The Solomon Curse

CHAPTER 43

By the time Des picked them up in a bedraggled Mitsubishi SUV and drove them into Honiara, it was after ten p.m. The town was all but closed down as they negotiated the empty streets. Sam instructed Des to drop them off at the hospital so that Leonid could be attended to and Des decided to stay with them.

“No point in trying to make it all the way back to the Darwin tonight on the skiff. Better to do it first thing in the morning when there’s light,” he explained as he pulled into the hospital parking lot. “I also have to deal with returning the car and the office doesn’t open until eight tomorrow.”

“We’ll gladly put you up at our hotel, Des,” Remi said. “There won’t be a problem. Since the assassinations, it’s been empty.”

“Good deal.” Des peered through the windshield at the darkened hospital, the only light visible filtering from the emergency entrance. “Sure the place is open?”

“Yes. It’s the only game in town,” Sam said.

They helped Leonid into the hospital, where after a short registration process he was taken into the back in a wheelchair by an orderly. Sam and Remi followed him, leaving Lazlo and Des to wait in the reception area.

Dr. Berry greeted them with a tired handshake.

“What seems to be the problem?” he said as the orderly helped Leonid onto the exam table.

“Hiking accident,” Leonid said.

“I see. Let’s have a look, shall we?” he said. He reached for a pair of scissors and trimmed away the bandage and then examined the wounds. “Ouch. Probably hurts,” he observed.

“I was able to walk on it, so I didn’t break anything,” Leonid said.

“That’s good to know. But we’ll want to get an X-ray, just to rule out any fractures.” He inspected the butterfly sutures and looked at Sam and Remi. “Nice job.”

“Thank you,” Remi said. “Dr. Vanya isn’t working tonight?”

“No. Do you know her?” Dr. Berry asked.

“Yes. She’s a friend.”

“She’s a good physician,” he said, removing Leonid’s blood-soaked shoe and sock. “We’ll probably want to use some proper stitches on this upper gash. Looks like, oh, ten should do the trick. The lower looks like only two or three.” He glanced up at Leonid. “I’m going to have to clean this out. It’s going to sting a little.”

“Why am I afraid that’s the understatement of the year?” Leonid asked.

Ten minutes later, Leonid was sewn up and on his way to the primitive radiography department. Sam and Remi rejoined Lazlo in the waiting area, where he was regaling Des with a story from his dubious past. Remi heard enough to blush and Lazlo immediately cut his account short.

“How’s our Russian bear?” Des asked.

“I don’t think he’ll be doing any ballroom dancing in the near future, but it looks like it’s all repaired,” Sam reported.

“That’s good news, then,” Des said. “So the blighters flattened all your tires?”

“Yes. And I suspect it’s going to be tough getting a tow truck up that track,” Sam complained.

“Probably kids. That’s the kind of crap they pull,” Des said. “Same the world over. Bored, too much time on their hands.”

“Maybe,” Sam said.

“Certainly shut your exploration down, didn’t it?” Des said to Lazlo.

“Maybe that was the whole point,” Remi muttered with a veiled glance at Sam.

“Des, I think we’ll want to borrow one of our divers to keep watch over our vehicle while we’re exploring,” Sam said.

“No worries. We’ve got a good rhythm going now. We can spare one.”

“Good,” Sam said, and then remembered about the new boat. “Oh, and some news: we have a large vessel en route to take over from you. So your stint in the Solomons will be over shortly.”

Des nodded. “I know. Selma already notified my headquarters. We’re out of here on Saturday.” Des smiled. “I don’t think Leonid will be sad to see us go.”

“Underneath that grumpy exterior is a morose and unhappy i

“No problem. We can coordinate it tomorrow at the office.” He named a rental agency—fortunately, one that Sam and Remi hadn’t used yet.

“I hope our reputation hasn’t preceded us,” Remi commented. “We don’t have a great track record with rental cars here.”

Leonid appeared in the doorway twenty minutes later, Dr. Berry behind his wheelchair. “Your friend’s all patched up. No breaks, so just the stitches and some blood loss to contend with. I told him to stay hydrated and drink plenty of fruit juice and to stay off that leg for a few days. Come by to get the stitches out in a week.”

“So no diving,” Leonid said, smiling for the first time.

At the hotel, the night manager recovered from his surprise at having another guest check in and quickly processed the paperwork while they waited. The restaurant was still open, only two patrons lingering over after-di

Lazlo shook his head sadly. “Alas, that medicine has bitten me for the last time.”

Remi smiled as she leaned toward Lazlo and whispered, “We’re all proud of you, Lazlo.”

“Yes, well, I will say that most people I meet are singularly uninteresting, now that I’m sober. An unavoidable by-product of all this newly acquired virtue, I suppose.” He glanced around the table and toasted with his soda. “Present company excepted of course.”

The next morning, they met in the lobby at seven for coffee. Leonid agreed that he would stay on land until the stitches were pulled, obviously relieved to be excused from the Darwin for the duration. Sam and Des left Lazlo and Leonid with Remi on the veranda while they went to swap licenses at the rental agency, after which Sam dropped him at the docks.

“We’ll see you before you go,” Sam said.

“Going to have another go at the caves, are you?” he asked.

“You better believe it.” They hadn’t shared their discovery of the mass grave with Des.

“Well, good luck. Call me when you want to pick up one of the lads. I’ll ferry him to shore for you. Any preference on who goes?”

“Greg seems like he can handle himself, doesn’t he?”

“I wouldn’t want to go up against him,” Des confirmed with a nod. “You thinking about heading into the hills again today?”

“No, probably tomorrow. We need to coordinate a tow truck, and at the pace this island operates, that could be half the day. I’ll give you a buzz when we’re on our way.”

“Good enough,” Des said.

Upon Sam’s return to the hotel, he was surprised by the heated discussion under way between Leonid and Remi. She turned as he neared, a frustrated expression on her face—a look Sam knew to be cautious around.

“Would you tell your Russian friend he is under no circumstances going to try to go with us to the caves again?” she demanded.

“What? Of course he isn’t,” Sam said.

“You think I’m going to let you shut me out of finding the treasure? Not a chance, as you American capitalists say.”

“You heard the doctor. You’re to stay off your leg.”

“I have. For twelve full hours. Why, are you pla

“No, not until tomorrow . . .” Sam conceded.

“Then what’s the problem? I heal quickly. I’m Russian, remember? You can’t hurt me.”

Sam exchanged a glance with Remi. “It’s nothing personal, my friend, but we don’t want you injuring yourself further.”

He waved the concern away with a sneer. “A few scrapes and cuts. Nothing broken. I’ll be ready tomorrow. You don’t have to worry about me.”