“He’ll be there.”
“What happens if this doesn’t work?” Blaire whispered.
“It’ll work.”
“How do you know?”
Because it has to. “I just know.”
“If we get through, what happens next?”
“Skipper’s going to drop us off, and we’ll figure out a ride to Ho Chi Minh City.”
“I need a shower.”
“When we get there.”
“And real food.”
“You just ate.”
“An energy bar is not real food. It’s cardboard infused with vitamins.”
I looked over my shoulder at her. Despite her complaints, she had withstood this trip with remarkable endurance. “Yeah, you deserve a real meal.”
She looked hopeful. “And a shower?”
“And a shower.”
“Does your contact know you’re coming?”
“Nope.”
She offered unsolicited advice. “Maybe you should call him. Don’t you have to book him or something?”
“He doesn’t believe in phones.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Really?”
“We show up at his place and hope he’s not too busy.”
“What if he’s busy?”
“Tonko owes me a favor.”
“Tonko?”
I crossed my arms but didn’t answer. The water swelled against the shore as the tide surged up the river, lifting everything in its wake. Large lily pads and weeds dotted the area, a sign that dry season was felt by all areas, even the most populated.
“What did you do to earn Tonko’s favor?”
I saved his life. “Not much, just usual business stuff.”
“When is the last time you saw him?”
Years, many years ago. “It’s been a while.”
“What kind of name is Tonko?”
“Enough questions.” Our boat continued to chug forward with no sign of slowing down.
“Why?”
I shot her a look, but I answered anyway. “I think he’s from Croatia.”
“And he lives in Vietnam?”
“He did the last time I saw him.”
“What if he went back to Croatia?”
If he did—we are fucked. “We’ll figure something out.”
Before she could answer, the boat jerked as Skipper geared down.
I lifted my hand to indicate silence. Skipper cut the engine, and we bobbed up and down with the gentle waves that moved up the river. I expected to hear the sound of feet or voices when someone boarded the boat. When that happened, I was prepared to drag Blaire under the bunk to hide—not a prospect I was looking forward to.
We stood, listening in silence, our faces toward the ceiling, but there were no footsteps of a visitor coming aboard. I heard the choke and then the heavy roar of the engine being fired up.
She frowned. “Are we moving?”
I could feel the boat speed up further south toward Vietnam. “Yeah, we’re moving.”
“That’s good, right?”
Almost too good to be true. I remained alert, waiting for the other shoe to drop. “We need to wait a few minutes before we head upstairs.”
She leaned back on the bed and turned her attention back to me. “What about money?”
“What about it?”
“Do we have enough?”
After I paid Tonko, we would be running dangerously low. “We have enough.”
“Because that’s one thing I can help out with.”
I frowned. “What?”
“My family has lots of money.”
Which would require us making contact with someone in Canada—which could totally screw us over. “No.”
“You haven’t even listened to my idea.”
“I already know it’s a bad one.” I motioned for her to move. “I think we’re in the clear. Let’s head upstairs.”
“If you change your mind, let me know.”
“I’m not going to change my mind.”
“I still get my shower, right?”
“I want you to pack up your bag and be ready to disembark the second we dock.”
In the boathouse, Skipper looked a bit too happy. “Did you see that? We got through without any issue. My contact wasn’t there, but no one even bothered to try to talk to me.”
“What happened?”
“I waited on the deck with my paperwork in hand, and they were moving along the line of boats, and then they just waved about eight boats through without even checking anyone’s papers.”
“Why would they do that?” Blaire piped up.
“Maybe it was the storm?”
I decided it didn’t really matter. What mattered was that we were across the border. I turned to Blaire. “Get your bag, wear your runners, cover your hair and find something to eat. Also, pack yourself some water.”
“Are you coming downstairs too?”
It took me a moment to realize that she was still scared. “I’ll come with you if you want.”
Her relief was palpable. “Only if you want to.”
Skipper docked at the main docks. I stood at the side of the boat, waiting for Blaire to finish packing her bag. Skipper stood beside me, watching her fiddle with her stuff at the table.
“She’s really great, isn’t she?”
I gave him a hard, warning look. “Don’t ever talk about her again. You forget this trip ever happened.”
“Yeah, of course, man.”
I handed him the rest of his payment. “I should be getting a discount for the delay.”
He smiled as he pocketed the money, both of us knowing it didn’t work like that. “If you ever need something, look me up.”
I failed to harden myself against his easygoing smile. “There should be some decent mechanics around here. Get your intake fixed on this side of the border and you’ll get better parts.”
“Oh, thanks. Good idea.”
I looked over at Blaire in exasperation. How long did it take to pack a knapsack?
“I think one of my scratches is getting infected.” Skipper showed me an angry red welt on his leg.
I wasn’t sure how this kid had managed to last this long. “You’ve been doing this for how long?”
“Only a couple months.”
“Get that leg checked out.”
He frowned. “You think it’s that serious?”
“I think it will get serious fast.”
“Okay.”
Blaire finally approached. “Bye, Skipper.”
“Did you find the mangos?”
She grinned. “Yes, but I left one for you.”
“Thanks. Stay away from all the snakes, okay?”
“One was enough.”
“I’m heading back to Australia after this trip. You’re right, I need to go see my mom.”
She reached forward and gave him a quick hug. “Good.”
“First I’m heading to Thailand. My friend is going to store my boat for me.”
The time for chitchat had ended. I stepped off the boat and held out my hand. “Come on, Blaire.”