Dreams~Shadows of the Night (12 page)

“That’s a good sign that you’re ready to let the leopard out of the chapel.”

“I beg your pardon.”

Raymond chuckled.

“Oh, it’s just a saying of mine.”

“I gathered that, but what does it mean?”
“Your mind is the chapel and the leopard represents an unwanted intrusion. They aren’t meant to go together. You must expel the beast, so peace may reign in its place.”

“You’re right. I do feel like there’s a beast inside me trying to claw its way out, and as much as I need to know what that beast represents, I’m afraid of what I may or may not find. I suppose that makes me a coward.”

“No man is a coward who could survive what you’ve been through, Paul.”

>>>>dreams<<<<

Jenny had become so tense that Douglas gave her arm a comforting squeeze in an
effort to help her relax.

“I told you this might not be a good idea. Do you want to stop?”

“We’ve come too far to turn back now. I’m uptight, but it’s not just about Marie.”

“What else is troubling you, then?”

“Have you noticed how that one guard keeps staring at me? He makes my skin crawl.” She shuddered and rubbed her arms.

Douglas
looked toward the man and
scowled.

“I’ll go talk to him.”

He started to get up, but she put a hand on his arm to stop him.

“Better not. I don’t want you to antagonize him.”

He gave an indignant sniff.

“I don’t give a damn if I do ruffle his feathers. I’m paying him to protect us, not use you as a sideshow.”

“Is it much longer before we get to the town where we’re meeting those people?”

He looked at his watch.

“About another hour.”

“I’ll just ignore him until then.” She turned away, so her back was facing the gawking man. “Do you think the man we’re going to see is Josh Dallas?”

“I know how much you want it to be him and so do I, but you must realize the chances are pretty slim. I hate to see you get your hopes up only to be disappointed.”

“Y
ou have the fax from that missionary couple.”

“Yes, but you know as well as I do it didn’t elaborate. That’s why I didn’t want to say anything to Josh’s family. All we know is that some guy who might have been in the area around the same time has been making inquiries. I thought as long as we were going near the town, we may as well talk to him, but you’ve got to prepare yourself for . . .”

She held up her hand.

“I know, but please let me have my fantasy while I can.”

>>>>dreams<<<<

Douglas spotted the couple he assumed were the Daniels sitting in the reception area of the hotel where they’d arranged to meet.

“Reverend and Mrs. Daniels?”

They nodded and stood up.

“I’m Douglas Marsh and this is Jenny Rabb.”

They shook hands.

Douglas looked around him.

“Where is the man we’re supposed to meet?”

Raymond pointed to a couple of chairs.

“Please?”
He waited until they’d settled.
“We thought it best if Paul waited in his room until we had a chance to talk to you first.”

Jenny stared at him.

“Did you say his name was Paul? Then he couldn’t be the one who was with my daughter.” Disappointment made her droop against the cushions.

“He could be. We call him Paul because we don’t
know his true identity.”

A young boy arrived with a tray carrying a large pitcher of
fruit
juice and four
glasses. Douglas waited impatiently while he poured and they were alone again.

“Look, I don’t mean to sound rude, but we’ve come a long way to engage in a game of riddles.”

“It is a riddle, but not a game, I assure you. If you’ll bear with us, my wife and I have a rather unusual story to tell you.
When we’re finished we’ll take you to
see our friend and pray this will result
in a happy ending for all concerned.”

The Daniels took turns relating how they’d found Josh that rainy night at the foot of their stairs. They told of his long recovery from the illness that had very nearly taken his life. When they mentioned his memory loss Douglas and Jenny gasped in unison.

“You mean he’s still suffering from amnesia?” Jenny asked in disbelief.

“Yes, and I feel compelled to tell you he’s still very fragile – both physically and emotionally. So I beg you to please be careful with him,” Hannah pleaded.

Raymond patted her hand.

“We feel very protective toward Paul. We’ve done what we can for him, but the effects of these jungle fevers sometimes linger for years.”

Douglas nodded.

“The poor devil.
I assure you neither Jenny nor I wish to
hurt the young man in any way, especially considering what he’s already gone through
.”

>>>>dreams<<<<

Josh paced the room. The fact that there were people coming here who might hold
the key to
his identity made it impossible
for him to relax
.
He hitched
up the khakis that slid low on his narrow hips and tugged at the shirt that hung loosely on his lean
frame.
Although he had gained back some weight, he was still much too thin for his height.

He stopped pacing and whirled to face the door when he heard a knock. He stared at it
half in fear and half in anticipation
, sweat beading his brow
.

“Paul? It’s Hannah.”

His heart pounded and his hands shook, as he fumbled with the lock. She slipped inside and closed the door quickly behind her. She studied his taut features
in silence.

“Did the people show up?” he asked, his chest heaving with agitation.

“Yes.” She continued to watch him. “Perhaps they should come back later when you’re more rested. The trip ha
s obviously tired you out. S
ure
ly
they’ll understand.”

He gave his head a vigorous shake. “No. I need to get this over with.”

His voice throbbed with distress.

“Please Hannah, there’s no point in waiting any longer.”

“All right Paul, but remember Raymond and I are here if you need us.”
She gave him one last worried gl
ance and opened the door to
the others.

Jenny was the first to enter
the room. Josh stared at her
for several seconds
before staggering backwards. All color drained from his face and his eyes opened very wide before he suddenly cried out.

“
Marie!” He gasped. “My God, I thought you were dead!”

>>>>dreams<<<<

S
eeing Jenny and her likeness to Marie had set o
ff a chain of events inside Josh’s brain. Facts burst inside his head
making him savor each bit of information
. He sat
now meticulously assembling
the pieces of the puzzle that had eluded him for so long.

His first thoug
ht was to rush home to Catherine and his family until Jenny asked if he would accompany them to the site of the
base
camp
. He agreed for Marie’s sake. He bid the Daniels an emotional farewell before boarding the boat Douglas had hired.

As soon as they docked the next morning Douglas started looking for the man who had bothered Jenny. Not finding him, he went to the guide who spoke English.

“Where’s the other man?” he demanded.

“I sent him to check the surrounding area.”

“Good. It’s about time he does something I’m paying him for,” he grumbled then walked over to where Josh and Jenny were standing staring at the ground.

She pointed, eyes glistening with tears. “This is the spot where her tent was.”

He put his arm around her, offering his support, while simultaneously sharing her sorrow.

She gripped a
metal box
in her hands
. “This is some of Marie’s favorite potpourri and a cross
from her first communion. I thought it would help me
to
bury something here that belonged to her.”

Douglas
pulled out his wallet and withdrew a snapshot.  He showed it to Jenny.

“It’s the only photo I ever had of Marie and me together. May I add it to your things?”

She gave him a watery smile.

“You’re letting her go.”

Feeling that he was intruding, Josh stepped back.

“I’ll go help set up camp.”

Jenny leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for coming here with us
,
and thank you for being Marie’s friend. It helps knowing she wasn’t alone at the end.”

Josh had told her as much as he dared about Marie’s last days, carefully leaving out the details of Orlando’s abuse. But
Douglas
had taken him aside later, sensing there was more to his story. Josh wanted to spare him as well, but
Douglas
insisted on knowing everything. By the time he’d finished, Douglas cursed
Orlando
in a fit of helpless rage.

The group left Douglas and Jenny on their own, so they could have their private little burial service. Once camp was set up, the evening meal prepared and eaten, they retired to their tents, while the men Douglas hired opted to sleep on the boat.

Josh
had trouble going to sleep and when he did finally drop off he ended up becoming enmeshed in a sweat drenching nightmare. He couldn’t deny being grateful that Jenny had helped him remember who he was. But remembering had also opened up his mind to the trauma of his captivity making him relive the experience in vivid detail.

He knew he wasn’t strong in many ways and needed to get home before he really cracked up. He lay fighting off the dregs of the nightmare while trying to ignore the sensation that the walls of the tent were moving in to wrap around him like a mummy.

A muffled noise startled him
. He jackknifed into a sitting position and listened with an intensity honed from
fear
. The noise was there again
.
He fumbled around in the darkness
for his flashlight while a hot ball of panic formed in his gut. Hoping it was one of the guards, he crept to the front of the tent and opened
the flap with clumsy fingers. H
e stuck his head out and was immediately greeted with the cold steel of a rifle barrel pressed against his forehead.

Chapter Eleven

Faint rays of dawn slowly slipped through the jungle canopy, as Josh’s assailant motioned for him to stand up. It was difficult to see his face in the shadowy light, but Josh felt a twinge of awareness. His eyes darted anxiously around the area when he saw the guard who’d been assigned to keep watch crumpled on the ground in a silent heap. The gun barrel dug cruelly into his back forcing him
toward the surrounding
jungle.

But despite the pressure of the rifle
he
began to falter, recoiling at the idea of having to step behind the
wall of thick foliage.
The man let out a savage growl
and shoved Josh forward sending him sprawling to the ground. His vision misted for a moment with a horrible sense of déjà vu. Then the elusive recognition clicked into place and his attacker took on a name. Nothing could have
stopped his
enraged bel
low
.

“
Orlando
! You sadistic son of a . . .” he didn’t give himself a chance to finish before lunging forward in mindless fury.

>>>>dreams<<<<

Douglas
heard the shout and opened his eyes. He groaned at the instant pounding inside his head and reached up to touch the area where the pain seemed to be centered. Shocked to see the blood that stained his fingertips, he struggled to sit up. His stomach swelled with a surge of queasiness making him inhale deeply until the nausea passed.

Realizing he was alone, fear had him immediately crawling through the tent’s opening when a gunshot echoed around the jungle like a clap of thunder roaring through a canyon. Unseen birds and beasts screeched in alarm at the unexpected sound. He staggered to his feet reeling with the throbbing pain in his head.

“Jenny! Where are you?” he called desperately.

“She is safe, Senor Marsh.”