Immediate tears fell from the man’s eyes. He studied his long lean fingers. Without another word he climbed back inside.
Once the dust from their tires settled on the road, Gabe asked, “Are you ready, my friend?”
“I’ve never been more ready.”
Arrayed in guard’s clothing, he headed for the compound. Tower guards spotted him and said hello with a raised hand. Walking around like he was supposed to be there, he found a spot and leaned against the wall, trying to blend.
Gabe waited back at the truck. At precisely two o’clock the prisoners would be released to walk the grounds. Every day it was the same. The prisoners exercised in the yard; thirty minutes into their movements, the diamond workers arrived. That meant they had thirty minutes to enact the plan.
The diversion should go off any minute. When it did, they would be ready.
Listening through his ear piece, he waited. The clock struck two. He could hear the faint sounds of children and women moving behind the walls. Guards standing in the towers doubled over. They straightened and coughed only to double over again. Moans rent the air, and Rory couldn’t help but smile.
Suddenly the towers emptied. Now was the time. Where were the explosions? Why hadn’t the charges blown yet?
“Gabe?” he asked into his microphone.
“Yeah, I know. The ground should be rumbling by now. I’ll call him.”
Rory waited, tapping his foot. They had twenty minutes left before everything went wrong.
Chapter Forty-Six
Hannah straightened and wrung her gloved hands. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t they working?”
“I don’t know,” said Hank, studying knobs and dials.
“We’ve got to fix it. Time is running out.”
“But we can’t—”
“Look, I’ll go back in and you tell me what to do.”
“No, you can’t.”
“Yes, I can. See.” She pointed. “The guards are gone. Just tell me what to do.”
Hannah grabbed the ear piece and jumped from the boat. Wind whipped her hair back as she put the instrument in place and ran. Splashing through the knee high water took longer. When she reached the entrance, she clicked on her light. “I’m ready.”
“Girl, you’re crazy.”
“Maybe so. Now, what do I do?”
Hank gave directions and Hannah listened. Every wire, every charge was checked. When she reached the end of the tunnel, the place where the refuse entered, she located the problem. One wire hung loose.
Hannah moved damp hair away from her face. “I found it. I’ll just connect this wire—”
“Not yet! Wait, it’s a live—”
****
The ground shook.
“It’s about time,” Rory muttered under his breath.
He edged to the large doors, pushed, and they opened without hesitation. Before stepping inside, he checked in. Olin waited outside the perimeter in the van loaded with electronics.
“Olin, how do we look?”
“Thermal imaging shows you’re clear. Wait. They’re on the move. The women and children have gathered around the flowerbed. Repeat, they have moved to the flowerbed.”
“Acknowledged. One other thing before I go in, where are the guards?”
Snickers raced through the background.
“Well?”
“Oh, yeah. The guards. They’re still around but writhing on the ground. I think you’re good. That Father Thomas sure knows his stuff. We’re just lucky the food was hot and steaming and the guards didn’t wait to eat it. This was the one time that Gabe being wrong was a good thing.”
Rory smiled. Gabe had said the guards were creatures of habit. He didn’t think they would eat until later, but thankfully, this one time, they had neglected their schedule.
Rory continued. He pushed the doors farther apart and secured them. Gabe drove the empty truck inside. Metal-sided and used to haul large loads of dirt, it would be a great place to secure the women until they were out of harm’s way.
Gabe jumped from the cab and pulled open the door. Hurrying the people forward, they climbed inside. Melanie hung back and stared at him.
“You?” she questioned.
Rory urged her forward. “Yes. Don’t worry. Your husband is safe at the monastery and waiting to see you.”
She nodded. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she ushered the children forward.
Gabe closed the truck. “They’re in. Let’s go.”
Placing his foot on the step, Rory went to pull up. The sound of gunfire had him flying into the cab. A look at Gabe showed him hold a smoking gun. A bullet hole rested in the roof of the cab, right above his head.
“Told you I had your back.”
Rory nodded.
Once settled, Gabe asked, “Ready?”
He answered, “More than ever.”
****
They drove out, met Olin, and switched vehicles. He would deliver the prisoners, while Rory and Gabe stayed behind with the listening equipment.
“Any minute now.”
Gabe gazed through the binoculars. A dust cloud billowed in the distance.
“Who is it?”
“Biashara,” said Gabe breathlessly.
Rory grasped the dashboard, his knuckles white with tension. Olin had left the thermal imaging on in the van. While inside the compound, Rory had dropped a few microphones. Now they just had to sit back and wait to see what went down inside.
They sunk lower in their seats. Blood rushed between his ears as Rory struggled to control his worried breathing. The sound of dirt being flung into the wall and doors slamming came in loud and clear over the speakers.
“Tapiwa!” roared Biashara.
A bent over, red and splotchy figure stumbled forward. An arm appeared to be holding his middle.
“Stand and face me.”
A groan emitted as Tapiwa rose, his image shaking. Red color glowed brighter on the screen, indicating an extra measure of heat on his forehead.
“What happened here? Where are my workers? My women?”
“I, I—”
Tapiwa wasn’t given time to explain. Gunfire exploded, and the red and yellow figure slumped to the ground. The image of The Butcher glowed as he kicked Tapiwa’s inanimate body. His hands moved to his hips as he surveyed the area.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Under his breath, Rory muttered, “Where are they?”
“Maybe this guy doesn’t have as much clout as Hannah thinks.”
As the last word left Gabe’s lips, a new dust cloud emerged on the horizon. A row of military vehicles drove into view. They pulled in front of the doors, blocking Biashara’s exit. A voice echoed from a bullhorn. “Surrender in the name of the South African government. You are under arrest.”
Biashara and his men didn’t resist. They raised their hands to the sky and allowed themselves to be taken into custody. All the while Biashara protested. “I don’t know what you are doing. We were lost and merely stopped to ask for directions. What is this country coming to when a man can’t even stop to find out his location? You will hear from my lawyer about this!”
The sound of his voice cut off as he was forced into one of the military vehicles and driven away.
****
“Where are they?” Mike fumed.
Rory ran his hand through his disheveled hair for the umpteenth time. Everyone had reported back to the monastery except for Hank and Hannah. Radio silence had been crucial during the mission, but now that it was over, they should have checked in.
After Hannah contacted Mike, Tonya’s husband, he’d worked through government channels to have the South African authorities arrest Biashara Githinji for human trafficking. Of course, they’d arrived at the very end of the rescue mission, not helping at all with the actual retrieval of the prisoners.
But now that the mission was complete, Mike was driving him crazy. Rory was just as worried about Hannah, but he didn’t know what to do other
than wait.
At the end of his rope, Rory saw a grim-faced Gabe walk in. He said, “Hank’s back.”
Rory gulped. Repressing his rising anxiety, he hobbled out to meet him. Covered in dust and debris, brown dirt filling his hair, his clothes torn and ripped, the large hulk of a man cast his gaze at the ground.
“Where is she?” Rory asked.
“I tried.” He lowered his head farther, his shoulders sagging. “The charges weren’t working. Something happened to the main one, a loose wire or something. She connected it and…” Hank stopped talking.
The scream welled inside. He stumbled outside and ran to the sanctuary. Once inside, he dropped to his knees. “Why, Lord? Why? Why didn’t you take me? She didn’t deserve this. She only wanted to help her friend.”
Father Thomas appeared. Head bowed, he placed his hand on Rory’s head.
“What can I do now? She’s gone. I waited and now it’s too late.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Explosions rocked the walls. They started out slow, increasing in intensity as they followed the trail of charges.
Behind Hannah was a rock shelf. She folded underneath the ledge and waited until everything stopped moving. Once the earth shuddered to a halt, she pushed on the ear piece. “Hank? Hank, come in.”
Static was the only response, and panic threatened to set in.
“Breathe, girl, just breathe.” Moving around, she tested each part of her body. “Everything seems to be working. No bad cuts or head injuries. At least I don’t think so. Does a person talk to themselves after a head injury? I don’t remember. No, I’m fine. I just need to find a way out. Yes, that’s it. I need to get out of here.”
Before the explosions started, there had been an opening above her, but now that path, as well as the one she’d entered by, was blocked by large boulders.
Closing her eyes, she tried to listen for sounds. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Ignore the smell, ignore the smell. Her breathing calmed, and she felt a cool rush of air land on the back of her neck.
Adjusting, she turned and discovered a minute crack. Using her fingers, she picked at it until it grew larger and larger. Blood oozed from cuts, but she didn’t stop. Clean oxygen came through, and Hannah drew in a deep breath, coughing and expelling dirt from her nose and throat.
She worked tirelessly until the hole grew large enough to crawl through. Scraping her knees and cutting her hands on the jagged rocks, she pulled herself into a new room. The ceiling was high and Hannah stood and stretched her taut muscles.
Knocking the dust from her headlamp, Hannah directed the light toward the walls. Rivulets of water coursed the rock and pooled on the ground. The walls twinkled like a thousand winking stars.
Tripping over obstacles, Hannah reached the wall. Her hands grazed the cool surface. “Diamonds,” she whispered.
Twirling, she saw the clear gems all around. The irony. To think Tapiwa had been busing people out to caves and other places, selling humans to make money, and this entire time his camp had been built on top of a diamond mine.
She shook her head and left the wall. The wealth of her find meant nothing if she couldn’t get out.
Aware of the dangers of falling and breaking a leg, Hannah proceeded with caution.
The large underground cavern was connected by several tunnels. After walking for a while, she became turned around and didn’t know which way to go. One way should lead toward the river; the other should go farther under the camp.
Sitting down, she placed her head in her hands. She closed her eyes and offered a prayer of thanksgiving for her survival thus far.
She heard the faint noise of running water. Looking closer, she noticed it ran in a single direction. She should follow it, right? If she was lucky, it would lead her to the river.
Occupying her mind was the difficult part. Had everything gone okay above? Had Mike shown up? Would Hank search for her or just assume her dead?
“Get a grip. You know Rory. He won’t be able to sleep at night if he doesn’t look for you.”
Even this realization didn’t completely ease her fears. A giggle escaped and echoed off the walls with a maniacal sound. If she ever got out of here, then boy, would she have a story to tell.
Mud flaked off in her hand, causing her to lose her grip. She fell.
“Ow. Stupid rocks.”
Embedded in the soft tissue of her palm was a stone. Light from the head lamp reflected off the gem and created a rainbow of colors.
A grimace covered her face as she plucked it free. Placing the object in her pocket, she pushed into a standing position.
The headlamp flickered and extinguished, leaving her in total darkness. She tapped the plastic cover, but no luck. The light was dead. How would she get out now?
****
Rory left the church and raced back to Hank. He was like a man obsessed. He made Hank explain everything at least three times before his injuries could be treated.
Hank had been caught by the last charge when he’d attempted to rescue Hannah.
“I’m going,” declared Rory.
“You’ll never find her. The explosions caved in the opening.”
Rory grabbed Hank’s collar. “I’m going to look for her.”
“Suit yourself,” Hank said as he turned away and watched the doctor stitch his side.
Rory said, “Olin, can we use the suitcase above to see if there are any open pockets below?”
“Maybe.” He shrugged.
“What about the thermal imaging equipment? Can we direct it at the ground and try to find her that way?”
“After the explosion, I think the rock will be too thick at the entry point.”
“Fine. You and Tina go above, and Gabe and I will use the boat. You can direct me from there.”
Olin and Tina climbed inside the van and left.
Nervous energy raced through Rory. Before the boat’s engine came to a complete stop, he waded through the water toward the outside compound walls.
“Olin, how are we?”
“All set. Tina convinced the officials to let us in, but we can’t stay long. The explosions weakened the area, and they’re afraid of a cave in.”
“Then let’s work quickly. I’ll wait here until you can give me a direction.”
Rory could hear Olin click his tongue as he worked. The equipment he used worked like sonar. It sent out waves that told depths beneath the surface. When it hit an opening in the earth, it produced a different sound.
It took all Rory’s energy to maintain his patience. Too fast and the machine might miss something, too slow and they wouldn’t have time to complete their scan.
“I’m going over the initial point of impact right now,” said Tina through the ear piece.
Rory tapped his foot. Until he knew where to begin, he just had to sit here. Then he heard a swift intake of breath in the background.
“It would be a miracle if this girl survived,” said Tina in a hushed whisper.
Rory swallowed. He couldn’t give up. He wouldn’t give up. She’d waited eight years for him. No way would he let something like an explosion get in his way. He wouldn’t leave without her.
****
Hannah’s first thought was to sit and rest. In the dark it would be much easier for her to fall and become injured again. But as she reached out and felt the wall, she decided to brave a few steps.
One small step at a time, she edged forward. Every thought was of finding light. Wasn’t there a song or something about searching for light in our darkest hour? Regardless, this was her darkest hour, and the light was always sweeter during that time.
Each step led her closer to the water. The sound increased. Without the light to distract her, she tuned into the noise much easier.
If she hadn’t placed her hand forward, she would have smacked the wall. But there it was the end of her journey. A sliver of light gleamed around the edge of a large boulder. Squinting, she could just make out the river flowing on the oth
er side.
To the left and right she shifted. Hope soared when she saw the boat still bobbing on the water. Her heart rose to her throat when Rory walked past her position.
She screamed, but noise from the running water covered the sound. Taking a rock from her feet she slammed it into the crevice and chipped away at the opening.
Rory walked farther away. How could she get his attention? Enough light entered for her to see the rock she held. It glittered and she widened her eyes. She didn’t hold a rock but a massive diamond!
What had she learned in science class? Diamonds are hard, right?
Taking the gem in both hands, she brought it down against the obstacle keeping her from Rory. First she made three dots, then three dashes, then three dots. She repeated the Morse code for SOS.
It was something she’d learned while researching a book she’d written, which she never thought would come in handy. Over and over she banged out the signal.
It wasn’t long before her arms tired and dropped to her side. A cry of agony escaped her throat.
“Hannah? Hannah is that you?” A voice flowed through the hole.
She slid a slender finger through and wiggled it. “Rory?”
“Hannah!” he cried. “I’m going to get you out. Just hold on.”
“Sure,” she answered. Weariness overtook her as she dropped against the wall in relief.
Chapter Forty-Eight
“Hannah, step back. This time should just about do it.”
With the unstable ground above, Gabe, Rory, and Olin worried about a cave in. No one voiced the fear, but it was on their minds.
Moment by moment the hole grew larger until finally, Hannah turned sideways and slid through, falling into Rory’s waiting arms.
Nicks and cuts covered her skin. Purple bruises formed. Dirt and mud splattered her hair, skin, and clothing. She was the most beautiful thing Rory had ever seen.
“Oh, it’s you,” she said, dropping into his arms and staring at him with a goofy grin.
“Yes, love, it’s me.”
“Look what I found,” she said, the grin growing larger as she placed a baseball-sized diamond in his hands.
Diamond Mine Page 21
