Winter of the Passion Flower (The de Vargas Family) Read online

  Indigo looked into his angry face and bit back a satisfied smile. Zane’s anger pleased her. Compliant since they had first met; she wondered if he had any backbone. However, she was desperately in need of a captain for the water stage of their time journey, and she had gambled and cast her doubt aside.

  Zane pushed her away and stepped back, running his fingers through his shaggy hair. Indigo reached up, grabbed his face with both hands, and gave him a swift, hard kiss on his tight lips. “That’s an apology, Captain. Consider yourself honored, because I do not do it often. Apologize, that is. Now come on.”

  The sounds of a town stirring to life in the early morning greeted them as they wound their way through the back streets behind the harbor. It appeared to be a seedy part of the town and they hurried though the rabbit warren of narrow streets.

  “Do you know where you are going?” Zane’s breath came in short pants as they ran down a narrow alley. Lights came on in a few of the houses they passed but there were no citizens on the road at this early hour.

  “Of course I do,” she snapped. “We must be through town before the sun rises. We will meet Luis, our guide at the expedition lodge base. We have a long drive to the river, and then he will take us to the headwaters on a river barge. After that, we only have a short trek to the plantation through the jungle.”

  Indigo stressed the need to be alert. “I still don’t trust the duke. There is still something causing me concern. I suspect he has bribed a member of the submarine crew. I suspect Leopold knows exactly where we are and what we are doing.”

  Their footsteps clattered down a narrow cobbled lane. Indigo heard a quick intake of breath as Zane stopped behind her.

  “Jesus, what now?” said Indigo with exasperation, following the direction of his stare to the faded board above the shop. Even though the paint was peeling, the sign advertising Tatuajes por Juan was legible.

  “Tattoos by Juan,” she read and her heart started to pound. She was amazed to see the same little shop still in the same place. One hundred and seventy years had passed since she had last been there.

  “I have been here before,” Zane spoke slowly. “This is where I got my tattoo. I know that, but I don’t remember it.”

  Indigo touched his arm gently. “I believe you. I also know we have been here together before. However, we will explore that later. Now, Captain, are you coming on this expedition with me or will I leave you here?”

  * * * *

  Luis drove the vehicle confidently through the mountainous terrain appearing unfazed by the steep hills and deep ravines and did not converse for most of the journey. As the vehicle bounced over potholes and corrugated washouts, Zane hung on tightly, occasionally looking over the edge of the escarpment, certain he would not survive the journey. He had survived a temporal voyage; however this leg of their quest was filled with more danger. Finally, Luis swung the wheel a final time and the vehicle entered a fenced compound near the headwaters of the mighty Amazon River. The sound of flowing water filled his ears and Zane pushed the door handle quickly when the Land Rover came to a sudden stop and he slid to the muddy ground. Looking up, he caught Indigo stifling a grin. Leaning out the window, she laughed.

  “I think you handled traveling across two centuries with more aplomb than the last four hours, Captain.”

  Zane glared at her, his hasty exit from the vehicle leaving him a little embarrassed.

  “Now, don’t forget to watch out for jaguars, cougars… and oh…there are anacondas here too. And don’t put your hands or feet in the water because there are electric eels and piranha in the river.” Indigo said the grin spreading across her face

  She burst into peals of laughter and he ignored her.

  “We shall discuss my remuneration in greater detail when we return from the voyage, Madame,” he replied stiffly. Turning his back on her, he walked away to explore the compound, examining the old rusted vehicles and discarded equipment littering the small area. Vines and broad-leafed vegetation covered the buildings, the solid green curtain contrasting with the rusted machinery. Broken windows and doors hanging from corroded hinges gave the place an air of neglect and it appeared as if it was rarely used for the expedition base it was purported to be. Zane glanced and across at Luis who gestured for him to assist with the unloading of the vehicle.

  After the vehicle was unpacked, Luis drove it behind the smaller building, immediately camouflaging the large machine with loose vines. He constantly scanned the perimeter of the compound as he worked, appearing uneasy. Speaking to Indigo in fast Spanish, she turned to Zane. “Luis says there has been more traffic on the road than usual today. He is rather concerned. We must take extra caution.”

  Indigo entered the building, beckoning Zane to follow. “This was a base for the copper miners at the end of the twentieth century. When the mining boom declined, copper mines were abandoned throughout the Amazon basin. This suits our needs, as no one usually comes up here. It provides a safe base for gathering our blooms. We will eat and rest before we embark on the next leg of our trip. It is impossible to travel through the jungle in the heat of the day. “

  Luis handed her a set of small keys before disappearing outside once more. Moving across to the back of the abandoned building, Indigo unlocked a door camouflaged by a piece of ripped hessian before ushering Zane ahead of her into a large room. Tinned food lined the shelves on one wall and two bunk beds were secured to the opposite wall. Crates in a clear white transparent material were stacked along the back of the room.

  Indigo heated a tin of meat stew on the stove and Zane moved around the small building. He was still enthralled by the thought of being in the future and wanted to retain as much in his memory as he could. Picking up unfamiliar objects, he examined each one closely; interested in the strange shapes and materials He removed the lid of a small white crate, jumping as it made a sharp snapping sound.

  “It’s called plastic,” said Indigo. “It will be exhibited for the first time at the second Great Exhibition in 1862. The government of our day resists every move to share these wonderful inventions with the general populace. Prince Albert, our Consort, has been fighting for an Exhibition of All Nations for many months. It will be wonderful to see Henry Cole bring the consort’s dream to fruition.”

  Zane smiled at the passion in her voice and the light in her eyes as she emphasized each point. His gaze locked on hers; he was almost bewitched by this woman and fought to control his response to her.

  Now was not the time.

  He grinned to himself, trying to figure out what ‘now’ really meant to him. Shaking his hand in wonder he looked up as Indigo continued speaking.

  “We must confront conformity and complacency.’ She held his gaze and her eyes were dark. “We can make the world a much better place. We must unite to overcome the resistance of our government. It is up to us, the common people, to move our society forward. Look at the things we see in this century. We must be ready for the Exhibition in May. I believe the duke is under pressure from the parliament to stop my display at any cost, so we must work even harder to have our product ready.”

  Zane thought her words sounded impressive, but wondered at her sincerity.

  “You are hardly a member of the common people, Madame Indigo de Vargas y Irausquínno. Your cliff top manor and the way you pander to the rich with your elegant holiday retreat speak otherwise to me. Your passion is admirable but what do you know of the people in the dark alleys and the lower-class hovels?”

  Her eyes narrowed as she stared back at him.

  “Don’t take what you see at face value, Captain Dogooder. You may be in for a surprise or two.” He watched as she turned back to the stove, lifting the pan and dropping it on the table with a loud crash.

  “There is food here, if you are hungry,” she said tersely.

  He smiled to himself as she moved across to the bunks, kicking off her boots, before stretching out on the bottom bed. Her beauty intensified even as her temper flared.
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br />   “I would suggest you rest while you can, as we have a long night ahead. It will be a hot and uncomfortable trip. Luis is used to the humidity of the jungle. He will load the barge while we rest.” She rolled over, turning her back to him.

  Zane did not reply. He ignored the food congealing on the stovetop and climbed to the top bunk mulling over the day’s events and the enigma of Indigo de Vargas y Irausquínno.

  * * * *

  Zane appeared fascinated by the energy of the rainforest as Luis steered the barge along the side of the wide river. Indigo was well used to it and had too much on her mind to appreciate the beauty as she usually did. She loved the jungle, it appealed to her nature; it was much more liberating than the Cornish society where she had to maintain decorum…most of the time.

  The heat and the expectation of danger around every corner made the jungle an exciting place to be. The water racing past the barge held her gaze as she lost herself in her thoughts and after a while she glanced up to find Zane staring at the shoreline mesmerized by the scene in front of them. Festive parrots danced along the low hanging branches and black-capped capuchin monkeys chattered at them as they peered curiously through the leaves. Occasionally, a black-collared hawk with iridescent green wing feathers dove down from high above, pinning them with a steely gaze as he swooped past. The movement of the barge disturbed the river life as taricaya turtles popped their heads curiously above the surface to peer at them with sleepy eyes.

  Contrasting with the natural beauty were occasional villages which Luis avoided, steering to the opposite side of the river, and the barge slipped by quietly, unnoticed by the occasional native on the shore. The electric motor propelled them through the water silently. Zane stared intently at the small villages as they slipped past.

  “The twenty-first century and still the wealth of the elite has not been shared with all members of society,” said Indigo.

  As the sun disappeared behind the treetops, the jungle fell silent instantly and darkness was complete within minutes. Luis turned the barge into a small bay where the jungle thinned. After securing it by rope to a small pontoon, Luis walked along the bank, scanning the edge of the jungle and speaking quietly to himself. Indigo followed the light from his flashlight, moving along the mud on the riverbank.

  “There has been a boat here today,” Luis pointed to the riverbank. “See… there are marks in the mud and the broken vegetation?” His voice was concerned.

  “They have gone now, but all the more reason for taking extra care,” whispered Indigo. Fear clutched at her throat but she tried to hide it. “There is something not right. Keep your ears and eyes open. We will work with one small light. Luis, we will take the back path to the plantation tonight, in case there is someone on the main track.”

  Luis nodded. “Caminar en silencio”

  Indigo translated. “Luis agrees. We must walk silently.”

  After the small crates were loaded into three large hessian bags and water flasks were attached to their belts, Luis led them into the jungle and forged ahead. His flashlight provided a small pinprick of light for them to follow at a distance.

  “Stay behind me and hold the back of my pack,” Indigo whispered. Zane followed her closely, holding her pack as they pushed their way along the track for more than an hour. Rustling and scurrying in the trees edging the track kept them alert.

  Indigo was about to call to Luis for a break when suddenly the light ahead disappeared. There was a short sharp cry, then silence. Indigo grabbed Zane, pulling him off the track. Dropping her backpack, she whispered urgently for him to follow her.

  “Leave your bag here, be absolutely silent. Our lives depend on it. With a bit of luck, we may have been far enough away and they think Luis was travelling alone.”

  Moving stealthily in the darkness, Indigo and Zane walked deep into the jungle. Using a small flashlight covered with a piece of hessian ripped from one of the bags, Zane held it low to light their way. Indigo bit back a scream as a snake with a circumference as thick as man’s wrist slithered lazily across the path before them.

  “God, this whole voyage is turning into a disaster,” she muttered under her breath.

  After another ten minutes, she pulled on Zane’s arm. “We will take a brief rest. I only hope they weren’t watching for us and didn’t see the three of us on the boat. We will have to take the long climb to the plantation now. It is isolated, but I am sure no one can find it without following us.” Her voice shook—she was concerned for Luis. He had been guiding her for the last few trips and although he was a private man, she knew he had a young family back in Ilo.

  Zane reached out to her and pulled her into a close embrace and for a moment she leaned her head on his shoulder and accepted his concern. He rested his chin on top of her head and she closed her eyes; it was not often she allowed a man to offer her comfort.

  “Come on.” She pulled away impatient with her moment of weakness. “It is time to go or we will not have enough time to pick the blooms.”

  They set off again and climbed steadily for another hour in complete silence as Indigo led Zane along the familiar path. Occasionally, a glimmer of moonlight lit their way as the top of the rainforest canopy thinned.

  “We are almost there,” she said quietly. Stepping over a large log, the ground opened beneath her feet. Bouncing down the steep sides, Indigo screamed as she slid to the bottom of a deep pit. She lay winded on the soft leaves covering the base, groaning with frustration.

  “Indigo, are you all right?” Zane’s concerned voice came from above, his head silhouetted by the soft moonlight. “Damn it, answer me, woman. Can you hear me?”

  “I’m all right,” she called up to him. “I didn’t realize we were so close to the plantation. This is one of our own traps.”

  Crawling around on her hands and knees, Indigo felt around for one of the ropes she knew was hidden in the pit. Seconds later, she choked back another scream. Her hands encountered a skull, sightless eyes staring up at her in the faint moonlight. Worms wound their way through the sunken eye sockets. Breathing slowly and deeply, she moved away from it and felt her way around the side of the pit, encountering more bones as she moved to the edge.

  “You need to get me out of here quickly, Captain.” she called, her voice shaking. “There should be ropes hidden in the log we stepped over just before I fell. Hurry.”

  The sound of his footsteps and muttered cursing drifted down to her and within minutes a rope snaked down the sides of the long drop. Tying the rope securely around her waist, she called up to him and Zane began to slowly pull her up. As she neared the edge of the pit, he took the full weight of her body, and it must have thrown him off balance. She began to slide back down as the rope slackened and she let loose with a string of profanities. The rope tightened as Zane took up the slack and she bounced against the side of the pit.

  “Fuck!”

  “Sorry.” Zane adjusted the rope to her weight and she grabbed for handholds on the side of the pit as he pulled her to the top. Soon her head and shoulders were above the edge of the pit and the muscles in her calves burned as she braced her legs against the sides and pushed with her toes as Zane pulled her up the last few feet.

  As she clambered over the edge of the drop to the path, Zane tried to pull her close, but Indigo pushed him away. Backing away from the edge, she sat on the ground and pulled her legs up, lowering her head to her knees, trying to control the shaking of her limbs and fight the nausea rising in her throat

  As she regained her composure, she looked up at Zane who was hovering over her. “We are in danger, Captain. They have found their way to the plantation.”

  “Can you hear something? How do you know?”

  “No, there are three bodies in the pit.”

  Chapter 4

  Indigo and Zane sat silently on the log, each lost in their own thoughts, until the first fingers of sunlight touched the rainforest. Melodious birdsong contrasting with the rough barking of the spider monke
ys surrounded them as the light filtered through the dense canopy above. Indigo moved across to the edge of the pit and looked down at the skeletons below.

  “I am sure the bodies are evidence of a failed attempt to breach the plantation, but we must remain on guard,” she warned. “We have dug pits around each of the entry points. Make sure you follow me closely when we go in.”

  Zane nodded. He’d barely said a word since they’d left the boat and she wondered what he was thinking about. His touch had been platonic as he’d checked her for injuries. She did not hurt anywhere, and was confident she had suffered no ill effects from her fall. Indigo had sat quietly as his warm strong hands traversed her body, biting down on her cheek when her heartbeat picked up, warmth lingering where Zane touched her with gentle fingers. Her body trembled and she knew it had more to do with his touch than from the fall. The buzzing of mosquitoes interrupted her thoughts and she leaned over to pull the netting down on Zane’s hat, covering his face and neck, before doing the same to her own.

  “Jungle fever,” she explained moving back from the edge of the pit. “We didn’t have time to take the preventative pharmacological.”

  Within minutes the sun filtered through the treetops, lighting up the rainforest around them. Indigo moved to the perimeter of the trees and peered out through the dense foliage. All was still and the lack of movement reassured her intruders had not breached the plantation.

  She reached for her water bottle, taking a large drink of the cold liquid.

  “Ensure that you drink regularly as we work. The heat of the jungle will sap your energy and we must finish quickly. There is a waterfall on the other side of the plantation where we can replenish our bottles.”

  Zane’s gaze held hers as he tipped the bottle to his mouth. Indigo looked steadily back at him, fascinated by the muscles in his strong throat working as he drank deeply.