him if he’d help me, he could come with us, and I’d see to it he was amply rewarded. To convince him I had the means to do so, I gave him what money I had, and he agreed to help.”
“What did you do?” Camri asked.
Caleb smiled. “The guard, Jimmy, managed to take care of the other guards. Gave them some of the same grog that they’d fed us when we first came on board. They slept like babies. Meanwhile, we managed to slip away. Once we were on shore, I led the way to the local authorities, where we were promptly jailed.”
“What!” Camri shook her head. “But why?”
“We told our story to the man in charge, and he didn’t believe us. He figured us to be indentured or otherwise paying off a debt. He locked us up and sent for the captain.”
“Grief, Caleb, that must have left ye feelin’ a bit hopeless after all ye’d managed to do.” Patrick shook his head. “I cannot say I would have bided my time in good spirits.”
Camri agreed and asked, “Did the captain come?”
Caleb laughed. “He did, and he was clearly angry at what we’d done. He arranged to have us taken back to the ship, but before we were, God caused an amazing thing to happen.
“I had just told the men to keep praying and trusting God, when in walked a collection of government officials. They were touring the islands in order to set up regional offices. They were curious about what was going on, and our jailer explained the situation. They assumed we were reprobates and thought nothing of it, but I told them that we had all been taken from San Francisco against our will. I gave my name and asked that the officials help us.”
“And they did,” Camri murmured.
“Not at first. The captain and jailer insisted that we were lying. The captain even made up a story about us being thieves. However, one of the men in the group was governor of the territory, and he and I had met before. I reminded him of that event, and suddenly it was as if the scales fell from his eyes. He immediately ordered our release and took us to his home. He gave us all the comforts he could—fed us and let us bathe. I felt like a new man after a proper shave.”
Patrick laughed. “There’s nothin’ improper about a beard.” He stroked his own for emphasis.
Caleb smiled. “Maybe, but I know I felt better for its loss.”
Camri was still thinking about all that had happened to her brother and the way God had intervened. Her prayers had been answered—just not the way she thought they would be.
“The governor arranged for us to travel back with the government officials. We just got into San Francisco this morning.”
“It was a miracle,” Camri said, meeting her brother’s gaze. “A true miracle of God.”
“Indeed, it was. They still happen, you know.”
She shook her head in wonder. “I’m so happy to have you back.”
“I’m glad to be here, but there’s still much to be done. I have a feeling that even though Daniels did what he did because of my threats, Ruef and his men would have done worse.”
“And they have. They killed Henry Ambrewster.” She saw the pain on her brother’s face. “We don’t know who did it or why, but Patrick feels certain it all ties to what you were both trying to do.”
“Poor Henry. He didn’t know anything.” Caleb shook his head.
“He had me come talk to him just before he was killed.” Patrick scooted to the edge of his seat. “I told him some of what we were doing because he’d found a ledger of yers and that money Ruef gave ye. I told him he’d do well to hide both. I figure his killer came right after I left, so he probably had no time.”
Caleb heaved a sigh. “I’m to blame. I should have warned him—let him know what was going on so that he could be on his guard.”
Camri reached for her brother’s hand. “You couldn’t know what would happen. Henry thought highly of you. We had a chance to get to know each other a little, and he always spoke fondly of you. He was trying to help me search for you.”
“Well, be that as it may, he mi
ght still be alive if I had just leveled with him about what we were doing.”
“Which brings me back to that matter,” Patrick said. “I haven’t any real news about Liling, but I do have Daniels’ trust. At least to a point. He’s not asked me to be involved in the shanghaiin’, but I figure ’tis just a matter of time.”
“Have you seen Liling?”
“No, but then I’ve not had much to do with the upstairs girls. I can’t even say for sure she’s there, but I have heard tell that Daniels has one very special, very expensive girl in the room next to his. Apparently he’s very selective about who he lets visit her. I’ve never even heard her name given, although one of the boys mentioned her being a princess.”
Caleb nodded knowingly. “That’s her. Liling is something of a guarded secret. Daniels keeps a close eye on her. I learned this from some of his richer clientele. Generally speaking, Chinese women are not very valued in this city. Most of the best establishments won’t have them. Fact is, most places want to have one or more redheads, but most sought after are those of Jewish lineage with red hair. For some reason they’re considered lucky, and a man will pay top dollar. But I digress. Daniels figured out a way to get a lot of interest and money for something normally considered to have little or no value.”
“How?” Camri asked. It was so strange to be listening to her brother talk about brothel preferences.
“Daniels set Liling up as something exotic—out of reach. Nothing brings about demand as much as telling folks that they can’t have it. She’s Daniels’ only Chinese girl, and he had it whispered about that she was royalty, secreted from her palace far away and sold into his hands by pirates. He made it clear that only a few select customers would be allowed. He keeps it all hush-hush so as not to give away the truth of it, which is that she’s just a down-on-her-luck girl born of Chinese-American parents.”
“No wonder nobody talks about her,” Patrick said, shaking his head.
“What are you going to do?” Camri tried not to think about the horrors Liling might be experiencing.
“We have to find a way to get her out of there,” Caleb replied. “Would that I could set them all free from that life. If you want a cause, little sister, there’s a good one for you.”