Dreams~Shadows of the Night (8 page)

Gripped by nausea, he balanced carefully on one elbow and lifted the cup to his mouth with a trembling hand. He drank in small measured sips forcing back the bile that rose in his throat, as his muscles quivered from the raw wounds crisscrossing
his chest.

He eased himself down taking shallow breaths in an effort to minimize the
sting. The realization that his grand adventure had turned into an excursion into hell made his body throb as though all the physical and emotional misery in the universe centered on him. But it was too late for regrets. He closed his eyes. Although the air shimmered with heat, Josh felt cold inside. Surrounded by a jungle teeming with life, he thought of death.

He drifted in and out of sleep until
thoughts of
Marie brought his focus
back to
his surroundings. He spotted her in a far corner lying on her side curled into a tight ball with her back to him. Violent tremors shook her body and her breath came in ragged gasps. Josh thought he heard what sounded like teeth chattering. Either that or someone
was playing castanets inside his head.

“Marie, are you okay?” he asked in a voice that reminded him of a croaking frog.

She didn’t answer, but he wasn’t sure if she’d heard his raspy request. He lay quietly, trying to focus beyond his body’s
throbbing
sting
while he c
alculated his limited stamina. When finally r
ealizi
ng his legs wouldn’t support his
sagging
weight,
he gritted his teeth and began to drag himself toward her in an arduous journey through a world dominated by pain.

He touched her cheek. She was burning up. His own flesh felt overly hot. He spoke her name with more urgency. She stared at him, but there was no sign of recognition in her feverishly bright eyes.

>>>>dreams<<<<

Douglas
stood at the row of windows in his office outlined by a nimbus of gray light when a knock sounded at the door.

“Come!” He didn’t bother turning when
Hamilton
stepped inside. “Let’s have it.”

“The rescue team has been assembled and they’ve started their trek into the jungle from the point where the kidnapping took place.”

“It’s about damn time,” he growled before turning to face
Hamilton
.

“Mr. Marsh, we’ve hired the best men we could find, but I’m sure you’re aware of the difficulty they face given the density of the territory. There’s always the possibility they won’t be able to pick up the trail. At least not right away,” he rushed to clarify.

Douglas
’s eyes pierced like points of steel.

“I don’t want excuses; I want results.”

He faced the windows again, fists clenched with burning rage
barely contained.

Chapter Seven

Tom’s eyes felt gritty from lack of sleep. Flipping back the covers, he rolled out of bed and pulled on his jeans before
opening the bedroom door. The scent of pine cleaner and floor polish filled the hallway. Oak floorboards protested
beneath his bare feet, as he hurried to the bathroom. Anxious to check on Catherine, he took a quick shower, but decided not to shave, unknowingly making the stubble give his features a more masculine appearance.

He knocked on Catherine’s door as soon as he’d finished dressing. The lavender tint that stained the delicate skin beneath her eyes told him sleep had eluded her, too.

“Looks like I’m not the only one that didn’t get much sleep.
M
ore bad dreams about Josh
for you
?”

She nodded and stepped from the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

“Would it help if you talked about them? I’m a pretty good listener.”

“I’d rather not, but he’d better be found soon,” she said through trembling lips.

He didn’t miss the look of concern in her eyes and felt his heart jerk.

“Oh, jeez.”

>>>>dreams<<<<

John walked in as they entered the kitchen saving them having to be alone with Ivy. He sank onto one of the wooden chairs and looked around the room.

“I just got off the phone with the CEO, Douglas Marsh. There’s no mistaking his concern.”

Ivy’s eyes glinted with fierce anger.

“If anything happens to my son, I won’t rest until I make those responsible pay. We should go there to be in on the negotiations.”

“There aren’t any negotiations. The man demanded a million dollar ransom and disappeared. A rescue team has been sent to try and find Josh.” He fixed his eyes on Tom. “Did you know that a woman had been kidnapped with Josh?”

Tom turned away from Catherine’s startled look.

“Yes, she’s part of the team.”

Ivy didn’t spare any sympathy for Marie.

“A woman has no business being in a jungle. It’s probably her fault Josh was taken. Does this Marsh expect us to do nothing?”

“I told you Ivy, there isn’t anything we can do at this point but wait. Mr. Marsh promised to keep us informed as soon as he hears anything new.”

She started to protest, but Jerry arrived at that moment. John shared the phone call while Ivy slammed around the kitchen preparing breakfast. Catherine left Tom finalizing their departure plans and felt relief flood through her to finally escape Ivy’s angry scowls. But when she came out of her room she
saw them together
at the end of the hallway. She waited for Ivy to leave before approaching him.

“I saw Ivy talking to you. It looked like she was bawling you out.  I hope I’m not responsible for driving a wedge between you two.”

“She feels I didn’t try hard enough to keep Josh from taking the damn job.”

“Blaming us isn’t going to bring him back.”

“Try telling that to Ivy. Let’s get our stuff and get the hell away from here.”

>>>>dreams<<<<

The hours crawled by for Josh. He watched Marie move in and out of periods of coherency and delirium, as he fought against his own body’s growing weakness. Orlando and his group had left camp again. As near as Josh could understand he had been in a violent mood because no one had shown up with news about the ransom. He lay on the ground with his hand on Marie’s arm hoping the contact might help to assure her of his presence. He closed his eyes and drifted into a kinder world.

He awoke, aware that something was different. His hand had slipped away from Marie while he slept. She was quiet – too quiet after hours of labored breathing. Her skin was chalky white. Heart pounding, Josh touched one pallid cheek. Flesh that had been burning with fever now felt icy cold.

“Marie! Marie!” He gathered her lifeless body in his arms and began to rock back and forth
, constantly
moaning her name.

Sad Eyes touched him on the shoulder. She pointed at Marie and then to the ground. Josh ignored her, refusing to let go of his precious burden. But she became more insistent until common sense finally penetrated his grief and he knew what had to be done.

Although the native men came forth to indicate they would help him, Josh refused their offer. This was something he wanted to do by himself. It would be his last act of compassion for the woman who had asked for so little, but suffered so much.

He buried Marie and slumped to the ground panting from the exertion. Sad Eyes appeared by his side again. She pointed to him and to Orlando's hut before gesturing toward the jungle. Josh understood she wanted to get him away before his tormentor returned, but he hesitated. Leaving now could jeopardize his chances of being rescued.

But then he realized if the people looking for him didn't come, and he remained, Orlando was going to be furious when he discovered Marie had died. Given the man's penchant for inflicting pain and his vile temper, he’d look for someone to vent all that anger on and, ransom money or not, Josh had a sick feeling he'd be the likely target.

He struggled to his feet and stared at the mound of dirt. He thought of why Marie had come. He hated Orlando anew for destroying her
hopes --h
ated the
senselessness of Marie's death,
the waste. He touched the grave, and felt grief shutter through him.

Sad eyes tugged on his arm drawing his attention. Unable to deny her urgency any longer, Josh turned to follow her through an opening in the thick jungle growth and within seconds it was as if the small encampment had never existed.

He had little conception of time
. The onl
y thing he could be sure of was
the dark nights
. Sad Eyes
stopped
before
blackness spread its inky cape over everything. They
slept on carpets of fallen
leaves at the base of
thick trees
amid
the sounds of jungle nightlife
. Each night he fell asleep, too tired to think about any danger that may be lurking nearby.
He had no idea where Sad Eyes
was lead
ing him and the fact that neither of them
could speak each other’s language kept their communication to a series of gestures. All
he could do was try to keep up, but
Josh felt his fatigue increase with each passing hour.

He awoke early one morning in a pool of sweat. Too weary to bother swiping at the insects swarming around his exposed skin, he lay there listlessly staring up at the different strata towering above his head. Josh knew some plants and animals flourished there that never touched the forest floor. Each layer of life depended on the others in a unique and complex ecosystem.

He recalled Marie’s enthusiasm when she’d talked about the undiscovered indigenous plants that might hold the key to unlock cures for diseases. She had wanted to give life to the dying, but in the end hadn’t been able to save herself. Sad Eyes nudged him, pulling him away from his mind’s wanderings. Josh grunted and crawled to his feet.

He braced a hand against a tree trunk when a sudden attack of dizziness hit him. His body wobbled, as he waited for the
scenery to stop spinning. He
pressed a hand to his head trying to still the deafening roar
that filled his ears.
Clenching his jaw
,
he
pushed himself away
from the tree.
It was vital that he keep going
.
If Sad Eyes was leading him to someone who could help, he had to let them know about Marie.

>>>>dreams<<<<

Douglas
stood
waiting, his body rigid.

Hamilton stared at the floor for a moment before looking up
.

“They
found the encampment,” he said quietly.

“And?”
Douglas
stood pressing both hands on his desk steadying himself.

“The leader escaped, but his henchmen are in custody. The natives said Josh Dallas disappeared into the jungle with one of their women.”

“What about Marie?”
Douglas
had the look of a
man who knew what he was about to hear would be almost too painful to bear.

“She didn’t make it. I’m sorry, sir.”

“Dead?” The word was torn from
Douglas
in a hoarse whisper.

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

He slumped back onto his chair, swallowed by his grief. “I should have gone with the rescue team. I might have had a chance to see her before she . . .” He couldn’t finish.

“She was already gone
,
and I don’t mean to sound unkind, but you probably would have slowed the team down
.”
Hamilton
hesitated. “I know this has been a terrible shock.”

“Tragedy most often is. Would it be possible to bring
her body back here?”

The sadness in
Hamilton
’s eyes deepened.

“She’d already been buried. They had no choice because of the climate. But I can make arrangements to have the team return and exhume her remains if that’s what you want, Mr. Marsh.”

Put into words, the idea sounded repugnant.

“Perhaps it had been fated that Marie would end her days among the unique plant life she’d been so eager to study. Let her be. But I do want you to see what our people can do about finding out more on Josh Dallas. I’d like to have something more conclusive to tell his family.”

Hamilton
nodded.

“I’ve already sent instructions.”

>>>>dreams<<<<

Catherine smiled and handed Tom a glass of wine.