The River (14 page)

Del stopped to rest for a moment, waiting for the others to catch up. She was dying for a drink. Her tongue felt as though it were glued to the roof of her mouth. She pulled a water bottle from her day bag, twisted the lid off and drank greedily.

Jake rushed toward her and ripped the bottle from her grasp.

"Jake! What do you think you're doing?"

"Probably saving your life, you idiot!"

She glared at him. "It's water, for crying out loud! It's not like―"

"Damn it, Del! Look at it!"

He held up the bottle and she stared at the water inside.

Cloudy,
unfiltered
river water.

She muffled a cry, her stomach churning in rebellion.

Hawk rushed toward them. "What's up?"

"She drank unfiltered water," Jake said grimly.

Del shivered.

How long would it take for the
Giardia lamblia
parasite to invade her body, for symptoms to show? A week? No, two. Then she'd have fever, cramps, nausea…

Oh God!

"Better check all the bottles," Hawk advised.

After every water bottle was examined, she felt a mix of relief and confusion. No one else had to worry about becoming sick. Because only one bottle contained unfiltered water.

Hers.

Miki pulled her aside. "Did you forget to filter it, Del. Or did someone give you the water?"

"It was resting on my bag. I just figured whoever filled the bottles left it there."

"Do you have any idea who?"

"None at all, Miki."

"Well, I think I know."

Del followed the girl's burning gaze.

Francesca?

Ever since she had apologized earlier, the woman had seemed more relaxed. Although she still complained about every little thing.

But if Francesca hadn't given her the water, then who had?

Del's eyes drifted from Francesca to TJ, Peter, Gary, Hawk, Miki…Jake.

None of them would do such a thing.

Would they?

"There's nothing here!" she shouted, kicking at the rocks at the end of the riverbed.

There was no sign of a key or a circle.

Defeated, she collapsed on the ground, not knowing what to do or where to go next. She was exhausted to the core, frustrated by Schroeder's hidden code.

TJ dropped down beside her.

"What exactly did Professor Schroeder say to you the last time you saw him?"

She tried to recall Schroeder's words.

"All I remember is something about a key. Find the key…leave no stone unturned…get Kerrigan."

Jake uttered something under his breath, then swiftly bounded to his feet. He strode to the center of the abandoned riverbed, and cocking his head to one side, he surveyed the ground.

"Check this out."

He pointed to an assortment of flat, multicolored stones. They were arranged in such a way that it was obvious that Mother Nature had nothing to do with it. The pile measured maybe six inches off the ground, which was why everyone had overlooked it.

Del recognized the formation immediately. "It's a cairn."

She held her breath as Jake reached down and scooped up the single mauve rock that topped the cairn. The stone fit neatly into his palm and he rolled it between his fingers, examining it carefully.

Then he passed it to her and she gaped at it, stunned.

The rock's smooth surface was etched with a symbol.

A corkscrew.

Instantly, she dropped to her knees. She pushed aside the stacked rocks and began to dig furiously, despite her bruised knuckles and ragged, bleeding fingernails. Part of her was terrified at what she might find beneath the cairn. The other part didn't give a crap―as long as she found something.

Anything.

On either side of her, Jake and TJ started digging, and Del murmured a soft thanks, brushing a grimy hand across her forehead.

TJ scooped up a handful of dirt and rocks. "What if there's no key here, Del?"

"It's got to be here!"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Jake said, "I've found something!"

Using a knife, he carefully uncovered a metal box, maybe three inches in diameter. It was buffed to a satin sheen.

"You'd think it would be rusted," Del murmured.

Jake passed her the box and she flicked open the clasp.

The only thing inside was a pendant suspended from a heavy silver box-link chain. No note, no explanation. Nothing.

She carefully removed the pendant and examined it.

It was a thick cross, maybe three inches long and an inch wide. One side was smooth and unmarked while the other was etched with the same corkscrew symbol as the stone. The top of the cross was looped.

"This is an
ankh
or an
ansate cross
. It's the ancient Greek symbol for life."

Jake took the necklace from her hand and slipped the chain over her head. He tucked the pendant inside her jacket, then leaned close and wiped a smudge of dirt from her face. His expression was grave.

"Del…I need to talk to you. Privately."

Following him away from the others, she took a steadying breath, but it didn't stop the trembling of her voice.

"W-what's wrong?"

"The symbol on the ankh and the stone isn't a corkscrew."

She gave him a blank stare.

He grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled it low, exposing his left shoulder.

"It's a DNA strand, Del. Like the tattoo on my shoulder."

"So?"

His eyes captured hers.

"The DNA ankh is Bio-Tec's
new
logo."

Eleven

A
numbing fear settled in the pit of Del's stomach.

Bio-Tec's new logo?

She rubbed her eyes. It was getting more difficult to focus. She was seeing two of everything, including Jake.

She eyed one of the Jakes.

"How come I haven't heard anything about a new logo?"

"As far as I know the design was being kept under wraps. Bio-Tec is set to launch it next year, along with an entire restructuring of the company."

"Well, someone's obviously given it the go-ahead."

Bio-Tec
was
involved in her father's disappearance and it all smelled like a cover-up to her. She wracked her brain, struggling to think of what the company could possibly be hiding and why Bio-Tec would kidnap her father, a man who already worked for them.

And why would they threaten to kill him?

Jake's voice brought her back to the present.

"Want me to carry you up the bank?"

Her smile was mocking. "I'm not the one who slid down the side on my ass and tore a hole in my pants. Anyway, I don't get vertigo going uphill."

Ironically, she was halfway to the top when her legs gave out.

Jake caught her around the waist. "Gotcha."

When they reached the grass above, she gave him an embarrassed grin and slumped to the ground, panting. Her legs vibrated with numbness and she rubbed them briskly, avoiding her throbbing, scraped knees.

Miki squatted beside her. "Are you all right?"

"Not really."
I have some explaining to do.

She called everyone over.

"Some of you already know, but I think it's only fair that you
all
know. I have Multiple Sclerosis."

She was surprised to see acceptance on their faces. Quiet, calm acceptance. Most people didn't know where to look when she told them she had MS. If they did look at her, it was usually with pity―and pity was something she didn't want
or
need.

Peter eyed her, concerned. "Should we camp here for the night?"

"No, I just need a short break. And a drink."

TJ rummaged in his day bag and handed her his water bottle.

"Give me about ten minutes, okay? I'll take some pills and rest for a bit."

Reaching into the front pocket of her day bag, she froze.

The pill bottle wasn't there.

Alarmed, she emptied the contents on the ground and sifted through them.

No sign of her pills.

"Damn! They must be in my river bag."

"We're heading back then," Jake insisted. "Right now."

During the long hike back to where they had left the canoes and gear, Del was anxious. She had no idea what kind of danger she was leading everyone into. Finding the
key
solved one piece of the puzzle. But would they find the mysterious secret river…and her father?

We have to!

Del's stomach was tied in knots as she watched Jake make his way toward the canoes and gear.

A few minutes later, he returned, smiling.

"Everything's exactly as we left it."

Relieved, she grabbed her river bag and sat down to look for her pills. But she didn't get very far.

"I found something!"

Miki rushed toward her, waving the journal in the air, her face flushed with excitement. She opened the book and pointed to the page that had a drawing of the Nahanni. A small red X marked one side of the river. Two numbers were scribbled above it.

"They're coordinates!" Miki said, excited.

Del's eyes landed on the one person who could track them.

"We need your phone, Hawk."

He tossed it to her, but she shook her head and handed it back.

"I have no idea how to operate this thing. Miki thinks these numbers are coordinates. Can you check them?"

Hawk reached for the journal. "Sure, no problem."

While everyone waited in silence, Del stretched her legs in the grass and reached for the chain around her neck, thinking. If they couldn't figure out the map, they'd have no choice but to turn back.

"Miki's right," Hawk said. "These coordinates lead just past a bend in the river. Under normal circumstances, I'd lead you past it and down about a mile."

TJ's brow arched. "But this ain't normal. Is it, dawg?"

Hawk shook his head. "We'll be fighting the current after the bend. We have to stay right."

"What are we looking for?" Del asked.

"The only thing on that side is sheer rock, which means we're looking for a cave."

She shivered uncontrollably.

Another goddamn cave. Great!

"I think your secret river is underground," Hawk added. "Like Grotte Valerie."

She stroked the ankh pendant.

An underground river? Maybe her father was being held captive in some kind of underground cell. A cell she needed to destroy. Maybe that's what the key opened.

Jake turned to Hawk. "You mentioned Grotte…something."

"Grotte Valerie. It's the most famous cave system in the Nahanni region."

"Is that where we're going?"

"No, those caves have already been explored. And the coordinates don't match. We're going into the Fourth Canyon. It's class three water, then it evens out."

Del raised her head, swallowing hard. "Class three?"

"You'll do fine. For the most part, just let the river take you. But watch the boils and standing waves at the bend."

"How far downriver?" TJ asked.

Hawk checked his satellite phone. "Past the first bend a short ride. I'll leave first, with Peter and Miki. That way I can keep an eye on the GPS. We'll paddle in when we're close to the coordinates. Then we'll help bring in your canoes."

Del had an awful thought. "What if we go right by you?"

"When you get past the standing waves after the bend, hug the right wall. Oh, and watch out for the rock on the left, after the bend. Once you're past it, you'll see us. Aim for the right of us. If your canoe looks like it's going past us, we'll throw you a line. It shouldn't be too difficult."

"Yeah," she mused. "A piece of cake."

Hawk strolled toward the latrines, leaving Del to her thoughts.

What if one of them is trying to stop me?

She peeked under her lashes and swept a cautious look over the people she hoped were friends. TJ would never do anything to hurt her―not again anyway. And Hawk was responsible for them so he wouldn't do anything to put them at risk. But what about Gary and Jake? What did she really know about either of them?

Then there's Francesca―

"Hey!" Miki called breathlessly. "Can I see the book again?"

Del passed her the journal.

Miki read something, then her eyes widened. "Where's Hawk?"

"Latrine. What's up?"

"I need a phone."

"ET phone home," TJ mimicked, creeping up behind them.

Del swatted him. "Hawk has the only phone that works out here."

"Any phone will do," Miki insisted.

Del bit her lip.

Only one other person had a phone on them.

"Francesca?" she called hesitantly. "Can Miki borrow your cell?"

Francesca opened her day bag and retrieved the phone.

Passing it to Miki, she said, "It doesn't work. I already tried. Hawk said only satellite phones work out here."

Miki ignored her and walked away, mumbling in Japanese.

Francesca shrugged. "Fine, don't listen to me then."

Del eyed her suspiciously.

The woman wanted to go home. That was evident by her attitude, and she couldn't really be faulted. But would that push her over the edge, make her get rid of a canoe and contaminate Del's drinking water? Or was Francesca still jealous?

Even though there's no reason for her to be jealous.

Del raised her head and caught Jake's intense stare.

"Feel any better?"

"Actually, I do," she said. "But I didn't take my pills, in case you were going to ask. They make me too tired. Right now I need to be focused."

Her eyes drifted in TJ's direction.

He was leaning against a tree, arms crossed and eyes closed.

Jake followed her gaze. "Is he sleeping?"

"Like the dead. TJ can fall asleep anywhere. Once he fell asleep standing in line outside the stadium, waiting for the doors to open."

"Did someone wake him up?"

She grinned. "Yeah, after a few hundred people passed by him. By the time he made it through, all the best seats were gone."