Part 41 (1/2)
Someone else was with her-Esperanza-holding him down. ”Take it easy. You're safe. We're trying to help you.”
Decker blinked repeatedly, groggy, as if hungover, trying to understand what was happening. His body ached. His arms and face stung. His muscles throbbed. He had the worst headache of his life. In the background, pale sunlight struggled past the edges of closed draperies.
”Where ...?”
”A motel outside Jersey City.”
As Decker scanned the gloomy interior, he was reminded disturbingly of the motel where McKittrick had held Beth prisoner.
”How long ...? What time is ...?”
”Almost seven in the evening.” Beth, who sat next to him, her weight on her good leg, put the washcloth on his forehead. It had been soaked in steaming hot water. Decker instantly absorbed the heat.
”This is the kind of place that doesn't ask questions about people checking in,” Esperanza said. ”The units are behind the office. The clerk can't see who goes into the rooms.”
Like the motel where McKittrick had held Beth prisoner, Decker thought again, uneasy.
”We got here about six in the morning,” Beth said. ”Counting time in the car, you've been sleeping almost thirteen hours. You had me scared that you wouldn't wake up.”
Esperanza pointed toward the bathroom. ”I had a lot of trouble getting your clothes off and putting you into the tub. With hypothermia, the water has to be tepid to start with. I increased the temperature slowly. When your color was better, I pulled you out, dried you off, and put you in bed with all three blankets I found on the shelf. Beth managed to get out of her wet clothes, dried off, and got in bed next to you, helping to keep you warm. I poured hot coffee into you. Man, I've never seen anybody so exhausted.”
Beth kept wiping Decker's face. ”Or so bruised and cut up. Your face won't stop bleeding.”
”I've had easier nights.” Decker's mouth felt dry. ”I could use ... a drink of water.”
”It'll have to be hot water,” Esperanza said. ”Sorry, but I want to make sure you've got your body heat back.” He poured steaming water from a thermos into a Styrofoam cup and brought it to Decker's lips. ”Careful.”
It tasted worse than Decker had expected. ”Put a tea bag in it. Where'd you get...?” Decker pointed toward the thermos.
”I've been busy. While you rested, I did some shopping. I've got food and clothes, crutches for Beth, and-”
”You left us alone?” Decker asked in alarm.
”Beth had your handgun. She's in pain, but she was able to sit in that chair and watch the door. There didn't seem a reason not to get what we needed.”
Decker tried to sit up. ”Renata. That's your reason.”
”She couldn't possibly have followed us,” Esperanza said. ”I was extra careful. Whenever I had the slightest doubt, I went around the block or down an alley. I would have noticed any headlights following us.”
”We were able to follow McKittrick,” Decker said.
”Because we had a homing device. Does it seem likely to you that McKittrick and Renata would have put a homing device in their own car? She didn't even have a car to follow us.”
”She could have stolen one.”
”a.s.suming she knew that we weren't on the roof any longer, that we'd stolen her car. Even then, by the time she hot-wired a vehicle, we'd have been long gone. She couldn't have known which way we went. Relax, Decker. She's not a threat.”
”For the moment.”
It wasn't Decker who made the comment, but Beth.
”She will be, though,” Beth added, somber.
”Yes,” Decker said. ”If Renata went to all this trouble to get even with me for killing two of her brothers, she won't stop now. She'll be all the more determined.”
”Especially since we have the money,” Beth said.
Decker was too confused to speak. He looked at Esperanza.
”After we got to this motel,” Esperanza said, ”while you and Beth were resting, I checked the Pontiac's trunk. Along with enough explosives to blow up the Statue of Liberty, I found that.” Esperanza pointed toward a bulging flight bag on the floor by the bed. ”The million dollars.”
”Holy ...” Decker's weariness made him dizzy again.
”Stop trying to sit up,” Beth said. ”You're turning pale. Stay down.”
”Renata will come looking for us.” As Decker closed his eyes, giving way to exhaustion, he reached to touch Beth, but his consciousness dimmed, and he didn't feel his hand fall.
2.
The next time he wakened, the room was totally dark. He continued to feel groggy. His body still ached. But he had to move-he needed to use the bathroom. Unfamiliar with the motel room, he b.u.mped into a wall, banging his shoulder, before he oriented himself, entered the bathroom, shut the door, and only then turned on the light, not wanting to wake Beth. His image in the mirror was shocking, not just the bruises and scratches but the deep blue circles around his eyes and the gauntness of his beard-stubbled cheeks.
After relieving himself, he hoped that the flus.h.i.+ng of the toilet wouldn't disturb Beth. But when he turned off the light and opened the door, he discovered that the main room's lights were on. Beth was sitting up in the bed, where she had been sleeping next to him. Esperanza was propped up against a pillow in another bed.
”Sorry,” Decker said.
”You didn't wake us,” Esperanza said.
”We've been waiting for you to get up,” Beth said. ”How do you feel?”
”The way I look.” Decker limped toward Beth. ”How about you? How do you feel?”
Beth s.h.i.+fted her position and winced. ”My leg is swollen. It throbs. But the wound doesn't look infected.”
”At least that's one thing in our favor.” Decker slumped on the bed and wrapped a blanket around himself. He rubbed his temples. ”What time is it?”
”Two A.M.” Esperanza put on trousers and got out of bed. ”Do you feel alert enough to discuss some things?”
”My throat's awfully dry.” Decker managed to hold up his hands as if defending himself. ”But I don't want any of that d.a.m.ned hot water.”
”I bought some Gatorade. How about that? Get some electrolytes back in your system.”
”Perfect.”
It was orange-flavored, and Decker drank a quarter of the bottle before he stopped himself.
”How about something to eat?” Esperanza asked.