Читать книгу Even in the Darkness - Shirlee McCoy - Страница 12

The road to the Raymonds’ clinic wound uphill through dense jungle. There were no streetlights to guide the way, and already the thin ribbon of pavement seemed to disappear in the deepening shadows. Without the headlight from the motorbike it would be impossible to see what lay ahead. That was fine. Tori was more concerned about what lay behind.

She turned her head, peering into evening gloom. She saw nothing. More importantly, she heard nothing.

“No one follows?” Chet spoke above the chug of the bike’s engine, the worry in his voice obvious.

“No. We’re fine.” For how long? Tori might have had a head start, but Noah wouldn’t be far behind. Even if she’d eluded him completely, it wouldn’t take long for him to find out where she was headed. Mae Hong Son wasn’t much more than a small town, and Tori had visited it several times with the Raymonds. Those visits would have been noticed, talked about.

As if he sensed her worries, Chet patted the arm she still had wrapped around his waist. “No worries. The Raymonds will be fine. They have many friends in Mae Hong Son. Many people they have helped.”

“Maybe so, but money can be a powerful incentive.” She thought of the bamboo huts that lined the outskirts of the town, the agricultural economy so reliant on weather. Who wouldn’t be tempted by a secure future and a life of ease?

“Money is less important here than honor. Our people will protect the Raymonds because it is the right thing to do.”

Tori wished she had as much faith in human nature. She didn’t. “How much farther to the clinic?”

“Maybe ten minutes.”

“Is there any way to get there more quickly?”

“No. This is the only road in. There are a few trails through the jungle, but taking them at dusk would be foolish and dangerous.”

“My entire trip to Thailand seems foolish and dangerous right now. If I’d stayed home, none of this would have happened.”

“It’s never good to look back and think of what we might have done differently. You came to Thailand on good faith that you would be safe. Unfortunately, Thailand, like any other country, has its share of criminals. I’m sorry you had the misfortune to run into them.”

“I survived. That’s what matters.” That, and making sure Melody stayed safe.

“My mother said you were taken from your hotel room?”

“Yes. In Chiang Mai.”

“And the people who took you wanted the box?”

“That’s what they were asking for.”

“Strange. It is a nice piece, but not valuable. The locket you had made is worth much more.”

“I know. It doesn’t make sense.”

“A worry for another time, I think. For now, we think only of getting to the clinic. Then we’ll get the box and get it far from the Raymonds.”

“When we get to the clinic, I want you to turn around and go home. I can’t put you in any more danger than I already have.”

“The Raymonds have been my friends for five years. They’ve taught me English, taught me about God, shown me and my family true kindness and Christian love. I won’t turn my back on them during this trouble. Nor will I turn my back on someone they care about.”

There was no sense in arguing. Despite Chet’s passionate words and clear regard for the Raymonds, Tori couldn’t let him get any more involved in her troubles than he already was. If he insisted, she would have no choice but to sneak away from the clinic without his notice. It wouldn’t be difficult. If she could escape a man like Noah Stone, she could escape the loyal, trusting man who now helped her. But you didn’t escape Noah. He’s behind you. Following. Waiting for a chance to grab the box. And when he gets it…then what?

The thoughts worried at Tori’s mind as the motorbike sped on. How much time did she have before Noah caught up with her? Probably not as much as she needed. She glanced back, but the road was still empty. To either side, towering trees and thick foliage bristled with life; nocturnal animals emerging from their daytime sleep, diurnal animals tucking themselves away for the night. If Tori were at home, she’d be starting her day, heading to the veterinary clinic to see her first patient. Instead she was running for her life.

She blinked back hot tears and shoved aside thoughts of home. Right now, her focus had to be on getting the box and carrying it far away from Melody. There’d be time for everything else later.

“There. The clinic.” Chet gestured to the right where bright yellow lights spilled through the trees, the sight a welcome relief.

Seconds later, he rounded a steep curve and pulled the motorbike up in front of a long, low building. Tori didn’t wait for him to turn off the engine. She was off the bike, sprinting to the clinic door, bruises and pain forgotten as she pushed the door open and stepped into the wide lobby. It was empty. Something she’d expected so late in the evening. The Raymonds’ apartment was at the back of the clinic, and she headed that way, knowing a buzzer had already announced her presence. Any minute now, either Mark or Joi would come to see who’d arrived.

As if on cue, the soft pad of feet sounded in the hall and a feminine voice called out. “Sawatdee kha.”

“Joi? It’s Tori.”

“Tori!” Joi Raymond raced around the corner. “Praise God. We’ve been worried sick. Your grandfather called us and said you’d never arrived home. Are you…?” Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of Tori’s head covering and tunic. “Tori?”

“Yes. It’s me.”

Joi lunged forward, pulling Tori into an embrace that threatened to crack her bruised ribs. “Where have you been?”

“It’s a long story.” And she didn’t have time to tell it. “Are Melody and Mark in the apartment?”

“Yes. What—?”

Chet stepped into the clinic, his arrival cutting off whatever question Joi planned to ask. He spoke in Thai, the words a jumble of sounds that Tori couldn’t understand. What she did understand was the expression on Joi’s face—one of disbelief and worry. Before Chet finished speaking, Joi reached out and tugged the scarf from Tori’s face. Her gaze touched on Tori’s cheek and jaw, her fingers prodding at bruised flesh. “Who did this to you?”

“I don’t know. I only know what they want. The box Melody’s locket was in.”

“Why?”

“I wish I knew.”

“We’ll figure it out together. Let’s go take a look.” Joi looped an arm around Tori’s waist, her calm, even tone at odds with the worry in her eyes. “Chet, why don’t you head home? It’s getting dark and the road in is difficult at night.”

“I will stay and give Tori a ride back.”

“If she leaves, Mark can give her a ride.” No doubt, Joi was as worried as Tori about Chet’s well-being.

As they argued, Tori could almost hear the clock ticking away precious seconds. Noah might show up at any time. “It’s late. I may stay the night. Go home, and if I need a ride, I’ll call you.”

He hesitated, then nodded. “I will pray for your safety.”

As soon as he stepped out the door, Joi hurried Tori through the clinic and into the family’s apartment. “Mark! Melody!”

The fact that she shouted the names told Tori exactly how shaken she was. A former E.R. doctor, Joi never panicked, her calm confidence as evident in her family life as it was in her work.

“What’s up?” Mark stepped out of the den, his salt-and-pepper hair standing on end as if he’d run his hands through it again and again. He stopped short when he caught sight of Tori. “Praise God! We’ve been worried sick.”

His words so neatly mimicked Joi’s that Tori almost smiled. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“From the look of things, it wasn’t your fault. Sit down.”

“Tori?” Melody stepped out of the hall that led to the apartment’s two bedrooms, her slim frame a replica of Tori’s at the same age.

“Yep, I missed you so much I had to come back.” This time, Tori did smile, though she was sure it was a weak imitation of the real thing.

“What happened to your face? It looks like someone beat you up.” Melody’s eyes were deep green and filled with concern. At thirteen, she had her parents’ compassion and need to heal.

“Just an accident. Listen, could you bring out the box I sent your locket in? The little rosewood one.”

“Sure. I love the locket, by the way. Thank you so much.” She grabbed Tori in a bear hug that stole her breath, then released her and ran back down the hall.

As soon as she disappeared from view, Mark placed a hand on Tori’s shoulder and urged her to the couch. “Sit down. You’re white as a ghost.”

“I’m always white. Goes with the red hair.” She sat anyway, hoping she’d be able to get up when the time came.

“Not this kind of white. The bruises on your face are obvious. Where else are you hurt?”

“Everywhere, but not serious enough to worry about now.”

“Here it is.” Melody hurried back into the room, waving the small rosewood box.

“Thanks.” Tori accepted the box, her flesh crawling as if she were holding a snake. Two inches by two inches and less than an inch tall, it was beautifully detailed with inlaid mother-of-pearl. A tiny gold clasp and gold hinges were the only other adornments.

Tori pulled the box open, saw nothing but gleaming wood.

“See anything?” Joi leaned close.

“What are we looking for?” Mark joined his wife, sliding an arm around her shoulders and peering down at the box.

“I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s important. Mind if I take this with me, Melody?”

“No. Do you need the locket, too?” Melody fingered the silver heart that hung from a chain around her neck. An exact replica of the one Tori owned, it contained a copy of her grandparents’ wedding portrait. Seeing Melody wearing it brought bittersweet longing—both for the grandmother who’d taken Tori in when no one else would, and for the daughter Tori had given up.

Or maybe it was just for the things she’d lost, things she could never have again.

She forced the feelings aside, not allowing regret or discontent. Her life was what she’d made it, her choices her own. All she could do now was move forward. Wherever that might lead. “No way. That’s yours. Now I’ve really got to go.”

“What?” The words were shrill, Joi’s expression one of disbelief. “And go where?”

“Away from here.”

“Melody, why don’t you go in your room and finish your homework?” Mark spoke to his daughter, his concerned gaze on Tori.

“It’s done.”

“Go anyway.”

“Fine. I know when I’m not wanted.” She smiled, bent to place a quick kiss on Tori’s cheek.

“Goodbye, Melody.” Tori kept her voice light, her grip loose as she leaned forward and stole one last hug. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

With that, Melody hurried back down the hall.

“You can’t really intend to go back out there? Whatever that box is, it’s too dangerous for you to carry it around with you.” Joi spoke in a whisper.

“And too dangerous for me to stay here with it. The men who abducted me haven’t given up. They want me and they want this box. If they trace me here, you’ll all be in danger. I have to leave before that happens.”

“But where will you go?” This time it was Mark who spoke, his voice calmer than Joi’s had been.

“Bangkok. I’ll take the box to the embassy. Someone there will know what to do with it.” Tori stood up, lifted the caftan and shoved the box into the pocket of her jeans.

Mark put a hand on her arm, holding her in place when she would have shoved open the apartment door. “Wait. Let’s take a few minutes. Think things through, decide if you going to Bangkok is the best idea. Then if you still want to leave, I’ll drive you to town.”

She didn’t plan to let him drive her anywhere, but she nodded anyway, turning to face the couple who’d offered her both friendship and advice in the years since they’d adopted Melody. “Thinking things through is fine, but it won’t help. We still won’t know what the box is, who wants it or why.”

“We don’t have to know any of that.” Joi paced across the room, her short, compact body almost vibrating with energy as she reached for the phone. “Now let’s pray we’ve got a good connection.”

“Who are you calling?”

“The U.S. Embassy. Maybe they can send someone to escort you to Bangkok or give you the name of someone in Mae Hong Son who can help.”

Tori nodded, surprised that she hadn’t thought of that herself. But then, she wasn’t just running scared, she was running on empty, all of her energy drained, her body pulsing with pain.

“It’s ringing. Here.” Joi handed the phone to Tori.

She pressed it to her ear, her heart thundering as a woman’s cheerful voice filled the line. “United States Embassy. How may I direct your call?”

Good question. “I…”

“Yes?”

“I’m an American citizen and I’ve run into trouble up-country. I’m hoping someone there can help me.”

“Do you need legal representation?”

“No. At least I don’t think I do.”

“If you give me your name, a number where you can be reached, and tell me what kind of trouble you’re in, I can pass the information to the right party.”

“Thank you. My name is Tori Riley. I—”

“Is that Victoria Riley?” The cheerful good humor had dropped away.

“Yes.”

“Please hold. I’m transferring your call.”

“To whom?” But she’d already been put on hold, the soft rhythm of a love song playing across the line.

“Hello? Ms. Riley?” This time it was a man, his voice smooth and soothing.

“Yes.”

“Jack McKenzie. What can I do for you?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Then tell me what the trouble is, and I’ll see if I can figure something out.”

“I bought a box at a wat near Mae Hong Son. I don’t know what it is, but a lot of people are after it.”

“Where’s the box now?”

“I have it. I’d like to bring it to the embassy and let someone there take a look at it.”

“Sounds like a good plan.”

“I don’t know how long it will take me to get there. I’m going to—”

“Stay put. An escort is on the way.”

“I can’t wait.” Not with so many people searching for her. And not when discovery could mean death, both hers and the Raymonds’.

“You won’t need to. He’s there.”

As if on cue, a loud buzz announced that someone had entered the clinic. Tori’s mouth went dry with fear and she knew her eyes were as wide, her skin as pale, as Joi’s.

“Stay here. I’ll go see who it is.”

“No!” Tori and Joi spoke in unison, but Mark was already pushing the door open and stepping out of the apartment.

“Everything okay?” Jack McKenzie’s voice pulled Tori back to their conversation.

“Yes.” She hoped.

“Good. My man will escort you to my office in Chiang Mai. We’ll see what’s what, and have you home before you know it.”

Home. The word sounded too good to be true, but before she could say as much, the apartment door swung open and Mark stepped back inside, another man on his heels. Tall, pitch-black hair, and eyes the blue-green of the ocean, Noah moved into the room with the same pantherlike grace Tori had noticed when he’d freed her. His gaze scanned the room coming to rest on Tori as he slid a dark backpack from his shoulder.

“Guess we meet again, Red.”

Tori could think of nothing nice to say, so she said nothing at all, holding the phone to her ear, her fingers in a death grip around the receiver as Mark introduced Noah and Joi to one another.

“That Jack?” Noah gestured to the phone.

“Yes.”

“Mind if I speak to him?” His hand slipped around hers, sliding over tense fingers and somehow easing her grip before she realized what he was doing. Then her hand was empty and he was speaking into the phone.

“Jack? Yeah. The clinic. Maybe twenty miles outside the city. Right. I was thinking the same.” He paused, met Tori’s eyes. “You have the box?”

She considered denying it, but there was no reason now. Noah was on her side. Or was supposed to be. She still wasn’t sure she trusted him. She pulled the box from her pocket anyway, handing it to Noah before she could rethink her decision.

He met her gaze as he turned the box over, his eyes dark and unreadable. Then he turned his attention to the mother-of-pearl inlay, pulling a small magnifying glass from his pocket and using it to examine one area after another.

Tori half expected him to say there’d been a mistake, that the box was exactly what she’d thought it to be. He didn’t. Instead he paused, looked more closely at one section, and spoke into the phone. “I’ve got it. You sending the helo? We’ll be at Mae Hong Son Airport in an hour. Yeah. I agree. I’ve already got it covered. I’ll tell them.”

He hung up the phone, swept a gaze around the room. “Anyone else here?”

“Our daughter.” Joi sounded calm, but Tori sensed tension in the words. Like any good mother, she was ready to protect her child.

“You’ll need to get her. Pack a few things. We’re leaving here in ten minutes.”

“What? We can’t leave the clinic.”

This time it was Mark, the disbelief in his voice obvious.

“I wish it weren’t necessary, but it is.”

“Maybe you should explain.”

“This box was carried across the border from Myanmar and delivered with a truckload of tourist trade items. It’s different than most trade items, though. It’s inscribed, and it wasn’t meant for sale.”

“I didn’t see an inscription.” Tori leaned closer, caught the scent of Noah’s shampoo and backed away.

“You wouldn’t have. Not unless you knew where and how to look. Each letter of the inscription is the size of a red blood cell. Thirty lines of text can fit in an area the width of a strand of hair. Even with a magnifying glass it’s difficult to see that there’s any writing there.”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing.” Mark leaned closer, his gaze on the box, his curiosity evident.

“Most people haven’t.”

“Then what’s the point?” Tori wanted to grab the box and the magnifying glass and look for herself.

“That is the point. The technology is new, but effective. A much more secure mode for transferring information than cell phone or computer.”

“Information?”

“Dates. Times. Places of delivery. The Wa has put technology to good use.”

“The Wa? Then we’re talking drug trade. I’ll get Melody and start packing. Mark, you want to call Dr. Graw and see if he can stay at the clinic for a while, maybe scrounge up some extra hands from Bangkok or Chiang Mai?”

“Yeah. How long are we talking, Mr. Stone?”

“Noah. I wish I could tell you.”

Mark looked like he’d press for more, but seemed to think better of it. Instead, he gave Joi’s shoulder a quick, comforting squeeze. “I’ll use the phone in the clinic and make sure things are locked up while I’m there.”

He hurried away and Joi followed suit, heading down the hall to find Melody.

Which left Tori alone with Noah and the bitter knowledge that her visit to Thailand had led to the destruction of the safe, fulfilling life her friends had worked so hard to create.