by Eliza Master
“Harder,” gasped Miguel. She bit harder. He was pounding, and it felt so good. So, so, good. So good Renata couldn’t stop, and Miguel didn’t stop either. Then Renata was cumming. Moans of pleasure escaped as she climaxed. Miguel’s shirt was drenched in sweat. On her last cry, Miguel said again, “Meu Deus!” And with a steady rhythm, he drove himself home.
33
Where is Adam?
For the next few days, Renata and Miguel orbited each other. They shared confidences and cuddled at night, but neither initiated more sex. Renata felt withdrawn and her period was late, so she kept quiet. Soon they were back in São Paolo at Miguel’s mansion. Before her morning flight, Renata spent the night in the guesthouse alone.
Renata flew back home and went to Agri-Gen the next morning. She sat at her desk, buried in the Guatemala project. It was up to her to decide whether to plant the remaining acreage in stumps or seed. Agri-Gen had created a different supplement for each, and Renata needed to see how the fertilizer was affecting the soil. She had Darwin send her reports on the plant growth and soil, as well as the farm’s financials.
Renata kept checking for an update on Howard, but there seemed to be no more to his story. She did find one article on the lab, however. It said that the lab had been broken into and the equipment destroyed and stolen. The police didn’t have any suspects. Renata wondered who had discovered the damage and when. Surely Tim would’ve come back to retrieve her body from the freezer. Or had they been planning to frame Howard? Now that he was dead, Renata couldn’t ask him for answers. She felt sorry that he had left a daughter behind. She hoped it wasn’t the freezer and being part of the REN project that had led him to his end. She didn’t want that kind of responsibility.
Was it safe to go back to Lindahl like nothing had happened? After all, her murder attempt hadn’t been premeditated – it had been more circumstantial than anything. If destroying all the REN in the freezer had cleaned out the REN supply, then they’d need more, and she was the source. In that case, Fitzer would need her alive and accessible. What would happen if she did an above the board negotiation for her DNA? Would Fitzer be willing to pay for something they had previously stolen?
There were too many questions. Renata needed answers. She texted Adam, but there was no response. She then left a voicemail. Renata was worried. Was he just ignoring her? Was he sick?
Renata needed to talk to someone, so she texted Erik: Hey, handsome, how ya doing? Lunch?
He didn’t answer until later that afternoon: Sorry, gorgeous, swamped with work, kisses.
After some deliberation, Renata decided it was better to keep her problems to herself, and safer to keep Erik out of all this.
34
Tim McIntire
While slipping under her Egyptian cotton sheets, Renata got a text from Adam. Checked the lab and everything is good. She hadn’t asked him to drive out there that night, but it was reassuring that someone had her back.
Renata slept poorly and awoke at four a.m. She decided to drive by Lindahl, just to take a peek. As she approached, she saw two fire trucks and the front of the lab cordoned off with pylons and caution tape. A group of men stood inside the boundary. Renata parked on the other side of the school, as she had done before, and walked onto the playground. The smell of wet coals was in the air. The firefighters looked like they were packing up. Wisps of smoke drifted out the lab windows and a burned-out door.
Renata stayed in the schoolyard and sat on a bench to think. Fuck. Had Adam burned the place down? That was one definitive way to get rid of the REN supply, but people went to jail for arson. She hoped no one was hurt. Would she be a suspect? After slinking back to her car, Renata drove back to the city. The next day, she went to work and pretended all was well.
She checked the news on the Internet throughout the day, but there wasn’t much, only that they were clearing debris and that the fire had been extensive. It had destroyed more than four million dollars’ worth of equipment. Finally, at five o’clock, there was a development – they had found a body: an unidentified male. Was it Adam? She texted, Adam, r u ok?? No response. Erik wanted to do dinner, but Renata turned him down. She said her stomach was upset, and it was.
Renata stayed up until two trying to find out if Adam had died in the fire. She couldn’t call the police and ask without implicating him. A little after sunrise, there was a local news report identifying the body as that of Tim McIntire. That’s a relief! He could never mess with her again. Perhaps Adam didn’t have anything to do with the fire, but then why would he have sent her that last text? Did he go to the lab before the fire started? She reread his last text, looking for some hidden meaning, but she found none. Renata texted and called Adam again, but still he didn’t respond.
Renata didn’t feel well at all. The week went along as usual, but Renata kept putting Erik off. She used the “not feeling well” excuse again, but she knew it wouldn’t last long. She couldn’t tell Erik her story. He was still her boss, and she didn’t want to jeopardize all she had worked for at Agri-Gen. Her tattoo was itching like crazy, too – could she be allergic to the ink all of a sudden? Her hope was that everything would blow over and she would settle back into her routine at Agri-Gen and her affair with Erik. She’d bury her story: that was her plan. It had worked before.
The following morning, Adam finally responded to her text: Renata, I love you and I promise to keep you safe. The lab is gone, and I might be gone soon, too. My T-cell count is too low. AIDs sucks. Hugs.
Was that a call for help? Was Adam really in love with her? She texted back, Let’s meet and talk about it. I miss you. He didn’t respond, so she wrote, I care about you too, and so does your family. Again, there was no response. She just hoped he wasn’t suicidal.
35
Atitlana Burns
Then came the news from Darwin – there had been a fire at Atitlana. Another fire? A whole field had burned, and five grow houses, too. Damn it! Renata called Darwin immediately to assess the damage. So far no one was hurt, and the fire was mostly out; that was all he knew so far. Darwin was on his way to Atitlana, and said he would call after he arrived. Renata booked the next available flight, rushed home, and was on the plane that evening.
She traveled all night and arrived at the farm by midday. The irrigation was on full-time, ensuring that there was no more damage, but it had been turned off for Renata’s inspection. She walked through the burned field and mourned the loss of her baby yohimbe plants. Her project was failing, but it wasn’t her fault. A tear slid down her cheek. Since she was alone with Darwin, she let her guard down and sobbed. Renata hadn’t slept much, and she was sick. She marched away from Darwin and threw up her plane food, but she still felt nauseous.
Renata needed to lie down, so she went to the little house above the farm and slept deeply until nightfall. When she woke up she was ravenous. Someone had stocked the cottage with homemade tortillas, white cheese, veggies, fruit, and lunchmeat. There was no microwave, so she cooked a quesadilla in the frying pan and made another while eating the first. The nausea had passed finally.
The next day, they were able to clean up the fallen grow houses with the labor of the whole farm crew. It was going to take some time to clear away the debris and assess the damage underneath. One body was found, a male who appeared to have been trapped under one of the tables. He was burned beyond recognition. What a horrible death, thought Renata.
In the cottage, Renata was assessing the financial damage and figuring out how long the fire would set back her harvest timeline when there was a gentle rapping at the door.
“Excuse me, Miss.” A small Guatemalan man stood there with his hand outstretched. “We found this on the burned man.” He handed Renata a charred chain. Renata choked when she saw that it had been Adam’s. The Mayan warrior and Jewish star were blackened from the fire.
“Nooo!!” Renata screamed.
Renata tried to speak to the man, but instead she had to run outside and vomit again. Everythin
g came up. Her heaving turned to deep sobs and tears, saliva and snot pouring out to add to the vomit. She couldn’t stand up. The Guatemalan man was still there. He supported her and led her to the bedroom. He stood in the doorway as Renata balled up and cried anew.
“I’m sorry, miss,” he said.
Renata lay in the fetal position; all her strength washing out from deep inside. She stared at the ceiling fan endlessly turning, drowning in sorrow and pain. “Adam, Adam,” she cried over and over. Sometime later, Darwin appeared. He carefully lay down beside her and caressed her arm without speaking.
Then it was morning, and Renata was due to fly home. Gingerly, Darwin maneuvered her out of the cottage and to the airport. Renata hadn’t said much other than that she needed to go home, so that’s what Darwin did for her. At the gate, he handed Renata a sack and said, “It’s from my mother.”
Renata boarded the plane in a fog of grief. Darwin had managed to check in all her luggage, even her laptop. The only thing she had with her was the gift from Esperanza. After sitting, she gazed at the tarmac blankly. Without thinking, she opened the cloth gift bag. Inside was a perfect pair of green baby booties.
About the Author
Eliza has been writing since she first gripped a crayon. She indulges in deep thinking, pottery and podcasts. Several magazines have published her stories, and her Shibari Series is newly released by Wayzgoose Press. She loves to throw pots and play with friends, but most of all to write fiction.
About the Publisher
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