Last Resort (51 page)

air of blue leggings and a thin, loose sweater. Then, 3 >ing the moon rising over the trees, she opened the ff Jcony door and stepped outside. It was just after nine f lock. Christian had told her to expect the first call

0 ,ne time around eleven. Gazing up at the moon, she S0t7ndered where he was now and how he was feeling. e had known that leaving him would be hard, but she

7\d never dreamt that it would be quite so hard as this A even now she could feel herself weakening under JV terrible sense of loss.

he sat down on a fraying bamboo chair and, leaning elbow on the railing, stared out at the darkness. The

ht before, they had talked into the early hours, mainly " cmt small, inconsequential things. Later, just before

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they had fallen asleep, he had taken her through the simple procedure she had to follow tonight. Then, unable to stop herself, she had tried to persuade him to hand himself in. It surely had to be better than this solitary life of exile he was planning for himself, a life that, no matter what he said, would continue to be at the mercy of the Chinese. But he had remained unmovable, determined to pursue the path he had chosen for himself.

"Of course,"

he'd said, smiling,

"I'm in your hands. There's nothing to stop you turning me in. You know where I am, you know where I'll be tomorrow night'

"No/ she'd interrupted, shaking her head. I'd never do it. It's not my life, it's yours, and I'd never be able to live with myself if I was responsible for taking your freedom away. I'm not a judge, nor am I a jury ..."

"But you are a law-abiding citizen."

She'd smiled weakly. T'm not even sure I'm that any more,"

she said.

As she recalled the conversation now, Penny wondered if she would be made to face charges. The DBA obviously knew about her and, even if they didn't suspect her of drug trafficking, someone would surely want to question her about something. The idea of it brought the spectre of Benny Lao closer.

Forcing it away, she tried to concentrate on what she was going to say if she was detained. She wondered if her disappearance had been made public. Not having seen an English or French newspaper since she'd left, she had no idea.

What was it going to be like to go back? How much was she going to have to face?

She moved restlessly as her heart twisted with a terrible sense of foreboding.

It wasn't the first time she'd had this presentiment of disaster, but tonight it seemed so much worse, so much stronger. It was as though some terrible, unthinkable repercussions were even now playing themselves out somewhere beyond her reach, and the dread of what she might find when she got back to 397

France was increasing all the time. For a moment she felt so panicked that it was all she could do to stop herself running out of there and getting on the next plane via anywhere to get back and stop whatever it was that was happening; But of course she was overreacting, giving herself an importance she just didn't warrant, for what possible consequences could anyone else face for a foolishness that was all her own?

She stiffened suddenly as something moved in the bushes below. Then, telling herself that it was nothing more than a night creature, she turned back into the room and started to put the few things she'd taken out back into her suitcase. It was incredible to think that this one designer trunk contained over half a million dollars worth of clothing and jewellery. What would she do with it all now? , . ,

A door slammed down the hall, jarring her heart and causing her to drop the bottle she was holding. Inen everything was so silent again, so still and unnerving. But even though she knew her fear was much more acu e than she was admitting, she wasn't going to let it rule her. She just wished to God she could sleep or read or do something, anything, to make the time pass more quickly.

Seeing her computer sitting beside her case, she smiled bleakly There was little chance she'd be able to concentrate, but why not indulge herself?

Nuance might well be in the past for her now, but what was the harm in pre-1 tending, just for a short while, that her life could go back to the way it was? Her head fell forward as the stultifying dread that it might not engulfed her, but, raising it again, she took a deep breath and lifted the computer on to the table.

Thinking she could hear the distant sound of a car engine, she stood still, listening to the delicate hiss and sigh of the night, the persistent grating of night creatures. Something suddenly fell in the bathroom and 398

she almost leapt from her skin. The burn of fear was still sore in her heart as she forced herself to go and see what it was. Just her hairbrush, which had tumbled into the wash basin.

Picking it up she walked back to the table, trying to persuade herself that she had nothing to fear. Then opening the computer she pulled out a chair. As she moved to sit down, the telephone rang, wrenching a startled scream from her throat.

Panicked, she looked at her watch. It was too early. Christian had said around eleven. It wasn't yet ten. Had something gone wrong? Was he calling to warn her to get out of there? Please God she could find her way back to Manila in the dark.

With her heart pounding in her chest, she gingerly picked up the phone and put it to her ear.

"Penny? Penny?"

a faint, tremulous voice came down the line.

"Pen, is that you?"

"Sammy?"

Penny whispered incredulously.

"Yes, it's me,"

Sammy answered.

"Oh, Penny, I don't know what's happening, but you've got to help me!'

A bolt of alarm stiffened Penny's heart.

"Where are you, Sammy?"

she said.

"I don't know where I am,"

Sammy answered.

"Oh God, Sammy,"

Penny muttered,

"please, don't do this to me now. I'm not in any position to bail you'

"No, listen, Pen, you don't understand. I know where I was, but then these...

these people came along and they're holding me here, Pen. I don't know who they are, but they've got a message for you. They told me to tell you if"

she stopped and sniffed - or maybe she sobbed; Penny couldn't be sure. They told me to tell you that if you don't do as they say, then Oh God, Penny, they said to tell you you'll never see me again."

Penny's eyes were wide with fear; her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

"Who are they, Sammy? Did they tell you'

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'I don't know/ Sammy wailed. They just want you to ... Hang on ..."

Penny could hear muffled voices at the other end, then Sammy came back on the line. Her voice sounded slightly stronger now, but there was no mistaking her terror. They said that someone will be coming to see you in the next hour and you're to tell them where Christian is. If you don't, Pen, they said they're going to take me out to sea and leave me there."

"Oh my God/ Penny cried, closing her eyes as her mind started to reel.

"Sammy, listen to me. Listen."

Her chest was so tight she could barely breathe.

"Do you think you can get away from them?"

"No!"

Sammy shouted.

"There are four of them! They're right here in the room with me! Oh, Pen, please, you've got to tell them where Christian is."

The vision of Christian standing alone on that rocky road on the hillside was brutally sharp in Penny's mind, splitting her conscience. Tell them/ she said,

"tell them that I don't know where he is. He left here today, and he didn't say where he was going/

She waited with her heart in her throat as Sammy relayed the message.

They don't believe you, Pen. They say you know where he is ..."

Her voice suddenly crescendoed into a scream.

"Penny, please/ she begged.

"They've got guns! They're going to kill me ..."

"Sammy! Sammy!"

Penny cried.

"Sammy, are you still there? Oh my God/ she sobbed, banging the connectors.

"Sammy! Sammy!"

But there was no reply.

Fumbling the receiver back on to the hook, she stared sightlessly ahead, her heart thumping so hard it hurt. What the hell was she going to do? It wasn't as simple as choosing between Sammy's life or Christian's freedom, for if she turned him in now she would be putting her own life at risk. But what was she thinking? There was no question it had to be Sammy. Sammy was her sister, her own flesh and blood, who had committed no crime, 400

was an innocent pawn in this unholy mess that had somehow reached across the globe to the distant islands of the Caribbean. Pressing her hands to her face, she tried to stop the ragged sobs breaking in her throat. How was she going to bring herself to do this to Christian when she had sworn she would never turn him in; when he had trusted her to come back here alone, had given her her freedom at such heartbreaking cost to himself? What was she doing to his life?

How had it ever come about that she was responsible for so much pain and bitter regret? But whatever happened she couldn't let Sammy pay the price.

Surely Christian would understand that. Please God, he had to understand.

Her only hope now, as she waited for the arrival of the people Sammy had mentioned, was that they would come before the call from Benny Lao. If they didn't she had no idea what she would do. But what could she do other than pass on the message? Should she warn whoever called for Christian that he was in danger? But if she did that, what would happen to Sammy?

As another wave of panic swept through her she got to her feet and started to pace the room. Who, in God's name, could these people be who were holding Sammy? How had they even found out about her? How had they traced her to this hotel? Had Christian told them? But that was absurd when it was patently obvious that it was him they were after. Oh, Jesus Christ, what was going on?

She couldn't make sense of anything any more. Perhaps it was the FBI or the DEA. But that was even more absurd, for they didn't go around holding innocent people hostage in order to get their man. Or did they? What the hell did she know about these things? But if it wasn't them, then that only left the Chinese. She felt suddenly sick with fear at the very idea that Sammy could be in their hands ...

"Oh God!"

she cried aloud, clutching her hands to her head.

"We're

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all going to end up dead!'

The time dragged slowly by, each minute inching her fear further and further into the realms of terror. She tried to fight it, tried to force herself to stay calm. To lose control now would help no one and only increase the danger.

But her feeling of helplessness was total, for there was no one she could call, no one she could turn to for help. Everything would happen in less than an hour and even David would be powerless to stop it. She sat against the head of the bed, her feet curled under her, her eyes fixed on the door. Somehow she must convince herself that she and Sammy would pull through this; if she didn't, she would go to pieces. But what was going to happen to Christian?

What in God's name had he done to the people holding Sammy to make them threaten her the way they

had?

At last the heavy tread of footsteps sounded in the corridor outside. Terror sank into her bones. She couldn't move; she couldn't speak; she couldn't even breathe. When the knock came, her eyes remained rooted to the door, watching the twist of the handle. It opened slowly and two men stepped inside.

The moment she saw them Penny almost collapsed with relief. One was wearing the military-style uniform of the Manila police. The other was showing her his badge.

"Miss Moon?"

the uniformed man enquired.

Penny nodded.

The uniformed officer turned to his superior, a stumpy man with a bulging forehead and receding chin, who, as his eyes travelled from her to something he was holding in his hand, introduced himself in perfect English as Chief Superintendent Jalmasco of the Philippine National Police, Narcotics Command.

Penny's eyes darted between them. Dread was suddenly stalking her again. She knew from Christian how easy it was to obtain false papers, so were these men 402

really who they were claiming to be?

We have reason to believe that you know the whereabouts of a man wanted by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration/ the superintendent continued.

Penny merely looked at him. Her heart was thudding so hard it was an effort to breathe. The uniformed man came towards her. Penny pressed herself back against the bed, but he moved past her and began picking things up, turning them over in his hand, then discarding them.

"Are you aware,"

Jalmasco said,

"that it is a crime to protect a wanted man?"

Penny's eyes were wide. Again she turned to the uniformed man as he started pulling open drawers and checking inside. She took a breath and felt herself burn with guilt as the words came falteringly from her lips.

"He's - he's at the pier in Binangonan,"

she said, flooding with shame at how easily she had caved in, but willing herself to think of Sammy.

The superintendent looked at her with raised eyebrows, then turned to watch the other man as he emptied the contents of her suitcase on to the bed.

"Are you holding my sister?"

Penny said.

The superintendent seemed slightly taken aback by the question, but ignored it.

"Are you holding my sister?"

she repeated.

"If I were you, Miss Moon,"

he said, still watching his subordinate, T would be more concerned about myself right now. Is this yours?"

Penny turned and her eyes dilated in confusion and terror as the other man held up a transparent bag filled with a white substance.

"I repeat/ the superintendent said, turning back to her.

"Is this yours?"

Penny shook her head.

"No/ she cried.

"I've never seen it before."

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The superintendent nodded. The uniformed man laid the bag down on the bed and took a small white box covered in blue print from his pocket.

Penny watched in horrified disbelief as he opened the box and lifted out a plastic phial of clear liquid in which a single capsule bobbed at random. Then he pulled open the bag on the bed and tipped a small amount of the white substance into the phial.