As I reach his hut, a kerosene lamp burns and the door stands wide open. I move cautiously forward.
“Othella? Robbie,” I call, taking each step slowly. My eyes are peeled and my body is tense. Something feels wrong.
“Is anyone home?” The hut isn’t large. It consists of one open space with two connected rooms. I pause to listen. What do I hear? A moan? Was someone calling my name?
I turn sharply and run toward the room farthest from the entrance. As I step through the archway, I find Robbie on the floor, groaning and holding his arm. But he hasn’t been bitten—he’s been beaten.
“He took her.”
“Who?” I ask. “What happened, Robbie? Who hurt you? Where’s Othella?” I move to help him sit up, but he’s covered in bruises and cuts, and his arm is oddly bent. “Who the hell did this to you?”
I walk further in, and see that Katherine is already here. “He took Othella. The white man from the dinner.”
Robbie’s voice is unsteady as he says, “He hit me in the head.”
“He’s badly hurt.” Katherine looks at me with worried eyes.
“Slow down, Robbie. Let us help you.” I place a hand on his shoulder and he squeals in pain.
“Damn it,” he winces. “My arm. I think it’s broken.”
As Katherine and I help him to the cot, I realize who Robbie and Katherine are talking about. My stomach drops. “Tony Schaefer. He took Othella.”
Gritting his teeth, Robbie nods.
“How did he find us? How did he get here?”
“He must’ve followed us,” Katherine says.
“Can you walk? You have to come with me to Vivian Jean’s place. My mom is taking care of Tully. He was bitten.”
“By what?” Robbie’s eyes appear to roll back in his head.
“Don’t pass out. Not yet. I need to get you to Vivian Jeanand my mother. You might be able to help my mother with Tully, and she can help you, too.”
“I need to go after them,” Robbie says. “Schaefer will hurt Othella.”
“You can barely stand,” I tell Robbie. “Katherine, get him over to Vivian Jean’s hut, and stay with him and the others.”
“Where are you going?”
“Robbie’s right. He’ll hurt her,” I reply. “I’m going after them.”
“That’s not a good idea,” Katherine says.
“I have to go after them.”
She huffs. “Then help me get Robbie to Vivian Jean’s first.”
CHAPTER 44
ZINZI
The Hartfield’s Hut, Accompong
The rain is relentless, with ominous clouds pouring gallons of water from the sky. However, the harder it falls, the more determined I am to do everything possible to find Othella.
It’s my fault she’s in trouble. I’m responsible for bringing the girl to Schaefer—Byron and me. He feels the same as I do, which I realized during our quick exit from dinner at Tynesdale Estate. When Byron met Schaefer, he knew he wasn’t a good man, but he didn’t know all the details of the man’s agreement with his father. We were both naïve and foolish to believe anything Schaefer said.Business partnercan mean many things. Then there was Byron’s father, who manipulated our emotions, starting with the unexpected and cryptic visit to Allan’s office. Then there was his pact with the six other sugar plantation owners and, finally, the threat of violence against his own workers if we publicly supported the union. Byron and I had our hearts used against us. Now I have to help Othella.
