Touched by Death (4 page)

It took a good ten minutes – with her eyes
darting from side to side searching for bodies and hoping not to find
them – before she finally believed that death wasn't going to
plague her every step. She breathed a sigh of relief feeling the almost
unbearable tension draining from her system.

Haiti was obviously in recovery mode.

Thank God.

They planned to stay outside of the city center for
the night to wait for gear, supplies and mainly the paperwork. They
would continue on to Jacmel in the morning.

"Come on Jade, stop gawking. We'll get time to
sightsee later." Meg, one of the forensic anthropologists on the
team, grinned at her. Tall, slim and energetic, Meg's initial friendliness
had enfolded Jade, easing the uncertainty of her decision.

Meg waved toward the three SUVs leased for the duration
of the job. The team climbed into the vehicles and within an hour were
booked in at a small and homey hotel. It appeared to have survived the
earthquake unscathed. Complete streets were ripped apart in other parts
of the city. Some portions were buried under collapsed buildings while
others were perfect. So much of the city had been leveled but there
were pockets, like around the hotel, that appeared untouched.

The tent cities were new. They'd been tin cities the
last time Jade was here. The garbage lining the streets, the alleys,
the sidewalks was still the same. It was as if many people were stuck
in a time warp, unable to move forward and leave the disaster behind.

Mother Nature had a hit-and-miss hate thing going
on.

After dinner, Meg and Jade stood outside the hotel and surveyed
the streets for signs of progress. Stores were open, and doing brisk
business. Port-au-Prince had been a thriving metropolis at one time.
Jade didn't think recovery had restored that level of economic progress
and stability. But poverty had always been a major part of life here.
It looked to be the same. Not that she'd spent any time sightseeing
on her last trip. There'd been nothing nice to see.

"Wow. Looks like the area still needs time to
recover economically. Although I guess it's better than it was a year
ago." Meg sat on the stone fence, her long, jean-clad legs swinging
loose. She ran a hand through her short dark blond hair. She glanced
over at Jade. "Are you ready for this?"

"Ready for what?" Jade asked absentmindedly,
her focus on the surrounding scene so similar and yet so different than
before. She leaned back against the stone fence and looked at her colleague.

"The job we're here to do. It's not likely to
be much fun." Meg pointed to the wreckage of cars heaped off to
one side, surrounded by tall weeds. "I didn't expect to see this
level of refuse strewn about. It's easy to be unaware of what's required
in a country's recovery unless you're actually on location."

"True enough. No, the job isn't likely to be
much fun, but it'll be meaningful." Jade smiled, her heart lighter
already. Her words had been instinctive, coming from her heart. The
job had purpose, not as necessary for the masses as her previous one
to Haiti, but still important. And there wasn't the same urgency or
panic to this second visit. That helped her keep calm and focused.

"Come on. We need to go to bed if we want to
get an early start."

They wandered into the hotel, saying good night to
the other team members. At their rooms, Jade was pleasantly surprised
to see she had a room to herself. There were three women and four men
on the team. The others seemed normal and upbeat; Jade found herself
relaxing and looking forward to her time here.

She said goodnight to Meg and opened her door. A maid
in the hallway glanced at her shyly and handed over several towels.

She really was back in Haiti – where it all began.

Morning dawned bright and sunny. Jade opened her eyes,
staring at the same ceiling she'd stared at for over half the night.
A heavy knock sounded on her door, followed by a bright, cheerful Meg
calling out, "Rise and shine. It's a whole new day. We're pulling
out in an hour. Get moving and you'll have time for a shower and food.
Otherwise you'll have to choose."

She could hear her new friend bouncing down the stairs.
At least one of them was in a good mood. Still her excitement was infectious.
Twenty minutes later, after a fast shower and repacking, Jade poured
coffee for herself in the small dining room. The rest of the team were
boisterous and chewing through their meals.

"Good morning, Jade. Did you sleep well? Lovely
rooms, aren't they?" Dr. Mike Chandler smiled at her as he served
himself fluffy scrambled eggs. Thankfully he didn't appear to need an
answer. He followed with, "Take a seat; take a seat."

She grabbed the empty chair next to him. He looked
to be in his sixties, with white hair and an aura of ageless wisdom,
as if he'd seen a lot of life and yet still found something to smile
about. He looked to be someone she'd enjoy getting to know.

The waitress came around bearing food that was generously
heaped on her plate. "French toast? I thought we'd be eating fried
bananas, or is it plantains here, and orange juice-soaked French bread?"

"You can have that another time if you want.
I ordered this for everyone. You're not going to get much work done
on a fried banana or two."

"I've never tried them," she protested,
reaching for her knife and fork.

"And you won't today either. Better eat. We're
rolling in ten." He finished his meal and stood to leave. Several
other members followed.

Alone with only Meg at the table, Jade said, "Wow,
everyone is in such a good mood."

Meg grinned at her. "Now if only we could cheer
you up."

Jade sat back and gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm
feeling better; don't worry."

"Feeling better yes, feeling good, no. We'll
fix that." She motioned to Jade's empty plate. "If you're
done, let's go."

Caught in the general mood of everyone else, Jade
found her doubts and worries from the night before drift away. She
raced after Meg and the others.

Dane and John watched the vehicles park outside the
picket fence. Dust billowed behind them. Three SUVs – heavily
loaded from the look of them.

The doors opened and several smiling people hopped
out and approached the brothers.

An older man with a beard said, "Excuse me, we're
looking for Peppe or Emile Jacinte."

John pursed his lips, studying the newcomers. "They
are my brother-in-law and father-in-law. Are you the mortuary team?"

Several people gathered around the speaker. The older
man winced. "Yes, that's one way of putting it. I'm Dr. Bruce McLeod
and this is my group of specialists." He motioned to the rest of
the group.

"Right. Well, Peppe, is...well, he's not quite
the right person to talk to and Emile is at work already."

Dr. McLeod frowned. "We were hoping to get specific
directions to the gravesite so as to evaluate the equipment we've brought
with us."

A tall, lean, cheerful brunette in the group spoke
first. "Could
you
show us the way to the site perhaps? We understand it borders
this property."

Dane glanced over at John to see him glancing at the
house. If Tasha found out John had helped them, well...

"I'll take them, John." Dane turned to the
strangers, ignoring the look of relief on John's face. "I'm Dane
Carter and this is my brother John. His wife is Peppe's daughter. The
gravesite borders the family property."

The group broke into smiles and introductions as he
approached them. Better to go now before Tasha saw them, though she'd
have to deal with this sometime. It might be easier on her if the team
had already settled in before she was forced to face them.

"It's in this direction." As they turned
in the right direction, he considered the problem of parking. "Let's
walk from here, and you can assess a clearing down the road a bit for
parking and unloading. There isn't a road, but the path is wide and
well traveled."

They fell into a group and walked beside him. "John's
wife's family isn't used to this many foreigners at once. How many of
you are there?"

The same tall brunette spoke, "There are seven
on the team."

The oldest looking man of the group walked beside
Dane. "Plus there will be one or two from the company who will
probably go back and forth from the States to check on progress."

"Progress. Right." His lips quirked. "You
do realize that not everyone is happy about what you're doing?"
He felt their surprise more than saw any signs of it.

The brunette spoke again. "We hoped that people
would understand."

Dane nodded. "Some will, though many more may
be against having the grave opened – or waking the dead as they'd
call it."

"Are you Haitian?"

Dane spun around to gaze at the small blonde with
a serious, almost haunted look on her face. He studied her for a moment
then answered, "No. I'm from Seattle, Washington. I own a construction
company there, thankfully now manned by a very capable foreman."
He shrugged self-consciously. "So when I came to visit my brother
and saw the destruction, I had to stay and help out."

Several people made comments in response. Dane ignored
most, his gaze locked on the tiny blonde with such a serious look who'd
walked up beside him. Somehow he needed to see the reaction on her face.
Her gaze stayed shuttered, but her lips quirked.

She murmured, "It's hard to
not
do something."

He was glad she understood. He wasn't sure of the
undercurrents in her voice but felt like he'd said something right.

It took close to twenty minutes to get to the clearing.
He pointed out the vast area to the others. "This is the best place
for parking and unloading."

His gaze had landed on the blonde again. She stilled
at his words. Or was it from his gaze? Everyone else continued to talk
around him. There were only seven of them, and he'd heard their initial
introductions, but it was hard to keep them all straight. He didn't
bother trying to remember names. Except for one.

Her
name was Jade.

Several team members wandered the space, talking amongst
themselves about logistics. He listened with half an ear. Jade stood
quietly at his side.

He cast around looking for something to say. "What
brings you here?"

Her gaze, deep and dark, never shifted. She answered,
"Why? Because sometimes, you can't run away and hide. No matter
how hard you try."

With that cryptic remark, she moved off to join the
others, leaving him to stare after her. Intrigued.

Jade struggled against the onslaught of emotions as
she stood and watched the team. She was really here.

Their guide had been a surprise. Tall and rangy, he
reminded her of the lean cowboys she'd grown up with in Montana. Her
family's move to Portland hadn't erased the memories of weathered men
who loved the long hours they worked outdoors. Dane appeared to be –
at least at first glance – of the same breed.

She wandered the clearing, listening, waiting for
the next step. That had little to do with her.

"Anything to add, Jade?"

She glanced over at Meg. "Nothing until we actually
see the gravesite and understand what we're up against."

Dr. Mike agreed. "You're right. We need to consider
the whole picture." He turned to Dane. "Can you show us, please?"

Moving off in that long-legged style, Dane led them
to a well-worn path through the rocks and brush – one she hadn't
noticed before. The group followed in single file. She fell into the
last place.

Tall spindly trees grew on either side. The path
was almost wide enough to drive on and that was something to consider,
although she was pretty sure the locals wouldn't appreciate that level
of damage to their site. She didn't doubt they considered it their place.

She rounded the last corner and almost walked into
Meg and Dr. Mike. She stepped around them, their silence seeping into
her thoughts.

Oh, no.

She stilled and stared.

They'd been told that a cave-in had presented a natural
depression and that the men had used the surrounding rocks and dirt
to finish the job. The hilled area stretched for what appeared to be a hundred feet, crossing
the path and ending at a large pile of rocks and stones at the base
of a hillside. Strategically placed rock steps allowed friends and family
easy access when they visited.

No one had said anything about the large cross or
the many wreaths on display, or the wildflowers strewn across the area.
Some of the flowers appeared to have been deliberately planted and others
appeared to be gifts from Mother Nature. Wild roses also grew rampant.

This wasn't a deserted mass burial ground. This was
a well-tended and loved gravesite.

"This could be a problem."

The other team members murmured agreement.

Dane said, curiosity in his voice, "Why?"

Jade answered. "There's a difference between
a mass burial ground and a beloved gravesite. This place is loved."

She felt his hard gaze, wondered at it, then dismissed
it as not her problem. She had her own issues to deal with.

"You didn't expect this?"

"No," Dr. Mike answered. "Not really.
We've all seen large gravesites. Not all of them are a place of worship.
Obviously people…at least one person, comes here on a regular basis.

"Possibly. I've never seen anyone though. Not
that I've been looking."

Several of the team members looked at each other and
then at him. "Are there other ways in and out of here?"

Dane shrugged. "Presumably. There's a lot of
country here. I don't know all the access points."

"Have you heard anyone say anything against us
coming here? We've tried to be low-key about our work but..." Dr.
Mike opened his hands expressively.