Authors: Felicia Rogers
Diamond Mine (21 page)
“Who are these people to you?” Rory asked between bites.
“Does it matter?” asked Hannah.
“Yes, love, I'm afraid it does. If I'm going to risk my neck to rescue this Melanie, then I'd like to know why.”
“Fine. I already told you that Melanie has been my friend for years. Korzan is her husband. He sent me a ticket to visit Melanie because of her homesickness.”
“Where and who is Korzan?”
“I just told you. Melanie's husband. I believe he was taken earlier, although I don't know by whom. In the brief time I spoke with Melanie she said that she thought he was dead.” Hannah struggled to keep the sadness from pervading her tone.
“So, correct me if I'm wrong, but a friend asks you to hop on a plane and travel thousands of miles because they're lonely and you do it?”
“Yes,” Hannah replied breathlessly. “If someone asked me to visit, then I do.”
“Hannah⦔
“Why are you so opposed to helping Melanie? How is it any different than you helping your friend?”
He turned his back to her. “It's different.”
“No, it's not.”
“Yes, it is!” His voice rose in anger. “That was war. Melanie and her husband chose to be here.”
“Rory, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up. But I have to help her. No one else is going to. So either you help me, or I'm doing it myself.”
“Do you know how infuriating you are?”
“No, I don't,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Well trust me, love, you're extremely infuriating.”
“Roryâ”
His hand rose to stop any farther explanations. “You've already gotten your way. Please stop talking about it. I may be leading the only woman I've ever loved to her death.”
He stumbled from the room, muttering the whole way. Hannah stayed frozen in stunned silence. Pulling herself together, she followed after him. When she caught up, she placed her hand on his shoulder and twirled him around. Once face to face, she spoke, “Rory don't walk away from me. You can't just spout something off like that then walk away.”
“Hannah, in order to rescue your friend, we have a lot of work to do. The longer we wait, the greater the risk that she's already been sold. We need to prepare and go.”
“Butâ”
He clasped her hands tightly in front of them. “Later.”
Again he was off, limping toward his destination. Hannah threw her hands in the air. She needed a phone. Leaving Rory to his own plans, she walked the grounds. Finally she found just the man she was looking for. “Father Thomas! Father Thomas!”
Weary eyes faced her. “Yes, my child.”
“Do you have a phone I can use?”
“I'm afraid not.”
“Where can I find one?”
“The closest town is eight kilometers north of here. I believe there is a small store with a phone.”
“Good. Can I borrow a jeep?”
“A jeep?”
“Yes, and a driver. I need to get to that phone.”
“I don't understand.”
“I need to call home.”
“Oh, I'm sure your family is very worried.”
“Yes, they probably are. Tonya is going to kill me. But what I really need to do is talk to Mike. He works for the state department. I'm going to have him contact the local embassy. Maybe they'll help us.”
Her smile fell as Father Thomas shook his head. “You must not do that my child.”
“Why not?”
“Tapiwa provides services for some very important people in and around the local town. Their exposure is much more dangerous than his own. I know you are determined to rescue your friend, but you must follow Rory's plan. No other. He will help you.”
“Yes, I know butâ”
“Hannah, you must be patient and trust him.” Finished, the father turned and left. Earth swirled around the edges of his robe as he hurried away.
As she watched the retreating form, a thought struck her mind. How could she risk one person she loved to save another? Perhaps she should have gone alone while Rory was incapacitated. Why had she waited?
Stirring up a trail of dust, she jogged to her room. She pulled out a leather knapsack the brothers had given her and stuffed all her meager belongings inside. She didn't have much. The jeans and t-shirt she'd worn from America had been left along the road. The shorts and shirt provided by Rory had been discarded at Chin Xi's establishment, and the flowery skirt and yellow blouse had been burned by the nuns.
A long robe used as a gown, a toothbrush, and a hairbrush provided by the sisters constituted the current extent of her possessions. Her wardrobe consisted of the overly large shirt and jeans she now wore. Placing the meager items in the bag, she wondered about food.
To ask for food would make them aware she was leaving. She would just have to borrow what she needed. When Melanie and the children were safe, she would return and apologize.
Hoisting the bag on her shoulder, she glanced around the room. Everything was in its place. The Bible lay open on the table from her reading that morning. The bed covers were tucked around the mattress. The lamp's wick was extinguished.
Pulling the door shut before she changed her mind, a puff of air set the Bible's pages to fluttering. The idea passed that she should check what verse the page landed on, but Hannah didn't look back. She had to hurry. Time was running out.
Rory's forehead creased. Stalking across the yard toward Hannah's room, his body tensed like a caged tiger.
He'd professed his love and she'd run to Father Thomas with her own plan. Calling the embassy indeed! She hadn't even given him twenty minutes before she'd moved on with her harebrained scheme. He would never understand women.
Gait filled with anger, people scattered, clearing a path. Stopping in front of her door, he straightened his shoulders, took a couple of calming breaths, and rapped his knuckles gently against the splintered wood.
A hollow sound echoed back. It matched the hollowness of his heart. He knew before he opened the door she was gone.
With one push he sent the door slapping the interior wall. He shouldered his way in, looked for a note, a lipstick scrawled message, any hint at all of Hannah's plans. Was she going to walk to town and call the embassy, or was she going to try and mount her own rescue?
Instead of a message, he found an open Bible. He touched the thin pages as he read the verses. John 15:13 spoke the immortal words of Jesus:
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man
lay
down
his
life
for
his
friends.
Gulping deeply, Rory squelched his fears. God was on her side, of that he was sure. But something told him not to be idle. She would need his help.
Supplies gathered in the jeep, Rory set off down the road. Three weeks ago the monastery had been blessed with multiple working vehicles, now they were down to one.
Father Thomas had not been happy with Rory's request for another auto. He'd sighed and bitten back his negative reply, only nodding in response. He already owed much to the father and his brothers. He would never be able to repay their kindness.
However, he could donate money for a few extra vehicles. He could purchase an entire fleet of autos, and his pocket book would not be overly affected.
But right now he had bigger concerns. Hannah was out there on the road alone headed into danger. Did she even have a plan?
****
Hannah had walked for a few hours, and already hunger and thirst gnawed at her stomach. Sweat beaded on her upper lip, and she used the bandana wrapped around her neck to wipe it away. Pulling the cloth away from her face, she noticed a tree nearby. Its overhanging branches offered shade and privacy, something she desperately needed.
The promise of rest beckoned. With the ground checked for critters, she dropped down and leaned her head back. She retrieved a sandwich and chewed while she studied the foreign landscape. Panic rose in her chest as she realized her vulnerability.
Had common sense completely fled her? She didn't know where to go. She didn't know how long it would take to get there. Nor did she know what to do when she reached her destination. She couldn't pop into Tapiwa's slave camp and just ask for Melanie.
Reviewing what she knew, she could confidently say selling human flesh was only part of the camp's reason for existence. From what she'd overheard in the church, Tapiwa also mined diamonds. Which, no doubt, provided the reason for taking workers from town, as well as kidnapping Korzan.
To rescue Melanie she needed an ingenious plan. In the brief time she'd resided there, she'd only been allowed to see the inside of her cell and Tapiwa's office, which wouldn't help in her proposed rescue.
In her mind's eye she could see Tapiwa's evil smile, his brows knitting together with curiosity as his little white captive reappeared. Would he consider it good luck or a disaster? He might be afraid of her wealthy purchaser and decide to eliminate her. Or he might sell her to someone else and pocket both profits.
Struggling to her feet, Hannah stumbled toward the road. A vehicle loomed on the horizon. Her eyes squinted against the sun's glare as she watched the dust cloud swirl around the rapidly approaching jeep.
With no time to hide, she said a silent prayer for assistance.
The jeep shuddered to a stop and she sighed with relief at Rory's grinning face.
“Need a ride, love?”
“Rory, I⦔
“Don't speak of it, Sparkles. Just climb in. I understand you must save your friend. But it is better to have assistance, yes?”
“Yes,” she answered, emotion choked her.
Inside the jeep, she placed her trembling hands in her lap and clasped them together in a fierce grasp. Rory reached over and gave them a faint squeeze.
“Hannah, I won't let anything happen to you.”
“I'm not worried about that. I'm worried we may be too late.”
“We will not entertain such thoughts, love.”
“What's your plan? Are you going to buy them out?”
“No,” he answered as he placed the jeep into gear and pulled out.
“Oh, I know. You have a shock-and-awe approach planned. You're going to ram the doors with the jeep, guns blazing, so to speak.”
Shifting gears, he laughed. “No. You watch too many movies.”
“Okay, maybe I fantasize a little.” His eyebrow arched at her words. “Well, maybe a lot. But if I'm not close to your plan, then what is your plan?”
“Stealth, my dear.”
“Oh. So you plan to sneak them out?”
“Yes.”
“Not to burst your bubble, Captain Chance, but Tapiwa's compound is heavily guarded and heavily armed.”
“I know.”
“Surely you aren't planning to sneak in there and walk out with Melanie and ten children unnoticed.”
“Exactly.”
Hannah threw her hands into the air. “Exactly, he says! Are you crazy? What kind of plan is that? Are you just trying to get yourself killed?”
“No.”
“There has to be a better way.”
“No, there isn't.” He paused before adding, “Hannah, how are your parents?”
“What? They are neglectful as always. Why?”
“Who knows where you are?”
She sighed and averted her gaze. “One friend back home.”
“That's what I thought.”
“Not good, huh?”
“It doesn't matter. When we get close, we'll pull over and hide the jeep.”
“And then?”
“I'll tell you when we get there.”
Rory reveled in his good fortune. The assumption that Hannah would try Tapiwa's camp first had been a good one.
After the early morning adventure, she was none the worse for wear. A quiver shot through his body when he thought of all the things that could have happened to her while she walked in the wilds of South Africa.
He'd thrilled at her questions. They hadn't spoken in such a comfortable manner since they'd been teens. He'd ignored the fact that her purpose was to discover his plan to rescue Melanie. Just bantering back and forth made the blood race through his veins.
He'd skirted the issue of his plan the best he could. What he'd said about them sneaking in was partially true. In this particular operation it was the only option. However, currently the plan was sketchy, and he wasn't willing to share the details.
The rutted road caused the jeep to bounce. Rory pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth to keep from biting it. The holes smoothed, and the dust kicked up. Hannah lifted the hem of her shirt and covered her mouth.
A hint of the wildlife reserve came into focus, and Rory found a copse of thick bushes and pulled over. He hoped their dust cloud hadn't been spotted by any lookouts. But if it had, hopefully they would be taken as common travelers, enjoying the wilds of the game reserve.
“Hannah, help me with these supplies.”
She set to work removing things from the jeep. Rory found downed limbs and hid their vehicle from prying eyes. These actions might buy him some time.
The devil in any plan was in the details, and right now his were huge. Reinforcements were what he needed and quick.
He shielded his eyes against the sun's glare and studied the length of dirt road. Any moment now the answer to his problem would arrive. He hoped.
Hannah sat cross-legged under a tree next to the supplies. She looked fragile like a puff of wind might blow her away. How was he to protect Hannah and all these other people?
“Rory?”
“Hmm?”
“When are we mounting this rescue mission?”
“Soon. But there is no
we
.”
“What? But I need to go in with you! Melanie doesn't know you. Why would she leave with you?”