Blood Ransom (9 page)

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 3:30 P.M.

TWENTY-FIVE HUNDER FEET ABOVE THE REPUBLIC OF DHAMBIZAO

The muscles in Chad’s shoulders relaxed for the first time all day. All they had to worry about now was catching a taxi to the embassy. The two-hour flight wouldn’t give them much time to spare, but if they were late, he had an emergency number he could call once they landed. The phone service in Bogama might not be reliable, but from his experience, he’d trust it above Kasili’s system any day.

The Congo River flowed beneath them. Twenty-seven hundred miles of water moved through half a dozen countries with its tributaries, islands, and falls. He leaned against the window and took in the details of the miniature world below. He’d always grabbed any chance he could to fly in a small plane. Instead of soaring thousands of feet above the ground in a commercial airliner through formless clouds, a patchwork of earth spread out below them almost close enough to touch. Trees draped the edges of the gray-blue waters, whose offshoots twisted away from the river. Fisherman effortlessly maneuvered their dugout pirogues along the winding waterways, taking advantage of the river’s bounty, while a half dozen crocs sunned along a sloped bank.

A month ago, Nick had flown him to a small village on the western border of the country where an outbreak of cholera had struck.
The two-hour flight had saved a week of travel in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, something time would never have permitted, and in the process, lives had been saved. Now he prayed that this afternoon’s flight across the mountainous terrain would be worth it as well.

In the distance, a row of tall mountains broke the horizon. The rugged landscape, with its varying shades of green, surged forward until it came to a stop along the banks of the Congo. A herd of elephants drank at the river’s edge, casting shadows against the banks of the water.

He nudged Natalie with his elbow. “Hey, I found you a herd of elephants.”

She opened her eyes, the strain of the day’s events apparent on her expression. He’d encouraged her to try to sleep during the flight, even if it was only for a few minutes. She’d turned on her iPod and agreed—on the condition he wake her if he saw any animals.

She pulled out her earbuds and leaned across him, leaving a subtle trail of perfume. Another time, another place, he might have toyed with the idea of getting to know her better. But a short-term volunteer position and a serious relationship didn’t go together. Besides, by this time tomorrow, they’d both be back to their separate routines.

“Oh, Chad, they’re magnificent.”

While she dug her camera out of her bag, he glanced across the aisle at Joseph, whose soft snores were drowned out by the roar of the engine. At least he was getting some rest after the emotional trauma of the past forty-eight hours.

A wisp of soft hair brushing against his cheek brought him back to the subject he was trying to avoid. Forget the elephants. Natalie Sinclair was one of the most beautiful women he’d met in a long time. Pretty, smart, passionate…

“Do you want to trade places?” he asked.

“I’m fine if you don’t mind me leaning over you a bit.”

He cleared his throat and stared at long lashes and wide brown
eyes before letting his gaze dip to her full lips. He didn’t know about her, but she was definitely not in his way.

She snapped another shot. “It’s still somewhat debatable how closely they’re related, but did you know there are two types of elephants in this area?”

“Really?” He watched her animated expression, enjoying the chance to discover another side of her.

“There are bush elephants and forest elephants. Obviously the bush elephants are found in the woodlands and savannas, while the forest elephants thrive in the denser areas, but the differences go much further than that. There are marked differences in diet, socialization, and even communication.”

He folded his hands in his lap and continued to watch her. “Tell me more.”

“Forest elephants live in a smaller group setting. Two to four compared with the bush elephant that prefers a much larger herd.”

Natalie zoomed the lens of her digital camera and snapped another picture. He couldn’t help but smile as she alternated between sharing facts about the animals and taking photos of the landscape.

“One of the amazing distinctions is the documented range of frequency when communicating…” She stopped midsentence, tilting her head as she caught his gaze. “You’re laughing at me?”

He chuckled. “Not at all. I’m thoroughly enjoying our conversation. And you sound as if you know what you’re talking about.”

She rested against her seat, the photo session over for the moment. “I spent a month between my sophomore and junior years of college working with a research foundation in Kenya. I loved the research, but hadn’t decided whether I wanted to work with animals or people.”

“Obviously people won out.”

She nodded and slipped the lens cap back on before setting the camera in her lap. “It was a God thing, really. I remember sitting on a tree stump in the middle of nowhere, it seemed, taking notes on a family of elephants we were tracking. I was sick with some virus
but still determined to survive the rest of the summer. I told God if He wanted me to, I’d return, but I needed confirmation on what He wanted me to do.”

“And did you get it?”

She nodded. “The next day we rode out to the Rift Valley. Coming home, we picked up a woman who was later diagnosed with typhoid. It turned out that half the village was sick from contaminated water. So, while I’ll always love animals and admire those who work with them, I felt God called me that day to make a difference in stopping disease.”

“Have you ever regretted your decision?”

“Nope. You and I both know that we’ll never get rich working for a nonprofit organization. But while my work might make a small difference in the scope of things, most days I feel as if I’m making a difference.”

“You are.”

A slight blush crept up her cheeks and she swept a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You know, I don’t feel like I’ve had the chance to properly thank you for all you’ve done. Finding me a plane on little to no notice isn’t a small thing.”

He felt his heart skip at her smile. “You’re not the only one hoping to make a difference in this world.”

The plane shimmied. Natalie grabbed his arm for a brief moment. “I’m sorry, I…”

“Don’t enjoy flying?”

“Flying’s fine.” Her laugh rang hollow. “It’s the thought of crash landing that bothers me.”

The plane shook again then twisted sharply to the left. This time, Chad grabbed the armrest. “Nick?”

The plane took another sharp turn and all went quiet.

“I need everyone to make sure their seat belts are fastened tightly,” Nick shouted. “I’m going to have to make an emergency landing.”

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 3:50 P.M.

ONEHUNDRED FORTY KILOMETERS FROM KASILI

Trees rushed up at them. Natalie felt her stomach lodge in her throat. They were going to crash—

The force of the landing slammed her body into the seat in front of her. She braced against the cushion and waited for the fatal crack of parts breaking off—or the explosion of the fuel tank—as the plane screeched to a halt. Instead, only an eerie quiet surrounded her.

She shuddered, then drew in a breath, her heart pounding as she slowly sat up. “Chad?”

“Is everyone okay?”

She looked up at the sound of Nick’s voice. He turned around in the front of the cabin. His left eye was already turning an angry red shade, but no other outward injuries were apparent.

“I’m okay.” Chad stretched out his arms beside her.

Joseph nodded from across the aisle. “My wrist hurts, but I am all right.”

Natalie still searched to find her bearings.

“Make sure she’s all right.” Nick stepped over his seat, which had been wedged forward. “Because of the hills, I can’t radio for help, so for now I’m going to see if I can open the door. I don’t smell any fuel, but let’s not take any chances.”

“Natalie?” Chad’s hand brushed her arm. “Are you okay?”

She arched her back and tried to assess if anything was broken. Her knees had jammed against the front seat. She reached up and rubbed the ache in her jaw. No doubt, she’d be covered with a rash of bruises and have sore muscles come tomorrow, but nothing seemed broken.

“I think so.” She drew her hand across a sore spot on her forehead.

Chad had already found the wet wipes in her backpack.

“Let me take a look.” He washed away blood with the wipe.

“Ouch, that stings.”

“It’s just a scratch. Hardly noticeable. Does anything else hurt?”

Natalie shook her head, then stopped. The slightest movement made the pounding behind her temples stronger. “My head.”

He pressed his fingers against her neck and checked her pulse. “Any ringing in your ears?”

“No.”

“Nausea?”

“No.”

Lifting up her eyelid with his thumb, he studied her pupils.

“I’m fine, Chad. Really.”

“Then tell me what you remember.”

Natalie pressed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to remember what had happened or the terror that had accompanied the last five minutes. At least they were all still alive. That was a miracle as far as she was concerned.

Thank you
,
Jesus.

“Natalie?”

She let out a labored breath. “The engine went out, my life flashed before me, and Nick somehow managed to land the plane without killing us all.”

He chuckled and checked her pulse. “What day of the week is it?”

“A not so good one?”

“You certainly haven’t lost your sense of humor. The day?”

“Tuesday.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Good enough?”

“For now.”

“Do you think there’s something wrong? The last thing I need is a concussion.”

“I think you’re fine, but I’m still going to keep an eye on you.”

She caught his serious expression and wished the thought of him watching over her didn’t appeal to her so much. She glanced at her watch. Their chance of making it to the embassy in time was over, as were any chances of making a phone call. So much for saving the world. They’d be lucky if they could manage to get back home in time for Friday’s elections.

Chad slid out into the aisle. “Sit here for a couple minutes and hold this cloth lightly against the cut. I need to make sure Joseph’s all right.”

With her hand on her head, she looked around the plane. The Cessna was still miraculously in one piece. From the window, she caught sight of the slow-moving Congo River. Thick brush gave way to the sandy shoreline against the water’s edge where they had landed. Another few yards to the right and they’d have ended up in the middle of the river. How had Nick managed to land the plane without hitting a tree or running them into the Congo?

The plane walls began to close in around her. Her temple throbbed. She had to get out. Slowly, she unbuckled her seat belt and rose from her seat. Chad stood beside Joseph, assessing any injuries. Joseph winced as Chad examined his hand.

“I don’t think it’s broken, but definitely sprained.” Chad looked up at her. “Do you see a first-aid kit?”

She rummaged through the cockpit and quickly found the metal box.

Chad pulled out an elastic bandage. “Nothing to worry about, Joseph. This will keep it immobile, and in a few days you’ll be as good as new.”

Natalie moved to the open door of the plane, her backpack slung across her shoulder.

“Let me finish here, Natalie, and I’ll help you down.”

Two minutes later, Chad jumped to the ground, then reached up to help her. She slid into his arms, her legs shaking as the reality of what had happened began to sink in. He didn’t let go until she took a step back on her own.

How had life gotten so complicated? Yesterday she’d been content to pour her heart into teaching disease prevention and trying to stop an epidemic. Then Joseph showed up. And Chad…She shook her head. Her mind was too muddled to even think about the implications of where her heart wanted to go. Someday. When all of this was over…

Chad tilted up her chin and looked her in the eyes. “I want you to promise you’ll tell me if you get nauseated, if your headache doesn’t go away—”

“I know the symptoms.”

“Promise me you’ll tell me?”

She shot him a lopsided grin. “I promise.”

Nick came out from under the belly of the plane with a frown on his face. “I’m sorry about this, folks. I don’t know what to say.”

Chad met him halfway. “What do you think happened?”

Nick ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m pretty sure it’s a clogged fuel filter. I should be able to fix it, but it’ll be dark soon, which means we’re not going anywhere tonight.”

Chad shook his head. “I don’t know how you managed to get us on the ground in one piece, but thank you.”

“This plane doesn’t need a long landing strip, but all the same, it was a miracle.”

Natalie joined them. “Any idea where we are?”

Nick glanced at his flight plan. “One hour and twenty minutes from takeoff puts us roughly a hundred and forty kilometers from
Kasili. And from what I saw from the air, I’m pretty sure we’re nowhere near any town.”

Natalie set her backpack down beside her. She had enough food and water to get them through tomorrow. After that, her rations would be gone. And there were other problems as well. In another couple hours, the sun would set, leaving them all vulnerable and exposed. A chimp howled in the distance. Natalie shuddered. A tromp through the jungle at any time wasn’t an appealing thought.

Joseph stood in the clearing beside the plane, slowly turning in a circle.

Chad walked up beside him. “What is it, Joseph?”

“I know this place.”

“What?”

He held up his hand and pointed to the east. “That hill. And there…” He turned back to the river.

Natalie stared at the rocky hill, then turned to the shoreline. Surely it was impossible for Joseph to recognize the uniform terrain that had to be the same for the next fifty kilometers.

Nick rested his hands on his hips. “You really think you know where we are?”

“I have friends in a village not far from here. We could stay the night.”

Natalie held up her hand and took a step forward. “Wait a minute. We’re in the middle of nowhere, Joseph. Even if you do know this area, the sun will be setting soon and the trees are filled with snakes, monkeys, and only God knows what else. It would be crazy to leave here.”

Nick wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. “All of us could use a good night’s sleep and something to eat.”

Chad folded his arms across his chest. “What about the plane, Nick?”

“It’s not going anywhere, and the village might give us a way to
communicate with someone back in Kasili. I’m willing to take the chance.”

“Natalie?”

Her stomach rumbled at the thought of a hot plate of cassava and sauce. Still…“Wouldn’t it be safer to spend the night in the plane, then look for help once it’s daylight again?”

“The village is not far,” Joseph promised.

Natalie fiddled with the strap of her backpack. “I don’t know.”

Joseph took a step toward her. “You have done more for me than I can repay. Please, let me help.”