No such luck. Julie and Alan looked pissed. Moe and Dr. Andy seemed upset that their odds of making the final four weren’t as good. Lex glanced at me with what I thought was curiosity. Oh, why did I have to think that? Getting my hopes up would only complicate things.
“So, you’re finally back,” Julie sneered. I was seriously sick of her doing that.
“Since you found Sami, she stays in the game. Isaac, however, is off.” Alan seemed to be taking pleasure in my failure to find Isaac.
I was in some serious shit if I didn’t find him. I’d pretty much blown my assignment from the Council – something I’ve never done before. Not ever.
I followed the rest of the team back to the guesthouse. Sami was the only one who talked to me. I got the feeling the others let her know they weren’t too happy to see her, but she didn’t care.
Dinner arrived but my heart wasn’t in it. Food didn’t sound good. There was no room in my stomach for it. Between worrying about Vic (that’s a new one) and the boys and being treated like a leper by Dr. Andy and Moe and being loathed by Lex, I had enough action in there to last a lifetime.
“Thanks again for keeping me in the game, Missi.” Sami spoke so loud there was no doubting her intentions.
“You’re welcome. After all, we did have an alliance.” I shot a snide look at Lex.
“Could have fooled me after what I heard this morning,” Lex sniped. “You made it clear that you thought of this only as a game to be won.”
“What the hell are you talking about, dumbass?” Sami gave him a look that should’ve melted his face.
“Why don’t you tell her what you told Dr. Andy?” Lex pointed at me with his fork.
Moe didn’t say anything but tried to give me a supportive smile. I felt bad that he had to witness this. It wasn’t his fault I was a jerk.
“Let’s just calm down and talk this through,” Dr. Andy started.
“No thank you.” I threw my napkin on the table and slid my chair back.
“Who cares what the bitch said? She’s the only asshole who came looking for me.” Sami winked at me.
“She said she didn’t care for any of us. That this was a game and we didn’t mean anything to her,” Lex said quietly.
Damn. I’d hurt him more than I thought.
“She also acted like she didn’t believe there was any sabotage. And she didn’t think we should look into it,” he added.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Oh, it was on.
“Well, maybe you are the one sabotaging the show.” Funny. Lex didn’t look like a man I wanted to kill.
“Why would I sabotage the show?” I have to admit I was pretty shocked at the accusation. I never saw this coming.
“Maybe you did it so you could guarantee a win. Although your generosity,” he waved his arms about him “indicates that you don’t need the money.”
Wow. That’s it. Just wow. I had nothing.
“Oh, I get it,” Moe said thoughtfully. “She sabotaged it so she could play the hero.”
“Uh, no. It’s not me,” I said numbly. “I lied to Dr. Andy. It was a stupid strategy, I’ll admit. I really do care about you guys.” I drew myself up to my full height. “But now that I see your true colors, Lex, I wonder how I let my feelings for you get so out of control.” I slid my chair dramatically under the table and went to my room, where I pouted. All night.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“That would be a good thing for them to cut on my tombstone: Wherever she went, including here, it was against her better judgment.”
- Dorothy Parker
Sami woke me in the morning, so I must have gotten some sleep. Apparently, I’d been crying, as was evidenced by my swollen eyes.
After soaking my face for twenty minutes with a cold washcloth, I ventured out to breakfast. In my absence, one of the other guests had ordered Danish and coffee. Whatever. It all tasted like sawdust anyhow.
We arrived at the campsite just seconds before Julie appeared. No one seemed to care about the consequences anymore. Last night took the fight out of everyone. Moe winked at me and Sami called me dumbass and that felt like a small victory. Lex never made eye contact.
Julie chewed on her lip. Strangely enough, she didn’t have her clipboard with her.
“I need all of you to follow me to the resort. I’ll explain once we get there.”
That was weird, but none of us really cared. I was wavering between quitting and killing everyone so my being rational was right out.
To our dull surprise, Julie marched us into a conference room. Alan sat at a long table with what appeared to be network brass and the local police.
“I need your attention.” Alan looked tired for the first time since I’d met him. “We’ve lost Isaac. The challenges for today are cancelled and the police have some questions for you. Please cooperate with them.”
My heart sank. I’d feared the worst and it had happened. Isaac was missing. I’d blown the job. The others looked around helplessly.
“What do you mean, missing? How could you lose him?” Moe asked with a catch in his throat.
Julie looked at Alan quickly, then responded. “He wasn’t where we had left him. We’ve searched everywhere.” She shrugged.
A lot of thoughts went through my mind. Isaac could have become the victim of foul play by the saboteur – whoever that was. Or maybe he figured me out and fled. Either way things couldn’t have been worse. I’d either screwed up or someone did the job for me. And where were Monty and Jackson? No one could’ve taken all three of them. My boys were too well trained for that. Unless they were unconscious . . .
An ugly, ovary-shrinking fear filled me. It never occurred to me that they could be in danger. If something happened to my sons, I would never forgive myself. And then I would never forgive my mother. One was mental, the other would be physical.
There was only one thing to do. I had to get to that mango tree. Hopefully Monty and Jack were waiting for me there. But how? The conference room was locked up tighter than brand new Tupperware.
“I think I’m going to be sick.” What? I did a little acting in college. “I need to get out of here. . .” My body swayed and my eyes rolled back in my head as I staggered to the door. To my surprise, no one tried to stop me.
“I’ll be right back.” I promised with a lie. As soon as the doors closed, I ran and without looking behind me even once, ran until I got to my meeting place with the boys.
“Monty! Jackson!” I shouted. Nothing. “Boys, it’s okay! I’m alone!” Still nothing.
I imagined everything a mother imagines when her children are missing – from terrorists to ice picks to disfiguring acid. Okay, everything that a Bombay mother imagines.
Snap out of it! What were the possibilities? This line of thinking slowed my pulse a bit. After taking a few cleansing breathes, I considered what might have happened. Either Isaac met with foul play or he was on the run. The boys were either with him or still looking for him. Okay. That seemed a little more realistic.
Then, crazy mommie took over my brain. If they were with Isaac, they were most likely in trouble or they would have contacted me. Right?
How long had I been sitting there? It felt like hours. Somehow I managed to convince myself that doing nothing was counter-productive. I started back toward the guesthouse. Sami and Moe would help me look for Isaac. They didn’t have to know that my sons were in the mix too.
“Missi?” Dr. Andy was standing outside the door to the guesthouse. He came up to me, studying my face. “You weren’t sick, were you?”
“You’re pretty intuitive, Doc.” I paused. “Can I ask you something, professionally?”
He pulled up two plastic chairs and motioned for me to sit.
I didn’t wait for him to ask. “You probably guessed that I’m worried about Isaac.”
“You think you are somehow to blame. But you’re not, are you?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m not the saboteur. I just feel like I didn
’t look out for him.”
“Do you have any children?” He asked.
That got my attention. “Well, yes. Twin sons. They just turned seventeen.”
He nodded. “I remembered you saying you were a widow. It’s very textbook.”
I squinted at him. “It is? How so?”
Dr. Andy leaned back and crossed his legs. “You have a mother hen complex. Your husband’s death left you to raise two little boys. Now they’re grown and getting ready to leave the nest, right?”
Did hens have nests? “Well, yes.”
“That’s why you went after Sami when no one else would. That’s why you’ve looked out for all of us on the challenges and when there was danger. And that’s why you are obsessed with finding Isaac.”
“Um, okay. . .”
“You are facing your future. Your sons will go off to lead their own lives and you will be all alone. The whole world has started to become your nest. But you can’t save everyone, Missi. And you aren’t responsible for all of us. We’re adults, like you. You need to let go and move on.”
I thought about what he said. There was some real insight there. I guess I’d misjudged him too.
“That’s pretty good. I think you’ll go far as a television psychiatrist.”
Dr. Andy’s face flushed a deep crimson. “Between you and me, Missi, I’m not really a doctor. I’m not even a certified therapist.”
“Why are you telling me that?” I looked around but there were no cameras.
He looked to his left and his right before continuing. “I took a couple of courses online. I just wanted you to know that this talent is all natural.”
So he was bragging. I did not have time for this.
“I was a follower of the late Anthony Lowe – well, before his unfortunate death in Indiana. I just wanted to see if I could do it.”
“Great. I’ve got to go.” I pushed past him into the house.
Sami and Lex turned when they saw me.
“God damn!” Sami shouted as she ran to me. “You’re alright!”
I wanted to tell her she couldn’t be more wrong. Lex gave me a weak grin. What the hell was that about?
“I just came back to get some food and water and head out again to look for Isaac.”
“We’ll go too,” Lex said.
I turned to face him. “You don’t have to. Dr. Andy just informed me that I have an overdeveloped need to take care of people so it’s my thing. Do whatever you want.” I threw the things I needed into my tote, threw it over my shoulder and turned toward the door.
“Fuck that! We’re going with you.” Sami followed me out the door.
I noticed that Dr. Andy was gone. Where was he? Moe was still absent. Maybe the fake doc was counseling him now. Poor kid.
“All right, fine.” I sighed. “You two take the golf course – where I found you yesterday. I’ll head directly north, into the jungle. It’s the only area I haven’t been.”
They looked like they were about to argue and I stopped them. “There is no discussion. Come and find me if you don’t locate Isaac.”
They agreed, which was a good thing or I would’ve had to kill them. And I’m somewhat serious when I say that.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“Look! An undead monkey!”
- Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
“Alright boys, Momma’s coming,” I said quietly as I made my way through the trees and vines. My attitude had gone from freaked out mother to Rambonator in a matter of seconds. This transition was important or I’d never keep my head in whatever situation I found.
This was the only area I hadn’t yet searched and I stayed close to the trail. I hoped something would surface to give me a clue.
Even though I’d spent a lot of years in the lab, I still knew how to launch into stealth mode. I’d spent my whole life learning how to be silent and invisible – which was probably a lot different from other families. But if I had to kill someone, I could. And if my kids were in danger, I’d take out anyone who had them, even if it was Isaac.
Thinking about that for a moment made me realize that I was finally in the Bombay zone. If Isaac wasn’t dead or in danger from some mysterious stranger, he was probably holding my kids hostage. And that, I just couldn’t have. Mother hen indeed. More like deadly-ninja-angry mother hen thingy!
I went over various scenarios in my head, preparing for any kind of combat there might be. I’d always been like that. It gave me quick reflexes and allowed me to think fast and implement almost anything as a weapon. I remember this one time when I had to kill a guy with a drinking straw. That was actually funny. Because if you hold your thumb over one end of a straw, it’s pretty much a deadly weapon...
Sorry, got off track there. Damn, this was taking a long time. I had to keep my mind busy or I’d. . .too late. I was thinking about Lex.
The man really had to hate me. After catching me saying I’d pretty much used him to win the game, he had to be upset. Forget the fact that it was a lie. I’d hurt him and that was very bad.
Truth was, I think I was actually falling in love with him. I shook my head to clear it.
Keep moving, Missi. I willed my feet to continue even though I felt like I was dragging my heart behind me like a deflated parachute. I tried to think of something else but the idea refused to budge from my brain.
What did you expect, Missi? That after the show you and Mr. Ethics would shack up together in your condo on Santa Muerta? Maybe he could use his stunt-planning skills – the ones he used so no one got hurt - to help you kill people?
I shuddered in spite of the heat. Forget Lex! Forget him! Focus on Isaac, Monty and Jack. Think of tough things. I pictured scorpions, poison, laser sights, anything to take my mind off of Lex Danby.
At least Sami still liked me. And Moe and possibly the fake Dr. Andy. Hell, Isaac liked me, even if he did figure out I was sent to kill him. I didn’t know if that was the case or not but it really didn’t matter.
I’m gonna harden my heart. I’m gonna swallow my tears. Oooh, a little Pat Benatar should help. Picturing the lyrics, I kept pressing further north until the trail ended. I’d been gone about an hour. Now what? Should I go back?
Just as I was about to turn around, I thought I saw a flash of red. Jackson? Maybe I should push on a bit further. I turned in the direction where I’d spotted it and followed.
“Boys!” I called out. “Monty! Jackson!” I didn’t want to yell too loudly in case they were in jeopardy.
After about five minutes I spotted a clearing ahead. At the far end was a dilapidated shack. How cliché was that? I mean seriously? A ramshackle lean-to in the middle of nowhere?
Could the boys or Isaac be there? It was a little obvious, but I had to check it out. I carefully made my way around the perimeter, trying desperately to be silent but my heart was pounding like tribal drums in anticipation.
The shack was only a few feet away. Rough-hewn planks spotted with holes where the wood had rotted away was all that stood between me and some answers. And through the holes, I could hear voices.
“Yeah, you boys almost had me.” I heard Isaac’s voice through the splintered wood. He laughed, and my blood ran cold. “It’s a good thing I caught on, or this would’ve been bad for me.”
Oh shit. Isaac was the baddie. And I’d led my boys into a trap. There was no way I was winning Mother of the Year.
“As soon as I get out of here, I’ll make sure your mother is taken care of.”
I heard the boys mumbling. Obviously they were bound and gagged.
“And it’s a good thing you had these sandwiches on you or I’d have to resort to cannibalism.” Isaac stated as if it was all a joke.
Damn, damn, damn! No one threatens my sons.
I hoped that Isaac’s monologue was distracting him as I slipped up to the door. Taking a deep breath, I flung the door open, jumping out of the way of potential gunfire.
“Mom?”
I leaned into the doorway. Isaac, Jack and Monty were sitting on the floor of the shack, eating turkey paninis.
“Mom!” Jack sprang from the floor into my arms and pulled me into the cabin. Monty closed the door.
“You’re. . .you’re okay?” I blinked. “All of you?” Well, this was a bit anticlimactic.
Monty cocked his head to the side – a motion he made when he thought I’d lost my mind. “Well, duh. What did you think?”
“I. . .I. . .I” was all I could manage.
Isaac stood up, grasping my shoulders in his hands. “It’s okay, Missi. We’re alright.”
The four of us looked at each other for a moment. They were safe. All three of them. No bad guys anywhere. I relaxed. And then I blew my stack, because I am angry-lethal-assassin chicken or something like that.
“Oh my god! You guys scared the crap out of me!” I stabbed a finger toward Isaac. “And the police are looking for you! They think you’ve been kidnapped!”
Jackson put his hand over my mouth as Monty brought his finger to his lips and peered out of one of the knot holes.
“Your boys rescued me, Missi.” Isaac shrugged.
Monty gave the ‘all-clear’ sign. Jackson flashed me a look that told me to shut up.
“Isaac is an officer from Interpol, Mom! Isn’t that cool?” Jack feigned fascination. Obviously, Isaac had no clue who me and the boys were, (which was good) so they were pretending they’d never met anyone from that agency before. As if.
I narrowed my eyes at Isaac. “Is that so?”
He flipped out his wallet and handed it to me. Yup. It was real alright. I’d made enough of these forgeries to know the real thing when I saw it. But what was going on? The Council would never ask me to take out an Interpol agent. We just didn’t kill the good guys. Maybe he was rogue?
“But I don’t understand. You said you rescued him?” I pointed at Isaac as if he were a fish or a plant.
“The guys from the show had him tied up on the seventeenth hole,” Monty explained. That was only one hole away from where I found Sami. Either these guys weren’t very imaginative or they just got bored and left them next to each other.
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