“I’ve seen one.”

“You have?”

“From the air. I came in by helicopter. There was nothing left of it.”

“That’s why the total is so high,” he said.

I started to do a calculation in my head. Steve had said that there were over two hundred people in that village…how many villages would have to be destroyed to make five thousand people? That would be twenty-five villages. All I had to do was hope that twenty-five villages were wiped out and—I stopped myself.

Here I was hoping, practically pleading, bargaining, calculating that innocent people had been killed—people I didn’t even know—so that in my head it increased the odds of my family being alive. All those people were some body’s family, maybe they were whole families.

I had to ask Tad one more question. It was one I didn’t want the answer to, but there was no choice.

“Are there reports of tourists being killed?”

“Yes.” His answer was sudden and short.

“Americans?”

“Yes.”

“How many?”

“Not that many. There were a lot from Sweden, over two hundred Swedish tourists are confirmed—”

“I don’t care about Swedish tourists!” I snapped. “How many Americans?”

“They really don’t know for sure yet—”

“Tad, how many?”

“Nine confirmed dead. Another fifty still missing. But that doesn’t mean dead or anything because everything is so confused that they just can’t find people yet.”

He sounded almost panic-stricken. He didn’t deserve my being angry and difficult with him. It wasn’t his fault.

“Tad…thank you for being there,” I said.

“I just wish I could be with you there. I shouldn’t have let you go alone. I should have gone with you.”

“You’re helping me more where you are. Please, just call me as soon as you hear something.”

“I’ll try, but you call too! I might have news but not be able to get through to you, so you keep calling me. Promise?”

“I’ll call.”

“Not just if you hear anything, but just because. Promise me you’ll try to call me later on today.”

“I’ll call,” I said. “But you shouldn’t worry if you don’t hear from me. I’m heading down to the coast. Maybe there won’t be any service down there.”

“I understand,” Tad said. “Be careful, and remember, I’m here, and if you need me I could be there, I could come over.”

“I appreciate that. I appreciate everything. I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

I was just about to put it away when I checked the power level. I still had three bars—enough for at least a couple of days. I wouldn’t need any more than that. I hoped.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The road didn’t stay deserted for long. There were people, in ones and twos or in bigger groups, moving up the road, coming toward me. They were all local people, Thais. Some were friendly and smiled and said a few words in English. They acted the way I was used to Thai people acting. Others were very different. Their heads were down, eyes on the ground, and it was as though they didn’t even notice me as I passed. Some looked up, but they didn’t seem to see. Their eyes were empty, their expressions blank. I didn’t even want to think about what those eyes had seen and what had caused such a reaction.