Running Dark

36

“THANK GOD, YOU’RE ALIVE,” EMMA SAID. THE GAG IN STARK’S mouth made it impossible for him to respond. The van’s interior was stripped to the metal sides. Stark sat with his back against the wall separating the cabin from the cargo area. His tied hands rested in his lap. His face was bright red, alarmingly so. He looked about to pass out from the heat. Emma jumped into the vehicle and went straight to remove the gag. Stark bent his head forward to give her easier access to the knot.

When the fabric fell away, Stark said, “Water.” His voice was hoarse, almost a croak.

“There’s some in the car parked ahead of this one. Let me help you out of this furnace, and I’ll go get it.” Emma turned to the cloth strips binding his wrists and ankles together. After a minute they, too, unwound. She scooted backward with Stark following. He staggered onto the ground.

“Let’s get the water and go back to hide in the trees.”

Stark said nothing while Emma retrieved the canteen. She gave it to him and watched while he took huge gulps.

“Better?” she asked.

“You have no idea.” He took a deep breath.

“Let’s get out of the open. Last thing we need is for the crowd that brought you here to come back.”

Stark followed her to her hiding place. Emma crouched down behind a tree. When Stark joined her, she asked him the question that couldn’t wait any longer.

“Who suggested that you hire me to review Cardovin?”

Stark rubbed a hand over his eyes, whether in irritation or resignation, Emma couldn’t tell.

“Do we have to have this conversation now?”

She nodded. “Absolutely. Bumping into me in the airport wasn’t just a coincidence, was it? You’re in this up to your eyeballs, Mr. Stark. I just can’t figure out how I play into the situation. And think before you answer, because if you lie, or try to hedge, I’ll leave you here to deal with whatever comes.”

For a minute he said nothing. Then he nodded, almost to himself. “We were pressured by a lobbyist claiming to have ties to both the FDA and the members of Congress who were threatening to conduct an investigation into various drug products.”

“Members of Congress? Not Cooley.”

Stark grimaced. “The lobbyist said that Cooley would be one of the senators assigned to review certain products. We were told that if we hired you, it might go easier on us.”

“Easier? How?”

Stark shrugged. “The lobbyist seemed to think that Cooley would see any opinion written by you or your company to be unbiased.”

“What a crock. Cooley is gunning for me, not listening to me.”

“At the time we hired you, we weren’t aware of that. The investigation into the pipeline bombing wasn’t yet in full swing. The press was still fawning over Banner, his company, and you,” Stark said.

Emma thought about Stark’s comment. It was true that in the early days of her return to the States, both she and Banner were media darlings. Banner dodged the limelight every chance he could, and since he was a security-firm contractor doing business with the Department of Defense, the press was unable to hound him too aggressively. When they did pepper him for answers, Banner simply parroted “state secrets” and they’d back off. Emma, on the other hand, had no such convenient excuse to avoid scrutiny. She simply kept repeating the tired line that she was shocked from her ordeal and did not wish to discuss it. As a result the press hovered nearby almost continuously, waiting for a chance to report her story. During that time both she and Banner were hailed as heroes who’d helped save airline passengers. It wasn’t until after the full extent of the pipeline damage became apparent that the oil companies started calling for blood. Cooley led the charge.

“I got injected after the bombing. Do you know with what?”

“That had nothing to do with Price,” Stark said.

“I don’t believe you,” Emma said.

“I’m telling the truth.” He took another swallow of water.

“Did you know Cardovin had problems?”

“I told you. We knew that some test results showed an inconsistent effect, but on the whole we thought the product had enough efficacy to merit its marketing. We, or at least I, had no idea it would prove to be worthless. To be frank, I’m still not sure whether to believe that.”

“What happened in Hargeisa? Are the pilots alive?”

Before Stark could respond, the sound of gunshots cracked through the quiet. A group of birds flew upward from the trees about a hundred yards away. Answering shots followed. Emma pulled the pistol out of the holster attached to her ankle. She handed it to Stark.

“Can you shoot?” She kept her voice soft and low.

“I’ve been skeet shooting since I was a kid.”

“Ever shot a pistol?”

“I’ll figure it out.” He held the gun in his right hand and stared down the path, as if the discussion were over. Emma reached out, wrapped her palm around his wrist, and pulled his arm sideways, toward her. While she did this, he kept the gun’s muzzle pointed in the general direction of the shots. At least he knew enough to aim the gun away, she thought.

“Watch,” she whispered. She flicked the safety off, then pushed his hand back so that the gun was once again aligned with the path. Stark colored a little but said nothing.

They waited.

The three Somali women who had carried the provisions burst out of the trees, with terrified looks on their faces and running for all they were worth. Their head scarves flowed out behind them. After, with their backs to the path, came two of the four men. They held their assault weapons at the ready. Stark raised his pistol. Emma stilled his arm. He cast her a quick look; she shook her head no, and he subsided.

The men ran to the Range Rover, flinging open the door. Within seconds Emma heard the engine turn over and then roar as the driver punched the gas pedal but must have failed to release the clutch. The motor whined while the car stayed in place.

The final two men, the ones who had carried the crate, came next. One turned around and released a volley of shots. The rifle visibly rattled in his hands. Bits of bark from nearby trees burst into the air. When the shooter was finished, he jogged into the Rover.

The last man headed for the back of the van. He yanked the rear doors open. Emma would have given anything to see his reaction once he realized that Stark was gone, but the panels blocked her view.

Seconds later the man came around. He had a grim look on his face. He ran to the Rover and leaped into the backseat. The driver finally released the clutch, and the car shot forward, careened sideways as it circled left, and sped down the path, away from the ocean. In less than a minute, Hassim and Nick came into view.

Emma stepped out from the path. “They’re gone.”

“For now,” Hassim said.

“I think I found our hostage.” She waved Stark forward. Both Hassim and Nick stared at him.

“Who are you?” Nick said.

“Richard Stark, CEO of Price Pharmaceuticals.”

Hassim got a knowing look on his face. “You didn’t die in the fire, then.”

“Thankfully, no,” Stark said.

Hassim looked wary at this latest piece of information, and Emma didn’t blame him. Stark’s miraculous escape seemed too good to be true.

“I want to hear what happened, but not now. We only have a few minutes. That crowd will run to the village to collect assistance. We need to get on the boat and out of here immediately.”

Hassim turned and started a slow jog toward the ocean. Emma, Nick, and Stark fell in behind him. When they reached the area where their own vehicle was hidden, they grabbed the chemistry duffel. The waves crashed on the beach. Along with them came the bodies of jellyfish. Over fifty spread out on the sand—large ones with pink umbrella forms, smaller blue ones in a crescent shape. They lay on the beach, baking in the sun.

“Watch out for the jellyfish,” Hassim said.

“Why are there so many?” Emma asked.

Hassim took the duffel from her and handed it to Nick. “The corporate trawlers are overfishing, removing tons of sea life and upsetting the balance. The jellyfish bloom when their natural predators are reduced or gone. When they migrate in masses like this, they can be extremely dangerous. The ones on the beach are a small fraction of the schools that we will find in the water.”

Stark stopped when he saw the small craft bobbing in the water. “What are you doing?”

Hassim indicated to Nick that he should keep moving. Nick continued forward, picking his way around the beached jellyfish. He began wading into the water. Emma paused to listen to Hassim and Stark.

“We need to get Ms. Caldridge to a cruise ship that requires her assistance. We’ll use this boat to get there,” Hassim said.

“Are we all going?” Stark sounded suspicious.

Hassim shook his head. “Not Nick. He’ll drive the car back to Berbera.”

“I’ll go with him,” Stark said.

Hassim shook his head again. “No you won’t. Everyone in Berbera knows Nick. His presence there will go unnoticed. But that will not be the case if he appears with a Westerner. I won’t put him at risk.”

Stark stopped cold. Emma could tell he was going to dig in his heels.

“I’ll take the risk. Nick can drive me to Hargeisa.”

“The Hargeisa-Berbera road is monitored by the pirates. Even with SPUs I can’t guarantee that you won’t be subjected to a revenge attack.”

“SPU?” Stark said.

“Special protection units,” Emma said. “They’re security guards who ensure your protection along the road. But I think you should listen to Hassim. He knows what he’s talking about.”

Stark looked aggravated. “Are you sure about that?”

“He works for Banner.”

“Ah, the vaunted Banner. Then get him on the phone. Perhaps he knows what we should do.”

Hassim made a disgusted noise. “You deal with him,” he said to Emma.

He turned and headed out to the cabin cruiser. Emma gave it one last shot.

“Listen, I know you don’t want to get any deeper into this, but you’re not safe here, and we have to go. Either you come with us or Nick and Hassim will leave you to fend for yourself.”

Stark gave her a long, pointed look. “Don’t you understand? I’ve just had the most harrowing twenty-four hours of my life. All I want to do is get to civilization and go home. You’re off on some wild-goose chase for this Banner guy. What makes you think I want to go along?”

The discussion was cut short by Hassim yelling from the boat. “Leave him! We go!”

Emma sighed. “You’re right, I’m heading into a mess, but staying here is a mistake, too. It’s yours to make, though, so I’ll leave you to it.”

She started wading toward the boat. Nick was on the way back toward shore. He high-fived her as he passed.

“Luck to you,” he said.

Emma reached the ladder and pulled herself up. She heard a splashing behind her. She looked back to see Stark heading toward them.

“What did you say?” Hassim said.

She shrugged. “I left the decision to him. I think he realizes that he’s in an untenable situation. The problem is, I can’t tell if he’s the source of our troubles or another innocent victim.” They watched Stark come nearer. He climbed onto the deck.

“I really think I’m going to regret this,” Stark said.

“Ashes fly back into the face of the one who throws them,” Hassim replied.

“What does that mean?” Stark said.

“It means don’t press your luck,” Emma said.