Tides of Deception (Samantha Rite Mystery Series Book 3)

by Hope Callaghan

  It didn’t take long for Donovan to figure out they weren’t going back the way they came. They were heading in a different direction. Half an hour later, they pulled up to a rickety old wooden dock in a swampy area, just off shore. Donovan and Lee could see bright lights in the distance. Wherever they were at was close to a major town or city.

  Lee surmised they were north of St. Augustine. But that was about all he could figure out.

  The second man, Carlos, made quick work of securing both boats. The gunman jumped onto the dock and then waved them out.

  Lee and Donovan pulled themselves out of the boat. The dock creaked and groaned. It teetered back and forth. It was so unstable, at any moment it could give way and they would be knee deep in brackish waters.

  At the end of the short dock was a dilapidated wreck of a shack. The wooden building was leaning at a dangerous angle, as if a good breeze would blow it right into the water.

  When they reached the doorway, if you could even call it that, the gunman motioned them inside as he flipped a switch on the wall. Surprisingly, the shack had electricity.

  The smell of rotting fish filled their nostrils. Lee’s stomach started to churn as he forced himself not to dwell on the rancid smell.

  The dismal interior was small – barely large enough to hold three small cots and a miniature wooden table. Two of the cots were on one wall and the third was facing them on the opposite wall.

  Carlos pointed to the two cots that were shoved together. “You want them over here, Daniel?”

  It was obvious Daniel was the leader. He didn’t say a word, just nodded his head.

  Lee slowly made his way to the edge of one of the beds. The small, metal cot was worn. Large chunks of flaking rust dotted the frame. There was an old, gray blanket covering the top. Judging by the looks of the blanket, it was as old as the cot. The itchy-looking material was full of large, gaping holes that exposed the thin, stained mattress beneath it. He carefully sat on the edge, hoping it wouldn’t collapse under his weight. This definitely wasn’t the Ritz Carlton.

  Seeing that Lee didn’t fall through the frame, Donovan made his way to the other cot and slowly lowered himself so he was sitting on the edge. He glanced over at Lee. It looked like they would be stuck here for the night.

  Moments later, Carlos reached into a crude wooden cupboard hanging precariously on the wall and pulled out two sets of handcuffs.

  Crap! Lee was hoping this wouldn’t happen. Wishful thinking, I guess.

  He didn’t waste any time as he quickly cuffed the men’s hands behind their back. Once the cuffs were secure, he searched their pockets, just in case. After relieving them of their wallets and cell phones, he started talking. “Might as well relax and settle in for the evening. We’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.”

  With that, he made his way over to where Daniel was standing. The two began talking in low voices but Lee could still pick up every few words. It was obvious from the conversation someone had hired them to kidnap Lee and Donovan.

  It looked like they were having some kind of disagreement. Daniel was shaking his head. “No! We go tomorrow. We’re not going to wait for them to contact us again!”

  Carlos didn’t look happy as he whispered to Daniel. Lee caught the words double cross and Miami. Lee glanced over at Donovan. Looked like Donovan heard the same thing.

  Daniel turned and silently studied the two men sitting across the cramped room. He motioned Carlos to follow him just outside the door but not so far away that they couldn’t keep an eye on them. Moments later their conversation ended and they stepped back inside the shack.

  The rest of the long night was spent in almost total silence as Daniel kept the pistol directed at Lee and Donovan. Carlos plopped down on the edge of the third bed to keep a watchful eye.

  Donovan and Lee settled themselves on the thin, hard mattresses and leaned back against the bare, wooden wall, closing their eyes. No point in staying awake. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

  Chapter 7

  Sam was beginning to fret as she glanced at the grandfather clock hanging on the living room wall. She tried texting and calling Lee several times over the last few hours without any luck.

  She stood up and made her way over to the bay window. It was getting dark and there was no way Donovan and Lee were still out in open water.

  She stepped outside to get some air. The cool evening air was refreshing. Sam took a deep breath, as if to clear not only her lungs but her head.

  Her sister followed her out. “Still can’t reach him?” Sam frowned as she shook her head. “This isn’t like Lee. Something is wrong. I just know it!”

  Sam lowered herself into one of the front porch rocking chairs as she watched the sun slowly set. The scattering of clouds hanging low in the horizon created an amazing backdrop for God’s perfect creation. The hues were striking shades of blue, pink and purple. Any other time, Sam would have been completely mesmerized by the majestic beauty.

  Instead, she sat in quiet contemplation as she rocked back and forth. “I should call Gabby. Maybe she’s heard from Donovan.” Sam no more had the words out of her mouth when her phone rang.

  It was Gabby! Sam quickly answered.

  Gabby was nearly panicked as she started babbling away. “Sam! Have you heard from Lee? I’ve been trying to call Donovan for hours now and I’m not getting an answer.”

  Sam’s worst fears were being confirmed. “No and I was just getting ready to call you and ask if you’d heard from Donovan.”

  Gabby choked back a sob. “I have a real bad feeling!”

  Sam stopped rocking as she leaned forward in her chair, chewing on her lip thoughtfully. “I agree. Something is wrong! Is there any way you can run over to the marina to see if Lee’s truck is still there?”

  Gabby cut in. “Yeah, I’m one step ahead of ya’. I’m already on my way. Should be there in about 10 minutes.”

  Sam stayed on the phone with Gabby until she pulled in the marina parking lot. “Sam, the truck is here. In fact, it’s the only vehicle left in the parking lot. It’s locked tight and there’s no one around.”

  Sam closed her eyes. This was turning into a nightmare. Now what should she do?

  Deb closely studied her sister’s expression. It was obvious whatever was happening on the other end was not good.

  She opened her eyes and started speaking. “Gabby, you need to get out of there. What if Lee and Donovan ran into trouble and that person is hanging around the marina?”

  The more nervous Gabby got, the more she talked. “Sam, what are we going to do? I have a bad feeling about this. I think they’re in serious trouble.”

  Sam needed a few minutes of peace and quiet to think. “Gabby, let me call you right back. In the meantime, you need to leave right now and make sure no one is following you!”

  “Sam, you’re scaring me!” Gabby was nearly hysterical by now.

  Sam backed off a little as she tried to soothe her. “I’m not trying to scare you but considering all we’ve gone through the past few months, we need to be extra cautious right now.” She paused. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll call you back.”

  With that, Sam hung up and looked at her sister. “Lee and Donovan are missing. Gabby drove to the marina and Lee’s truck is there but no one is around.” She looked down at the phone in her hand. “Something is terribly wrong.”

  Deb looked at her sister thoughtfully and then got up out of the rocking chair. “Stay here. I’ll be back.”

  With that, she headed down the porch steps and disappeared inside the house.

  Sam watched her sister’s retreating back. She really couldn’t believe this was happening to her again. She warned Lee something bad might happen and now look, her worst fears were being realized. A knot formed in her stomach and images of the two of them dead in the bottom of their boat floating aimlessly in the ocean popped into her head. Even worse, their dead bodies floating face down in the ocean with sharks circling them.


  Sam closed her eyes and prayed hard. Dear God, please protect Lee and Donovan. You know the situation they’re in and I pray for their safety. Please help me to know what I should do. Guide me now and give me wisdom to make wise decisions. In Jesus name. Amen.

  As Sam lifted her head, she felt a tiny bit better. Things seemed a little clearer but she still needed a plan.

  Her first thought was that she and Brianna would leave first thing in the morning and start the drive to Florida. That was the only way to get there with her stuff. In the meantime, maybe she could contact someone in Lee’s office to start a search for the two of them.

  Just then her sister walked back onto the porch. “I just talked to Seth and we both agree that I’ll go with you to Florida. You can drive the moving truck and I’ll follow behind with your car. Once we get there, we can meet up with Gabby and start looking for the guys – if they haven’t been found before we even get there.”

  The look of relief on Sam’s face was unmistakable. She jumped up and hugged her sister tightly. “Thank you so much! I can use all the help I can get right now.”

  “Well, looks like I better start packing. We should plan on being on the road really early – how does 5 a.m. sound?”

  With that, they agreed to leave before daylight. Sam relayed the new plan to Brianna who was inside watching TV. Sam didn’t go into too much detail only that Lee and Donovan were missing.

  Brianna turned to study her mother. “It has to do with the treasure and the dive, doesn’t it?”

  Sam nodded. “I’m afraid so.” She continued. “We need to get to Florida. Gabby is about beside herself right now.”

  Gabby! She completely forgot about her! She quickly walked to the door and on her way out the door, hollered back, “we need to get going early so please be ready.”

  Gabby picked up right away. She was out of breath. “Hey Sam. Yeah, I’m here. I just got home.”

  Sam told her she’d be leaving in the morning to start the drive down. In the meantime, she was going to contact Lee and Donovan’s office to see if they might be able to help.

  “Oh, Sam, I’m so glad you’re not going to wait up there to see what happens. I’m scared out of my mind. What are we going to do?”

  Sam was going to have to formulate a plan. “I have no idea. This will give me a day or so to work on it. By the way, my sister is coming, too, so I don’t have to drive alone.”

  “Oh! Yeah, yeah, sure. That’ll be fine.” Gabby replied absentmindedly. “She can sleep on the couch if she wants…”

  Sam was firm. “No, we’ll stay in a hotel while she’s here. In fact, we already have a reservation. No need to put you out.”

  “Are you sure? I mean, I really don’t mind. The more the merrier.”

  Gabby was being so sweet. What with all that was going on, she was still trying to make sure everyone was taken care of.

  “I appreciate that, Gabby, but we insist. We’ll have enough going on without you having a houseful of people to worry about.”

  Gabby wasn’t convinced. “Well, you think about it and if you change your mind. No problem. No problem at all!”

  Before Sam hung up, she promised to call Gabby the next morning when they were on the road. “In the meantime, if either one of us hears from Lee or Donovan, we need to call the other right away,” she insisted.

  Sam set the phone in her lap and slumped down into the chair on the porch. She dropped her head in her hands. It probably would’ve helped to have a good cry but she was so hollow and so empty inside, nothing would come out.

  By now, the stars were twinkling high in the sky. Sam lifted her head and gazed out at the beautiful starry night. She closed her eyes and sent up another silent prayer for Lee and Donovan’s safety.

  With that, she slowly rose from her chair and shuffled back indoors, quietly closing the screen door behind her.

  Chapter 8

  The next morning, the girls were on the road before the sun could even start to creep up over the horizon. Sam spent a fitful night trying to sleep. Thankfully, there were no dreams of being chased through the jungle. Instead, she had just tossed and turned, worrying whether or not Lee was even alive.

  Every time she rolled over, she glanced at her cell phone to see if by chance either Gabby or Lee texted or tried to call her. It was wishful thinking and the call never came.

  Sam was all alone in the moving truck. Brianna decided to spend the first leg of the trip riding with her aunt. That was OK with Sam. It gave her time to think and pray.

  The long monotonous drive seemed to go on forever. Now would be a good time to try Lee’s office. She found the main switchboard number in her list and quickly called it. “Yes, this is Samantha Rite. I need to talk to someone but I’m really not sure who.”

  Sam wasn’t quite sure how to explain it. “It’s about Lee Windsor,” she added.

  The receptionist put her on hold. Sam was on hold for several long minutes before someone finally picked up.

  “This is Agent Jennifer Addison. How can I help you?”

  Samantha was relieved. “Yes, my name is Samantha Rite. I’m Lee Windsor’s girlfriend. He went out fishing yesterday morning with Agent James Donovan from your office and they never returned.”

  Jen’s eyebrows shot up as she stared at the phone in her hand. So Lee has a girlfriend… “I’m sorry. You said you were Lee’s girlfriend?” She paused for a long moment. “Well, that’s a surprise! Lee and I are very close friends. He didn’t mention to me he was going fishing yesterday…”

  Sam was confused. Lee never mentioned a close female friend… “What did you say your name was?”

  “Jennifer Addison. Jen for short.” Jen grinned evilly. “And what did you say your name was?”

  Sam’s heart sank. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Samantha Rite,” she replied quietly.

  “Hmm … funny. I see Lee almost every day and I’ve never heard your name before.”

  Jen went on. “So you say he and Donovan are missing? I’ll have to get back with you – do some investigating here in the office. Give me your number and I’ll call you back.”

  Sam gave her the number and quickly hung up. She gripped the steering wheel tightly as tears started to well up in her eyes. Lee never mentioned anyone by the name of Jennifer or “Jen.” When she found him, he’d have some explaining to do!

  The rest of the afternoon passed ever so slowly as they drove mile after tedious mile. By early evening, after almost 12 hours of driving, they finally made it as far as the outskirts of Nashville.

  Sam was relieved when Deb pulled into a gas station off the highway, just north of downtown. Sam wearily slid out of the driver’s seat and lifted her arms high above her head as she stretched her aching body. She was bone tired. Hopefully, Deb would be ready to stop soon for the night.

  Her sister limped over to where Sam was standing. “You look as tired as I feel!”

  Sam bent over and put her hands on her knees to loosen her back. “I’m feeling every bit my age today.”

  Deb nodded. “Me too. After that quad accident in the spring, seems like I have more aches and pains than ever before.”

  Sam looked around. “So you’re about ready to stop for the night?”

  Deb leaned one arm on the hood of the truck and nodded. “We’re just about at the halfway point. Brianna found a hotel two exits south of here, right off the highway. With extra parking for the truck,” she added.

  That was all Sam needed to hear. It sounded perfect to her. With that, they crawled back into their vehicles and headed back down the highway.

  The last few miles seemed to go on forever. Finally, Deb pulled the car off the interstate and into a hotel parking lot only a mile from the main road.

  Sam looked around as she maneuvered the bulky truck into the lot. She didn’t have a lot of experience driving a truck this size so she picked the path of least resistance and slowly crept around back. There was plenty of parking out there and she took up a cou
ple extra spaces so she could drive right out in the morning.

  She walked to the hotel entrance where Brianna and Deb were already waiting. “I can drive that thing tomorrow if you want,” her sister graciously offered.

  Sam shook her head. “No, I’m used to it by now. If you don’t mind, you can continue driving the car tomorrow.”

  With that, they quickly checked into the hotel and headed to the room. They dropped their overnight bags on the bed. Deb stepped out onto the balcony to call Seth and let him know they made it safely.

  Sam sighed. Time to call Gabby to see if she’d heard anything new.

  She picked up on the first ring. “No Sam. Not a peep. I talked to a Detective Robache and told him the two were missing. He said they would be looking into it.”

  “He took my number and told me he’d call back but I haven’t heard anything yet.”

  It was Sam’s turn. “I called, too, and got an Agent Jennifer Addison. Have you ever heard of her?”

  Gabby hadn’t. “Nope.”

  “Lee or Donovan never mentioned a “Jen” or Jennifer Addison to you?”

  Gabby was certain. “Uh-uh. Never heard of her before. Why?”

  Sam didn’t want to get into it. “Just wondering.”

  Instead, she changed the subject. Even though she wasn’t feeling it, it was time for a little pep talk. “We need to stay positive. We’ll find the guys. Those two have been in plenty of dangerous situations before and managed to make it out OK.”

  There was a moment of silence on the other end. Unusual for Gabby.

  When she finally spoke, Sam could tell she was crying. “I just feel so helpless, like if I could just figure out where they were at…”

  “Me too, Gabby. But falling apart right now isn’t going to help them one little bit.” She continued. “I did have some ideas on the long drive today. We can talk about it when I get there tomorrow.”