Chapter 8: Second chances

Fi sat quietly at the top of the tree. She dared not breath and she feared the sweat soaking her forehead would drip down below to the search team. There were seven that she could count, all holding guns and breaking through the thick brush of the forest floor. They were looking for her, things had gone from bad to worse after the rain and now she hid.

She did what she was taught not to do. She went up as fast as she could and as quietly. Something Michael would have been disappointed at, but she didn't have a choice. When she had gotten herself free of the tangle of the sudden river, she made her way down to the main body of water. There she waited for a passing boat as she had originally planned, but soon she heard them. Moving through the vegetation. They did not hide their advance. They knew they had numbers on their side.

He found the closest tree with the most amounts of leaves still intact and hid the best she could. They searched below her, all around and back again. Several had looked up and missed her as they looked into the bright sun above. She was tried and worn out from the previous adventure of the day. She wished they would just move on, but they would not.

She cursed herself for being so stupid. "Of course they would check the river. Why would think anything else?" She herself would have a team blocking the road, the only road and then they would move in toward the river, trapping her just as they had. Fi closed her eyes. This was not time to beat herself up. She had to think of a way out before someone looked up and did not get a face full of sun.

Sam drank the beer and ordered another while looking at his watch again. The message from the hotel said that Mrs. Cooper was interested in an early dinner tonight since she had other business later in the day. The meal was set at 4:30 at the hotel restaurant. Sam wore his best Hawaiian shirt and arrived early. He continued to call Michael's sat phone, but after trying it for hours, he still did not get an answer and was ready to give up.

He had mentally battled himself when he couldn't reach the rest of the team. He had promised Mike to wait for him, but the opportunity would pass and it might be four more days before they had another chance at this woman and Sam made the decision. After all, it was his life he risked and at the moment there wasn't anyone to talk him out of it. He could worry about where the team was later. Now he needed to follow up on their only lead.

He watched her cross the terra cotta floors of the bar. Her heels must have been at least 6 inches long and her legs looked like six feet tall. Sam pulled his eyes up her thin black dress to her wavy black hair and into her eyes.

"Can I buy you a drink before dinner?" he said pulling the seat out next to him for her.

She slid into the seat and the slit down the side of the dress opened exposing her thin toned legs all the way up to her mid thighs. Sam watched, as did her two shadows. The same men from the breakfast earlier in the day. "Thank you." She said. "Martini, dry please."

Sam sipped his beer as she tasted her martini and he tried his best to keep his eyes on hers. It was hard, and she was beautiful. Sam always enjoyed a beautiful woman.

"I am afraid I cannot stay for dinner."

"I am disappointed" Sam said feeling like he missed something.

"My previous engagement was recently moved up and I must attend. Will you be here for a few more days?" She asked already knowing the answer.

"I was planning just a few more days. Will that be enough time?" Sam answered. Happy for the reply.

She smiled. "It should be." She said, finishing the drink and rising. "I am sorry I don't have much time. I do have to go. I will contact you soon. Will you be moving hotels?"

"No. I was going to stay here. Do you recommend somewhere else?"

"No, this is one of the nicer hotels." She said turning and walking for the door.

Sam sunk into his beer and watched her leave. It was a nice exit. Looking down at the bar he noticed the bar napkin was a different color from the others. Turning it over in his hand, he could see the writing on the bottom. He crumpled it up into his palm and put his hand into his pocket to retrieve some money to pay for the drinks and deposited it in his pocket.

She was a clever girl and Sam could see why Cooper liked her. She used her talents to drop that note, knowing that every man in the bar would watch as the material from that dress slid back and away from her legs. It was a clever ploy. Even Sam did not see her put the napkin down and place her drink on top of it. He immediately liked her and knew he could trust what was next.

She had given him other tidbits.

1. They would need to move in the next few days to get her husband. This confirmed that he was still alive, but not for long.

2. She would contact him at his hotel and he should not move. For now it was safe

Fi scrambled in the tree. She could see the boat moving down the waterway toward her. It was her last shot. Most of the group had moved back toward the interior when they reached the river bank and she was not there. They would retrace their steps. She would not have long.

Just one below her. Quietly she crept, one branch at a time and hoped he wouldn't move or look up. She still had quite a distance. Several more feet down, and he lit a cigarette.

"Good she thought" The knife from her ankle carefully cupped in her hand.

A few more feet, noise in the jungle began to pick up as they worked their way back toward the bank. The boat was rounding the final bend. It was now or never or she would not make it.

She swallowed hard and dropped the remaining few feet, landing on top of the man. Caught off guard, he swung at her and missed from behind. She got her balance. Raised the blade and slid it firmly across his neck. He could do nothing but grab for the open wound. Blood pumped fiercely. He was dead as he fell to the floor. There was no going back.. She had killed him to save herself. Tucking the knife back in she thought she might need it. Fi dove into the brown water and swam for the middle of the river. The boat passed just in time as she grabbed the slow moving side and was dragged behind it, down and around the next bend and away from her attackers.