"Yes, it looks like it is going to get bad. Why do you ask? If you are thinking about using your gift to clear the air so that you can fly Caeli home, forget it. She couldn't handle the trip, and this storm is way too big for you to attempt something like you did on the way down here."
"The thought did cross my mind, but that's not why I asked. I was curious if you noticed anything unusual about the weather," Vin replied pensively.
"Ah, now that you mention it, yes. It may sound strange, but I was beginning to wonder if Caeli is affecting the storm. There does seem to be some overlap," Ben acknowledged.
"I've seen that, too. Caeli is definitely affecting the rain to some extent. Beyond that, though, I was considering the notion that Rika has the same gift as Caeli, and that Rika is somehow responsible for the severity and the movement of this storm. It's a wild idea, I know, but I can't seem to shake the notion. I don't even know who this woman is."
"Well, if it's true, then I would say the storm is likely to follow the same route as the fight between Caeli and Rika. Let's not dwell on it. That, at least, is beyond our control. Let's worry about the things we can actually do something about."
"I can try. Ben, what did Caeli say about her injuries and the baby when she was sleeping?"
"I don't remember the exact words, but I believe she thinks that this Rika woman sent someone to hurt her, to force her to miscarry," Ben informed Vin of his conclusion.
"Did she say why she thought that or why Rika would do that?" Vin could barely stomach the idea.
"No, but she seemed certain. Remember, Vin, no matter her struggle, that same fire that my Salma wears on the outside, Caeli keeps bottled up. She has considerable strength in her, and we've both seen her draw on it when it's most needed. With you at her side or on your behalf, I think that girl would take on this world and the next. I cannot even imagine how fiercely she will fight or whom she would challenge to protect the son she still carries. Try to hang in there with her. Give Caeli the time she needs to heal and to figure this out. It is a lot of change for her to reconcile; the gift, the loss of the baby, the physical injuries, and then there’s you."
"Me? What about me?" Vin looked up, surprised yet again. Vin was fairly certain that the one thing Caeli did not have to worry about was him.
"Like it or not, my boy, you have to look at things as they stand. You seem to be ignoring one very important fact."
"What?"
"Caeli is still pregnant, and you are still going to be a dad," Ben smiled.
Vin stared directly at Ben, momentarily speechless, and then the realization dawned on him.
"Of course! Just because Salma made me understand the risks and the likely scenario, doesn't mean it is inevitable. I have been talking like it has already happened. This is actually good news that I have to share with Caeli."
Vin realized that he had been so focused on the dangers and the negative aspects that he completely dismissed the positive. Along with that understanding, Vin suddenly knew with complete certainty that Caeli would be happy when she heard the news. He did not have to worry about her reaction. She would not even give a second thought to any risk involved. She would see the good news as exactly that.
"Ah! Now you're thinking clearly again. Take this. It is guaranteed to make her feel better. Let's go take care of your wife and child. I will talk to Salma and see if she has any additional ideas about Caeli's strange internal injuries and changing eye color."
Vin was encouraged by and grateful for Ben's wise words once again. His spirit lifted, but, unfortunately, it only lasted for a brief moment.
"Vin, help! Where are you?"
Lorrie and Scott watched from their hiding place in the corner room of the attic. She knew how to get in and out of her childhood home without being seen and where to hide so that they could watch without being spotted. This was going to be their starting point for the real mission. They brought supplies with them that they would leave here overnight. Lorrie would look suspicious if she tried to carry them in with her tomorrow morning.
They watched the red truck pull up in front of the hotel with its headlights turned off. Two men in ski masks got out, each carrying a handgun and a roll of duct tape. They crept along the back side of the hotel, huddling close to the building to help mitigate the strong wind and steady rain. They moved along until they found the room on the corner, next to the lounge. This is where the doctor's niece was staying, and they were not, under any circumstances, to intrude on her. The doctor should be in the room on the opposite side of the lounge.
As the men crept by the porch of the niece's room, the two masked trespassers spotted Dr. Erickson within and silently slipped inside the unlocked sliding door. Finding the two ladies alone, they easily restrained the injured niece who was already lying on the floor. Then they bound the doctor’s hands, put a piece of tape over her mouth, and a gun to her head.
"Vin, help! Where are you?" Caeli called for Vin without alerting the two men.
"I'm heading to the room now. What's wrong?"
"Please hurry, but don't come in until I say."
In a few hurried steps, Vin placed the tray on a hall table near the door.
"Something's wrong, Ben. Don't go in yet," Vin explained why he was setting the tray down. He reached out and grabbed hold of Ben's upper arm so that he, too, could hear what Caeli was saying.
"We're here, Caeli. What's going on?"
"Two men snuck in from the porch. They came for Salma. Don't let them know you're out there. If you rush in, they might shoot her."
"Shoot her! Vin, I'm not waiting out here for something to happen to Salma." Ben made a move toward the door, but Vin interposed himself before he reached it.
"No, Ben," Vin said in a harsh whisper.
"We can't stand out here and do nothing," Ben replied in quiet frustration. When it came to Salma, Ben was as protective of his new wife as Vin was of Caeli.
"We're going to do something, but you need to trust Caeli. I'm sure they have no idea that she is feeding us information. Let her do that."
"Vin, take Ben through the lounge. They are heading outside. You can catch them off guard."
Ben and Vin took off running toward the lounge so they could rush outside and head off the intruders. Meanwhile, the two men hauled Salma toward the sliding door without much fuss.
"Hang on, Salma. The guys are coming."
The men tugged Salma out of the room as they bragged to each other about how good they were and how easy it had been to snatch the doctor. As they marched Salma at gunpoint away from the room, they excitedly discussed how famous they would become when they got the credit for convincing the doctor to publicly renounce her work.
The couple in the attic continued to watch, expecting some measure of trouble before long. The unreliable men went into the wrong room. But, to their surprise, the two men emerged several minutes later with a third person in tow. No alarm sounded. Although they were making good time, they were not quite fast enough. Another vehicle sped up to the hotel and several armed men in military uniforms jumped out. The two men and their hostage were quickly surrounded by military men from the front and by two men exiting the hotel from behind.
The storm surges and strong winds were beginning to threaten the buildings closest to the shore. Most islanders had already moved to shelter further inland. Near Apela's hotel was one of the few places where the weather was still comparatively mild. For some reason, the effects of the storm were largely bypassing that small section of the island. The colonel, having helped in many such disasters, knew this respite would not last long. He needed to get the people out of there before it was too late. Once the storm hit, they would not only feel its effects, they would be completely exposed to its core. They would get hit the worst. Colonel Franks and a few men from his team were working their way toward Apela's hotel to collect the owner and his guests when Jeremy met them on the road.
Jeremy had been assisting with a forced roundup of patrons at a ba
r a mile and a half down the road from the hotel. They had refused to leave when instructed by emergency crews. As he moved through the bar, Jeremy overheard the dark-haired lady he knew to typically lead the protestors. Her mention of Dr. Erickson by name caught the young guardsman's attention. Jeremy was curious, so he eavesdropped from around the corner as she discussed an abduction plot with two men sitting at her table. The redheaded man at the table did not join in the conversation. Neither she nor the men saw Jeremy when they all stood up to leave.
Once they were gone, Jeremy immediately called in a report to his father and arranged to meet him at the hotel. He left the bar only minutes behind the two men. Jeremy did not see which direction the lady and the redhead went.
Upon their arrival at the hotel, the colonel and his seven men, including Jeremy, caught sight of the men from the bar exiting the hotel with Dr. Erickson. They immediately spread out, cutting off the escape route of the would-be abductors.
"Jeremy, you take three men to the left and work your way around and behind them. Nathan, I'll leave you and Roger here at the street in case they get by us. Make sure nobody escapes. Nobody! Stop everyone," Colonel Franks quickly issued orders for the few men who were with him.
Scott turned away as the military vehicle arrived. He had seen enough. The two abductors would not get far, but they had accomplished much more than anticipated. It was encouraging, and Scott could adjust his plan based on what he learned. As the guardsmen were getting out of their vehicle, Scott and Lorrie crept away unnoticed, leaving the two men to face the consequences of their botched kidnapping attempt. In the distance behind them, they heard a single gunshot echo in the wind.
He and Lorrie trudged through the pouring rain as they walked the mile to her house. After allowing Scott to indulge in an intimate celebration of their success, Lorrie sat alone in the living room finalizing plans of her own. When she finally returned to her bed, she and Scott discussed the last details of their plan for the next day. Scott would be set up in the cave, gaining entry through a little-known opening on the other side of the road. The cave would be an easy getaway as well. It was nearby, full of branching passages, and it was easily defended. Scott would use all of those features to his full advantage. He would have the Book of Elements with him and use Salma to initially access it for him. With that power, Scott could then take out Vin and Dr. Erickson's husband, leaving Caeli to be dealt with at his leisure. After delivering Dr. Erickson to Scott, Lorrie would then handle the matter of getting blood from Caeli. This was the true goal of their mission. Caeli's blood would be the icing on the cake. It would require a bit more work, but Lorrie assured him that she could accomplish it. She told Scott that she had a special card to play with Caeli to get the job done. Of course, it would take a little longer than forcing a middle-aged lady to place her hand on a book. Lorrie was confident that her plan was fail-proof.
"I'll meet you in the cave when I'm done," Lorrie said.
"Remember, we need Caeli alive at the outset. Don't do anything stupid. Don't get over ambitious like you did at the seminar," Scott cautioned her.
Ben and Vin rushed outside in time to see two men already moving up the beach, pulling Salma along with them. They also saw Colonel Franks and some of his men move to intercept them.
"Vin, I seem to have plenty of help. These men aren't getting away. Go and check on Caeli," Ben suggested.
"Caeli, are you all right? Do you need me?"
"Please help Salma. I'm fine."
"I'm coming with you, Ben. Caeli is fine." Vin trotted up the beach alongside Ben. As they neared the two men holding Salma captive, they realized that Colonel Franks had already taken charge of the situation and was exchanging words with the men. As they drew nearer, Ben's heart nearly stopped. The sound of a gunshot rang out, making Ben fear he was too late.
"Salma!" Ben shouted.
She turned her head at the sound of her name and, with great relief, saw Ben come running up beside her as Colonel Franks arrested the assailant he had just shot in the leg. Jeremy took the second man into custody. The situation appeared to be safely under control.
"Salma, are you all right?" Ben asked as he carefully removed the duct tape covering her mouth and binding her hands.
"A little unnerved, but I'm not hurt. Thank you, Ben. How did you get Colonel Franks here so quickly?" Salma asked as she clung tightly to Ben.
"I didn't. They must have been nearby. We'll ask him after I get you inside. Come on, Love. Are you sure you're all right?"
Vin exchanged a few words with Ben and Colonel Franks and then turned toward his own room. Now he could check on Caeli. He had learned over the years that her polite I'm fine response never gave an accurate account of her condition. It was merely her way of expressing that she did not have an immediate need. It, by no means, meant that she was fine.
Caeli could not wait idly on the floor. She wanted to help. She wriggled out from under the blanket that one of the men had tossed over her, and inched her way across the floor until she could lean against the end of the bed. Caeli located a metal bracket on the bedframe and hastily began to cut through the thick layers of duct tape binding her wrists behind her back. It was difficult to do without being able to see, and she missed a few times. The slips caused her arms to scrape painfully down the metal. One such mishap even drew blood.
"Ug! Salma will lecture me again," Caeli said to herself.
Her progress with the tape was interminably slow as each movement aggravated the pain of her existing injuries. As she continued to saw away at the tape, a gunshot rang out.
"Salma!"
Caeli feared the worst for her aunt. She cursed herself for being unable to help. The only help she had been able to provide was calling Vin. The thought spurred Caeli to greater efforts to remove the tape. Unfortunately, increasing the speed of her sawing made her miss more often.
"Caeli stop. You're scraping your arms. Let me get it," Vin said as he hurried over and knelt down beside her.
Caeli tried to reply, but the tape covering her mouth prevented it.
"Hold still." Vin reached up and gently removed the tape. He kissed her briefly and began removing the tape from her wrists.
"Vin, where's Salma? I heard a gunshot. They didn't hurt her did they? Tell me she's ok. What happened?" Caeli rattled off an urgent string of questions.
"Salma's ok. Please stop squirming. You're going to make yourself worse. I promise you, Salma is fine. I'm not going to tell you anything else until you stop thrashing around. It's important that you be still." Vin finished removing the tape from Caeli's wrists and ankles.
He told Caeli to stay put while he got up and closed the sliding door, making sure it was locked, then pulled the curtain across it. Vin then walked over to the open window and shut it, locking it as well. When that was done, he finally returned and sat on the floor beside Caeli. Vin took Caeli's left hand in his, rubbing her wrist to remove a swatch of adhesive residue and to help calm her down as he continued his explanation.
"Salma is with Ben. She was a bit shaken up, but she's not hurt. The men were a couple of protestors who found out that Salma was here and thought they could get their fifteen minutes of fame using her as a headline. They didn't really want to hurt her, just scare her."
"I would say they succeeded. I have never seen her so frightened," Caeli added.
"Luckily, Colonel Franks' son, Jeremy, got wind of their plans, and they showed up with several members of the guard team as the men were heading toward the parking lot. The colonel shot one of the men in the leg, and the other one surrendered without a fight. The team took the men into custody and headed back to town. Since both Ben and I refused to let them take us, too, the Colonel and Jeremy are going to stay to make sure nothing else happens tonight. They are taking the first watch themselves," Vin shared the details with her.
"That's comforting," Caeli breathed a sigh of relief and let her head rest against the footboard of the bed.
"The colonel was
concerned about us staying here when the storm breaks over this part of the island. Apparently, other areas are already getting pummeled. He tried to appeal to Ben's sense of duty, as a veteran, to convince him that we should move inland; but Ben was adamant that we were not going anywhere more populated. Since the focus on Salma is becoming more aggressive, Ben wants to keep her as isolated as possible. He wouldn't even consider the crowded city shelters. Therefore, Colonel Franks is going to schedule security patrols at the hotel for the rest of the week."
"I'm sure Ben will appreciate that," Caeli noted.
"He did. Maku came out to see what all the commotion was about and also offered to help keep watch. He said the conference officials changed his assignment. He is going to be Salma's personal security escort for the duration of the conference. So he and Pete will be hanging around, too. You haven’t met them yet, but they are nice guys. Maku is one of the men who helped me at the levee."
"Why does his name sound familiar?"
"That's a story for later. Anyway, Ben was on edge, but readily agreed to the entire arrangement on Salma's behalf. To be honest, I've never seen Ben lose his cool like that before. I think he was more upset than Salma."
"I want to go talk to her," Caeli started to raise herself off the floor, but Vin placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her.
"No, Caeli. She's fine. Let Ben take care of her. That's his job now; and mine is taking care of you. You need to stay put, please." Vin paused a moment before asking his next question.
"Caeli, why didn't you call us sooner? If you had called when they first came in, we might have been able to prevent them from laying a hand on either of you."
Vin was kicking himself again. Although he had not left Caeli alone, it was only sheer luck that had kept her safe. He was not there to protect her, and he should have been. Vin had made that promise to Caeli the first week they met. How many more times was he going to break it during this trip? He hoped, none.
Wrath of the Sea Queen Page 56