River of Desire: A Romantic Action Adventure/Thriller (11 page)

Leah’s relief was quickly followed by a strong sense of sorrow. She managed her pain by telling herself she was where she wanted to be, but a glance at Dylan squelched that argument. Her heart had begun to beat like a jungle drum every time she looked at him for more than a few seconds. Her skin prickled with desire. The thought that she would never know what it was like to be in his arms, embraced against him, was driving her crazy. She swallowed hard against the ache of unshed tears.

They pulled up to a cluster of thatch-roofed, mud-walled buildings leaning hazardously over the river. The only way to reach the street was to climb a steep flight of unstable stairs.

Dylan took the lead out of the boat and gestured toward long poles holding up houses and buildings. “See those stilts?” Before she could answer, he continued, “The water level here actually drops up to forty inches during the dry season, but by summer, the water rises almost to street level.”

She had to remind herself that summer in South America was not July, but December through March, and this was actually winter. The furnace-like blast of jungle heat made it hard to believe. Then she recalled the description in the guidebook that said the temperature did not vary during the year. “Guess I won’t need a down jacket this winter.”

Dylan chuckled. “More like a bikini.”

By the time they reached the street, sweat soaked her shirt. She could have sworn she had mistakenly stepped into a giant steam room. Dylan handed her a blue square cloth and she wiped her eyes. “Walking a few steps is such an effort.”

“
The low land jungle really takes it out of you. I’ll hail a cab and take you to a hotel right on the Amazon. After you have a chance to rest and take a shower, we can go to the floating market and out for a bite.”

An opening to speak with him had presented itself. She would wait until they were at dinner and she had the rest of his money in hand before she presented her proposal.

On the street, dozens of motorcycles towing two-person buggies sped by. With the wave of an arm, Dylan hailed one. Since the seats were narrow, she sat close, her leg rubbing his thigh. The knowledge that only fabric stood between her thigh and his touched off a sweet wave of longing. When she squirmed, he turned and stared straight into her eyes. The downpour of desire shocked her.

The bustling city of Iquitos vibrated with life. Shops and banks crowded the streets. The cab drove past thronged streets lined with pastel-colored two story buildings. The oranges, pinks and powder blues set a festive mood. Occasionally, a break between buildings would reveal a plaza, puncturing the monotony of uniform architecture and color scheme.

She tapped Dylan’s arm. “I thought the rubber boom was long past.”

“
It’s still a boom town.” He indicated a store window chock full of electronic equipment. “They’ve had an amazing success exporting oil from the Amazon all over the world. You’ll enjoy the change of pace after the past few days.”

Not without you
, she thought, but all she said was, “I’d like you to show me the sights.”

He shrugged. “I wish I had the time, but I have to leave in the morning. I’ll be glad to point you in the right direction.”

The mere thought of his departure made her chest ache. She turned her face away so he couldn’t see her pain and wrapped her arms around her middle for comfort.

At a pleasant five-story white-washed hotel, Dylan helped her check in.

He backed toward the front door. “I have business to attend to. I’ll catch up with you later.”

“
Do you really have to go so soon?”

He cocked his head and studied her, but she refused to wilt under the heat his gesture created.

He turned away. “I’ll see you in a couple hours. Take some time for yourself. This is a great place to relax.”

She wanted to cry out and prevent him from leaving her, but bit down on her tongue to stop herself. The thought that this might be one of their last times together hurt, but she ignored the pain and followed the porter down a hallway to a quaint colonial style room complete with balcony and ceiling fan. After tipping the porter, she splayed out on the white and beige checkered queen-sized bedspread and let the tears finally flow. How could she have done such a turn-around in just one short week? When Dylan had walked out the door just now, she had felt her life slipping away. Soon he would be gone forever.

And for the first time in years she wondered how she would cope without a man at her side?

* * *

Dylan led Leah down a long flight of stairs and watched her eyes light at the sight of the floating market. On boats set side-by-side with platforms in between, vendors displayed an amazing array of fish, poultry and vegetables. In the heat the aroma of ripe fruit and moldering meat filled the air.

Leah didn’t hesitate before heading up the closest plank and moving between boats, scrutinizing the contents of each vendor with the concentration of a lab scientist using a microscope. “What’s that?” she asked him frequently, whether she referred to Brazil nuts or manioc sticks, lucumas or cherimozas, and he supplied the answer. 

Behind her, Dylan watched her covertly. This might be his last chance to spend time with her. Normally he would have been on his way to the next assignment by now, but where he would have resented the change in his routine before, he cherished this time with her now.

She glided through the market like a pro, pinching mangos and exclaiming over fish and fowl. Her obvious joy again infused him with a sense of happiness - and regret. Their impending separation had already started to take its toll on him.

“What are in those?” She pointed toward a cluster of brown liquid-filled jelly jars.

“
Local medicines.” He picked up one jar. “This one is
oubas
to treat stomach problems.” He placed that jar down and took up another. “This one is cut clove.”

She held up a baggie containing pieces of bark. “And this?”

“
Una de Gato
, or Cat’s Claw in English. The natives use it to treat cancer, along with S
angre de Drago
or Dragon’s Blood. They’re both staples of every shaman and
curenduro
around.”

Leah’s long, slender fingers encircled a jar of molasses-colored liquid, much as he imagined them encircling him. “That’s
Ayahuasca
....an aphrodisiac.”

She placed the jar on the counter with a thud. “You sure know your jungle.” She half-smiled at him, but her gaze wavered.

For a second he wondered if she too had regrets, but he had to be dreaming. She had a job to do. It didn’t matter who helped her with it. 

Leah busied herself surveying the array of native
lancetillo
rojo
,
oje
, catfish and piranha. This gave him an idea. “I know a great place not far from the hotel that serves an Amazon fish dinner. Let’s head over there.”

He led her back to the street and hailed a three-wheel. The taxi halted in front of a restaurant across from a small plaza centered around the statue of a horse and rider. They entered the restaurant through carved wooden doors. The rough-hewn wood-walled main room held pictures of explorers and movie stars. Stained glass windows looked out on the street. Overhead speakers played Latin jazz.

The exotic raven-haired owner approached them. “Dylan, how good to see you.”

He introduced Leah to Elena Reyes. Elena ushered them to a table by the window. “Your favorite spot,” she said, flashing him a knowing smile.

Leah eyed him as soon as Elena left to fetch their drinks. “I take it you’ve been here before?”

“
A few times.” He could swear a look of jealousy swept across her face, but his eyes might have deceived him. “Food’s great.” He reached for the crusty bread and for a way to steer the conversation to a less contentious topic. “Did you know that an iron house designed by Gustav Eiffel of Eiffel Tower fame is exhibited in the main plaza of Iquitos, along with the house of rubber Baron Carlos Fitzcarrald who dragged a steamship across the jungle pass that still bears his name?”

“
Interesting.”

Her tone failed to match her dour expression. What was bothering her? Since this was their last night together, he had wanted to leave her with fond memories.

Elena came by with the drinks and asked if they were ready to order.

Leah stared wide-eyed at the menu. Time for him to take charge. “
Paiche a la Loretana
with fried manioc for two.”

Leah stared at him. “What did you order?”

“Have no fear. The ‘paiche’ is a local fish. It’s delicious. And, if you don’t like it, I’ll order you a steak. May I cut you a slice of this black bread?”

Leah gazed down at the loaf but made no move. “Listen, I have a favor to ask of you.”

At her tone a buzzing sound filled his brain. He braced himself. “Shoot.”

She cleared her throat. From past experience, he knew this meant business.

“I want you to finish what you started and take me upriver. I don’t want to go without you.”

The pure urgency in her voice unnerved him. The knife slipped through his fingers and clanked against his plate. “I wish I could, but I can’t just drop everything, Leah. I have other commitments.”

A flush touched her cheeks. Her glow dazzled him. He longed to cancel his plans, do as she asked, but other people were relying on him.

She reached across the table and took his hand. “I wouldn’t ask you to change your plans if this wasn’t important to me. I trust you in the jungle. You know how dangerous this mission might be. I need you, Dylan. I really do.”

He choked, then cleared his throat with half a glass of iced tea. “I’m sorry.”

She drew her lips into a tight line.

“Really, I am sorry. If I could, I would...but it’s out of the question.” Tears sprang to her eyes. He longed to take her into his arms and comfort her. “I know a good guide. Raoul at Amazon Tours. I have his number here.” He rummaged in his pocket for the piece of crumpled paper and handed it to her.

She stood abruptly, almost knocking over her cola. “Thanks for the lead. I’ll call him tomorrow. Have a nice safe trip back to Cuzco.”

He rose and faced her. The steel in her eyes took him aback. He didn’t want her to leave him this way. “Where are you going? Aren’t you going to eat your meal?”

“
I’m going back to the hotel. Here’s what I still owe you.”

A pile of bills covered the hand she held out to him. He took the money, but it only made him feel more miserable. He wished with every fiber of his being he could help her out, but how could he? “Thanks.”

“I hope you’re satisfied and our business is finished.”

He swallowed his words because it was no use giving her false hope. What he wanted to tell her was how much she had come to mean to him. How he would drop everything in an instant if he could. That what would really please him was her respect and her happiness. But if he told her this, she would just laugh at him.

“Goodbye.” She pivoted and strode across the room.

He had to stop her. “Wait,” he yelled after her.

By the time she turned back, he had second thoughts about the tour he had to lead. “You forgot your shopping bag.”

He held out the bag, which she took from him, then slammed out the door.

He stood, mutely staring at the now-empty doorway. Elena came over and draped an arm around his shoulder. “I never saw you look so forlorn,
amigo.
Does this woman mean a great deal to you?”

You’ll never know how much.
Dylan didn’t say anything. If he opened his mouth, his unmitigated misery might pour out.

The look in Elena’s slightly bulging, black eyes told him he hadn’t fooled her by his silence.

Chapter Nine

Outside the restaurant, the cool night air relieved the day’s oppressive humidity. The Milky Way sprinkled dazzling grains of light in a swathe across the sky. Nearby, the Southern Cross blazed brilliant white. Night had always been Dylan’s favorite time, a time of serenity and solitude.

But not tonight.

Sleep being out of the question, he trudged the streets of Iquitos alone. As busy as the city was during the day, quiet ruled at night. Silent streets gave him the opportunity to mull over his reaction to Leah. Why did he feel so torn about leaving her come morning? He cared about her. They had spent one hell of a week together. But he prided himself on his work ethic and held that above all else. Didn’t he?

The thought of leaving Leah carved a crater in his gut. How could he leave her when he was just getting to know her? Never to see her again, hands on hips, ready to fight the impossible foe. Never to be there when she took on the little things that inevitably led her into trouble. What would she do without him—and what would he do without her? He couldn’t imagine happiness without her.

He sauntered down a side street, passing other nocturnal wanderers. Shops with
Canon One Shots
and
Emerson
boom boxes in windows looked as forlorn as he felt. A forest green North Face jacket in a store window was the sort Leah would wear. He couldn’t believe he had met her only a week earlier. It could have been a whole lifetime ago. How could he abandon her now? She needed him regardless of his other obligations.

He meandered further and glanced up surprised to find himself in front of Leah’s hotel. Only then did he know what he had to do. He raced directly to her door and pounded.

After a moment, the door opened a crack and Leah peeked out. “W-what do you want?” she demanded in a sleep-deepened voice. Her eyes were swollen and red.

“
We need to talk.”

“
We said it all last night. There’s nothing more to say.” She tried to close the door, but he leaned into it, blocking her effort.

“
Yes there is. I decided to take you up the Napa.”

At that, Leah yanked the door open and he tumbled into her open arms. “Oh my God, I don’t believe it. You’re not teasing me, are you?”

“Of course not.”

“
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” she said as her lips brushed his.

Through her cotton tee, her soft breasts crushed against him. He pulled her closer. The feel of her, the sweet lavender scent of her, touched a deep nerve in him.     

As though suddenly aware of her half-dressed condition, she retreated and put the door between them. “This means the world to me. I won’t ever be able to thank you enough.”

“
Try.”

She smiled. “I didn’t see how I would face the jungle without you.”

He stifled the hunger to hold her again, backed away from the door. “You look tired. I’ll be here in the morning after I make the necessary phone calls.”

She shut the door a little, peering through the crack. “See you then.”

He reached through the opening and touched the tip of her nose with two fingers.

A smile lit up her face and eased the puffy redness around her eyes.

“Goodnight,” he said to the closing door. An unusual sense of elation filled him as he strolled down the hall to the lobby. His decision was the right one. His reaction confirmed that.

When he reached the street, ambivalence caught up with him. While he could no longer deny what Leah meant to him, he didn’t like the idea that some day soon she’d return to Los Angeles and leave him behind. Until she left, he would keep her safe, but he’d also keep his distance. He didn’t know if he could survive another loss.

For now, he had to contact Elias. Always on the lookout for work, Elias would almost certainly take over his other tour. Although Elias was a novice in the travel field, Dylan trusted him, especially since the job didn’t require any special challenges.

* * *

A knock at the door drew Leah away from her packing. She opened to Dylan’s clean-shaven, beaming face, boyish without the week-old beard. Her breath caught in her throat.

“
I thought you might still be in bed after I woke you so late last night,” he said.

She brushed a wet strand of hair from her cheek. “I was too excited, or too nervous to sleep in. I’m ready to rock and roll.” She motioned him into the room, then returned to her packing.

“That’s an apt description of our trip. Let’s catch some coffee, then we’ll go find Javier.”

She dropped a shirt into her pack. “Who?”

“He’s the self-appointed delivery boy to the settlements and lodges along the river. It’s his job to make certain everyone has kerosene and toilet paper. He knows just about every person living within a hundred miles of here. He probably knows something about the doctor we’re trying to reach. Without Javier’s help, we may have trouble locating him.” Dylan held the door open for her. “Let’s eat breakfast. I’m famished.”

He led the way down the hall to the dining room across from the lobby. A waitress in a pristine white shirt and mini-skirt took their orders and poured rich chestnut-colored coffee into their cups. Leah breathed in the steam wafting from her cup, savored the aroma of fresh-brewed Peruvian beans. She cherished the simple pleasures of urban life. Too soon she would be on the river again, gliding away from civilization and its comforts. “I have a silly question for you.”

“Shoot.”

“
How come you need Javier to help you find this doctor?”

Dylan smiled sheepishly. “That part of the river is not as well traveled, and I rarely take tours that far north. I’m just not that familiar with the area. Finish you coffee and we’ll head out.”

Her head buzzed as the caffeine mingled with anticipation of their upcoming adventure.

They caught a cab to the central
mercado
. Narrow aisles between countless booths were already packed with shoppers stuffing an array of fruits and meat into sisal sacks. The stench of rotting fruit hung in the sultry air. The crowd was suffocating, the flies maddening with their incessant whirl. Leah swallowed hard to prevent herself from gagging.

They approached a stall run by a heavy-set woman with streaks of white in her ebony hair, Dylan shook the proprietor’s hand. “
Buenas Dias
, Maria. Have you seen Javier today?”

Maria threw her head back in a husky laugh. “That no good
campesino
. He is around here somewhere, though I have not seen his ugly face yet today.
Fruta
?” She held out an orange to them.

Dylan shook his head in mock sympathy, took the orange and tossed Maria a coin she promptly tried to return. He gently closed her fingers over the coin in her outstretched palm. “Just tell Javier I’m looking for him if you spot him.”

Dylan offered the orange to Leah, but the surrounding stench turned her stomach. “No thanks.” She trailed after Dylan to an open-air cafe with tables and benches. He showed her to a seat and then went in search of Javier.

When he returned, he grumbled, “Thought I might find Javier somewhere around here talking to one of the female vendors. I hope we haven’t missed him, because if we have, he could be gone for days upriver.”

“What will we do if we don’t find him?” Leah asked.

“
Good question. I’ll have to think-”

Just then a wiry middle-aged man in a Panama and chinos came up behind Dylan and grabbed his arm. Dylan spun to face him, flexed like a coiled snake.

The man threw his arm up in front of his face in feigned defense. “
Amigo
, do not hurt me!”

“
If I did, Javier, you rascal, it would serve you right for ambushing me.” Dylan relaxed his stance. “You’re the one we’re looking for. I knew I would find you here hard at work.”

Javier guffawed and crows feet projected from the corner of his eyes. Gray strands throughout chestnut-brown hair poked out from under his hat. “The work’s not bad if you can get it.” He turned his head to watch a petite girl with waist-length straight black hair walk past.

“Some things never change.” Dylan nodded to the girl, who tossed her hair and batted her eyes at Dylan but ignored Javier.

Javier meanwhile turned his attention to Leah, checking her out from head to foot. Her instincts urged her to hunch over and pull her arms in front of her chest, but she stood her ground. She had as much right as he had to stand tall.

“You have not introduced me to your friend,” Javier accused Dylan.

Dylan protectively stepped closer to Leah. “I’m guiding Ms. Roberts down the Napa. She’s trying to locate a doctor who may be doing research in the area. Do you know of any such scientist?”

Javier pushed back his hat and scratched his head. “Not offhand, but if she needs a doctor, there are many in Iquitos.”

“
She’s a reporter for an American newspaper and wants to do a story on this particular doctor.”

Javier winked at another young woman walking past. “What is this doctor’s name?”    

“Frankly, I don’t know.”

At that, Javier narrowed his eyes. “You want to do a story on a doctor and you do not know his name?”

Dylan patted his friend on the back. “She has heard of research this man is doing. She wants to see for herself.”

Leah appreciated Dylan’s quick thinking. No use exposing her real reason for being there and worrying anyone about the epidemic.

“Let me think.” Javier frowned. “The only doctor I know along the Napa is Estevez, the Herbologist-but wait, I almost forgot the one without a name.”

Dylan placed his hand on Javier’s shoulder. “Someone on the river whose name you don’t know? Hard to believe.”

“He is...what do you say...a
reclusivo
,” Javier replied in obvious embarrassment. “He has lived along the river many years.”

Leah listened closely.

“Don’t you deliver to him?” Dylan asked.

Javier straightened his Panama. “He sends a man into town for supplies. His man does not discuss him.”

Dylan shot Leah a meaningful look. He was obviously thinking the same thing she was. This might be their man. She leaned forward, eager to hear all.

“
How far up the Napa does he live?”

“
Mas o menos,
a hundred and twenty kilometers on a tributary. Even if you find him, it is said a wall surrounds his
casa
and a guard protects him. He does not welcome uninvited visitors..”

“
What else do you hear about him?” Dylan asked.

Javier held up a hand. “Strange things happen behind that wall.”

Leah’s antenna went up. She squeezed one hand with the other. Goose bumps rose on her arms. “What kind of things?”

“
They say Voodoo. Devil worship. I say that doctor is up to no good. I would steer clear of that place.”

Dylan raised a brow. “Whenever anyone keeps a secret around here, they’re accused of practicing witchcraft. It sounds more to me like the doctor has built an image to discourage visitors.”

“
Talvez
, but watch out,
amigo
. This man has many secrets.” Javier’s wagging finger punctuated his words.

“
I wonder what he’s hiding. Have you ever met him?” Leah asked, while swatting at a fly near her face.

Javier shook his head. “I have only met his man, one of the river people, but he tells me his boss speaks in a foreign tongue.”

“You mean English?” Dylan asked.

“
No, there are too many English-speaking tourists in Iquitos to qualify as a foreign tongue.”

Two young girls giggled past them, snatching Javier’s attention and giving Leah the chance to catch Dylan’s eye. “That fits in with what the Machiguengo told us.”

“I was thinking the same thing myself, and wondering if this
foreign
doctor could even be the grandfather you’ve been seeking?”

“
Could be. There can’t be too many non English-speaking foreign doctors living up the river outside of Iquitos. I might just be in luck.”

Javier made a remark and a parrot aloft one of the girl’s shoulder answered, “
Bueno
.”

“
Si, muy bueno
.” Javier tilted his head toward the slender girl, his attention obviously not on helping them find their man.

The young woman giggled and walked on.

Javier groaned. “The only females who respond to my advances are the two winged type. I am a failed lover.”

Dylan glanced back into the market. “You ought to pay more attention to the one who adores you. Maria’s always there for you.”

“Ah, Maria. That woman is true. Too bad she is not twenty-true.”