His gaze was warm. He wound a stray hair around his finger. Bringing it to his face, he inhaled. “You smell good.”
Hannah fought the laughter threatening to burst from inside. “Thanks.”
Anticipation of his next move made her eyes close. Tiny pulses of electricity raced along her spine. Any moment his moist, hot lips would touch her neck. To stay upright would then become a struggle.
She lost count of how long she waited. Peeking through half-closed lids, she gasped. Swiveling, her breath caught.
He was gone.
****
The van bounced along, knocking his head against the metal sides. Memories of Hannah standing in the garden overwhelmed him.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Gabe asked with a knowing grin.
Rory’s head shook as he looked away.
“It’s going to take us an hour to get to the launch site. I could use a little conversation.”
“Then talk and I’ll listen,” said Rory.
“Now, you know conversing requires two people. So I’ll ask a question and you can answer.”
Rory shrugged.
“Did you talk to Hannah yet?”
Rory stared. A sneer lifted his lip.
Gabe lifted his hands. “Hit a nerve, did I? Look man, I’ve known you a long time, and in all that time I’ve never seen you so determined to do something as crazy as this. Well maybe close.” Rory narrowed his gaze and glared, and Gabe laughed. “Look I know it’s because of the girl.”
Rory drew in a ragged breath, his hands running over his hair. “Ain’t it always?”
“Yep. I lost count of all the foolish things I did while pursuing Joyce. One day she told me to just stop being stupid and tell her the truth. And we’ve been happy ever since.”
“What did you tell her?”
“Everything. All my past transgressions. How I felt about her. The works.”
“And just like that it worked out?”
Gabe rubbed a spot between his eyes. “Well, not exactly. You see I tried to hide one thing, which wasn’t even important, and it put a wedge between us. Once I realized how stupid I was being and I came clean with my fears, it just clicked.”
“Fears?”
“Seems odd for a man like me, huh? I know people think I’m fearless, but it ain’t true. My dad left when I was five, my mom died when I was thirteen, which left my grandmother raising me. She was sick but managed to hold on until my eighteenth birthday. Day after her funeral I signed up for the service. It was the only way I wouldn’t be alone.”
“So that was your fear? You didn’t want to be alone?”
“Yeah, man. Because of that fear, I kept putting Joyce off. I know it sounds backward but I figured if I didn’t experience her love then I couldn’t miss it. What a lie! I couldn’t stop myself from loving her no more than I could stop the sun from rising.”
“So what did you do?”
“I did the only thing I could do. I gave in. ‘Course she helped me along. Always there telling me I was perfect for her, encouraging me. She never gave up.” Gabe studied his hands. Rory could see wetness on his friend’s cheeks. “Yup, she never gave up.”
Before Rory could respond, Olin yelled. “We’re here.”
“Showtime.”
The three of them boarded the old fishing boat. Gabe settled the money with the boat owner as Olin carried a waterproof suitcase onto the boat.
Once inside the enclosed cabin, Rory placed the boat in gear. The approach needed to be precise. Shallow water ran alongside the back of the compound. They had to get close enough to see and hear their operatives on the inside, but far enough away so that if they were spotted by the guards in the towers, they looked like they were out on a normal boating expedition. Moving the boat in place without being recognized as spying was his only job.
As Gabe and Olin whispered, Rory focused on the task ahead. So much had to fall in place for this plan to fly.
“You okay up there?” asked Olin.
“Yep, right as rain.”
“Listen, when you get within sight, just stop. We’ve got everything ready.”
Rory nodded.
Muscles tensed as they drew closer. The shallow waters made navigating difficult. When this was over he was going to take a nice long relaxing vacation. A secluded cabin nestled in amongst tall green trees. Fresh mountain air. Peace and tranquility with no one to disturb him. No one asking him to move trees or rescue people. Just him and nature.
However, the more he thought about it, the less appeal the relaxing vacation held. In this scenario Hannah wasn’t there. Would he really want a life without her? How rewarding would that be?
“Okay, you can stop here.”
Rory slowed.
“Now Gabe, help me set up the satellite.”
Rory watched as they worked, and within minutes they had a live feed.
“Can we get sound?” asked Gabe.
“Sure.” Olin plugged in a cord and immediately Tina’s voice filtered inside the boat.
“Are we ready?”
“We’re all set,” replied Olin.
“Going dark,” said Tina.
“So she can hear us and we can hear her but no one around will know?” asked Rory.
“Yep, pretty much. There is a tiny receiver in her ear.”
“What about the camera?”
“A lens is embedded in the middle of her glasses.” Olin tuned dials and cleared up the image. “I don’t know why I’m here. Anyone could run this. You didn’t need me.”
Gabe placed a hand on Olin’s back. “It may be simple to you, but to me it might as well be Greek. Besides, I don’t pull a job without my entire team.”
Olin shrugged and hid his wide smile.
****
Thirty minutes passed and the game was afoot. Hank, as the driver, pulled to a stop in front of the compound’s gate. Tina sat in the backseat holding a clipboard and adjusting her glasses. Beside her was Chin Xi, the hotel proprietor. He’d agreed to assist with the plan. Of course the idea of helping out his idol hadn’t hurt.
“Can I help you?” asked a guard.
“We’re here to see Tapiwa.”
“Who is ‘we’?”
“The infamous Xi. I believe we have an appointment,” said Tina, leaning over and out the open window.
Hank looked forward the entire time, his knuckles whitening on the steering wheel.
The guard shrugged and ordered the gate opened. Once the vehicle was inside, one of the riders let out a sigh.
“Okay, friends, it’s go time,” whispered Tina into her microphone.
Hank opened the back doors on the vehicle as Tapiwa approached.
“Welcome,” he said as he extended his hand to Xi in greeting.
Chin ignored the offered hand and bowed. Pulling his hand back, Tapiwa followed suit.
They faced each other. Tapiwa asked, “I understand you have need of my services.”
Chin dipped his head and Tina spoke. “Mr. Xi needs workers for his various business ventures. We were told you could assist with all of our unique needs.”
“You were informed correctly,” said Tapiwa as he opened his palm and encouraged a forward movement.
The camera swayed as Tina and the others followed Tapiwa’s lead. Rory gulped as they headed for one of the enclosed cabins. A rickety wooden plank door opened. Tina stepped inside first.
The cabin was split in two. Each side was sealed with a heavy wooden door containing small bars at the top. Peering in, Tina acquired footage of three native women, dark-skinned, and cowering against the wall. Tapiwa rang a bell, and they jumped to their collective feet. Naked from the waist up, they lowered their chins, and made study of the floor.
Gabe whispered through Tina’s speaker, “Tell her to put down the case.”
Tina moved aside and allowed her employer access. When she stepped back, she placed the satchel on the floor.
“Anything?” Gabe questioned, worrying his hands.
“Not yet.”
Four more times this activity was repeated. Four buildings searched and the satchel placed on the floor. At last, on the end of the row, something popped up. A needle on Olin’s equipment spiked.
Gabe patted him. “Good work.”
“It was your idea. I’m just glad you were right.”
Rory asked, “Anyone care to clue me in?”
Gabe ordered Olin to continue filming. He took Rory to a window and gave him a pair of binoculars. “Study the base of the compound and tell me what you see.”
Rory focused. Light sparkled off the shallow, muddy water. The rock base of the camp resembled dry mud. Adjusting the zoom, he narrowed his focus. Along the base there was a crack. Murky liquid trickled slowly out. Closer and closer he fine-tuned the instrument. Then he saw it, the opening Gabe had spoken of.
Gabe said, “The compound was placed here for several reasons. One being it is at the edge of the game reserve which keeps it hidden and hard to reach. The wild animals are a great deterrent for anyone thinking of sneaking in at night. Also, the moving water powers the generators, which is how they get electricity.”
“Makes sense. The opening is the hole you mentioned before, the entrance to the sewer, right? Tina is registering it?”
“What you see in the rock is not the entrance but the exit. And Tina isn’t registering the opening, but the cave that leads to it.”
Rory narrowed his gaze. “Then they’ve found it, the best route to spring our trap.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Chin Xi and Tina returned to the monastery with five native women. It was all they could rescue without arousing suspicion. Sister Mary enlisted Hannah’s help in finding clothing and bedding. Feeling helpless, she couldn’t have been happier to help.
Once the women were settled, Hannah searched for Gabe. She found him and the others in Father Thomas’ office, discussing their discovery.
“We need a diversion so we can get them into the cavern.”
“But, Gabe, I wasn’t able to map the entire route. What if we get them inside the tunnels and they get stuck?” asked Tina. She sat on the desk, her long lean legs swinging back and forth.
“There has to be a way. We spotted the crack in the foundation, and the waste still exits there and enters the river. Obviously there is a route.”
“But the crack isn’t big enough for a human,” Rory added.
“Then we make it bigger. We cause an earthquake,” said Gabe.
“A little dynamite here, a little dynamite there should do the trick,” said Hank, a wicked gleam in his eye.
“There are still the guards to contend with,” whispered Hannah.
Rory’s gaze caught hers as Gabe beckoned her farther into the room.
“She has a point. Even if we are able to find a way into the cave, the guards are everywhere. And reaching the crack to blast it open is going to prove difficult,” said Hank.
“You were a guard, Gabe. What do you suggest?”
Gabe frowned. “That was a lifetime ago and one I don’t wish to remember.”
Hannah grabbed his arm. Looking into his eyes, she implored him. “But surely you must remember something, anything that might help us. We need every advantage we can get.”
One side of his lips twitched upward as he tapped his forehead.
“Are there any trucks that come into the place? Any deliveries? Do they bring in food, clothes, petrol, anything?” Tina asked.
“The food is prepared there. They use the river and generators to run the electricity. But the diesel for the vehicles is a different story. I could ride in. Hank can blow the crack. While the guards scramble to the blast site, I can gather all the prisoners into the belly of a truck.”
“Forgive me for interrupting, but that won’t work. You’re forgetting something. You have five cabins each with two locked doors inside. Not to mention the outside cages, which are also locked. There wouldn’t be enough time to get everyone out and loaded before you were spotted,” said Hannah.
Hank crossed his massive arms. “Well, little lady, do you have a better idea?”
Hannah paced. Past story plots and ideas raced through her mind. Rolling out a map of the camp, she studied it. She looked up and a smile lifted the corner of her lips. “I think I do.”
****
“Me and my stupid ideas.” Covered to the waist in raw sewage, Hannah held her hands and arms high above her head as she carried supplies for Hank.
Under the cover of darkness, they’d taken the small fishing boat back to the river and stopped alongside the camp. With a smaller boat they traversed to the shore and made their way over sharp pointy rocks until they found the camp’s refuse system. Once they reached the base, they studied the crack. Covered behind scrubby foliage, it was bigger than originally thought. A person could easily pass through if they went in sideways. Hank and Hannah took one last deep breath and climbed in.
Following Hank like an obedient puppy, she held her breath and walked. The thick rock walls were illuminated by their head lamps.
They moved slowly to avoid falling in the slippery substance. The farther in they went, the higher the waste level. The tunnels worked like a funnel. Water carried the refuse from the camp and gathered it together in large open sections. From there it flowed gradually to the exit.
As they walked, they looked for other tunnels leading off into different areas, but they found nothing. Every few feet, Hank placed a charge. All the charges were connected by the same wire. When the first one blew, there would be a chain reaction that would blow the others in succession.
It took several hours to finish. Done, they returned to the boat and moved it away from the compound. While Hank adjusted his equipment, Hannah attempted to remove the odor and filth from her skin and clothing.
“Sweetheart, you won’t get it off out here. Acclimate yourself to the smell. Tomorrow you can be free of it.”
Hannah nodded and lay down on the floor of the small shifting boat. It was looking to be a long night.
****
“Food service,” answered the driver as he rolled to a halt.
The guard’s brows knitted together. “You’re not the normal people.”
“Oh, of course. Simba has the day off. If you want to call and double check—”
“No, no, come in.” Elbowing his companion, the guard said, “It’s about time we got some fresh food around here. I thought I was going to have to close my eyes and pretend that the weevils weren’t there.”
Sister Mary and Father Thomas released a collective sigh as they were waved through. Inside the compound, they drove to the building on the left and unloaded the food. Today the company had sent prepared meals for the guards.
“What is this?” the swarthy cook asked.
Robeless and all female, Sister Mary saddled up beside him, placed her hand on his forearm, and winked. “This is a gift for you. You work so hard. So we cooked the guards’ meals for you today.”
Mesmerized and left speechless by her long fluttering lashes and flirtatious manner, he didn’t argue. Instead he said, “Thank you.”
They worked quickly. Once the food was inside, they left. Father Thomas thought about his added insurance. The extra ingredient should give the rescue team the advantage they needed.
****
Rory and Gabe waited in a truck hidden in bushes while Olin and Tina sat in an exposed van farther down the road.
“You can stop looking. The time won’t come any faster because you looked at your watch,” said Gabe.
“I know. But we have to be so precise. If they change their routine, or—”
“They won’t. Trust me. Tapiwa is a creature of habit. Everything will be right on schedule.”
“Did Hank check in?” asked Rory.
“Yes, the charges are in place and Hannah is fine.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Sure you didn’t but I know you wanted to.”
Gabe smirked and
Rory refrained from slapping him. As Rory’s ire built, Gabe said, “Look alive.”
Rory straightened. Tina stood beside the road, waving her hand and jumping up and down. A truck sped toward her. Would they stop?
Right when it seemed like they were set to bowl her over, the truck skidded to a halt. Dust kicked up behind the wheels as a guard leaned out of the window. Using binoculars, Rory saw his frown.
“Can you help me?” came Tina’s voice over the sound system. “I believe my vehicle is stuck and my boyfriend,” she said the word with disdain, spitting on the ground for emphasis, “is useless.”
Three large men jumped from the cab, each vying to help first. Rory and Gabe took aim.
“Olin, you ready?” asked Gabe.
“Yes, sir,” came the answer over the comlink.
“On the count of three. One, two, three…”
Tina fell to her belly as darts sailed overhead. The three guards grabbed their necks, their eyes widening in fear as they collapsed.
Back on her feet, Tina dusted off her pants and placed her hands on her hips, mumbling, “That’ll teach them to ogle a woman.”
****
After stripping the officers down to their underclothes, Rory and the others tied them to separate trees. While they worked, eyes could be seen peeking out from under the truck canvas.
“Guess they’re wondering what we’re doing,” said Gabe, grunting as he pulled the last rope tighter.
Rory stood and straightened. “You’re probably right. But they’ll find out soon enough. I just hope they don’t try to fight us.”
Tina was set to drive the diamond workers back to the monastery, hopefully without incident. With the guards tied to trees, someone from inside the truck gathered up enough courage to discover what happened.
He climbed from the truck and asked, “We want to know what you think you’re doing.”
Rory and Gabe stared at one another for an intense second. Each reached for their weapons. Darts containing the knockout poison were all gone. Talking would be the only way out of this one.
“We’re rescuing you. Please get back in the truck,” said Rory.
The man looked around. The dark color of his eyes grew larger as Tina stepped out in front of him and said, “Melanie sent us.”
Diamond Mine Page 20
