Alex woke at the crack of dawn. Beside her, on the bed, Sam was still sound asleep. She placed her hand on his forehead. There was no sign of a fever and even in the dim light of the room, she could see his coloring had returned to almost normal. That was positive. She walked across to the window and peered through the faded brown curtains. The view was nothing spectacular. Their room looked out onto the forest behind the house. Peering through the tall trees, the sun’s rays still sat low. She walked over to the door and popped her head out into the corridor. It was as quiet and desolate as it was the night before. She shut the door again. Sam would be hungry when he woke but she doubted there would be a buffet set up in a dining room somewhere. She would have to leave to find them something to eat and drink. She slipped her shoes on and grabbed her backpack from the chair in the corner and, with her hand on the doorknob, stopped. She should take the gun. Just in case. Sam would be fine until she got back.
With the gun safely tucked in the small of her back, she walked down the quiet corridor toward the reception, expecting to see someone behind the counter. There was still no one. The money box and keys were untouched. The small office behind the desk was also empty. Unsurprisingly there were no other rooms or a dining area where breakfast was served nor another human in sight. Outside the front door, their rental car was still the only one in the barren parking lot. She wiped her brow. It was already hot and humid even though the sun hadn’t risen yet.
At her feet, a visible line of blood ran through the sand and stopped at the car so, without hesitation, she quickly dragged her feet across the trail, sweeping the sand over the blood to cover it up. The blood on the car seat had dried entirely during the night, but the mat under the pedals was still soaked. She paused, briefly surveying the area before quickly dumping the soaked mat in the trunk and then casually slipped in behind the wheel. The screeching stick shift echoed loudly through the quiet morning air.
“Oh, stupid thing, come on!” She moaned at it in annoyance as she often got when she had no sleep.
Another couple of tries and she successfully drove off onto the tarred road toward the village. She hadn’t realized they were so far out of the town; it was a solid fifteen minutes before dozens of commuters on their mopeds and tuk-tuks raced past her. The small village was already a flurry of chaos as the locals made their way to their workplaces. Leaning forward over the steering wheel, she drove slowly along the bustling road, inviting quite a couple of beeping motorists’ horns urging her to get out of their way. Though there were many stalls and supermarkets toward the center of the town, she concluded it would be safest to go back to the shop she had bought the medical supplies from the night before. If she recalled correctly it should be right around the next corner. It wasn’t long before she found it. Unlike the night before, there were crates of fresh fruit and vegetables displayed on the sidewalk in front of the door. She slipped the car into the vacant parking a short distance from the shop. Perhaps it was best to hide the car in plain sight she concluded.
The familiar chime of the doorbell announced her presence. To her surprise, the shop assistant from the night before was not there. In her stead was a much older male Alex estimated to be in his retirement years. Perhaps it was her father and the thought crossed her mind if he had any idea of his daughter’s associations with protecting citizens.
A young couple stood in the corner deliberating over cold drinks in the fridge in front of them, but apart from them, the shop was empty. Alex moved across to the fridge next to the couple and grabbed two orange juices from the rack and then moved further down the narrow aisle to the opposite end. The shelf displayed an array of quick cook noodles. It will have to do, she thought. She grabbed four containers and carried it close against her chest held in place by her forearm to the checkout. On the counter, a delicious aroma of freshly baked rolls in a basket filled the air, and she popped four into the brown paper bag that lay on the counter next to it. Satisfied with her breakfast selection, she left the shop and was back in the car heading toward their safehouse.
Until now she hadn’t been hungry at all but the delicious scent of the fresh bread surged hunger pangs through her body. She reached over to the paper bag on the seat next to her and pulled out one of the rolls. Seconds later the bread roll went flying through the air as a hard knock hit the car from behind, thrusting her head forward.
“What on earth?” She shouted at the black van visible in her rearview mirror. “Watch where you’re going!” She shouted throwing her arms in the air.
But it was no accident. Her words had barely been spoken and the van rammed her again. Alex gripped the steering wheel and straightened into the seat. Her eyes were fixed on the rearview mirror as she stared at the two Asian men in the van behind her. Her foot pushed down harder on the accelerator, propelling her car forward. The road lay long and straight ahead of her. Several cars passed her from the front going toward the village. She would reach the safehouse in about ten minutes if she continued. Even so, she can’t go there now with them following her. It would expose their hiding place and Sam was in no condition to run on foot anywhere. She watched as the black van gained on her and rammed into her again. This time hard enough to have her lose control of the car and swerve into the oncoming traffic, missing it by a margin before turning back into her lane.
“You’re going to kill me!” she shouted as if the Asian men could hear. With the road up ahead clear from any oncoming cars the van gained speed and pulled up next to her. She gathered more speed in a futile attempt to outdrive them, but the minibus followed suit and rammed into her side. Her wheels slipped off the road and hit the gravel, grazing several low bearing shrubs in its path. Fear ripped through her body sending her pulse into a thudding irregular rhythm. She jerked the steering wheel and slammed on the brakes. The vehicle spun around twice and somehow landed back on the road facing the direction of the village.
In her rearview mirror, the black van slammed on its brakes to turn around. This was her chance to get away. Miraculously she shoved the gear into place and sped off toward the village, keeping her eyes pinned on the van that was still trying to make a u-turn behind her. Her heart was beating out of control. Adrenaline soared through her veins as she pushed her foot flat on the accelerator to gain enough distance between them. It didn’t take her long to reach the village, and she turned down the now familiar street where her little supply shop was. The street was busy and forced her to slow down. The van was still not in sight. She recalled seeing another road turn up ahead but directly in front of her an elderly lady on her sidecar motorcycle took her sweet time.
“Oh come on lady, move out the way!” she shouted sounding her horn to hurry her along.
The commuter was undeterred by Alex’s rudeness behind her and arrogantly stuck to her speed and lane. Alex jerked the car to the left and crossed lanes to overtake the woman, cutting her off as she came back into the right lane. Behind her the black van just turned into the road, crisscrossing past several cars in an attempt to gain on her.
The thought of being caught didn’t enter her mind as she fought through the heavy traffic. Alex pushed down on the pedal and almost hit another motorcycle family. She swerved onto the pavement to avoid the family, and collided with several hawkers’ trolleys. Colorful umbrellas and fruit pieces exploded into the air.
“Sorry!” She yelled apologetically out the window as she struggled to gain control of the car and bring it back onto the road again. Her eyes spotted the van battling through the busy road behind her. Deciding not to play by the traffic rules anymore, she yanked the wheel directing the car across the opposite lane and turned into a side road, narrowly missing an oncoming vehicle. She had already upset most of the villagers so why stop now? She made another quick turn into a smaller obscured side street and pushed the car to go faster. If her orientation was correct, she was driving back in the direction of the road to the safehouse and parallel to the one they came racing down. The van was nowhere in sight. With any luck she outwitted them. She flung her head around to have a proper look behind her and spotted the nose of the van turning into the road behind her.
Determined to get away she clenched down on her jaw and fixed her gaze on the road ahead. She had no idea how they had managed to track her location but she wasn’t about to give up without a fight even if they did have the advantage in knowing these streets back to front. She’d just have to be smart about.
Her eyes scoured both sides of the road, but there was no way out. Apart from a couple of narrow alleyways there were no alternate routes to deviate to. Her foot flattened the accelerator as she sped the car through the thankfully quiet street. The road to the motel was directly ahead, but she still couldn’t risk leading them straight to their location. She would circle around again! Yes, that should work.
With a clear plan in her head, she turned left around the block and raced down the busy street. This time, she stopped at nothing and no one. They would have to get out of her way if they didn’t want to get run down. By her calculations, the van should have turned into the top road only now. Her eyes frantically scanned for another alley or side road. There! She somehow missed it on the first run. Again she swerved the car across the busy road and drove straight into the almost invisible side street that turned out to be an extremely narrow alleyway. The car’s nose scraped the brick wall before bouncing off and hitting the opposite wall, taking the side mirror with it. With any luck there would be no way the much larger van would fit between those walls. She hurried the vehicle up the alley which joined up with the parallel street. This shortcut would have shaved off a substantial amount of time and allowed for her to gain a significant distance. If she could just avoid them seeing her altogether and turn the corner in time before they drove down the road behind her she’d be scot-free. She dropped a gear and pushed the pedal hard into the floorboard sending her bouncing into the air when she hit a small bump in the road. Fifty feet...thirty…ten, she turned left into the side street while looking back to see if she beat the van. She did. They must still be stuck in the busy street, she thought with glee. The tires screeched around the corner and her wheels scraped the sidewalk, but she had made it. Just ahead lay the road to the motel where she could gain even more distance if she kept her foot on the accelerator. Convinced she was in the clear she decided to risk it. She would turn right onto the road and race like mad for the motel. It’s now or never.
But every so often her eyes looked up at the rearview mirror. The street was still clear behind her. The road was coming up ahead and the car was traveling at a rapid speed. She would have to hold her pace for her escape to work and hope and pray she doesn’t crash into any crossing traffic. She couldn’t slow down now much less stop to comfortably make the turn into the street. It was a tight corner and she ran the risk of flipping the car, but it was a risk she was prepared to take.
With her foot flat on the pedal and both hands gripped firmly around the steering wheel, she shut one eye and turned right into the road. The shrill shriek of the wheels against the asphalt road pierced the air as she came around the corner. She felt her body tilt to the side as two of the wheels lifted off the road. An oncoming tuk-tuk just escaped the rear of the car and she swung the steering into the opposite direction, thumping the two airborne wheels back down on the ground. She could no longer feel her heart that five minutes ago still hammered hard against her chest. Her legs were too numb to release her foot from the floor pedal and she barely blinked. It was a race against time now so she kept going never once looking back.
She had no idea how she had managed to get to the motel parking in one piece, but she did. That was all that mattered. Afraid the van would undoubtedly spot her car in the parking, she drove around the back of the building in between the tall trees and parked the vehicle practically right outside their bedroom window. The car was entirely concealed and would not be visible from the road.
It was only when she switched the ignition off that she was conscious of breathing again and she lifted her hands that were shaking uncontrollably off the wheel. She flung the door open, desperate to get some air, and fell to the ground. Her lungs drew in gasps of oxygen as she struggled to maintain control over her body. Sam! She had been gone for hours and never left him a note. He would be worried sick by now, or dead. She pulled her body up against the car, making every effort to calm her rattling knees. The bag of breakfast supplies on the passenger seat had fallen off onto the floor and she felt the hard edge of the driver’s seat push through her tummy as she stretched across to the passenger side to shove the noodles and scattered bread rolls back into the bag. With the shopping bag and her backpack in hand she pushed the motel’s door open. She was a rattling mess when she burst into their hotel room and slammed the door behind her.
The commotion startled Sam who had been sitting up in bed waiting for her. On impulse, he instinctively grabbed the metal dish from the side table and flung it at the door. Alex ducked and just missed the metal object from hitting her arm.
“What the… Alex, you scared the daylights out of me! I could have killed you!” Sam let out.
“Not likely, you throw like a girl,” she said trying hard to hide her still trembling body.
She should have known she couldn’t hide anything from Sam. His startled look instantly turned to concern.
“What’s wrong? Are you ok? Where have you been?” Sam fired questions at her.
Alex walked over to the bathroom and splashed several hands full of cold water on her face. Sam knew something bad had happened when she returned, her hands still shaking. He gently squeezed her hand and pulled her down to sit next to him on the bed.
“Alex, talk to me. This is me, remember? You know you don’t have to raise your guard with me.”
Sam was right. Alex trusted him with her life. He always made her feel safe.
She lifted her head and allowed the tears to run freely down her cheeks.
“They almost got me, Sam. They almost got me,” she sobbed uncontrollably.
Sam pulled her head to his chest and held her tight.
“Shh, you’re safe now, calm down. It’s okay.”
Alex raised her head, wiped her face, and stared into his eyes. “How is it that you’re always so strong, Sam? I am supposed to give you TLC for a change. You’re the patient remember?” She said with a faint smile.
Sam cupped her face with his hand. “Right now, I think, you might need it more than me.”
His hand felt strong and tender on her skin, and she found herself leaning into his hand for added comfort. Unfamiliar feelings warmed her insides where moments ago it was still gripped by fear. She knew she felt safe with Sam, but this? This she couldn’t quite explain. She jumped to her feet quickly and wiped her face with her sleeve before moving to the door to pick up the shopping bag from the floor.
“I got breakfast. It’s not waffles and bacon, but it will have to do.” She pulled out the containers of quick cooking noodles. “I also have fresh orange juice,” she added with a smile, avoiding his eyes.
Within minutes she had busied herself with boiling the kettle and cooking the noodles before popping a container of noodles into Sam’s hands. She kept her distance and took a seat on the chair in the corner of the room.
“It’s okay, Alex. I don’t bite, you know,” Sam teased.
Alex blushed. “I know,” she said before stuffing another plastic fork full of noodles in her mouth. “How is your leg?” She finally said.
“Tip-top Dr. Hunt. You did a mighty good job at removing that bullet, I’ll tell you that. And, may I add, with no help from me at all. I’m impressed.”
Alex smiled politely. “Have you managed to check the wound? I guess we’d have to clean it, no?”
“Already done. It looks as if I got lucky. It missed my femoral artery and the bone. The bullet would have fractured into pieces if it hit the bone or artery in which case I would have bled to death in minutes. Did you have to cut any muscle to get to the bullet?”
“Nope, it was tucked underneath. I couldn’t get the pliers in so I pulled it out with my fingers. You passed out when I chucked the entire contents of that white bottle in the wound to stop the bleeding,” pointing to the bottle with her fork.
“Well, whatever it was certainly did the trick. I managed to put weight on the leg already and got to the bathroom and back. You did an excellent job. I just have a tiny issue of concern, though.”
Alex stopped eating and frowned. “What?”
Sam giggled. “Nothing too serious, you just shredded my jeans, so I have nothing to wear, that’s all,” casting his eyes to his torn denim pants lying on the chair behind her.
Her cheeks flooded a bright red as she realized what he was saying.
“You mean you’re not wearing any pants under those covers?” Alex exclaimed in shock and horror.
“Starkers,” Sam laughed sarcastically.
He loved teasing her and burst out laughing when she politely turned her back to him and covered her eyes.
“Relax, I still have my jocks on and there should be another pair in the trunk of the car. You do still have the car, don’t you?”
Alex rolled her eyes and laughed. “Most of it. Speaking of, I narrowly escaped two Asians who tried to ram me off the road this morning, and you almost got killed last night. They’re on the prowl for us. Whatever the reason, they won’t stop until they find us. This village is too small for us to go unnoticed so I am of the opinion that we shouldn’t attempt finding this man Yheng-Pho referred us to. We might not be so lucky a second time around. We should get out of here. I recall Yheng-Pho saying there was a pagoda in a town called Soc Trang. We should move our search there.”
Sam pulled the map from his backpack next to him on the floor.
“You’re right. It’s not safe here. Soc Trang is south from here, about four hours by car. We should hang low here until nightfall and then make our way there. Did you hide the car?”
“I did. It’s parked between the trees right outside our window. I shook them off my tail in the village, so we should be ok here for the next couple of hours. Get some rest.”