Capture Tomorrow

by Ann Heathman

  Zach nodded and threw the ball once more for Duke to fetch.

  “I didn’t know you had a dog,” Arianna said, wiping her foot off and slipping her sandal back on. Zach moved away, not responding to her statement.

  “Here. I have something else to show you.” He walked to the other side of the stable and stopped at one of the stalls. “Come see.” He waved Arianna over to where he stood.

  She peeked over the top of the stall door and saw a mother dog, nursing a litter of five puppies.

  “Oh, look at them. They’re so cute.”

  “Yeah, Duke is the father of this brood.”

  “They look just like him. The mother has the same coloring, but she’s not very big.”

  “The females are not as big as the males.”

  “Looks like all the pups are going to be brutes like their dad. They’re big already.”

  “Except for the little girl there in the corner. She’s the runt of the litter.”

  Arianna looked over at a tiny, female pup who was off by herself. “Ahh! So what’s going to happen to her? Will the mother feed her?”

  Zach shrugged. “Yes, but she’s going to have to fight her way in there or her big brothers will shut her out.”

  “Can I have her?”

  “What? You mean like for a pet?” Zach stepped back and looked at Arianna. “These are working dogs, you know…not lap dogs. She needs a job and plenty of exercise.”

  “Well, I can take her running with me every day, and I could help train her if someone shows me what to do.”

  Zach grimaced. “I’m not so sure. You’d need lots of help with that.”

  “Rafa can help me, right? He can teach me how to train her.”

  “Ahh…” Zach hesitated. “I don’t want to say no, but let’s take it slow and see how it goes.”

  “So that’s a yes?”

  Zach shook his head. “No, that’s a maybe.”

  “Well, can I pet her?”

  “Sure, but better let me bring her out here. The mother dog gets a little overprotective at times.”

  Zach retrieved the four week old puppy and handed her to Arianna.

  “You might be the runt of the litter, but you’re still a whopper,” she said to the pup as she held her. “I think I’ll call you Ebony because your face is all black.”

  Zach pulled out a tennis ball. “Let’s see if she likes to fetch.”

  Arianna set the dog down and rolled the ball across the floor. Ebony scampered after it on wobbly legs. When she caught up to the ball, she batted it with one large, oversize paw and nudged it with her nose. The ball started rolling again, so she pounced on it, trying to retrieve it.

  Ooff! She tumbled head over heels and fell on her face.

  Arianna laughed, scooped her up, and held her high overhead. ”You’re goofy and not very coordinated. We need to work on your fetching skills.”

  “Okay. Gotta go,” Zach said, taking Ebony and placing her back with her litter mates. “She’ll be weaned in about four weeks. We’ll see what happens then.”

  “I can’t wait. I’m going to come see her every day.”

  Zach frowned. “Careful. Don’t get too attached in case we have to send her away.” Looking at Rafa, he said, “Work Duke out one more time today, and then, I’ll take him for a run and a swim in the morning.”

  “Duke’s in love with you,” Arianna said as they left the stables. “I didn’t know you had a dog.”

  Zach didn’t respond and kept on walking. “See ya,” he said to José, as they passed the gardener.

  “Rafa said Duke goes with you a lot. Goes where?”

  Zach picked up a stone and tossed it out toward the water, ignoring her question. “I think I’ll take my bike out for a spin this afternoon, maybe do some target practice. You up for a ride?”

  Arianna took hold of Zach’s arm.

  He turned and gave her an expectant look.

  “Duke? You never told me you had a dog and where does he go with you?” she asked.

  Zach grimaced and started to say something, but stopped. He turned toward the house, then turned back toward her before finally saying, “Duke is a working dog, trained for detection and protection. I think you could figure that out from watching him perform today. Do I take him to work? Maybe, but we talked about this… about you not questioning me about my job?”

  Arianna nodded. “It’s frustrating, Zach. There’s a whole other side of your life which you shut me out of.”

  He nodded and replied, “Yes. I do.”

  “Well, how can we ever grow close if you don’t let me in?” She threw up her hands in frustration. I’m living with a stranger.

  A momentary silence passed between them. Finally, he said, “It’s frustrating for me too, but know this. You’re in. I’ve let you in more than anyone before in my life.” He gently pulled her into his arms. “You mean more to me than you’ll ever know, but Arianna, I can’t talk about my work.”

  She knew that. She wasn’t sure why she had even attempted to broach the subject. She did feel loved and that was the most important thing. The rest she’d have to live with.

  They started walking toward the house, neither one saying anything. When they got to the front steps, Zach said, “Go change, and I’ll meet you down here in fifteen minutes. We’ll get some target practice in, then I’ll buy you lunch at Crazy’s Crab Shack down on the beach.”

  “That sounds good to me. I need the practice. And Zach... I’m sorry for putting you on the spot. I understand what you’re saying about your job. I won’t ask anymore.”

  He kissed her, and said, “Right here, babe. Fifteen minutes, or I’m leaving without you.”

  She smiled. “I’ll hurry.”

  She started to walk away, but it was Zach’s turn to stop her. She turned to face him, curious as to what he wanted.

  “Duke’s my dog. He’s been injured and away at a rehab facility for six months. He’s trained to detect explosives and track humans by their scent wherever they’re hiding.” He paused. “Keep your eyes and ears open. In time, you’ll figure out all you need to know. All you’re ever going to know.”

  The car pulled up in front of the Chez James Salon and Spa where she and Lisa had arranged for a day of pampering, complete with pedicure, manicure, and full body massage. Arianna looked across the street at Poseidon’s Adventure, the club she had worked at when she’d first arrived on the island. It had been quite a tumultuous time in her life, but also one full of new friends and fun times. She had heard her good friend, Andre, and his band were back in town and currently performing at the club. She made a mental note to find time to attend one of his performances.

  “I hope you have a good book to read,” Arianna said to Raul, her bodyguard, as she stepped out of the car. “This is a spa day which includes beauty treatments both before and after lunch. Maybe they could hook you up with a facial or a pedicure while you wait.”

  Raul laughed. “Not on your life would I be caught dead having a pedicure, ma’am. You enjoy yourself, and I’ll be waiting right out here.”

  “Good morning, ladies,” the hostess said when they entered the salon. “Follow me, please. We have everything prepared for you.” She directed them to their own private dressing room.

  Lisa started to undress, but Arianna stood there, not moving.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” Lisa asked.

  “Nothing, but I have an idea.”

  “Oh, yeah. What’s that?”

  “It’s Friday, payday, and you know all our friends who work at the Poseidon will be hanging out at the beach before their shift tonight. Why don’t we blow this place and join them? Andre’s in town. He’ll be at the beach, too. I’d love to see him.”

  “What, and skip our spa appointment?” Lisa asked. She shrugged and started to put her clothes back on. “Okay, I could go for that. We can always reschedule our appointments. Might charge us a cancellation fee, but I think we can handle that.”

  Leaning in, Ari
anna whispered, “No, I mean really blow this place. We leave Raul behind.”

  “Uhhh... I’m not so sure about that, Ari. You know Zach would kill you if he caught you ditching your bodyguard.”

  “Yeah, but he’s not going to find out. We can be gone and back, and he’ll never know anything about it. I’m pretty sure I can pay these employees for their silence. So what do you think?”

  “Uhh...”

  “Look, it will be so much fun to just hang out today without someone breathing over my shoulder. We’ll be perfectly safe plus we’re not going to do anything bad. It’s not like we’re cheating on the guys or anything. And there’s certainly no danger at the beach.”

  “Just the same…”

  Arianna gave her a pleading look. “Come on. Where’s your sense of adventure? We’ll be back before anyone’s the wiser, so what do you say? ”

  Lisa thought about it a moment, then finally said, “Okay, but you’d better be right about this plan not causing any problems.”

  “I am, so don’t worry. Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

  She sought out the spa owner and arranged to pay for all the spa services they’d booked for the day plus a substantial tip for the employees in exchange for their complicity and silence in this matter.

  “All taken care of,” she said, returning to where Lisa was waiting. “Follow me.”

  They slipped out the backdoor and ran down the street, hailing a cab to take them to the beach. Andre was the first person Arianna saw as she exited the cab. She ran up to him and gave him a big hug, nearly bowling him over.

  “Hey, darlin’. How are you? It’s good to see you, although I should be mad at you for running out on me at that party in Miami. Had to do some fast talking to smooth things over with the host who hired us.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting to see Zach at the party, and he came in with a girl on his arm. I’m afraid I panicked and bolted. I’m glad you were able to smooth things over. I heard you were in town, and I was anxious to come see you and hang out with all the old crowd.”

  “Yeah, glad you did. Grab yourself a beer from the cooler over there and pull up a chair. Don’t suppose you want to perform with us tonight at the club, do you?”

  “No can do, but how long are you playing at the Poseidon?”

  “Two weeks, then it’s back to Miami. Just let me know if you want to join us, and the stage is yours.”

  “Got it! I’ll keep that offer in mind. And you’ll have to join us for dinner. Zach and I are back together, you know.”

  “I heard. Such a gorgeous specimen. So jealous. Things going well?” He checked her hand, looking for a ring on her finger.

  “We’re doing fine, but no, there’s no wedding planned. We’re taking it slow.”

  “Probably best. Don’t rush into anything.”

  The beer flowed and laughs and giggles ensued as old friendships were rekindled. Arianna was relaxed and felt free. Independent and like one of the gang. Raul wasn’t intrusive nor did he prevent her from going where she wanted, but having someone shadow her every move, really bothered her. She cherished her independence and today she felt like she had both her anonymity and autonomy back.

  Andre sat up in his chair. “Hey. Who’s the suit coming up the beach?”

  Arianna turned to look and saw Raul approaching. “Excuse me, Miss Garrett,” a rather glum looking guard said, “but I’m afraid you’ll need to be going.”

  “What’s the rush? Now that you found us, Raul, pull up a chair and have a beer.” She looked over at Lisa who had a concerned look on her face.

  “No, thank you,” he said tersely. “We really need to go.”

  “Well, I’m not ready to go.” She took a sip of beer and turned away.

  “Miss Garrett, I don’t mean to be rude,” Raul said, “but you’re being here is a mistake. Please gather your things, and come with me now. I don’t wish to create a scene, but I have my orders.”

  “Come on, Arianna,” Lisa said, taking her by the arm. “I think we need to go. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.”

  “Oh, all right,” she sighed and started to gather her belongings. “Andre, I’ll see you later. Come visit me, okay?” She gave him a hug and followed Raul to the waiting limo.

  “Ladies, I think this was not a good move,” Raul said as he held the door open for them.

  “Oh, you’re just mad because you didn’t get the chance to spend the day at the beach along with the rest of us,” Arianna said.

  Raul shook his head. “If only it could be that simple,” he said, his voice trailing off. “If I may say, I think you underestimate Zach’s temper.” He got in the car and the driver took off.

  ARIANNA POUNDED her fist against the door. “Damn! I wonder how he found out we weren’t at the spa. One of the employees had to tell him. Well, they just lost our future business.”

  Lisa, looking quite glum, shook her head. “I have a feeling this is not going to end well for you.”

  “I fail to see what the big deal is. I decided to go to the beach instead of the spa. Why would Zach be mad about that?”

  “Oh, you’re funny, Arianna. Can you say bodyguard, as in you ditched the bodyguard that Zach has insisted you stay with.”

  Arianna smirked. “Well, maybe I need to have another heart to heart talk with him again about how I need more freedom. I can’t have someone watching my every move.”

  “Sure. We’ll be home in a few minutes. You can tell him all about it, and then let me know how that works out for you.”

  AS THEY pulled up to the front of the house, she saw Zach waiting on her.

  A feeling of trepidation washed over her. “Uh, oh. Maybe you were right. Might have to do some fast talking. He looks mad.”

  Her door swung open, and Zach reached in and eased her out of the car in one swift move.

  “Zach. Now Zach,” she started to say. “I can explain.”

  “No, you can’t.” Before she could say another word, he smacked her on the ass.

  “Oww! You bastard,” she screamed. “I hate you for doing this.”

  “Did you just call me a bastard?” He delivered several more stinging smacks.

  “You can’t do this,” she yelled, feeling the sting. “I’m calling the police.”

  He offered her his phone. “Be my guest. Dial away.”

  She glared at him. “Oh! You… you. I should leave. Who does this kind of thing to their girlfriend?”

  “I do, and if you want to leave, I can have you on a plane within the hour. Just say the word. In fact, I have a good notion to ship you off to your mother’s house for a nice long stay anyway.”

  “Oow!” She stamped her foot. “I hate you.”

  “Yes, I imagine you do. You’re free to leave anytime, but if you stay you’re going to do what I say or else you’ll get your ass spanked every time. Get used to it.”

  Arianna went straight to her room, slammed the door, sat down on the bed, and pouted. What kind of barbarian did she live with? This is the second time he’d done that to her. She was thoroughly pissed at him but after all, as long as she did what he asked, there was absolutely no reason to believe he’d ever do that again. Also, it wasn’t like he was making unreasonable demands. Staying with the bodyguard was no burden really.

  Her threatening to leave him had fallen on deaf ears. In fact, he’d countered with a threat of his own to send her away himself. She knew she was in a no win situation. She would never ditch her bodyguard again. She wasn’t about to put herself through that again over a few hours of freedom.

  She stayed in her room the rest of the day, having Pilar send her a tray of food for dinner. It was around midnight when she finally turned in only to spend her first night alone since she’d been in this house. She cursed herself for pulling such a stupid move. She was going to have to eat a lot of humble pie to make this right.

  The next morning at breakfast, Zach was there, but she got a very icy reception from him,
so she grabbed a muffin and some fruit and ate in the kitchen nook.

  “I made such a mistake,” she said to Pillar who came through the kitchen, “and now he won’t even talk to me. I’ve ruined everything. He didn’t even come home last night.”

  “He slept in his own room, Arianna. There’s a difference.”

  “Not much. He’s never going to forgive me.”

  Pilar laughed at how melodramatic she was being. “Of course, he will. He just needs some time to cool down. He has a very bad temper when provoked, and it’s best you keep your distance. Once he’s ready to make up, you’ll know it. In the meantime, I’m afraid you just have to wait it out.”

  This was not exactly what she wanted to hear. She was hoping for some quick-fix remedy to this. The thought of spending another night alone in her bed was very upsetting. She wanted redemption, and she wanted it now.

  ZACH CONTINUED to ignore her the entire day. She lay in her bed later that evening, mulling things over. It was close to midnight, and she couldn’t sleep. It finally dawned on her, if peace were to be made, she would have to make the overture.

  Slipping on her bathrobe, she padded down the hall to his bedroom. She paused at his door, working up the courage to enter. She knew she had to do this, but the fear of rejection almost caused her to turn around and leave. It was either this or wait around for days for him to finally open up, so she squared her shoulders and opened the door.

  Tiptoeing to the side of his bed, she halted, unsure what to do next. The last time she’d tried to wake him in the middle of the night, he’d body slammed her to the bed and held a gun to her head. She didn’t want a repeat of that. Frozen with indecision, she just stood there.

  “What do you want, Arianna?” she finally heard him say.

  “I came to say I’m sorry.”

  He rose up to re-adjust his pillow then settled back down not saying a word.

  She poked him in the back. “Zach, please. I hate it when you’re mad at me. I said I’m sorry. I won’t ditch my bodyguard ever again. I think you overreacted, but I get the message.”