Dangerous Deception - A Short Story (9 page)

In an attempt to keep the memories at bay, she stared out at the moon hovering just above the windowsill and began to hum the hymn Evelyn sung while she fixed breakfast that morning.
‘
Amazing Grace
’, was one Gwen remembered fondly from childhood. She wondered if God would extend that grace to her for what she did in Kirabo.

* * * * *

Tom met Jack at the door of the orphanage. “Thank God, you’re all right. Where’s Gwen?”

“They’ve locked her up.
They won’t even let me speak to her.” He followed them into the dining room and collapsed in the nearest chair. He’d spent the last four hours phoning everyone he could think of that may be able to help. So far, his efforts were fruitless.

“Have you contacted the
embassy?”

“I’ve got a call into Craig Whittmier, he’s on the staff.
Hopefully, he’ll return my call.” If they didn’t get Gwen out soon, there was no telling what would happen to her. If only he had prevented her from doing that interview.

“She’s going to be okay, Jack.”

“I sure hope so. I’ve grown rather fond of her.”

Tom smiled.
“We all have.” He put his arm around Jack’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go have some coffee and think this thing through.”

Chapter Nine

Gwen’s morning was just as miserable as the night.
The sun had been up at least two hours, its morning rays heating up the small room like the inside of a furnace. Standing knee deep in water she still had sweat dripping from her forehead. She had just completed lap fifty-five around the room, to loosen up her stiff muscles, when someone pounded on the door. Turning sharply she met the amused expression of an unfamiliar soldier.

“Come,” he said as he held the door open.

“It’s about time.” She followed him up the stairs. “I want to see someone with the embassy. I’m not answering any more questions 'til I do.” If the soldier understood her, he didn’t acknowledge it. “You’ve got some nerve treating a U.S. citizen…”

“Gwen.”

She glanced up. “Jack,” she screamed and ran into his arms.

“Gwen Jacobs?”

She raised her head from Jack’s shoulder and met the curious look of the stranger standing behind Jack holding her backpack.

“Craig Whittmier, he’s with the U.S. Embassy,” Jack said.
He eased away from her, but continued to hold her hand. “He’s been working all night to secure your release.”

Gwen extended her hand to him.
“Guess I wasn’t the only one who didn’t get any sleep. Thank you.”

“Why are you soaked?” Jack asked.

Only then did she realize she had gotten him all wet. “Sorry. The scumbags tried to drown me last night.”

General Anthony cleared his throat.
“In order to isolate her from the male prisoners we had to hold her in the basement. Unfortunately a pipe busted and there was some minor flooding.”

She turned around to face him,
“Liar!”

“I think we’d better get her out of here
,” Mr. Whittmier suggested to Jack. They both took an elbow and led her from the building.

“Are you okay?” Jack asked once they were outside.
Only then did he release her hand.

“I’m fine.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad to see anybody as I was to see you.”

Mr. Whittmier led them to an awaiting black sedan.
“You’re a lucky woman, Miss Jacobs. There’s been at least a half dozen journalist’s killed or injured in this region in the last year.”

“I know.
Thank you, thank you both for getting me out of there.”

“Just be thankful they didn’t find anything in the search of your apartment.”

“They searched the apartment?”

“Demolished it is more like it.
Poor Evelyn has been up since sunrise trying to get things put back together.”

She thought of her notes underneath her pillow and wondered h
ow they could have missed them.

“There is a country wide censorship on the press.
I urge you to take that in consideration when doing your story.”

“Please know I would do nothing to jeopardize any hopes of a peaceful solution to this war.”

“Then I trust there won’t be any more clandestine meetings with the RFAGC?”

“You have my word,” she promised.
“Standing knee deep in water with only a wall to lean against was lesson enough for me.”

“You must be exhausted
,” Jack said.

“And hungry.”

“They didn’t feed you?”

“Rice and bread, and I hate rice.”

“Well, get in and I’ll buy us all breakfast,” he offered.

* * * * *

Over breakfast, they discussed the events of the past year. Craig Whittmier, a few years older than Jack and Gwen, had seemed annoyed with the situation at first, but was now less anxious. Gwen suspected it was the change of scenery. As an employee of the embassy, he had probably heard the horror stories about the military and police.

“I relayed to the president what Jack told me of your interview with General Kabassa,” Craig said.

“Then he knows about the deadline.”

“Yes.
He has already acted on the tip. Nigeria has deployed thousands of troops who are to be flown in between now and the first of the year.”

“I take it the peace talks have been postponed?”

“They’ve been on hold since the diamond district fell into the hands of the rebels.”

“So
, you weren’t surprised by the suggestion of a possible coup?”

“No
, but we didn’t know Kanneh was backing the movement. We knew he was friends with Chidike, but we didn’t figure he would risk unrest in his own country.”

“I imagine gaining control of the diamond district played into that equation,” Gwen suggested.
“Greed is a powerful motivator.”

“Were th
ey really considering letting Chidike out of prison,” Jack asked.

“Not very likely. Too many people want him dead.”

“I think General Kabassa wa
s counting on that,” Gwen said.

Craig took a drink of his coffee, his gaze resting on her.
“We appreciate you cooperating with us, but in doing so you’ve placed yourself in a very dangerous situation. To be on the safe side, I’m going to have one of our security team keep an eye on your group.”

“I appreciate that,” she answered.

“I suggest you think seriously about evacuating as soon as possible, though.”

“We’re hoping to wind things up by Sunday,” Jack announced.

“We are?”

“According to Craig all foreign governments have started evacuating their citizens and embassy staff.
If we stay behind we do so at our own risk, and that’s not something I’m willing to do.”

Gwen considered the deadline Michael had given her.
If she filed the story now, there was no telling what impact it would have. Whether Kabassa had lied or not, it could divide the country in half.

* * * * *

When they arrived back at the apartment, Evelyn met Gwen at the door and greeted her with a bear hug. “Oh dear, I was so worried about you. Those men, they were so frightening. I’m sorry to say they tore your room apart searching it.

Gwen ran into her bedroom.
It looked as if a tornado had been through it. Going to the bed, she picked up the pillow that lay askew near the head of the bed and searched underneath. “There were some notes here. Do you know what happened to them?”

“Oh my…I’m afraid I threw them out the other day when I was cleaning.
They were lying near the waste basket and I just assumed it was trash.”

Gwen remembered tossing and turning that night
, thinking about Jack’s kiss. She must have knocked them to the floor. Gwen stepped to the woman and gave her a hug. “Bless your heart.”

“Then they weren’t important?”

“Not anymore.” Michael may ruin her career, but at least she wouldn’t be the cause of anymore lives lost.

Chapter Ten

Sunday morning, a large explosion rocked the orphanage
. Gwen jerked her eyes open. For a brief moment, she thought she was back in Afghanistan. Shoving back her sheet, she settled on the side of the bed and reached for her robe.

The bedroom door burst open and Celeste came in with a horrid expression
plastered across her face. “We’re leaving for the airport in fifteen minutes.” She gathered her suitcases she packed the night before and moved back to the door. “Hurry, Gwen. Rebels have breached the security posts on the north side of the city. They’re moving through neighborhoods systematically burning people out of their homes.”

“I’m coming.”
Gwen shimmied into her jeans and t-shirt. She thought briefly of Michael’s deadline. He was going to be livid, but she didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was making sure Celeste and the others got out of there alive. “Have Robbie and Kay decided what they’re going to do?”

“They’re staying.
Omar is driving us to the airport.”

* * * * *

Downstairs, Gwen was met by several of the children she had come to love over the last week. It broke her heart to leave them, knowing the possibilities. Tears welled in her eyes as she knelt and hugged each one.

“We need to get moving.”
Jack placed a hand on her shoulder. “Omar, will you take her bags to the van?”

Gwen stood just as
Tau tugged at her hand. “Be safe,” he said.

She peered down at his angelic face.
His bright smile hit her like a ton of bricks, breaking her reserve.

Jack pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight as she
sobbed against his shoulder.

“I don’t wanna leave them,” she barely managed.
She thought of all the tiny faces she left behind in Kirabo that still haunted her.

“Look at me, Gwen.”
He lifted her chin and peered into her eyes. “Remember why you came here. If you stay behind and get killed you can’t make a difference.” His thumb moved across her bottom lip. “But if you leave and tell their story, you can.”

“We’ll be okay,”
Tau said. “God will protect us.”

Gwen smiled.
She knew now what it meant to have faith. If a child who had seen as much as this one could still be at peace with himself and God, the only thing stopping her was an open heart.

“Jack,” Tom called from the doorway, “Omar is ready to leave.”

“Let’s not keep him waiting,” Gwen said, wrapping her hand around Jack’s.

Robbie and Kay met her at the door and gave her a hug.

“Thank you for all you’ve done,” Gwen said. “You’re an amazing couple.”

Robbie slipped his arm around his wife.
“Be sure to come back and visit once it’s safe.”

“You can count on it,” Jack answered for her.

*
* * * *

Omar had only driven a couple of blocks from the orphanage when a truck forced him to the side of the road. “I think we are in deep trouble, guys,” he announced, as another truck pulled up alongside them, forcing Omar to stop.

A dozen or more men, including four young boys armed with AK-47s and wearing ski masks
, poured out of the back of the trucks. “Out, all of you,” one of the men ordered. Only his eyes were visible as he motioned with his rifle for them to exit the van.

Gwen reached for her backpack, but one of the men reached in and grabbed it from her hands.

“Who are you, what do you want?” Omar demanded, scrambling from the van.

The rebel close
st to him shot him in the stomach and he collapsed to the ground.

Evelyn quickly looked away.
“Oh, dear God, have mercy on us.”

“Do as they say,” Tom warned as he took Evelyn’s hand.

They were quickly ushered to the first Toyota and ordered to lie down in the back end.

Gwen refused to budge, fearing if she did
, she would never make it out of Dewana alive.

“Come on
, Gwen. Do as they say,” Jack urged.

She thought of K
irabo and the brutality she’d witnessed as they fled the village. Maybe if she did as they said no one else would get shot.

“Go!” one of the men yelled before slamming the butt of his rifle into the side of her head.
The blunt force knocked her into Jack who quickly caught her around her waist and guided her into the truck.

Her vision blurred
, she clung to Jack as he eased her to the bed of the truck. She felt blood trickling down the side of her face and reached up to wipe it away. A persistent throbbing continued above her right eye.