Lovers and Gamblers (81 page)

There was nothing she could do for either of them, except be near when they needed her.

The first-aid box had helped. She had dabbed everyone’s cuts and bruises with antiseptic cream and wrapped all the open wounds in gauze bandages to keep the flies off.

She wished that she could have gone with Al, but he had insisted she stay on the plane. ‘You and I are the only two with our heads together – we can’t desert them, they’ll think we’re never coming back. Paul’s likely to fall to pieces any minute.’

He was right. Paul was making a supreme effort, but anyone could see he was on the edge of hysteria.

She could not get over Al. Spoiled superstar. Supreme user. He was a tower of strength, combining just the right amount of jokey cynicism with a strong conviction that rescue was just around the corner. He alone was keeping everyone’s spirits buoyant.

She had gone to him in Las Vegas for a night of sex. They hadn’t even had that, but she knew that he was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

She laughed bitterly. Perhaps she would. Perhaps the rest of her life would only be a matter of weeks… days…

Just as a feeling of despondency swept over her she heard a noise in the distance. A noise that was unmistakable.

She ran to the front of the plane, and there, as clear as possible, zooming like a bird high above the giant trees, was an airplane.

Frantically she waved and shouted.

‘We’re
here!
Down here! Can’t you see us? We’re HERE!’

Her yelling was in vain. The airplane zoomed smoothly past, a tiny dot in the sky that vanished into the distance as suddenly as it had appeared.

* * *

Al and Paul heard the plane as they trekked their way through the jungle. Paul started to yell, but Al stopped him. ‘Forget it,’ he said. ‘You think they’re going to hear us? Save your breath.’

‘How
will
they find us then?’ Paul demanded, his voice rising hysterically.

That was a good question. Al was damned if he knew. ‘They will,’ he replied airily. ‘Don’t forget it’s me they’re looking for.’

‘You!’ spat Paul. ‘If it wasn’t for
you
I wouldn’t be here.’

‘
You
wouldn’t be anywhere.’

Paul stopped abruptly. ‘I’ve
had
that shit!’ he screamed. ‘Had it up to
here.
You – you – you. FUCK YOU. Where would
you
be without me? I
dragged
you up to where you are today. I grafted the contracts, negotiated more money,
pleaded
with them to use you at first. All you were interested in was getting pissed and laid – in that order. Without me you’d be singing shit in bar-rooms for the price of a pint. I have devoted my life to you –
and I want some respect
. I’m not some ass-kissin’ fan. I’m your manager, your agent, your brother, for Chrissakes.’

‘What the fuck are you getting hysterical about? Calm down,’ Al interrupted, startled at his brother’s sudden outburst.

‘Don’t you fucking tell
me
to calm down, I’ve stood in the background and let you shit on me all your life. It’s over, Al, it’s over. You even screwed my wife – you banged Melanie. Didn’t you? Didn’t you?’

For the first time in his life Al was ashamed. He had never realized that Paul harboured such resentment. And what he said was true. It was a fact that at the beginning Paul had stage-managed his success.

‘Yes,’ Al replied defensively, ‘I laid Melanie. She wanted it. She was after me until the day she left you. It wasn’t my fault, Paul, you’ve got to believe me on that score…’

‘You fucking bastard. I should kill you… You hear me? Kill you…’

‘Look – if you think I was the only other man in her life, you’re wrong. It happened once – and don’t think I haven’t sweated over it. I hated myself for it.’

‘My brother!’ Paul spat. ‘My dear brother.’

‘I know it’s a little late to say I’m sorry but I am. I was sorry the moment it happened.’

‘Have you any idea what it’s been like having you for a brother? At parties I’m dragged around like exhibit A – I don’t have a name – I’m the great Al King’s brother. That’s enough for me to be accepted. Not as myself – as your fucking brother.’

‘That’s not my fault. I didn’t know…’

‘Of course not. When have
you
ever given a shit about anyone else’s feelings? What
you
want – when
you
want. A fuck. A meal. A massage. Call Paul – any time of the day or night –he’ll arrange it.’

‘Jesus, Paul – I never—’ He stopped talking abruptly.

Staggering towards them was a semi-hysterical, ragged girl.

‘Help me!’ she cried out. ‘Oh God! Please, please help me.’

* * *

A plane would never spot them. How could it? It would be like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. And even if by some miracle they were seen – what then? A plane would never be able to land here, not even a helicopter. The trees took care of that. Majestic giant trees – some maybe as high as two hundred feet.

It occurred to Dallas that if they were to get out it would have to be by their own efforts – and that was impossible. They had no idea where they were. No idea how far from any settlement or community. They had no compass, map, suitable clothes, or adequate supplies. To survive in the jungle was difficult enough – even with the right equipment. But without… It was probably impossible.

Besides which, Cathy and Bernie were in no shape to travel, and they couldn’t leave them.

But if they just stayed put…

How long would their meagre supplies keep them going? A week… Two weeks… Who knew?

Al didn’t understand. He seemed to think they would be rescued. How could they be rescued when nobody knew where they were?

Angrily she swatted a mosquito away, and made her way back down the plane.

Evan still huddled in his seat. She sat down beside him. He stunk, his clothes stained with vomit, sweat and urine. The flies were having a field day around him.

‘Hi,’ she said softly. ‘Feeling OK?’

He ignored her, staring off into space.

‘Listen,’ she said gently, ‘we have to get you out of those clothes. One thing we’ve got plenty of is clothes – a whole closet full. Come on, let’s sort something out.’

He still didn’t say anything.

‘Did you see the plane?’ she asked brightly. ‘They’ll be coming for us soon. You don’t want them to see you like that, do you?’

‘Is Nellie coming?’ he mumbled.

A response at last! ‘Sure she is.’ Dallas took his arm. ‘Come on, Evan, I’ll help you choose something.’

He stood up and something fell off his lap. It was a portable radio. Dallas pounced on it. ‘Does it work?’

‘Don’t know.’

She switched it on and was rewarded with a blurred crackle. Desperately she twiddled the tuner. Faintly she was able to receive a music station. What a find! She switched it off. Save the batteries. Maybe later, when Al returned, they would be able to tune into a news programme and find out if anyone was actually looking for them.

* * *

Greedily Cristina swallowed the contents of one bottle of Perrier water and munched on the saccharin tablets they gave her.

‘Christ!’ Al kept on exclaiming, ‘I don’t know how you’re still alive, it’s a bloody miracle.’

At first he had thought the dark-skinned, wild-haired girl was part of some Indian tribe. But Paul had recognized her as she had stumbled exhausted into their arms. Incoherently she had told them her story, finishing off with a request about Louis’s safety.

‘We haven’t seen him,’ Paul replied. ‘Maybe he was lucky like you.’

‘Lucky?’ The tears filled her eyes. ‘I have been in hell. So alone… so frightened. Please find Louis –
please
.’

Al glanced at Paul. They both knew she was asking the impossible.

‘Let’s get her back to the plane,’ Al said.

‘What about Nino?’ she asked quickly. ‘He’s not far away. I can’t leave him, I can’t… I promised…’

‘The bastard can stay where he is…’ Paul began. ‘If it wasn’t for him…’

‘Take us to him,’ Al said quietly. ‘I guess he’s regretting the whole gig just as much as we are.’

* * *

By early afternoon Bernie was feeling a lot better. His huge bulk propped up in bed, he was able to flick through Evan’s collection of magazines.

‘What the fuck…’ he boasted, ‘tomorrow I’ll be up and about. Jeeze… I can see it now. Goddamn press gonna accuse me of engineering the whole shitbag. They know I’ll do anything for a hot story!’

‘You can’t help having a reputation that goes before you,’ Dallas replied jokingly.

‘Yeah,’ Bernie mused, ‘you’re right. I can name my price after this. Whatcha think? Think they’re gonna come for us today?’

‘I wouldn’t be surprised.’

He slapped a spider, squashing it on his arm. ‘Goddamn insects! Gonna drive me crazy!’

Cathy, lying beside him, groaned. She had been semiconscious all day, and her leg was looking worse than ever. Dallas did not know much about medicine, but she did know if Cathy’s leg was gangrenous it would have to come off if her life was to be saved.

She only hoped that Al had found the other half of the plane, and that maybe the radio had been working, and that maybe…

Pipe dreams.

She lifted Cathy’s head and gave her a few sips of water.

It was hopeless and she knew it.

* * *

It was just beginning to get dark when Al and Paul arrived back at the plane. Between them they carried Nino, and Cristina stumbled along behind.

Dallas and Evan helped them haul Nino up into the plane, and then they assisted Cristina.

‘Thought we’d never make it back,’ Al gasped. He grinned at Evan. ‘Hey, boyo – feeling better?’

Evan nodded.

‘Did you find anything?’ Dallas asked anxiously.

‘Only these two. She needs taking care of – the kid’s bitten and scratched to pieces. He’s in a bad way. Snake bite.’

‘Evan – get me the antiseptic lotion and bandages. Al, we’ve found a portable radio, I thought if we could tune into a news station…’

‘Where?’

She showed him where the radio was and left him to it while treating Cristina. The girl was a mess. Dehydrated, confused, feverish. Dallas took her into the bedroom compartment, laid her on the floor, and gently got her clothes off. Then she dabbed at the scratches and cuts and bites with the antiseptic lotion. With horror she realized that whatever it was that had bitten the girl had laid eggs under the skin, and larvae were pushing their way up, horrible tiny black heads popping through the skin.

She didn’t know what to do. So she just covered the girl with the antiseptic lotion and hoped that it would kill them off. Then she dressed her in a pair of Al’s slacks and a shirt, and fed her a couple of water biscuits and some orange juice.

Nino was another matter. He was delirious, and seemed to be experiencing difficulty in breathing. The gash on his forehead was quite obviously infected, and his body twitched in desperate spasms of pain.

Dallas knew about snakes. They had kept them at the zoo in Miami. But there were so many different species, and she had no idea what type had bitten Nino. Without an anti-venom being administered immediately, she did not hold out much hope for his chance of survival.

She fed him some water and covered him with a blanket. It was all she could do for him.

Al had managed to locate a news programme. He listened to the faint crackly newscaster intently. Paul and Dallas crowded around him.

The news was of a major earthquake in Europe, and a terrorist group holding hostages in New York. Finally the newscaster continued, ‘The Al King mystery deepens. The singer and his nine passengers and five crew have still not been heard from. The jet plane missing since Friday night on a trip between Rio and São Paulo has apparently vanished without trace. The police and airport authorities are completely mystified. No ransom demands have been received, ruling out the possibility of a hijack attempt. Search planes sent out have failed to spot any sight of the missing jet. In India, the new government is calling for…’

Al clicked the radio off. ‘I think we’re lost,’ he said bitterly. ‘I think we’re lost and nobody gives a fuck. You know what? I could easily become the Glenn Miller of the seventies. How does
that
grab you?’

Juana fidgeted uneasily as she waited to be ushered in to see Carlos Baptista. It was the reward that had attracted her. Fifty thousand dollars! A fortune! Who could even imagine that amount of money.
Fifty thousand dollars!

She glanced around the waiting room. It was crowded. Beside her sat a thin girl wearing spectacles, and next to her a young man who was not unlike Nino, only not so good-looking. He had the same untidy hair and intense eyes, but his face was longer – more horsey. No – side by side he would not be able to hold a candle to Nino.

Thinking of him she shuddered slightly. Where was he? The last time she had seen him had been at the airport when she had helped him. I’m just going to interview Al King – not shoot him – he had joked. But what
had
he done? Where had he gone? Because without doubt she knew that the disappearance of that plane with Al King aboard was Nino’s doing. And she was going to tell Carlos Baptista all about it. She was going to pick up a fifty-thousand-dollar reward. Probably.

Didi adjusted her spectacles and edged away from the plump girl sitting next to her. The girl was fidgeting in a most aggravating way, squirming on her seat as if she had ants in her pants. Didi sighed and glanced at her watch. She had been sitting here waiting to see Carlos Baptista for one and a half hours. Her lunch hour was past, she would get back to her job as receptionist at the hotel so late that she would more than likely be fired. But if she collected the fifty-thousand-dollar reward, who cared…

To think that she, an intelligent girl, had been taken in by a boy like Nino. She had given him everything. Her trust… Her body… She blushed at the intimacies they had shared together.

He had used her. He had wanted to get to Al King and he had used her. All that talk of love… Oh, what a fool she had been.