Deadly Games Part 28

"This is an old logging road," Harry said. "Which in this area is the equivalent of the Autobahn. Once you leave the big cities, you don't see much concrete or asphalt."

Rocco held up a hand. "You hear that? Headed our way."

Harry turned just as a vehicle came into view. Or rather, the vehicle's dust plume. "Looks like a van. And it's hauling a.s.s."

Stepping out, Harry waved his arms. The vehicle slowed, then rolled to a stop.

"Let's hope they speak English," Harry said.

"Probably not, but I'm fluent in Spanish," Gena said.

The two men in the front seat looked at them expectantly.

"Explain that we've been lost since our plane went down," Rocco said to her. "Ask if they can give us a lift to the closest town. Or anywhere we can find a telephone."

"Por favor." Gena began translating.

After a minute she turned back to Rocco and Harry. "They said we can try their cell phone, but they don't think we'll get a signal here. The driver said he can give us a ride to a mining office about ten kilometers away."

The man in the pa.s.senger seat handed Gena an ancient-looking cell phone as he climbed out.

She pa.s.sed the phone to Rocco. "He said they have bottled water in the back."

"I'll help him." Harry followed the man to the back of the van.

Edguardo sat cross-legged on a blanket next to a cooler. He held out guns for Harry and the other man. Harry nodded in approval and then stuck his head around the van.

"Hey, Gena, come grab a couple of these."

When she came around the back of the vehicle, Harry grabbed her by the arm and pointed his gun at her. Before she could react, he pulled her back toward Rocco. The other man flanked Harry.

"What the h.e.l.l?" Rocco dropped the phone. "What are you doing, Clay?"

The driver pulled a handgun as well.

"Three against two," Harry said.And they don't know about Edguardo. "So listen up. I'm not out to hurt either one of you." "So listen up. I'm not out to hurt either one of you."

"Fine," Rocco said. "Let her go and deal with me."

"Shut up and listen," Harry snapped. "Because her life will depend on it. I represent someone who is interested in the formula for SugarCane. I realize Minh Tran has made the same demand, but from what I've been told, Tran doesn't have adequate leverage. You get the formula for me and your wife your wife goes free." goes free."

"You're suffering from the same delusion as Tran," Rocco began. "I wish I knew who had Rufin."

Harry sneered. "I happen to know you took Dr. Rufin off the deck of Jengho's Jaded Lady Jaded Lady in Bangkok harbor. Now here's the deal. You get Rufin to cough up the formula and then take out a personal ad in the in Bangkok harbor. Now here's the deal. You get Rufin to cough up the formula and then take out a personal ad in theWashington Post. 'To Gena' with a contact number. You have thirty-six hours. No tricks." 'To Gena' with a contact number. You have thirty-six hours. No tricks."

"Thirty-six hours? From here?"

"There's a mining office down the road." Harry began backing up, tugging Gena along.

"No!" she said. "I won't go."

"You will. Watch." At Harry's nod, the other man pointed his gun at Rocco. Gena stopped struggling. "That's better," Harry said.

He pulled Gena around to the back of the van and shoved her into Edguardo's open arms. She started to scream but Edguardo quickly silenced her.

"You hurt her and I'll kill you!" Rocco shouted.

"I'll look forward to it." Harry tossed him a bottle of water, then climbed in the backseat. "Stay hydrated. Thirty-six hours."

The driver spun away, spraying Rocco with dust and gravel.

"How are you two doing back there?" Harry leaned over the seat and looked at Gena.

Edguardo had her pulled across his lap. She struggled and he released her. But she didn't go far, trapped between Harry and Edguardo.

"I don't think she's happy to see me." Edguardo pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "Let's make certain that you don't get any bright ideas about running off again." He lunged for her.

Gena kicked Edguardo, catching him off guard and landing a blow to his t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es.

"b.i.t.c.h!" Edguardo quickly overpowered her and pinned her wrists in one hand. He slapped her repeatedly, while cursing at her in Spanish.

That Gena continued to fight back amazed Harry. He'd slapped Gena around plenty, but she'd been so pathetic, so willing to suffer that it had grown boring.

Watching her fight Edguardo made Harry wonder if this woman was the same one he'd been married to all those years ago.

Chapter Thirty-Five.

Four Years Earlier Arlington, VA

The showdown at Melita's had been brutally disappointing. Stupid Gena had let him down again.

Harry sat on the sofa and watched her crawl- crawl crawl-across the floor.

"Would you like another drink, darling?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No ... more."

"No more what? Lies? No more sneaking around?"

"No more drinking." She misplaced her hand and pitched forward.

"We both know you don't mean that. Tomorrow you'll wake up and remember the baby. the baby. And it will all start again." And it will all start again."

"The baby." Gena started to weep, right on cue. "I lost the baby."

Harry got up and moved to the bar, freshening his drink, ignoring Gena's hysterics.

Alcohol affected people differently, but once you knew their basic pattern it could be exploited with ease. Gena had a low threshold.

Of course, she'd been taking "nips" from her mother's flask since she was twelve. That had been Millicent Armstrong's way of easing her daughter's nerves before a pageant. Apparently, Gena had come to hate vodka after that, turning to wine in college.

Harry had introduced her to Sloe Gin Fizzes. That he'd spiked the gin with grain alcohol meant Gena's threshold was. .h.i.t faster.

Drunk, she was completely malleable. She'd believe anything, do anything. And never remember a thing.

But alcohol also made her emotional, so when he needed better control, like this afternoon, he'd roll out the pharmacy. Dope her up good.

Unfortunately, she'd resisted Harry today. It had taken longer to get her sober enough to dress, to put on make-up. He'd rushed to Melita's, but parking had been a b.i.t.c.h. Then Gena had balked. Balked.

By the time they'd arrived, Rocco had left the building. Harry's dream of Gena fawning over him while they sat across from Rocco had gone up in smoke. She'd had on a low-cut dress and Harry had planned to kiss her, maybe discreetly fondle her breast right in front of Rocco.

d.a.m.n it, Harry's whole reason for marrying her, to get back at Rocco Taylor, was not playing out as planned. In fact, tonight she might have pushed Rocco away for good.

In retrospect, Harry regretted not going with his "irate husband" routine. He could have confronted Rocco at the cafe and accused him of having an affair with Gena.

Or maybe Harry should have let them meet and then walked in on them. Except he didn't trust Gena to be alone with Rocco for even a short time. Her confession about their little meeting this morning had proven that.

Harry watched as Gena, who had managed to get back up on all fours, tried to crawl for the door. He came around behind her, put his foot on her b.u.t.t, and sent her sprawling again.

"Geez, honey. Be more careful. What am I going to do with you?"

"Are ... are you still mad?" she wailed.

"Me? Mad? Because you kissed Rocco? Or because you admitted you still had the hots for him? Let me think." He rolled his eyes. She was so pathetic, it wasn't even fun tormenting her anymore. And yet he wanted to.

No, he wanted to torment Rocco. She was a p.i.s.s-poor stand-in.

d.a.m.n it, Harry would have loved to catch them kissing today.Thanks for telling me everything, Gena.

Harry had been on his way home that morning after his flight was cancelled when he'd gotten a call from the security guard that her car was parked on the side of the road and needed to be moved. Gena had been in no shape to leave the house that morning.

Harry had found her at home, looking guilty, but after admitting leaving the house, she'd looked even guiltier.

He'd poured her a drink. "We need to talk, honey," he'd said.

By the second drink, she'd spilled her guts, told him everything, including how she'd intended to leave him that morning.

"Because I slapped you around a little?" Harry had asked. "Did you tell Rocco that?"

Oh, no, Rocco thought she'd popped her face on the steering wheel. She'd been embarra.s.sed that Rocco had seen her like that.

Wish he could see you now, princess.

Gena was trying to slink away again. Harry moved past her and closed the doors to his study.

"I'm not through with you, Gena," he said. "Tell me what you did with Rocco today. When you climbed in his car."

"I ... I kissed him." She started to cry.

"You kissed him. Did you f.u.c.k him, Gena? Did you tell him how you cry out for him at night in your sleep?"

"No," she said.

"How can I believe you? I think I'll call Rocco and invite him over here right now. Let's end this and tell him everything, Gena. Everything Everything. All your horrible little secrets. I'm tired of defending you and covering for you."

She lunged for his leg and held on. "No! Please, I'm sorry. I'll never do it again."

Harry looked at her through narrowed eyes. It was all her fault that his chance to show Rocco up had been blown.

He drained his gla.s.s and set it aside before stripping off his belt. At some point her begging for Harry's forgiveness had changed to her begging for Rocco's. And she didn't even know it.

He doubled the leather and slapped it against his open palm. Sometimes it was good that she didn't remember.

Chapter Thirty-Six.

Thai Jungle October 6, 10:00 A.M.

Maddy clung to Luc, willing the small motorbike to go faster. They were still in grave danger of being caught. Minh Tran's guards had followed them, but after losing their trail at the river, how much longer had the guards searched the jungle? Had they gone back and called Minh Tran and told him of her escape? Were Tran and his small army now coming after them in helicopters? If so, she and Luc were sitting ducks.

She was also worried about Travis. That he had come for her made her heart swell. But not knowing if he'd gotten Luc's message ate at her. The thought of Travis and his team getting ambushed and possibly killed was unbearable.

The motorbike hit a b.u.mp. She groaned.

"You okay?" Luc shouted over his shoulder.

"Yes." She wasn't, but they had no choice except to keep going.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she acknowledged to herself that she'd miscarried. A friend of hers had suffered several miscarriages and Maddy recalled her friend's grief.

"Maybe it's meant to be," Maddy had said, unintentionally offering what now seemed like cruel comfort. "You got pregnant once; it'll happen again."

And while her friend did eventually go full term, those thoughtless words didn't acknowledge or honor the tiny spark of life that had started to grow inside her friend's womb.