Shaking Off the Dust Read online

  Someone grabbed my hair again and this time he slapped me. Hard. Then he backhanded the other side of my face and his ring caught my cheek. It hurt and I groaned, but I stayed in the pretend unconsciousness. Perhaps if I hadn’t pretended to be insensible, he wouldn’t have hit me again, this time with his fist. It rocked my head back against Enrique.

  For the first time, Enrique spoke to our captor. And I heard Tom muttering, “That’s unacceptable.”

  One of our captors screamed. I opened my eyes to a slit to see Tom’s fist in his chest. The man kept scrambling away and clutching at Tom’s hand. A young, hulking male, tall with broad shoulders, was afraid, and Tom’s expression was frightening.

  My cheek and jaw already felt swollen and painful, and my head hurt now. Tom vented his rage with the whole situation. I didn’t know if he could harm that man, but the man believed something life-threatening was going on and that was keeping him away from me. I was ashamed at my satisfaction in seeing him beg on the floor.

  The man behind me still menaced Enrique, but the noises of fist hitting face had stopped. The man under Tom’s irate touch curled in a ball against the wall, clutching his chest. Tom decided it was time to teach Enrique’s tormenter a lesson. He turned back towards us with fury in his face.

  In Spanish, the brute facing Enrique barked some questions at the man on the floor.

  Tom came to the second man, saying, “And you will walk away from them both or I will never let your heart warm up again.”

  I didn’t hear the other man make a sound. Something metallic dropped to the floor though and the man backed away from us towards the door, where his cohort had begun to stand. They left the room and the door slammed shut.

  “Tom, follow them. If they call anyone, we need to know who. Try to see a telephone number, try to listen in and bring that information to Bill and Mateo,” Enrique whispered in English. “Hurry.”

  “I will, but call my name if anyone returns here. I won’t tolerate Hannah being beaten because she talks to me.”

  “Go, please, Tom,” I muttered. “We need information to get out of here.”

  He was gone.

  “Enrique, are you okay? It sounded like they hurt you. Tell me the truth.” I tried not to cry. It didn’t seem as though I could form my words as clearly as I wanted.

  “It’s nothing. I get worse when I box and that is for sport.”

  “As soon as I can, I will check your face. I’m going to be very unhappy if it’s bad.”

  “And if it is, what good does knowing do you?”

  “Using common sense on me will not get you anywhere. I am not in the mood for rational thinking.”

  “They hurt you. Tell me how bad they hurt you,” he insisted.

  “I don’t tell you squat, until you tell me what your damage is. Tit for tat.”

  “This is an American colloquialism?”

  “Enrique, you know exactly what I am saying.”

  “You are stubborn.” He sighed. “They cut my eye, and left cheek. It has already stopped bleeding. My jaw is swollen. That is all.”

  “Can you bite down? Do your teeth meet like normal?”

  “Yes, they meet like normal. Now you must tell me how badly you are hurt.”

  “Hurts like hell, and I figure I’ll be bruised, but everything is working. Big headache.”

  “What did Tom do? Can he do them harm?”

  “I don’t know. Neither does he. If he passes his hands through their hearts, it’s very intense and frightening, which is a good thing for us.” I gave up all pretense of being unconscious. “What did they want, what questions are they asking?” I kept my voice low, just above a whisper.

  “They had not reached the questions yet. That was the softening-up process, a common technique. They give you a taste of the pain to come. It speeds up the conversation.” He was used to speaking quietly.

  “Who are they?”

  “I would guess them to be enforcers for one of the drug cartels.”

  “Do these guys know who you are?”

  “I doubt it. As far as they are concerned, I’m security, a bodyguard and not a very good one. They are here to discover how you and perhaps Dr. Shimodo fit into the puzzle.”

  “Me? I don’t know anything. I wish I did. I hate the whole drug thing. I see it every day in my emergency room.” I started to raise my voice and remembered that was a bad idea.

  “That is perhaps not what you should say,” Enrique said with amusement in his voice.

  “Are they involved with terrorist? How afraid should I be?”

  “The drug cartels across the world should scare you. They care nothing for human life. They kill as easily as you or I would throw a tissue away.”

  “You are so cheerful, Enrique. You make me feel so safe and protected,” I said sarcastically.

  “You have me confused with Dr. Shimodo.”

  I laughed and stopped abruptly. My head hurt and it made my jaw hurt much worse. My laugh dissolved into a kind of sad whimper.

  “They hurt you.” Tom scrutinized my face. He touched my jaw. “You’re bruising already.”

  “I bruise easily, always have. Did you find out anything? Did they make a phone call?”

  “They did and I got the number. It came up on the cell phone. Bill and Mateo are tracking it down. They think they can trace it back if it’s called again. As soon as they get it set up, they will call the number and try to triangulate. Bethann and I struck out on finding anything to help. No address on the building and it’s so big that we can’t even explore the whole place.”

  I repeated everything to Enrique.

  “The older of our guards dropped something when Tom seized his chest. I can’t see where it fell. Tom, can you see what it is?” Enrique asked.

  “Yes, and Tom tell me how bad he’s hurt.”

  “It looks like a PDA.” Tom came back around to me. “He’s got some cuts and bruises. Not as big a bruise or as swollen as your face. I think your cheek may be broken. It’s swelling a lot. If I could feel it, I’d be able to tell for sure. I bet it hurts like hell.”

  “You would be right.” I sighed. I told Enrique about the PDA but I didn’t repeat the rest of the conversation. A sudden thought occurred to me. “Tom, don’t you dare tell Takeshi anything about my face.” It was too late. His expression told me he’d already told his friend everything.

  “I was furious. He needed to know.” Tom tried to justify his stupidity.

  “Why do men think like that?”

  Enrique spoke in a smooth, quiet voice. “If it were me, I would want to know, Hannah. He did what I would have done. Now they will have a doctor ready to see you as soon as they can reach us.” He touched my hand again.

  “Men!” The more I talked, the more my cheek and jaw hurt. I was determined to suffer in silence. I don’t know how long we waited. I think I even dozed off.

  “Hannah, I’m sorry to wake you, but there is new company here. I am going to go to Takeshi and give them the license number and have them start calling that cell phone. Mateo was arranging for equipment to be set up, it should be in place by now. Bethann will stay with you until I get back.” Tom bent over and pointed at my cheek. “That whole side of your face is a mass of bruises. The other side of your face has a bruise in the shape of a hand.”

  “Thanks for the pep talk.” My mouth didn’t want to open very far. “Go.”

  Tom disappeared and Bethann appeared a moment later.

  “Oh, Hannah, what have they done to you?”

  “I’m fine,” I protested. “Go check on the new company and tell me what you can find out.”

  Enrique leaned back in his chair, touching my back, squirming a little. “Hannah, Tom said there was a PDA near the chairs. Can you move with me towards your direction? We might be able to hide it and perhaps I can retrieve it later.”

  “Sure.” I slurred the word.

  “What’s wrong? You sound like you can barely talk,” he said concerned. “We need to g
et you to a doctor.”

  “Fat chance. On three, let’s move the chair.” I used up all the energy I had and the sound of scraping metal announced we had accomplished our task. My head pounded and it took everything I had not to throw up.

  Bethann came back and walked behind me putting her hands on my cheek and jaw. It was freezing, but no pressure. I let the coolness soothe my aching face.

  “Listen to me,” Bethann began. “Your new guest arrived with two ghosts. They came with their brother Tomas and are with me now. Nina and Isabella, this is Hannah.”

  “Tomas?” I asked.

  “Tomas Ramirez,” she answered.

  “Ramirez,” I repeated.

  Enrique made a surprised noise. “Tomas Ramirez is one of the biggest dealers in this country’s black market. As far as I know, he doesn’t deal in drugs at all. Mostly cars, cutting-edge technologies and some weapons.”

  “His dead sisters are here. Nina and Isabella,” I said in a closed-mouth whisper.

  Bethann sighed. “They are tied to his car. They were killed and put in the car when they were moved. He doesn’t know. I told the girls that you could tell him the truth. They were dragged from their beds, when he was away on business. He was told it was Joachim Lazero’s doing. It was Vincent, who is here with Tomas tonight, his first enforcer.”

  I repeated it all to Enrique. It took a long time, because I couldn’t seem to form the words with my mouth closed. It was too painful to open it. “Bethann, you need to tell Tom, so he can tell Takeshi. Have them call this Tomas on that cell number. Keep him on the phone, so they can trace it here.”

  “The number is not Tomas’s. It is Vincent’s, according to Isabella.”

  “Do they know their brother’s cell number?” I asked.

  “Yes, yes of course,” Bethann said excited.

  “Get it to Tom and Takeshi. They need this information. Does Tomas speak English? And tell me something only you and your brother would know.”

  It took a few minutes, but after the bad news he didn’t speak English, they gave me some bits of information. I sent Bethann on to find Tom, then I told Enrique all they’d passed on.

  I had to form my words slowly or he couldn’t understand me. I’d finished the last of my little bit of family information when the door opened to our holding room. I faced the entrance and this time I was past pretending to be unconscious. I began to fade in and out. But I was determined to stay as alert as possible.

  The two guards from earlier came into the room, carrying guns now pointed at us. Behind them was an immaculately dressed man of average height and impressive in that dark, swarthy way some men are. He glanced at me and frowned, speaking in a curt voice.

  The man behind him answered in a subservient manner and was not happy in whatever he’d been instructed to do.

  Bethann returned. She looked at the new men and seemed to be appraising the situation. She was listening to their conversation, nodding her head. It was a plus for our team that as a ghost she could understand all languages.

  The elegant man spoke again in an insistent manner.

  “That is Tomas,” Bethann translated. “He is very angry because he did not instruct them to touch you or harm you in any way. Vincent is telling him he doesn’t know anything about why they injured you. Tomas has told him to untie you, that he wishes to speak to you. But Vincent doesn’t trust the man, Enrique.”

  Enrique spoke to them in Spanish.

  “Enrique is telling him he will not do anything, that you have been hurt and need a doctor, but that you do not speak Spanish. So he’ll need to translate.” Bethann was a great go-between. I wondered how I compared when I was talking for Tom.

  The larger of the two guards came forward at a signal from Tomas and untied us. After the ropes were loose, I realized they had been the only thing keeping me upright. My arms and legs were numb and I slid forward towards the ground. Enrique twisted around and pulled me from the floor before my head crashed into it. He cradled me against him and I sort of passed out.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I woke up in the backseat of a limo, still cradled in Enrique’s arms. The man, Tomas, was on my other side and Vincent was driving. My Tom was in the passenger side front seat.

  “Hello,” I tried to say, but I didn’t hear anything recognizable in the sound I made. Tom fell through the seat ending up right in front of me.

  “Hannah, we’re trying to get help to you. I promise. They’ve called Tomas several times, but he won’t answer.”

  I lifted my head and turned to at Tomas. I could see his eyes glint in the darkness. “Tomas Ramirez?” I called out slowly so he could understand me.

  He blinked at me.

  “Answer the phone,” I said and Enrique repeated it in Spanish.

  The cell phone rang and Tomas took it out of his pocket, checking the caller ID.

  Enrique spoke, I don’t know what he divulged, but I heard him say Isabella and Nina distinctly. So did Vincent, because he tried to twist around to view the backseat.

  I pointed my finger at Vincent, trying to do so as discreetly as possible. I crooked my finger at Tomas for him to lean into me. He didn’t appear inclined to do so.

  “Nina, Isabella, show your brother you are here. Touch him so he’ll know to listen to me,” I whispered.

  Again Enrique repeated in a whisper.

  Vincent spoke urgently to Tomas.

  Tom laughed. “He can’t hear you clearly. He’s telling Tomas that you are obviously injured and delusional. Isabella is touching Tomas on the cheek and hand.”

  I felt Tomas jerk next to me, then he was very still again. The phone rang and I jumped a little. He answered it this time. He just listened, but didn’t take his eyes off me until he hung up the phone.

  He reached out his hand, touching my face, and spoke softly in Spanish.

  “He’s sorry you were hurt. He wants very much to speak with you, but he will wait until you have healed,” Enrique translated.

  Tomas turned to Vincent and barked a command. Vincent stopped the car and twisted around to argue, but Tomas had a gun pointed at his temple.

  “Tom, help us incapacitate the driver. He deserves to have his heart crushed,” I wished my mouth were functioning better.

  “Sure, sugar.” Tom put his hand in Vincent’s chest. I cringed when I heard him scream.

  Tomas took his gun and hit him with the butt of it. Vincent went quiet and slumped over. Tomas pulled him out of the front seat, dragging him behind the car. The trunk opened, and Vincent was shoved in with a brutal push. I could hear his body, probably his head, strike against something. Tomas got in the front seat and turned to us, speaking in suppressed rage.

  “Tomas will drop you off at the first open business he comes to, but that he will talk with you again, when you are better,” Tom explained. “Enrique is giving him all the personal information his sisters told you and explaining that they need to leave this world and go into the light of God. Enrique will arrange for Tomas to talk with you as soon as you are better. If Tomas will help them to find the persons responsible for this plane crash, you will usher his sisters into the light and he can be there. Agent Eneas is certainly taking advantage of the moment.”

  “Great,” I sighed. “Enrique, I need to close my eyes now.”

  “Hannah, wake up and look at me.”

  A light shone into my face, so I turned away from it. The car was moving fast and I could feel every bump. Someone was trying to pry my eyes open.

  “Hannah, please let the doctor check you.” That was a voice I knew so well now, a voice worth opening my eyes for, so I did.

  Takeshi sat next to Dr. Santiago, only I wasn’t in a car, but an ambulance. Things were improving by the moment. I tried to smile, but ended up grimacing instead.

  “I’m very happy to see you,” I said through clenched teeth. “When did I get here?”

  “We picked you up a few minutes ago. Enrique says you’ve been out cold for over forty-five
minutes. We’ve been worried.” Takeshi had hold of my hand.

  Dr. Santiago shone a light in my eyes and had me follow his finger and simple commands. He felt along my cheek and jaw, gently probing with his fingers. “We are going to a private hospital that the embassy uses. You should have some tests done. I don’t think anything is broken but we need to check it out.”

  “Where’s Enrique? They hit him many times.” I found if I spoke slowly enough I could say my words better, but opening my jaw hurt. A lot.

  Takeshi put his fingers over my lips. “Shush, Hannah. We can all see it hurts to talk. You don’t need to right now. Enrique is in the car behind us and will be seen at the hospital too.”

  “I’m not hurt bad, I’m just a wuss. I’ll be fine.”

  “Now you will be quiet,” Takeshi insisted.

  We arrived at the hospital pretty quickly, or I’d fallen back asleep. I kept trying to decide in my head why this last week, with all its many assaults on my well-being, seemed like a not-so-bad time. I suppose it was Shimodo’s hand in mine.

  An x-ray, CAT scan and EKG later, Takeshi held ice on my face. I could open my mouth enough to take pills.

  Dr. Santiago came back into my little curtained area in the emergency room and Enrique was with him. He had stitches along his left eye and cheek, but he didn’t appear too bad.

  I realized I still hadn’t seen what I looked like in a mirror.

  “So? I assume everything came back okay on my x-rays.” I started to get up out of the cart I was on.

  “Where are you going?” Santiago demanded.

  “As soon as you give me the all clear, I’m going into the bathroom alone to see how hideous I am. From the careful expressions on everyone’s face, I expect I look much worse than I am. I’m figuring elephant-woman category. Then I hide out from everyone until I get my real cheeks back to normal.” I looked at Takeshi, Tom, Enrique and Bill, who had just come into my room. “That means every one of you. Either you put honest-to-God real expressions on those mugs of yours or I refuse to be around you.”

  Dr. Santiago laughed. “Settle down, Hannah. It is badly bruised. You have a hairline crack in your jaw, although it’s not through the bone, so it should heal without a problem. As hardheaded as you are, your brain is a fragile thing. Tonight you stay with us. If you behave, tomorrow I let you go. You will do nothing strenuous for three or four days. Ice, elevation, pain meds and real expressions on everyone’s faces are my prescription.”