There is a Land (A Libète Limyè Mystery) (44 page)

She circled him, observing his misery like a dispassionate scientist.

— Working for a man like Dumas, Dimanche said, is dangerous. He’s like one of your mutts, liable to eat you up whole when you turn your back. Just ask Pascal. Years of loyalty–

— Please. Maxine stood. You know why Pascal died.

— All I know is he died for a few digits.

Libète couldn’t see Maxine smile but heard the woman force a laugh. The inspector still inspects! So that’s it? Trying to get clues, even till the very end? She stepped on his ankle again. Just tell me where she is. She’ll live. I promise. I have no reason to hurt her.

Libète unconsciously folded her hands before her face and waited for his answer.

— You don’t realize how hope spreads.

— What? Maxine said.

— You try to cut the plant, but you spread the seeds. You try to crush the seeds but you only plant them deeper. I’ve sinned. Done terrible things. But I would never violate the trust of that girl. If you think I would betray her for my own safety–

Maxine pulled a gun from her side and shot Dimanche.

Libète cried out, and fled. The dogs heard, and followed.

Magdala has to sit, has to sit
now
.

She collapses at the telling of the thing, not comprehending it all, and weeps.

Libète cries too as these terrible memories breach their containing walls and flood everything. She falls to the earth too and clutches the baby.
New life, new life. Live for that.

— To know he’s gone . . . Magdala says
.

— When I arrived, in your home, I said my people would come for me. I knew Dimanche–Marcel–would not, but I couldn’t face what his death meant then. I realized I didn’t want to be Libète anymore–the exiled girl, the abandoned girl, the girl who sees her friends die.

— A fallen seed, Magdala whispers. That’s what he is. She whimpers. On to Janel’s. Our best hope, she chokes out.

Libète’s fever makes it hard to stand again and push on, but Magdala’s hand rests on Libète’s shoulder. Moans continue pouring from her. She needs Libète to lead her on.

When they crest the hill, they see Janel tending beans in her yard. Janel looks up and becomes stone-faced at recognizing Libète.

— Sophia? Magdala? What’s going on? How are you here?

It seemed an odd question.

— There are problems, Libète said, evenly.

Janel blinked. Come in. Yes, come in. She led them inside her home, drawing two chairs together for them to sit. Isn’t that–Délira’s child? Janel asked.

Libète nodded. Magdala was still despondent, and Libète placed a bracing hand on her friend’s knee.

— But why do you have him?

— I was captured last night. At the dig. Cinéus and Wilnor trapped me in the jail. Madanm Janel–Félix and I discovered something terrible. Those men are
not
recovering our history. They’re mining!

Janel sat up straight. Magdala was inert.

— If this is true . . . excuse me. I need to call the people together. Janel reached for her nearby conch shell and rose to step outside. She paused and gave out one long, sustained blow followed by three short bursts. She repeated the signal.

Libète felt an excruciating pain behind her eyes. But Janel–it is worse than that. The Sosyete is in league with the miners. Dorsinus–Félix and I–
we found Dorsinus
. He’s been made a–a zombie.

Janel braced herself against the doorframe.

Libète pressed on. We need to rise up against these people. The community must stop this. Disarm the guards. If you know who the members of the Sosyete answer to, especially the one who is above this local group, you have to go to him. Convince him of the wrong being done.

Janel’s shoulders sank. She spun to look out her doorway and peered out. Her eyes searched for something.

— Madanm Janel–are you hearing me? They are tearing up
our
land. If they continue, they’ll pollute our water, ruin our crops, give us sicknesses.

— How are you so sure?

Libète blinked, cocked her head. If these men are doing what they do under the cover of a lie, it has to be because their methods are fast and rough and wrong. It’s just a matter of time before–

Janel looked outside again, and seeing something, sighed in relief.

— Who’s there? Libète asked, annoyed at Janel’s distraction.

— It seems there are two trucks coming our way. Full of armed men. Paramilitaries, it appears.

Magdala suddenly rose. They’re coming for Libète? Magdala whispered. Then we must hide her! They can’t have her!

Janel’s face was an empty slate. It’s too late for that.

Libète nearly wretched, and the coughing began again. Magdala was horrified. What are you–

— You must both go with them.

— Go . . .
with
them? Magdala wailed.

Libète closed her eyes, shook her head. She tried to stifle the scratch at the back of her throat that made not coughing an impossibility. You sold us, Libète choked out.

Dear God.

—
You made Prosper go out with Cinéus and Wilnor last night. You ordered him.

Dear God.

— You know they’ve been mining all along. And you helped them hide it.

Dear God.

— You don’t fall under the Sosyete’s authority. They fall under
yours
.

Libète stood, holding the baby tight, tight, tight. You ordered Dorsinus to be handed over to the Sosyete. You ordered the Sosyete to make me leave. Your lies – her voice fell to a whisper – they’re endless.

— You talk of lies? Janel said. Your name isn’t even your own.

— No! Magdala exploded. She pulled at her hair. No, no,
no
. We trusted you, Janel . . . above all others! Her cries rose.

— It was all to protect Foche, Janel said. The land was dying. Our youth were leaving.
We
were dying. The university–the miners–came with an offer. They would give us seed, fertilizer, and water. And the results? We haven’t seen yields like these in years! Parents are eating, as are their children. The community, it has
hope
again
.

— At what cost? Libète murmured. Her arms tightened too much, and Delivrans began crying. You traded everything for a good season. You’re about to let them rob the common plot. This child–this child in my arms–will not have a
home
. You understand? They have bought you, and fooled you, and you’ve led this community headlong to its destruction.

Janel trembled. She reached for a nearby mug and threw it. It nearly hit Libète and the child and shattered against the wall. Get
out! Now!

The trucks had come close. The men jumped down, their guns at the ready. Magdala forced Janel out of the doorway and screamed and Libète came close behind her. From behind Magdala’s flailing she glimpsed a terrible figure step from the lead truck. Libète dropped to her knees.

Maxine.

The woman, bedecked in military garb, walked cautiously toward Magdala, toward Libète, toward the child. At
last
, she said.

Magdala’s tears stopped for a moment. Is this woman–is this the one you told me about?

Libète could only stare at the ground, only cling to the child mewling in her arms.

Magdala knew her answer. You
murderer.
Her wails began again, climbed higher, spread all across the hills.

Janel watched the scene with fear and trembling. Take them, she gasped. You can pass word to the big shots running the mining operation that with them gone, all is not lost.

— Tell them yourself. They just hired my people for security. The girl is all I’m here for. She advanced toward Libète.

Bursts of gunfire in quick succession erupted from not far off, echoing throughout the mountains.

All looked in the direction of the sounds. A silence followed that no one would break.

— What the
hell
was that? Maxine finally asked as she drew a pistol. No answer came. Those were shotgun blasts. These peasants wouldn’t have their hands on them. She barked at the man next to her, Drive up the mountain with your squad and see what’s going on.

The leader and six other men piled back into the second pickup and set off, kicking up dust in their wake. Maxine turned to Janel. Woman, if there are problems here, everything is off. You understand?

Janel fidgeted.

— Get these two in the back, Maxine ordered. The men laid hands on Libète first, and Magdala flared up in a furor. Don’t touch her! Don’t you touch her! She pushed one man away and pivoted back toward Maxine. Though the men reached to restrain Magdala, she let lose a wild round of blows against Maxine. Caught off guard and shielding herself with her wrists raised, Maxine fired her gun reflexively.

Magdala collapsed.

— No! Libète screamed. It was a piercing, anguished sound and made all pause.

The men pulled Libète from Magdala’s side as the woman clutched her wounded chest and shook, her mouth gaping and afraid. Maxine backed away slowly.

— I didn’t mean to, Maxine said, so quietly no one could hear her words.

Libète cried and cried, Magdala! Magdala! Maxine, you bitch, you devil, you–

— I didn’t mea–

— Janel! Libète roared. Take Délira’s child at least! She thrust out her hands and held the frightened and confused boy in the open air. Take Delivrans!

Janel didn’t respond. She couldn’t comprehend the horror unraveling before her. She looked away as Libète was forced into a truck bed.

—
Magdala,
Libète cried
. Mag-da-la!
she shouted.

Already, the dear woman was gone.

Maxine trudged slowly toward the truck’s bed, slipping her pistol back into its holster and fastening it with a snap. With the help of one of the soldiers, she climbed into the bed, and the truck started down the mountain.

Through tear-clogged eyes Libète saw Prosper run into view. He held a machete in his hand. Sophia! he shouted. He dropped the blade and went to Magdala’s side while his mother hovered with her hand held to her mouth.

— All for numbers, Libète moaned. All for some damned numbers! Her lip trembled. What makes them worth killing and . . . and . . .
destroying
?

Maxine looked emptied. She chose her words with care. A new, old Haiti. That was all she said.

Libète could not ponder riddles now. All she could comprehend was despair and the child screaming in her arms.

A new, old Haiti.
A Haiti I don’t want to live in.

Libète looked at the world rushing past: the road and its narrow shoulder, and just beyond, a vertiginous drop to lower ground. In the blur of color and emotion, she had an epiphany of such tremendous clarity it staggered.

This could end
.

Her muscles tensed throughout her body.

Just a leap. All it would take. The Numbers would be no more. My sacrifice. For Haiti . . .

This was how it would be. She flexed her legs, ready to push herself backward over the side fender, hoping that her collision with the ground might snap her neck before experiencing that terrible, terrible fall.

But the child in her arms–would she take him with her? End his life too?

There is a Land

The thought made her tremble. Her shoulder, through which a bullet passed long ago, ached anew with phantom pain.

It is here

She was entrusted with his fate, this babe of today, boy of tomorrow, man of not yet. Could she leave him behind with these villains? Could she throw herself toward her end when a life of such unknown potential and hope pulsed in her arms? Could she?

And it is coming

She could not. New tears slipped into Delivrans’s hair, and she held onto him and all that he was and all he could be and all that Haiti could be.

They sped past the market’s plane. She glimpsed hundreds of eyes on them, and half as many faces turned up, wondering what new curse was descending on their mountainside. Libète felt Maxine’s hollowed eyes locked on her. Libète shifted, and Maxine’s hand sprung toward her like a lunging serpent, her fingers coiling about Libète’s wrist.

She does not know I have no fight left in me. None at all.

The careening truck rounded a bend and skidded to a halt. Everyone in the back was thrown in a crush toward the cab. The baby cried out among curses. Libète craned her neck to see what obstructed the road.

It was one of the miners’ large Mack trucks. Inexplicably, Jeune’s son Junior stood toward the vehicle’s rear.

The men with guns streamed from around Libète like hornets from an injured nest. They yelled and let loose a shout of bullets, but Junior ducked, ran around the side of the truck, and avoided the deadly spray. Maxine kept a firm grip on Libète. Libète kept a firm hold on the child.

The paramilitaries advanced toward the dump truck with their guns still drawn. In their haste they failed to notice the small flame brought to life by Junior as it subtly climbed up a cloth and into the truck’s gas tank.