Diamond Mine (17 page)

Rory woke with a crick in his neck. Every muscle in his body ached and burned. What had he been doing?

Shifting, he moaned. The pain from his stump shot up the remainder of his leg and settled in the pit of his stomach. A wave of nausea ran over him. Struggling to sit on the side of the bed, he searched for a trashcan.

That was when he noticed her. She leaned in the chair, her head lolled to the side, and a small line of drool ran along her chin. She appeared as an angel with a fresh innocence surrounding her still being.

As he moved farther off the bed, a spring popped. Hannah jumped. Alerted to the noise, she gazed in his direction. “Is it morning?”

“I don't know.”

With her hands balled into fists, she rubbed her eye sockets then raised her arms high into the sky in a slow, languid stretch. A sigh of contentment passed over her lips. She struggled to a standing position and held the small of her back as she walked to the window and lifted the curtain to peer outside. “Thanks be praised, it is still night.”

He arched his brow. Curiosity got the better of him. “You know, if you're tired you can sleep during the day.”

Hannah shook her head. “I don't think so.”

“Excuse me?”

“Do you have any money?”

Rory steadied himself by placing a hand on the wall. With his free hand he searched his back pocket. Normally a wallet protruded from this area, but not today. A frown covered his face.

“I didn't think so. And since I know you were completely out of it when we arrived, I'll just go ahead and tell you the owner of this fine establishment is going to expect some form of payment come morning, and I'm afraid we aren't going to be able to comply.”

He scratched his head. This was a problem. They would have to come up with funds to pay for their room, but how? This situation wasn't new to him. The last time it occurred he'd worked to pay the debt. However, this time, with his leg in such sorry shape, he doubted that option was possible.

He offered no ideas and Hannah said, “I guess I could offer to work. Perhaps they have a kitchen where I can help.”

The urge to say no surged through his veins. But she could be right. It might be the only way to keep from attracting unwanted attention. It wouldn't do to have the authorities investigating them. The town was small and close to Tapiwa's compound. Logic deemed that Tapiwa used it to find fresh workers and it wouldn't be good to announce their presence. Besides he was supposed to be wealthy buyer of fine flesh, not a pauper residing in a hovel.

“I see you aren't opposed to this. I was kind of hoping the knight in shining armor that resides within would rear its ugly head, and I would get out of it, but I see that's not going to happen.”

“Hannah—”

“No, don't worry. I understand.”

“It's not that I don't want to help but—”

“Please, just go back to bed. I'll sleep on the chair or the floor. What can a woman expect after Women's Lib?”

Hannah turned her back to him and grabbed a ratty cover from the bed and placed it on the rough wooden floor. Boards creaked as she moved around in an attempt to find a comfortable spot.

Rory felt like giving her a piece of his mind. When had he ever been less than chivalrous toward her? In fact, for most of their time together, he'd gone out of his way to be a perfect gentleman. The folks back home would have thought he was a different person, so much was the change.

With a huff, he threw himself onto the bed, crossed his arms over his chest, and stared at the ceiling.

Rolling to his side, he looked around. The room contained no trashcan. It also contained no bathroom. After a few minutes, Rory knew he was going to have to go in search of the facilities. He stood up and edged as quietly as possible into the hallway, making sure to look both ways. The area was free of people. At the end of the hall, a neon sign flashed the word
Restroom,
causing red color to flash in increments along the opposite wall.

Happy to be able to use an actual bathroom, Rory opened the heavy wooden door. Hinges groaned as he pushed inside. He felt the closest wall for a switch only to come up empty. In a last ditch effort to secure light, he swept his hand in front of him and grasped hold of a dangling string. One tug brought the illumination of a naked bulb hanging from the ceiling.

Stark reality of the situation set in. Odors wafted up his nostrils and memories flooded over him.

Light blared and startled his senses. Walls surrounded him on all sides. Unknown voices called his name. He shut his eyes to block it all out, yet the hospital scene continued to return.
Not now
. This wasn't the time to relive these events. Yet they were coming anyway…

He
laid
on a gurney, his head twist
ed
from side to side in painful agony.
Every once in a while he would gain enough strength to sit up.
Then he would see the place where the sheet
collapsed
—
the
place that should have been reserved for his leg.

Then he was in another place.
War raged around him.
Bullets soared overhead.
Encased in a shelled out building with several other soldiers, they watched the house across the street.
Insurgents went in and out freely.

John
Nelson
, his best friend, and fellow soldier
,
stood behind him.
Fresh waves of anger washed over
John
as he pushed and shoved at Rory
'
s back.

“
Let me go.
I want to set the charges and blow them to kingdom come.
”

“
Hold steady
,
soldier.
We haven
'
t been given the go ahead.
”

Rory held him and the others back as long as he could.
But as the sun dipped behind the mountainous peaks, he was
outnumbered
.
Memories of past offenses stirred in their minds all day
,
and they would no longer be denied.

Waiting behind with the communications officer,
Rory
watched as his buddies slipped through the
ensuing
darkness.
They reached t
he building
and placed
charges at the base.
Halfway complete with their work, a call came.
Rory studied the various emotions
expressed by the
communication
s
officer.
C
onversation complete
,
Rory received the worst news of his life.

“
We have to get out of here now.
The strike team has been ordered for this whole block.
They forgot we were here.
”

The whispered out
-
of
-
breath words were barely out before the man started running.
Rory looked toward his compatriots.
At least
five
men surround
ed
the building with no idea what headed their way.

Gun
slung
over his shoulder, Rory
ran
.
The first man was warned and sent on his way.
Then another and another until he reached the last.
John held
the last charge
and refused
to leave until the job was
complete
.
Rory stood by his side.

Then they heard it.
The sound they had dreaded
—
t
he planes.

With a handful of John
'
s shirt
,
he
tugged
.

“
Let me go.
I
'
m going to finish this.
”

“
Don
'
t you see there is no need?
The whole area is set to be bombed!
”

The shout
rose
from his throat as the sound of airplane engines buzzed overhead.
They
ran
as the first round of
rockets
struck the earth behind them.
The shockwave from the blast thr
ew
them both through the air and settled them
amongst
rubble in a building down the street.

It
felt like it
took ages to wake up, but it must have been only seconds.
Rory struggled to his feet, fighting the pain.
Upon locating John,
he
picked him up and carried him.
Once o
ut of the firing zone, he found the communications officer and tried to locate the rest of his
team
.
How many trips he made into the burning city, he couldn
'
t remember.
When he was finished
,
every man who had gone in with him also came out.

But o
n that day, everything changed.
Only three men survived
the ordeal
:
t
he communications officer
,
who left earl
y
,
and John and Rory.
The rest were kil
led by either bombs or debris.
Only one had come out whole.

The scream that rent the air couldn't be contained. It came from the depths of his soul. Hero, brave, champion were the words family, friends, and the media used to describe him. Coward, loser, flawed were the words he'd whispered to himself. It didn't help that Monica had agreed with him. One look in her perfect face had more than revealed the truth.

The doc had told him a mantra to use when these things happened, but right now he was having trouble remembering it. Blood pounded behind his temples. Perhaps this hotel contained some medication?

“You okay?” The owner asked through the thin panel door. Although he hadn't remembered doing so, he now sat on the toilet. Struggling to stand, he opened the door and looked outside. The man stared at him. A frown creased his brow.

“You okay? I heard scream.”

“I'm fine, but this lavatory is terrible. How do you expect a person to use it? The commode has so much rust you can see straight through to the floor below. And there is no way I'm touching that sink.”

“I sorry you no like. Feel free to leave and go elsewhere.” Unconcerned, the owner turned away.

Returning to his room, for a lack of anything else to do, he was surprised to come face to face with the gawking Chinaman again.

“Yes?”

“You look familiar.”

“I doubt that.”

He wagged his short finger. “No, I remember. I've seen you somewhere.” His brow rose and his finger pointed to the sky. “Now I know! You was in paper. My cousin sent paper to me because news here so depressing. I see you on front page. You are hero.”

Rory clenched his teeth. “I believe you're mistaken.”

“Oh, no. I never mistaken. You are English military hero. But aren't you dead?”

“No, I'm not dead.”

The man shrugged. “Oh, that good.” He took a few steps, clapped his hands, and faced Rory once more. “Chin Xi give you best room in house, free of charge.”

“That's not necessary.”

In a sing-song voice, the owner smiled and said, “It has bathroom. No rust. No need to share.”

Rory sighed. Hannah would kill him if he didn't accept the man's offer. With an imperceptible nod, he accepted.

It was him!
It had to be him
.

The soldier, who moments before had harassed her, grumbled under his breath as he approached the creeping truck. Melanie followed. Uniformed men surrounded the auto as it came to a rolling stop.

She needed to get closer. She needed to know. Had her eyes deceived her? Was it her beloved?

The children still huddled around the flowers. Breathing a sigh of relief, she looked forward and sought to get near the vehicle by edging around a ramshackle building.

Men of all ages scrambled to get off the truck before they were dragged or pushed. Melanie hid alongside the building and peered around the corner. Her eyes widened as she searched for Korzan. Could it be true? Could he still be alive? Could he be in the same camp as she?

She scanned the crowd. He would look different. Thinner, poorer, maybe even stooped and hunched over. The hardship of toiling for this taskmaster would be evident.

As she waited, a giant of a man fell from the truck feet first. He landed with bent knees, before straightening. The man's broad shoulders equaled two of those around him. His muscles flexed with his every movement.

Melanie covered her gasp. The noise echoed around her. Had anyone else heard? She lowered her hand to her chest and covered her fluttering heart.

Korzan stood before her as strong as ever. While the other men looked malnourished, he appeared to have flourished in the face of his adversity.