by Selena Kitt
She said goodnight to Meg and opened her door. A maid in the hallway glanced at her shyly and handed over several towels.
She really was back in Haiti – where it all began.
Morning dawned bright and sunny. Jade opened her eyes, staring at the same ceiling she’d stared at for over half the night. A heavy knock sounded on her door, followed by a bright, cheerful Meg calling out, “Rise and shine. It’s a whole new day. We’re pulling out in an hour. Get moving and you’ll have time for a shower and food. Otherwise you’ll have to choose.”
She could hear her new friend bouncing down the stairs. At least one of them was in a good mood. Still her excitement was infectious. Twenty minutes later, after a fast shower and repacking, Jade poured coffee for herself in the small dining room. The rest of the team were boisterous and chewing through their meals.
“Good morning, Jade. Did you sleep well? Lovely rooms, aren’t they?” Dr. Mike Chandler smiled at her as he served himself fluffy scrambled eggs. Thankfully he didn’t appear to need an answer. He followed with, “Take a seat; take a seat.”
She grabbed the empty chair next to him. He looked to be in his sixties, with white hair and an aura of ageless wisdom, as if he’d seen a lot of life and yet still found something to smile about. He looked to be someone she’d enjoy getting to know.
The waitress came around bearing food that was generously heaped on her plate. “French toast? I thought we’d be eating fried bananas, or is it plantains here, and orange juice-soaked French bread?”
“You can have that another time if you want. I ordered this for everyone. You’re not going to get much work done on a fried banana or two.”
“I’ve never tried them,” she protested, reaching for her knife and fork.
“And you won’t today either. Better eat. We’re rolling in ten.” He finished his meal and stood to leave. Several other members followed.
Alone with only Meg at the table, Jade said, “Wow, everyone is in such a good mood.”
Meg grinned at her. “Now if only we could cheer you up.”
Jade sat back and gave her a sheepish smile. “I’m feeling better; don’t worry.”
“Feeling better yes, feeling good, no. We’ll fix that.” She motioned to Jade’s empty plate. “If you’re done, let’s go.”
Caught in the general mood of everyone else, Jade found her doubts and worries from the night before drift away. She raced after Meg and the others.
Dane and John watched the vehicles park outside the picket fence. Dust billowed behind them. Three SUVs – heavily loaded from the look of them.
The doors opened and several smiling people hopped out and approached the brothers.
An older man with a beard said, “Excuse me, we’re looking for Peppe or Emile Jacinte.”
John pursed his lips, studying the newcomers. “They are my brother-in-law and father-in-law. Are you the mortuary team?”
Several people gathered around the speaker. The older man winced. “Yes, that’s one way of putting it. I’m Dr. Bruce McLeod and this is my group of specialists.” He motioned to the rest of the group.
“Right. Well, Peppe, is…well, he’s not quite the right person to talk to and Emile is at work already.”
Dr. McLeod frowned. “We were hoping to get specific directions to the gravesite so as to evaluate the equipment we’ve brought with us.”
A tall, lean, cheerful brunette in the group spoke first. “Could you show us the way to the site perhaps? We understand it borders this property.”
Dane glanced over at John to see him glancing at the house. If Tasha found out John had helped them, well…
“I’ll take them, John.” Dane turned to the strangers, ignoring the look of relief on John’s face. “I’m Dane Carter and this is my brother John. His wife is Peppe’s daughter. The gravesite borders the family property.”
The group broke into smiles and introductions as he approached them. Better to go now before Tasha saw them, though she’d have to deal with this sometime. It might be easier on her if the team had already settled in before she was forced to face them.
“It’s in this direction.” As they turned in the right direction, he considered the problem of parking. “Let’s walk from here, and you can assess a clearing down the road a bit for parking and unloading. There isn’t a road, but the path is wide and well traveled.”
They fell into a group and walked beside him. “John’s wife’s family isn’t used to this many foreigners at once. How many of you are there?”
The same tall brunette spoke, “There are seven on the team.”
The oldest looking man of the group walked beside Dane. “Plus there will be one or two from the company who will probably go back and forth from the States to check on progress.”
“Progress. Right.” His lips quirked. “You do realize that not everyone is happy about what you’re doing?” He felt their surprise more than saw any signs of it.
The brunette spoke again. “We hoped that people would understand.”
Dane nodded. “Some will, though many more may be against having the grave opened – or waking the dead as they’d call it.”
“Are you Haitian?”
Dane spun around to gaze at the small blonde with a serious, almost haunted look on her face. He studied her for a moment then answered, “No. I’m from Seattle, Washington. I own a construction company there, thankfully now manned by a very capable foreman.” He shrugged self-consciously. “So when I came to visit my brother and saw the destruction, I had to stay and help out.”
Several people made comments in response. Dane ignored most, his gaze locked on the tiny blonde with such a serious look who’d walked up beside him. Somehow he needed to see the reaction on her face. Her gaze stayed shuttered, but her lips quirked.
She murmured, “It’s hard to not do something.”
He was glad she understood. He wasn’t sure of the undercurrents in her voice but felt like he’d said something right.
It took close to twenty minutes to get to the clearing. He pointed out the vast area to the others. “This is the best place for parking and unloading.”
His gaze had landed on the blonde again. She stilled at his words. Or was it from his gaze? Everyone else continued to talk around him. There were only seven of them, and he’d heard their initial introductions, but it was hard to keep them all straight. He didn’t bother trying to remember names. Except for one.
Her name was Jade.
Several team members wandered the space, talking amongst themselves about logistics. He listened with half an ear. Jade stood quietly at his side.
He cast around looking for something to say. “What brings you here?”
Her gaze, deep and dark, never shifted. She answered, “Why? Because sometimes, you can’t run away and hide. No matter how hard you try.”
With that cryptic remark, she moved off to join the others, leaving him to stare after her. Intrigued.
Jade struggled against the onslaught of emotions as she stood and watched the team. She was really here.
Their guide had been a surprise. Tall and rangy, he reminded her of the lean cowboys she’d grown up with in Montana. Her family’s move to Portland hadn’t erased the memories of weathered men who loved the long hours they worked outdoors. Dane appeared to be – at least at first glance – of the same breed.
She wandered the clearing, listening, waiting for the next step. That had little to do with her.
“Anything to add, Jade?”
She glanced over at Meg. “Nothing until we actually see the gravesite and understand what we’re up against.”
Dr. Mike agreed. “You’re right. We need to consider the whole picture.” He turned to Dane. “Can you show us, please?”
Moving off in that long-legged style, Dane led them to a well-worn path through the rocks and brush – one she hadn’t noticed before. The group followed in single file. She fell into the last place.
Tall spindly trees grew on ei
ther side. The path was almost wide enough to drive on and that was something to consider, although she was pretty sure the locals wouldn’t appreciate that level of damage to their site. She didn’t doubt they considered it their place.
She rounded the last corner and almost walked into Meg and Dr. Mike. She stepped around them, their silence seeping into her thoughts.
Oh, no.
She stilled and stared.
They’d been told that a cave-in had presented a natural depression and that the men had used the surrounding rocks and dirt to finish the job. The hilled area stretched for what appeared to be a hundred feet, crossing the path and ending at a large pile of rocks and stones at the base of a hillside. Strategically placed rock steps allowed friends and family easy access when they visited.
No one had said anything about the large cross or the many wreaths on display, or the wildflowers strewn across the area. Some of the flowers appeared to have been deliberately planted and others appeared to be gifts from Mother Nature. Wild roses also grew rampant.
This wasn’t a deserted mass burial ground. This was a well-tended and loved gravesite.
“This could be a problem.”
The other team members murmured agreement.
Dane said, curiosity in his voice, “Why?”
Jade answered. “There’s a difference between a mass burial ground and a beloved gravesite. This place is loved.”
She felt his hard gaze, wondered at it, then dismissed it as not her problem. She had her own issues to deal with.
“You didn’t expect this?”
“No,” Dr. Mike answered. “Not really. We’ve all seen large gravesites. Not all of them are a place of worship. Obviously people…at least one person, comes here on a regular basis.
“Possibly. I’ve never seen anyone though. Not that I’ve been looking.”
Several of the team members looked at each other and then at him. “Are there other ways in and out of here?”
Dane shrugged. “Presumably. There’s a lot of country here. I don’t know all the access points.”
“Have you heard anyone say anything against us coming here? We’ve tried to be low-key about our work but…” Dr. Mike opened his hands expressively.
“Not everyone understands. My sister-in-law is one of those, but then she’s pregnant and everything appears to upset her lately.”
Meg nodded in commiseration. “And she probably knows some of the people buried here.”
“And if she’s Haitian,” Dr. Mike said, in his professor voice, “her beliefs could be very strong about disturbing the dead.”
Dane grimaced at both comments. “Both of those apply here. For myself, I understand. If my family were in here, I’d want to take them home too.”
Bruce waved his clipboard to gain everyone’s attention. “Right. Okay, everyone. I think we have a good idea of logistics. What we need to do is plan a workspace and see if we can get that much established.” He turned to Dane. “Any idea who buried these people here? It would be helpful if we had some idea of how far down or in we need to go.”
“If this is full, we may not have enough supplies.” Bruce jotted down a few notes.
“We can get more, if necessary. I’m concerned about getting mobile labs. It would be less disturbing if we could work here on site, otherwise we’re going to have to look at moving the bodies closer to town.” Dr. Mike wandered the area. He studied the size and scope of the grave.
“We’ve got several sites in town scoped out, depending on our needs. And we may need to use all of them. Depends on the number of bodies. After all this time, the skeletons should be clean. But we won’t know for sure until we open the grave.”
Jade said, “I don’t know how feasible this would be, but one or two reefer trucks could work well. We don’t want to disturb the locals any more than we have to. The temperature can be adjusted as needed and it’s a lockable mobile storage solution. If the bones are clean – and we won’t know until we start – then storage won’t be a problem. The remains can be kept in boxes in the reefer.”
Bruce considered the options. “Tony has ordered body bags over boxes, considering the unknown state of the bodies. The clearing is tight but not impossible. At least one truck could be backed in there.”
Body bags were more expensive but as cost wasn’t an issue, she’d be happy to have them. Honestly, she could work with either. “Our labs could be along the same lines. ATCO trailers come to mind.”
“That’s what we used in Katrina,” Meg said, her hands on her hips, considering the issue.
Bruce glanced at the clipboard in his hands. “We do have the use of a lab trailer used by past medical teams.”
Knowing she had little to do with their setup’s where and how, Jade clambered over the rock pile to read the inscription on the cross. Her French sucked. Meg hopped up beside her and translated it. “To those who have gone this road before,” she read aloud. “Weird.”
“Different, certainly.” Dane climbed across the rocks to stand on a large boulder and survey the rubble. “You’re going to need some heavy equipment,” he suggested.
“That could be fun. The town is strapped as it is.” Jade wandered past several wreaths to another cross with the same inscription. Dane stayed where he was, but she felt his gaze on her back as she wandered.
“True, except there’s equipment available, if you know where to look.”
She glanced at him. “Like from you? I believe you said you’re in construction,” she said politely.
Bruce joined them. Jade turned around to see Stephen and Wilson, the lab techs who doubled as computer geeks and laborers, walking back toward the path. “I think the question was lost earlier, so I’m going to ask again. Do you know who buried these people?” Bruce asked.
Dane fisted his hands on his hips. “Herman, a local, ran the loader that made the trips here from the clearing and my brother helped as well. Herman committed suicide a month later and my brother’s had a hard time ever since and refuses to talk about that time of his life. I’d like to avoid bringing him in on this, if possible. As I mentioned his wife is very against this project.”
“Would you know how deep they buried them?”
Dane shook his head. “No. If it were me, I’d probably start at the path and work in from the side. The original cave-in couldn’t have been too deep or big.”
“That means there’s probably no organization in the grave.”
Jade hunched her shoulders. The bodies would have been tossed and crisscrossed as they landed. They could be dealing with one, to ten at a time. “If we work in from one spot instead of trying to expose the top of the grave, we might have better control on how many are exposed at one time.”
“Except they’d just keep coming…and we’d have no way to know if we were gaining enough ground or if another year could be required. In fact, I think Tony, our boss back in Seattle anticipated some sort of organization to the burials. Men to one side, children with mothers…that sort of thing.”
“Not from the little bit of information I’ve managed to get out of my brother. It was tough. The bodies were collected throughout town by trucks – brought here, loaded in the tractor bucket and dumped.”
Jade nodded. “That’s fairly typical. The town was lucky to have those two men take on the job. It’s a hard thing for anyone to do.”
Bruce put away his clipboard. “Let’s head back to town. I need to make some calls and see what we can do to get this moving forward. Jade, what about you? Any thoughts?”
“I think, if possible, we need to leave the space as close to the same condition we found it. It’s not going to be possible to replicate placement of the rocks and the flowers that are going to be destroyed. If I photograph the area before we start we can replace any items when we’re done.”
“Once we get into this job, everything is going to look different. Pictures would be helpful,” Meg piped up, studying the grave.
“They are necessary actuall
y. We always document everything before, during and after.” Bruce motioned to the grave. “I’d appreciate it if you’d do the photography as it would save me a job. Try to be methodical and be sure to do several panoramic pictures. So we can lay the photos out and see everything displayed at once. We might use the digital ones for mapping a grid even.”
That made sense. Jade unpacked her Canon SLR and set about checking the light. She’d been into photography for years. Her hobby might help her get through the coming days.
The two team leaders left in one SUV; the others stayed on site.
Jade lost herself in her art. Click. Twisting and turning. Click. Turning slightly again. Click. She regulated her movements and took shot after shot as she systematically covered the burial site. The cross. The wreaths. Another smaller wreath off to one side – older and mostly destroyed by the weather.
She went closer. Click. Walked close enough to lean over it and took a picture of the inscription, recognizing it as a repeat of what was on the other one.
For all those who have gone before. Again. Now how weird was that? Maybe it was a common saying over here. It wasn’t one she recognized, although it reminded her of an old Star Trek saying from TV. She grinned at her fanciful thought and continued to shoot the area.
“Are you done?”
Startled, she spun around and lost her footing. She ended on her backside, on a pile of small rocks. “Ouch.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Dane stood above her, a large capable hand outstretched to help her to her feet. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She scrambled up, ignoring his hand and gave him a reassuring smile as she stepped onto another rock, slightly further back. “Rough ground, that’s all.”
“Plus you were focused on your pictures. Did you find anything interesting?”
“Another cross, although it’s older than that one.” She pointed to the big one ahead. “Or made out of older wood?” she suggested.
“True enough. Supplies being short as they were, I’m sure everything was commissioned into use.”