Blood Ransom

by Lisa Harris

  “I shouldn’t have snapped at you,” she started.

  “I deserved it.” He looked up at her. “I was being unreasonable. We’re all under a lot of stress.”

  “That’s no excuse.”

  “For either of us. I guess it’s impossible to erase the influence of the past. It’s given me this determination. If anything was to happen to you…”

  She shook her head. “You don’t have to be my hero.”

  “Maybe I want to.”

  He stood and bridged the gap between them, his gaze holding hers.

  Natalie’s defenses fell. “I suppose it is kind of nice having a knight in shining armor come to my rescue.”

  She drew in a deep breath and held it for a moment. All the stress of the past few days vanished for an instant until all she could see was Chad’s face hovering in front of hers. He was close enough for her to feel his warm breath against her face. Close enough to let him kiss her.

  And suddenly she wished he would.

  Joseph stepped into the room, slamming the bathroom door shut behind him.

  Chad cleared his throat and took a step back. “We need to go.”

  Natalie’s gaze dropped. “Yeah.”

  “When this is all over…”

  She shook her head. She wasn’t ready for any promises or expectations. For now all she could handle was getting through the next hour and making it to the embassy in one piece.

  She turned to Joseph. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes.”

  Natalie gnawed on the corner of her lip. She didn’t want another fight, but she hadn’t changed her stance on leaving. “I still don’t think we’ll make it out of here together without getting caught.”

  “I know. I just wish things were different.” Chad combed his fingers through his hair. She’d obviously struck a chord. “I’ll go first, and then you leave with Joseph in fifteen minutes. Walk half a mile as inconspicuously as possible, and then get a taxi to take you to the embassy.”

  “You’re sure about this?”

  “Yeah. You’re right. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  He held her gaze, and her breath caught in her throat. She wished they had time to explore what was happening between them, but that would have to be saved for another day.

  “I’ll buy a charger on my way there.” He dropped his phone into his back pocket, then reached for her bag. “And I’ll take the photos.”

  “Chad—”

  Pressing his finger against her lips, he shook his head.

  “Okay,” she conceded.

  He shoved the photos into the side pocket of his cargo shorts, then looked up at Rachel, who’d just entered the room. “I think we should pray before we leave. Do you mind?”

  She shook her head and joined them. They stood side by side with different cultures, different levels of faith, and started praying.

  Natalie looked up as Chad said amen and smiled. A sense of peace washed over her for the first time in days. In the presence of her Creator was where she should have started this morning. She’d needed to be reminded that God was her protector, and that somehow He could use even this situation for His glory.

  Chad reached out and grasped her hand. “Be careful.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  He leaned forward, brushed his lips gently against hers, and walked out the door.

  THIRTY-FIVE

  THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 8:24 A.M.

  RACHEL BOTELA’S APARTMENT, BOGAMA

  Natalie glanced at the clock above the couch in Rachel’s living room. Three minutes had passed. It seemed like thirty. She finished packing her backpack, checked the clock again, and joined Rachel in the kitchen.

  Rachel looked up from the coffee mug she was washing. “Do you need anything else?”

  Natalie shook her head. “Thank you so much for everything. You risked your life for us when you didn’t have to.”

  Rachel set the mug on the rack. “I did it for Aina…For Joseph’s father…For all of them. They didn’t deserve what happened to them.”

  “We’re going to find them.”

  “I know you will.”

  Natalie leaned against the counter, reminding herself again that God was her protector. Words easily spoken when things were going right. Why was it a completely different matter when the whole world seemed to be falling apart? Rachel’s mom had been right: God was still bigger than all of this. Even that, though, couldn’t take away all her worry. If Patrick found out what Rachel had done, and if he really was one of those behind the raids, there was no telling what he would do.

  Natalie grabbed a towel and began drying the dishes. “Are you going to be all right?”

  “I’ll be fine.” Rachel sucked in a deep breath. “No matter what Patrick’s done, he’d never do anything to hurt me.”

  Natalie wasn’t convinced. “Even if he finds out what you did?”

  “It doesn’t really matter. I’d do it all over again.” Rachel reached out to squeeze Natalie’s hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’m going to believe that God has something good to bring out of all of this.”

  Natalie hoped so, but she knew how difficult it could be to find that good. She’d seen too much pain and suffering the past year and a half to completely dismiss the possibility of a bad ending to their situation. Yes, God was there. She knew that. But so was the evil side of man.

  “You haven’t eaten anything.” Rachel held out a plate of bread.

  The thought of eating turned Natalie’s stomach. “I can’t.”

  “You need to.”

  Knowing Rachel was right, Natalie complied and took a piece of the bread.

  “I meant what I said earlier,” Rachel began. “I don’t think you should let go of Chad. He’s different, and he cares about you.”

  Natalie felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she remembered his kiss. Ten years ago she would have done anything for Chad to notice her. Funny how everything seemed so much simpler back then. She just hadn’t realized it at the time. Today it was a different story entirely. “Chad and I…Well, it’s complicated.”

  Rachel shook her head. “Tell me what’s complicated about two people being attracted to each other?”

  Natalie frowned. “How can I think about love and attraction right now?”

  “Why not? Love is simple. People are the ones who try to make it complicated.”

  Natalie tore off a piece of bread, wondering how much truth there was to Rachel’s statement. Compared to saving the world, maybe love really wasn’t all that complicated.

  Rachel glanced at her watch. “It’s time. Chad’s going to worry if he has to wait very long for you.”

  Two minutes later, Natalie was hurrying down the alley behind the apartment with Joseph right behind her. Trash littered the narrow pathway leading toward the street. An unfinished cement wall, its mortar crumbling onto the ground, rose beside them. Tin roofs lined the top of the wall, with no backyards, sunny patches of grass, or flower gardens.

  On the street, Joseph took the lead, weaving them in and out between narrow, muddy passageways and piles of garbage. Living in Kasili, she’d visited some of the worst parts of the city, but seeing a man sleeping beneath a pile of cardboard added a depth of desperation that ran chills down her spine.

  They hurried past lines of shops with peeling paint and traders standing on the street corner. At the first busy corner, she glanced behind her, looking for signs that they were being followed. Women wearing traditional dresses and colorful head wraps chattered on the sidewalk. A young girl walked by carrying a plastic tub filled with fresh loaves of bread on her head. Another woman sat on the ground beside a pile of pineapples, waiting for a customer. But beyond a few casual glances, no one seemed to care she was there.

  They rounded a corner and Natalie stopped short. Her breathing quickened. Two soldiers stood buying roasted corn from a woman. Joseph grabbed her arm and pulled her into another side street, where they hurried past a wooden stall wher
e a woman cooked rice and fish.

  Natalie pulled her cell phone from her pocket to check the time. If Chad had been able to catch a taxi right away, he should be at the embassy by now. In another fifteen minutes, they’d be there.

  A street child approached them for money. Natalie felt a tug of guilt but hurried past. As much as she longed to give the girl something, she’d learned firsthand that giving to one would quickly escalate into more requests. And a small mob surrounding her was the last thing she needed at the moment.

  A taxi came toward them, bouncing over the potholes that filled the street. Natalie’s heart pounded. She wished there were another way to get to the embassy, but the only alternative was an hour-long walk across town. Definitely not the way to be inconspicuous. Out of options, she waved the vehicle down.

  The driver slowed, splashing mud from a puddle across the bottom of her dress. So much for clean clothes. Joseph opened the door, but as she stepped off the curb to get in, a fight broke out in front of the store behind them. She paused to see the commotion—a woman with a broom chasing away a couple of kids.

  Just as Natalie turned back to the taxi, someone grabbed her from behind and gripped her forearm. Twisting her body, she lunged for the backseat of the vehicle, but the man was too strong. Panic swept through her gut. A hand covered her mouth. Joseph shouted and tried to pull her free, but he was knocked onto the sidewalk.

  A second man grabbed her backpack as they dragged her down the street and pushed her into a waiting car.

  THIRTY-SIX

  THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 9:35 A.M.

  OUTSIDE HE UNITED STATES EMBASSY

  Chad checked the time on his watch as he continued pacing outside the high electric fence that surrounded the embassy compound. Over an hour had already passed since he’d left Rachel’s, giving Natalie and Joseph plenty of time to get here. The combination of coffee and acid from stress burned his stomach.

  Something had gone wrong.

  He wiped the beaded perspiration from the back of his neck. Even at nine-thirty the sun had already raised the temperature substantially. By noon it would reach the mid-nineties. Ignoring both the humidity and the questioning stares of the armed guard protecting the entrance to the embassy, Chad turned at the busy street corner and searched the narrow thoroughfare. A taxi approached then zoomed by. He let out a sharp puff of air. Where were they?

  He stepped out of the way of a group of uniform-clad kids who chattered their way past him to school. He couldn’t panic. Not yet anyway. There had to be a number of legitimate reasons why they were late. He’d seen a couple of rallies being set up in the streets. Traffic had crawled by as supporters waving banners and hanging posters crowded the streets. But from what he’d seen, it was nothing more than a last-minute push for their candidate in tomorrow’s vote. It was the aftermath of the election that could bring the surge of chaos into the streets. He could only pray it would stay peaceful.

  Another five minutes passed, and there was still no sign of Natalie and Joseph. With his cell phone dead, he crossed the street and dialed her number again from the public phone on the corner. The phone rang, but she didn’t answer. Something was wrong.

  He returned to the front of the embassy as a taxi pulled up alongside the curb. Joseph jumped out. The backseat of the cab was empty.

  “Where’s Natalie?”

  “They took her.”

  A wave of nausea washed over him. “What do you mean, they took her?”

  Joseph’s rapid explanation in Dha was lost on Chad.

  He grasped the young boy’s arm. “Slow down and tell me what happened. Where is Natalie?”

  “They took her!”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know.” Joseph gasped for air.

  Chad rested a hand on each shoulder. “I want you to breathe slowly.”

  “I…can’t.”

  Chad tossed the taxi driver enough coins to cover the ride and pulled Joseph away from the curb. “I want you to hold your breath, count to three, then take a slow breath.”

  Joseph closed his eyes while Chad counted. The teen’s breathing slowly returned to normal, but Chad was afraid to hear what he had to say. Whatever it was, the bottom line was that Natalie was gone.

  “Tell me what happened.”

  “We were getting into the taxi…Two men grabbed her…shoved her into another car.” Joseph took another deep breath. “I tried to follow, but people were burning tires. The police started throwing tear gas…I lost her…”

  Chad felt his heartbeat accelerate. He had to think. Now wasn’t the time to let his emotions run away. This was no different than an emergency in the ER. Staying calm was vital; he’d deal with his emotions later. “I’ve got to talk with someone inside the embassy.”

  Joseph glanced at the guard. “I can’t go in.”

  “No, but there’s a small café a block away.” Chad dug some money out of his pocket and handed it to Joseph. “Go order something to eat and stay out of sight, then meet me back here in one hour.”

  Joseph nodded.

  Chad pulled out his passport and shoved it toward the guard. “I need to report a kidnapping of an American citizen.”

  The man looked stunned. “You’ll have to speak to someone inside.”

  Chad was ushered into a small room, where he was told to take everything out of his pockets, including his cell phone.

  He threw his phone, along with a handful of change, onto the counter. “I don’t have time for this. Take me to whoever’s in charge, now!”

  “Please, sir.” The Dhambizan guard shoved a plastic tray in front of him. “Place everything in here first. Then we will see about your friend.”

  Chad dropped the photos along with his passport into the tray, then added the phone charger he’d just bought along the side of the road.

  The guard glanced briefly at the photos then snatched up his passport. “Chad Talcott?”

  “Yes. I—”

  The guard picked up the phone and started conversing in mumbled tones. Passport…Photos…Security…Chad felt his stomach knotting; he was unsure if it had been the photos or his passport that had caught the guard’s attention. What he did know from the one-sided conversation was that something wasn’t right.

  The man set down the receiver. “I need you to come with me.”

  “Wait a minute…Why?”

  “Please, just follow me.”

  Chad wasn’t ready to admit defeat. “You don’t understand. An American citizen, Natalie Sinclair, has been kidnapped. Her life is in danger because of those photos. I need to talk to someone who can help—immediately.”

  The man turned around. “You’re the one who doesn’t understand. With the upcoming election, we’ve been told to stay on high alert, and your name just kicked up a red flag.”

  Chad blinked twice. “Wait a minute—someone’s been kidnapped…”

  The guard threw open a door and shoved Chad through the narrow hallway. He opened another door to a small room that held nothing more than a table and two chairs. “Sit down. Someone will be in to talk with you in a few minutes.”

  Before Chad could say another word, the guard slammed the door behind him and was gone.

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 10:12 A.M.

  SHACK OUTISDE

  Natalie opened her eyes to semidarkness. Lying on her side, she watched a lone stream of sunlight filter down from a hole in the ceiling and scatter across the dirt floor. In the amber flecks of light, she could see her backpack sitting a couple of feet in front of her with some of its contents strewn across the floor. Beyond that, a thin mattress on the ground, a small table with two wooden chairs…and shadows.

  A thick rope ate at her wrists where they’d tied her hands together behind her back. Pulling against the taut binding only made it rub against the raw skin, adding to the pain from the wound on her shoulder and the lingering headache she’d had the past three days.

  She glanced at the closed doo
r and tried to orient herself. Pulling her right knee toward her chest, she pushed against the ground, then managed to sit up. Four wooden walls, a packed dirt floor, and a tin roof. The shack could be located in any corner of the city. Any squatter camp or compound. Faint smells of a latrine and a cooking fire filled the air, turning her stomach. A radio played in the background. Screaming was an option, but more than likely that would only alert her captors. The tightness in her chest increased.

  There had to be a way out.

  She blinked her eyes against the darkness. Maybe Chad had been right and they should have stayed together. Or maybe it had been absurd to think she could simply show up at the capital with no opposition. For all she knew, they had captured Chad and Joseph as well and were holding them somewhere nearby—making their entire expedition a quest in foolishness.

  She kicked at her backpack with her toe, refusing to believe that the odds were completely against her this time. If she could get to the bag, there might be something in it that could help her out of here.

  The door swung open, temporarily blinding her with the light from outside. A man’s silhouette framed the doorway, shooting slivers of fear through her. She took in his uniform and heavy, black boots. She’d be no match against him physically. She’d have to find a way to convince him to let her go.

  He grabbed her arm, catching her off guard. “Where are the photos?”

  So Patrick—or whoever was behind this—must have concluded that her escape to the capital meant she had her own set of the photos. “I don’t have them.”

  He slapped her across the face. She reeled at the impact as he picked up her bag and dumped the rest of the contents onto the floor. “Where are they?”

  Her mouth went dry. “They’re not in there.”

  “I know.” He picked up her flashlight and squatted in front of her, his expression hard. “Then who has them?”

  Natalie gritted her teeth, knowing she couldn’t succumb to the pain or the fear enveloping her. But did she admit the truth and throw away the only bargaining chip she might have or try to convince him that she could get the photos for him?