Third Half Page 13

  "You better learn to trust me," Todd reminded her. "Don't forget, I'm the only person between you and Juanita's people. And don't even fool yourself into thinking they play by our rules. They make them up as they go along. Only to suit their needs."

  His words were so ominous Liane felt a chill run up her spine. But she wasn't going to turn back now. "And what rules are we playing by?"

  Todd smiled grimly. "Unfortunately, if we want to find Jack, their rules."

  "You said something last night about getting caught," Liane reminded him.

  Her bearded companion nodded. "As soon as you're ready."

  Liane squared her shoulders looked up at her new partner. "I guess now's as good a time as any."

  CH-9

  CH-8

  CH-7

  CHAPTER NINE

  Todd called for a taxi which took them to a small airport several miles outside the city. He hadn't confided much of his plan, and Liane had to wonder how much of a plan he actually had. All she did know, was that he had no doubts about where they were going. It was obvious he had been here before.

  As they got out of the taxi she glanced up at her companion, about to ask him about this place, but saw Todd's attention was focused on the car that was slowly pulling into the parking area. "Who are they?"

  "Probably the same two men we met the other night," he said, calmly placing his arm behind her back to slowly guide her toward the small airport hanger.

  "How long have they been following us?"

  "Since we left Juanita's."

  "I didn't know that! And we led them right to the Smith's . . . And back to your room. What if they . . ."

  "Relax, it's us they want. They don't want a lot of other people in the way. Especially people who would be missed, like the Smiths and your priest friend."

  She pushed aside the thought that neither she nor her companion would be missed if something were to happen to them. She didn't know about him, but she knew she'd be missed. She thought about her sister, then remembered something. "Yes, but I . . ."

  "You what?"

  "I gave Father Barndt a letter to send to my sister."

  The man stopped and turned to face her. "Your sister."

  Liane suddenly remembered she wasn't supposed to know where her sister was. "Yes, to her apartment. In case she somehow manages to get her mail."

  "Let's hope she does." He seemed to accept her answer. "She'll be better off than we are."

  She didn't ask what he meant as he stopped to talk to a man dressed in a dark blue uniform, she assumed was a security guard. Soon Todd was guiding her to the small building. "Is this where you keep your plane?"

  "Yes." He opened the door. "And if I'm right, very soon we'll have company. Don't look!" he ordered as she was about to glance over her shoulder.

  "I hope this works," she whispered as she heard footsteps approaching.

  "So we meet again," she heard the familiar woman's voice. "It seems the two of you have decided to go someplace."

  "Home . . .since we can't do business here," he replied coolly.

  "Ah, but that might not be wise." The auburn-haired Juanita came closer. "You see, we need to know a few things."

  "I was afraid of that." The bearded man glanced down at Liane, then stroked his beard. "Tell me how much will it take?"

  "Take . . .? I don't understand."

  "To buy our safety home. You do understand that, am I right? I find that it usually pays to have a little extra cash on hand for these things." His eyes remained keenly focused on the woman. He squeezed Liane's arm to cue her.

  She was glad she had taken the money out of the Bible before leaving the Smith's home. Now she slowly unzipped her case.

  She saw the men with Juanita quickly pull out their hand guns. "I'm . . .I'm only getting this." She lifted out the wad of money and handed it to her companion.

  "Now, how much was that?" he asked, turning again to the attractive older woman.

  "You seem to have given up very easily."

  "Not given up." He smiled. "We've decided to go about things from a different route. We know we can do business with our fellow countrymen."

  "But they can't get you your partner . . .your brother." The woman looked from Todd to Liane shrewdly. "Isn't that why you came here?"

  "Indeed, but without them you can hardly obtain what you need," Todd went on.

  Liane waited what seemed like a lengthy time for the woman to speak. Would she sell out for the money he offered? Or, like Todd thought, would she agree to take them to Jack?

  "I have been in contact with my employer again, Mr. Marshal," Juanita began, watching their reaction through narrowed eyes. "He has agreed to allow the Sister to see her brother. But you will have to fulfill your original agreement."

  "I'm sorry, but we stay together now," Liane said with false bravado. "Either we both see Spence, or we both leave."

  "You see, what it boils down to is that I want to see my partner as much as she wants to see her brother. Since they are one and the same, we can both make certain he's all right. Plus, you may have forgotten, I need him to complete our end of the bargain."

  "What you don't seem to understand is that neither of you hardly has a choice," Juanita said as she motioned her men forward.

  Todd attempted to reach for the pistol he carried beneath his leather jacket, but the barrel-chested man hit him with his own weapon before he could reach it.

  "Todd!" Liane gasped as she stooped over the fallen man.

  "Very foolish," Juanita said, clicking her tongue to the roof of her mouth. "Now why don't you relax while we wait."

  "Wait?" Liane looked up. "For what?"

  "Let's just say for your navigator," Juanita said with a malicious grin. "Sit him in that chair," She ordered her companions. "Then give him some cold water or something. I want him ready as soon as Enrico gets here."

  Liane watched in silence as the men obeyed Juanita's every order. Then she saw Todd opening his eyes slightly. "Are you all right?"

  "Yeah, perfect," Todd said as he rubbed the side of his face where he had been hit.

  "Perfect? I don't understand what went wrong."

  "Nothing went wrong," he said. "We're being captured, just like I planned."

  "But she said I was to be taken to Jack. I won't be able to get him out alone."

  "You won't be alone. Unless I miss my guess, I'll be flying you to where they're keeping him."

  Flying. Her green eyes were wide as she stared down at Todd, wondering if she should admit her phobia about flying.

  "They won't let me stay," he continued. "I'll be expected to complete the job, probably with Jack. They'll have a new hostage."

  "But then they can try to force me to talk," she said, forgetting her previous fear.

  "You? Somehow I doubt anyone can force you to do anything." He smiled confidently. "Besides, that's why you're going to tell them that your sister has hidden the things they want, as a precaution, and hasn't told you where they are. That even I don't know about it, because you don't trust me."

  "But that's not what you planned. You said we were going to stick together."

  "What are you talking about?" Juanita asked sharply as she approached them. "Oh, I see our Mr. Marshal is doing much better now. Very good."

  "Yes, but I'm quite busy. I don't believe I'll be able to fly. It's good you made other arrangements."

  "You'll fly, Mr. Marshal. You will fly." She smiled, secure in her words. "You see, now we have two people who you will want to protect. You will follow through with our plans."

  "So you are just a little smarter than I am," Todd shrugged. "I suppose I'll have to do as you ask."

  Liane watched the exchange. It reminded her of a game of cat and mouse. But she couldn't figure out just who was the cat and who was the mouse. Nothing seemed to be going as planned, yet this man seemed quite calm about everything.

  Just then they heard the sound of a camouflage painted truck pulling up outside. Liane looked throu
gh the window and noticed a faint brightness just entering the sky. "It's almost light," she whispered. "At least you'll know where you're flying."

  "And where to send back the calvary." He winked not bothering to explain that with the navigation equipment on the plane he would know the location even in the dark.

  Liane couldn't ask just what he meant by calvary, as the door swung open and a man stepped inside. She noted he was dressed in a military fashion, yet ill-kept in many ways. It took only a moment to remember what the man seated next to her on the airplane had said. "Rebels."

  "Sh-h-h," Todd warned. "Careful not to know too much."

  Juanita said something to the man in Spanish, then waited for his reply. He nodded, then stepped further into the hanger, looking closely at Todd and Liane. Then finally he spoke.

  "Do you understand any of this?" Liane asked Todd.

  "They're worried that I will be able to give away the location," Todd replied as he listened to the man laugh and speak again. "But he's telling her that he won't be letting me alone long enough."

  "I hope you've accounted for that, too."

  "I'll work on it," he said as the other two men approached them. "Here we go."

  The men all pushed the plane out of the hanger while Juanita held the rebel's machine gun. Liane didn't doubt for a moment the woman knew how to use it. And she wasn't about to test her by trying to escape.

  She tried to swallow the lump forming in her throat, reminding herself this was the closest yet she had come to finding her brother.

  Once outside Todd, the uniformed man, and Liane got into the plane. The plane was small, but had been stripped of all seats inside but the two in the cockpit, making the rear all cargo space.

  "Is this custom designed specially for you?" Liane asked, remembering the cargo they usually carried. "How many crates of artifacts have you and my brother smuggled out of here?"

  "Just about enough," Todd replied.

  "Enough for what?" She was getting tired of the way he talked around a subject. "To quit?"

  "Some things are best unknown, M.C."

  "Todd! I'm in this so far now, what difference will it make?"

  He looked at her a moment, then shrugged. "Enough to make the trip back . . .with a shipment worth much more to these people than artifacts. Weapons."

  "Weapons!" she echoed, her eyes wide with astonishment. Her brother was not only a smuggler, but a gun runner, too! She said nothing more, needing the time to think over all the revelations she had made.

  Yet as they finally taxied down the runway, all thoughts were pushed from her mind as she tightly closed her eyes. Hail Mary full of Grace. Her breathing quickened to the point of hyper-ventilating.

  "M.C." She heard Todd's voice from beside her. "Are you all right?"

  Did Jack ever mention my fear of flying to his partner? Liane swallowed hard trying to the get rid of the lump in her throat. Slowly she opened her eyes, wishing it was still total darkness outside instead of growing light.

  She was lightheaded, but she forced a smile as she looked at her companion. "All right? Of course, I'm all right," she lied, then felt a slight twinge of guilt as she saw his worried expression.

  "You're white as a sheet," he said with concern.

  You're an actress. Dammit act! She stared into her companion's dark brown eyes and tried to absorb some of his strength. She tried to think about other things, anything but flying.

  She thought about the previous night when he had caught her in the fading bubbles of her bath. She remembered the way those dark brown eyes had deepened with something other than anger when he had looked down at her.

  She was calmer now, but not necessarily under control, she thought as her limbs began to tingle with a new feeling.

  "That's more like it." She heard Todd laugh, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was again trying to read her thoughts. Or worse, had succeeded.

  I

  The brightness of the sunlight reflected off the last of the mountaintops they flew over. Liane wasn't certain how long they had been in the air, nor how much farther they would go.

  The only one who could answer that was the soldier standing just behind them, retaining his firm grip on his weapon. He had said little during their flight, simply telling Todd Marshal when to change their direction.

  Now she wondered if the pilot would remember the way they had come, or if he would find a way to get help. She looked at the martially clad man behind them, summing up his strength and size. Even without the machine gun he would be a formidable opponent for anyone.

  Her eyes returned to the pilot. He was tall and slim. Still, she was certain he, too, was a strong man. But it would take more than brute strength to get them out of this. What were muscles against bullets?

  It would take a cunning mind, able to come up with a quick plan. So far, Todd seemed to be a man who had many plans, and many surprises. Back in the hanger, he had said he'd work on one for this situation. She wondered if he had come up with something.

  She noticed as his hands now grasping the controls seemed to tense. Then she realized there was something different about the sound of the plane's engine.

  "What is it?" she asked him, but as she spoke, she saw black smoke coming from the engine.

  "We have to go down," Todd said abruptly, then turned to the man behind them. "Do you understand? Go back there and find someplace to hang on."

  The man didn't budge, yet by now they knew he understood English.

  Todd said something again in the man's own language. The soldier's reply was merely to push his gun toward Todd's back.

  "So much for that." Todd shrugged, then looked at Liane. "Hold on."

  "What about him?" she asked.

  "He says he doesn't trust me. I'm to keep flying. He says we haven't much further."

  "Will we make it?" She croaked, forcing back her fear. "Todd!"

  He looked at her somberly, then back at the man. "M.C., do you know what to do when a plane crashes?"

  "Just what they tell you on TV shows."

  "Well do it!"

  "But what about him?" she asked, momentarily forgetting her fear, yet not knowing why she should be concerned for a man who probably would just as easily kill them as he would help them.

  "Let Macho man, here, find out what it's like to crash," Todd said, but there wasn't time for more words. Liane watched as the jungle below seemed to get closer with each passing second.

  She leaned forward, putting her arms over her head as she pressed it against her knees. The plane bumped and jerked, there was a loud metal crunching sound like the plane was being ripped apart, then a sudden jerk. Something hard pounded onto her body. Then there was nothing.

  I

  When she awoke, the heavy weight was still on top of her. Breathing deeply, she slowly opened her eyes. There was very little light, but she could tell that she had slid forward seat and all, she realized as she felt the strap still holding her in. She had somehow been protected from hitting the instrument panel – maybe some sort of air bag. No, she quickly realized the padding between her and the hard panel was heavy, and human.

  "Oh God," she groaned as she realized what she felt was the soldier. "Todd!" Unable to move, she let out a yell. "Todd!" Hearing no reply she tried to push away from the body.

  She heard a groan and tried to decipher whether it was the man or coming from somewhere else. "Todd!" she called again, her chest tightening with choking fear.

  "Hang on a minute." She heard Todd's voice.

  She felt herself and the seat being pulled back, then her seatbelt released so quickly she slipped to the floor. When she looked up, hoping to see her rescuer, instead her eyes froze on the bloody face and blank, bulging eyes of the soldier. Worse she realized the not only had the man's body protected her from slamming into the instrument panel, but his body had also been pierced by the control column.

  Her eyes filled with tears as she put her hand to her mouth, feeling sick.

  "He
re, let me help you," Todd said quietly as he reached for Liane's hand. She went willingly to his arms, seeking comfort as she tried to regain her composure.

  "I'm . . .I'm sorry," she mumbled when she finally pulled away. "I . . .I."

  "Don't worry about it. It's not a pretty sight for anyone."

  "I almost pity the man." Then she remembered that being M.C. she should say a prayer for him or something. "I suppose I really should . . ."

  "That's up to you. He is probably Catholic. But the decision is yours."

  "I'll say a prayer for him." She turned to look for her bag. "Oh what a mess." She looked around the wreckage. "I suppose we should consider ourselves lucky."

  "Maybe . . ." Todd said dryly, as he took a tarp from the debris and covered the body. "That will have to do for now."

  She found her case and took out her sister's Bible. Then she looked at Todd as he opened the hatch. "Where are you going?"

  "I have to look around and make sure the plane is safe here. Then I may have to check out the surrounding area. I'll be back." He started out the door.

  "Here," she went to the front of the plane to retrieve the dead man's machine gun. "It looks all right. Take it with you."

  Todd checked it, then handed it back to her. "You keep it. Just in case. I have my gun. I got it off him." He patted the shoulder holster beneath his flight jacket.

  When Todd had gone, Liane knelt down and opened the Bible to the Twenty-Third Psalm. At the moment it was the most appropriate thing she could think of reading for the man lying lifeless beneath the tarp.

  In silence she wondered what would happen to them now. Because of this new turn of events, she knew that there would have to be another change of plans. A drastic change. Just when I thought I was getting close to you, Jack.

  It was late afternoon when Todd finally returned wearing a grim expression.

  "Did you find a village or anything?"

  "Nothing but jungle. I didn't see any signs of human life. But I don't think we can be too far. Our friend wanted us to try and make it. We had to be close to our destination."

  "Maybe someone will send out a search party or something."

  Todd frowned and shook his head. "M.C., we didn't exactly leave a flight plan. And we were flying way below radar. Have you forgotten we aren't exactly looked upon with friendly enthusiasm by the authorities.