When Frank entered the kitchen the next morning for his one and only free meal of the day the other four boarders were already seated at the table along with another man who favored Tu-Lynn.
"Tim?" the man asked, quirking an eyebrow at Frank. Frank dipped his head in acknowledgement. "I'm Tu-Mey," he introduced himself in perfect English. "My brother informs me you are looking for work?"
"That's right," acknowledged Frank.
"I've been looking for a few more men for my operation and you look like you just might fit in," Tu-Mey said. "What kind of experience do you have?"
Frank gave a small shrug. "A little bit of everything," he answered. "I've done everything from take out the trash to install security systems."
"That's a bit diverse," Tu-Mey commented. Frank shrugged but did not reply. "Why did you come to Madagascar if you didn't have the money?"
Frank gave a small smirk. "I didn't really have much of a choice," he stated without elaborating.
"Do you have the required paperwork to work in this country?" Tu-Mey asked.
"No," Frank answered with a scowl.
"I can arrange for you to obtain it," Tu-Mey offered.
"No," Frank snapped hastily. "Don't worry about it and thanks for the offer but I'll find work somewhere else."
"No need," Tu-Mey assured him. "You really don't have to have papers to work for me. I pay in American dollars," he continued. "No paperwork involved."
"Sounds good," said Frank. "When do I start?"
"After breakfast?" Tu-Mey suggested. "I'll take care of your room and board here, as I do with my other employees," he added, waving a hand around the table.
"They all work for you?" inquired Frank.
"Tu-Mey is a good boss," Ben put in with a grin. "You can't knock the pay and the job is definitely interesting at times."
"What is the job?" asked Frank.
"Just do as you're told," Baldwin said, staring at Frank. "I'll show you the ropes. It won't take long for you to get into the swing of things." Frank was sure he was right, especially when you took into consideration the fact that Baldwin had himself just arrived here.
Six hours later Frank put the last barrel into place and secured the rope. He stepped back and checked the job he had just finished with a critical eye. "Not bad," Baldwin said, coming up behind Frank. "Ready to break for lunch?"
"And how," agreed Frank, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Let's get going then," Baldwin said. "I've got to make a quick stop before we eat."
"Where?" asked Frank.
"Tu-Mey's place," Baldwin answered. "He asked me to take care of something for him."
"What?" Frank asked.
Baldwin shrugged. "Some rodent," he replied with a short laugh. "Don't know why though," he added. "That pest won't be alive much longer."
"Is it sick or something?" asked Frank with forced calm. He knew the 'rodent' had to be Joe.
"Or something," Baldwin answered evasively.
"Wait here," Baldwin ordered Frank when they reached a large house not too far from where they had been working and pulling out a set of keys from his pocket.
Frank tried the door shortly after Baldwin disappeared inside but he had relocked it behind him. Frank wished he had the lock pick kit his dad had given him for Christmas the previous year but he had left it at home knowing it would have been confiscated by customs.
He moved to a side window and peered inside. He could see Baldwin carrying a large metal box through an open door but that was it. Frank frowned. A rat trap? he wondered. Maybe it really was a rodent Baldwin was taking care of. But Baldwin was behind Joe's abduction so he had to know where they took him. And since Tu-Mey treated Baldwin like he trusted him then Tu-Mey had to be connected to Joe's kidnapping as well.
Yes, decided Frank. He was definitely going to check Tu-Mey's place out. He returned to the back door and waited for Baldwin's return. A few minutes later, Baldwin exited the house and then he and Frank continued down the road to a little diner.
At lunch, Baldwin invited Frank to go with him to the pool hall after work. Frank agreed. The more time he spent with Baldwin the faster he could be trusted and the sooner he could get involved with the shadier dealings at the docks.
Frank tried to concentrate on what he was doing the rest of the afternoon but his thoughts kept wandering back to Tu-Mey's house and the 'rodent' Baldwin had been requested to take care of. Was Joe a prisoner there? Frank hoped so because the alternatives were almost too unbearable to contemplate. Death or slavery. The former probability wafted in his mind and refused to dissipate. He knew his brother well enough to know that he would die a horribly painful death rather than spend his life in abject servitude.
Forget the piracy! thought Frank, glancing over at Baldwin when he couldn't take it anymore. He had to find a way to ditch him for the afternoon so he could explore Tu-Mey's house.
After work Baldwin came over to Frank and clapped him on the back. "Not bad," he congratulated the youth. "Look like we're going to have to put off the pool for a bit," he continued. "Tu-Mey has a meeting with some businessman in town and he wants us to stand-by."
"Over time?" asked Frank, lifting his brow in surprise. "That sounds good."
"Indeed," Tu-Mey said, coming up behind them. "I pay well for overtime," Tu-Mey continued. "But, unfortunately, only a select few get to work it and you haven't been here long enough."
"Figures," Frank replied with as much bitterness as he could muster while containing his joy at being able to search Tu-Mey's home in peace.
"Yo, man," Ben said, joining the three. "What's up with the 'tude?"
Frank shrugged and walked away. Ben hurried over to catch up. "Don't be mad," Ben told Frank. "Tu-Mey's cool."
"Sure he is," snarled Frank. "He's just like my last boss. He didn't like me so he gave all the good details to anyone but me. But I showed him," he added only loud enough to barely be heard.
"What was that?" Ben demanded, pulling Frank to a stop.
"Nothing," Frank said and shook off Ben's hand. He continued out of the building, comfortable in the knowledge that his cover was growing more established and confident he would have time to look for Joe while Tu-Mey attended to his business.
"Tim?" the man asked, quirking an eyebrow at Frank. Frank dipped his head in acknowledgement. "I'm Tu-Mey," he introduced himself in perfect English. "My brother informs me you are looking for work?"
"That's right," acknowledged Frank.
"I've been looking for a few more men for my operation and you look like you just might fit in," Tu-Mey said. "What kind of experience do you have?"
Frank gave a small shrug. "A little bit of everything," he answered. "I've done everything from take out the trash to install security systems."
"That's a bit diverse," Tu-Mey commented. Frank shrugged but did not reply. "Why did you come to Madagascar if you didn't have the money?"
Frank gave a small smirk. "I didn't really have much of a choice," he stated without elaborating.
"Do you have the required paperwork to work in this country?" Tu-Mey asked.
"No," Frank answered with a scowl.
"I can arrange for you to obtain it," Tu-Mey offered.
"No," Frank snapped hastily. "Don't worry about it and thanks for the offer but I'll find work somewhere else."
"No need," Tu-Mey assured him. "You really don't have to have papers to work for me. I pay in American dollars," he continued. "No paperwork involved."
"Sounds good," said Frank. "When do I start?"
"After breakfast?" Tu-Mey suggested. "I'll take care of your room and board here, as I do with my other employees," he added, waving a hand around the table.
"They all work for you?" inquired Frank.
"Tu-Mey is a good boss," Ben put in with a grin. "You can't knock the pay and the job is definitely interesting at times."
"What is the job?" asked Frank.
"Just do as you're told," Baldwin said, staring at Frank. "I'll show you the ropes. It won't take long for you to get into the swing of things." Frank was sure he was right, especially when you took into consideration the fact that Baldwin had himself just arrived here.
Six hours later Frank put the last barrel into place and secured the rope. He stepped back and checked the job he had just finished with a critical eye. "Not bad," Baldwin said, coming up behind Frank. "Ready to break for lunch?"
"And how," agreed Frank, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Let's get going then," Baldwin said. "I've got to make a quick stop before we eat."
"Where?" asked Frank.
"Tu-Mey's place," Baldwin answered. "He asked me to take care of something for him."
"What?" Frank asked.
Baldwin shrugged. "Some rodent," he replied with a short laugh. "Don't know why though," he added. "That pest won't be alive much longer."
"Is it sick or something?" asked Frank with forced calm. He knew the 'rodent' had to be Joe.
"Or something," Baldwin answered evasively.
"Wait here," Baldwin ordered Frank when they reached a large house not too far from where they had been working and pulling out a set of keys from his pocket.
Frank tried the door shortly after Baldwin disappeared inside but he had relocked it behind him. Frank wished he had the lock pick kit his dad had given him for Christmas the previous year but he had left it at home knowing it would have been confiscated by customs.
He moved to a side window and peered inside. He could see Baldwin carrying a large metal box through an open door but that was it. Frank frowned. A rat trap? he wondered. Maybe it really was a rodent Baldwin was taking care of. But Baldwin was behind Joe's abduction so he had to know where they took him. And since Tu-Mey treated Baldwin like he trusted him then Tu-Mey had to be connected to Joe's kidnapping as well.
Yes, decided Frank. He was definitely going to check Tu-Mey's place out. He returned to the back door and waited for Baldwin's return. A few minutes later, Baldwin exited the house and then he and Frank continued down the road to a little diner.
At lunch, Baldwin invited Frank to go with him to the pool hall after work. Frank agreed. The more time he spent with Baldwin the faster he could be trusted and the sooner he could get involved with the shadier dealings at the docks.
Frank tried to concentrate on what he was doing the rest of the afternoon but his thoughts kept wandering back to Tu-Mey's house and the 'rodent' Baldwin had been requested to take care of. Was Joe a prisoner there? Frank hoped so because the alternatives were almost too unbearable to contemplate. Death or slavery. The former probability wafted in his mind and refused to dissipate. He knew his brother well enough to know that he would die a horribly painful death rather than spend his life in abject servitude.
Forget the piracy! thought Frank, glancing over at Baldwin when he couldn't take it anymore. He had to find a way to ditch him for the afternoon so he could explore Tu-Mey's house.
After work Baldwin came over to Frank and clapped him on the back. "Not bad," he congratulated the youth. "Look like we're going to have to put off the pool for a bit," he continued. "Tu-Mey has a meeting with some businessman in town and he wants us to stand-by."
"Over time?" asked Frank, lifting his brow in surprise. "That sounds good."
"Indeed," Tu-Mey said, coming up behind them. "I pay well for overtime," Tu-Mey continued. "But, unfortunately, only a select few get to work it and you haven't been here long enough."
"Figures," Frank replied with as much bitterness as he could muster while containing his joy at being able to search Tu-Mey's home in peace.
"Yo, man," Ben said, joining the three. "What's up with the 'tude?"
Frank shrugged and walked away. Ben hurried over to catch up. "Don't be mad," Ben told Frank. "Tu-Mey's cool."
"Sure he is," snarled Frank. "He's just like my last boss. He didn't like me so he gave all the good details to anyone but me. But I showed him," he added only loud enough to barely be heard.
"What was that?" Ben demanded, pulling Frank to a stop.
"Nothing," Frank said and shook off Ben's hand. He continued out of the building, comfortable in the knowledge that his cover was growing more established and confident he would have time to look for Joe while Tu-Mey attended to his business.