by Joan Mauch
“So, you just gonna sit there with your eyes closed or what?” Jackson said.
Having made up his mind, Zac opened his eyes and sat up in the lounge chair. “Or what.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Look, you stay here. I’m gonna find Sid.”
****
Fifteen minutes later, Zac returned sporting something of a smug expression. “She’ll be in the room by the time we get there. I told Sid we wanted her services for the rest of the evening. Amazing how we can charge the services of a slave to our room.” He shook his head in disgust.
“Let’s hope it’s Izzie.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what we’ll do if it isn’t. Matter of fact, I’m not sure what we’ll do if it is.”
Chapter 73
They returned to their room more than a little anxious. Let it be Izzie; let it be Izzie; let it be Izzie drummed inside Jackson’s head with every step. He was almost afraid to see her. What condition would she be in? Had she been brutalized the way he had?
She’d been rude to him, refused to listen when he told her to stay away from Leon and had been an all-around pain in the ass from the moment she’d been assigned as his reporter. Still, there was a soft spot in his heart for her that he hadn’t recognized until it became clear she was in trouble. Somehow he hadn’t been able to let her go. He’d risked his life and most likely lost his job for her and now, hopefully, he’d see her again and somehow get her out of the situation she’d gotten the three of them in.
As they unlocked the door, they saw a woman standing near the window; her head bowed in a submissive posture. At first Jackson didn’t think it was her. Her low-cut blouse and miniskirt left nothing to the imagination. Her long blond hair was pinned back with some kind of flowered clasp. What struck him most forcefully was her attitude of total capitulation. She was not the feisty woman he knew. What had they done to break her spirit so completely in such a short time?
“Izzie,” he said in a near whisper, not wanting to startle her. When she didn’t respond, he said it again. “Izzie, it’s me, Jackson.”
Slowly lifting her head, she stared at him as if in a trance.
“Izzie,” he repeated. When he touched her shoulder she leapt back, as if in fear. “What have they done to you?” he said.
She looked wildly about the room and rested her gaze on Zac.
“That’s my brother. We’ve come to rescue you.” He said it softly, hoping to reassure her with the soothing tone of his voice. “You’re safe now. We won’t hurt you.”
Izzie looked from Jackson to Zac and back again. Her blue eyes filled with tears that spilled down her cheeks.
“Jackson,” she said. “Is it really you?”
“Yes, Izzie, it’s really me.” He started to give her a hug when she winced in pain. Dropping his arms, he said, “You’re hurt.”
“They beat me—over and over,” she said, “till I finally promised to do what they wanted.” A slight smile appeared, as she added, “You’re to be my first.”
“Enough with the reunion, we gotta go,” Zac no sooner said that when there was a knock at the door. Putting his finger to his lips, he said, “Get on the bed. I’ll see what they want.”
He opened the door to find a man whose appearance said, “Mess with me and you’ll regret it”. A scar crawled down his left cheek; his nose appeared to have been broken and healed badly. “Mr. Taylor?”
“That’s me.”
“Just checking to see if the girl we sent is treating you well.”
“We’ve barely started, if you know what I mean. We get her till eleven; that’s what they said when I paid for the room.”
“You do, but Sid wanted me to check and make sure you’re satisfied. This is her first time out and we want to be sure you get your money’s worth. We want our customers to have a good experience at Los Dias so you want to come back.”
“Yeah, she’s hot. She’ll do.” Zac assured him.
“Let us know if there’s anything else you need. The kitchen’s open all night so don’t hesitate to order room service.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” Zac hung out the "Do Not Disturb" sign and double- locked the door. "We gotta get outta here right now."
"We can't." Izzie looked more than a little terrified. "They have people posted everywhere, watching to make sure the girls don’t get away." She trembled so hard her voice shook along with her entire body.
Zac nodded. "No one’s on the terrace. That leads to the beach and you can get to the parking lot from there. Besides who's going to bother a couple making love in the moonlight?"
"Who? What?" Jackson was momentarily confused, then a light bulb came on and he grinned. "Oh, yeah. Right."
"So this is what we'll do. You two climb over the railing and head for the beach. I'll go out to the car. If anyone asks, I'll say you want to be alone with the girl for awhile. In the meantime you guys make like lovers and meet me, then we'll get the hell outta here. Oh, and double-lock the door after me, that'll make it harder for them to get in. By the time they realize we're gone, we'll be back in San Pedro."
Taking Izzie by the hand, Jackson helped her climb down the incline from the patio leading to the beach. Mindful of her bruises, he gently encircled her waist with his arm and whispered, “lean against me and put your head on my shoulder. In case anyone’s watching, we need to appear to be a couple.”
Izzie gave him a wan smile. “I can’t believe you’re here. Jackson, thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, Iz, but hang in there. We’ve a long way to go before we’re home free.”
Chapter 74
Zac left the room and sauntered past a beefy man reading a magazine. He glanced up. "Good evening, sir. Going out?"
Brilliant observation. What's it look like, asshole? "I need a cigarette." The rooms were strictly no smoking.
"I hear ya, buddy. Wish I could join you but I ..." suddenly seeming to realize he might be revealing too much, he paused, then said, "I'm waiting for my wife. She'll raise all sorts of hell if she comes out and I’m not here."
Sure, and I'm the Easter Bunny. Zac nodded then shook his head. "Women. They’re all alike. Catch ya later."
Zac’s heart beat wildly as he waited, the car motor purred softly. What if they can't find me? What if they'd been caught? Do I have a Plan B? Of course not. Fly by the seat of my pants like always. Only this time it won't mean a night in jail or Mom’s look of disapproval. This time it’s a matter of ... He heard footsteps approach and desperately hoped it was his brother and the girl—not thugs coming to beat the crap out of him.
The parking lot wasn't well lit, so he had a hard time seeing who approached. Frozen in place, his hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel, all he could do was wait.
A minute later—a lifetime to Zac—Jackson opened the car door. Izzie climbed in back.
"Quick, get on the floor and cover up with that blanket," Zac said. He put several boxes containing a few articles of clothing and "souvenirs" he'd purchased earlier on top of her, hoping to mask her presence in case they were stopped.
Shifting into "drive" he switched the headlights on, sent up a quick prayer and started their ten-mile journey back to the only town on Ambergris Caye. Each time he hit a pothole, Izzie groaned.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Zac said for what seemed like the one-hundredth time. "It won't be too much longer."
The road was pitch black without a single street light to guide them, making it impossible to avoid craters and ruts that seemed everywhere. He swerved whenever one was caught in the headlights, making the ride even more dangerous as the little car didn't take kindly to evasive action.
Twenty minutes later, as the lights of San Pedro glimmered in the distance, headlights from an automobile approaching rapidly from behind reflected in the rear-view mirror.
“Oh shit,” Zac murmured under his breath.
“What’s wrong?” Jackson said.
“That must be them. They�
�re coming to get her. Now what do we do?”
The road was narrow, barely wide enough for two cars riding alongside each other.
“I could straddle the middle and prevent them from cutting us off. What do you think?”
Jackson thought a moment too long. The vehicle was now less than three car-lengths back, its headlights nearly blinding them, making it difficult to see the road.
“What’s wrong?” Izzie sat up. “Is it them? Are they coming to get me? Please don’t let them …” her voice trailed off. “I can’t go back, Jackson. I’d rather die than go back there. Please…”
“Get down, get down.” Zac was in a panic. Sweat drenched his hands making the steering wheel slippery. What the hell was he going to do? How could he defend this helpless woman against those thugs? He didn’t have a gun, or a weapon of any kind. All he had was his fists—and his mouth.
He attempted to speed up, but multiple potholes made it impossible. Between swerving and trying to outrun the rapidly approaching auto, Zac feared he’d lose control and the car would roll, crushing them in the process.
As the oncoming vehicle caught up with them and began to pass, Zac braced himself, his foot hovering over the brakes.
“Hold on,” he cautioned Jackson. But instead of cutting them off and grabbing Izzie, it kept right on going.
Adrenalin, along with a sense of relief pumped through his body long after the tail lights disappeared in the distance. Zac could hardly believe it, then, glancing at the dashboard clock he realized it was only nine. Idiot! They hadn’t discovered Izzie’s escape; no one was searching for them—yet.
Chapter 75
They drove into San Pedro unnoticed by a population preoccupied with having a good time. The bars were hopping, the gift shops still open and crowded with tourists. No one took a second glance at the bedraggled trio desperate to escape the island.
Zac drove slowly in contrast to his racing mind: What now? Where to hide? How to get outta here before they were discovered and all hell broke loose.
“So, we going back to the hotel?” Jackson said.
When Zac didn’t answer, Izzie pleaded, “We’ve gotta find some place to hide and fast. If those guys catch us, they’ll kill you, and beat me again.”
“I know,” Zac said in the most reassuring tone he could muster. Reassuring? He didn’t know what the hell he was going to do. Panic rose inside, his heart drummed in his ears.
“Zac, what are you…” Jackson started to say when Zac interrupted him.
“Shut the hell up, both of you. Let me think.” He regretted the words as soon as they flew from his mouth, but it was the truth. How could he figure this out with the two of them ragging on him? He knew only too well what was at stake if they failed to get away. In case they didn’t realize it, theirs were not the only lives in jeopardy—his was too.
The car fell silent as he collected his thoughts. Glancing at them both, he could see by their expressions how frightened they were. But knowing that didn’t solve anything. He had to find a place to hide until he figured out how to get off this damned island, and he had to do it quick.
As he rummaged around for a solution, Charlie’s face flashed before his mind’s eye. He remembered the man had said, “If you want to get together, I’m staying at the Hotel del Rio over on the beach, north of Central Park.” He said he’d be there a couple days and offered to help if Zac needed him. Well, he needed him. Now if he could locate the place and find Charlie, they just might get out of this alive.
Zach followed Barrier Reef Drive north about three quarters of a mile and easily found the place. With its distinctive thatched-roof design, it would be hard to miss. Driving into the parking lot, he warned Jackson and Izzie to stay put.
“I’ll come get you when everything’s settled. In the meantime, don’t talk to anybody, and—don’t under any circumstances go wandering around. Understand?” It’d be just like his brother and that idiot reporter to decide to check things out. It appeared to be a cool place and they were beginning to get their sea legs. Hopefully he’d locate Charlie and they could somehow figure out what to do.
Zac went into the lobby and told the concierge he was trying to find a man named Charlie who was the first mate on a yacht and staying there a few days. At first the guy just stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. There were, after all, countless yachts docked on the island, how could he be expected to remember one guest? But after Zac described Charlie, he became more animated.
“I know who you’re looking for. He stays with us whenever his captain has a layover. He really likes it here.” He gestured to the spacious surroundings.
“Can’t say I blame him,” Zac said wanting to hurry the man along without offending him. “So, could you ring his room and see if he’s in?”
“No problem.” He spoke into the phone, then said, “He wants to know who’s asking.”
“Tell him it’s Zac, the guy who came to Belize with him on the yacht. He’ll know.”
After a brief conversation, the man nodded and hung up the phone. “He says to come right over. He’s staying in the Palms Veranda.” He provided directions to the unit and Zac headed out, heartened that his luck was holding. Now if Charlie could help them get outta here, life would be damned near perfect.
Chapter 76
As they waited for Charlie to open the door, Jackson glanced around. “This place’s really cool.” The units had thatched roofs reminiscent of the primitive structures traditionally used in Belize. Lush tropical foliage camouflaged verandas facing the ocean.
“Yeah,” Zac agreed, beginning to feel uneasy. He wondered what was taking Charlie so long. Probably taking a crap. He was about to knock again when the door opened.
“Charlie, my man. Am I ever glad to see you.”
Charlie waved them in as Zac introduced him to Jackson and Izzie.
“This here’s my brother, Jackson and his… uh, friend, Izzie.”
“Good to meet you,” Charlie said. “Make yourself at home. Want something to drink? I have soda and beer.”
When no one took him up on his offer, he said, “What’s this about? By the looks of you, I can tell it’s not a social visit.”
“You got that right,” Zac said. “We’re in deep shit and need your help.”
“What’d you do, rob a bank?” Charlie said it with a twinkle in his eyes that disappeared when Zac didn’t laugh.
“Worse.”
“Worse? You kill someone?”
“No, but if we don’t get off this island, lives will be lost and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be ours.”
All hint of amusement left Charlie’s face. “You talking about a drug deal gone bad? I warned you to stay away from that crowd, didn’t I?”
“You did and that’s not it.” Zac said. “Remember the trunk on the yacht?”
“What about it?”
“Jackson was inside, being smuggled into the country and sold to traffickers. Same thing happened to Izzie earlier. I managed to buy Jackson back and we just rescued Izzie from the Dias Del Sol, but any minute now the traffickers will realize she’s gone and they’ll come looking for us. We gotta get out of here before they do.”
Listening intently, Charlie looked from Jackson to Izzie and back again. “My God, how awful. You all right?”
“We are at the moment, but if they catch us, we’re as good as dead,” Jackson said, bruises still visible on his face and arms.
Charlie thought a moment. “I have an idea. Stay here. Don’t open the door for anyone. I’ll be right back.”
Zac heaved a sigh of relief. If anyone could get them out of this, Charlie could. He seemed like the type that would give you the shirt off his back; a real salt of the earth kinda guy. Thank God he’d run into him at Mo’s. Funny how things work out.
Half an hour later, there was a tap-tap-tap on the door and a voice quietly announced, “It’s me, Charlie.”
Jackson opened the door to find Charlie, accompanied by two rough-looki
ng men.
“Zac,” one of them said. “Good to see you again.”
Zac’s heart dropped as Mo walked in. He could scarcely believe his eyes. Charlie, the man he’d trusted with his life, had sold them out. Their last best hope of escape had just evaporated.
“Charlie, why?” he said. “You said you’d help us. I believed you. Why’re you doing this?”
“Shut up,” Mo said. “You got a lotta nerve saying that after telling me you only sleep with white women.” He put his face inches from Zac’s, his fists clinched. “I went out on a limb for you with Sid. You got any idea the trouble you caused?” He gave Zac a long, penetrating stare.
Zac almost felt guilty, as though he was being scolded by his dad instead of threatened by a vicious criminal.
“You betrayed me. Well, now you’ll pay for it.”
“Mo, I’m sorry, I really am. Let us go and I’ll give you all my money. Please.”
Mo shook a fat finger in Zac’s face. “Shoulda thought of that when you decided to steal her from Sid. Bet you’re not even a contractor, are you?”
When Zac didn’t respond, he said, “So you lied about that too. Who are these people anyhow?”
A glimmer of hope took hold inside Zac. Perhaps this horrible man had retained a spark of humanity somewhere inside. Maybe he’d let them go when he explained who they were.
“This here’s my brother, Jackson and that’s his friend, Izzie. I’ve come to rescue them.”
“Seriously? How’d they get mixed up in all this?”
“It’s a long story but basically they poked their noses in where they didn’t belong. So, Mo, how about it? Can you find it in your heart to let us go?” Zac desperately wished he’d managed to connect with whatever heart remained inside this monster.
Mo stared at the three of them for a long moment, rubbed his chin then came to a decision. “Wish I could, but if I caved every time I heard a sob story, I’d be outta business. No, your white asses are mine,” he indicated Jackson and Zac.