animated chatter, but during the last half hour, loud, drunken singing
had reverberated from below.
Esmeralda had visited both groups of soldiers twice during the evening.
When she returned, she reported that the expensive French wine was a big
hit. After her second visit, she told Kevin that the initial deliveries
of bottles had been almost drained.
Kevin dressed quickly in the dark, then ventured out into the hall. He
did not want to turn on any lights. Luckily, the moon was bright enough
for him to see his way to the guest rooms. He knocked first on Melanie’s
door. He was startled when it was opened instantly.
‘I’ve been waiting,’ Melanie whispered. ‘I couldn’t sleep.’
Together, they went to Candace’s room. She, too, was ready.
In the living room they picked up the small canvas bags each had
prepared and walked out onto the veranda. The vista was enticingly
exotic. It had rained several hours earlier, but now the sky was filled
with puffy, silver-blue clouds. A gibbous moon was high in the sky, and
its light made the mist-filled town glow eerily. The jungle sounds were
shockingly loud in the hot, moist air.
They had discussed this first stage in detail so there was no need for
talk now. At the far end of the veranda in the rear corner they secured
the end of three sheets that had been tied together. The other end was
dropped over the side to the ground.
Melanie had insisted on going first. She climbed nimbly over the
balustrade, and lowered herself to the ground with inspiring ease.
Candace was next, and her cheerleading experience stood her in good
stead. She had no trouble making it down.
Kevin was the one who had difficulty. Trying to imitate Melanie, he
pushed off with his feet. But then as he swung back toward the building
he got twisted in the sheets so that he collided with the stucco,
scraping his knuckles.
‘Damn,’ he whispered, when he finally was standing on the cobblestones.
He shook his hand and squeezed his fingers.
‘Are you okay?’ Melanie whispered.
‘I think so,’ Kevin said.
The next stage of their escape was more worrisome. In single file, they
inched along the back of the building within the shadow of the arcade.
Each step took them closer to the central stairwell, where they could
hear the soldiers. A cassette recorder playing African music at low
volume had been added to the festivities.
They reached the stall where Kevin kept his Toyota LandCruiser and
slipped in along the passenger side until they reached the front.
According to previously made plans, Kevin eased around the car to the
driver’s-side door and quietly opened it. At that point, he was within
fifteen to twenty feet from the inebriated soldiers who were on the
opposite side of a reed mat suspended from the ceiling.
Kevin released the emergency brake and put the car in neutral. Returning
to the women, he motioned to start pushing.
At first, the heavy vehicle resisted their efforts. Kevin lifted his
foot to push against the house’s foundation. That added amount of
leverage made the difference; the car eased out of its parking slot.
At the lip of the arcade, the cobblestones of the street slanted
downward in a gentle slope so rainwater would run away from the house.
As soon as the rear wheels of the vehicle passed this point, the car
gained momentum. All at once, Kevin realized that no additional force
was needed.
‘Uh-oh!’ Kevin cried, as the car began to gain speed.
Kevin ran around the side of the car and tried to get the driver’s-side
door open. Given the car’s increasing momentum, this wasn’t easy. The
car was now halfway across the alley and beginning to curve to the right
down the hill toward the waterfront.
Finally Kevin succeeded in opening the door. In one swift move, he dove
in behind the wheel. He got in position as quickly as possible, then
jammed on the brakes. At the same time, he turned the steering wheel
hard to the left so as to better align the vehicle with the street.
Fearful their efforts might have attracted the soldiers’ attention,