Gerard crossed the river, the water lapping at his knees. He stopped by Ian to say, “Saba hasn’t seen Foday all day. She’s worried.”
“That worries me too. We need to get Jasper out so we can do a full village search.”
“Jasper doesn’t look like he’ll finish anytime soon.”
“His workers are to the point of exhaustion. He won’t have a choice if they start passing out.”
“I don’t think we’d get an argument from the men if we forced them out.”
“Probably not, but I don’t want them to act rashly either. They are hungry and tired. Let’s not push them when a simple nudge will do.”
Gerard nodded. “By the way, Gwen is hungry too.”
“She can eat pizza with the rest of us. Are the supplies here?”
“Yes. We’ll have to make everything by hand. They didn’t have anything premade, not even the sauce.”
“It will be worth it.” Ian smiled.
Gerard’s stomach growled. “There are enough ingredients to make a hundred pizzas, and I could eat all of them right now.”
Ian eyed him. “You must have been hungry when you made the list. I hope you’re not expecting me to make a hundred pizzas tonight.”
Gerard shook his head. “No. Just fifty today and fifty tomorrow.”
“Come on,” Ian said, heading over to Jasper. “Let’s get this over with.”
As they crossed over to Jasper, Ian hoped he wouldn’t put up a fuss. But by the way he was barking, he wasn’t going to leave with a polite request. He was furious they hadn’t found a single diamond yet.
“Jasper,” Ian called out as he closed the distance. “Your men are tired and hungry. There is nothing here except dirt. Give up.”
Jasper’s eyes darkened as his gaze latched on to Ian. “You tricked me. You must have mined everything yesterday after I left.”
“You can think whatever you want,” Ian said. “You took the last of the mined diamonds yesterday.” Which was true. Jasper was actually standing on top of the diamonds they hadn’t mined yet. “I’d like payment now.”
Jasper called to his workers to gather up their supplies. He turned to Ian. “You will get nothing from me. Pray I don’t call the government and let them know you’re sitting on a fortune.”
“Then they’ll be as disappointed as you. And I don’t think you’d want to disappoint them, not with all the stories I’ve heard of you.”
“You don’t know anything.”
“True. I still don’t know who leaked false information. Tell me who it was and I’ll split the diamonds you took yesterday.”
“They’re mine now. But if you wish to bargain with more, then I’m all ears.”
“Then you have clogged ears,” Gerard said, stepping toward Jasper.
Ian held up his hand to stop Gerard. “We are done here. Jasper, you are no longer welcome.”
“And make sure not to return,” Gerard snapped.
The workers had already cleaned the area and hauled their tools and weapons back to the trucks, not bothering to wait for Jasper. Realizing his own men had abandoned him, he sputtered and raced to catch up.
“I hope he falls in the river,” Gerard said.
“Do you think he’ll come back again tomorrow?”
“Unlikely. I doubt he could get the men to come back to mine barren land. He’d have to get a fresh batch of workers.”
“It wouldn’t be hard for him to do. There are many people who would come just for the chance to eat.”
“True. But I doubt even Jasper wants to wallow in dirt for another day.”
Ian nodded. Jasper might not want to muck around in the mud, but somehow Ian didn’t think this was the last he’d hear of him. Jasper could cause a real problem for the village.
“Is Gwen still in the office?” Ian asked.
“Yes, and she’s your problem now.” Gerard scratched his neck. “I refuse to take her to the bathroom again.”
Ian arched a brow, not knowing how to respond. “I’ll deal with her.”
“Thank God.” Gerard tromped down to the river and began crossing it. “I’ll meet you at the canteen. I need a beer.”
“No poyo tonight?”
“I’m not in the mood to become lightly buzzed. I need full-on, falling-over drunk.”
Ian had a strong urge to follow him and see if he could surpass falling-over drunk. Oblivion would be nice right about now. Instead, he sighed and walked the path to the office to untie Gwen. She could help with the pizza.
He promised himself not to speak to her about anything other than food, the weather, or bet on how many beers Gerard could drink before he actually did fall over. Anything else would only anger him and make Gwen tightlipped.
And once the pizza party was over, she could sleep in the office. Tied up, of course. And he could fall into his own bed. He couldn’t wait; he was already supremely exhausted.
Ian stopped mid-step. Crap! They’d forgotten about Foday.
Well, if Gerard was heading to the canteen, Saba would be there to remind him. He’d get the search party started.
Ian rubbed his forehead, attempting to stop a growing headache.
He shouldn’t let this runaway day get the better of him. It was simple, really. All he had to do was retrieve Gwen from the office, find Foday, make pizza for an entire village, drink beer, then pass out.
Easy enough.
Chapter 9
Ian took a deep breath before he entered the office and found Gwen exactly where Gerard had left her. Tied up on the office chair looking as though she would bring down the roof with just her enraged glare.
“How long do I have to stay like this?” she demanded. “I’ve done nothing to warrant this treatment.” Ian raised a brow to which she amended, “Nothing this time.”
Had he not been so thoroughly exhausted and worried, he might have found her amusing. Gerard had wrapped her up like a mummy in yellow caution tape. Her stormy expression only added to the silliness of her current predicament, one that he should apologize for. He hadn’t meant to leave her alone all day.
“Please untie me,” she said. “I’ve had a terrible itch on my nose for the last hour.”
Ian pressed his lips together to keep from smiling. God knew he didn’t have much to smile about, but something as simple as a nose itch had his lips twitching. He must be more exhausted then he thought.
She scrunched her nose as though trying to relieve the annoyance without her hands. She gave up with a sigh.
“Please. If you won’t untie me, then help.”
Ian raised his hand toward her face but then thought better of it. He would not touch her except to release her. He took the pocketknife from the desk drawer, ignoring the way it quivered in his shaking hand. He steadied it long enough to carefully slit the tape so it loosened and fell to the floor; he then tossed the knife back into the drawer, and slammed it closed. Thankfully, Gwen didn’t notice his trembling fingers.
Gwen quickly scratched her nose and sighed with relief. “Thank you.”
He didn’t want her thanks. It felt odd to hear those words seeing as he was the reason she was without the use of her limbs to begin with. But maybe they were just customary polite words, ones that easily dripped off the tongue without thought.
“What now?” she asked.
“I thought you might be hungry. We’re having a pizza party tonight down at the canteen. You’re welcome to join us.”
She eyed him, and he could see the war that played upon her face. It changed from skepticism to hunger, then back to skepticism.
“Or, you can go home,” Ian said.
“Just like that?” she questioned.
“Just like that.”
“Why?”
“I’m tired,” he admitted. “I don’t want to fight anymore. I have a village depending on me. All I ask is that you never come back.”
She stared at him for a moment before finally nodding. “I will leave now.”
H
e tried not to let the words affect him. She only agreed to what he asked of her. But they still stabbed into an old injury. Why did they have to be on opposite sides? Why couldn’t life be simple for once, the way it had been before he’d stumbled into Sierra Leone, forever changing his life.
“You’re welcome to stay for food. You have to be starving by now.” When she didn’t say anything, it felt as though she’d walked out of his life again. “And I could use the help.”
“Help with what?”
“Making pizza. Gerard and I are making it from scratch. Extra hands are always useful.”
“I don’t think Gerard would agree.”
“No, but Saba would like to see you again. She asked about you.”
“Saba?”
“The woman you gave your necklace to.”
Gwen’s lips parted in surprise.
“Don’t worry about Gerard. By the time we get there he’ll have downed a six-pack and will be serenading Manni, whose eyes twinkle like pepperoni slices.”
Gwen laughed. “I guess I can’t miss out on that. Just don’t let him near me again with caution tape.”
Ian nodded. “He’s actually not a bad guy, just territorial when pushed. Most of the time I can’t get him to take anything seriously.”
“Really?”
Ian glanced at her. “Everyone has a flipside.” Even himself. Even Gwen, he supposed.
* * *
Gwen didn’t know what to think as she walked alongside Ian toward the village. He’d said she could leave without an altercation. She was tempted to run and see if he was telling the truth. But she couldn’t, not after seeing the exhaustion that blanketed him.
While she couldn’t do anything about her past actions, she could do something to help him now. If that meant making enough pizza for the entire village, then she would do so. She wasn’t so ignorant as to think the evening would be pleasant. Everyone here had a right to be angry with her, but she did hope to extend an olive branch before she left.
And then she would never come back. She would make sure of it. Duvine could be swayed by whatever bauble she put in front of him. He would forget about Njamba if there was something more intriguing elsewhere. Perhaps she could finally get her hands on the Faith diamonds.
The collection was legendary, which is why she had never attempted it before. Her normal steals were exquisite diamonds worth a fortune, but they weren’t in history books.
But the risk could be worth it. It would keep Duvine in a good mood for years. Maybe long enough for her to think of a plan.
She smiled. Yes, perhaps the Faith collection would be her ticket out of this life.
“Why are you smiling?” Ian questioned, eyeing her with a mix of curiosity and distrust.
She shrugged. It was none of his business, and she didn’t want him to think any less of her than he already did. “I assume the villagers have never tasted pizza before. I’m wondering how they will react.”
He nodded, seemingly taking her words as the truth. “I hope they like it, but it might be a shock to their palates. However, I don’t think I can stand another night of fufu.”
“You haven’t acquired their palate yet then either?”
“Gerard has. He practically lives on poyo.”
She remembered the fermented white liquid. It wasn’t horrible, but it did require an acquired taste to truly enjoy. “I’m thirsty, so I would accept any drink right now.”
Ian frowned, and she had the distinct impression that he felt guilty. But why, she had no idea. By coming here and being caught, she had put him in a bad position.
Gwen reached over and touched his bare arm, feeling the strength behind the tan skin. “Thank you for not calling the police,” she said. “I promised I would leave tonight, and I will. You’ll never see me again. I promise.”
He looked down at her hand and then back at her. “Why did you come?”
“I told you the truth before. I was sent for information. And now I have it.”
“And what is it that you know?”
“That your mine is dry like we originally thought.”
“And yet you warned Gerard that I was looking in the northern corner.”
“You are not one for deception, Ian. While I’m not a fan of Gerard’s, I like Jasper even less. He wouldn’t give a fig what happened to the village. You care. It’s what drew me to you.” She let her hand fall to her side. “I’m sorry I hurt you. I never wanted to.”
He looked deep into her eyes. “Then why did you?”
She didn’t want to lie to him again and say she didn’t have a choice. He had already stated quite accurately that she did. But sometimes the choices went from bad to worse.
She shook her head and took a step toward the canteen. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Why?” he asked again.
“Nothing I say will remove the past. It will only end up hurting you more.”
He let her go and didn’t say another word. They walked in silence to the canteen.
At least silence was better than the truth.
* * *
Word about the pizza had spread, and the Happy Hippo brimmed with villagers in their finest. Ian had to smile at that. They obviously didn’t know pizza wasn’t cause for dressing up, but maybe to them this was reason enough. They certainly didn’t have many causes to celebrate with the wars and sickness that plagued the weary country. If pizza was the cause for such happy smiles and bouts of laughter, then he would gladly make a thousand pizzas, no matter how tired he was. Thankfully, twenty pizzas should do.
He caught Gerard out of the corner his eye. He was over by Saba, leaning in to whisper something. She frowned and shook her head.
Gwen must have noticed too because she asked, “Do you think something is wrong?”
“Saba’s dad, Foday, has been missing today. Maybe they haven’t found him yet.”
Ian ducked and weaved through the gathering, greeting the men and women who were eager to begin the festivities. Maneuvering as fast as he could without being impolite, he finally reached Gerard and Saba.
“Have you found Foday?” Ian questioned.
“Yes, he had been in Bo and didn’t realize he had been missed,” Gerard said.
“Oh,” Ian said, confused on more than one count. Foday had never been one to leave without letting others know, especially not on a day when he knew he might be needed. “Saba, are you okay? You seemed upset moments ago. I had thought it was because you couldn’t find your father.”
Her lioness eyes glanced tentatively at Gerard before saying, “Everything is okay. I guess I was just feeling the effects of a stressful day.”
Skeptically, Ian glanced between Gerard and Saba. He could feel the lie in her words, yet he was unsure if he should prod further. He would question Gerard later in case it was a delicate matter.
Saba looked behind Ian and smiled. “Gwen, you are here. I’m so happy to see you again.” She pulled out her necklace to show. “I’ve been keeping it safe.”
Gwen returned the smile. “It looks good on you. You should keep it out so people can admire it.”
Saba shook her head. “It is our secret. The women here don’t have many pretty things. I wouldn’t want them to feel jealous.”
Gwen’s smile turned sad, and she nodded. “I understand. It will be our little secret.”
Gerard downed a bottle of beer and plunked it onto the table next to him. “Let’s start the pizzas. I’m starving.”
“Gwen will help us,” Ian said.
Gerard’s distrustful expression gave way to annoyance when Saba nudged him out of the way, saying, “I will help too.”
Ian, thankful for the extra hands, agreed, and they made their way to the small kitchen for supplies.
“How are we going to cook these without an oven?” Gwen asked, looking around the sparse kitchen.
“Over the fire,” Ian said.
“Over the fire?” she questioned.
“You’ll see.”
�
��Saba, will you cut the toppings?” he asked. “Gerard can get you started.”
“What should I do?” Gwen asked.
“Help me make the dough.”
“We’re making the dough?” she questioned. “But it has to rise. We’ll never have time to make them all.”
“We’ll make do with flatbread,” he said. “They’ll never know the difference. At this point, even I wouldn’t notice.”
“And I don’t care,” Gerard added. “I’m so hungry I’ll eat it raw.”
Saba laughed. “You are always hungry. You eat more than the entire village.”
“I have to.” Gerard flexed his bicep. “I require extra energy for these babies.”
Saba snorted, her golden eyes twinkling. “Your ego certainly doesn’t need the extra energy.”
Gerard chuckled and tossed a tomato to her. She caught it with ease and brought it to the cutting table to begin preparing. Gerard followed her with the remaining vegetables and small quantities of meat, leaving Ian and Gwen alone.
She cleared her throat. “I guess we should get started or they’ll be done before us.”
“Gerard has to make the sauce as well, so we have plenty of time.”
She glanced over at Gerard. “I would’ve never guessed he could cook.”
“Gerard is more versatile than he lets on.” Ian took out the flour and began measuring. He had remembered a very simple flatbread recipe from a class he had taken in college. He couldn’t remember why he took the class, probably a pretty face that he was interested in seeing. But the recipe he remembered quite vividly. Perhaps it was because it was the first thing he had made from scratch.
Gwen watched Gerard with interest. “Versatile? Like how?”
Ian tried hard not to notice the jealous twinge that pricked his insides at Gwen’s notice of Gerard. It wasn’t as though Ian liked her. He was just using her for extra hands to help with dinner. But he also felt a little possessive of her, which was probably natural given their night together. Of course he wouldn’t want her interested in anyone else, especially not Gerard.
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