Page 49 of No Questions Asked

“I don’t think so. It could be a complete coincidence. The church often supports initiatives and research into vaccines, and this would be an important one. So definitely in the realm of possibility.”

“But it’s odd. You’ve never seen or heard of Father Quintela before?”

“Never. I just noticed a guard talking to him by the gate, and I went over to see if I could assist. He told me the same story he told you, so I took him to Natelli.”

“Does he know of your connections to the Vatican?”

“No. As far as I know, no one does. I’d prefer to keep it that way until I’m sure of what we’re dealing with here.”

I didn’t have a chance to respond because Gabriel showed up in the lab asking to speak to Slash. They spoke for a moment and Slash returned to his computer to shut it down.

“Gabriel wants to talk to me about security.”

“Well, that’s interesting considering he wouldn’t even arm you.”

“I’m sure he’s bound by certain laws and regulations. I’m not holding that against him. Iam, however, holding him responsible for abandoning you. We’re about to discuss that in great detail.”

I looked up in surprise. “Slash, don’t do anything foolish. Just talk.”

“We’ll see.” He disappeared out the door with Gabriel and I returned to my work, trying not to worry about what was happening between them.

Several hours passed and I went to dinner, hoping to see Slash, but he was nowhere to be found. There was an empty seat next to Salvador, so I sat down and we started talking.

“You’ve lived in this area all of your life?” I asked him, breaking a piece of bread in half.

“I have. I grew up in a small village just north of Coari, near the river.”

“That’s how you know this area so well.”

“Yes. I’m quite familiar with this entire region, including the riverways. I’ve worked many jobs from fishing to hunting to mapping locations for the government. That’s how I know where most of the indigenous tribes live, although there are some I’ve never actually seen.”

“That’s fascinating. How do you speak English so well?”

He laughed. “I listen to a lot of American and British music. Actually, I studied English in school and later at the university. I sometimes take tourists around, although tourists don’t come here that much. Not yet, anyway.”

“We’re lucky to have you on the team.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m lucky to be on the team. I volunteered.”

“Volunteered?” I looked at him puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“When I heard about the vaccine trial, I wanted to help.” He paused for a moment, staring down into his coffee cup before he cleared his throat. “I lost my daughter to malaria four years ago. She was three years old. I have a personal interest in this quest.”

My heart dropped to my stomach. This was exactly why I never initiated conversation, because when I did, this kind of thing happened. Now, I had no idea what to say.

I decided to keep it simple and heartfelt. “I’m sorry, Salvador. I can’t even imagine what that feels like. But you honor her memory by helping others to be safe.”

A wisp of a smile crossed his lips. “Thank you, Lexi. Will you be accompanying us on our next visit to the village?”

“Someone has to protect the computer data, right?”

“And us.” He lifted his mug to me and finished off his coffee. “Either way, I’ll feel better knowing you’re around.”

I didn’t see Slash until the next morning when we were all summoned for an early trip to the same village we’d been thwarted from reaching the day before yesterday. Natelli told us it would be the same team as before—minus Martim, who was apparently still recovering from his traumatic ordeal. Melinda was back and we had another boat filled with three new guards armed with automatic rifles.

Gwen, who was standing near us, leaned over and spoke in a hushed voice. “I heard Martim filed a complaint with the government that he was not sufficiently protected and that the entire operation was a farce.”

“What a baby,” I said. “At least it wasn’t enough for the government to close down the operation...yet. They must have taken his complaints with a grain of salt. Why on earth did they send such an idiot to do this job?”

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