Moving quickly, the woman tossed Marco a rope. He tied it to a nearby tree, then scrambled into the boat. Standing on the deck, they spoke in undertones, their heads close together. On the rocky bank, Danielle stood by with her hands on her hips. That was when I realized who the woman must be. When she removed her sunglasses, I saw that I was right.
Tish.
“What is she doing here?” Farrah hissed.
I shook my head, keeping my eyes on the scene below. Marco leaned over to unfasten something from the floor of the deck. Tish scooted out of the way as he lifted a small kayak and heaved it over the side of the motorboat. Then he helped her step into the kayak and handed her a paddle. With a breezy wave to Danielle, Tish plunged the paddle into the water and maneuvered the kayak out of the cove. In a matter of seconds, she was on the river and out of sight.
Marco beckoned to Danielle. “Bring me a crate.”
She obeyed. While Marco stashed the crate into the cabin of the boat, she grabbed the other one. He took it from her, placed it in the cabin, then clambered out of the boat. He headed back toward the rocky cliff, but Danielle lingered behind.
“Why can’t we just go now?” Danielle whined.
“I told you,” Marco said. “We have to wait until after dark.”
“Do we have to wait in there? I’m sick of that place. It’s so dirty.”
“Now, pet, you know it’s safer if we stay out of sight. It won’t be much longer now.”
Danielle glanced at the boat, then back at Marco. “Are you sure Tish knows where to leave us a car?”
Marco put his hands on Danielle’s shoulders and steered her toward the cliff wall. “Yes, yes. It’s all arranged. We won’t be on the boat for long. Don’t worry. You’ll be on a beach sipping margaritas before . . .”
We missed hearing the rest of his sentence, as they vanished into an unseen opening in the rock face.
There must be another hidden cave.
Farrah and I looked at one another. The astonishment I felt was mirrored in her eyes. Without a word, we tiptoed back to the gap we had exited and scrambled back inside the cavern. Crouching on the dark ledge, we spoke in whispers.
“I can’t believe we actually found them!” Farrah said.
“We have to alert the police,” I said. “God, I wish we had a working cell phone.”
“I know. By the time we find our way back to the car and get to someplace with a signal, it will probably be after sunset. They’ll be gone.”
“It shouldn’t be too difficult for the police to find them on the river, even in the dark,” I reasoned. “Except . . . it sounds like they won’t be on the river for very long. And we don’t know where they’re going to dock.”
“Yeah,” said Farrah. “Apparently Tish is going to provide them with a getaway car. Why would she do that?”
I shrugged. “For love or money, I guess. My bet is on money.”
“Well, what can we do?” Farrah flicked on her flashlight and shined it down onto the floor of the cave. “We can’t very well stop them on our own. I mean, I could probably take Danielle, but not both of them. We’re unarmed, and you’re practically an invalid.”
“Hey, I’m doing all right,” I protested, even as a twinge of pain shot through my hip. I winced, then sighed. “I want to take another peek at that boat.”
I climbed back up through the crack in the wall and peered over the precipice. The boat was a snazzy little cabin cruiser, white with a black stripe along the side. Two motors were attached to the rear of the vessel.
As I stared at the boat, a strong wind whipped my hair into my face. Blinking, I watched the boat bob in the water. It seemed to tug at the black rope securing it to a tree trunk on the shore. A black rope. Like the rope in the binding ritual Max had told me about—the one meant to stop Mila’s harasser.
I looked back at the boat, and then at the surrounding foliage, as an idea began to take shape. Marco and Danielle had to be stopped.
Farrah crawled out of the cave to see what was taking me so long. I whispered to her what I had in mind and she agreed.
Leaving our backpacks in the cave, we moved like cats along the ledge until we found a path down to the cove. Keeping our eyes and ears peeled, we slunk behind the trees until we were adjacent to the boat. Now for the risky part.
Farrah played lookout, while I worked on the rope. Struggling with the knot stressed my sprained wrist, but I didn’t let that slow me down. When the rope was free, I tossed it into the boat. Farrah and I gave the craft a shove, using all the strength we could muster. It didn’t move very far, but at least it was unmoored now. The water lapped at its hull, giving me hope that this plan would work. Eventually, the boat should float away from the shore and be caught up in the river’s current. If the Thomisons waited until dark to emerge from their hiding place, they would find their means of escape was gone.
I only hoped this would buy us enough time to reach the police and show them the way back to the hidden cove. With no time to lose, Farrah scurried back the way we had come. I followed close at her heels.
As I climbed up the craggy bluff, I spared a backward glance at the concealed cave and narrowed my eyes. Under my breath, I muttered the words to an improvised curse:
“By your deeds, you are bound,
By my power, stay underground,
Til darkness falls, you shall not flee.
As I will, so mote it be!”
The wind blew my hair into my eyes again. I scrambled up the bluff, hand over hand, trying to catch up with Farrah. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my injured wrist. I lost my grip. In the same moment, my foot missed its toehold.
I plunged to the ground.
Chapter 31
I lay on the ground, stunned. As soon as I caught my breath, I turned my head to see if anyone had come out of the hidden cave. Luckily no one was there. I closed my eyes, trying to figure out which part of me hurt the worst.
“Keli! Oh my God! Are you okay?” Farrah knelt at my side.
“Yeah. I think so.” I tried to sit up. Farrah put her hand on my back to help support me. Once I made it to a sitting position, I rubbed my head. “I can’t believe I did that.”
“You scared the shit out of me.” Farrah bit her lip and cast a worried glance at the cliff face Marco and Danielle had entered.
“You and me both.” I reached out my hand to Farrah, and she pulled me to my feet. The instant my right foot touched the ground, I collapsed into a heap again.
“What is it?” Farrah cried, trying to catch me.
I winced. “My ankle. It’s either sprained or broken. I can’t put any pressure on it.”
“Oh, no. Are you sure?” Farrah helped me remove my hiking boot and gently moved my ankle to test it. I flinched and jerked away. “Oh, God,” Farrah groaned.
“There’s no way I can climb. You’re going to have to go on without me.”
Farrah widened her eyes. “There is no way I’m leaving you out here!”
I took a deep breath. Clutching Farrah’s arm, I tried to stand again. This time, I held my right foot up while balancing on my left foot. I broke a sweat from the exertion.
“We have to hide.” I looked around, then tilted my head toward a fallen tree in the thicket near the water. “There.”
Leaning heavily on Farrah, I hopped on one foot as we scuffled forward. She carried my right boot. By the time we made it to the downed tree, I was out of breath. I dropped to the ground and groaned.
Farrah crouched next to me. “We should wrap your ankle.” In a flash, she removed her sweatshirt and T-shirt, then put her sweatshirt back on. She folded the T-shirt into a long strip and wrapped it snuggly around my ankle. I gritted my teeth.
“I’ll go get our backpacks,” she said. “Then you can at least have a drink of water.”
“You have to go for help, Farrah. Now. You have to get the police out here before the Thomisons come out and escape on foot.”
“I’m worried about leaving you
alone.”
Forcing a smile, I showed her my pentagram necklace. “I’m not alone. I’m protected by the Goddess. Remember?”
“Fine. But I’m going to get your backpack first. You have some painkillers in there, right?”
“Yeah.” And I sure need them.
In a matter of minutes, Farrah retrieved my backpack and came back to make sure I was safely hidden. She promised to come back as fast as humanly possible. I hunkered down and prepared to wait.
* * *
Over the next hour or so, I watched Marco’s boat slowly drift away from the shore. Helped along by the stiff breeze, eventually it was out in the middle of the river. It was satisfying to see my plan work.
Except being stuck behind a log wasn’t part of the plan.
The temperature plummeted as the sun sank behind the cliff. Before long, the cove was enveloped in darkness. I shivered.
Surely Farrah has contacted the police by now.
My legs had fallen asleep yet again, so I shook them out. There were only so many positions I could maintain and stay out of sight. I was in the process of drawing my knees to my chest when the sound of voices reached my ears. I froze.
With whisper-soft movements, I peeked over the trunk, through its dark branches. Marco and Danielle came out of the cave, each carrying crates again. They walked all the way to the water’s edge before they noticed the cruiser was gone.
“Where’s the boat?” Danielle asked as she looked around.
Marco let out a string of profanity so loud Danielle cringed and backed away. He dropped his crate and ran around the edge of the cove. “Get the flashlight! Help me look!”
Danielle set her crate on the ground and reached into her shoulder bag for a flashlight.
“Hurry up!” Marco barked.
She stumbled through the underbrush and handed him the light. He shined the beam onto the dark river.
“How did this happen?” Danielle wrung her hands. “I thought you said the knot was tight.”
“Shut up! It was tight.” Marco directed the light downstream. “There it is!”
He jumped into the water. Danielle screamed, “Marco! Don’t leave me! You know I can’t swim!”
Marco waded back to the shore. “Dammit. It’s ice cold. I’ll freeze before I ever reach the boat.”
“Call Tish. Tell her to pick us up here.”
Marco wiped his hand over his face. “She’ll have to get hold of another boat. Jesus, there’s at least two million dollars in cargo on that boat.”
“Can’t we just—”
“I said shut up! I’m trying to think.” Marco stomped on a sapling, cracking it in two. Danielle whimpered.
Marco pointed the flashlight down the river again. “We have to keep the boat in sight. God, it’s moving fast. You go put the other crates back in the cave, then catch up to me.” He heaved a sigh. “I’ll call Tish.”
Danielle hurried back to the cave, while Marco tramped off in the other direction. I held my breath when he passed my hiding place. Luckily, he was so focused on the river he didn’t even look my way. When Danielle ran back, her only concern was finding Marco. She didn’t notice me either.
I waited until the sounds of their arguing and rustling had died away. Then I let out my breath. Thank Goddess. I unfolded my legs and pushed myself to my knees. Still moving quietly, I unscrewed the cap from my stainless steel bottle and finished off the last of my water.
Now that my adrenaline had subsided, I could feel how cold the air had become. My teeth chattered. I glanced toward the hidden cave. Could I make it?
During the time I crouched in the woods with nothing to do, I had noticed a broken tree branch nearby. It appeared thick and sturdy—a perfect walking stick. I grabbed it now and pulled off the protruding twigs. With all my weight on my good ankle, I pushed myself to a standing position.
Once I was sure of my steadiness, I took a tentative hop forward. Then another. I allowed the toes of my right foot to help with my balance. Thanks to the compression from Farrah’s T-shirt and the ibuprofen, the pain was bearable. After each step, I paused to listen for any sign of Marco or Danielle. The only sound was that of water lapping against the rocky shore. I kept going.
When I reached the rock face, I stood squinting in the darkness for several seconds. By the light of the moon, I studied the rough, layered texture of the cliff and the fallen boulders jumbled haphazardly at its base. Inching forward, I finally spotted a narrow, triangular hole. I squeezed inside.
In the shelter of the cave, I paused and pushed my hair out of my face. Leaning on the wall for support, I rubbed my hands together. It was warmer in here, out of the wind.
Without a flashlight, phone, or candle, I planned to remain by the entrance. But as I stared into the blackness of the cave, I detected a faint light. I followed it.
Shuffling forward, I rounded a corner and saw the source of the light. It was a battery-powered camping lantern, sitting on a table. Apparently, Marco and Danielle had forgotten to turn it off. I walked over to the table and picked up the lantern. I held it up to get a better look at the cavernous room.
What is all this? Against the wall next to the table was a pile of blankets and empty food containers. The better part of the room was filled with large barrels and rusty equipment of some sort. As I looked around, I realized what it was—an old distillery.
Of course. This must be where Orion Cadwelle made his illegal liquor.
And now it was being used to hide another kind of contraband. But what?
I scanned the room until my eyes fell on the crates Danielle had brought back inside. They were nailed shut. Hobbling around the antique distillery, I looked for a crowbar or other tool I could use to pry open the crates. My efforts were rewarded when I came upon a pile of abandoned woodworking tools on top of an overturned cask. I selected a hammer-shaped ax-like tool with a flat edge. Using it as a lever, I pried off the lid of the crate.
I gasped. In spite of the plastic wrapping, the contents were unmistakable.
Rhino horns.
The crate was packed full of rhino horns. From my research for Beverly, I knew a single horn could fetch upward of $300,000 on the international black market. Marco was probably right that two crates contained two million dollars’ worth. With the two on the boat, plus these two, the Thomisons were sitting on four million dollars.
I was debating whether to open the second crate when I thought I heard a noise from the cave entrance. Farrah must be back with the police. I picked up the lantern with one hand and my walking stick with the other. I almost called out when something gave me pause. The hair on the back of my neck prickled.
To be on the safe side, I switched off the lantern and backed into the shadows. I waited and watched until I saw the faint glow of a lighter. Then I recognized the person holding the lighter. Danielle.
She mumbled under her breath as she entered the room. As she came closer, I made out some of her words.
“Damn him anyway. Making me come back alone. He thinks I’m holding him back?” She stopped when she reached the table and held up the lighter with a shaky hand. “Where’s the lantern?”
I made a split-second decision. Taking a deep breath, I leaned my walking stick against the wall and stepped forward.
“Freeze!”
Danielle screamed and dropped her lighter.
I grabbed the woodworking tool and held it out in front of me. Then I flicked on the lantern and quickly set it on the floor. I shifted to the side, ensuring that I would remain hidden in the shadows.
“Put your hands in the air! I have a gun!”
Danielle complied. “Don’t shoot!”
“Back up,” I commanded. “Sit on the ground. And keep your hands up!”
She lowered herself to the ground and scooted backward. I could see her squinting in the darkness. “Keli? What are you doing here?”
“I’ll be asking the questions.” I tried to convey an authority I didn’t really feel. My only ho
pe was to fool Danielle. “I—I’m really an undercover agent. You’ve been caught, Danielle. You had better cooperate now, if you know what’s good for you.”
If you know what’s good for you? I wasn’t used to playing the role of a tough cop. I was afraid I sounded silly. But Danielle appeared none the wiser. She cowered in the corner, shivering.
“Fine,” she said. “Whatever you say. This was all Marco’s idea anyway.”
I nodded curtly. “That’s what I thought. How did he get mixed up in rhino horn smuggling?”
Danielle barely hesitated before blurting out an answer. “It started with antiques made of ivory. Marco was a middleman. Then he found out how valuable those nasty horns are. Crazy, if you ask me.”
I had to agree with her there. “Go on.”
“His buyer told him about this network that needed a Midwest dealer. The horns were brought in from Africa, one by one, hidden in people’s luggage or something. They needed somebody to pick them up and consolidate them. Then a courier would take them from here and transport them to San Francisco, where Marco’s boss lives. That’s where the sale would happen. Most of the horns were then shipped to China or Vietnam.”
“So Marco became the Midwest link. Where exactly did he get the horns?”
Danielle bit her lip, then shrugged. “There’s this huge monthly flea market up north. People come from Chicago and other places. Marco would go up there with his van to ‘hunt for antiques,’ but he was really there for a pickup.”
“At the first of the month?” I remembered Farrah’s observation about the timing of the burglaries every month. Marco probably needed goods he could convert into cash to pay for the exchange.
“That’s right,” said Danielle. “He brought the packages back to the mansion to store there until a courier came to get them. Sometimes I didn’t even know who the couriers were. They usually looked like regular B&B guests.”
“Sounds like a risky business, Danielle.”
“I know!” Danielle scoffed. “That’s why we needed the store downtown. Marco was going to open an antiques shop. The horns would be concealed in antiques delivered to and from the shop. The tunnels provided a perfect hiding place.”
Bell, Book & Candlemas Page 22
