Coda? (Mercenaries Book 4) Read online

  Thinking of Ian brought hope to her again. He’d be looking for her; he was probably right behind them. While they’d smashed the phone, maybe they’d missed the tracker. The phone being smashed, though, that would be a sign by itself. Ever since that incident just after their wedding, they’d promised never to turn off their phones.

  Warmth was beginning to seep in, though it wasn’t hot by any measure. What’s that? In the distance, a faint sound… a helicopter? Or at least something… No, a copter! as a blue and white machine flashed by two hundred feet above her. She jumped up and waved, then dropped when shouts and hollering rose from the trees where she’d left the smugglers.

  The pilot had seen one of them, and the copter banked and she could see POLISIE and the eight-pointed star of the South African Police Service on its side. Guess the bad guys can too, as their shouting stopped.

  When the copter landed, she rose and, hunched over, ran to it. Ian will… Damn. She felt an immediate flash of guilt at seeing Sam running toward her instead of Ian. But… I don’t like the look on his face!

  The big black man crushed her to his chest. This is too much for a couple hours out of touch. Fear began to flood her. “What is it, Sam? I’m okay, so…”

  “Com’on! We’ve gotta get back.”

  At the copter, the uniformed policeman sitting beside the pilot had his phone against his right ear, and the headset covering his left. “… disappeared into the forest. Danie can give you the location.” He shoved the headset mike away and spoke to the phone. “How far from where… Never mind, we have you. Is there a place to land, close by?”

  “Let’s go. He will direct you when you get close.” As the machine rose, the man indicated the two headsets beside Sam and her. When she put it on, he was saying, “They followed the trail some distance toward where we found you.” He inclined his head toward Beckie. “They were ambushed by at least two men—”

  “The two guys who left— Sorry for interrupting,” Beckie said.

  “No matter. Two men struck without warning. One of my men is dead; the other lightly injured. Your Mr. Jamse also fell, he reports.”

  She snatched her headset off and dropped it. She felt without really feeling Sam grab her into a hug around the shoulders. Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to look up, to see Sam, to see the man who had to be mistaken… That’s it! Ian’s just hurt, but he’s… he’s lived through it before. We’ve got to get him help!

  “Are we going to get him? And the others, too, of course.” She pleaded with her eyes. “He’ll be okay, but we need to get him to the doctor!”

  She took a breath and looked past Sam out the window. The copter had already dropped below the canopy and as she watched, it came to rest on the ground, rocking as the struts found support. Sam was saying something but she didn’t care. She pushed open the door and ran awkwardly to the policeman holding himself up against a tree.

  “Thank you,” she said to him. “Where—”

  He pointed a few feet behind him, where two people lay. One wore a uniform similar to the man standing; the other was Ian, still in the camos he’d worn when they left for the ride. Her heart froze for a second; he looked bad. No, if I’m honest, he looks… dead. But… She muffled the wail that wanted to destroy everything for miles around. He can’t be.

  “Sam, we’ve gotta get him back. They can do something… maybe…”

  “Sure, Beckie. We’ll get him back. I already talked to them. And Millie’s on her way. Now, can you help us get them both aboard?”

  The next five minutes were okay; Beckie had work to do, helping get the dead policeman and Ian into the copter, then taking Ian’s head in her lap as she sat on the floor. Once the pilot lifted off, though, only the noise buffered her, and it wasn’t enough.

  Tears fell on Ian’s face; she couldn’t wipe them away fast enough. She could see the blood, too much blood. I can give him mine! You can’t be gone, love! “You can’t be gone,” she repeated in a whisper, her lips against his. “I love you.”

  Hospital Visit

  The bump when the copter landed brought her head up, finally, and she looked around to see Ian’s parents’ home. The policeman was standing outside, waiting for her to climb out. “The helicopter goes to the hospital,” he said. “The medical people are quite competent. That will be his best chance.” He offered his hand. “Please. Allow them to do their job.”

  Beckie laid Ian’s head down softly before pressing a final kiss to his lips. “See you soon, love,” she whispered. She turned to the policeman. “Tell them we’ll be there soon. Especially if he needs anything. Blood or… Anything.”

  He had already returned to the machine. Nodding his agreement, he signaled the pilot to go.

  Sam ran back out of the house a minute later; Beckie still stood, watching the sky where the copter had faded into the clouds. “Hey,” he said, “want to clean up before we head to the hospital?”

  She shook her head. “Where’s the car? Do we know which hospital?”

  He took her hand and hurried toward the SUV. As they approached, Carys and Amy joined them. Sam waved to someone further back, and called, “We’ll let you know as soon as we hear.”

  At the Defender, Beckie thought about taking the passenger front seat once she’d agreed with herself that this was not the trip to practice driving on the wrong side of the road, but Amy directed Carys that way and dragged Beckie to the rear. She sat in the middle, staring between Sam and Carys until Amy pulled her to lean against her shoulder.

  Traffic was complicated by an accident on the R56; Sam needed two hours to arrive in Richmond, at the one story brick building with a large faded green cross and Surgery whimpering out of the sign. A helicopter to match the one that Ian had been taken in sat in the side yard.

  “This isn’t even a hospital!”

  Carys turned to face her. “It was probably the closest facility. It is a surgery.”

  “Sure closer by helicopter than car,” Sam said. “I’ll check, see why they chose this place over one closer to town. But now, let’s get in and see…”

  Beckie had hurried Amy out of their door and with strides as long as her legs allowed, approached the front door.

  Inside, it was dimly lit and cool. An aide, or nurse, or whatever, Beckie had no idea except that she was armed with a clipboard, blank form and pen, intercepted her and directed her to a small desk to the left of the entrance. Beckie pushed around her before asking, since no one else was present, “Where’s Ian? Ian Jamse?”

  The nurse apparently despaired of getting her form completed first; she said, “A moment, please,” and retreated through the door in the rear wall.

  Beckie stomped back and forth a couple times before stopping. She stared at the empty doorway, then took a step in its direction. She felt a hand on her shoulder and shrugged it off.

  Three steps into the hallway, footsteps approached from behind, then the policeman who’d left with Ian turned the corner ahead. As Beckie continued, a white-coated man followed the policeman.

  “Mrs. Jamse!” the policeman said. “Please! Come with me.”

  This already sucks. No one’s got good news. “No. Where’s Ian? Can I see him? Now?”

  “In a moment, Mrs. Jamse, was it?” The doctor’s voice was a little more comforting than the cop’s, but it did nothing to sooth her. She felt hands on both her arms; when she glanced around, Carys held her left hand and Amy her right. She could feel Sam’s large presence behind her.

  “Yes. Are you going to bring me to him?”

  “I will, in a moment,” the doctor continued. “Unfortunately, he did not survive. He has been pronounced dead. I’m very, very sorry.”

  Dead. Beckie’s world stopped. She felt shaky, like her knees had forgotten how to stand. Before she did anything to recover, not sure she wanted to do anything to recover, she felt Sam’s hands grip her waist and steady her. When he tried to face her toward the front room, though, she found strength and pulled out of his grip. “No.
” She turned her head to look Sam in the eye. “Thanks.” Maybe this is how Amy felt when Abby… She gave the girl a piercing gaze, then focused on the doctor. “I’ll see him now, then. Please.”

  “We’ll all go.” Sam’s baritone allowed for no refusal. Beckie had none to give.

  Beckie read the small plaque beside the door.

  Mortuary.

  Her knees almost failed her again, but she reached for the door frame on one side and Carys’ hand on the other. The two women supported each other as the door opened.

  Cold. Damp. A harsh antiseptic odor covered something not as pleasant.

  On a table ten feet further in, a draped body lay. Beckie counted her eight steps rather than think about what the sheet covered. When she reached the side of the table, Carys stood beside her. Sam and Amy were behind them; Beckie felt support from both of them and gave them a weak smile of gratitude.

  The doctor had followed them in, along with the policeman; he came around the table and gripped the sheet. Carefully, slowly, he drew the gray fabric down to expose Ian’s head.

  It is Ian, was Beckie’s first thought. Fuck! was the second. Carys trembled beside her; she moved to help support the woman before Sam could catch her. “Thanks, Sam.” She turned to the doctor. “Yes. This is Ian Jamse.” She clutched Carys’ hand. “Can we have a moment, please?”

  “We can’t leave, but we’ll stand away.” He stepped back to stand beside the doorway with the policeman.

  Beckie was frozen. Carys leaned over to press her lips on Ian’s forehead. Can’t call that a kiss. Beckie placed her hand against his skull. Cold. She also leaned over and placed her lips against his. She held her position while her eyes ran with tears and her mind ran with recriminations.

  After an indeterminate time, later described by Amy as a minute or two, she felt Sam’s hand on her arm, guiding her back. Amy was helping Carys.

  The doctor approached, though the policeman remained against the wall. “Mrs. Jamse?”

  “Yes,” Beckie said, then started as her word was echoed. She reached to hold Carys’ hand. “Yeah. We both are. Mother and wife.”

  “We’ll take care of everything. Forms and all. But… the disposition…”

  “Cremation.” Again Beckie’s voice was echoed by Carys. I guess he had that conversation with her, too, as she squeezed the older woman even tighter.

  “Very well,” the doctor said as he made a note on his tablet. “If you bring a container Monday after about eleven…”

  “Is there anything else, Doctor?” Sam said.

  “No. We’ll have the documents you’ll need when you pick up the ashes.”

  One Step at a Time

  The return to Carys’ home was silent, unimpeded by accidents. Sam wasn’t in a particular hurry, Beckie guessed; he kept to the speed limit. He’d called either Barbara or maybe Willie while Beckie and Carys sat in the car waiting, so they had no rush on that account.

  Amy was only a step behind as Beckie climbed the steps onto the porch and into the house. The faces were shell-shocked, mostly, only Carys, already inside, and Nigel, Ian’s father, showed their loss. Beckie again squeezed Amy’s hand, then dropped it and turned to face Carys. “Again, I am so sorry.” She faced Nigel and repeated her condolence.

  “As we are for you, Rebecca.” Carys gave her a small hug, then squeezed Nigel’s hand. “After that… Let us have a cup of tea together.” She took Beckie’s hand and led them to the kitchen.

  After requesting a second cup of the tea—soothing because of the company, not the leaves—she shared with Ian’s parents that which she’d failed to share with Ian. “I hope you can keep this private, for the time being, at least. I never had the chance to tell Ian, but…” Her voice caught in a small outbreak of sobs. When she could, she continued, “He’s going to be a father, and you, grandparents. Sometime early next year. I’ll have to see a doctor soon, but this kid…” She patted her belly. “… is the most important thing right now.”

  Another definition of speechless, I guess, as Beckie watched her parents-in-law react. Nothing will replace him, but knowing he has a child, maybe that helps a little.

  Once she’d finished the tea, they all returned to the front room. Sam, Willie and Barbara were missing, and when Beckie queried Elena with her glance, the woman said, “We’ll talk in a bit. Right now, Tamryn and Marc, her husband, brought some take-away food for us all; we should have a late lunch.”

  “That’s good. And Marc’s arrived? Good. Where do we go?” She gently pressed Carys and Nigel in the direction Elena pointed.

  After she’d eaten the three bites she could force down, she left the table and the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Amy trail her until Beth and Elena noticed; they moved to join her.

  “Thanks. I think Amy’s going to make me pay for everything I did for the past two years. Not that I mind,” she said to fend off Beth’s comment.

  “She’ll be fine. How about you?”

  “To be honest, I feel really fucked over right now. While we were riding back, I realized that Ian’s dead ‘cause I’m too stupid to follow directions!” She knuckled her eyes to slow the tears.

  Elena gave her a look only she could give while Beth said, “I don’t follow…”

  “After we teased each other about your… poison ivy warning…” She went on to tell them how she’d ended up on her own, and the conditions they’d agreed to. “And now, ‘cause I didn’t do what we agreed, he came after me and… and…” She sobbed again. “… now he’s dead!”

  “Damn, girl, did you do what you thought was right, or not? No taking foolish chances and things like that.”

  “No, nothing like that. Just deciding that making the collar was more important than what we agreed. Does that qualify?” She threw her ponytail behind her. “Where are Sam and Willie? And Barbara?”

  “Trying to decide whether the team’s gone, now we’ve lost both Ian and Kevin.”

  Beckie sagged like she’d been sucker-punched. First Kevin gone, then Ian, and now the team? She slumped again, but before either woman could reach her, she straightened. Can’t act like that if the team’s going to survive and I’m to have any part in it, let alone the part Ian and I talked about.

  “Why would the team be gone? How about you? Are you still with us?” She decided to call a spade a spade. “With me?”

  Beth didn’t worry her so much; the girl was good-natured and competent, and she’d worked with Beckie before: they saw most things alike. Elena was more, not independent, exactly, since that would mean that Beth wasn’t, but maybe due to her role as trainer, she was less likely to go along without a critical examination. Beckie did a lot of things the way Ian had done, but not all. She had some doubt.

  But Elena put those fears to rest. “Just like the past five years, I’m with you til I find something better. And today, I see no reason to look. I believe Sam was thinking you’d not want to keep on. Willie…”

  “Yeah, Willie enjoyed the past two years keeping me and Amy out of trouble in Miami. Not sure he wants to get back into it.”

  “Lord knows he’s got money to live on,” Beth said.

  Beckie nodded. “We all do, truth be told. But maybe I can interest Willie in an even less hazardous position, giving me advice.” When they both agreed, she said, “How far away did Sam go, anyway?”

  “When I talked to him, they were headed up to Howick. I recommended the Corner Post Pub,” Beth said.

  “And that’s how far?”

  “Forty, forty-five kilometers.”

  “Well, give him a call… Wait, call Else first. If Patrice hasn’t left yet, ask her to toss a new phone in for me. And ask Maurice to join the twins. I guess Willie’s already passed the word?” Elena nodded. “Then let Sam know we’re on the way to find him and he better have a nice Chardonnay cold when I get there!”

  The drive was less aggravating than Beckie expected. Beth had volunteered to stay, standing guard though none of them thought it neces
sary. Amy piled in with Beckie as Elena followed the GPS’ guidance to the restaurant. It was busy, Saturday night and all, but Sam had warned the hostess and they were taken to a private room with a long table and two stuffed armchairs.

  Beckie suffered through the condolences from them all, then sat herself on the end of the large table. “First…” Barbara handed her a glass. Beckie sipped, then said, “Excellent! Whoever ordered this, thanks! Now, I need to tell all of you just how stupid I can be.” Again, she told them the events of the night before. She took another small gulp of the wine, then said, “So, while I’d like us all to keep going with Ian and Kevin’s dream, I could understand if anyone thinks I am too blazingly stupid to work with. But what I hope is that you can forgive me, and when we work together, help make sure things go to spec, and that when we go off the rails…” She looked around at each of them. “… because we all will go off the rails sometime, we can pull together and make lemonade out of the lemons.

  “Willie, I think you look the most concerned.”

  “I wasn’t planning to bring it up in front of everyone…”

  “It’s okay, I understand that, but don’t pull any punches. I cost one life today; I feel really sick about it, more than you know. Tell it like you see it. Goes for all of you.” She gestured with the empty glass before Sam set the bottle beside her. She poured a couple of swallows into her glass and handed the bottle back. “Not going to use wine to escape my errors, Sam. Put it away, please.”

  “Well, that’s one thing I won’t have to say,” Willie said. “I’m with you under the same terms I was with Ian.” Beckie nodded. “And I worry that Ian provided a… stabilizing influence on you that will now be gone.”