All eyes focused on Dora. Had she just asked Joe to sacrifice himself?
"No!" declared Mr. Hardy, moving toward them.
"Anything," Joe agreed, ignoring his father. Jima and Cora took Mr. Hardy's arms and pulled him back.
"It's okay," Cora whispered, trying to calm the worried father.
Dora removed a knife from her skirt. "A small cut," she instructed. "Then let your blood, your essence, spill onto his lips."
Joe didn't believe in this mumbo jumbo, but he would try anything to have his brother back to normal. He brought the blade to his arm, wincing as it pierced his skin and blood began to seep out. He held his arm over Frank's face and let the blood drop to his lips as Dora stood and, once again, began chanting and dancing.
Minutes passed and Joe, bleeding already stopped, lowered his arm. Dora's voice became louder and louder and her movements more erratic.
All eyes were on Dora as she danced around the two brothers. A low moan, unheard by all but Joe, caused him to look down. "Frank!" Joe cried out. Dora fell to the ground as Jima and Cora restrained the others from rushing over.
Frank moved his head, his lips moving, a bare whisper coming out. Tears fell from Joe's eyes as he pushed the hair from his brother's forehead. "It's okay, bro," Joe told him. "You're safe now."
Frank began trembling and Dora stood up, shouting orders to her daughter and grandson.
Jima and his mom left, returning with a blanket and some water. Mr. Hardy helped Jima wrap Frank in the blanket, then held him tight as Cora held the cup of water to Frank's lips.
Frank was carried inside and placed on the sofa, then Cora left to get a first aid kit. When she returned, she cleaned and bandaged Joe's arm.
Dora left the group, returning to her bedroom to rest "Thank you," Mr. Hardy told her before she left.
"Be careful," she warned. "As long as you remain in Haiti, you, your family, and friends," she added, looking around, "are in danger."
Cora escorted her mother to her room then went to make some tea. When she returned, she brought Frank a steaming cup.
"Gently," she told him, making sure he did no more than sip.
By the time Frank finished the tea he had ceased trembling and was aware of his surroundings.
"Welcome back, brother," Joe told him, a relieved smile on his weary face. "You gave me enough scares to last ten lifetimes," he added, ruffling Frank's dirty hair.
Frank smiled wanly, his eyes heavy. "S....s....so....sorry," he stuttered softly.
"He must rest before he journeys back to the Duvalier plantation," Cora stated. "If you gentlemen would carry him, I will put him in Jima's room," she said to Mr. Hardy and Dr. Duvalier, who readily agreed and lifted Frank off the sofa.
"We'll be outside," Jima told his mother as she walked past him.
"That would be best," she agreed. "Frank needs quiet."
Jima, Joe and the others left the house. They discussed the cave, the screams, and the digging.
"And they were digging on our plantation?" Jima demanded, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief. "But why?" he asked. "We would never use this type of labor."
"Jima, your brother, Kreg, said he was in charge of everything," Joe said, trying to phrase the question he wanted to ask without making Jima mad. "Do you think he suspects someone of this type of thing?"
"Or maybe he has come across an area which has been worked but wasn't supposed to be?" Phil added to Joe's question, also careful of his wording.
"My brother would never allow such activities to continue," Jima stated at once. "But then, he would not accuse someone without proof, either." He looked Joe in the eyes. "It is possible he may have seen or heard something. I will talk to him."
"Can we talk to him?" Chet piped up.
"Not this time," Jima replied appologetically. "Kreg is a private person. He would tell me if he suspected something was going on but he would not say anything if you were there."
"Is it okay if we look around while you talk to Kreg?" Joe asked.
"Of course," Jima agreed at once. "Just do not get lost," he added.
"We can cover more ground if we seperate," Joe said. "Kreg could be involved and if so, I doubt he'll tell Jima anything."
"You trust Jima?" Phil asked.
"Yes," Joe agreed at once. "If it weren't for him, we never would have thought about searching for Frank....just his corpse."
"And he wouldn't have said anything if he had been involved," Biff picked up on Joe's thinking.
"But what if he had no idea before he came home but found out after he arrived?" Phil asked, trying to cover all the angles.
"Then why help us get Frank better?" Joe asked.
No one had an answer, so the four split up, agreeing to meet back at his house in an hour.
Joe headed toward the barn. The doors were open and Joe slipped inside. It was an old barn. Instead of horses and cows, this barn held field instruments and a tractor. Joe nosed around a bit. He was on his way out when he tripped over a shovel lying on the ground. Before he could stand, he heard voices heading his way. He obtained a squating position and peered around the tractor.
Joe watched the two men as they neared. Joe recognized Anthony at once. He seemed to be giving orders. Joe did not recognize the other man but decided to follow him if he could.
A few more words and Anthony left. The other man followed and Joe trailed a few feet behind. Anthony took off for the house while the man Joe followed, walked into the woods.
The boys headed back to the house and met Jima and his brothers there. Jima made the introductions then asked, "Where's Joe?"
"He was supposed to meet us here," Phil answered, concern creeping into his voice.
"He's only a few minutes late," Biff said, looking at his watch.
"Jima, why don't you show your friends the house while you wait for Joe?" Anthony suggested.
"An excellent idea," Jima agreed. "Just keep quiet so we don't disturb Frank or your grandmother, he cautioned his American friends.
As soon as Jima and the others began their tour, Jima's brothers left to tend to their various duties. Anthony stopped in the kitchen and picked up the phone. A few minutes later, he left the house, whistling.
Joe followed the man to a small shack almost a mile from the house. He knelt behind some bushes and watched as the man knocked, then entered.
Wanting to see what was going on, Joe crept closer to the shack. Seeing no one watching, he took up position at the only visible window and peered inside.
Joe saw the man he had been following sitting at a small table. A cup sat on the table across from him but there was no one else in the room.
"Must have gone into the back," Joe thought right before a thousand firecrackers exploded in his head.
"No!" declared Mr. Hardy, moving toward them.
"Anything," Joe agreed, ignoring his father. Jima and Cora took Mr. Hardy's arms and pulled him back.
"It's okay," Cora whispered, trying to calm the worried father.
Dora removed a knife from her skirt. "A small cut," she instructed. "Then let your blood, your essence, spill onto his lips."
Joe didn't believe in this mumbo jumbo, but he would try anything to have his brother back to normal. He brought the blade to his arm, wincing as it pierced his skin and blood began to seep out. He held his arm over Frank's face and let the blood drop to his lips as Dora stood and, once again, began chanting and dancing.
Minutes passed and Joe, bleeding already stopped, lowered his arm. Dora's voice became louder and louder and her movements more erratic.
All eyes were on Dora as she danced around the two brothers. A low moan, unheard by all but Joe, caused him to look down. "Frank!" Joe cried out. Dora fell to the ground as Jima and Cora restrained the others from rushing over.
Frank moved his head, his lips moving, a bare whisper coming out. Tears fell from Joe's eyes as he pushed the hair from his brother's forehead. "It's okay, bro," Joe told him. "You're safe now."
Frank began trembling and Dora stood up, shouting orders to her daughter and grandson.
Jima and his mom left, returning with a blanket and some water. Mr. Hardy helped Jima wrap Frank in the blanket, then held him tight as Cora held the cup of water to Frank's lips.
Frank was carried inside and placed on the sofa, then Cora left to get a first aid kit. When she returned, she cleaned and bandaged Joe's arm.
Dora left the group, returning to her bedroom to rest "Thank you," Mr. Hardy told her before she left.
"Be careful," she warned. "As long as you remain in Haiti, you, your family, and friends," she added, looking around, "are in danger."
Cora escorted her mother to her room then went to make some tea. When she returned, she brought Frank a steaming cup.
"Gently," she told him, making sure he did no more than sip.
By the time Frank finished the tea he had ceased trembling and was aware of his surroundings.
"Welcome back, brother," Joe told him, a relieved smile on his weary face. "You gave me enough scares to last ten lifetimes," he added, ruffling Frank's dirty hair.
Frank smiled wanly, his eyes heavy. "S....s....so....sorry," he stuttered softly.
"He must rest before he journeys back to the Duvalier plantation," Cora stated. "If you gentlemen would carry him, I will put him in Jima's room," she said to Mr. Hardy and Dr. Duvalier, who readily agreed and lifted Frank off the sofa.
"We'll be outside," Jima told his mother as she walked past him.
"That would be best," she agreed. "Frank needs quiet."
Jima, Joe and the others left the house. They discussed the cave, the screams, and the digging.
"And they were digging on our plantation?" Jima demanded, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief. "But why?" he asked. "We would never use this type of labor."
"Jima, your brother, Kreg, said he was in charge of everything," Joe said, trying to phrase the question he wanted to ask without making Jima mad. "Do you think he suspects someone of this type of thing?"
"Or maybe he has come across an area which has been worked but wasn't supposed to be?" Phil added to Joe's question, also careful of his wording.
"My brother would never allow such activities to continue," Jima stated at once. "But then, he would not accuse someone without proof, either." He looked Joe in the eyes. "It is possible he may have seen or heard something. I will talk to him."
"Can we talk to him?" Chet piped up.
"Not this time," Jima replied appologetically. "Kreg is a private person. He would tell me if he suspected something was going on but he would not say anything if you were there."
"Is it okay if we look around while you talk to Kreg?" Joe asked.
"Of course," Jima agreed at once. "Just do not get lost," he added.
"We can cover more ground if we seperate," Joe said. "Kreg could be involved and if so, I doubt he'll tell Jima anything."
"You trust Jima?" Phil asked.
"Yes," Joe agreed at once. "If it weren't for him, we never would have thought about searching for Frank....just his corpse."
"And he wouldn't have said anything if he had been involved," Biff picked up on Joe's thinking.
"But what if he had no idea before he came home but found out after he arrived?" Phil asked, trying to cover all the angles.
"Then why help us get Frank better?" Joe asked.
No one had an answer, so the four split up, agreeing to meet back at his house in an hour.
Joe headed toward the barn. The doors were open and Joe slipped inside. It was an old barn. Instead of horses and cows, this barn held field instruments and a tractor. Joe nosed around a bit. He was on his way out when he tripped over a shovel lying on the ground. Before he could stand, he heard voices heading his way. He obtained a squating position and peered around the tractor.
Joe watched the two men as they neared. Joe recognized Anthony at once. He seemed to be giving orders. Joe did not recognize the other man but decided to follow him if he could.
A few more words and Anthony left. The other man followed and Joe trailed a few feet behind. Anthony took off for the house while the man Joe followed, walked into the woods.
The boys headed back to the house and met Jima and his brothers there. Jima made the introductions then asked, "Where's Joe?"
"He was supposed to meet us here," Phil answered, concern creeping into his voice.
"He's only a few minutes late," Biff said, looking at his watch.
"Jima, why don't you show your friends the house while you wait for Joe?" Anthony suggested.
"An excellent idea," Jima agreed. "Just keep quiet so we don't disturb Frank or your grandmother, he cautioned his American friends.
As soon as Jima and the others began their tour, Jima's brothers left to tend to their various duties. Anthony stopped in the kitchen and picked up the phone. A few minutes later, he left the house, whistling.
Joe followed the man to a small shack almost a mile from the house. He knelt behind some bushes and watched as the man knocked, then entered.
Wanting to see what was going on, Joe crept closer to the shack. Seeing no one watching, he took up position at the only visible window and peered inside.
Joe saw the man he had been following sitting at a small table. A cup sat on the table across from him but there was no one else in the room.
"Must have gone into the back," Joe thought right before a thousand firecrackers exploded in his head.