Chapter 5
Meri
I didn’t hold much hope for Sam getting me out. When I saw him the next day, early in the morning, I was sure that he was going to tell me that it was hopeless. I wasn’t always pessimistic, but I just thought of it as being realistic. Sam told me that I would be getting out later today on restrictions. I didn’t even care what the conditions of the release were. They just didn’t matter as far as I was concerned. As long as I was able to leave this place and never come back, that was all that mattered to me.
“So when are you going to get me out of here?”
“There is going to be a hearing later with the judge, but I have already talked to him and he seems eager to strike a deal. You will be released from here and into my custody pending the trial. You will also have to give up your passport.”
None of that sounded like a problem, though the part about me getting released into my lawyer’s custody was not something that I had thought possible. Truth was that even though he was helping me and he knew Ashlyn, that didn’t mean that I really trusted the guy. I barely even knew him.
“Released to you?”
“Yeah, you need someone to vouch for you and I told him that I would make sure you went to all of the hearings and you weren’t going to skip town. They wouldn’t do it if I didn’t suggest it.”
“Oh, so what does that mean, I have to stay in Thailand?”
I was relieved, that was clear but it didn’t last long. I had other things on my mind. I was thinking about the job that I was going to lose and what was going to happen when I got back home? What about Carol?
“What is wrong? I thought you would be elated?”
“I am. I really am. I can’t thank you enough, but I am already several days late for a new job. I just graduated and I got a killer paid internship with a huge company in New York. I don’t want to miss this opportunity.”
“Well I can give them a call and let them know that you are here stuck with legal troubles. You can always call them when you get out later. I am hoping to have you out a little afternoon. I know this is not the conclusion that we are looking for, but it’s something and I am going to take this as a good sign.”
“What about Carol? Will I be able to look for Carol? I think something happened to her and if I find her, everything is dropped, right?”
“Yes, but you have to understand that this is a dangerous place. I know that they have beautiful beaches and it’s great for traveling, but there is also an underside to Thailand that I think Carol might have gotten wrapped up into.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. There are just a lot of things about this place that I am sure a lady like you wouldn’t know about.”
“I am a big girl Sam. You can tell me what it is you are thinking about.”
“Her friend Rico could have sold her into the sex trade. She could be into drugs or something even worse. All I know is that there is a big market for American women. None of the reasons are really that good.”
I blanched and I almost wished that I hadn’t have asked him to elaborate. Here I was thinking that she was on a bender and I was going to find her cuddled up with Rico or maybe even another man. It didn’t even occur to me that something like that could have happened.
“I am not saying that is what happened, I am just saying that it could have happened.”
I shook my head, not sure what to say. I was no longer so relieved. I came here with Carol and I intended to bring her back with me.
“I guess I just never thought about that as a possibility. We just came here to do some swimming, see the sights. This has turned into one of the worst month of my life. I wish I had never come.”
“I can see that. I am sorry this has happened to you, but we are going to get you out of this and I am going to help you find your friend.”
He pushed his hand through the bars and I took the offered gesture. A shiver ran through me and I pulled away from the comfort. I didn’t feel eased, I felt electrified and I met his dark blue eyes, not sure what to do next.
“Thank you Sam.”
***
Getting out of there was the single best moment of my life so far. It was extra special because for a while there, I really thought that I was ever going to leave that horrible place. I knew that I wanted to, that I hadn’t done anything to be there, but I had heard about several people that had come to a country for tourism and were never able to leave. I didn’t want to be another statistic and I wanted to kiss the ground when I got out of there.
Sam smiled at me. “Happy to be out?”
“You have no idea.”
“I spent a few days in a cell before, but not in a place like this. This is no place for you.”
“I never thought I would want to go home so badly in my life.”
He chuckled and told me that he was going to take me to the hotel. All I could think about was taking a shower and washing some of the grime off of me. When we got to the car, he opened the door for me and showed me my clothes in the trunk. I had everything that I needed, now all I needed was a bed and some dinner and I would feel better than I had in a week.
Sam talked on the way to the hotel. I only started to pay attention when he told me that it was booked up and since I had to stay with him, we were going to have to share the suite together.
“Share the suite?”
“Yeah, I have the top floor suite at the LaMark. It only has one bed, but I am pretty sure the couch folds out into a bed. I can sleep there and you can have the master bedroom.”
“I don’t want to put you out.”
“Don’t worry about it. You are not, trust me. I am just happy that I could get you out of there. For a while I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to. The laws are very different here than back home.”
“Well now that I am out, we have to find Carol. That will get us home faster and I am sure you want to get out of here as well. Thailand isn’t so charming anymore and we are about to be here for Monsoon season.”
“Yes, I would like to get home soon, although I will not leave until you leave with me. I promise you that.”
I smiled at him and for some reason, even though I didn’t really know him, I believed what he told me. I wanted to believe it and the way he said it made me believe him. I didn’t say much as we made our way to the suite. I was more than a little concerned with how everything was going to work out, but when I got there, I no longer had any worries. The place was huge, more than enough room for the both of us.
“I am going to jump in the shower if you don’t mind.”
“Go ahead. You do whatever you need to, but can you please call Ashlyn first. She has been calling me nonstop and told me that she wasn’t going to stop until she talked to you.”
“That sounds like her. I will call her as I run some water.”
“I am going to order something for dinner or we can go out.”
I wasn’t feeling up to going out, so I just told Sam to order me whatever he wanted. I wasn’t very picky and after the food offered where I had been the last week or so, anything would be a step up. This must have been the nicest hotel around, which meant that they most likely had good food as well. This was my hope anyways.
I locked myself in the bathroom and started the water before I used his cell phone to call Ashlyn. I was happy to hear from her and I was still amazed that she had been able to help me so far away.
“Hey Ashlyn.”
“Meri! It is so good to hear your voice. I was worried about you. Sam hasn’t called me in hours.”
“Leaving the jail took some time. There was a lot of paperwork that had to be done before they would let me leave.”
“So you are out?”
“I am out in Sam’s custody. They took my passport, but Sam says that he is going to help me work it out. We have to find Carol so that they will drop the murder charges.”
“Murder charges?”
“Yeah, crazy right?”
We were quiet for a few seconds, both trying to figure out what to say.
“You didn’t have to do this Ashlyn, but I am so thankful that you did. I don’t think I would have been able to get out of this. I don’t think there is any way I could do it without Sam. He is great.”
Ashlyn agreed. “He really is the only one that I trust. He is crazy busy here, but he is a good friend.”
“He is also really cute, is he that kind of friend?”
“No, not like that. I introduced him to some people I know.”
“You should see this hotel suite we are staying in. It is like out of some movie or something. Way out of my league.”
“It doesn’t matter where we come from Meri. You know that.”
Ashlyn had come from nothing. When I met her for the first time, she had been as broke as I was, if not worse. Now she had made herself over and she was the perfect mentor. I was helped her with what I knew and Ashlyn was teaching me about the other side of life. I never thought I would need all of her training, but we had become fast friends.
“Well look, I hate to cut this short, but this bathtub is full and I haven’t had a decent bath in a week.”
“Okay Meri. Call me in the morning and we will go over the game plan. We are going to get you home.”
I thanked her again, still not sure how I was going to repay her. I moved into the water and moaned at the hot water encasing my body. This bath was almost worth all the money in the world at this particular moment. It was heavenly and I never wanted to leave.