He reappeared. He put something in his pack and avoided my gaze. His face was a mask, revealing nothing, but beneath his cold exterior I could feel his emotions rage.
“Come on. Time to move.”
I didn’t budge. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
He turned and looked at me, and I could see intensity flicker in his eyes. “I’m not going to ask you twice.”
Of course he wasn’t okay. What a stupid question. I bit my lip, at a loss for words. I wanted to comfort this fierce man in front of me, but I didn’t know how.
I stepped forward and slipped my hand in his. “Okay.”
He acknowledged my hand with a slight squeeze and then he pulled me tightly behind him. “Don’t let go.”
We walked for a long time, but our progress was slow. I didn’t complain when the sun beat down on us with a cheerful intensity that seemed incongruent with the surrounding disaster. I worked hard to keep up with Viktor as we made our way over trees, debris, and overturned cars. He always went first, finding the safest path, and then he moved back to hold out a steady hand and help me over whatever was in our way. I never wanted to let go of his hand. He felt like a lifeline in a sea of the unimaginable.
Around us, the emotion and energy left me nearly numb. Some people cried openly in the street, while others stoically worked to help those who needed it. There were makeshift carts carrying both the injured and the dead, but we worked to stay out of their way as we walked inland.
We helped where we could, joining groups that were lifting trees off roads to make way for those transporting the injured. Viktor discreetly handed out most of our water and food, reserving only the minimum for us.
We walked until my wet runners gave me blisters. We didn’t speak; we didn’t comment on the horror that was constantly unfolding around us. Unable to process it all, I eventually worked to block out my surroundings and focused all my energy into putting one foot in front of the other.
In some shaded places, they were already creating makeshift morgues, laying bodies side by side, covering the faces of the dead with blankets and towels.
“Don’t look,” Viktor told me each time as he put himself between me and the dead. “Just stare straight ahead.”
Just when I was about to beg Viktor for a break, we came upon a bustling makeshift hospital. Medical personnel rushed around while others handed out food and water in tents. Buses seemed to be leaving, overflowing with people.
“Where are they going?”
“Probably inland.” He stepped in front of me. “You must not speak. Not to anyone. We are a Russian couple. You need to pretend you don’t understand English.”
I nodded.
“Promise me, Blaire. This is important.”
“I won’t speak.”
“Okay.” He looked around the yard. “First, we need a phone, and then we’re going to get a ride out of here.”
We stood in line at the phone tent until we were ushered to a table made private with two cardboard partitions. On the table lay a single cell phone. The man in charge told Viktor in English, “You can call anywhere in the world, free of charge, but you only have five minutes.”
“Thanks.”
When he stepped away, Viktor dialed a number from memory.
I leaned in, desperate to hear what Drake had to say. Viktor obliged and held the phone away from his ear so I could hear.
“Drake speaking.”
Viktor spoke in a low, harsh voice. “This isn’t a secure line. We have ninety seconds.”
“Where are you?”
“We’re not going to make the ship’s docking. How long is it in port?”
“You lucky bastard.” He let out a low laugh. “There was some big storm that hit the coast of the South China sea, and the ship was delayed. It is now scheduled to dock in exactly thirty-six hours.”
I felt Viktor let out a long, controlled breath. “Understood. We need more money.”
“That’s not an option.”
“I want proof of life.”
“I thought you’d say that. But unfortunately, you’re just going to have to take my word for it. I’m not at your friend’s location.”
“The grandfather?”
“Our surveillance of nine hours ago confirmed he was still alive.”
Relief flooded me. I listened as Viktor negotiated in a flat voice. “We need more money.”
“Sorry.” Drake didn’t seem that sorry. “I was told you were resourceful.”
And then the line went dead.
Without looking at me, Viktor hung up and immediately dialed another number. A male voice answered. I recognized it as the man in Ho Chi Minh City. “Akira speaking. Who’s this?”
“It’s Pushka.”
“I can’t help you if you can’t find Tonko. I gave you an address.”
“We found him, but he’s dead. He didn’t survive the storm.”
“Oh shit. Is that why you’re calling?”
“Tonko left a note and told me to ask about Hiroto. He said he could finish a job?”
Akira sighed. “You’re a pain in my ass.”
“Can you help?”
“He’s not cheap. Twenty thousand.”
“We’ll be there in twenty-four hours.”
“He only takes American cash.”
Viktor’s jaw ticked, but he didn’t speak as he hung up.
Without looking at me, he said, “Let’s go find something to eat. I need to think.”
One of the tents had free water and some food, along with blankets. Around us, people either slept or sat quietly eating. It was a relief to get out of the sun.
Viktor and I ate in silence. He was acting surprisingly cagey about our next moves, which concerned me. When he made eye contact, I spoke.
“What’s bothering you?”
“Nothing.”
“Is it because you didn’t get proof of life from your friends?”
“No.”
“I don’t know what’s going on. Why do we have to go see Tonko’s friend Akira?”
He reached into his pack and tossed me a sealed plastic bag. “Tonko finished your papers. He didn’t finish mine. He left me a half-finished passport along with a note to call his friend Hiroto in Ho Chi Minh City.”
“Why?”
“He might be able to finish my passport.”
I pulled out my new fake passport. It looked real, along with stamps from different countries and a pink reentry visa for Vietnam stapled onto one of the pages.
It sounded like we had plans to meet up with him and then we could be on our way. “What’s the problem?”
“We don’t have enough money.”
I lifted my head and stared at him in disbelief. I had never heard those words in my life. “Well, don’t be ridiculous. I have lots of money.”
He shook his head. “We can’t do wire transfers. We need cash delivered to us.”
“I can make that happen.”
“We can’t involve anyone else, and no one is going to get a Vietnam visa at this short notice.”
I lifted my passport. “I have reentry into this country for thirty days.”