[2016] Rubbing Stones by Nancy Burkey

Author:Nancy Burkey [Burkey, Nancy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Thriller, Mystery
ISBN: 9781534989320
Google: md8kMQAACAAJ
Amazon: B01M1ATA42
Goodreads: 32724466
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2016-11-11T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

“That doesn’t make sense. Why would they keep him tied up?” Jane loosened Shelly’s hands. She didn’t want to cut the rope, she’d need it later.

“From what I can gather, they need to have a lot of people on the inside. You hear about it, but I never really believed it—until now.”

“Inside?”

Shelly glanced at the door. “In different commercial businesses, people who are sympathetic to their cause—will come through on favors when they need it.”

“The rafts?”

“Exactly.” Shelly slipped her hands out and rubbed her wrists. “They don’t want to blow Lorenzo’s cover. They may need him again in the future, so they make him look like an innocent victim of this mess. You know, a mole.”

Jane shook her head. Shelly’s explanation didn’t jibe with her experience of Lorenzo, especially at the end—the way he’d hugged her, his reassurances seemed genuine.

“I don’t know, Shelly, he’s not from Zimbabwe, didn’t seem interested in their politics—more like a river guide who’s just as likely to be here as South America, or anywhere else where the water flows fast.” Jane peered out the side window as Japera came out of the front of the lodge, stood on the porch. She held her hand up to silence Shelly until he’d turned and gone back inside.

Shelly smiled. “Good cover, isn’t it?”

“But why?”

Shelly shrugged. “Business has been really bad and people get desperate—some people even end up taking money from both sides. I can’t really blame them.” She pulled at the rope that bound her feet to the bed. “But it seems awfully risky.”

Shelly’s ties had been loosened since last night and she no longer had the gag in her mouth. She said they’d questioned her about Lorenzo’s escape—part of the plan to make it look like he wasn’t with them.

“You didn’t tell them that I—”

“Of course not.”

Jane watched her closely. “Then why is my window blocked?”

“He must’ve told them. Look, Jane, it’s not your fault, there’s no way you could have known about him.” Shelly stretched her neck to look out the window just above her bed. “He certainly fooled me. Any thoughts about what we should do now?”

Jane noted the quick change in subject. She watched Michael unload another bag from the truck, he didn’t close the back so there must be more. She still had a little time.

“So where will he go now?” Jane searched the girl’s face. Was it safe to trust her? To help her escape?

“He’ll probably just hide out until all of this blows over, then come out of the woods like he got lost. It’s quite believable, especially since he’s not a native. I wouldn’t want to be out there alone.”

“What? You’re not—”

“They need us all now for the negotiation.” Shelly bit the side of her mouth and looked away. “It was clear from what they were saying—no more losses, that’s what they called Zuka’s craziness. Anyway. . .” She took in a deep breath and rubbed her ankles. “I’d never make it across the basin alive.”

“But you weren’t on their list, they don’t need you.

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