Drop Zone

by Traci Hunter Abramson

  “We need to make a run for it,” Vanessa urged.

  Damian poked his head out, quickly checking the area. Then he turned to her. “Follow me.”

  Sprinting forward, he headed for the truck, and Vanessa did what she could to catch up, skidding to a stop next to the passenger side door Damian already had open for her. “Get down,” he urged.

  She dove inside and shut the door so she wasn’t visible.

  The engine drew closer, and she could only imagine it had turned the corner to the alleyway where they were parked. She felt rather than saw Damian climb into the bed of the truck, presumably to stay out of sight.

  Vanessa struggled to keep her breathing regular and quiet. So many emotions bolted through her. The terror that the man in the warehouse was Seth hadn’t completely subsided, and now she was faced with the heart-pounding fear that whoever was looking for her might be a few yards away.

  She squeezed her eyes shut, willing back the tears that threatened. Seth had to be okay. She repeated the words in her mind, desperate to find some sense of peace.

  The car came to a stop, and she heard a door open and slam shut. Though it pained her to do so, she fought the urge to look. She thought about trying to slip a surveillance device onto the dashboard, and she reached into her bag to follow through, but before she could activate one, a car door slammed again, and the engine roared back to life.

  Tire rubber squealed against the pavement, and a moment later, Damian opened the driver’s side door.

  “Any chance you got a look at them?”

  “Yeah. It was only one guy, but I doubt he’s worth going after,” Damian said.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “He’s just a local hire.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “He was a cop, but he didn’t sound the alarm when he went inside the building and found a dead body.” Damian slid the key into the ignition. “Makes me think he already knew about it. Most likely, he’s the one who killed that guy.”

  “This whole situation is getting more confusing by the minute.”

  “You’re telling me.” Damian started the engine. “Any idea of what we should do next?”

  “Maybe.” Vanessa held up the paper she had retrieved out of the dead man’s pocket.

  “What is it?”

  She unfolded it to find a piece of letterhead from a local bank. On it was a date and time beneath the word exchange. “Take a look. What do you think is being exchanged?”

  “Diamonds.” Damian tapped a finger on the letterhead before putting the car in gear. “That’s the same bank where Paige and I followed a diamond courier.”

  “What diamond courier?”

  “We got a tip that Morenta was using diamonds to pay off his contact with one of the oil companies. We were able to tag the courier.”

  “Any idea where he is now?”

  “Here. You can use my phone to call Kel and check.” Damian handed his phone over to her.

  Vanessa hit the talk button and waited for the call to connect. Kel didn’t offer a greeting. Instead, he demanded, “Did you find her yet?”

  “They found me,” Vanessa said, feeling a little guilty now for not letting Damian contact him sooner.

  “I’ve been worried sick about you.”

  “Sorry. Someone was waiting for me at the airport, so I had to drop off the grid.”

  “How are you on supplies and cash?”

  “Not great, but I can manage.”

  “I think you should stay at the hotel with Damian and Paige. It’s safe, and it’s already paid for.”

  “I may do that.” Getting back to the point of her call, she asked, “Can you tell me where the courier has been since he left the bank?”

  “He took a flight into Cali, Colombia, this morning,” Kel told her. “He’s at Morenta’s compound there right now.”

  “Then we do know Morenta has been operating here in Venezuela.”

  “We do, but we don’t have any confirmation of whether he’s there or still in Colombia,” Kel said. “We’re using satellite imagery to search for the squad. We thought maybe they were dropped off in Colombia rather than Venezuela. There’s a part of the country that was within the helicopter’s range.”

  “I assume you haven’t found anything.”

  “No. Nothing.”

  Vanessa told him about the man who had been following her. “We didn’t find any identification, but we think there’s going to be another payment at the bank three days from now at nine o’clock.”

  “Where did you get that from?”

  “A paper from the guy’s pocket.”

  “Any chance you can get some backup from your agency? I’d like to give Damian a chance to follow up on his theory of where his squad ended up.”

  “I can call Warren when we get back to the hotel.”

  “Great. Tell Damian and Paige to pack. They’re going on a trip tomorrow.”

  “Why Paige too?”

  “Because Damian is going to need her with him to secure a helicopter.”

  “I’m confused.”

  “Just trust me on this one. And do me a favor and get me your phone number. This phone is a disposable and can’t be traced.”

  “I’ll text you from my phone when I get back to the hotel.”

  “Stay safe.”

  “I will. Thanks, Kel.” Vanessa hung up the phone and handed it back to Damian. “Kel said for you and Paige to pack your bags. You’re going to Canaima.”

  Chapter 32

  Finally, Damian thought as he boarded the plane to Canaima.

  He and Paige had barely made their flight out of Maracaibo to Caracas because of an accident during morning rush hour. In fact, they probably would have missed it if he hadn’t relented and let Vanessa drive them.

  He hadn’t expected Seth’s wife to be such a speed demon. At least no cop had dared to try to catch up with her as she had weaved her way through traffic to drop them off.

  Damian didn’t think he would have been able to take sitting around and waiting for the next flight out, a flight that would have missed their connection, the only flight going into Canaima today.

  He prayed his instincts were right about this. What if he couldn’t find them? What if they really were in Colombia being tortured while he went sightseeing with his girlfriend?

  Not that Paige was officially his girlfriend, but they were heading that direction. He took Paige’s suitcase from her and stored it in the overhead bin. The sparkle of the diamond on her hand caught his eye, and he experienced an odd flutter in his stomach. He liked the look of the ring on her finger, but even more, he liked knowing he had been the person to put it there.

  Paige slid into the window seat, and he lowered himself into the one beside her, his hand automatically reaching for hers. Lowering her voice, she asked, “Is everything okay?”

  “So far, so good.” He glanced around to see the midsized plane was nearly full. “Just a little worried about what could happen if I’m guessing wrong.”

  “Everyone has to make educated guesses sometimes. Kel obviously trusts you, or we wouldn’t be on this plane right now.”

  “I suppose you’re right.”

  She squeezed his hand. “I know I’m right.”

  * * *

  The succulent scent of roasting chicken wafted through the air, giving Seth and Jay their first sign of civilization since arriving in Venezuela. They kept to the trees, making their way silently forward as they hiked along the river.

  Following the scent, they came upon a clearing where several men were tending to a fire. A half dozen spits, each six feet long, balanced against each other and formed what looked like a teepee frame. Each one was laden with whole chickens.

  Seth’s mouth watered. From the smell, he guessed the food was ready to be served, but the quantity didn’t match the number of people in the clearing.

  Jay nudged him and nodded toward the water. Coming around the bend of the river, three longb
oats were moving forward, each one carrying six to eight people, an onboard motor at the back of each propelling the boats against the current.

  From their dress and the number and variety of hats the occupants wore, Seth quickly concluded they had stumbled upon a tourist group.

  The men in the clearing must have seen the tourists approaching as well. One began setting out plates and eating utensils, and the others started carving meat and dishing it onto large platters.

  Ignoring his grumbling stomach and his growing impatience, Seth waited silently while the longboats were beached and their occupants disembarked. As soon as the locals began serving the food, Seth motioned to Jay, and they used the sound of the new arrivals to skirt along the edge of the clearing toward the riverbank.

  He planned to give the tourists a wide berth, but when he noticed three more longboats beached around a small bend, he changed his mind. Jay shifted his path as well, both men taking care to remain hidden as they made their way to the water’s edge.

  With the thick trees making them invisible to the group, the two men quickly slid one of the boats into the water and climbed in.

  Jay picked up an oar and used it to push off from the bank, and Seth tried to determine a destination. Unable to see any other signs of civilization, he opted to head the same direction the longboats had come from. Besides being the likely starting point for the tourists, it also had the added advantage of being out of sight of the feast going on a short distance away.

  Using the natural rhythm and current of the river to carry them forward, Seth and Jay used the oars to steer but otherwise were able to conserve their strength. Over an hour passed before they saw the first sign that they were on the right path. Seth spotted two more longboats upriver, undoubtedly another local tour.

  Thought it pained him to have to wait longer, Seth motioned to Jay, and the two men rowed to the side of the river, where they could take cover in the shadows of the trees.

  “Seth, look over there,” Jay said, keeping his voice down even though they appeared to be alone.

  Seth looked up to where Jay was pointing and saw a white streak through the sky. As they waited for the longboats to continue slowly in the opposite direction, a passenger airplane slowly came into view and began its descent. Projecting its path forward, Seth estimated it would land less than five miles away.

  “I think we found our next stop,” Seth said. Another boat came into view, and he motioned to the tall grass and nearby trees. “I think we may have to go the rest of the way on foot. We’ll be too easy to spot if we stay on the water.”

  “It would be faster if we stay on the water. We could wait until dark.”

  “It’s too risky. We have no idea what’s ahead of us.” Seth continued to watch the airplane in the distance, using his compass to mark its heading. Another tourist group came into view. “We may have to wait until dark to move regardless. The trees aren’t thick enough through here to hide our movement, and we don’t want to lose track of the river.”

  “I doubt these tourists will stay on the water much past dinnertime.” Seth motioned to two boats in the distance. “I think we should wait for a few hours, and then we can start up again.”

  “In that case, what’s for lunch?”

  * * *

  Vanessa made the call to Warren. He answered on the first ring. “Finally! I was starting to wonder about you. Is everything okay?”

  “I’m fine,” she assured him.

  “What’s the latest?”

  “Damian and Paige are heading to Canaima. Damian is convinced that’s where the Saint Squad was dropped off.”

  “I thought they were taken captive.”

  “I’m still working that angle,” Vanessa said, trying not to consider the possible implications. “With Paige and Damian gone, though, I wanted to see if you can find me some backup here in Maracaibo.” She proceeded to bring him up-to-date on everything that had happened since they’d last spoken, including the diamond courier and the suspected upcoming exchange at the bank.

  “You’ve been busy. Let me check with Maryanne and see who I have available to help you.” The line went silent for a moment, presumably because he put her on hold as he conferred with his secretary and checked his sources. After a couple minutes, he came back on the line. “Antonio is in town. Give me the details and the hotel you’re staying in. I’ll have him come to you.”

  “I’m not giving out my address over the phone, not even to you.”

  “How can he contact you?”

  “I’m going to check out the bank this afternoon, get the lay of the land. Have him meet me at the restaurant two doors down. I’ll have a table under the Spanish version of your oldest son’s name.”

  “What time?” Warren asked.

  “Four o’clock.”

  “I’ll get the message to him,” Warren said. “Be careful.”

  “Always.”

  * * *

  Paige watched Angel Falls out the window, fascinated. The water seemed to be a small trickle at the top, barely visible, with the white cascade of the falls becoming more evident as it drew closer to the ground. When it disappeared from her view, she shifted to look at Damian. “That’s something I never thought I would see.”

  “Pretty amazing, huh?”

  “It is. Have you been here before?”

  “A couple times. The last time was when my family brought me here after I graduated from high school. I doubt it’s changed much though.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “With the political unrest and the lack of access to the area, most businesses wouldn’t want to invest here even if the government would allow it.”

  When they touched down, Paige was surprised to see that the airport consisted of little more than a boarding ramp and a primitive wooden structure with a thatched roof. The sun was already hanging low in the sky when they deplaned and collected their luggage. “Do you think we’ll be able to go on that helicopter tour today?”

  “Unfortunately, no. But before we leave the airport, I’ll make sure we have a reservation for tomorrow.” Damian looked down at her hand and lowered his voice. “Speaking of which, I need to steal your ring back until tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” Paige slipped it off her finger. “Why?”

  “Just a hunch I might need it to make sure we’re the only passengers.” Damian saw the tourism counter a short distance away. “Stay here with the luggage. I’ll be right back.”

  Paige watched him walk across the airport structure in a dozen strides. He spoke to the man behind the counter of what appeared to be a helicopter tour company. She had seen only a single helicopter outside, but maybe there were others out giving tours at the moment.

  Damian motioned to her and leaned closer to the man conspiratorially. Both men looked at her briefly before the conversation continued. She saw Damian slip several bills to the man before they shook hands. The man said something else to Damian, something that brought a smile to his face.

  When Damian returned to Paige’s side, she asked, “What was that all about?”

  “He approves of my taste in women.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Absolutely.” Damian leaned down and gave her a quick kiss.

  Her cheeks flushed at the unexpected display of affection.

  “Come on. Let’s go find our ride.” He led her back outside, each of them pulling their carry-on luggage behind them. An airport shuttle was waiting right beside the door. Damian took both of their bags and loaded them into the back, helping other passengers until the driver indicated it was time to leave.

  They rode in silence, Paige afraid to say anything on the crowded minibus. She was surprised at how quickly they arrived at their destination, guessing the drive was only a mile or two at most. The resort was a series of huts, all with thatched roofs and looking very much like they belonged to a primitive village.

  Several passengers jostled for position as people headed for the large hut overlooking a beautiful
lake area.

  “I thought Canaima was on a river,” Paige said.

  “Lake Canaima is fed by the El Carrao River.” Damian motioned to the line of people at the reception desk. “Let’s go get something to eat first and wait for the lines to die down.”

  “That sounds good.” Paige followed him to the other side of the hut, where a restaurant was located, warmth spreading through her when he took her hand.

  Wicker chairs and bamboo place mats offset the cream-colored tablecloths, and only a handful of tables were occupied. They were shown to a table overlooking the water, two waterfalls flowing into the deep blue.

  Damian tucked their luggage beneath the far side of the table and sat across from her.

  “It’s beautiful here,” Paige said, wishing they truly were here simply as tourists. She turned her gaze back to Damian to see him staring at her. “What are you thinking?”

  A waiter interrupted before he could answer, and Paige was surprised when Damian ordered for both of them. As soon as they were alone once more, he said, “Sorry, I didn’t want to wait too long to eat. I’m a little anxious to get checked in so I can take a look around.”

  “That’s okay.” Paige kept her voice low. “Is there anything we can do tonight?”

  “As soon as we drop our luggage off in our room, we’ll take a walk so I can get my bearings. Other than that, I’m not sure there’s much we can do until tomorrow.”

  “I guess you’ll have to pretend to enjoy yourself for a while.”

  “I won’t have to pretend,” Damian replied. “I just can’t figure out how to stop feeling guilty that I’m sitting here with you while my team is out there doing who knows what.”

  “They’re probably sitting around drinking coconut milk and trying to figure out how they’re going to harass you when they get back.”

  A smile pushed back the worry in his eyes. “You seem to already understand them better than I do.”

  “I don’t know about that, but they all do seem to have a pretty healthy sense of humor.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  * * *

  “I am so bored.” Quinn threw a coconut up in the air and caught it.