haven’t, yes.”
She practically sat on her suitcase to prevent him from looking inside. The very top item was a lacy bra and panties. When she had purchased them in New Orleans, she had bought the saleswoman’s line about a woman having silky, pretty underwear next to her skin to make her feel confident and good about herself. “What kind of clothes do you suggest I take?”
“Cotton pants and a long-sleeve shirt in a light color. They should fit loosely. And good sturdy shoes.”
“Why? We won’t have to hike. And long sleeves in this heat?”
“I told you I always travel prepared for any kind of situation. You have to in the jungle. Tennis shoes will do. And the long sleeves are for protection against the sun and insects.” He gathered up his few possessions and started for the door.
“Where are you going? What am I suppose to do about clothes? I don’t have anything like that.”
At the door he turned back and replied, “I’m going to get ready and make the calls downstairs. Then I’ll be back to pick you up for breakfast and a quick shopping trip. I need to get a few items too. Wear one of those sundresses for the time being.” He opened the door.
“Wait!”
Brock paused in the doorway.
Sitting on her suitcase reminded Samantha of her brother’s still unopened one under her bed. Maybe there was a clue to his disappearance in it. She slipped from the top of her suitcase and started to retrieve Mark’s.
“Sam, we’re wasting valuable time.” Brock glanced back at her, her bottom sticking up in the air as she searched for something under the bed. “As much as I appreciate the delightful picture you present, I have a lot to do before we can leave.”
She slid Mark’s suitcase out from under the bed. “I need you to open this.” Straightening, she dropped the piece of luggage down on the mattress.
“You mean you haven’t? That should have been done first thing.”
“It’s locked.” She wasn’t about to mention that with his presence in the room she had forgotten all about the suitcase.
Brock walked back to the bed and took five seconds with his pocketknife to open it.
“Where did you learn that?” Samantha asked, astonished at how easy he made it look.
She would never bother to lock her luggage again when she traveled.
“Around.” He flipped back the suitcase top and rummaged through Mark’s belongings, then checked the lining, but there was nothing in it to indicate what had happened to her brother.
“I didn’t think he’d put anything important in this, then leave it behind, but it had to be ruled out.”
Brock closed the suitcase. “Now, I’m going. If we’re lucky, we’ll manage to be out of here by dark.”
CHAPTER FIVE
At three o’clock Samantha was seated in the small bush plane with Brock, waiting for him to take off. Dressed in cotton pants and a loose fitting, long sleeve, white blouse, she had to admit it was comfortable and as cool as possible in Manaus’s staggering moist heat. She had also purchased another, similar shirt along with a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of tennis shoes. She had packed the extra shirt for her trip to the mission in a new canvas bag that was easier to carry than her or Mark’s suitcase, which she had left with the clerk at the Grand Hotel—for a price, of course.
What had disconcerted Samantha about their shopping trip was that Brock had bought weapons, a machete, a knife, and a gun. They were going to a mission run by priests, and he was carrying an arsenal. She hadn’t thought it would be that dangerous since they would fly in then right back out as soon as they found what Mark was referring to, or more preferably, her brother.
Finally they were given clearance to take off. Samantha braced herself and closed her eyes. Flying was right up there with exercising as one of her least favorite things to do, especially when the plane looked as if it had flown in World War II, or at the very least been through several
She practically sat on her suitcase to prevent him from looking inside. The very top item was a lacy bra and panties. When she had purchased them in New Orleans, she had bought the saleswoman’s line about a woman having silky, pretty underwear next to her skin to make her feel confident and good about herself. “What kind of clothes do you suggest I take?”
“Cotton pants and a long-sleeve shirt in a light color. They should fit loosely. And good sturdy shoes.”
“Why? We won’t have to hike. And long sleeves in this heat?”
“I told you I always travel prepared for any kind of situation. You have to in the jungle. Tennis shoes will do. And the long sleeves are for protection against the sun and insects.” He gathered up his few possessions and started for the door.
“Where are you going? What am I suppose to do about clothes? I don’t have anything like that.”
At the door he turned back and replied, “I’m going to get ready and make the calls downstairs. Then I’ll be back to pick you up for breakfast and a quick shopping trip. I need to get a few items too. Wear one of those sundresses for the time being.” He opened the door.
“Wait!”
Brock paused in the doorway.
Sitting on her suitcase reminded Samantha of her brother’s still unopened one under her bed. Maybe there was a clue to his disappearance in it. She slipped from the top of her suitcase and started to retrieve Mark’s.
“Sam, we’re wasting valuable time.” Brock glanced back at her, her bottom sticking up in the air as she searched for something under the bed. “As much as I appreciate the delightful picture you present, I have a lot to do before we can leave.”
She slid Mark’s suitcase out from under the bed. “I need you to open this.” Straightening, she dropped the piece of luggage down on the mattress.
“You mean you haven’t? That should have been done first thing.”
“It’s locked.” She wasn’t about to mention that with his presence in the room she had forgotten all about the suitcase.
Brock walked back to the bed and took five seconds with his pocketknife to open it.
“Where did you learn that?” Samantha asked, astonished at how easy he made it look.
She would never bother to lock her luggage again when she traveled.
“Around.” He flipped back the suitcase top and rummaged through Mark’s belongings, then checked the lining, but there was nothing in it to indicate what had happened to her brother.
“I didn’t think he’d put anything important in this, then leave it behind, but it had to be ruled out.”
Brock closed the suitcase. “Now, I’m going. If we’re lucky, we’ll manage to be out of here by dark.”
CHAPTER FIVE
At three o’clock Samantha was seated in the small bush plane with Brock, waiting for him to take off. Dressed in cotton pants and a loose fitting, long sleeve, white blouse, she had to admit it was comfortable and as cool as possible in Manaus’s staggering moist heat. She had also purchased another, similar shirt along with a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of tennis shoes. She had packed the extra shirt for her trip to the mission in a new canvas bag that was easier to carry than her or Mark’s suitcase, which she had left with the clerk at the Grand Hotel—for a price, of course.
What had disconcerted Samantha about their shopping trip was that Brock had bought weapons, a machete, a knife, and a gun. They were going to a mission run by priests, and he was carrying an arsenal. She hadn’t thought it would be that dangerous since they would fly in then right back out as soon as they found what Mark was referring to, or more preferably, her brother.
Finally they were given clearance to take off. Samantha braced herself and closed her eyes. Flying was right up there with exercising as one of her least favorite things to do, especially when the plane looked as if it had flown in World War II, or at the very least been through several
Similar Books
