Capture Tomorrow

by Ann Heathman

  “Hey, man. Our whole life’s a lie of sorts, but this is the life we’ve chosen, so deal with it, and put this out of your mind.”

  The girls reappeared, and Lisa had a cheeky grin on her face.

  “Let me guess,” Tony said. “You caught the bouquet.”

  She smiled and pulled the flowers out from behind her back where she’d been hiding them.

  “Well, hot damn, girl. What can I tell you? Looks like I’m trapped. Going to have to make an honest woman out of you one of these days.” Tony winked and took her by the hand. “In the meantime, dance with me, woman. I feel like partying.”

  They took off for the dance floor, leaving Zach and Arianna standing there with surprised looks on their faces.

  “Did I just hear that right?” Arianna asked. “Did Tony just semi-propose to Lisa?”

  Zach shrugged. He wasn’t sure, but it definitely sounded like it.

  I wish you could stay longer.” Arianna sat waiting with her mother at the airport. The flight crew was provisioning and making final preparations before boarding. Kathryn wanted to fly commercial, but Zach insisted on flying her home in his private jet.

  Kathryn held Zach’s hand as the three of them walked to the plane. “I’m so happy to have finally met you. You’ve done so much for my daughter. I’m very grateful.”

  Zach assisted Kathryn to her seat. “I’ve been watching out for your daughter since the first day I met her.”

  “Thank you. This gives me great peace of mind.” She gave Zach a warm embrace. “Be safe in your travels. I know Arianna worries about you when you’re gone. I worry about you, too. Please take care.”

  Zach nodded. Arianna hugged her mother and kissed her good-bye. “Come back soon, Mom. I love you.”

  The plane departed, and Arianna slid into the passenger seat of the Escalade and buckled up for the ride home. “Well, that’s the end of the guests,” she said to Zach as he drove away from the airport. “It’s been quite a festive time around here, but I’m looking forward to just sitting around doing nothing for a while.”

  “Well, let’s go somewhere then… just the two of us.”

  “Really?” Arianna loved the idea of the two of them getting away for some alone time. “Do you have any particular place in mind?”

  He shook his head. “Surprise me.”

  She was beyond excited. The thought of having Zach all to herself for several days in a new, exotic location thrilled her. As soon as they got home, she began scouring the internet in search of the perfect vacation destination. She thought Zach might be interested in a nice secluded resort where he could unplug, but then again, knowing how much time he spent on his phone, maybe being somewhere unplugged wouldn’t suit him.

  As an alternative, she considered a more cosmopolitan location. Some place she’d always wanted to go, but never had the chance to visit was Paris. If they made the trip within the next few weeks, they would be able to attend the French Open. She and Zach were both tennis enthusiasts, so this sounded perfect. They could see the sites of Paris, catch a few days of tennis, and finish the trip off by relaxing on the Riviera.

  “I’ve always wanted to see Paris,” Lisa said, when Arianna shared her travel plans. “I suppose Zach doesn’t care where you go as long as he’s with you.”

  “He said he had no preference, but you never know. This might be too cosmopolitan for him. But we live in a tropical location, so why go to another one? If I’m going to travel, I want to visit some place I’ve never seen before.”

  “I agree, but have you run this past Zach yet?”

  “No. Still making sure this is really where I want to go. I thought I’d tell him tonight after dinner.”

  She left the veranda to change into some workout clothes. She had a lesson with Rafa who was helping her train Ebony. As she came through the kitchen, she smelled the aroma of bacon and onions cooking. “Hmm! Something smells wonderful,” she said to Pilar. “What’s for dinner?”

  “I’m preparing some calf’s liver and onions. I know it’s your favorite.”

  “It’s the mid-westerner in me. Liver and onions over mashed potatoes…so good, but Zach doesn’t really like liver. I’m surprised you’re making this while he’s home.” She started down the hallway, then stopped and turned around. She came back into the kitchen and stared at Pilar.

  Pilar continued flouring slices of liver and placing them in a pan, not speaking. Finally, she looked up. “Yes,” she said. “He’s gone.”

  Arianna’s heart sank. Noo, not again. He just got home. “Tony, too?” she asked.

  Pilar nodded.

  “Why do you always get to know when he leaves, and I have to find out second or third hand?”

  “I’m only guessing, of course, but I suspect he doesn’t want any tears or questions. But anyway, I’d think you’d be used to it by now.”

  “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it. I’m not as surprised as the first time it happened, but it still throws me into an emotional tailspin. I think what he does and where he goes is dangerous. I worry about him and would like to be able to say a proper good-bye.”

  “I rest my case, Arianna… this is probably exactly why he just leaves. Leaving is hard enough. I don’t think the guys want to deal with an emotional scene so they just go.”

  “Oh, that’s silly.”

  Lisa came walking through the kitchen. “What’s going on? You both look so serious.”

  “They’re gone,” Arianna said. “Zach and Tony. Did you know they were going?”

  She looked crestfallen. “No. Of course not. They never say. I wonder how long they’ll be gone.”

  Arianna shook her head, and then all of a sudden thought of something. “I’ll be right back.” She rushed outside and down the drive to the guest cottage where Juan stayed. He was in a walking cast now, but still in no shape to go anywhere, certainly not with Zach and Tony.

  “Arianna,” a surprised Juan said when he opened the door. “Come in. What’s going on?”

  “Zach. He’s gone. I know you probably won’t—can’t tell me anything, but….”

  Juan’s initial smile faded and a more serious look covered his face. “But what?” He shook his head. “Go on back to the house, Arianna. You have a vacation to plan. I suspect by the time you get that arranged, Zach will be home.”

  She didn’t budge. “You guys do know… uh, I mean, we know… well, I don’t exactly know where you go, but we worry. Look at your leg. What if, uh, something happens and uh well, we never had a chance to say good-bye…” Her voice faltered.

  Juan put his arm around her and walked her to the door. “Yes, Arianna. As a matter of fact we do know. We don’t slip out just to be mean. Believe me. We have our reasons. Now, go on home and stop worrying. The guys will be home soon enough.”

  She walked dejectedly back toward the house. She knew she’d been on a fool’s errand trying to get information out of Juan. But especially now that Juan had returned with an injury, she worried Zach might be the next one wounded or even worse, killed.

  She took several calming breaths. Squaring her shoulders, she became resolute. Nothing to be done about it. This was the way it was and always would be. She needed to put on her big girl pants, tamp down her fear, and stay busy while she waited for, what she hoped would be, Zach’s safe return.

  AN EMAIL had arrived in Arianna’s inbox. The sender’s name was craftylady555 and the subject line said…

  Out of sight. Out of mind

  Only some of the first few words of the email message were visible. They read…

  Ever wonder where your boyfriend…

  Arianna sat up straight in her chair. Boyfriend? Are they talking about Zach? She clicked the email open, so she could see the entire message.

  Ever wonder where your boyfriend goes and what he does when he’s gone? I know.

  Arianna stared at the screen, not knowing what to think. Was this a joke? Had someone hacked her account? She didn’t recognize the name of th
e sender or the email address. She read the message again, hesitated a moment, then pressed delete. She should have never opened the email. They always warned people to not open emails from someone you don’t know. The sender makes the message sound faintly familiar, so you’ll open it and voila! They’ve got you. The email turns out to be a Trojan horse carrying a virus which infects your entire computer, and you’re screwed.

  She sat there drumming her fingers on the desk. Something about that email nagged at her. It seemed personal, like someone knew Zach went away a lot and didn’t divulge where he went. This was about Zach or was her imagination just running away with her?

  She kept checking for more emails, but none appeared. Resuming her internet search for lodging along the Riviera, she tried to forget about the unexplained email. She now knew exactly where she wanted to go and where she wanted to stay. All she needed to complete her travel plans was for Zach to come home, so she could plug in some dates.

  Her computer beeped. A new message had arrived. Arianna opened her browser and another email from Craftylady555 waited.

  This is no joke. I know where….

  She hesitated a moment, but then opened the email to see the full text. It said…

  I know where your boyfriend goes and who he’s with.

  Arianna’s heart began to race. She hit reply.

  Who is this and what do you want?

  She pressed send and waited. No answer. Her fingers flew across the keys as she sent a second reply.

  Who are you? Please explain yourself.

  Nothing. She picked up her phone and called Lisa. “Hey, what are you doing?” she asked, when Lisa answered. “Could you come up to my bedroom right away? I have something to show you.”

  Minutes later the bedroom door flew open, and Lisa breathlessly rushed into the room. “What’s wrong? You sounded frantic on the phone.”

  “Look at this,” she said pointing to the first email which she had moved from trash back to her inbox. “This arrived about a half hour ago. I thought it was spam and deleted it. Then, this second email arrived. I have no idea who is writing this, but they’re talking about Zach. They know me. This is not a joke.”

  Lisa quickly read the emails. “Wow! This is bizarre.”

  Arianna sat motionless, staring at the screen.

  “Okay, let’s think this through,” Lisa said, pulling up a chair beside her. “So far, they haven’t shared anything worth worrying about. We know wherever the guys go and whatever they do is probably classified, since they go to great lengths to not tell us. So maybe this is some snitch that’s breaking with protocol to divulge where the men are. I don’t think we’re supposed to know where they go or what they do, but maybe a whistleblower is going to let the cat out of the bag. Not a big deal. Their secret is safe with us.”

  Arianna shook her head. She thought this had a more ominous tone than just someone divulging a location. “The person said they know who he’s with. What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Lisa shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. We have to wait until he or she writes back and gives us more information. Try sending a reply again.”

  Arianna wrote...

  Who are you and why are you contacting me?

  She waited, but again, nothing.

  She tried to remain calm, but the simple fact was, these anonymous emails had rattled her. Some sadistic person on the other end of this message was toying with her emotions, and she was helpless to do anything about it. She was glad Lisa was there for moral support and to keep her calm.

  “Did you get any emails like this?” she asked Lisa.

  “Oh, my God. I didn’t think of that. Hold on.” She ran to her room and grabbed her IPad. Bursting back into the room, she quickly logged into her account and checked her emails. “No. Nothing. I recognize everyone who sent me a message. Any answer to your reply?”

  Arianna couldn’t take her eyes off the screen. There was no reply. She sat there desperately willing the sender to contact her again. A riot of emotions raged inside her.

  Who is writing these messages? Why are they writing them? Who is Zach with?

  When the house phone rang, Arianna jumped. Her nerves were on edge as she anxiously waited for another email to arrive. It was Pilar announcing dinner. She and Lisa had been ruminating over the anonymous emails, trying to figure out what they meant. They’d been tethered to the computer waiting for another message, but nothing appeared.

  Lisa stood up and stretched. “Okay. We need to go down for dinner.”

  Arianna exhaled deeply, releasing a flood of pent up anxiety. “Okay,” she reluctantly said and started to pick up her iPad.

  Lisa put her hand on the tablet and stopped her. “What’s the saying… a watched pot never boils. Let it go, Arianna, at least until after dinner. If another email arrives, it can wait until after we eat.”

  Arianna laid it back down. “You’re right. I need to take a break from this for a moment. But one thing, Lisa. Let’s not mention this to anyone. If Juan’s at dinner, mum’s the word.”

  “Sure, no problem. Nothing to tell right now anyway.”

  “Good. I don’t want to start asking any questions or probing until I have something concrete to go on.”

  Liver and onions was one of her favorite dishes, but tonight her appetite was gone. She pushed the food around on her plate and sat there lost in thought.

  “You hardly ate anything,” Pilar said when Arianna brought her plate back into the kitchen. “Is something wrong with the food?”

  “Oh, no. The liver was delicious. My stomach feels a bit off tonight is all. I hope there’s some leftovers to warm up for lunch tomorrow.”

  “Sure. Juan and Lorena went out to dinner, so it was just you two. Plenty left over.”

  “Can I ask you a question?” Arianna began loading the dishwasher.

  “Uh, oh. This sounds serious. What’s bothering you?”

  “Just curious about something. You know Zach really well and have known him for a long time. Did he… has he ever discussed where he goes or what he does?”

  Pilar had a puzzled look on her face. “I think you know the answer to that. No. Never. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason.” She fumbled and dropped a glass on the floor which shattered into many pieces. “Oh, shit! I’m sorry.” She rushed to get a broom and dustpan.

  Pilar pitched in to help her clean up the glass. “Is everything all right? You seem upset tonight.”

  “I’m fine.” She flashed a weak smile. “Just a little stomach ache. I think I’ll let you finish up here. I’m going to turn in early.”

  She hurried back to her room and clicked on the computer. Nothing. Son of a bitch! Who is messing with me? She slammed the chair into her desk. Okay. Calm down. You just have to wait this out and stay cool in the meantime.

  She needed a drink. She fixed herself a gin and tonic from the mini bar in her room and went out onto the balcony. Sipping her drink, she sat back and listened to the waves crashing on the shore below. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. Tried to convince herself there was nothing to those emails.

  Lisa popped by the room and joined her on the balcony. “Hey, you awake?” she asked seeing Arianna laying there with her eyes closed.

  Arianna sat up. “Yeah. Just trying to relax.”

  “I’m assuming you haven’t heard anything,” Lisa said, “or else you would have called me.”

  She shook her head. “No, nothing.” She drained the rest of the gin and tonic. “I’m going to get another drink. Do you want one?”

  “No, thank you. I just stopped by to see if there was anything new. I’m kind of tired and think I’ll turn in early.” She followed her from the balcony back into the bedroom. “Will you be okay?”

  Arianna sighed. “That’s an interesting question. I am stressed out about this, but what can you do?” She shrugged her shoulders and poured another drink. “Go on to bed. I’ll call you if I hear anything.”

  “Okay, if yo
u say so. Now, try to get some sleep.” She gave her a hug. “Whatever this is, we’ll deal with it together.”

  Arianna tried to interest herself in a TV show but couldn’t focus. Her mind was on the emails of which, no new ones had arrived. The need to constantly check for messages consumed her until finally around midnight, mentally exhausted, she drifted off to sleep.

  Despite having imbibed several gin and tonics, she tossed and turned, barely able to sleep. She had just drifted off into the welcome arms of slumber, when she heard the blurping sound of the computer. Another email had arrived. Sitting straight up in bed, she shook herself awake. Had she actually heard that or was she dreaming?

  She slipped out of bed and crept over to her desk, half afraid there was an email. Half afraid there wasn’t. Clicking and rolling the mouse around to wake the computer from hibernation mode, she opened her email account and saw it—a message from craftylady555. The subject line said…

  Sorry…

  She clicked the message open immediately. It continued…

  Sorry, meant to get back with you sooner, but Zach and I have been tied up all afternoon if you know what I mean.

  Alarms went off in her head. She dashed off a quick response.

  Who is this and what are you talking about?

  Nothing. She waited. No response. She slammed her fist on the desk. Someone is toying with me. She ran down the hall to Lisa’s bedroom and shook her awake. “Lisa, please wake up. I’m so sorry to wake you, but you have to come see this. Please.”