The light outside continued to brighten, seeping through the curtains and filling the room. I put a pillow over my head, hiding in the darkness it provided. I thought about the video of Merl, his graceful movements, his supreme confidence. Did he just walk in on his friend being kidnapped or were they waiting for him, the way they were waiting for Bai? And what was the connection to the tai chi center over a thousand miles away? There were clues waiting there, something that would help me understand what happened to my friend.
On the Road Again
I only got about an hour of sleep but it was better than nothing. Loki was surprised to find the boy on the couch when he came by later in the morning. "We found him last night," I explained, "taking this," I held up the small video camera that had been left on the kitchen counter, "off a building down the block from Sing's."
He nodded and took the camera from me. "What time did you find him?"
"It was about 3 am I guess."
"You went out at three in the morning and did not tell me?"
"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you."
"Sydney, it is very important to me that you remain safe. I cannot protect you if I am not with you and have no idea where you have gone."
"I understand Loki, but just so you know, I can really take care of myself."
"I do not mean to diminish your strength, only to beg that you allow me to assist you to the best of my abilities."
"When you put it like that Loki, I promise to call you next time I get a hunch at 3 am."
"Thank you."
"Are we all ready for the trip today?" I asked.
Loki nodded. He was wearing another suit, this one navy blue, with a light blue tie and another crisp white shirt. His hair was pulled back into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck.
I sipped at my coffee, it was rich and creamy. The caffeine was doing me good.
"We will fly as far as Qiliping and then I have arranged a Jeep to pick us up. We will stay in a small village for tourists and continue on to the tai chi center from there.”
"Are the roads bad?"
"Some are not paved. We shall see what condition they are in once we arrive."
"Fair enough, Mitchel is going to stay here with the kid."
Loki looked over at the boy on the couch. "Who is he?"
"A friend of Bai's."
"Why did they have surveillance equipment?"
"He said he didn't know."
"Then why was he taking it down?"
"We didn't really get into it but he wiped her computer too. I'm guessing it was all a part of a protocol that Bai set up," I said, crossing the room toward him. His arm was flung over his face, blocking the light coming in through the curtains. "I think she was trying to protect him."
"From what?"
"Sing was a Falun Gong practitioner."
I felt Loki stiffen and looked back at him. "Our flight is in three hours," Loki said, his face calm.
"How long will it take?"
"Two and a half hours in the air and then another three by Jeep."
"Have you been to the area before?" I asked, walking away from the boy, not wanting to wake him. There was something about his narrow shoulders, the pale skin of his forearm that made me want to let him sleep. My maternal instincts showing up for the first time in my life.
"No, I have made arrangements for a guide."
"Someone we can trust?"
"Not entirely. He is a tourist guide. Someone who we have used before for trips."
"Ah, so we'll be pretending to be a couple."
Loki nodded. "Yes, it is for the best. I have told him you have an interest in tai chi and that you want to see the center, perhaps take a class."
"Sounds like a plan," I said, putting my empty coffee cup into the sink.
Loki nodded. “We should leave in an hour. Traffic can be thick at this time.”
#
The flight was uneventful, the scene below us mostly clouds. The private plane had a rich leather interior and a smiling flight attendant with an elegant scarf tied around her thin neck. A scene I'd grown used to. One I'd never imagined in my youth.
Growing up in Beacon, New York, a small, once-industrious town on the Hudson River that had become an enclave of ugly homes and poverty surrounded by natural beauty, my great dream was to move to New York City and escape that tiny, shabby world. My mother came to mind, not the make-up encased, Jesus-loving freak of the present but the young, lost girl who loved my father and read me stories before I fell asleep.
When my father died, after cancer had sucked his life away leaving just a skeleton draped in yellowing skin, my mother lost it. She lost touch with the world, with the reasons she had to live, and fell hard into alcohol abuse. A tendency I understood. The sweet relief of sedation. I felt that pull too, the urge to dull the effects of a brutal world. And yet here I was, flying over a sea of clouds, on my way to a rural part of China on the hunt for a friend. Because while it was easy to drift beneath the surface of life, to keep the pain of reality at bay with tools like drugs and alcohol, that didn't change a thing. Not really. It just changed you.
My mother escaped her alcoholism through finding God—by way of my stepfather, a preacher, one of the ones you saw on TV asking for money. When I thought about her deep convictions, that my brother was in hell because he was gay, that I was destined to go there as well because I refused to lay my burden at an imaginary figure’s feet, anger crawled up my spine.
Blue pushed his nose against my elbow. I ran my hand down his neck, over his shoulder where under the fur a scar lingered. The scar was a record of the first time Blue saved my life. When my brother's murderer shot him instead of me. Blue leaned into my touch, closing his eyes, the thick black of his lashes contrasting with the white fur around his eyes. My heart filled with love and gratitude for the dog, for his loyalty, his faith, and his companionship. Perhaps he was like my bottle of booze, my religion, my salve against the storm of upset that swirled around me. With Blue by my side I felt invincible.
It had been almost six months now since he'd kept me safe as I wandered, unresponsive, hallucinating through the Everglades after being doused with an almost lethal dose of Datura. A weapon at once sophisticated and barbaric. My arms and legs still showed fine white lines, thin, slowly fading scars from the thick brush that had torn my skin. Blue kept me safe and when Dan and Mulberry came looking for me, he led them to where I slept; curled up in a ball on the ground, the earth turned by Blue's claws into a bed.
I didn't remember it. Flashes came to me now and then. Such as sitting on the trunk of a tree smoking a cigarette. It’s a habit I never formed except in the recess of my subconscious. Apparently, it was a well-known hallucination amongst Datura victims. Those who could remember, who survived, often reported smoking in that alternate universe. While in my mind I smoked cigarettes and ran from monsters that tore at my skin and chased me through the dark, fire licking at my flesh, lightning and thunder crashing all around me, on the outside, I was totally compliant. Following the orders of anyone who gave them. Even Blue.
That was why Datura was a popular drug for raping and robbing people in Colombia. Blowing a small dose into a person’s face turned them into your own personal slave. The victim would gladly empty their bank account, hand over their most valuable possessions, offer you their body without complaint. Blue saved me from such a fate, keeping me hidden, keeping me safe.
It took twenty-eight days for me to come back to reality. And I still had residual effects, I saw lightning that wasn't there, heard thunder on sunny afternoons. But I could recognize those hallucinations for what they were. It was something Merl and I had argued over. Whether I was ready to return to active duty, to go back out in the field or if I was a danger to myself and others. A part of me knew that I was a danger. Not because of the thunder and lightning but because I was human, fallible, flawed, and afraid. But so was everyone else. I was lucky enough to have Blue, to feel his nose at my hip, hear his growl in
my ear, know his strength and speed were mine to command.
The plane descended into a valley surrounded by jutting mountains covered in green. They were beautiful, like something out of a painting, their hard angles, the steepness of their sides, didn't look like they could hold life. But there it was, lush and bursting, clinging to the rocky sides. There was one runway, paved but brown with dirt. The landing was rough, the concrete uneven. I gripped the sides of my chair, my heart leaping for just a moment.
I'd recently overcome my fear of flying—after surviving a near-crash in Costa Rica. Lenox was flying a helicopter and we were in close proximity to a yacht that exploded. The pressure of the blast had pushed us perilously on our side, hurtling toward the ocean below, and as I looked down into the churning sea a calmness came over me. A realization that control was a myth, a fallacy, a joke really. But even with that knowledge gained in the most dire of circumstances, the stiff bump of a small plane injected adrenaline into my system, tensing my muscles and forcing my heart to beat harder, flushing me with the will to live.
Loki glanced over at me and I smiled. "I'm fine," I said.
He just nodded and unbuckled his seat belt as we slowed to a stop. Glancing out the window I saw a man standing next to a Jeep. He was short and broad wearing loose dark green khakis, a dark green colored T-shirt and flip flops stained the same brown as the dirt blowing across the runway. "Our guide?" I said.
Loki leaned over, looking out my window. "Yes, Ming."
I took a deep breath, preparing for our latest deception. Playing another person was as comfortable to me now as playing myself. As we descended the steps a wind pushed my loose pants flat against my body. I was wearing comfortable, but expensive clothing. Green silk pants, tight at the ankles and belted at the waist, with a white cotton T-shirt. Along with the outfit Loki had given me a gold necklace and matching bracelet along with a fine leather purse and slip on shoes to match. I needed to look like money, but the kind that liked adventure. Expensive men, expensive trips, but at the same time trying hard to seem down to earth. At first, I hadn't bothered with makeup, which Loki thought unwise. "I've never had a client who didn't wear makeup," he said, handing over mascara and a tube of lipstick.
Ming came forward as we reached the bottom of the steps, offering his hand to me. "Welcome," he said.
"Thank you," I said, taking his hand. It was calloused at the base of his fingers, perhaps from gripping the wheel, maybe from some other work. "I'm glad to be here."
He looked to Blue. "Your dog is very beautiful. Like a wolf."
I laughed. "Yes," I agreed.
"He brings you much luck, I think."
"You're right."
"You are interested in tai chi," he said with a smile, his accent thick but words clear.
"Yes, I practice at home. I find it very meditative."
"It is the best thing for the body," Ming said, leading us to the Jeep. The vehicle was splattered with mud, the wheels large with deep treads. It was painted army green and had a snorkel running up from the engine. Ming saw me eyeing the snorkel. "For the rainy season," he said. "Do not worry, we will not be crossing too many deep rivers on this trip." He grinned at me and I saw a gold tooth flash in the sunlight.
"I don't mind," I said as he opened the back door. "I'm up for some adventure." I motioned for Blue to jump in the back and he did, leaving dusty paw prints on the cracked leather seats. Ming grabbed a towel from the front seat and quickly wiped it down before offering me his hand. The Jeep wasn't high but I put my palm in his and allowed him to help me up.
Loki loaded the luggage into the trunk and then slid in next to me as Ming climbed into the driver's seat. Loki's long arm wrapped around my shoulders and he pointed to one of the nearby mountains. "Have you ever seen anything like it?" he asked.
"No, they are beautiful."
"To the hotel first?" Ming asked, his eyes in the rearview mirror falling on Loki.
"Yes," he said with a smile. "We need some lunch."
I wanted to head straight to the tai chi retreat but knew that would seem strange for a woman on vacation with a handsome man whose company she was paying for.
#
The Bamboo House Hotel was on the main street of a small village catering to tourists visiting the region to admire those exquisite mountains and the Li River. Our room was in the back of the hotel and looked out onto a rice field. Women bent over their crop, wearing wide straw hats, skirts pulled up around their legs. It made the perfect postcard of rural China. There was one bed, a queen size, with clean sheets and towels folded into the shape of swans.
A watercolor of the Li River, those oval mountains looming right off its banks, hung above the bed. There was a small desk with a chair. On the desk was a phone and a menu for the restaurant downstairs. "Are you hungry?" Loki asked.
"I want to get over to the tai chi center," I said.
"I understand but we must keep up appearances."
"For who?"
"There are always people watching, especially in a village this size." He lowered his voice. "If Falun Gong is involved there will be many eyes on us."
"Okay," I said, nodding my head, willing to follow his lead. "Let's eat." As we walked back downstairs I felt nervous, a tension in my shoulders and jaw. We were so close. "Can we ask about Merl, see if anyone saw him? I mean, an American with three Doberman Pinchers. Someone would remember him."
"Yes," Loki said, stopping and turning to me in the narrow staircase. With him a step below me we were almost the same height, I was just a little taller. "I'm sure he would be remembered. And watched. You are supposed to be here on vacation. Please, allow us to keep up this charade for some more time."
I nodded and he turned around, headed back down the steps.
"Can't I just say my friend recommended the place, was here years ago? That's true."
Loki stopped and turned back to me, a small smile on his lips. "Do you trust me?"
I felt like I was getting that question an awful lot lately. "I'm sorry," I said, "I just wish I knew if he was here."
"I understand your impatience but what I asked is if you trusted me."
I didn't answer, he held my gaze. "I do," I said finally.
Loki smiled. "Come, let's have lunch, the food here is excellent."
We sat on a deck that jutted out over a canal. The air was fresh, especially compared to the smog-filled skies of Shanghai. Loki ordered for me and then held my hand while we waited for the food to arrive. I watched the women in the rice field, their repetitive movements, hunched postures. Was it like meditation or torture?
"There are several activities I'd like to take you on," Loki said.
I nodded but didn't answer, watching those women, fascinated for the moment at the difference in our lives. But weren't our worries the same? Didn't they wish for the same things? Didn't every human on the planet want the same things? The safety and health of our loved ones.
Since losing my brother I'd tried to wall myself off, destroy any chance of getting hurt again. But people like Merl climbed into that empty hole and began to fill it. Losing Malina months earlier had hurt too much for me to even acknowledge. Violence, revenge, these were my solutions to the pain that resided in my chest. But as I watched those women, their slow steady progress across the field, I realized I needed their patience. The bloodshed that I craved, the hate in my center fueled by the love I felt, was a war, a battle I was waging. And nobody cared who won. Nobody but me.
"Sydney?" Loki said, squeezing my hand.
I turned to him and smiled. "Yes, sorry."
"What were you thinking about?"
"I was just enjoying the view. What were you saying?"
"We can go out on the Li River. It is fun, exciting."
"Exciting," I said, smiling, comparing it to the images of bloodshed in my head. I didn't think it could really be that exciting.
"Yes, we will go on a narrow bamboo raft, with a man on the back using just a wooden staff to dire
ct us."
"Exhilarating," I said.
Our food arrived and we talked of other tourist activities in the area as we ate. When we finished Loki paid the bill and took my hand as we walked through the lobby. Ming was waiting for us. "What would you like to do this afternoon?" he asked.
"I want to see the tai chi retreat," I said before Loki could speak.
Ming blushed slightly. "I'm sorry, but I could not arrange a class for you yet. Their phone is out."
"Let's just drive over there then," I suggested, moving toward the back seat. Ming hurried to open the door for me.
"The road is very bad," he said as he opened the door. "And the drive is very long."
Blue jumped in and Ming was ready with the towel this time. "I don't mind," I said. "I like adventure." I got in next to Blue and Loki climbed in after me. Ming nodded, his face red, hands jittery.
"I will try," he said.
Loki leaned over to me as Ming went around to climb into the driver's seat. "I thought you trusted me."
"I do," I said, turning to him so our faces were close. "Now trust me."
Loki smiled, a small laugh escaping on his exhalation, but he nodded and leaned back into the seat, opening the space between us.
Ming climbed into the front seat and we started off.
It did not take long for the road to turn rough. The dusty, cracked cement of the village turned into rutted paths as we drove deeper into the mountains. We bounced on worn shocks, the tires crunching over large rocks. A half hour into our journey we got our first flat tire. Ming apologized profusely as he hurried to change it.
Loki, Blue and I stood on the side of the road while Ming jacked up the Jeep, removed the damaged tire, and replaced it with one from his trunk. Loki spoke to him in Mandarin. "What did you say?" I asked.
"I wanted to know how many spares he had," Loki said.
"How many?"
"There is one more. Perhaps we should turn back."
"Let's not argue Loki," I said, putting my hand on his forearm, the way I imagined a woman who'd hired him to be her companion might.
Shadow Harvest (A Sydney Rye Mystery, #7) Page 10