country, especially now. How much time do you think our army can spend searching for one missing woman when they’re not even able to control the armed rebels murdering their own people?”
Brandon dropped his arms to his sides. “So you want me to just give up.”
“Of course not. I am only suggesting that we wait until the porter I am sending down the mountain returns with help. Besides, finding her in the dark will be almost impossible.”
Brandon didn’t agree. Jodi could be out there bleeding to death for all they knew. And in a situation like that, every minute counted. If she was out there, he was going to find her. “I’m not willing to sit here and just wait. And the fact that no one has found her, means that more than likely they’ve taken her — ”
“We have no way of knowing that they took her.”
“Then where is she?” Brandon’s booming voice split the quiet night air.
Mosi dropped his gaze. “I do not know where she is, but I still believe it is best to remain here.”
“No.” Brandon brushed past Mosi before stopping and turning back to face him. “I might not have any idea where she is, but I do intend to find her. And I’ll never find her standing here arguing with you.”
Ashley ran up beside him as he started for the trail, her fancy backpack bouncing on her back. “You’re going down to the base camp.”
Brandon grimaced. He didn’t have time to deal with her. “News travels fast, but I don’t have time to babysit.”
“You don’t understand.” Panic laced Ashley’s voice. “I can’t stay on this mountain another second.”
Her eyes still swollen from crying, Ashley looked anything but the stuck-up actress who’d joined them twenty-four hours ago. He felt sorry for how she’d lost her father in such a brutal way, but even her desolate expression did little to erase his irritation. The bottom line was that she’d slow him down, which wasn’t a risk he was willing to take. Wherever Jodi was, she was in trouble and the more time that passed, the more difficult it was going to be to locate her.
“Please?”
“I said no.”
“They murdered my father — ”
“They took my wife.” He stopped and caught her gaze. Her eyes pleaded with him to reconsider, but being saddled with someone who would just slow him down wasn’t an option. “Listen, I understand what you’re going through, but I can’t be responsible for your well-being.”
“Please — ”
Something crashed through the brush on the far side of the camp. Brandon swung around, ready to attack if need be. If the rebels had returned …
One of the porters emerged from the trees, his dark face lit up by the yellow flicker of the dying fire. “We found her.”
SEVENTEEN
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 10:38 P.M.
MT. MAJA, SENGANIE ROUTE, 7,800 FEET
Brandon snapped on his flashlight and ran toward the porter, his thoughts gnawing holes in his conscience. They never should have come here. Not with all the unrest in the country. And he never should have let Jodi return to their tent alone. If she’d stayed with him, they’d have both been fine. All the men had wanted were radios and phones. Robert had died because they’d felt threatened. They would have let Ashley go. Would have left Jodi alone if he’d been with her.
His boots crunched on the coarse gravel. Branches whipped at his pant legs. They were off the main trail and into the bush where spindly tree limbs and the black night sky hovered above them. But the stars had vanished behind clouds that now settled in above them, masking the earlier brilliant skies and making it harder to navigate through the thick brush. The forest around him blurred as he tried to keep up with the guide; the beam of the flashlight was too focused to offer him the light he needed.
His lungs screamed at the lack of air from the high altitude, but he pushed himself to keep up with the porter, who seemed to move effortlessly in the darkness. “Where is she?”
“Over here!”
Finally, his
Brandon dropped his arms to his sides. “So you want me to just give up.”
“Of course not. I am only suggesting that we wait until the porter I am sending down the mountain returns with help. Besides, finding her in the dark will be almost impossible.”
Brandon didn’t agree. Jodi could be out there bleeding to death for all they knew. And in a situation like that, every minute counted. If she was out there, he was going to find her. “I’m not willing to sit here and just wait. And the fact that no one has found her, means that more than likely they’ve taken her — ”
“We have no way of knowing that they took her.”
“Then where is she?” Brandon’s booming voice split the quiet night air.
Mosi dropped his gaze. “I do not know where she is, but I still believe it is best to remain here.”
“No.” Brandon brushed past Mosi before stopping and turning back to face him. “I might not have any idea where she is, but I do intend to find her. And I’ll never find her standing here arguing with you.”
Ashley ran up beside him as he started for the trail, her fancy backpack bouncing on her back. “You’re going down to the base camp.”
Brandon grimaced. He didn’t have time to deal with her. “News travels fast, but I don’t have time to babysit.”
“You don’t understand.” Panic laced Ashley’s voice. “I can’t stay on this mountain another second.”
Her eyes still swollen from crying, Ashley looked anything but the stuck-up actress who’d joined them twenty-four hours ago. He felt sorry for how she’d lost her father in such a brutal way, but even her desolate expression did little to erase his irritation. The bottom line was that she’d slow him down, which wasn’t a risk he was willing to take. Wherever Jodi was, she was in trouble and the more time that passed, the more difficult it was going to be to locate her.
“Please?”
“I said no.”
“They murdered my father — ”
“They took my wife.” He stopped and caught her gaze. Her eyes pleaded with him to reconsider, but being saddled with someone who would just slow him down wasn’t an option. “Listen, I understand what you’re going through, but I can’t be responsible for your well-being.”
“Please — ”
Something crashed through the brush on the far side of the camp. Brandon swung around, ready to attack if need be. If the rebels had returned …
One of the porters emerged from the trees, his dark face lit up by the yellow flicker of the dying fire. “We found her.”
SEVENTEEN
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 10:38 P.M.
MT. MAJA, SENGANIE ROUTE, 7,800 FEET
Brandon snapped on his flashlight and ran toward the porter, his thoughts gnawing holes in his conscience. They never should have come here. Not with all the unrest in the country. And he never should have let Jodi return to their tent alone. If she’d stayed with him, they’d have both been fine. All the men had wanted were radios and phones. Robert had died because they’d felt threatened. They would have let Ashley go. Would have left Jodi alone if he’d been with her.
His boots crunched on the coarse gravel. Branches whipped at his pant legs. They were off the main trail and into the bush where spindly tree limbs and the black night sky hovered above them. But the stars had vanished behind clouds that now settled in above them, masking the earlier brilliant skies and making it harder to navigate through the thick brush. The forest around him blurred as he tried to keep up with the guide; the beam of the flashlight was too focused to offer him the light he needed.
His lungs screamed at the lack of air from the high altitude, but he pushed himself to keep up with the porter, who seemed to move effortlessly in the darkness. “Where is she?”
“Over here!”
Finally, his
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