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.They had listened to her and left but only because they feared what Shawn might do if they didn’t.Sobbing, Pim had told Robin what had happened, adding that Ngern was missing, begging Robin to look for him.Eight hours later the door had opened and Ngern had walked in, alone and unharmed.Pim had told him everything and at first he tried not to cry because that was what his great-grandfather would have wanted, but it had come and now, a few hours past sunset, he slept a dreamless, cried-out sleep.Robin sat on one of the beds at the far corner of the room.She patted a spot next to her on the bed, and Pim sat down.“Did you get anything to eat? I can go up to the kitchen and look around,” Robin asked.Pim shook her head.“I am not hungry but thank you.”Robin looked over to where Ngern lay sleeping.“He’s a tough kid.”“Yes.I wish he did not have to be, but he is.”They said nothing for several minutes, listening to Ngern’s steady breathing, then Robin said, “I’m sorry about your grandfather,” her voice cracking just once as she said it.“I told him not to say anything to Shawn but he would not listen.He was very stubborn and foolish.”“No he wasn’t,” Robin said, reaching out and taking Pim’s tiny hand in hers.“He was a brave man and he loved you very much.”Pim raised her head and looked into Robin’s eyes.“You are a good woman, Miss Robin.”Robin gave a short laugh.“No, Pim.I’m a dumb blonde who fell for a load of shit because I was stupid enough to think some guy actually liked me for who I am, not how I look.”“You have also described me,” Pim said.She gave a weak smile and added, “Except for my hair.”“I’m so pissed right now,” Robin said, fighting to keep her voice low.“And I hate myself for what happened.If I wasn’t so stupid.What the hell’s wrong with me?”“There is nothing wrong with either of us.We believed because we loved.We did not betray love, he did.”“Yeah, yeah, I’ve seen Oprah too.”Pim tilted her head and looked at her.“Never mind,” Robin said, and slouched back against the wall.“The kid tell you where he was all day?”Pim gave a few quick nods that made her hair bounce.“He said a man hid him near the engines and that from there he could watch the sà-lât—the sea robbers—but they could not see him.He said he heard them talking.Most are men from Ranong and Chumpon, north of Phuket.Many are Chinese.He can tell by the way they speak, their accent,” Pim said, her voice rising, unsure of the word.“Did they say anything about us, the passengers? What they’re going to do with us?”“Oh yes,” Pim said, smiling.“We are quite safe.My nephew said that Shawn came down and spoke to one of the men, and he told the others.Tomorrow morning, very early, the sea robbers will go back to the mainland.”“And us?”“That is the good news, Miss,” Pim said.“They are leaving us here.”Chapter ThirtyMark was lying on one of the lower bunks, hands behind his head and feet up on a pile of flat pillows.He was expecting the knock on the door, just not so soon, and when the door swung open he expected to see Andy and a squad of grinning pirates, not Robin and Pim, with Pim dragging the sleepy-eyed Ngern behind her.“That son of a bitch lied to us,” Robin said storming in.“You’re just figuring that out now?” Mark watched as Pim shut and locked the door.“Today.This morning.Up in that room.” Robin said, her hands flying as she spoke.“They don’t plan on taking any of us off.They’re leaving us here for the terrorists.”“Terrorists?” Pim pulled Ngern close to her.Mark swung his legs off the bed and sat up.“Shawn tell you this?”“The kid heard it.Down in the engine room,” Robin said, and explained what Ngern had told Pim.“Who is this guy? A passenger? One of the crew?”“He says he does not know, but I do not think he is with the crew because he has a crippled leg.”“What else does he know?” Mark focused on staying relaxed, hoping it would keep them all calm.“He says the man is alone and that he is very good at hiding.” Pim said, translating as Ngern spoke.“He says the man has five Star Wars guns, but I do not know what this means.”“Tasers.” Mark nodded.“Some of the crew had them.Not that it helped.”Robin looked at Mark.“You think you can team up with this guy and take back the ship?”“With five tasers?” Mark laughed.“Not happening.”“We’ve got to do something,” Robin said, the frustration growing in her voice.“We can get the guns, or the tasers or whatever they are, and then get a lifeboat and get away.”“No,” Mark said.“No one gets left behind.”“What are you talking about? It’s just the four of us.”“It’s us,” he said, “and the other passengers and what’s left of the crew.We all go off together.”Robin stared at him, blinking.“Are you crazy? That’s like forty people.Getting us off the ship is going to be hard enough.The hell with that.We worry about us [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]