Paige folded her hands together to stop them from trembling. The combination of lack of sleep and food had dropped her blood pressure and left her feeling lightheaded. And the fact that in another ten hours one of them could be lying in a freshly dug plot beside Taz if something didn’t change hadn’t helped the rising panic pressing hard against her chest.
She drew in a labored breath. She’d been the one who’d frantically tried in vain to breathe life back into Taz’s limp body, and now all she could see was the vivid image of Jonas’ gun, Taz’s body slipping from the log onto the hard ground, and Ashley screaming . . .
Her fingers clamped onto the fabric of her shirt as another wave of dizziness hit. She reached for one of the small, red bananas the women had brought with breakfast. As much as she didn’t want to eat, not eating would only mess further with her blood sugar and make things worse. Not that the situation could get much worse. She hadn’t believed Jonas would follow through with his threat. Hadn’t truly believed he’d pulled the trigger. But he had. And now she couldn’t help but wonder how many more were going to die before this nightmare was over.
“Paige.”
She looked up at Nick, who sat beside her on the reed mat, and studied his day-old stubble and the creases along his forehead that seemed more pronounced today. They’d let him stay with her in the isolation hut, making him the one anchor in a world quickly drifting out of control, but even his presence couldn’t erase the horror of the situation.
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “I missed what you were saying.”
“Don’t be sorry. We’re all distracted.” Nick blew on the tin mug of coffee he held, then shot her a smile that managed to help calm the churning inside her. “How’s Ashley?”
“I had to give her a sedative so she would sleep.”
Nick scratched the back of his neck. “Unfortunately, things aren’t going to get better unless we can find a way out of here.”
Paige glanced at one of the rebels, who sat dozing under a shade tree. At the moment, no one seemed to notice their presence. Brandon and Samson had joined them a few moments ago without any comment from the guards, but she knew that the rules — whatever they were — could change in an instant and they could all be separated.
Brandon nodded at Nick’s observation. “Especially now that it’s clear the rebels have every intention of following through with their threats. We have to find a way to communicate with the outside world.”
Nick took another sip of his drink, then cleared his throat. “We can be fairly certain that the embassy knows we’re in the camp because of the photos they took, but as far as we know, no one knows the exact location of the camp.”
“That is the problem.” Samson spoke up for the first time. “We might have narrowed it down for them, but these forests are thick and dense and go on forever.”
Paige’s frown deepened. “It still could take days for them to locate where we are.”
Nick tossed the rest of his coffee onto the ground behind them, leaving a dark line across the red dirt. “And time is not something we have in abundance.”
“We could try to break into their supply hut.” Samson nodded toward the far edge of the compound. “I am certain they have communication equipment stored in there.”
Paige mulled over the idea. From what she’d gathered from talking with Nick, and from her own observations, this camp, while newly established, was the rebels’ main base. Communication with the other rebel fronts scattered throughout the country was done by both radios and cell and satellite phones, which allowed them tactical coordination and the element of surprise. The fact that the RD didn’t have the technology to trace those calls and locate their position gave them yet another advantage.
“All we need is access to a satellite phone.” Brandon shoved his breakfast aside, clearly intrigued with the idea. “Most have advanced GPS signals, and if we called the embassy, there’s a good chance the U.S. military could pick up our location.”
Paige shook her head. In her mind, the risk was still far too great. “There are at least twenty-five to thirty guards surrounding this compound at all times. I don’t see how breaking into their supply hut is even a possibility.”
Nick picked up a stick and began doodling in the dirt. “She’s right. They’re everywhere. We’d never get past them.”
Paige reached up and rubbed her temples, which wouldn’t stop pounding. The pain didn’t help when trying to come up with a foolproof escape plan. She looked toward the isolation hut where she’d spent the past few hours. She was only out here now because Ngozi had agreed she could take a short break to eat the breakfast the women had prepared for them. Her time could be up at any minute.
They needed that satellite equipment. And if they couldn’t break in . . .
Paige’s gaze snapped back to the hut. “What about Ngozi?”
“What about him?” Nick asked.
“I think I might be able to get him to help us.”
Brandon shook his head. “Why would he ever agree to do that?”
“Because his daughter’s situation is deteriorating.” She pressed her hands against her thighs. “Serious cases of encephalitis are difficult to treat because too often the disease doesn’t respond to medications. But there are some antiviral drugs that could help reduce the swelling and pressure in her skull. Without them, though, her chances to survive are slim.”
Nick’s eyes brightened. “Which might just give us the leverage we need.”
“Maybe.” Brandon scratched the back of his neck. His motivation to leave came from more than just Jonas’ threats. The fact that Jodi had been left at the camp with little if any medical help had them both worried. “But it still sounds like a pretty big risk to me. If he doesn’t want to help us, then he’ll tell Jonas, and we’ll end up paying with our lives. Or what if he knows the call could be traced?”
Nick snapped his stick in half. “These guys were trained to be soldiers, and while their leaders might take precautions by switching phones and limiting their airtime, I doubt that most of them know much about this kind of technology.”
“He’s right.” The guard stirred, so Paige lowered her voice as a precaution. “I’m not saying it’s not a risk, but I don’t think we have a choice. Ngozi is different from the others. He believes in the rebels’ cause, but he also cares deeply for his daughter, and I don’t think he’s willing to let her die.”
“You think you can convince him to let us use the phone?”
Paige nodded. “Just let me talk to him.”
Nick glanced at his watch. “I think it’s the best option we’ve got so far. Whatever we do, it’s going to take time to get someone here, and we’re going to have to move quickly. I don’t plan on burying another body tonight.”
Brandon nodded toward the gate. “I haven’t seen Jonas for the past couple hours, but Nzogi’s here.”
Nick grabbed Paige’s hand, lacing their fingers together as she stood. “Be careful. Promise me.”
Paige nodded at his tender expression, closed her eyes for a brief moment, then started across the dusty compound and started praying. She could do this.
“Ngozi.”
He leaned against the cinder-block wall near the front gate, smoking a cigarette. “What?”
“I need to talk to you about your daughter.” She studied his dark, leathery expression, praying for a way to invoke his help, not his anger. “She’s not doing well.”
“That is why I brought you here.”
“That might not be enough. Your daughter is very sick, and if I don’t get the proper medicines, she’s going to die.” Paige paused. “I need access to a satellite phone.”
Ngozi flicked his cigarette butt onto the dirt, then turned back to face her. “You cannot be serious?”
Paige caught the irritation in his voice, but knew she couldn’t back down now. “There are certain medicines that will lessen the swelling of the brain and stop the seizures.”
Ngozi shook his head. “Even if I had access to one, do you actually think I would allow you to use it?”
“Your daughter’s life is on the line.”
”You are bluffing.”
“No, I’m not. You’ve seen her. She’ll die without the necessary treatment.”
“Even if it is true, you know I cannot do what you are asking.”
“Why not? I know you love your daughter. I’ve seen the way you treat her, and the way you ask about her. I want to help. We aren’t near any hospitals, and even if we were, I would assume that as one of the rebel leaders your photo has been posted in every police station
from here to the capital. This is the quickest way I know of to get her the help she needs.”
Ngozi pulled out a matchbox from his pocket and lit another cigarette. “What exactly are you proposing?”
“Nick has a friend who could fly in on a helicopter with the medicine I need. All he would need to do is drop off the supplies, then leave.”
“Jonas would kill me if he found out that I took a risk like this.”
“Then we make sure Jonas doesn’t find out.”
Ngozi took in another long drag. “I don’t know.”
“We need that medicine, Ngozi. You can save your daughter. It’s up to you.”
“Jonas is gone and won’t be back until late tonight.” Ngozi glanced at his watch for a moment as if still debating his answer. “I could organize the drop site away from the compound, but only if Nick goes with me. And the only person I want on that aircraft is the pilot. No one else. He makes the drop and leaves while I hold a gun to Nick’s head. If anything goes wrong, Nick dies.”
Paige weighed her options. If they wanted to get out alive, this might be their only chance. And she knew Nick would agree. She drew in a deep breath, then nodded her head. “It’s a deal. Now get me that phone.”