Chapter 8
8
T he next morning, Miriam wanted to rush in to check on Cam but knew that she needed to see to her other duties first. Once completed she headed to the tent behind the infirmary, her heart pounding in her chest.
Pulling back the tent flap, she saw him sitting on the edge of the cot, his wan expression telling her that he had spent the night continuing to be sick. Quickly moving to him, she reached out to touch his forehead, finding it only slightly clammy.
“How are you? Are you still sick?”
He lifted his hand and gently clasped it around hers. “I’m fine, Miriam. I was careful with what I took. I made sure to retch a little this morning in case someone came in here before you.”
He continued to hold her hand as she lowered it from his face. Licking her lips, she glanced nervously toward the tent flap .
“I don’t think anyone will come in, since this is quarantined,” she said.
Nodding, he asked, “How are you doing today?”
“I’m…I…,” she stammered. “I don’t really know. I couldn’t sleep last night. I’m anxious, scared, and excited, all at the same time.”
“That’s normal,” he promised.
“I know they’re not going to let you stay much longer in here. They’re pretty rough on the workers.”
“Yeah, I figured that. I really wanted to make sure I got to see you today, though, so I’m glad you came.”
Her eyes darted to his in surprise. “Oh, you couldn’t have kept me away,” she gushed. “Just the thought that you are here—” Her voice broke as she attempted to regain control over her emotions. She felt his hand rubbing circles on hers as she took a deep breath.
“I’m here for you, Miriam. I told you yesterday that I’m working on a plan. That’s true. But I’ll need your cooperation as well.”
“Anything!” she promised.
“Chances are, when the opportunity presents itself for us to be able to leave, I’ll need you to be ready to go at the drop of a hat. Don’t know when or how right now, but I’m working on our escape.”
“I can do that,” she promised again, nodding her head enthusiastically while squeezing his hand.
He glanced down, seeing her small, pale hand still in his larger, tanned one. So different. So right.
The next day, Miriam was terrified when she went in the early morning to check on her patients and found Cam’s tent empty. Seeing one of the men who assisted with patients nearby, she grabbed his arm. Pointing to the tent, she asked, “Where is the man who was here?”
The older man gave a shrug and said, “He gone.”
“I know he’s gone,” she said, exasperation in her voice, “but where did he go?”
Another shrug was the only answer, so she let go of his arm and allowed him to move on. Okay, calm. Stay calm. They could have found out he was here to rescue me. Then they would have killed him. But he left. Voluntarily? No, he’d never just leave me. But where could he have ? —
“You seem to be in a tizzy,” Sister Genovia said, standing nearby.
Startled, Miriam quickly recovered and said, “No, not at all. I just wondered where the patient went who was in here.”
The older woman eyed her carefully before saying, “You have a special interest in the man?”
Trying to chuckle but having her mirth come out more as a squawk, Miriam said, “No. It’s just that if he’s out for a walk to regain his strength, then I don’t need to do anything to his room. If he’s left for good, then I’ll have someone clean the tent thoroughly.”
Sister Genovia walked to the open flap of the tent and glanced inside. The interior was spotless, no linens on the bed and fresh water sitting by the bed. Standing and peering back into Miriam’s eyes, she said, “Hmm. It appears that he has gone for good. God be praised, he was made whole again.” Holding the younger nurse’s gaze, she said, “I would think you would be pleased.”
“Yes, of course I am. Less work for me, that’s for sure,” Miriam lied, trying to keep her knocking knees from sounding.
As Sister Genovia passed her by, she whispered, “A big man like that…strong…smart. He’d make a good worker when it comes to re-building some of the damaged buildings.”
Miriam’s gaze jumped up to the nun’s twinkling eyes and realized that the older woman knew that she had some interest in the man. Panicked, she asked, “Could anyone else tell?”
Giving a shake of her habit, Sister Genovia said, “Not at all, my dear. I only noticed because I hear your restless dreams at night.”
Sucking in a breath, Miriam blushed, but the good nun continued.
“Be safe and be wise. He is close by. You will see him near the loading docks. Whatever you do, plan well. And my prayers will be with you.”
Not admitting anything, Miriam simply nodded and moved into the larger tent to begin her day.
Cam had been moving rubble for most of the morning. Declared well enough to work early that day, he had been taken by armed guard to one of the foremen at a building about half a mile from the infirmary. Goddamn it! I didn’t have a chance to touch base with Miriam this morning. Hoping she would remain calm when she found out he was gone, he made his way down the road.
The foreman looked him up and down, saying, “Agent said you got him and his driver here when they got sick. You got sick too.”
Nodding, Cam wondered what they had in store for him. He did not have to wait long. The foreman left and went to talk to another man standing near the trucks. After a few minutes, the foreman came back over.
“You’re too big to be wasting your time digging irrigation pipelines in the mountains. We need strong backs here working on the buildings. You start here now.”
Pretending to be appreciative of the honor bestowed, he nodded and asked who he needed to report to. The foreman introduced him to a few other large men, all hefting the bricks that had crumbled.
As he began working, he noted the trucks hauling away the broken building materials and began plotting what it would take to be able to drive one of them. There was no place to hide the nurses, but that was part of what he spent his day doing besides hauling. He plotted and planned. And thought of her. He tried to remember that she was just a mission. A friend’s sister. But the memory of her silky hair as his fingers touched it. Her clean scent when he knew he had smelled of dirt and sweat. Giving himself a mental shake, he once again hoped she would know he was all right. He had seen the older nun watch him as he was taken away and prayed that she would talk to Miriam.
By the end of the day, as the others were finishing the work, he ambled over to the foreman. Giving him a nod of respect, he asked, “Where do I bunk for the night?”
The foreman turned, yelling behind him. “Joco? Over here.”
Another worker came trotting over and was introduced to Cam. “Show the new man here where to bunk. Bring him back here tomorrow.” With that, the foreman walked away, leaving Cam to follow Joco.
They made small talk and Cam was pleased to see that as they walked down the road, it was in the direction of the infirmary near the compound.
Before he could get close enough to see if Miriam was around, Joco pulled his attention to the side.
“We bunk in here since the quake. We’ll get a meal in a bit and the beds are inside.”
Cam nodded and reluctantly followed the man inside. The temporary housing was a tent, similar to what he had been in when ill. The space was large, with cots lining the walls, five to a tent. Nodding to the others, he greeted them and quickly learned their names. He needed to be seen as eager, hardworking, and completely trustworthy.
Stepping outside, he sat at a makeshift picnic table and was given a plate of food by one of the women in the area. From what he could gather, if the men had wives, they were kept back home somewhere raising their children. The women around the compounds were mostly the cartel’s whores. This became evident when his plate of food was delivered by a young woman with harsh features, who openly propositioned him .
“You want good time? I give you good pussy,” she said, her voice almost bored with the conversation.
“No thanks. Not now.” Seeing her incredulous look, he mumbled, “Been sick.”
She shrugged and was just leaning away from him when he saw a truck drive past, several nurses in the back being taken to their guarded dorm. He caught a glimpse of Miriam’s face as she met his gaze. Shit, he thought. I hope she can see I’m here and close by.
Eating quickly, he excused himself and headed to the tent taking the cot that had been pointed out to him. Falling down on it, he gave over to the fatigue, his mind on the dark haired beauty that needed rescuing. He had to keep his wits if he hoped to get them out of this hell.
Miriam was stunned to see Cam sitting at an outdoor table with a woman leaning on him. She recognized him immediately—his size made him easy to find. The truck passed so quickly, but not so fast that she did not see the look of recognition on his face as she moved by. His eyes had moved away suddenly and she instinctively knew he had to hide the recognition on his face.
Glancing to the side, Sister Genovia gave her a small smile and then turned back to Lorainne. Miriam looked at the other women in the back of the truck. Sharon had not been summoned away tonight and her mood was foul. Lorainne was not getting better; unable to keep food down, the others were concerned. It was as though Lorainne had given up her will to live .
“We’re never getting out of here,” Lorainne’s weak voice said that evening as they lay in their bunks. “We’re going to die here.”
“Oh, shut up,” Sharon groused. “Maybe you’re going to die here, but I plan on finding a way out and I know just how I’m going to make that plan happen.”
Sister Genovia turned from wiping Lorainne’s fevered brow to the brash young woman. “The wealth you seek, from the men you are after, is not going to be for you. Their wives may be former beauty queen trophy wives, but they are still their wives. You will not have any status, you foolish girl.”
“Who needs to be their wife? Certainly not me! But a favored mistress? I could get out of this dump, live somewhere nice, and then get back to California when I wanted.”
“A pipedream,” Sister Genovia said, shaking her head.
Miriam had been quiet during this exchange, her mind whirling with thoughts. She had now been in Mexico for three weeks, two of those out of contact with her family. I hope Cam has a way to get ahold of Jobe and let him know I’m still alive. Hearing Sharon voice her plot to become a mistress of either Ernesto or Juaquim, she frowned. She knew that plan was fraught with disaster but if Sharon would not listen to the wisdom of the nun she certainly would not listen to her.
Moving from her bunk, she padded over to Lorainne. Kneeling down, she took the young woman’s hand while Sister Genovia continued to wipe her brow with cool water .
“Please don’t give up,” she begged Lorainne. “You’ve got to stay strong so that when we do get out of here, you’ll be ready to see your family again.”
A tear slid down Lorainne’s pale cheek as she offered Miriam a watery smile. “I’ll try, she promised. “I’ll try.”
Later that night, Miriam lay awake after the others had finally drifted off to their own fitful dreams. She tried to see Cam as just her rescuer. Just a friend of Jobe’s. Just someone who came to help. But in her dreams he came first as an avenging angel…and then as a lover. Waking the next morning, she was just as exhausted as when she fell asleep, but with one thought on her mind. Rescuer, avenger, or lover…she desperately hoped she could glimpse him once more.
“Got to get the plan moving,” Cam whispered into his phone. Managing to find a time to move away from everyone else, he gave Marc his information. “Made contact. Tell Jobe she’s alive and well. But don’t tell him she’s caught the eye of some local cartel leaders, including one of the doctors.”
“Damn,” came Marc’s response. “How’s she dealing?”
“Fine. Strong, smart, fierce.”
“She’s going to need to be. Others?”
“One’s sick, can’t travel with her. The one from California has decided to take up the leaders on their generous offer. The other, an older nun. Can’t see her trying to leave. ”
“That’ll make it easier to just get Miriam out.”
“Affirmative.”
“What do you need?”
“Right now, I’m working about half a mile from her and can see her when she’s driven past. Keeping a low profile. Once we get out of the immediate area, I can keep her hidden and we can travel quickly. It’s just going to be getting close to her again. Working on it.”
“I’ll be in touch. Good luck, man.”
Disconnecting, Cam made his way back from his break, no one the wiser.
The opportunity to get closer to the hospital presented itself later that afternoon when part of the building crumbled onto several of the workers. Cam was one of them. Though unharmed, he managed to be taken to the infirmary.
To his good fortune, Miriam came out to greet the truck. Speaking in broken Spanish, she gave orders and he was carried inside. The doctor determined that there were no broken bones, just some cuts and abrasions. Dr. Villogas moved to the other worker, who had suffered a broken leg. Miriam managed to get to Cam, taking over cleaning his cuts and applying bandages.
“Was worried,” she whispered.
“Hated leaving without letting you know where I was,” he admitted. “You okay?”
She gave a nearly imperceptible nod as she continued to put antiseptic on his abrasions.
His gaze took in the infirmary and then came back to her face. “Don’t see the other two nurses.”
“Sharon was taken to the main house, supposedly to take care of one of the leader’s children. I…I think she is trying to get out that way.”
“She’s a fool,” he mumbled.
Nodding, she agreed. “Lorainne is very ill. I’m scared for her.”
“Just take care of yourself, Miriam. I’m working on a plan, but we need to move carefully.” He watched her as she finished with his leg and arm and then pulled off his t-shirt so that she could bandage his back. Hearing the intake of breath, he glanced over before realizing that she was admiring his physique. He had had a lot of women appreciate his body, but that little gasp from her lips shot straight to his dick. Down boy. This is not the time or the place…or the girl. Forcing his thoughts to a halt, he leaned forward so that she could reach the injuries easier.
“Tell me where you sleep,” he whispered.
“My room is in the compound and takes about five minutes to drive there,” she whispered back. “Down the main road. There is a tall wall around and we go through the gate.”
“Gotta have more, sweetheart.”
The endearment warmed her insides but shocked her. Perhaps I’ve lived in fear so long that any man with a kind word would make me feel this way. But even as she thought it, she knew her feelings were not stirred by just any man…it was this man.
Licking her lips, she continued, “Once inside the gate, go to the left and we are in the third building, next to the wall. Only has one floor and my room is on the right corner. I share it with Sister Genovia, Sharon, and Lorainne.”
Looking up sharply at him, she asked, “Can you get us all out?”
“No idea, but I’ll do my best. Say nothing to anyone.”
Nodding her head in agreement, she continued to clean his injuries. As she finished, she bent over his body, seemingly to gather the materials from the bed, and whispered, “Thank you for coming. I know you put your life at risk.”
He glanced over and saw her battling tears. “Don’t cry, baby girl. I’ll figure something out.” With that, he stood, and with a polite nod, made his way out of the tent and back to his work site.
He had seen the way the doctor stared at Miriam. While it appeared that the man’s itch was being scratched by the willing nurse from California, it probably would not be long before he either became bored or realized that she wanted everything she could get…or both. And the beautiful Nurse Miriam would be worth the conquest. Knowing they had a limited amount of time; he worked out an escape route and needed to go over it with Marc the next time they talked.
The following day, with one of the workers out with his injuries, Cam was able to finagle a chance to drive the truck loaded with building rubble and take the vehicle to a dump. He jumped at the opportunity to build upon his escape route.
The trip took him down a dirt road until he was on a paved highway. Several miles away, he turned onto another dirt road and followed it until he came to a river. He could see the pile of rocks and building materials that had been unceremoniously dumped nearby. As he operated the truck bed to unload its contents, his sharp gaze moved quickly in the area. Knowing the river was there, he noted the direction it was flowing. Away from where he had come from and would eventually lead to the ocean.
Calling Marc once more, he said, “Get me the specs on the river that runs nearby. About five miles from the compound. If it works, we can get here and make it down the river toward the ocean.”
“Got it. Sending the info to Luke now and will get back as soon as I can.”
Disconnecting the phone, he moved the gears so that the truck bed slammed back into place and drove back to his workplace. He noticed the foreman glance at his watch as he backed into the loading space again. He’s watching me, Cam thought. Gotta keep giving him reasons to trust me. For the next two days, Cam helped load the dump truck and then drove numerous trips to the river dumping site.
He made contact with Marc the next day, gaining the intel needed on the river.
“You’re talking about the Fuerte River,” Marc reported. “You’re about twenty-seven miles from Los Mochis. That river’ll take you to the Gulf of California. I’ve got no way of knowing what tributary you’re on, but you follow it, it’ll get you there.”
“Any chance of a pick up before we get to the Gulf?”
“Maybe. It’s surrounded by mango plantations and believe it or not, there are river tour groups, although those ceased after the earthquake.”
“Okay. I need to get her out as soon as I can. I managed to steal a small canoe from a local and stowed it where I go to dump rocks near the river. I’ll make contact once we are on our way.”
“This may help…or hinder, I don’t know. But a large storm is heading your way. Supposed to be about two days of torrential rain. It looks like you don’t have a lot of time before bad weather hits.”
Cam pondered this new piece of information. “That’ll be perfect. Lots of the buildings are weakened from the quake and heavy rain will keep everyone working to shore them up.”
“It’ll make traveling more difficult,” Marc warned. “Especially with someone unused to traveling like that.”
“Gotta take that chance,” Cam decided. “We’re running out of time fast.”
Disconnecting, Cam hustled to finish the dump and return to the camp. It appeared that no one was even paying attention to him anymore. Good . This’ll make getting Miriam out of here a helluva lot easier.