Page 18 of Her Faithful Protector

Two men rushed Lisa and threw her up on the hood. Camilla saw the makeshift bandage on her arm that was soaked through with blood and she winced, but Lisa didn’t even flinch. El Jefe grabbed her by her hair. “What did you want to say to me?” he demanded in English. He wanted to terrify everyone and he was doing a damned good job.

“You’re scaring Jan so badly that she can’t think. Let me question her and I can get you the information you need.”

El Jefe considered her. “Fine.” He continued to keep his fist in Lisa’s hair. Even with that, Lisa put one of her arms around Jan.

“Tell him your last name, Honey.” Lisa coaxed.

“Hines, my last name is Hines.”

El Jefe thumbed through the passports until he found hers. Then he put the rest in one of his cargo pants pockets. He pulled out a phone. Camilla had seen one of those before—a satellite phone. He shoved it at Jan.

“Call your parents.”

She tried to hold the phone but she dropped it. It clattered to the hood, then fell to the dirt. One of the men picked it up and handed it back to her.

“Don’t be stupid. Hold onto it this time and call your parents.” El Jefe said in a mean whisper. Jan trembled as she pressed in numbers. El Jefe snatched the phone from her when she was done and put it on speaker.

“You have reached Covington Dry Cleaners, our hours of operations are—”

El Jefe’s fist hit the back of Jan’s head and she slumped down onto the hood, then her body slipped down onto the dirt of the jungle floor.

Lisa, free from El Jefe’s grip, scrabbled off the hood and got on her knees next to Jan, resting her head in her lap.

“That’s a minor punishment. The next person who lies to me will get cut.” He looked around at the rag-tag group and pointed at Phyllis Agar, who was standing in front of Roxanne.

“You! Get over here.”

Camilla stepped around Roxanne and put her arm around Phyllis.

“Let’s go,” she coaxed. She felt the girl trembling, so Camilla had to pull her along to the front of the crowd. When they got to the Jeep, Phyllis couldn’t take her eyes off Jan who was crying in Lisa’s arms.

El Jefe held his hand out to Phyllis, and once again Camilla coaxed the young woman. “Take his hand.”

Phyllis turned pleading eyes at Camilla. “You need to do this,” Camilla responded calmly.

Phillis took the man’s hand and he hefted her onto the hood.

Camilla thrust out her hand. “Let me up,” she demanded.

El Jefe glowered down at her.

“She’s scared out of her mind,” Camilla pleaded. “She’s going to be of no use to you, let me help.”

This time the man gave her a considering look and grunted. He held out his big hand and Camilla took it gratefully. She clambered aboard the Jeep and Phyllis practically fell into her arms. El Jefe shoved the satellite phone at Phyllis.

“Call your parents.”

“Which one?” Phyllis asked.

That stumped the man for a moment. “Your father, he’s rich, right?”

Phyllis looked up at Camilla for direction.

“Honey, who will pay a ransom for you?”

“They both will.”

El Jefe let out a laugh. “I get more money.” He looked out into the crowd. “Two ransoms for the price of one,” he yelled out. He grabbed Phyllis’ hand and slapped the phone into it. “Call your father.”