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Back No Going Back: a Novel Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Part 1
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. Part 2
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. Part 3
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. Part 4
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. Part 5
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. Part 6
  67. 59
  68. 60
  69. 61
  70. 62
  71. 63
  72. 64
  73. 65
  74. 66
  75. 67
  76. 68
  77. 69
  78. 70
  79. 71
  80. 72
  81. Acknowledgments
  82. About the Author
  83. Also by Sheena Kamal
  84. About the Publisher

While we wait, Brazuca makes one trip back to the Australian’s bar to see what else he can find out. I drive my rented scooter toward the mine but turn around just inside the village on the outskirts of the mine property. Things begin to look too industrial, and a tourist on a scooter stands out here. There are more than a few hostile glances thrown my way, at my baseball cap and aviator shades. A few curious ones at the smutty novel I pull out while ostensibly searching for my island map, both courtesy of the hotel lobby. The map is still crisp, but the novel is water stained and dog-eared. As far as disguises go, a sex-obsessed tourist with a poor sense of direction is about as effective as one can get overseas, but I’m still uneasy here in Lombok.

But it’s not like I can leave. Dao is so close I can feel him. If this island is where we put our past to rest, so be it.

On my way back to the hotel, I stop at a roadside restaurant that looks more like a hut. Order a plate of steamed vegetables and tofu covered in a fragrant peanut sauce. Wash it down with a glass of papaya juice. The meal is a hundred times better than the hotel version I had last night. This is the healthiest food I’ve eaten maybe in my entire life. I can feel my body healing. Feel it getting stronger. I could get used to living like this. Bringing my dog on my private plane for a bit of fun in the sun. My skin has turned a dark brown from all this sun exposure, but at least I’m doing better than Brazuca, who has taken on the appearance of a man being boiled slowly but can’t seem to crawl out of the pot.

“You like the gado gado?” the chef asks, as he clears my dishes. He’s the chef, the waiter, the busboy, and the host.

“It was delicious.”

“Thank you. You go back to your hotel before it gets dark?”

“On my way back now.”

“Good. That is good. Be safe.”

“It’s not safe after dark?”

He hesitates a moment, his round face holding something back. “Nowhere is safe after dark.”

Truth.

The reports from Simone and Lam’s cyber guy come in. We meet up that evening to go over them, Brazuca and Lam reeking of zinc oxide from their sunscreen. Ivan isn’t in sight, but we know he must be around.