It ate up more minutes getting him onto the back seat of the Jeep and covering him adequately, strapping him in and then driving like hell over the bumpy, nearly nonexistent tiny road she’d been told about by some of the locals who despised Frankie and Miguel. The road took her to the edge of a coffee plantation that was really a plantation for opiates.
She maneuvered the outer road to get to the one farm everyone left alone because they needed the food that farm provided. She knew the residents there and visited often when she was in the area, bringing them much-needed funds, so she was always welcome. She didn’t stop this time but paused only long enough to hand the large manila envelope she’d brought them through her window, promising she’d be back soon. Waving, she drove toward the city, using the main road now that she had done legitimate business.
Meiling imagined that Gedeon was either a resident at one of the really nice hotels or had his own residence in the good part of the city. She didn’t. She needed to make certain her money always stretched. She didn’t care that much where she stayed because it was never for long. She always had her go bag prepared. She could disappear in minutes. If necessary, she could even walk out without anything, go to the nearest bus station, or airport, even the train station and she would have a go bag there.
Meiling didn’t take chances anymore. “You, sir, are a huge liability to me,” she hissed as she opened the passenger door to her Jeep. He was lucky there was even a door on her Jeep. “And you’re lucky it’s dark.” Not that anyone would look twice in the part of the city they were in. Not seeing a naked man hobbling into her little apartment. This was the part of the city where every kind of sex was paid for and most of the tiny hovels were used for just those purposes. What raised eyebrows was not having someone looking out for her. “Now, I’m going to have to go back to the old ways to get the money for your doc. Everyone’s going to think you’re my pimp. At least they’ll be happy.”
Gedeon was delirious, his fever raging. That wasn’t good in a leopard. She knew that much. He needed a doctor. That was going to take all her funds for certain.
She managed to get him on the bed. It was a big bed. It took up most of the apartment. The bed and the kitchen. She had laughed at that. She thought maybe after entertaining the client in the huge bed the custom was to feed them before sending them off.
Meiling called the farmhouse, the only people she trusted, to ask about a very discreet doctor who wouldn’t go to the authorities or anyone else. They promised to send someone but told her he wouldn’t be cheap. She sighed and glared at Gedeon. She needed to get his clothes out of sight, especially the money, and try to make certain he didn’t say anything while the doctor was there. She had to convince the doctor she and Gedeon were a couple.
She gave him a cooling sponge bath after she removed the makeshift splint. He couldn’t have any evidence of the jungle on him. She removed the strip of shirt from his eyes so the doctor wouldn’t see the material. If she thought she had time, she would have bought him some coarser shirts and trousers just to have in the room.
“Listen to me, Gedeon. It’s imperative that you don’t talk when the doctor’s here. He can’t know you were in the jungle. I’m going to tell him your name is Jeff and you’re my man. We were with friends we can’t name, political friends. And there was an accident. That’s all we can say. He’ll think we are with a radical group trying to overthrow the government. There’s always unrest, especially with so much criminal activity on the border between Colombia and Venezuela. Do you understand? You can’t talk to him.”
Gedeon nodded. “I’m Jeff. Got it. Where are my clothes?”
“In the wall right behind you. One gun is to your left, the other your right. You should be able to punch through the panel easily and pull them out if necessary. Point and shoot. Safety is off.”
“You’re not afraid I’ll shoot you?”
“You need me.”
“I guess I do.”
She wiped the sweat from his face with the cool cloth.
“Is he going to tell me if I’m going to be able to see?”
“I hope he can. I asked my friend to send us someone who could.”
2
GEDEON wasn’t certain his leg was broken now that he was out of the jungle and the supports had been removed. It should have hurt a hell of a lot worse. He couldn’t see the injury, but he could feel it. He ran his hands carefully over it. Swollen. Hot to the touch. He was bruised. Maybe a crack or two, but he didn’t think it was broken enough to warrant a cast.