Wild Suspicions (Romantic Suspense) (14 page)

“
Are you helping or not?” He yelled to be heard over the excited screeching. “We’ve got to hurry.”

Liddie
forced herself to move. Garrett showed no fear. He moved quickly about the cages, patting fur and distributing water as if each animal were a neighborhood dog or cat. He was working hard to get every animal a cup of the liquid sustenance as fast as possible.

She w
anted to ask him questions, but decided against it. The animals were too desperate. The barn was stifling hot. How could they stand it in here?

The question answered itself soon enough when Liddie spotted several dead animals. B
rightly colored birds rotted at the bottom of filthy cages, and mounds of fur lay motionless and covered with ants and flies.

What a waste of life.
The sight of it filled her with sadness.

The water provided relief, albeit tiny. The
monkeys jumped on their plated puddles as soon as Garrett placed them in the cages, screeching either joy or frustration. He splashed some of it directly on their bodies, and Liddie watched as they rubbed and licked desperately at the wet spots. Their eyes focused on Garrett with hope and excitement as he approached.

While Garrett splashed at one cage, Liddie cupped her hands and threw water into others. An odd squirrel she
’d never seen before lapped up a droplet as quickly as it landed.

It was heartbreaking
to witness such desperation.

Garrett
took her empty bucket and motioned toward the door, where another two pails full of water were waiting. She quickly grabbed one and turned back to the animals.

As horrible as it was in the barn, she couldn
’t leave. Without help, the wildlife would die.

Her anger was building.
Why were these animals stocked away in such heat and filth? Why such small cages, and why hadn’t the men been watering them properly?

She and Garrett moved from front to back.
When they reached the tigers, Liddie’s fear got the best of her. She moved next to Garrett.

“
They can’t get out, can they?”

He shook his head.
“Nothing to fear.”

She watched
two of the tigers use what energy they had left to rise up on back legs and growl at them.

“
They’re so angry.”

“
That’s because they’re starving,” said Garrett flatly. He approached the first tiger cage. The big cat roared and took a swipe at him, its mighty paw managing to catch a bit of Garrett’s shirt.

“
Stand here,” he directed, pointing to a spot in front of the cage. He put down the bucket to position her at a safe distance. Close, but far enough away so she wasn’t within the animal’s reach.

Liddie realized that he
was setting her up as a distraction. Pushing fear aside, she waited as Garrett circled around the back of the cage.

He nodded
when ready, and Liddie rattled an empty bucket at the tiger. It growled and swiped at her as they hoped it would. Garrett quickly grabbed the bowl in its cage, filled it with water and placed it back in the corner. He splashed more water at the tiger to get its attention. Liddie backed away. The tiger immediately lost interest in her and turned its attention to the water. In moments the cat had lapped it all up.

T
hey did the same for each tiger, and didn’t stop until they’d worked most the room.

When a shout came from the door, Liddie jumped.

“Yo! What the hell are you doing?”

Liddie turned to see Parker
’s silhouette in the light of the door. Garrett moved toward him, and Liddie followed.

“
Damn, Parker,” yelled Garrett, throwing a bucket across the room to hit a wall. “They’re all dehydrated. What the hell is the point of that?”

Parker looked
coldly at Liddie, but addressed Garrett. “Why is she helping you?”

Garrett shrugged
and turned to Liddie. “Why are you helping me?”

Liddie looked from one man to the other. She wasn
’t sure what to say and decided to confront Parker instead.

“
What’s going on here, Parker? Why are all these animals trapped in here like this? What have they got to do with the corporation?”

Her boss quickly looked at Garrett
, who just shrugged.

The animals
were more energized now and started kicking up a storm. Parker ordered them out of the barn.

Outside the door
, Liddie took a few deep breaths. The difference in air quality was astounding. Those animals shouldn’t be locked up like that. It wasn’t healthy for any living thing.

“
What’s going on, Parker?” she asked him again.

He smiled.
“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”

“
Yes, they’re amazing, but I still don’t understand why they’re here.”

He
took her arm and started to lead her away. Confused, she turned to look back at Garrett who remained by the door.

“
We’re doing good here, Liddie.” Parker continued. “It’s all about conservation. The Maxon Corporation is working with the Malaysian authorities and several wildlife organizations to relocate animals in danger.”

“
But why such small cages, Parker? And the heat – it’s barely breathable in there.” It didn’t make sense. The family was so unbelievably wealthy. If he cared so much about helping, why didn’t those animals have proper cages, better ventilation and water?

“
Some of them have died already,” she went on. “It seems cruel to me.”

“
I know, I know. That shouldn’t happen,” he agreed. “It’s the guys. They have a rotten work ethic. I’ll have a talk with them.” He slowed so she could walk beside him. “There’s no reason the animals shouldn’t be cared for in a better way. Garrett was right to handle it. All I can say is that they won’t be here long. They should be out tomorrow.”

“
To where?”

“
To zoos, parks and preserves,” said Parker. “Wherever the authorities think is best.”

T
hat wasn’t good enough. Liddie worried that many of the animals wouldn’t survive another day in that barn. “They need to be cared for now, Parker. That barn is a hell hole.”

He
stopped and put his hands on his hips. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead. He hadn’t changed into fresh clothes, and Liddie knew that he must have come looking for her as soon as he’d awakened.

“
Damn it, Liddie, you just don’t let up!” He rubbed his right temple. “I’m tired and more than a little hung over. I’ll talk to the guys and take care of it.”

He
grabbed her arm again and walked her back to the cabin. “I’ve got to wash up and change. Why don’t you go over to the office? The guys usually put out some food.” He dropped her arm, and Liddie stopped walking. She watched him dunk his head into one of the large rainwater barrels, rise up and then shake the water out of his hair. What could she do? Where could she go? There wasn’t another car, SUV or truck to be seen.

Parker disappeared into the cabin
, and a thought suddenly occurred to her. How were the animals going to be transported?

There had to be trucks here. Maybe in t
he other barn. She hadn’t heard any sounds coming from that direction. Perhaps that’s where Parker housed the transport vehicles.

Then she thought about the laptop. Parker said they had work to do. Maybe Paco had added files for the export of the animals. That would make sense. It would also tell her what organization
s he was working with and where the animals were going.

The cabin door kicked open and Parker came back out, dressed in clean khaki pants and a short
-sleeved polo shirt.

He motioned toward the office.
“You going to eat something?”

Liddie shook her head and placed a hand on her stomach.
“Not right now, Parker. I’m feeling nauseous.” Considering all the pharmaceuticals he’d been pouring into her, it was completely plausible.

He shrugged.
“Fine. Suit yourself. But don’t try to get out of here, Liddie.” Parker glanced around at the forest, “If the snakes don’t get you, the tigers will.”

Liddie
waited for him to leave, then ran into the cabin and pulled the computer onto the bed. As she waited for it to boot up, images of the animals came to mind, trapped in cages in a hot and dirty barn.

Was Parker uncaring, or
simply ignorant?

The tigers
were so incredibly beautiful and the monkeys so amazing. She imagined them moving through the thick vegetation of the jungle, in their natural element.

None deserved
to be jailed in such a way.

Liddie got up
and checked a few windows. She didn’t see anyone. At some point, she knew she’d have to fight Parker again. It wore her out to think about it.

Would Garrett continue to help
?

She stretched to look
out a window, toward the back of the camp. Garrett was leaving one barn and quickly walking to the other. She watched him look around to see if anyone was watching.

More animals
? Could there possibly be more animals in that other barn?

Liddie
went to the bed and quickly browsed the files on her computer. One new, untitled folder hadn’t been there before. She opened it up to find spreadsheets, freight bills and more. It was the paperwork needed to process rolls of paper and, if she was reading it right, home decor items from Malaysia.

Paper
from Malaysia? That was a first. And they’d never imported home decor items, either. Not from anywhere. She took a closer look. Some of the shipments weren’t even scheduled for the United States. Some were labeled for China and Japan. She clicked around the various folders. Where were the special documents and transportation papers for the animals? Even she knew you couldn’t transport live animals without health reports, vaccination records, and more – especially when they were leaving one country for another.

Liddie
clicked off the laptop and ran to the front door. She was certain Parker was still at the office eating. She wanted to stay out of his sight for as long as possible.

She went back to the
bedroom and pulled at the bottom right corner of the mesh screening that covered the window. The staples let loose easily. She placed the laptop into its case and climbed out. The forest was like a wall that started about six feet out from the cabin. She pulled at the leaves of a large tropical plant and used them to create a hiding place for her laptop.

She wasn
’t going to help Parker until she knew the truth. Too many questions needed to be answered.

Liddie started walking toward the
back of the camp. Parker wouldn’t like it, but Liddie was going to help Garrett provide water – and food if possible – to whatever animals were in the second barn as well.

There was a heavy
chain and open padlock hanging from the latch of the second barn door. Liddie had seen Garrett go in and assumed he had the key. As she got closer to the door, she didn’t hear any animal sounds coming from inside.

Please let there be a
truck or something.

She glanced back at the cabins to make sure no one wa
s watching or coming after her. Then she opened the door and slipped inside, remaining close to the wall until her eyes adjusted.

Immediately, she pulled her shirt up to cover her mouth and nose. A stink far worse than what she
’d smelled in the first barn brought a slight gag. The air was thick and putrid.

A flash
of light. Then another. Was Garrett taking pictures?

The
inside of this barn was darker than the first. The cracks in the wood planks that let daylight leak into the other barn were here as well, but blocked in most places by something.

Liddie
’s eyes were adjusting and when the third flash of the camera illuminated a corner of the building, her eyes focused on a horror she hadn’t been expecting.

A
s much as she had come to despise Parker Maxon, Liddie would never have suspected him capable of this.

There were no Land Rovers, trucks, or anything else mechanical stored in the barn
.

Instead
, Liddie saw nothing but piles of animal parts and hanging skins. Fur pelts, fresh with wet blood, were spread about the dirt floor like carpets from a slasher film.

A sound, some
thing like a scream wrapped in despair, escaped her lips. Then came true nausea. Her head was spinning. She had to get out of this nightmare, and all she could think to do was run.

Liddie
burst out the door and ran around to the back of the barn, spitting the bad air out and choking on the good. A panic flew through her. She hadn’t run far enough. She could still see the images; could still smell the rancid stench of dead flesh.

An opening between trees looked like a
narrow path. Liddie propelled herself forward and started running, slapping and pushing away the sticks and vines that got in the way. She wanted to find people. A community. Someplace safe.

After what must have been a quarter mile,
the path came to an abrupt end. Like a box, the jungle closed up around her. Liddie looked around, wet and breathless. Foliage sprouted from the ground to meet hanging twists of leafy vines that hung from branches above. She’d need a machete to go any farther.

Liddie was in a panic. Where could she go
? Tears mixed with sweat, stinging her eyes. She crouched down and buried her face into hands that began to shake uncontrollably. The sobs came quick and hard. Her whole body trembled.

Parker
and his men were monsters. Common poachers. The thought of it made her sick, but what crushed her most was the realization that Garrett was a criminal as well.

The dream was long dead, along with
the hope that she’d ever survive it. Like the animals, Liddie now realized, she was doomed.

Garrett had been
her one hope. He’d gotten her to believe in him. He’d convinced her that he wasn’t like Parker and would protect her. Now Liddie realized, she’d been a fool for them both.

Men like that could never care for her, and she could never care for them.

A twig snapped, and Liddie popped up to see Garrett running toward her. At first she was frightened and turned to run, but there was nowhere to go.

“
Liddie!” His face was twisted with concern, his voice unsteady. “Stay still.”

Despair
gave way to anger. He was still pretending.

Liddie propelled herself toward him. With hands outstretche
d, she pushed hard against his body, then balled up her fists and started punching his chest, his shoulders, and his face.

“
You bastard!” she screamed. “How could you do such a thing?” She kicked at his legs and ripped at his arms. “I hope you rot in hell! All of you!”

Garrett stood
his ground, taking the blows like a boxing bag. He tried to grab at her hands, and when Liddie pulled back to catch her breath, he caught hold of her. One of her scratches drew blood and a drop of it fell from his face to his shirt.

“
No, Liddie, listen to me.”

“
Don’t touch me!” she cried. “Don’t ever touch me, Garrett!” Her voice was disappearing into sobs, and she was almost hyperventilating.

His fingers circled her wrists
and tightened. Liddie pulled and pulled but couldn’t get him to release. “I hate all of you.” She looked up at him. “You’d better kill me now, because I will not be part of this.”

“
Listen to me, damn it!” He shook her hard. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Garrett’s voice was harsh and filled with frustration. “I would never do that.”

The
pained tone of his voice surprised her so much, Liddie took a step back and tried to calm herself. “But you’re part of this.”

“
No,” he answered angrily. “I am not one of them, Liddie.”

“
How can you say that? I saw you.”

Garrett let go of her
arms and reached around to grab a small digital camera that was hanging from a strap around his neck and shoulder.

“
You saw me taking photographs for evidence.” He shook the camera in front of his body, then let it drop before reaching around again to pull something from a back pocket.

Before showing her what
he had, Garrett quickly looked down the trail to see if anyone else had followed them.

“
I’m an undercover agent for the WTB. The Wildlife Trade Bureau.” He shoved an identification card in front of her face and waited. “It’s Parker, Liddie. He’s the monster.”

Liddie
tried to focus on the card. She wiped her face and looked at his.

“
It’s true. I swear to you.”

“
Why did you attack me in the bathroom? Right from the start you’ve been…” She couldn’t find the words.

“
I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Garrett sighed. “But I didn’t want you on this trip. I thought I could scare you away. When you wouldn’t leave, I assumed you might be part of it.”

“
Me? Part of this?” Her voice started to rise with horrid indignation.

He shook his head
. “I know you’re not,” said Garrett. “You pretty much told me that yourself in the hotel room.”

“
Is that why you were asking me about the passport?”

Garrett wiped the sweat from his face. He
’d had a chance to shave this morning and was thankful now that he had. “If I could have gotten you out of there, Liddie, I would have. But all I could do was get Parker back to the plane for an early takeoff.”

Now she understood.
“You and I? In the hotel?” She didn’t know how to talk about it, but had to. “Was that part of the job?”

“
We kissed,” he said bluntly. “I wanted to go on, but I didn’t.” He took a deep breath. “And no, that wasn’t part of the job. None of that has been part of the job.”

Liddie shook her head in
shame and embarrassment. “I must be the biggest idiot in the world.”

“
No, Liddie. Parker’s the fool.” Garrett brought his hands up to hold her arms and give a comforting squeeze.

“
Your arm,” Liddie touched him lightly. “You cut it on purpose?” A proper patch had replaced the panty.

“
I had to talk to you. I was afraid you might try to fight him.” He shook his head slowly. “It would have been a bad idea, Liddie. You’re in real danger.”

“
I know. He never cared about me.” She looked past Garrett and down the trail. “He doesn’t care about anything.” She thought about all the live animals still suffering in the heat of the barn.

“
Why, Garrett? Why is he doing it?”

“
Greed. Pure and simple.” He sighed. “The Maxon’s have been financing some pretty sophisticated poaching operations here in Malaysia and a few other places. For a few years now, they’ve been using the paper business as a cover for this and so much more.” Disgust crept into his voice. “In some areas, they’ve wiped out protected species in order to harvest specific forests. They legitimize their work with proof that the animals are gone, then they finish the environmental destruction with the deforestation of the rainforest.”

“
I thought local poaching was the problem,” said Liddie. “I didn’t think people like Parker could be involved.”

“
Poachers, like Jerry and Paco, are often part of sophisticated crime syndicates. Foreigners like Parker finance the operations and work their connections. If you can manage without a soul, there’s big money to be made,” Garrett shook his head in disgust, “at least, until the animals run out.”

Until the animals run out.

Liddie thought of the tigers. They, and so many others, could disappear soon. It made her furious. “Where are the police? Why can’t they be stopped?”

Garrett turned to check the path behind them.
“The local rangers try, but it is dangerous work and there are more bad guys than good. Many rangers are killed in the line of duty.”

“
You work with them?”

Garrett nodded.
“I’ve lost three good friends in two different countries, and I’ve got evidence that Parker is responsible for the death of one.”

“
Oh, my God, Garrett. I’m so sorry.” Liddie now realized that Parker and his family were not financial icons to be respected. They were barbaric leeches, sucking the life out of innocents, murdering their protectors and destroying national resources – all for personal gain.

She didn
’t have to look any further than those two barns to realize that.

“
He wants me to have his baby,” Liddie whispered, ashamed that she’d fallen for his charade. “Who would want a father like that?” She hung her head, so embarrassed. “Oh, Garrett, I’m so sorry to have been such a problem. I should have left when you warned me.”

Garrett pulled her into
a tight hug. “It’s true. You’ve been a problem and a distraction, Liddie, but you’ve also stopped the killing. Parker was trying to hide that part of it from you, and it has bought the animals some time.”

“
Hold me tighter.” Liddie closed her eyes and rested her head on his khaki-covered shoulder. She wanted everything but the two of them to disappear.

Garrett brought
a hand up under her chin and lifted her face up. Comparing his gentle touch to Parker’s was like comparing night to day.

“
You have no idea how relieved I was to know you’re not involved.” He lowered his lips and kissed her forehead.

“
I feel the same way.” Liddie reached up to stroke his face. “Why didn’t you tell me, Garrett? When you knew I wasn’t involved, you should have told me.”

Garrett breathed hard,
running his hands up and down her back. “I couldn’t risk you blowing my cover. It’s all I have to protect you.”

She
suddenly realized he was right. Parker had to think that Garrett was as lowly as he, Jerry and Paco.

She went to move away, but he held her still.
“Listen, Liddie. I’ve been working for almost a year and a half, trying to find out where Parker’s next chop shop would be. We knew he was financing poachers here, but we didn’t know where. I had to confirm the location of this camp.” He squeezed her hard. “If I don’t remain undercover until I get word out, everything could be lost.”

“
How can you notify anyone from here?” A sudden thought terrorized her. “Please don’t leave me here alone.”

He squeezed her reassuringly.
“No, no. There’s a radio in the office somewhere,” he explained. “I tried to get in there last night, but Jerry didn’t drink the beer.”

“
You spiked all their drinks? Is that why Parker slept so late this morning?”

Garrett nodded.
“There was no way to find the radio with Jerry standing guard.”

“
They’ve got guns?” The news got worse and worse. She didn’t wait for Garrett to answer. “Once you get to the radio, how long will it take for someone to come?”

“
They’re standing by, waiting to hear from me. It wouldn’t be long. Maybe a couple hours for the first team to get in.”

“
A swat team or something?”

Garrett nodded.
“The cavalry, so to speak. If we can keep Parker in the dark until then…”

Liddie finished his thought.
“Then we’ll be safe.” She let her fingers press into the back of Garrett’s shirt. Large muscles became taut beneath her touch.

“
I’ve been helping him, haven’t I?” The realization of her last three years of employment released a wave of horror and guilt. How much of the paperwork she’d processed was a cover for shipping containers filled with illegal animal parts? The shame of it washed over her.