Deceived

by Patricia H. Rushford

  “Jennie!” Matt grabbed her shoulders. “Did you hear me?”

  Jennie choked back the panic washing over her and nodded. Matt twisted the key. The engine roared to life. “Take the wheel. I’ve set it in reverse. Just back out, swing her around, and push the throttle forward as far as it will go.” Matt jumped off the boat and gave it a shove. “Move it. Now!”

  Jennie closed her mind to everything except getting the boat and Dominic away from the island before Matt and his men opened fire. She concentrated. Back up, turn the wheel-not too much. “God, please let my dad be okay.” Straighten it out. Good. Jennie shoved the throttle forward. The boat leapt out of the water. The force threw her against the safety rail. She fell, jerking the wheel to the right. Jennie regained her balance and turned the wheel back. Too little, too late. The powerboat was heading straight for the cliff beneath the villa.

  22

  An explosion ripped the cliff apart, spewing rocks a hundred feet in the air.

  Jennie pulled back the throttle and cranked the wheel to the left. As the boat straightened, she braced herself, opened the throttle, and raced toward the open sea. Every few seconds another bomb went off. The staccato sounds of gunfire raced to fill the silent spaces.

  When she felt she’d gone a safe distance, Jennie swung the craft around, then idled the engines. The gunfire and bombs had stopped. Smoke billowed around the island, making it look like a volcanic eruption. She wondered how anyone could have survived.

  The scene blurred. Jennie didn’t bother to brush away the tears. Dad. Don’t even think it. He’s okay. He just has to be. She turned away from the wheel and sank onto a cushioned seat. In a few minutes she’d regain her composure and head west, like Matt had told her. Maybe she’d turn Dominic over to the federales. Maybe she wouldn’t. It seemed a better choice to call his uncle Manny.

  She heard a moan from the cabin and hurried below to investigate. “Dominic? Are you all right?”

  He shook his head as if trying to orient himself. “What happened?”

  “Matt put you out of commission for a few minutes. He’s an agent.” She hurried to his side. “Oh, Dominic. I couldn’t let you stay on the island. When Roberts—he’s an agent too—told me what they were going to do I had to get you out of there. I was afraid you’d be killed.”

  Still stunned, Dominic struggled to sit up. “What about Juan Carlos?”

  “I don’t know.”

  He glanced at his cuffed wrists, then raised his gaze to hers. “You must take me to Cozumel. I have much to tell the policía.”

  Jennie offered him an approving smile and lifted the locket from her neck. “You’ll want this back.”

  “No, querida—my friend.” He reached up to stop her and took both of her hands in his. “You must keep it. You have given me back my life. I can never repay you. So, please. The locket is so little a token for so great a gift.”

  Jennie blinked back her tears and nodded, accepting Dominic’s gift and the kiss he left on her cheek. She drew in a ragged breath and stood. “We’d better go.”

  They went topside. Dominic stared at the island for a long agonizing moment, then tore his gaze away.

  “I’m so sorry, Dominic. It was a beautiful island.”

  “It will be again someday,” he said, looking back at the smoke rising from it. “Perhaps I will ask Tío Manny to build a resort there. And I will sculpt and paint again.” He smiled at her. “Perhaps I will take your grandmother’s advice and have a showing in the United States. You would come?”

  “You can bet on it.”

  Dominic nodded and ducked back into the cabin, saying he needed to be alone. Jennie didn’t ask why.

  “From ashes to roses,” she whispered, remembering one of her mother’s favorite Bible verses. Dominic would be all right.

  Jennie took the wheel. But will you? Will Dad? Matt had told her to keep going—to take Dominic to the mainland. But how could she leave Dad or Matt? They could be hurt.

  Jennie pressed the throttle forward. Maybe she’d go a little closer. Have a look around. No. She shouldn’t.

  Matt had given her orders. And going back could create more problems. Jennie aimed the boat toward Cozumel and eased the throttle forward.

  She’d gone only a few yards when she noticed a powerboat heading toward them. Had Ramirez gotten away? Jennie held her breath and let it out again when she recognized the driver and the man who stood on the deck waving.

  Matt slowed as he came alongside her craft. Roberts jumped onto the deck behind her. His lip was split and bleeding and he had a bruise on his left cheek.

  “How’s Dominic?” Matt asked.

  Roberts ducked into the cabin. Less than a minute later his head and Dominic’s popped back through the opening. “He’s okay. Anxious to see his grandfather.”

  “Bring him aboard,” Matt called.

  Dominic still looked dazed as he let himself be transferred to the other boat. The transfer completed, Roberts gave Matt’s boat a shove and waved. “See you in Cozumel.”

  Matt grinned and nodded. “Have a good trip.”

  Jennie and Roberts watched the boat fade to a small spot on the horizon. “Well, kid,” he ruffled her hair. “We’d better head in too. Gram and J.B. and that redheaded cousin of yours will be anxious to see you.”

  “They’re in Cozumel?”

  “Safe and sound. I saw them and your journalist friend Hendricks just before Matt and I came to the island.”

  “Is Hendricks still on our case?”

  “Nope. Matt gave him an exclusive on the Ramirez story.”

  “Do Gram and J.B. know?” she asked, hopping onto the bench seat to the left of the controls.

  “Only that I’m an agent who used to work with Jason.” Roberts took the wheel and swung the boat around until the prow pointed toward the late afternoon sun, then inched the throttle forward.

  “Let me guess,” Jennie said. “They didn’t need to know so you didn’t tell them.”

  “Right. As far as they’re concerned, you fell into the hands of a notorious drug lord. Agents Matt Hansen and Brett Roberts were sent to rescue you. Had a dickens of a time convincing your Gram to stay put. She insisted on coming with us. Thought for a while we’d have to lock her up.”

  “What changed her mind?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not sure. She was arguing like a she-bear protecting her cub. All of a sudden she backed off. Guess you’ll have to ask her.”

  Had Gram recognized him too? Jennie couldn’t wait to ask her. Yes, she could. There’d be plenty of time to talk to Gram later. Right now she wanted to concentrate on Dad and make the most of their precious few minutes together.

  “What happened to your face?” she asked. What she really wanted to ask was: Are you coming home? She didn’t.

  She already knew the answer.

  Roberts touched his cheek and winced. “Ramirez decided he didn’t trust me. Sent a couple of his thugs to work me over. Fortunately, the gunfire distracted them. I got the jump on ’em.”

  “Is he still alive?”

  “Barely. Don’t know if he’ll make it, but even if he does, he’ll spend the rest of his life in prison.”

  “What’s going to happen to Dominic?”

  “He’ll be questioned.”

  “He won’t go to prison, will he?”

  “You gonna press charges?”

  “Not a chance. He helped me get away. And he plans to tell the police what he knows.”

  “You’re quite a girl, Jennie.” Roberts wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a hug. “Even if you do ask a lot of questions.”

  Jennie grinned so wide she thought her face would break. You’re going to have to give him up, you know, a voice in her head broke through the happiness. Jennie sighed.

  “Did you say something?”

>   “No. I was just thinking.” Soon they’d be in Cozumel. She’d rendezvous with Gram and the others and finish out the cruise. Dad would go back to being an agent, fighting crime, and doing whatever else agents do.

  “I can’t go back, Jennie.”

  “I know.” She’d lose him again, but for now, God had given them a little snatch of time and Jennie planned to enjoy every second of it. When it was over she’d store the memories in her heart and treasure them forever. “Will you change your identity again?”

  “Probably.”

  “Will you contact me from time to time?”

  “If I can.” He grinned down at her, tears glistening in his eyes. “You take good care of Nick for me, ya hear? And don’t be too hard on Michael. I hear he’s one of the good guys.”

  Jennie choked back her tears. “Sure.”

  “Roberts?” she said when she was able to speak again. “Tell Dad I love him.” Jennie wasn’t sure why she’d gone back to thinking of him as Roberts. Maybe she just wanted him to know that his secret was safe with her. Or maybe she was just now beginning to understand what he’d been trying to tell her all along.

  Roberts nodded. “Your dad said to tell you he loves you too.”

  They went on talking about family, friends, and Jennie’s future. And she did have a future—not like she’d planned. But it was looking pretty good just the same.

  Jason McGrady was gone forever. But, Jennie reminded herself, Brett Roberts, or whatever his new name will be, is very much alive and maybe—just maybe when the danger is past—you’ll see him again. Jennie watched him for a while, then leaned her head against his shoulder and committed him to memory.