River of Desire: A Romantic Action Adventure/Thriller (12 page)

Dylan choked on the joke. “You couldn’t see kindness and beauty if it sat on your lap.”

“And you should talk,
amigo
. You have not let love enter your life since I have known you.”

Dylan’s shoulders twitched, but his eyes turned steely. “Give us more about this doctor and how to reach him.”

“Are you familiar with the Napa past the
Explorama Lodge
?”

Dylan shrugged. “Of course, but not every inlet and tributary.”

“I will show you my map. I have everything marked. That is the best I can do.”

“
We’ll take any help,” Dylan said.

“
One more thing,
mi amigo
. Be careful on that river. I have heard rumors of rogue soldiers shaking down the
turistas
.”

Dylan chuckled. “You’re always hearing rumors. I take them all with a grain of salt.”

“As you wish.” Javier began to back away. “Meet me here again at high noon. I will bring my map.”

Dylan consulted his watch. “Is there any way we could do this earlier?”

Javier shook his head. “I have matters to attend to first. See you at noon.”

* * *

At noon Dylan stood by the entrance to the courtyard, arms folded over his chest, he stamped his foot with impatience. Javier’s lateness came as no surprise, he didn’t run on the same clock as others, but Dylan was eager to make time while the sun still shone.

To occupy himself, he bought a soft drink for Leah from a passing vendor. When he approached her with the drink, he couldn’t help but notice how her yellow cotton shirt clung to her moist peachy skin. Droplets of sweat glistened on her neck, her soft hair curled around and framed her delicate face. She slapped at a fly with one hand and then used the same hand to fan herself.

She glanced up just in time to catch him studying her and gave him a demure smile at the same time she reached out for the glass he handed her. “Thanks.” She took a sip and held the glass out to him. “You look thirsty. Want some of this?”

“
Sure. I could use some.” He took a swig of the liquid and enjoyed the cold, tingling sensation that ran down the back of his throat.

A slap on the back made him spin instinctively, though he knew it had to be Javier. Droplets of soda water splattered onto his shirt.

“
Amigo
. Sorry I am late. I stopped to ask another river rat about your mysterious doctor. He knows nothing more than I do.”   

Dylan handed the glass back to Leah. “Do you have the map?”

Javier pulled a wrinkled wad of paper from his rear pants pocket and spread the map on an empty table. He pointed at a snaking blue line. “Here is the tributary where the doctor lives. Are you familiar with it?”

Dylan bent over the map. “Not exactly. There are many such islands and inlets on the Napa.”

“At one hundred kilometers begin looking at any inlet you do not know. I cannot say exactly.” Javier tapped a finger against his short-cropped hair. “I just estimate in my head.”

“
And what a head,” Dylan teased. “Between your good head and my best instincts, we couldn’t locate an elephant in India.”

Javier grinned at Leah. “With such a pretty employer, you should meander up as many inlets as possible,
amigo
.”

Blushing, Leah looked up from her drink. “But I don’t have time to waste, Javier.”

“Ah, too bad for my friend here.” Javier chuckled.

Although Dylan laughed along with Javier and Leah, the sting of her brush-off bothered him. “Get on with it man. How do I locate this inlet?”

“There are few landmarks,
amigo
. Aside from a particularly large grove of rubber trees, you will have to use your river sense. Here-take my map. It may help you.”

“
Hasta luego con muchas gracias.
‘Til we meet again.” Dylan saluted the river rat before taking Leah by the arm and escorting her to the dock where a well-stocked motorized launch with a canopy awaited them. He held the side for Leah and followed her onto the boat. At the helm, he steered the craft into the open arms of the river.

The Napa was as sleek and rippling as Leah’s hair. Yellow sunlight rippled across the surface of the water, lighting her pale safflower locks. He watched her scan the riverbank’s scattered settlements of river people. Every now and again, tiny towns sprang up, built around missionary clinics. As they moved downriver, the settlements became sparser and smaller.

He pulled Javier’s map from his pocket and attempted to steady the paper while piloting through constantly changing currents. Finally, he placed the map on the boat’s deck, holding it under the heels of his boots. Leah slid closer, leaning over the map.

When he raised his head, his gaze rested on the gap in her neckline. He could see the curve of her breasts above the top of her bra. The itch that had tortured him when he was around her became unbearable. He fought the urge to gather her into his arms.

A jolt of the boat sent her tumbling toward him as if a jungle spirit had responded to his wish. He caught her and held her pressed against him, reveling in the intimacy.

She straightened and smiled sweetly at him. “Sorry, I was just trying to see where we are on that map.” 

In her questioning eyes he saw the flicker of what, if he didn’t know better, he could easily mistake for passion. He tapped the map with the tip of his foot. “We’re close to this inlet. I’d say that’s about halfway to our destination.”

“
How long until we reach the doctor’s inlet?” She shouted over the roar of the engine.

He concentrated on the map. “Two or three more hours.”

Leah sat back in her seat against the gunwale, pulled a paperback from her pack and began to read. He navigated the boat through deeper jungle until all he could see was the occasional canoe of boat people fishing, endless flocks of birds savaging and another sloth dozing in the canopy. They had reached an area few outsiders ever visited. A place only the most adventurous ever explored. A place where Dylan felt most at home. The spray of stream against his skin, the rush of wind in his ears, the cry of howler monkeys, stroked him. He loved the fertile smell of mulching leaves, the raucous call of a yellow hornbill, the lush green of jungle growth.

Even with his knowledge of the many tributaries, Dylan was unable to pinpoint on the map the exact location of the compound Javier had described. Cautiously he maneuvered the craft into one channel and followed its path. It led back to the main river. The next branch off the river proved as unfruitful as the first.

Leah glanced up from her book. “Are we lost?”

Caught at a point of frustration and indecision, he defiantly stared back. He would not let her know he might be off-course. He had made enough mistakes already on this trip. “Not lost, just exploring possibilities.”

She wrinkled her brow and eyed him with cheerful skepticism. “Possibilities? Is one of those possibilities that we’re lost?”

“
No, of course not. I know this river well. Relax. I’ll find the compound soon.”

“
Before dark?”

The plaintive note in her voice tripped his protective switch. “I’m the professional here. Let me worry about our whereabouts.”

“Since you’re the professional, maybe you can tell me if you think I’ve asked you to take on too much.” The wind whipped around her face. She brushed hair back from her eyes.

When she did, he saw a trace of fear in her eyes.

“Wait one minute. You’re the one who had to follow the story and determine if this mysterious doctor was the one who treated the natives at the time of the epidemic. You wanted to know what, if anything, he knows about this outbreak. After all that determination and bravado, now you’re backing down?”

She shielded her face from the wind with a hand. “I’m not backing down. I’m just concerned about what Javier said.”

“Javier tends to exaggerate things. He’s just a
tad
superstitious. We’ll be careful, but don’t buy into his fear.” He sounded more confident than he felt.

She gave him an encouraging grin and turned her attention back to her book. When the sun sank to the horizon and the light became too dim for reading, Leah closed her book. “We must be close to the doctor’s compound.”

The boat slid between narrow banks. Frogs croaked, flies swarmed. He couldn’t keep up the deception much longer. “Perhaps.”

She gave him an exasperated frown.

“It’s getting too dark to find anything today. We’ll camp here tonight and go on searching for the compound in the morning.” To convince her he knew what he was doing, he added, “I’m sure we’ll find it tomorrow.”

The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint her. When she frowned again, his gut sank lower than the bottom of the swamp surrounding them.

Chapter Ten

Morning brought fog and warm drizzle to the rain forest. Moisture clung to Leah’s sleeping bag, her hair, her clothes. She had begun to mildew. Through the tent flap she saw nature’s reward for bearing up under the discomfort, a profusion of moss and vines covered the trees in verdant shades of forest green, mint and lime. The rich smell of fertile soil infused the air.

Dylan reached through the unzipped flap to hand her a slice of jerky and a cup of cocoa tea. “We should shove off early this morning to make time to locate the compound.”

Tempted to rib him about being off course, all Leah said was, “Whatever you say, boss.” She saluted him, then busied herself packing away tent and bag and helping Dylan store supplies. Soon they motored on.

“
I’d like to see where we’re headed.” Leah took the crumpled map from Dylan and smoothed it out on the deck while he steered. “I can’t quite read Javier’s writing, but he wrote something near our exit off the main river.”

Dylan turned the map around toward him. His long finger traced the river’s route while he translated. “Like Javier said, there’s a grove of rubber trees at the bend before the turn. But which grove of rubber trees? There must be a million of them along the river.”

“There has to be something special about them.”

“
It’s probably a particularly large grove if he marked it. Keep your eye out for a massive copse of ‘gummes.’”

Leah searched the bank for any unusual feature. All she saw in the passing foliage was mile after mile of tree-lined shore, one inlet indistinguishable from another. She frequently had to rub her eyes to stay alert. With the monotony of watching the same scene, came a kind of confusion. Her hope of locating the specific site dimmed by the minute. They might as well be looking for a grain of sand in the Amazon basin. How would they ever find the compound?

Her eyes burned from the strain and she closed them briefly. A flash of light lit the back of her closed eyelids. She flung open her eyes, focused on the riverbank. In a grouping of rubber trees, she detected a second flare. “Look! Over there!”

“
What?” Dylan’s sharp scan followed her finger.

“
I thought...” The light blazed again.

“
Saw it.” Dylan shut down the motor.

Her heart did a sudden dance of anticipation mingled with apprehension. “What do you think?”

“Our great light hope. Let’s move in closer and check it out.” He shoved the oars overboard and began silently rowing toward the bank.

Leah inspected the palm-lined bank for any sign to explain the intermittent flash. She spotted a camera tied to a tree limb, apparently focused over their heads. “Look!”

“Get down-” Dylan whispered.

She ducked, hoping they were not on film. “This must be the place-”    

Dylan lightly tapped her arm and mouthed, “Shh...”

She nodded her understanding.

He rowed soundlessly away from the grove and far from shore, pulled oars on board. “I think we’ve found our turn,” he breathed. “Whoever’s holed up in there has a pretty sophisticated surveillance system. If we try and approach now, we’ll probably be spotted and turned away. After dark we may avoid detection, get in closer. Let’s find a place to wait.”

By a fair-sized island, Dylan jumped out and pulled the craft on shore. Leah stepped onto soil so saturated it squished beneath her boots. Because the tree-line came down to the river’s edge, they moved to a relatively dry spot under a Ficus tree.

The air shimmered with mid-day heat. Leah lay back with her head resting against the Ficus, glad that huge fig leaves acted like umbrellas overhead, catching the intermittent drizzle.

From his pack, Dylan extracted jerky and manioc cakes he had taken as a gift from the Machiguenga village. The food tasted sweet and salty, and calmed the growl in her gut.

He wrapped the leftovers in plastic. “After dark, we’ll pay an unexpected visit on the doctor.”

“
What do you think our reception will be like?”

“
Depends.”

“
On what?”

“
On whether the doctor has anything to hide. If he doesn’t, he should be happy for the company. But if he’s hiding something, he’ll probably take precaution to look normal, but get rid of us as quickly as possible. He’ll want to put us off guard and give nothing away.”

His arm around her drew her so close she could feel his breath on her neck. Goose bumps sprang up where his warm breath had been. She enjoyed being this close.

“Lean your head on me.” His mouth at her ear sent sexy spasms cascading through her. She did as she was told and inhaled the musty, earthy odor of his skin through his damp tee shirt. His arms enclosed her.

“
Try and sleep. I’ll stand watch.”

How could she relax with his arms wrapped around her? She snuggled into his side, realizing she had never felt quite so safe and so sexy at the same time. She luxuriated in the mixture of emotions he stirred.

“Tell me a story.” Only words would protect her from the deepening desire.

“
I thought you were the journalist, not me.” His fingers absently played up and down her back. Pangs of passion followed their path.

“
No. I want you to tell me a story. A story about a little boy from Texas.”

His fingers froze for a moment, then continued their trail. “Not much to tell. Lots of little boys in Texas. Nothing special about them.”

His heart beat against her skull, the rhythm comforted her. “Pick one little boy and tell me about him.”

  “
Little boys are a dime a dozen in Texas. Little boys with fathers who drink too much and hang out in honkey tonk bars listening to Hank Williams. Little boys with mothers who cry too much. Little boys who spend all their time planning an escape, who want more from life, who have big dreams. Those little boys?”

She nodded, listening closely to the emotional rumblings in the soft underbelly of this tough man. His arms securely around her, the manly smell of sweet sweat mixed with grit. His story touched her deepest, secret self. Her throat constricted. “Yes. Little boys like you once were.”

“I’m afraid they all have the same sad story and you’ve heard it before in country western songs. No need for a reprise.”

“
Won’t you let me in just a little?” she pleaded.

“
You’re in.” He turned his head from her so she couldn’t see his eyes. Something loving and protective awakened in her. 

He took a deep breath. “I couldn’t do anything to please my father. I was always a disappointment to him.”

“I can’t imagine that. He must have taken his own disappointment out on you. You didn’t deserve it.”

“
Sure.” He slouched down. “Now get some shut eye.”

She wished he had told her more, but could sense it wasn’t the time to ask.   

At dusk, Dylan shook her out of a light doze and indicated his readiness to depart. The earlier drizzle had become sheets of tropical downpour. She squelched through ankle-deep mud down to the temporary dock. Large globs of rain soaked through her clothes and clung to her like a lukewarm shower. Her hair plastered her face. Even the canvas awning over her seat did little to protect her.

They rowed silently toward the island and rounded the bend close enough to pass beneath the spot where the surveillance camera was hidden. An electric generator hummed nearby, powering dim yellow-tinged halogen lights aimed in intervals at the cleared area around the compound. Dimly she spotted a wall that had to be at least eight feet tall surrounded by massive tree ferns. Dylan moored the launch and they crept as quietly as possible through the mud toward the compound.

Dylan eased the way through a thicket of palms with Leah slightly behind. Outside the gate, a guard sat on duty. As they drew near, a dog barked from inside the compound. Dylan stayed her with a hand.

A moment later, he lifted the hand. They crept forward. Closer to the guard, he called out, “
Holá, Señor
. We are lost American tourists. We need a place to stay out of the rain. Could you help us out?”

At his words, the guard raised a rifle and pointed it in their direction. Leah froze in her tracks, heart thudding. Dylan raised his arms in a gesture of surrender.

“No come here.” The guard squinted at them. “Doctor not like visitors.”

Must be the right address.

Dylan stood tall. “Could you ask the doctor if he’d just let us stay the night in a dry place? We have nowhere else to go.”

“
Wait.” The guard cracked the gate a few inches and poked his head inside. He yelled, “Kimo,” a couple of times. Footsteps sluiced through the mud. After a brief consultation, the guard returned to his post. “Stay here. Kimo talk doctor.”

Relieved, Leah relaxed her shoulders and let her tensed arms fall to her side. Rain seeped into her shirt and shoes. She hoped the wait was not long.

A movement of the gate caused the guard to step aside. A large man waddled through the opening, bowl-cut black hair plastered to his head. He pointed at them. “Doctor say ‘nein.’ Diseases.”

Leah peered around Dylan. “But we’re vaccinated against Amazon infections.”

The large man raised his arm. “
¡Fuera de aqui!
”

“
But-” A shake of Dylan’s head stopped her before she could try to convince the large local to allow them in.

“
Okay. All right. We understand you want us to go.” Dylan took her arm and led her toward the launch. The two men watched from the gate.

She resisted the urge to question him in front of the two guards, but once out of earshot, she whispered, “What the-?”

Dylan stopped her words with a raised hand. “Listen, there’s no way we could have convinced those guards to let us in. I know how things work around here. The doctor’s the one giving orders. They’re only the messengers.”

Damn
. Of course he was right, but it frustrated her no end. She stumbled over a root, then righted herself. “So what do we do now?”

Dylan grasped her elbow and guided her past a pointed rock jutting from the mud. “Don’t worry. We’ll just lie low for a time and then”-he led her down to the river and behind a skirted tree—“we’ll have to crash this party.”

That didn’t sit with her to well, but what choice did they have. She only hoped their reception wouldn’t become ugly.

She took a soggy seat on a tree root. The canopy provided a small measure of cover from the rain, but not enough. Her clothes were drenched and she was more miserable than ever. Vines cluttered her hair. Fronds tickled her nose. She watched as a long line of leaf-cutter ants marched past, carrying leaf pieces three times their size. “You did notice the doctor said ‘nein.’”

“Couldn’t miss it, but we suspected he was German. He just might be our man.”

Dylan kept an eye on his watch. After what seemed an eternity, he touched her arm. “Let’s go.”    

They retraced their steps and slipped silently toward the compound through the trees. Behind a giant Mimosa, they checked on the guard. His head now drooped against his chest, the large semi-automatic rifle dangled in the crook of his arm.

Dylan signaled for Leah to follow him around to the other side of the enclosure. He handed her a rope, stooped down and cupped his hands. “I’ll hoist you over the wall. When you are on the other side, tie this rope to a tree and throw one end over to me.”

A dog’s bark startled her. She quickly recovered and indicated her understanding. Dog or no dog, she had no choice but to do what Dylan suggested if she meant to find the doctor.

He handed her a pistol and mouthed, “Just in case.”

She reached for the gun, recalling that the last time she had held a pistol was at a practice range on a date with one of L.A.’s finest. She hadn’t come close to the target, but she got the story she was after. Could she hit her mark now? She doubted she’d have a better aim under pressure.

Her hands trembled when she placed the weapon in her side pocket. Dylan squatted and again cupped one hand over the other. She placed her mud-encrusted boot into his bare palms, realizing her life was in his hands, too. He hoisted her up until she could barely grasp the top of the wall. She strained against her own weight, but with Dylan’s strong boost, was able to haul herself to the top of the wall and jump down to muddy ground inside. When she straightened, her legs were wobbly.

A growl alerted her to the dog’s presence. She turned to face the bared teeth of a Doberman Pinscher ready to attack.  Pulse pounding, she thrust out an arm.

“
Stay!” she commanded with as much determination as she could muster, suddenly remembering dogs are taught professionally in German. She racked her brain for the right command. “Plotz!” she demanded, but the moment the word left her lips, the dog sprang at her. Backed against the fence, she kicked at the on-coming animal and managed to fight it off with her foot. When the dog’s teeth closed around her boot, she had to swallow a yell that rose in her throat from the shock.