The Unseen (3 page)

“Maybe we should hide.” Amanda laughed and stepped behind a potted tree.

“Believe me, I’d love to pretend I didn’t see her and make a run for it, but I’m not that heartless. Kent mentioned there was only one flight to Hanoi today, since it’s a national holiday, and she won’t last a day on her own.”

“Yeah, you’re right. We better tell her we’re here before she loses it.”

The two women strode toward Bunny, who hadn’t yet spotted her companions. “Hey, don’t look so worried, we’re still here,” said Rebecca.

“Oh, that’s a relief.” Bunny’s brown eyes brightened. “They cancelled the flight. Apparently there are some severe storms north of here and they don’t think it’s safe to fly.”

“Why don’t you come with us until Kent can schedule you on another flight?”

“Thanks, Rebecca. I’ll do that.”

“Off we go to the hotel from hell,” said Amanda.

After changing some U.S. dollars into Vietnamese dongs, the women hurried outside to hail a taxi. It was a typical early monsoon morning. Rain clouds hung low in the sky and the air was stiflingly humid and hot. “Jungle Oasis Lodge, please,” Rebecca said. The dark-skinned driver nodded and said, “ya,ya.”

An hour later, the car bumped over numerous potholes in a neighborhood of crumbling cement buildings. The sharp odor of urine tinged Rebecca’s nostrils. She sniffled and reached into her pocket for a tissue.

“Where the hell are we? This neighborhood smells worse than the sewage plant off of I-10.” Amanda pinched her nose between her fingers.

“Oh, no, this isn’t the right place. We’re lost,” Bunny whined.

Rebecca struggled to recall what she’d seen during the previous car trip to the hotel. She’d felt out-of-control attraction for Kent the instant they’d met. Since they’d argued through most of the drive, Rebecca had barely noticed their surroundings. When heated verbal conflict wasn’t underway, temperatures soared off the charts in the carnal department.

Remembering how he’d penetrated her in a variety of positions—in the cave, in the middle of the jungle, in his tent at night—sent a wet rush between her thighs. She tried to block out the erotic imagery long enough to search for words in her dictionary. She had to direct the driver to the right location and fast. She rolled her eyes when the Vietnamese word for
cunnilingus
caught her eye.

Rebecca shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Why can’t I find any useful words in this damn thing? Every other word has something to do with sex.”

“I think it’s a dictionary written for men seeking prostitutes.” Amanda continued pinching her nose to block the foul odor, making her voice project as a nasal whine. “If you stop thinking about doing him now, you’ll get laid sooner and if you don’t stay on task, we’re going to be screwed in a whole different way.”

“Do you know how ridiculous you sound talking like that? Anyway, you were in the car with me then—what do you remember?”

“I was so tired after that overseas flight, I kept drifting off to sleep. The only thing that woke me up was you two fighting,” said Amanda, still holding her nose. “I know for sure I didn’t smell anything this disgusting before.”

“At least our noses have good memories.” Rebecca shook her head and flipped through the dictionary. Then she recalled Kent’s annoyance when she’d commented about people bathing in a dirty river.
The hotel’s near the river.

She flipped through her travel book to find the name. She leaned over the seat to make sure the driver could hear her. “Wrong place,” she said in Vietnamese. “Need hotel near Nhat Le River.”

“Ah, Nhat Le.” The driver nodded and smiled, showing off an uneven row of tobacco stained teeth. He swerved off the road and did a sudden U-turn.

Rebecca’s head swirled from the sudden movement. “I wonder where we’ll end up now.”

A few minutes later, the car bounced onto the riverside road she remembered. She recognized the pastel colored buildings on the hillsides. “I think we’re headed the right way now.”

“Let’s hope so.” Bunny sighed loudly, as if they’d just survived a near-death experience.

“So what’s your plan after we get there?” Amanda let go of her nose mid-sentence.

“First, we need to convince Kent to take us along on this mission with him.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if you let him talk you out of it?” said Bunny. “Then he’ll know you love him and you guys can live happily ever after when he gets back.”

The woman always sought the easy way out. Irritation leaked into Rebecca’s voice. “You mean
if
he gets back. I’m not going to sit around and wait. I love Kent even though he’s been a ridiculous jerk lately. I have to prove to him that I can weather the worst of situations—not give him the idea that I’ll stay away whenever there’s trouble. But you’re not personally involved the way we are, Bunny. You should stay at the hotel until Kent books you another flight—that way you’ll be safe from the men who took you. Amanda, I’ll understand if you don’t want to go, either.”

Bunny shivered and wrapped her arms across her chest. “Don’t worry, you won’t see me stepping out in that jungle again. Those kidnappers kept joking about how they planned to rape and murder me. That Grant guy was the worst. The way he leered at me really gave me the creeps. And his breath smelled like a dead rat.”

“I’m sure as hell not going to sit around in that dumpy hotel.” Amanda scrunched up her nose. “Tom could be killed while I watch mildew growing on the carpet. And as for you,”—Amanda punched Rebecca on the arm—”I know from experience, I can’t let you out of my sight.”

Rebecca laughed. Her friend really was the best—and she knew they’d stick like glue together through it all. “You’re pretty adventurous for someone who never even camped overnight until we came here.”

“Hey, we camped out waiting in line for concert tickets once. Remember that?” Amanda burst out laughing.

A smile broke over Rebecca’s face. “How could I ever forget?” In many ways, sleeping on pavement beside wound up people had been worse than sleeping in the jungle. “I still remember that woman who was high as a kite walking along slapping sleeping people in the face with a magazine. And how I told her you often had violent dreams and inadvertently hurt people. I’ll never forget the look on her face. She ran off so quick, I’m sure she never bothered anyone after that.”

Amanda leaned in and nudged her, laughing. “Yeah, I remember lying there, pretending to be asleep and going nuts listening. I could barely keep from laughing.”

“I could tell by the way your nose was twitching, you were about to lose it.”

Amanda laughed. “Well, this camping thing is growing on me. I’d be thrilled if we could do more excursions with Kent and Tom. I’d rather they weren’t so hair-raising, though.” Her joyous expression melted away. “But what if I’m making more of what’s happened between Tom and me than is really there? Maybe he’ll be mad to learn I’m still here.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. The man’s crazy for you. He’s just a little shy, that’s all.”

Amanda’s eyes brightened. “I hope you’re right, because I really enjoy his company. And this change of scenery has sparked some book ideas, too. I’ll be the author who always sets her stories in some exotic jungle. And of course there’ll be bad guys and plenty of hot men.”

Rebecca laughed. “Hot men who look like Tom I’d wager.”

Amanda laughed. “That’s a possibility.”

“You never cease to amaze me, my friend.”

Amanda’s GPA at Flowing Wells High School hadn’t been high enough to earn her a scholarship and her parents couldn’t afford college, so she’d accepted her lot in life without complaint, working in a department store. But still, she stayed up until midnight most nights writing novels she hoped to eventually publish. Rebecca admired her friend’s perseverance. “Not only will you become a world traveler, you’ll hit the Bestseller list one of these days.”

Amanda leaned in and hugged Rebecca, patting her on the back. “You’re the best, Bec. I love that you believe in me so much. And even though I don’t know what we’re getting into, I’m excited because we’ve always gotten through tough times together.”

“That’s for sure.” Rebecca remembered some of the hardships they’d endured together. Life had been especially tough after Rebecca had lost her dream job as outdoor adventure director at a Tucson resort after a VIP hiker died of a heart attack, despite the fact that she’d made every effort to resuscitate him. She’d been laid off in November 2007 and after months of unsuccessful searching for similar employment, she’d secured a department store job with Amanda’s help. Being holed up inside all day had been awful, but at least the bills got paid.

“We’re a great team, you and I. Maybe someday we’ll share all these tales with our children.”

Rebecca laughed. “Hmm, maybe.” For a moment, she imagined a toddler with Kent’s brilliant blue eyes gazing up at her as she described the jungle and underground labyrinths and sudden love for his father. “But you might want to save that excitement for our arrival at the right hotel.” Rebecca gave Amanda an affectionate squeeze before pulling back and winking at her.

Finally, the car bounced down the dirt road to the hotel. Two helicopters, including one that looked like a military aircraft, sat in a grassy field, surrounded by dense jungle. “That’s a good sign. Unless they headed out on foot, they’ve got to be here someplace.” After paying the driver, the ladies lugged their bags toward the dilapidated hotel. Damp clothes clung to Rebecca’s skin and sweat dripped from her brow. “It’s got to be at least a hundred degrees and ninety five percent humidity out here. And they say the Mid West is miserable in the summer.”

“It’s like walking through a steam room with trees and snakes,” said Amanda, laughing.

“Yeah, that’s for sure.” The rickety wooden door groaned as Rebecca opened it and held it so the other two women could step inside. Rebecca approached the front desk and rang a rusty bell on the countertop. The familiar odor of mildew assaulted her senses.

An elderly woman limped out from a dimly lit room behind the counter. Her dark hair was piled on top her head and a long silk dress hung from her bony frame. “Need one room with hot water,” Rebecca said, reading the Vietnamese words she’d scrawled out on scrap paper.

As the woman’s narrow eyes looked them over, Rebecca slid their passports across the cracked plastic counter. A moment later, the woman handed them a key and pointed toward the hallway.

“It looks like she’s put us near where we were before. Let’s go drop off our stuff and then we can talk to the guys,” said Rebecca.

When Rebecca stuck the key in the door and when she jiggled the rusty doorknob, it came loose in her hand. Still holding it, she brushed splinters of wood from her sleeve and laughed. “I just love this place.”

Amanda peered over her shoulder. “Will the door still open?”

Rebecca stuck her fingers through the gaping hole, pulled out the metal hardware and pushed. The warped door seemed too big for its frame. “I’m not sure—I guess we’ll find out here in a minute.” She grunted and pushed until the door gave way. Rebecca turned toward Amanda and smiled, extending her arm inside the room. Two double beds with sagging mattresses and unraveling bedspreads sat on puke-colored carpet. She adopted a mock British accent. “Your room awaits. If there’s anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable, please let me know.”

Amanda burst out laughing and Bunny pursed her lips in a pout. She dabbed at her running mascara and sweaty face with a tissue. “This place is such a dump. If only that flight hadn’t been canceled, I’d be taking a hot bath and sleeping in a comfortable bed soon.”

“Don’t worry, Bunny. I’m sure Kent will get you on another flight before you know it. I guess we better carry our passports, since we can’t lock up the room.”

Bunny dropped onto a rattan chair. “You don’t have to take anything with you. I’ll watch our stuff. You two would probably rather talk to Tom and Kent alone anyway.”

“That’s a good idea, Bunny.” Rebecca set her backpack and suitcase next to one of the beds. She definitely didn’t want anyone overhearing the venom she planned to launch Kent’s way. “But it might be a while until we’re back. Will you be okay here alone?”

Bunny shrugged. “Sure, I’ll just take a shower and crash for a while.”

“Okay, we’ll see you later on then. Slip the chain in the lock when we leave.”

Bunny’s long yawn delayed her response. “All right. See you in a little while.”

Rebecca waited for Amanda to follow her into the dingy hallway before tugging the warped door shut.

* * * *

Kent stared hazy-eyed at the amber liquid he’d been draining from the whiskey bottle. He’d never made a wiser decision in his life, he told himself. How could he not send the woman he loved home before something awful happened to her? She’d almost drowned when the cave had flooded and there’d been other close calls as well.
All I did was get her out of harm’s way.

He sighed and then picked up the whiskey bottle again with an unsteady hand
. I really feel like shit.
Like a skipping movie reel, images of the pain he’d seen in Rebecca’s emerald eyes when he’d said their time together had been fun, but he didn’t do long-term relationships, flashed through his mind.

How he’d been able to speak like an automaton when he’d ached to drop down on his knees and cry out
marry me
, he’d never know. He’d only cared about one other woman before Rebecca and she’d been blown apart by a land mine on one of his excursions. He still carried the weight of her death on his shoulders.
I can’t let something awful like that happen to my Bec.

The dilapidated furniture in the room seemed to bob up and down when he tipped the bottle toward his mouth. No matter how drunk he got, it didn’t make Rebecca’s absence any easier. He rested his forehead on his hand, feeling the heavy weight of his remorse.

He’d spoken those harsh words so Rebecca would find him despicable and leave him and all this danger behind. And now she was on a flight back to Arizona. But could she forget what they’d shared? He couldn’t. They’d shared so much more than just physical intimacy—they’d gotten to the point where they often anticipated what the other was about to say.