Page 26 of Six
“I have dozens of pictures of us,” Violetta said. “And I can speak enough Malay to hopefully convince them.”
“You have protection if you need it?” He didn’t need to ask the question, and if she’d been the one to ask, he would have been insulted, but she just nodded. He didn’t know what she was carrying, but at least she had something. “I’ll wait at the corner of the cabin,” he said, pointing to an area near where they’d crouched.
She glanced in that direction one more time, then nodded, took a deep breath, and walked toward it. He followed behind until he needed to peel off to stay out of sight, then he leaned against the cabin and placed his ear to the siding to better hear.
Violetta knocked and called out softly in what he assumed was Malay. Silence greeted her first attempt and after no movement from inside, she tried again. Whatever she said the second time took her longer to say and he assumed she was doing her best to persuade the women to answer the door.
It didn’t work.
Violetta took a deep breath and tried again. This time, she spoke and continued speaking. Finally, Gavin heard the quiet murmuring of voices, then the equally soft shuffling of feet. He let out a long, slow exhale when the door creaked open.
Violetta continued to speak. He couldn’t see her, but he assumed she was showing whoever answered the door the pictures of Jeremy while trying to convince her that she was a friend. A woman spoke and Violetta answered. A long pause followed, then Violetta called out for him.
“You can come out, Gavin.”
Slowly, so as not to startle the occupants, Gavin emerged from his spot. He stopped several feet away from the three stairs that led to the front door and let the women—there were three of them that he could see—have a look at him.
Violetta said something to the one closest to her, but all eyes stayed fixed on him. He kept his hands loose at his sides and tried to remain as still and nonthreatening as possible. He didn’t miss the fear in their gazes, and it tore at him. They’d been abused and misused by a man just like him—tall, white, and in their eyes, powerful. He wanted to swear he was nothing like the men who’d done what they’d done to them. But not only did he not speak their language, he doubted they’d believe him.
Violetta spoke again. Whatever she said must have convinced the women to let them enter. All three moved back and opened the door enough for them to slip through. Staying close to Violetta, he followed them inside to a small living room area, then took a seat on the sofa one of the women directed him to.
“They don’t know about Jeremy,” Violetta said, taking a seat beside him. “They know I’m his friend, and they know I know why they are here, but they don’t know he’s dead.”
On her last word, the woman sitting in the chair beside Violetta sucked in a sharp breath. Apparently, at least one of them knew some English. Both he and Violetta turned to her.
“I am Abyasa,” she said, haltingly. “I speak little English. Jeremy is dead?”
Violetta reached over and covered the woman’s hand with her own, then nodded. “I’m sorry, but yes,” she answered, her voice cracking at the news.
A tremble went through the woman’s body, but then she straightened in her seat. “You will help us now?”
Without missing a beat, Violetta nodded. “Yes, I will help. And my friends. We all knew Jeremy.”
Abyasa studied Violetta for a long moment, then gave a small nod before turning to her companions. Judging by the way they drew back, then clung to each other as their gazes darted back and forth between Violetta and Abyasa, Gavin assumed Abyasa had translated what she’d learned.
One woman cried silent tears, and Gavin desperately wanted to go to her. His comfort wouldn’t be wanted or appropriate, but even knowing that, it was a struggle not to offer. With her attention still focused on Abyasa, Violetta’s hand came down and rested on his thigh. He didn’t know if she sensed his internal battle or if she’d done it for another reason altogether; regardless, the feel of her gentle and sure palm on his leg steadied him.
“Can you tell me your names?” Violetta asked, her gaze switching to the two women seated opposite them before shifting back to Abyasa, who translated.
“Candra,” said the one on the left.
“Shinta,” said the other. All three were petite and had big dark eyes and black hair. But those were about the only features they shared. Abyasa’s face was round, as were her eyes and mouth; even her nose was what his nan would have called a button nose. And her thick, almost wavy hair was pulled into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. Candra’s face was long and angular, and her straight hair hung to her shoulders. Shinta had short black hair and a heart-shaped face with almond-shaped eyes. All were dressed in Western-style loose-fitting pants and sweaters.
Violetta started to speak but was cut off when something in the kitchen area dinged. The women all looked at one another with wide eyes and confused expressions on their faces. Even without knowing the reason, Gavin knew that whatever had caused that sound wasn’t going to be good news.
“Abyasa?” Violetta asked.
A second passed before the woman answered. “That ding is to let us know when Jeremy is coming. It is something, I do not know, something he put on the gate. He did not want to surprise us, so he put it there. When he comes, it dings.” She paused, and Gavin could already feel Violetta getting ready to spring into action. “If Jeremy is dead, who is coming?”
No one goodwas Gavin’s thought, though he didn’t voice it. Didn’t need to.
Violetta shot him a quick look before rising and issuing an order to the women. “Gather your passports, we need to leave,” she said.
Jeremy had prepared the women well and they all pulled their passports from their pockets even as Violetta started herding them out the back door. Gavin moved to the front window. “I don’t see anyone yet,” he called out to Violetta as he reached for the gun tucked into his ankle holster. She said something in Malay and Abyasa, Candra, and Shinta all slipped their passports back into their pockets for safekeeping.
“We’re going to head out the back and into the woods,” she responded. He could hear the sound of the women slipping on their shoes followed by the creak of the back door. “Gavin,” Violetta called, an entreaty in her tone.
“Go,” he said. “As soon as you’re in the woods, I’ll follow.” He wanted to give them cover during their retreat, if needed, and staying in the house, with the view he had, was the best way. Once they were safely in the shadows of the forest, he’d follow.
