Derek said one afternoon after describing the way the light played on the acacia trees at sunset, “Africa’s a massive place with a lot of potential. You and me, we could go into business together, make a name for ourselves.”
Leine gave him a look that said she thought he’d gone off the rails, and he hurried to explain.
“No, no. I am aware of your disdain for my former trade, believe me. I was thinking we could go into the export business, but not game or ivory. Imagine this.” He spread his hands wide, describing a marquee sign in the air. “Derek and Claire’s African Fabric Emporium.” He grinned, his teeth glaringly white against his newly sprouted beard. “We could include jewelry and other handmade stuff, yeh?”
Leine shook her head. “Not even remotely interested. But thanks for thinking of me.” She allowed herself a brief longing for Santa and April before she turned her attention back to the present. From Derek’s suggestion, she surmised that a kind of trust had been established between them, although she wasn’t naïve enough to believe it would last given the circumstances. Still, it was something.
Hurt showed in his eyes but quickly disappeared. “Your loss,” he said with a shrug.
“I don’t judge you, you know,” Leine said.
Derek leaned his head back. “Why not? I do.”
“Because I’ve finally gotten to a point in my life where I realize it doesn’t matter what you’ve done. It’s what you do.”
Derek didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then he nodded, slowly. “I was right,” he said, his voice a quiet echo in the room. “You have been there.”
Leine closed her eyes. “More often than you can imagine.”
Chapter 14
Leine woke to something warm touching her ankle. She sat up quickly as Kibwe, flashlight in hand, released her from the metal cuff. Finger to his lips, he made his way to Derek’s sleeping form and tapped his shoulder. Derek started to say something but Kibwe cut him off.
Once he freed Derek, Kibwe slipped past Leine and out the door, gesturing to them to follow. They moved furtively through the hold, past the container that Kylie was in with the large X painted across the side. At least Wang had moved the box off the upper deck and out of the sun.
Unless there was more than one.
Leine slipped around to the back of the forty-foot box. Derek and Kibwe waved at her to follow but she ignored them. She leaned in close and gently rapped her knuckles against the metal wall. Hearing nothing, she tried again. A few seconds later, there was a faint tap. Leine knocked again, this time louder, certain that the rumble of the ship’s engines would cover the sound to anyone nearby. A louder, answering knock came back. Derek had eased up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder.
“We have to go. Now, Claire.”
“There are people inside this container.” Leine stood motionless, her mind racing for a way to overpower the crew and hijack the ship, knowing he was right and they’d have to leave. She stared at Derek, searching his face for a hint of compassion. Derek blinked, revealing nothing.
He let out a frustrated sigh. “What are you going to do? We can’t take them with us.”
“No,” Leine said, an idea beginning to take hold in her mind and growing. But you can track them.
She noted the positioning of the X on the side of the container before following Derek back to where Kibwe waited, pacing nervously. The three stayed in the shadows until they reached the metal stairwell Leine had used when Wang first led her below decks.
Kibwe leaned in close and said in a low voice, “There are two crewmen in the pilot house, but I know they are not watching the deck.”
“How do you know that?” Derek asked.
Kibwe shrugged. “They have discovered a magazine someone left near the captain’s chair by mistake.”
“Ah.” Derek lifted his chin. “Naked ladies to the rescue, once again. Where are the rest?”
“Most are asleep. We
Leine gave him a look that said she thought he’d gone off the rails, and he hurried to explain.
“No, no. I am aware of your disdain for my former trade, believe me. I was thinking we could go into the export business, but not game or ivory. Imagine this.” He spread his hands wide, describing a marquee sign in the air. “Derek and Claire’s African Fabric Emporium.” He grinned, his teeth glaringly white against his newly sprouted beard. “We could include jewelry and other handmade stuff, yeh?”
Leine shook her head. “Not even remotely interested. But thanks for thinking of me.” She allowed herself a brief longing for Santa and April before she turned her attention back to the present. From Derek’s suggestion, she surmised that a kind of trust had been established between them, although she wasn’t naïve enough to believe it would last given the circumstances. Still, it was something.
Hurt showed in his eyes but quickly disappeared. “Your loss,” he said with a shrug.
“I don’t judge you, you know,” Leine said.
Derek leaned his head back. “Why not? I do.”
“Because I’ve finally gotten to a point in my life where I realize it doesn’t matter what you’ve done. It’s what you do.”
Derek didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then he nodded, slowly. “I was right,” he said, his voice a quiet echo in the room. “You have been there.”
Leine closed her eyes. “More often than you can imagine.”
Chapter 14
Leine woke to something warm touching her ankle. She sat up quickly as Kibwe, flashlight in hand, released her from the metal cuff. Finger to his lips, he made his way to Derek’s sleeping form and tapped his shoulder. Derek started to say something but Kibwe cut him off.
Once he freed Derek, Kibwe slipped past Leine and out the door, gesturing to them to follow. They moved furtively through the hold, past the container that Kylie was in with the large X painted across the side. At least Wang had moved the box off the upper deck and out of the sun.
Unless there was more than one.
Leine slipped around to the back of the forty-foot box. Derek and Kibwe waved at her to follow but she ignored them. She leaned in close and gently rapped her knuckles against the metal wall. Hearing nothing, she tried again. A few seconds later, there was a faint tap. Leine knocked again, this time louder, certain that the rumble of the ship’s engines would cover the sound to anyone nearby. A louder, answering knock came back. Derek had eased up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder.
“We have to go. Now, Claire.”
“There are people inside this container.” Leine stood motionless, her mind racing for a way to overpower the crew and hijack the ship, knowing he was right and they’d have to leave. She stared at Derek, searching his face for a hint of compassion. Derek blinked, revealing nothing.
He let out a frustrated sigh. “What are you going to do? We can’t take them with us.”
“No,” Leine said, an idea beginning to take hold in her mind and growing. But you can track them.
She noted the positioning of the X on the side of the container before following Derek back to where Kibwe waited, pacing nervously. The three stayed in the shadows until they reached the metal stairwell Leine had used when Wang first led her below decks.
Kibwe leaned in close and said in a low voice, “There are two crewmen in the pilot house, but I know they are not watching the deck.”
“How do you know that?” Derek asked.
Kibwe shrugged. “They have discovered a magazine someone left near the captain’s chair by mistake.”
“Ah.” Derek lifted his chin. “Naked ladies to the rescue, once again. Where are the rest?”
“Most are asleep. We
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