MAYA HOPE, a medical thriller - The Dr. Nicklaus Hart series 1

by Timothy Browne, MD

  Nick could tell that Anna was reassuring him that this was not the case, that there must be some explanation. But Nick could also tell the man’s heart was hardened to the truth. Nick had one more question. “I’m sorry to pry, but have there been any new pregnancies or children born in the village since then?”

  The chief looked at his wife and back at Nick. “No, not one.”

  * * *

  They stood outside their vehicle parked at the well, saying their goodbyes. Anna prayed over the village, and Nick promised they would look into this problem.

  “Uh, before we go, I need to find the latrine.” Miguel held his stomach, and the elder pointed down the hill to the outhouse. Miguel quickly trotted off.

  “Woozy stomach,” Buck elbowed Anna. “Must be because he ate zapote fruit.”

  “Give him a break, Buck. He’s a pretty nice guy,” Anna reproved him. “And no, I’m not interested,” she said, more firmly than she meant.

  Just then they were distracted by a white SUV pulling a trailer coming toward them.

  The SUV slowed as its three Asian male passengers stared at Buck, Anna, and Nick. The only exit was around the well and back the way they’d come. The SUV turned, sped up, and took off, churning a storm of dust in its wake.

  Nick was frozen in disbelief. He recognized the FOCO logo on the side of the SUV. The letters sat in the middle of a large orange star, just like the image he had seen the other day on their website. He tried to speak and move.

  Buck didn’t hesitate. He threw open the door of the van and jumped into the driver’s seat. “Crap.” He slammed his fist on the dashboard. “Miguel has the keys.” He leaned out the door and shouted in the direction of the latrine. “Miguel, get your butt back up here.”

  But all they could do was wait.

  CHAPTER 46

  * * *

  The Crossroads

  They could have been lost tourists, Suk rationalized. But he didn’t like the way the big man stared at him. He ordered Hwang to get them out of there. Hwang swerved the FOCO SUV, turned it around, gunned the engine, and sped down the road. Suk grabbed the handle above the door to steady himself. He hoped the sprayer had not been damaged in the hasty exit.

  El Zapote was a mile off the main road. As they hit the junction, Hwang didn’t bother to stop. A chicken bus blasted its horn at them, barely slowing down as it missed the trailer by inches.

  “You don’t have to get us killed.” Suk mopped his brow.

  “Why did we have to stop there anyways?” Cho asked.

  “I thought that since we are leaving soon, I would check to make sure there were no pregnancies in the village.”

  “Who do you think those people were?”

  “Lost tourists I hope. But I don’t want to take any chances.”

  * * *

  Nick couldn’t push Miguel any harder. The FOCO SUV was at least ten minutes ahead of them. Miguel’s van was comfortable for shuttling tourists along paved roads to Tikal, but it was no good for four-wheeling.

  There was a loud scrape under the car as Miguel dodged another large rut. “I’m sorry, Dr. Hart. I’m afraid something’s going to come loose if I go much faster.”

  “You’re doing fine, son.”

  The dust had long settled ahead of them.

  “Certainly not friendly chaps,” Buck reflected.

  “Yeah, pretty strange. Obviously didn’t want anything to do with us.”

  Miguel weaved around one last mud hole, hitting the main road, and pulled to a stop.

  They saw tracks of the previous vehicle. It had turned left.

  “Where does that go?” Buck asked.

  “To Belize,” Miguel replied.

  Buck looked back at Nick who looked at his watch. “Your call, my brother.”

  “The plane leaves at four?” Nick frowned.

  “Yeah.”

  “It sure would have been nice to talk to those guys. They may be headed into Belize,” he said, thinking out loud. “Miguel, I guess you better get us home.”

  * * *

  Buck relented and allowed Miguel to take Anna for a Coca-Cola next door to Jalapenos. Anna assured him she would be fine. With Miguel’s van keys in his pocket, Buck felt only a little better. “I’m off to check the tourist shops to find some cool Maya stuff to bring home to my boys,” he said. “You two have a good time. You coming with me, Nick?”

  Nick declined. He wanted to stretch his legs with a walk around the island and work up the courage to get back on the plane. He checked his watch. It was a little over an hour before they had to leave for the airport. He set off on his walk.

  At least it’s a beautiful day.

  He was glad he’d come, even though he still had many unanswered questions. As he neared the tip of the small island, he looked out across the lake where the horizon gave way to the jungle and the ancient Maya city.

  He threw a flat stone over the lake. It skipped seven times. The stone’s long walk on water made him think about the mysteries of God. He knew so little, and after these last two weeks, he understood even less. Still, it felt like his life was changing, like a cog had been adjusted into place, setting off a whole new direction. He wasn’t at all sure what it meant.

  He bent to pick up another stone when he saw the Asian couple from the restaurant the night before enter the Island of Flores Hotel, across the street. Besides the FOCO men, these were the only Asians he had seen in the area. I wonder if they work for FOCO? Maybe their office is here?

  He waited for the traffic to pass before he crossed the road to the hotel. The lobby opened to a large courtyard that led to individual bungalows spread out in a large V-shape. Nick didn’t see the couple. His throat was dry with a strange sense of desperation. Did I miss the chance to talk with the FOCO people again?

  He had to make a decision—search the bungalows to the left or right. Since he was standing closer to the left side, he walked in that direction. A number of guests enjoyed a large swimming pool in the beautifully landscaped gardens of the central area. Nick walked on his tiptoes, looking over the shrubbery into the pool area and inching slowly down the row of bungalows. He tried peering into them without appearing obvious. A young toddler in a swimsuit waved at him from one of the doorways. A woman quickly pulled her inside and shut the door.

  When he reached the final bungalow, he stood with his hands on his hips and scanned the area. Still no sign of them.

  He turned to walk back to the lobby when he spotted them on the opposite side of the complex, exiting the last bungalow. Nick searched frantically for a route to take him directly across the courtyard. Unfortunately, it was blocked by the shrubbery and a large security fence.

  Nick took off in a jog down the pathway to the lobby, hoping to meet them there. But when he arrived at the lobby, they were nowhere in sight. He trotted down the other arm of the complex to the bungalow they had exited.

  He saw that the pathway continued to the other side of the building. His heart sank when he realized it led to the main road. A taxi startled him. Its driver honked and looked at him, wondering if he needed a ride.

  Nick waved him on and frantically surveyed the area. Shoot.

  He walked back to the last bungalow and stood in front of it, trying to gather his thoughts. He looked at his watch. He had to meet Buck and Anna in forty-five minutes.

  Nick looked around and saw no one on the pathway. He heard children laughing and playing at the pool. He turned to the bungalow door and knocked. He waited and looked at his watch again.

  He was about to do something terribly wrong, but he was desperate. He grabbed the doorknob and twisted. To his surprise, it turned, and the door cracked open. He ignored the loud voices in his head shouting at him to shut the door and get out of there.

  * * *

  As expected, the spraying in Melcho de Mencos took less than an hour. Suk wasn’t sure if it was because it was their last assignment or if he had actually grown fond of the people of Guatemala, but he felt some an
gst as they drove around the small town, watching the people go about their lives, unaware of the fate that had befallen them.

  As the FOCO SUV bounced down the dirt road returning to El Zapote, he became uneasy about the whites he had seen at the village. Would they still be here?

  As they rounded the last bend in the road, he was relieved to see the van and the visitors gone.

  He saw the chief standing by his hut as the FOCO vehicle pulled up to the well and stopped. He looked relieved to see them and waved. Walking out with his cane, he welcomed the men warmly and asked if they would like some refreshments. “I am glad to see you, my friends. I was concerned when you did not stop earlier,” the elder chief told Suk.

  “I’m sorry,” Suk responded. Suk spoke fluent Spanish. “We saw you were busy and didn’t want to interrupt. I have scolded Hwang for tearing away so fast.”

  “Please, my friend, you have done so much for our village, you are always welcome here. Come and sit with us,” he said, gesturing to his house.

  “I’m afraid we cannot stay to visit. I must get back to town.”

  Suk looked around the small village. He observed people getting water from the well they had drilled, making the hand-dug well at the center of the community obsolete.

  “I hope to hear news of any new pregnancies since we were here last,” Suk said.

  “I am afraid not. There are none. I don’t know what will become of our village if this continues. Our young people are beginning to talk about moving away. They think this place is cursed. Maybe this other doctor will discover something?”

  Suk’s stomach churned. “What other doctor?”

  Blood drained from Suk’s face. “The one that was just here. I wished you had stopped so I could introduce you. They are from the Hope Center, where Dr. John worked.” Suddenly the old man turned sullen. “They also told us terrible news that the good doctor was killed. Maybe this place is cursed.”

  * * *

  Nick had no idea what he was looking for or what he was doing in the bungalow. He was obsessed to find any scrap of information about John before he left this place.

  No one was inside. The sitting room and efficiency kitchen were tidy. A laptop sat on the table, left open to a beach scene, the screen saver. Nick hit the return key to wake it up from sleep mode. Its loud beep startled him, and the screen went black with a lock icon that scrolled across it. He decided to not disturb it any further.

  The bungalow had two bedrooms. He stepped inside the first. A man’s pair of dress shoes lay on the floor at the foot of the bed, and some toiletries sat on the small dresser. The bed was tightly made with two pillows at the head.

  Nick opened the top dresser drawer and found a neatly folded pile of men’s underwear and socks. It was creepy, snooping through another man’s belongings, but Nick found nothing alarming. There was also nothing about FOCO. He shut the drawer and decided to check the other room and get out of there.

  The other bedroom smelled of jasmine and had two silk scarves hanging from the handle of the dresser that had a makeup kit on top. Obviously, this was the woman’s room. It, too, was neatly organized and well kept.

  This is weird. I guess they must not be a couple. But if they are, they sleep in separate rooms. It was creepier standing in the woman’s room. If someone finds me in here, they’re going to think I’m some sort of pervert.

  He opened the top drawer of the dresser, but when he saw lacy underclothing, he shut it quickly. I shouldn’t be in here.

  Nick was about to leave when a book on the nightstand with loose paper sticking out of it caught his eye. He moved around the bed and picked up the leather-bound book. It reminded him of a Bible, but the lettering on the outside was blocky, oriental writing. He opened the book and flipped the pages. They were thin and lightweight like scripture pages. The book was well-worn and reminded him of the Bible Maggie carted around.

  He removed the paper and discovered it was a folded map.

  He heard people talking outside the bungalow and froze. He didn’t move a muscle. Then the voices faded and went away. Nick’s heart had been pounding ever since he entered the bungalow, but now it throbbed like the Blackfeet drum. He sat on the bed to steady his weakened knees and his nerves.

  Then he unfolded the map. His adrenaline ran wild and his hands shook. The map was of Guatemala. A number of areas were circled and something was written next to each one. Unfortunately, the writing was Asian, and Nick had no idea what any of it meant.

  There were large red circles around Flores, San Benito, Tikal, and other Maya sites, as well as a few of the surrounding villages. Must be just a tourist map.

  Nick carefully folded the map back to the way he found it. He panicked when he realized he had no idea where in the book he had removed it from. Don’t think I would make a very good spy.

  He guessed where the map had been, slipped it in, and put the book back on the nightstand. When he pushed himself up from the bed, he saw something slide from underneath the pillow. It was a handgun with a black handle. He looked around the bedroom and listened for voices. Not hearing any, he carefully picked up the gun.

  It was a Glock 26, a 9mm. His father had one, and he’d used it many times at the shooting range in Montana. But this was a smaller version, custom fit for a smaller hand.

  Nick hit the clip release and inspected the bullets—hollow points, meant to kill. His head swirled. Why would a tourist have a gun? How would they ever get it into the country?

  With a loud click, he snapped the clip back into place and started to slide the gun back under the pillow.

  Suddenly the floor creaked, and Nick jerked to his feet with the gun still in his hand. He turned to the noise only to receive a crushing blow to his forearm and a foot to his face.

  It was the last thing he remembered.

  CHAPTER 47

  * * *

  The Search

  Buck watched the time on his phone tick off another minute…4:21. He was outside the hotel with Anna and Miguel. They were worried. When a taxi slowed, their hopes raised and fell when it didn’t stop.

  “I don’t know, guys, I’m not liking this,” Buck said, sounding more alarmed than he’d intended. “He knew we had to leave at four o’clock, right?”

  “We could split up and walk around to see if we can find him,” Miguel suggested.

  Buck looked at him like that was the dumbest thing he’d ever heard. “The problem is, Miguel, I don’t think our pilots will wait for us for very long.”

  Buck called Nick’s cell phone for the twentieth time, and for the twentieth time, it went straight to voicemail. Buck fretted. “Miguel, go tell your cousin at the front desk that we’re going to drive around to look for Nick. If he shows up, tell him to stay put so I can come back and throttle him for scaring the heck out of us.”

  * * *

  The DHL office was about to close, and Suk didn’t want to take the time to type out a note. Standing at the desk, he asked for a pen and paper.

  He scribbled a note: “Aerosolization works perfectly. No new pregnancies. Work completed. Please advise.”

  Suk slipped the note into an overnight envelope, scribbled the address in Seoul, South Korea, he knew by heart, and handed it to the clerk.

  * * *

  Buck, Anna, and Miguel arrived at the airport an hour late to tell the pilots they wouldn’t need their services that day. The pilots were not upset; they’d get paid anyway, and were enjoying a big fat joint. The lead pilot gave Buck his cell number and told him to call if things changed.

  “Have you called Maggie yet?” Anna asked Buck.

  It was a call Buck dreaded, but Maggie would have expected them to land at the airport already. With his cell phone out of his pocket, Buck dialed her number. She answered on the first ring. “Where are you guys?” There was concern in her voice.

  “This is Buck. We’re still in San Benito.”

  “And?”

  “Well…I don’t want to worry you, but we can’t
find Nick.”

  “What?”

  “I’m sure there is a good explanation,” Buck said, trying to calm her and himself. “We were all together a couple of hours ago. Nick decided to stretch his legs. He must have gotten lost.”

  “You want me to come there?”

  Buck looked at the stoned pilots. “Uh, not right now. I promise to call you back in thirty minutes and give you an update, or sooner if we find out something.”

  They thanked the pilots again and climbed into the van.

  “You think we ought to call the police?” Anna asked both Buck and Miguel.

  This time Buck let Miguel answer. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. I think at this point it would be a waste of time. The police department is kind of a joke here.”

  “Agreed,” Buck said. “Let’s head back to the hotel. We can drive around San Benito, check the town street by street. I can’t imagine Nick would have crossed the bridge. At this point, I don’t know what else we can do.”

  As they drove through town, out of the tourist area, the neighborhoods became increasingly impoverished. The streets were lined with piles of trash, its stench apparent even with the windows rolled up.

  “With the elections next week, the trash company is on strike. There’s been no pickup for several weeks,” Miguel explained. “It’s getting pretty bad. I’m sorry.”

  Buck saw a blue and white building with a large Red Cross sign. “That your hospital?”

  “Yes, sort of. There is another government hospital on the other side of town, but it is terrible. My uncle actually got bit by a rat when he was in the hospital for his diabetes. This is actually a mission hospital. It’s called Hospital Shalom.”