“No.” She gave a tired smile. “I’m sure I’ll feel better in the morning, but after the conference and my accident, I’ve hit a wall.”
“I’ll go up with you,” Hank said, helping her with her crutches.
She nodded. “I think what I need is a good night’s sleep.” She put her hand on Remi’s shoulder as she looked at Sam. “What time do you want to leave in the morning?”
“Nine should work.”
“See you then.”
The next morning, everyone but Renee had gathered in the lobby. Amal paced the floor, talking softly to herself. “You can do this. You can do this …”
Remi and Sam gave her space, pretending not to notice. Hank watched her a moment, then joined them. “I hope she’ll be okay. The convention was a big step for her. The stress exacerbates her anxiety, which apparently causes these mild seizures.”
“Does she take medication for it?” Remi asked him.
“I’m not sure,” he said as the elevator door opened.
Renee stepped off, her face pale, her eyes watery. “I hate to cancel at the last second, but I’ve been sick to my stomach all night. I’ve definitely caught some bug, and my ankle’s a bit more swollen.”
Amal took a tentative step toward her. “I’ll stay with you, Dr. LaBelle.”
“I don’t think it’s anything serious, but you probably shouldn’t get too close. I’ll be fine. What I need to do is prop my foot up and rest, just like the doctor said. You should go.”
“Without you? What if something happens?”
“If we had a crystal ball and knew everything bad that was coming down the chute, we’d all be paralyzed. Venture out, spread your wings.”
“But—”
“Have faith in yourself, Amal. You might be surprised. Besides, the Fargos will take good care of you.”
“But the girls,” Hank said. “They’re expecting you, LaBelle. Never mind that you can’t stay here alone.”
“I’ll be fine. I checked with the hotel. They’re actually happy to have me stay.” Renee gave a tired sigh. “I’m sorry, Remi. Maybe I’ll recover in a day or two …”
Remi looked at Sam as though he had some power over the situation.
“Her health is more important,” Sam said. “If she gets better, we’ll swing by and get her after we pick up Lazlo from the airport. Until then, the girls are going to have to make do with a site manager and graduate student.”
CHAPTER NINE
A difficult journey will make you daring and harden your will.
– AFRICAN PROVERB –
Makao clutched the steering wheel of his white extended-cab Toyota Tundra pickup as it bounced from one pothole to another on the long stretch of washed-out road a couple of hours outside of Jalingo. A thin film of red dust covered everything inside the cab, including the black dash bearing the smudged fingerprints from his passenger Jimi, who braced his left hand against it while gripping his right around the barrel of his assault rifle.
Makao glanced in the rearview mirror to the backseat where two more men rode, both cradling their rifles in their laps. All three passengers were agberos, criminals he’d trained from a young age after picking them up over a decade ago on the streets of Lagos.
Men who would do his absolute bidding, no questions asked.
Every one of them had started off as Area Boys, the name given to the mostly harmless pickpockets and thieves that infiltrated every busy street in the populous city. Most worked in loosely based gangs run by low-level crooks. That was how Makao got his start, rising through the ranks, making enough money to buy some form of respectability, even a position in the local government. And, it was where he learned that law enforcement tended to look the other way unless their hands were forced, usually due to the actions of those boys with a predilection for violence.
That was why he and his crew had to flee Lagos. To avoid being arrested for murder after a series of robberies gone wrong. A helpful tip from one of his police friends on the take had allowed them to escape, until such a time when all the witnesses could be eliminated.
His reputation, thankfully, preceded him, and it didn’t take long before he dominated the larger criminal enterprises in Taraba State. And though he was trying to maintain a low profile, when Tarek called him about the job, it was one he simply couldn’t pass up. The potential payoff was too great, with his share making the predawn departure into the middle of nowhere very much worth it.
“There.” Jimi pointed out the dusty windshield toward a stand of trees to their left at the base of the rolling hills that led up to the forest in Gashaka Gumti.