“The rape kit won’t be necessary.”
“Do I want to know?”
“I think it’s best if you don’t.”
“What’s your ETA?”
“If all goes well, around an hour. Can you give me your address again?” Nathan committed it to memory. “Thank you, Doctor. I really appreciate this.”
“I’m glad to help,” said the doctor. “But I need to disclose something you might not be aware of. The girl’s treatment can start off as emergency care, and I can help with that, but as I mentioned, if she has a life-threatening infection, she’ll need admission to Pomerado, and because she’s a minor, she’ll need legal consent. If she doesn’t have a legal guardian available, the courts will get involved. There’s no way around it.”
“I hadn’t considered that. What can we do?”
“If her identity’s at risk, a pseudonym can be used, like they do for gang risk or prominent public figures. The assault also triggers the involvement of Child Protective Services. I am legally and morally required to report even the slightest suspicion of child abuse, and if I don’t, I could see license suspension or revocation, and even jail time.”
“I won’t put you or your career at risk, Doctor. I’ll take her straight to Pomerado.”
“You don’t need to do that yet. For now, this is an emergency treatment. We’ll deal with the other issues later. I just wanted to make you aware of what’s involved with a minor.”
“Does her citizenship matter?”
“Not when it comes to emergency treatment. I can’t say for sure, but if she was brought into the US illegally, ICE will probably get involved.”
“Let’s try to delay that for as long as we can. She’s in the best possible hands in your care.”
“That’s kind of you to say. I’ll do everything I can to insulate her. I have an ace up my sleeve, but we’ll talk about that later. Right now, my only concern is treating her condition and making sure she makes a full recovery.”
“I agree. We’ll see you in about an hour.”
“I’ll be ready.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Nathan ended the call.
Lauren asked, “What did you say? I couldn’t hear you.”
“I wanted to spare you from certain details.”
“I already know what they did. They raped her.”
“Lauren, rape isn’t just a word. Short of murder, it’s one of the worst offenses committed. It’s a form of torture. Try not to dwell on it. Abrille is safe now. Dr. Reavie said she shouldn’t drink or eat anything in case she needs surgery.”
Nathan told Abrille she couldn’t drink any more water until the doctor said it was okay. He made the turn onto Highway 94 and accelerated to the safest speed he could maintain. Until they reached the Dulzura area, the highway remained laced with dangerous curves and steep canyons.
Something about Voda’s operation wasn’t making sense. If he were behind the border murders, raping and killing these girls after his men had their way with them, then why did he want the list so desperately? The female victims didn’t have any intrinsic value to Voda that Nathan was aware of. Something else didn’t make sense. The man sitting at the table in the motel had said, Voda said it was okay. But it was plainly evident Voda hadn’t known Abrille’s location. Maybe it was common knowledge that Abrille’s captors could do whatever they wanted as long as the girl was delivered alive. Common knowledge…the sick bastards.
A new thought arose: What if Abrille hadn’t been the primary target in the motel room? Nathan realized now that a quick look through the room would’ve been best, but there hadn’t been time. Even if the additional gunmen from the parking lot hadn’t been there, Nathan had needed to leave in a hurry.
In his mind’s eye, he reexamined the motel room. Nothing jumped out. There hadn’t been any crates, boxes, or plastic bags, but he’d noticed several empty one-gallon water bottles tossed in the corner. Actually, he’d seen something similar at Marchand’s warehouse...
Nathan didn’t think the motel room was a stepping-stone in a chain of locations that ultimately led to a “pot of gold.” It seemed unlikely the room held instructions leading to a subsequent location. One thing was certain: if Abrille had been the only asset in the motel room, Voda considered her extremely valuable. Why?
In her note, Jin said Marchand didn’t know Voda was involved with murder, but that seemed a little naive. The border murders case was a front-page story. Marchand obviously knew Voda was complicit in various criminal activities Jin’s note said as much but a giant chasm separated smuggling from murder. Whatever the case, it seemed as though Marchand had withheld the paper containing the coordinates from Voda and gotten himself killed in the process.
But that only raised more questions. Obviously Voda hadn’t been the person who hand-typed the list of numbers, or he would’ve simply taken the paper with him. Why risk leaving it in Marchand’s office? And if Marchand had hidden the list under the granite desktop for safekeeping, maybe even to use it as leverage against Voda, how did Voda know about the hiding place? In her note, Jin had said Voda bragged about torturing Marchand for hours. Marchand must’ve given it up. Voda had probably wrung the secret hiding place out of him. The timing was a little suspect, though. If Voda knew about the piece of paper the night he captured Marchand, why not head over there right away and get it? Since Jin had relayed the hiding place to Lauren, Marchand must’ve told Jin about it first. Marchand could’ve endured Voda’s brutality in order to buy time for Jin and Lauren or himself knowing that once he gave up the hiding place, he’d be killed.
Something else Jin had written stuck in Nathan’s memory. She’d mentioned paying back an old debt. What debt, and to whom? He wondered if there was a tie-in with North Korea. Clearly, she was born there, so how did she get out? Escaping North Korea wasn’t easy without inside help. She’d referred to a powerful man helping her mother over the years. Maybe the same man had arranged her exit and smuggled her out. Could that be the debt? If so, how did it relate to their current situation? Maybe Voda had ties with North Korea. It was common knowledge that DPRK was essentially a giant criminal enterprise with tentacles all over the world, and counterfeiting US currency was one of its key operations. Nathan didn’t think the piece of paper was about counterfeit money. He’d read an online news story recently about DPRK and counterfeit pharmaceuticals and cigarettes. DPRK also manufactured and exported meth, crack, and heroin. You name it, they were into it. If Voda had ties to DPRK, it might explain Jin’s involvement.
“Lauren, do you remember your mom ever meeting with someone who looked Korean or Asian?”
“No, I don’t remember anyone like that.”
“What about phone calls? Did you ever hear her speak Korean to anyone?”
“Just French.”
“French? Your mom speaks French?”
“Uh-huh, she said she learned it a long time ago. I think she was my age, but I’m not sure.”
“Did you ever ask her about it?”
“I remember asking her what language it was. She said it was French and that she learned it in school.”
“That’s all she said she learned it in school? Is that why you think she was young?”
“I guess.”
Nathan didn’t know much about DPRK schools, but they sure as hell didn’t teach French as part of their standard curricula. Excepting its criminal enterprises, DPRK was perhaps the world’s most xenophobic state. Secrecy wasn’t merely a word in DPRK, it was a lifestyle. North Korea would never teach French in its schools, which were strictly controlled by the government.
On nothing more than a pure hunch, Nathan asked, “Abrille?”
“Digame,” she answered. What?
“Parlez-vous français?”
In a soft voice she said, “Oui.”
This couldn’t be a coincidence. No possible way. Since Abrille seemed to be okay talking a little, he stayed in French and asked where and when she had learned to speak it. She said
she was from Bolivia and a private tutor had been coming to her orphanage and teaching her French. Abrille didn’t speak French fluently, but she spoke it well enough to have a conversation. Nathan asked if other girls were being taught French. She said yes, and that they were also being adopted.
The base of Nathan’s pyramid had just grown tenfold. Not only did Abrille speak French, but Jin did as well, and they were both raised in orphanages and, apparently, had both learned to speak French around the same age.
“Did you just speak French to Abrille?” asked Lauren.
“Yes.”
“Abrille knows French?”
“Yes.”
“That’s weird.”
“It’s definitely a surprise. I think it’s fair to assume that not one in ten thousand Bolivian girls her age would know French. How’s she doing? Is she restless? Does she seem agitated?”
“No, but she’s still breathing kinda fast.”
Nathan pressed the gas a little harder. Thankfully, they hadn’t encountered any law enforcement roadblocks. But if they were stopped, Abrille’s presence couldn’t be easily explained. On the other hand, most kids her age didn’t have bona fide ID, but her lack of English might raise red flags. She had a passport, but Nathan didn’t know if that would help or hurt their situation. If the Explorer’s plate were run, Nathan wouldn’t come back as the owner and a link to Gerry would be created something he didn’t want. He considered going over what Abrille should say if they were stopped, but that would only serve to frighten her more. Right now, she seemed somewhat calm.
Overall, Nathan couldn’t complain about the way things had unfolded tonight. Although he and Lauren had endured some tough moments, they’d been counterbalanced with good moments like encountering the pedestrian bridge across the San Diego River, finding a waiting cab driver at the Town and Country Resort Hotel, and now Gerry. Rescuing Abrille was at the top of the good-moment list. With a little luck, they’d be clear of any roadblock danger within the next ten minutes.
He checked his cell and had two bars showing. He’d wait until he had a better connection to call Holly with an update. Harv was at thirty thousand feet for the next twelve hours or so. Most commercial carriers offered air-phone service, but Harv wouldn’t call unless he thought of something crucial. Also, the air-phone connection wouldn’t be secure.
When he thought about it more, maybe he shouldn’t call Holly. He felt pulled in two different directions. Because of his personal relationship with her, he felt obligated to give her updates so she wouldn’t worry, but in doing so, she’d need to report his activities, and he didn’t want that. He’d asked her about potential undercover agents inside Voda’s operation, but he didn’t plan to ask Holly for more help than that. He’d initially thought he might need her to track down Voda, but he now had the ability to force Voda to come to him.
The trick would be keeping Lauren safe through any future confrontations. Confrontations? That was a gross understatement. Nathan fully expected things to turn even uglier than they had been, and there may come a point where leaving Lauren in a secure location would be his only option. He didn’t know how she’d deal with it. Lauren was strong-willed, a trait he admired, but it might prove to be a problem. So far, she’d been reliable and inventive. Watching her plow the gunman in the motel’s parking lot had been nothing short of astonishing, and if she was capable of doing that, what else could she do? Again, he couldn’t help but wonder how many kids her age had her guts and willpower.
One thing remained certain: he wouldn’t involve Lauren in any direct action against Voda. She could continue to be his eyes and ears, but that was as far as it went. Although Nathan didn’t know anything about parenting, he knew being consistent was essential. Before the warehouse raid he’d told Lauren he wasn’t handing her a gun to act as his backup, and that wasn’t going to change plowed gunman or not.
He concentrated on driving and gauged his operational readiness at 80 percent. Not great, but nothing a catnap at Dr. Reavie’s office wouldn’t cure. Sleep deprivation took a gradual toll, becoming cumulatively worse and worse. Maybe Harv was right. Waiting until his friend arrived from Istanbul didn’t sound too bad right now. But Nathan had Voda on the defensive, and allowing too much time to pass might undermine that. A catnap would have to do. During one mission in Nicaragua, he and Harv had lasted an entire week on nothing more than two-hour catnaps. It wasn’t ideal, but he’d do it again to protect Lauren if that was what it took.
“Abrille stopped crying, but she’s shivering a little.”
“Okay. Try to keep her calm, and don’t let her drink any more water.”
“I won’t. What were you just thinking about?”
“I was thinking about the motel, how you ran that guy over.”
“Are you mad about that?”
“Just amazed. I couldn’t believe you did it.”
“It looked like you needed some help ’cause you didn’t see the men with the guns.”
“That’s what the radios are for. When you yelled my name, I thought they had you. I felt sick to my stomach about it.”
“That’s nice of you to say.”
“I felt empty, like I’d lost someone…like…hell, I guess I don’t know what I’m saying.”
“You’re saying you care about me.”
Nailed again. What was Lauren’s spell over him? There’d been times tonight when he’d made mistakes he wouldn’t normally have made. He supposed it might have something to do with a lack of experience with kids, but he doubted he would’ve had the same issue with anyone else. He knew he possessed a conflicted nature, and it wasn’t entirely from his botched mission in Nicaragua. He’d always been guarded. Maybe Lauran acted like an amplifier, or, more accurately, a prism, and she’d revealed a new color in him. Had she activated some kind of dormant paternal instinct? How could this happen? It seemed crazy. He wasn’t Lauren’s dad far from it. But he knew he’d do anything to protect her.
Lauren spoke softly. “Remember when I asked you why you didn’t have any children? You told me it was complicated.”
“I was avoiding the question.”
“Does it bother you to talk about it?”
“Let’s just say it’s outside of my comfort zone.”
“I’m sorry for mentioning it.”
“No need to apologize.”
“I think you’d make a good dad.”
“Thank you for saying so. Truthfully, settling down and having a family isn’t complicated. People do it all the time. It’s more an issue of opportunity with me.”
Lauren didn’t respond right away. “Opportunity?”
Nathan lightened his tone. “For one, it would be good to be married first.”
“Well, yeah.”
“Holly once told me I would’ve been a good dad. Harv has mixed feelings on the subject. There are times when Harv agrees with Holly, and other times he’s thanked heaven I haven’t reproduced.”
“I’m sure he was just teasing you.”
“We can only hope…”
Not having children wasn’t a selfish indulgence. Nathan was as unselfish as people came. Like he’d told Lauren, it was a lack of opportunity. He’d never found anyone compatible until he met Holly… Well, he knew that wasn’t entirely honest. He’d never really sought a meaningful relationship, and his past career as a marine sniper and CIA operative had certainly gotten in the way. But Harv had moved beyond it he had a wife and two sons. Nathan was a loner by nature, and he’d resigned himself to never being able to share his life intimately with anyone. He’d been honest with Holly and told her as much.
“It’s okay to care about someone,” she said.
“Sorry, I wasn’t…you know, dodging what you said, but I can’t help but wonder how all of this came down tonight. It’s crazy. I was sitting at home, watching a movie, and here I am, transporting a sick and injured Bolivian girl who speaks French to a plastic surgeon.”
“But you made decisions that led to this
, didn’t you?”
“I was thinking in more general terms. When I used the metaphor ‘life is like an alexandrite,’ I hadn’t realized how apropos it was.”
“What’s apropos mean?”
“It means suitable, but I’m probably using it wrong.”
“Abrille’s still shaking.”
“Chills are a common symptom of an infection. She’ll be in good hands soon. I think we’re past any potential law enforcement roadblocks at this point. I know it may be difficult, but see if you can get some sleep. If you sleep, it might help Abrille sleep too. When we get close to the doctor’s office, I’ll wake you up.”
“I don’t think I can sleep right now. I feel wide awake.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Well, you are driving.”
“Point taken. Try to get some sleep.”
Chapter 23
Nathan drove the next fifteen minutes in silence, hoping Lauren would doze off. He thought about Holly, how to tell her about the most recent events, how to explain his lie of omission about the cell phone he’d taken from Voda’s man at the grocery store. Telling the whole truth was probably the best approach, but frankly, he didn’t want the FBI entangled in his pursuit of Voda. Especially now, in case Voda had indeed captured Jin.
On the other hand, Holly’s people had tremendous resources at their disposal. And Holly would want to help, despite his reluctance.
It’s okay to care about someone, Lauren had told him, speaking with the wisdom of the ages. And it was a mutual feeling between Holly and him.
It was time to call her… His phone showed a strong connection, so he tapped Holly’s cell number.
“Hi, Nathan. Is everything okay?”
He gave a Holly a complete update, starting with the GPS coordinates he’d found embedded in the list of numbers and ending with the raid at the motel and his possession of Abrille.
“Holly, I executed those two men in the motel room. There’s no way to sugarcoat what I did. They weren’t armed when I shot them. The third guy in the bathroom was self-defense. So was the man in the parking lot.”