“What about a hospital?”
“They don’t have that specific anti-venom. The snake is not indigenous to Florida and the anti-venom is very expensive. They would not stock it.”
Jaxon closed the door to the rain and looked around again. The giant gorilla glared down at him but nothing else moved.
The gorilla.
Jaxon ran to it and circled its feet. In the back a small hatch lay recessed in the heel of the statue and he pulled out his pocket knife and worked the screw. It turned slowly and then the hatch popped open. A small box lay inside and Jaxon grabbed it. Inside were two vials, a syringe, and alcohol swabs. He jumped up and ran to the car. Throwing the door open, he thrust the box at the herpetologist.
“Oh. Thank God,” he said, and went to work.
“What if it’s some kind of poison or something,” Mel said. “He could die.”
“He’s going to die anyway if we do nothing, honey,” Jaxon said. “It will be all right.”
Ray must have seen the commotion. He came out and stood by the car and watched. “He’ll be all right, now,” he said.
“This guy’s going down,” Jaxon said. “If it’s the last thing I do. He’s going down.”
CHAPTER 14
Gil sat up in his hospital bed and smiled.
Melanie was lying in the bed with him. She put her head on his shoulder and wrapped an arm around him. Jaxon stood at the door, unsure if he should come in.
“You don’t have to stand there,” Gil said. “I’m all right.”
He walked in and glanced at Gil’s arm. It was bandaged from his elbow to his fingertips, the bulk of it around his hand. He had been lucky not to lose it. The emergency room physician at the hospital in Naples had seen lots of snake bites, but never one like this. He had all kinds of questions and Gil had done a good job of keeping things quiet. According to Gil, he had run across the snake in the Everglades and didn’t know what it was. He had tried to catch it, like an idiot, and the thing had bitten him.
The anti-venom was a problem though. Gil had given the lame excuse that the herpetologist had some in his stock and Ray had called him. They got the stuff in him and then brought him to the hospital. The emergency room physician eyed them, but didn’t say anything. Jaxon could tell he didn’t believe them.
More than likely the doctor thought they were all rare reptile smugglers who carried anti-venom just in case. Jaxon knew there was quite a bit of money made on black market animals. For some reason, people thought it cool to own a very rare or very dangerous animal.
“You’re alive.”
“Yep. Thanks to you. I owe you.”
“I don’t think you owe me a thing. I got you into all this mess, remember?”
Gil shook his head. “I got myself into this mess. I was the nosy son-of-a-bitch who stumbled into your little problem.”
Jaxon nodded and glanced at Mel. He felt like he had let her down and it made him feel like shit. She didn’t seem fazed by it, though, and only had eyes and smiles for Gil.
“What’s next?” Gil asked.
“You sitting your butt in that bed and getting better.”
“We have a girl to find.”
“This is my thing. You’ve done enough. Besides, they aren’t going to let you out of here.”
“I’ll leave on my own.” He went to sit up, but his eyes kind of glazed over and he sat back against the bed. His smile had disappeared.
“See. You’re not ready to go anywhere and I can’t wait around. I know it seems harsh, but you’re right. I have a girl to find.”
Gil slowly nodded his head. “Will Ray be helping?”
“Yes. He has some things to tie up, but he’ll join me in Miami.”
“Is that where the next waypoint is?”
Jaxon nodded. “No tricks this time. The lat/long was in the box with the anti-venom. I guess he figured we’d been through enough. The GPS puts it in the city of Miami. I’m leaving now.”
Gil stared at him. “I’m sorry I let you down. I know you could use my help.”
“I’ll be all right.”
Mel got up from the bed and came to him. She stood in front of him staring and then she grabbed him and hugged him hard. “Thank you for saving him,” she said. She stared up into his eyes. “You be safe.”
“I won’t,” he said, but grinned. She smiled back, kissed him softly on the cheek, and then separated herself from him. “I’ll check up on you later.”
Gil raised his good hand in a wave and said, “Find that bastard for me.”
Jaxon nodded and then left. He didn’t look back.
* * *
Bethany woke with sweat in her eyes.
The little chamber had become a steam bath while she was out and she found it hard to breathe. She sat up, woozy, the picture still in her hand. The dead girl swam in and out of her vision until the wooziness passed. She stared at her and a tear tracked down her face.
Danielle Newsome. Eight years ago she had taken her own life. A life that had just begun. She had been a senior at North Palm Beach High School, petite, red hair, green eyes, quiet, a member of the math club.
She had also been a lesbian and Bethany and her group had never let her forget it. Bethany had killed her, just as surely as Danielle had taken all those pills. No, Bethany hadn’t shoved the pills in her mouth, made her gag them down with a soda, and stood by her in that lonely room until she passed out, but she might as well have.
Bethany laid her head back against the metal wall and thought of her old friends. Becca, Sloan, Taylor and Ellie. Her best buds all through grade, middle and high school. Nobody could have separated them. Not with a crowbar. But she hadn’t spoken to any of them in over eight years.
Not that they hadn’t tried. Bethany just refused.
She couldn’t stand the thought of even seeing them, much less speaking to them. What they had done all those years ago was something she could never forgive them, or herself, for. She had killed Danielle Newsome and nothing she did would change that.
Water.
She leaned over and grabbed a bottle of water and twisted the top off. It was hot, but wet. She was losing water rapidly in this heat and she was probably moderately dehydrated. She looked at her severed finger in the low light and saw it was swollen and red. It throbbed and oozed blood, but it didn’t seem infected yet, though it should be in this horribly hot and dirty place.
Moisture touched her foot and she looked down at it to see the floor filling with water. The tide was coming in again and she panicked. What if it was higher this time? At least she wasn’t tied to the wall in a sitting position. Unless the chamber filled completely she should be all right.
The water entered rapidly and she was sitting in waist deep water in a matter of minutes. It felt cool and refreshing. All the trash in the room was floating around as the container rocked gently in the tide. She could hear it sloshing up against the sides outside.
She held on to the picture of Danielle. As the water rose higher, she made sure it did not get wet. No matter what, she would not let the picture get wet. Danielle’s image needed to stay clear for her to see. She would not let it fade away. Not this time. Not ever.
* * *
Jaxon’s body was buzzing.
He could feel it. It vibrated beneath his clothing, a faint pulsation that he felt all along his skin. The caffeine he had been drinking for the last two hours was coursing through his veins, yet he was exhausted. The pieces of ground glass in his eyes scraped against his lids every time he blinked. At least that’s what his imagination said they were. It sure felt like glass. He’d never been this tired and not been able to sleep.
Two hours ago Ray had dropped him off at Alamo where he rented a car. He had shaken his hand and said, “I’ll be there two hours behind you. Keep me informed of where you are. Sorry I can’t come just yet. I’ve got some actions I have to answer for.”
“Thanks for sticking your neck out for me. It’s important.”
&nbs
p; “Get moving and find that girl.”
Find that girl. If it was possible.
This game had taken a deadly turn and much sooner than he had foreseen. When was this son-of-a-bitch going to make a mistake? When would something go Jaxon’s way? He picked up the phone and dialed Vick’s number. Even if it was just to hear her voice. He needed something to keep his sanity in check and she was the best thing for it. She answered quickly.
“The dead girl’s stepfather’s a cop.”
“What?”
“The dead girl. The one that committed suicide.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. A cop in Clay County. Right here in our town.”
“Shit.”
“I agree. That’s why I’m pissed at myself for missing this.”
“What’s the dead girl’s name?”
“Danielle Newsome. But the stepfather’s name is Fanucci.”
“Robert Fanucci,” Jaxon said, slowly.
“Do you know him?”
“I met him yesterday. At the cache site where this all started. Damn. He pulled us over yesterday afternoon too after I hooked up with Gil and Melanie. I thought that a strange coincidence. Vick, you need to call the sheriff.”
“I’m on it. I wanted to talk with you first.”
“Go. Call me back when they’ve got him. He’s got to tell us where she is.”
Jaxon kept going back to Bethany Hope and the dead girl. What had she and her friends done that would cause a girl to kill herself? He knew kids were teased every minute of every day. It was just a part of growing up, but some took it a little too far.
There was always the group that thought they were better than everyone else, prettier, stronger. Hell, even Jaxon had picked on kids when he was younger. He never considered his actions back then as something that would hurt anybody. It was just a spur of the moment thing, done without thinking.
Did Bethany cause the girl to take her life? Or were there other circumstances involved? How was it living with the knowledge you may have been the reason somebody decided their life was not worth living? It must be a horrible burden. Jaxon only hoped it wasn’t a burden that she would eventually pay for with her life.
CHAPTER 15
The killer watched the monitor.
Bethany was still in her place, the camera still functioning and giving him the soundless picture. It was a wonder she hadn’t found it yet. She had managed to break free of her bindings at the appropriate time. If not, she would surely have drowned. He could only control so much, so the guess at her ability to free herself had been somewhat of a calculated risk. Still, it had paid off.
If she had drowned, oh well. Her death was a necessity anyway. He just wanted it to be as planned, and as the moon slipped ever closer to full, the tides cooperating with the pull of gravity, her death would arrive on time. And if the player somehow managed to discover her location, he’d take care of both of them together.
If things were progressing correctly, the player was traveling east toward Miami. The snake had done its job, he had seen to that, and the nosy guy and girl were in the hospital. He’d have to take care of them. No loose ends. The player had pretty much stuck to his plans by not involving the police or law enforcement, but the two he picked up to protect had definitely been a violation. He’d have to dish out some punishment. Soon. And he knew just what he would do. He’d kill two birds with one stone. It would be easy.
* * *
Jaxon’s phone rang and Ray asked where he was.
“I’m about an hour out. You?”
“Just leaving but I’ve got the lights on. I’m doing about ninety on this piece of shit road. I should catch you about the time you arrive.”
“The kids?”
“They’re fine. I called the hospital just before calling you. He should get to go home in a couple of days. He was lucky.”
“I don’t know if I’d call getting bitten by an extremely deadly snake, lucky.”
“True. He’s lucky that he survived it. He owes you for that.”
“And your friend. Thank him for me.”
“Any new developments?”
Jaxon filled him in on Robert Fanucci.
“Shit. Sounds like a no-brainer. He’s your guy.”
“It is pretty obvious. That’s what’s bothering me. He wouldn’t be that obvious. As good as he is at this game crap, it seems too easy.”
“You know what they say. Usually criminals are idiots.”
“Yeah. I’ve met a bunch of them. Some crafty ones too.” His phone beeped. It was Vick. “Hey, gotta go. My wife is calling on the other line.”
“See you in an hour.”
Jaxon switched over to Vick’s call. “Tell me you’ve found him.”
“They can’t locate him. He took sick leave today and he isn’t answering his phone. They’re on their way over to his house, but I’ve heard nothing yet.”
“Dammit! He was working yesterday.”
“Is there any way you would know this guy? Did you recognize him when you first met him?”
“No. I’ve never seen or heard of him before. Still thinking I’m somehow connected with this?”
“Just thinking out loud I guess. It all seems too convenient.”
“I keep hearing that, but I’ll be damned if I can make a connection. You’re right about it being convenient, though. He made it pretty obvious with a motive. Since he’s a cop, he’d have to know we’d check her out and come up with this connection.”
“I know. Like we were supposed to figure this out easily.”
“We’re missing something, Vick. I know it. I just don’t know what it is. He’s keeping us busy with this stuff while he maneuvers elsewhere in the background. We’re going to have to start thinking ahead of him.”
“I know, you keep saying that, but I have nothing. Do you?”
He sighed. “No. Damn. I’m not angry with you. I’m just frustrated.”
“You’re exhausted too. I know you’re not thinking straight. When’s the last time you slept?”
“On the way to Naples. In the back of their car for about an hour.”
“You’re working on fumes. You need to recharge.”
“I don’t have that luxury, Vick. Time is ticking. She has less than forty hours before time is up. I’ll sleep then.”
“Even a short nap will help. When is Ray meeting up with you?”
“He’ll catch me in Miami. He’s flooring it with his lights running. The road is slowing him down though.”
“Maybe you should pull over and sleep for thirty minutes while he catches up.”
“Then we’ll have lost thirty minutes. I’ll be ok.”
She sighed, frustrated with him he knew, but she understood. “Promise you’ll sleep as soon as you can. Let Ray drive to the next place.”
“I will.”
* * *
Gil awoke from a restless nap, his hand throbbing and his eyes unable to focus.
When the room finally grew clear, he saw that Mel was not there. She must be down getting something to eat. He wished she’d go and get a hotel or something so she could rest, but she refused. She didn’t seem to want to leave his side. He was even surprised that she was gone now.
His door opened and a male nurse walked in pushing a small cart with some equipment on it. The nurse was wearing a mask and though Gil knew they were all about infection control in these types of places, this was the first employee who was wearing one. Maybe he was sick.
“Time for your medication Mr. Fowler,” the nurse said and he stepped to the side of his bed.
“What kind of meds?” Gil asked. “I’m tired of being drugged up. If it’s a pain killer, I’ll pass.”
The nurse hesitated as if unsure, but then busied himself with something on the cart. “You’re not having any pain, then?”
“It hurts. But I can tolerate it.”
“Well, the doctor has ordered some antibiotic for the Mamba bite and we need to start that now. You don’t
want it getting infected.”
“True.”
He watched the nurse fumble with some things in the cart and then looked at his bandaged hand. Ray had told him that the hospital staff were only informed he was bitten by a poisonous snake, not a Mamba. They didn’t want the media getting hold of the Mamba bit as people would freak out. He looked at the nurse again and noticed that the uniform was just a little different than the others. Not quite the same shade of pink. There was no name badge either.
“Yeah. That rattlesnake was a mean one,” Gil said.
“That was no rattlesnake,” the nurse said, looking at him over the top of the surgical mask. “The Black Mamba that bit you is one of the most venomous snakes in the world.”
He handed Gil a handful of pills and a glass of water.
“What did you say your name was?” Gil asked.
“I didn’t. But it’s Collin.”
Gil looked at the pills, then looked at the nurse and something must have shown on his face, because as he went to jump from the bed, the nurse grabbed him in mid leap and slammed him back into the bed.
“Not so fast, asshole. You should learn to keep your nose in your own business.”
Gil went to yell, but a pillow was shoved in his face and the full weight of the man was pressing down on him.
He struggled, striking the man’s back and arms, but he was incredibly strong. He suddenly heard a scream and then Mel yelling at the top of her lungs. The pressure came up off of the pillow and Gil flung it off of him. The man fled the room, knocking things down and pushing Mel out of the way in his haste and then he was gone. Mel came to him as he heard a commotion in the hall. A nurse he recognized ran into his room.
“What happened? Are you all right?”
“That male nurse just tried to kill me,” Gil said. “The one running out of here.”
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