Honduras, 2016
David Hayward did something rare for him. He sat quietly and kept his mouth shut.
He had to. He was waiting for salvation and hoped it would come. No, hope was too optimistic of a word. He groveled, pleaded, and prayed to a deity that he wasn't even on speaking terms with.
The jungle undergrowth had slapped and cut him. His lungs still burned from running, and his shoulder ached where the butt of a rifle had punched him. His dingy gray t-shirt was drenched in sweat; his hair was unkempt with bits of bracken still tangled in its stands. There was at least three days of stubble on his chin. His hands were spread on the rough-hewn table he was seated at, and he did his best to keep them still so the handcuffs that bound them wouldn't bite into the skin of his wrists. His ankles were bound to a chair; a set of iron leg cuffs was currently immobilizing his legs. They had hefted up the bottom of his pant legs when they had been placed, and the feeling of the cold metal on his skin told him that there was no use trying to pull free. The rifles in the hands of the guards also kept him still.
He heard the sound of voices speaking rapidly outside of his holding cell, but he couldn't make out the words. From the timbre of the exchange, he could tell there was an argument happening on the other side of the door. And then there was silence. Fifteen minutes passed, and David began to resign himself to the fact that he was going to remain here in this hell of a prison.
Defeated, he looked down and kept his eyes there until suddenly he heard the door creak on its hinges could see a familiar set of legs move into his field of vision, and he blinked several times before glancing up. Something about the sound of her heels clicking on the concrete floor was like hearing a choir from heaven. Never had he been happier to see anyone, even the cold frustrated look on her face was beautiful.
"You came," he said, leaning back in his chair; even in his state of sudden relief, he was unable to keep his smirk hidden.
There she stood, his guardian angel in a smart black suit and stiletto boots. Her dark eyes pinned to his, and the humidity of their location has set her dark hair in waves framing her face. She looked completely at ease with her surroundings and somehow seemed to belong in the dingy guard-filled room. David reached out towards her, but the guard standing next to him wrapped his knuckles swiftly with the baton in his hand. David bit back a curse and put his hands back down.
"You look terrible."
"You always knew how to lift a man's spirits. It's good to see you too."
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to find you in a Honduran jail cell." Her elegant, accented voice dripped with sarcasm, but it didn't bother him. He was just so happy to see her.
"You are the only person I know whose name seems to carry any weight in this country. You say Anna Devane, and suddenly everyone is standing at attention."
"Did you start with my name?"
"No, honestly, I had hoped to avoid having you see me in this state, but desperate times call for desperate measures. And don't tell me you aren't a little pleased to see me."
That got him an icy glare before her features smoothed once more.
"Do you need medical attention?" she asked plainly.
"No, I'm a little worse for wear, but I'm still in one piece."
"What did you do, David? The government was vague on the charges against you. Something about 1,400 kilos of cocaine and attempting to bribe officials to get it out of the country."
"It's not what it looks like, I swear, Anna."
"Enlighten me then. And you have one minute to make your case."
"I work for Surgeons of Hope. We provide care for children with heart conditions and other ailments. Cocaine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system by inhibiting catecholamine reuptake at sympathetic nerve terminals, stimulating central sympathetic outflow and increasing the sensitivity of adrenergic nerve endings to norepinephrine. Cocaine also acts as a class I antiarrhythmic agent by blocking sodium and potassium channels, which depresses cardiovascular parameters."
"English, David."
"I have been working on a drug protocol that could revolutionize how we care for children with a variety of heart conditions. Alkaloids like cocaine could have important medical uses if they are properly researched. Also, did you know cocaine is a particularly effective local anesthetic that works by blocking nerve impulses?"
"I thought you were banned from drug research in exchange for regaining your medical license. Why would you jeopardize that?"
"Because the good I could do outweighed my concern about the means, I would have to resort to obtaining it."
"Interesting story. I'm here to facilitate your transfer to the U.S. embassy in Tegucigalpa. There you will have all the resources you need while you wait for your charges to be filed. They will ensure fair treatment; provide information about the local legal process, as well as a list of local attorneys that might be able to help you fight your charges. They should be able to move you in a week or so. What you do after that is up to you." She turned and walked towards the door.
"Wait! You are just going to leave me here?" he said incredulously.
Anna placed her hand on the doorknob and then stopped and turned back to face him.
"You asked for my help, and I'm providing it. A thank you would be appropriate at this moment, David." She flung the last sentence at him explosively, and David felt sufficiently humbled.
"Thank you," he said with as much sincerity as his voice could convey. "But I thought you were going to get me out. Aren't there any favors you can call in through the WSB or any other agency you have worked for?"
She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Do you think I should waste a favor on you? This isn't life and death, David; it's just an inconvenience to you. You will be out in a week, and I'd say that is a pretty good outcome considering the charges against you."
"But that's where you are wrong. It is life and death, Anna. I have patients that need me—vulnerable children with heart conditions that need my help. The faster I get back to Managua, the better chance these kids have of living full lives. Preventing suffering that is my only goal, and if pursuing that led me here, then I still think it was worth the attempt."
She looked skeptical, but he pressed on.
"It's the truth, Anna. I swear on Leora-"
Anna started and took a step back. "Don't do that. Don't use her memory to gain my sympathy."
"I'm sorry, that's not what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to make you believe me. I was at the wrong place at the wrong time but for the right reasons. Everything I told you about my motives is true. Please help me, Anna."
Unconvinced brown eyes lifted to meet his. Then she sighed a heavy sigh and closed her eyes for a moment. He got the impression that she was counting to ten. Her eyes opened and fixed on him. Then he saw her face soften a fraction before she turned around and walked out the door.
David smiled. He knew he could count on her.
A half-hour later, he was freed from his restraints, and the guards helped him to the infirmary. Perhaps help wasn't exactly the right word; they'd shoved, pushed, prodded, and forced him through those doors, he was given a rough exam, his personal effects and passport were returned to him, well minus his money and his watch, but that was a small price to pay in the end. Anna rejoined him, and the Honduran officers led them to a small plane while ignoring the confused looks of the people they encountered on their way; fortunately, there weren't too many: once they saw the guns, they looked elsewhere as if they weren't there. Clever people. Fifteen minutes later, they finally got into the plane. The trip to Tegucigalpa was short and uneventful except for the ominous dark clouds that were gathering on the horizon.
Anna saw him gaze out of the window and offered an explanation. "There is a tropical storm headed this way. A flood watch is in effect until Sunday. But don't worry. The embassy might let you sleep in their lobby before the weather gets too bad."
"You aren't going to leave me out in a storm, are you?" he said, unable to hide the hint of panic he felt.
She looked at him and then smiled and mercifully shook her head. "No. I guess I can't. You can come with me. I have a hotel room reserved so you can stay out of the rain. For now."
David relaxed and leaned back into his seat. Anna Devane and a king-sized bed? His day was really looking up.