Taste of Danger

by Alexa Verde

  Soledad gasped near him, as she probably had the same thoughts. She’d been right. Aidan should’ve waited for backup. James tugged on the driver-side door but it didn’t budge.

  Normally, he wouldn’t try to move the injured person, waiting for the paramedics to do it instead. But the gasoline scent wasn’t a good sign. There might not be much time left before the patrol car exploded.

  He’d have to break the window or try other doors.

  “The door is stuck. Soledad, step back,” he said, deep down knowing he was wasting his breath.

  Of course, instead of obeying him, she ran around the car, opened the passenger door, and gasped again. “There’s so much blood here. And he’s unconscious.”

  “Move aside.” He rushed around the patrol car.

  This time, she did as he said.

  He climbed inside the car, unbuckled the belt, and tried for a pulse. He almost slumped with relief when he distinguished a weak heartbeat. Carefully trying to pull the man toward him, he tugged on Aidan. James’s shoulder was screaming with pain now, but he didn’t pay attention. Fortunately, the steering wheel hadn’t punctured Aidan’s chest, but his leg seemed to be stuck. Aidan groaned but didn’t come to.

  The gasoline scent grew stronger.

  He had to succeed.

  Or all of them would be dead.

  “Leave!” he screamed to Soledad, and by some miracle, she seemed to listen to him. She disappeared in the darkness.

  Hopefully, she’d be far enough from the vehicle when… He didn’t finish that thought. Instead, he increased his effort. He wouldn’t give up.

  He said a quick prayer.

  The sound of the window shattering made him look up.

  Chapter Eight

  Soledad threw away the large branch she’d just smashed the window with. She cleared sharp edges away the best she could and leaned into the opening. She gritted her teeth as the remainder of the glass cut into her skin through the thin fabric of her shirt. In spite of the pain, she persevered.

  Once half of her body was inside, she assessed the situation fast, and her stomach sank. Aidan’s left foot had gotten lodged between the door and the brake pedal, probably when the driver’s side had gotten smashed in.

  Stretching as far as she could, she struggled to reach his foot.

  No, not enough.

  A little more.

  And a little more.

  Dear Lord, please help Aidan.

  Her heart thudded in her ears. What if the fuel tank exploded while she and James were still inside? A self-preservation instinct kicked in, screaming at her to get out. But she kept moving forward, inch after painstaking inch. She couldn’t let Aidan die.

  Of course, she wouldn’t want James to die either, but she couldn’t think about it now.

  Yes! She reached the shoe, relief almost blinding her. Her hands shook as she attempted to untie it, her fingers strangely numb, as if her blood left her limbs and went to her pounding heart. The simple task of untying the shoelaces took more time than it should have, and the thudding in her chest increased.

  At last, she managed to untie them. She pulled on the foot.

  “Move back!” James yelled at her. “I’ll get him!”

  Aidan’s leg out of the trap, she slid out of the window.

  Moments later, James stumbled out of the car with Aidan, and they both fell on the grass. A jolt of joy inside her, she rushed to them and helped James drag Aidan away. Her muscles protested the strain, but that was a small price to pay.

  Seconds later, an explosion deafened her. The strong impact from the wave of hot air threatened to throw her on the ground, and she struggled to stay on her feet. Her eyes widened in horror as flames engulfed the patrol car, burning bright in the night darkness. The stench of smoke attacked her lungs.

  Coughing, she covered her face to protect it from the heat wave. Sirens in the distance split the air.

  Finally!

  Fatigued with relief, she dropped her hands.

  Aidan was lying on the grass, with James checking his pulse. In the light of the fire, dark blood smudges on James’s face and T-shirt made her heart plummet. “Are you h-h-hurt?”

  “It’s Aidan’s blood,” he said. “He has a pulse, so we don’t need to do CPR.”

  So Aidan was wounded. In a hurry to get her friend out of the car, she hadn’t checked on that. Gritting her teeth to stop them from chattering, she slid her hand under Aidan’s back and touched a sticky substance.

  Her heart broke into a million pieces. “Gunshot wound?” This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t bear the thought of her childhood friend wounded and possibly dying.

  “Most likely, that’s why he went off the road. We need to stop the bleeding.” James tore off a part of his T-shirt as the sound of the sirens grew closer.

  Aidan opened his eyes and struggled to speak, “Soledad…”

  She leaned to him. “Shhh. Don’t talk. Help is on the way.” She did her best to make her voice sound reassuring.

  An ambulance screeched to a halt nearby while the fire truck stopped near the burning car. Soledad and James moved aside to let the paramedics do their job. She said a prayer for Aidan.

  A police car drove up to them, and Chief Dawson climbed out of it. She made introductions when all she wanted was to collapse to the ground. The cuts on her stomach hurt a lot now. Taking turns, James and Soledad gave their descriptions of events.

  Another ambulance appeared, and after the chief let them go, paramedics checked them. Soledad refused to go to the hospital, but she was glad to have her cuts disinfected and bandaged up.

  After paramedics were done, James drove her back to the hotel. Adrenaline surge gone, her body hummed from tiredness and lack of sleep. Every muscle begged for rest, but worry for Aidan filled her entire being.

  Her own situation looked bleak at the moment, too. If she didn’t find the treasure soon, she and her father would be killed. If she found the treasure, most likely, they both would be killed anyway.

  Shivers ran through her body as she wrapped her arms around James’s strong torso.

  She willed the shivers to stop. It wasn’t up to the criminals to decide how long she’d live.

  Only God could decide that.

  God had sent her James for a reason. With James’s help, she had to find a way out.

  “Dear Lord, please heal Aidan. Please keep James and my father safe in Your care. Please help me find the way to resolve this situation. Thank You, Lord, for keeping us alive tonight. Amen.”

  She’d surrendered her life, her thoughts, worries, and burdens to God a long time ago. She shouldn’t be trying to take them back, like she’d often done.

  Of course, she’d do her part. She’d do her best to find the treasure. There had to be some way to solve Sergey’s riddles, and she had to find that way, no matter what.

  She wasn’t a stupid, useless kid anymore. In fact, she’d never been that, in spite of what her stepfather used to say. Regret zinged through her. Why had it taken her so many years and James’s appearance to realize that?

  After they arrived at the hotel’s parking lot, James checked his surroundings. Then he took her hand without a word and they walked to the entrance, his touch making her skin prickle in a wonderful way.

  Inside, a young receptionist flashed them a practiced smile. The smile became strained at the sight of James’s and Soledad’s bloody outfits, but she didn’t ask any questions. Soledad was fairly sure the receptionist would call the police afterwards.

  “I don’t think we’re going to be interrupted again,” James said as they headed to their room. “But it’s still safer to go to a different hotel.”

  “I can’t fall asleep now. I’m too wound up.”

  “Probably too worried about Aidan, too, right?”

  Surprised how easily he read her, she nodded. For a ladies’ man, he was very perceptive.

  “Same here. Let’s keep going then. Time is precious.” James stopped near th
e door, gestured for her to wait, and made his usual sweep of the room. Then he waved for her to come in.

  She entered the room, locked the door, and sagged into an armchair. “I can’t believe they shot at the police car and almost killed a cop.”

  He sat down. “I warned you, you were undertaking a very difficult and dangerous task. Are you ready to change your mind about a safe place? I can help you hide where nobody will find you. Please think about it.”

  She hugged herself around the middle. Had Aidan been hurt because of her stubbornness, because she’d refused to hide? Her heart ached as she weighed two opposite options. “There’s no guarantee any place will be safe for me. But you don’t need to risk your life. You can walk away.”

  Anger flashed in his eyes. “I won’t. I can’t let you get killed.”

  Worry and gratitude warred inside her. She needed him, but she didn’t want him to get hurt, like Aidan. What should she do? Concern for her childhood friend and worry for James squeezed her heart in a tight vice. “Even if I withdraw my offer of hiring you?”

  He folded his hands on his chest, making his biceps bulge. “You can’t get rid of me even if you try. Besides, dangerous situations are part of my job.”

  Hmm. She was giving him an easy way out, and he wasn’t taking it. “Your word means that much to you?”

  “It’s not just that,” he said slowly, as if he had to push the words out of his mouth. “Granted, I don’t know you well. But from what I’ve learned about you, you deserve a chance at a family and happiness. And you definitely deserve to be alive.”

  “Thank you.” She glimpsed tenderness and caring in his eyes. Could she dare to hope that she’d started to mean something to him?

  He rose to his feet. “I’m going to get a new set of clothes and change. Try not to get kidnapped in the meantime.”

  “I’ll do my best.” She smiled. How come, in spite of the dire situation, it was so easy for him to make her smile?

  He left, and she looked through the window at the sky that was getting lighter. It was going to be dawn soon.

  She called Dawson to inquire about Aidan. After a short conversation, she hung up and hugged her middle again. She rocked back and forth for some time, fighting a wave of despair. Apparently, Aidan was still in surgery, and the criminals had gotten away.

  Oh, no. Lydia!

  Worry for her friend sliced through Soledad. Lydia wouldn’t take the news about Aidan well. Would she slip again?

  Soledad fished her phone out of her pocket and scrolled to Grandma Evelyn’s number, a warm feeling toward the old lady inside her. After all, Grandma Evelyn had not only raised Lydia, she’d opened the doors of her huge mansion to all the Danger Girls. Even in old age, Evelyn Velasquez’s mind was as sharp as ever. She’d know what to do in regards to Lydia.

  Soledad hesitated before pushing the green phone button. What if Evelyn whisked her granddaughter away, like she’d done before in times of possible trauma? There went the cake’s secret ingredient, the clue from the first fairy tale.

  No, her friend’s well-being was more important. She pushed the button.

  Evelyn answered on the second ring. Was she awake already? “Hello, Soledad.”

  “Sorry for the early call.” Soledad took a deep breath and relayed the events.

  There was a pause. Then Grandma Evelyn said, “Thank you for letting me know. Don’t worry about Lydia. I’ll take it from here. And if you need anything…”

  “I have the help I need. But thank you for the offer.”

  “Don’t thank me. You mean a lot to my granddaughter, and therefore to me. Be careful. If you change your mind, I’m just a phone call away.” The line went dead.

  For several long moments, Soledad couldn’t move, exhaustion weighing heavily on her body. Then she made herself get up to change her clothes, stained in blood. The cuts on her stomach were painful, but her heartache was worse.

  * * *

  Soledad followed James out the door of the Rios Azules Hotel. She’d left her duffel bag behind with the instructions to send it to her address. Under the circumstances, it was better to travel light.

  Somehow, after escaping the night’s danger, the sun seemed to be brighter, the air fresher, and James… more important to her. A combination of longing and affection filled her. Behind the façade of a natural charmer, she sensed somebody with a caring heart and a strong will. Maybe somebody a bit reckless, too, but even that thought didn’t destroy the longing inside her.

  Would James really walk out of her life as soon as they found the Fabergé egg?

  “Did you call about Aidan?” he asked her as they hurried to his motorcycle, him shielding her on the way, as usual.

  “Of course. Three times.” She brightened. “He’s in recovery now. The surgery was a success, and the wound was much less dangerous than I suspected.”

  “Glad to hear that. Did moving him cause him any harm?”

  “Thankfully, no. He’ll be in the hospital for a long time. But with him being young and resilient, the doctors are optimistic he’ll make a full recovery.” A mountain of worry and guilt fell off her shoulders. She jumped on the motorcycle and put the helmet on.

  James revved the motor to life, and they took off, gliding along the sleeping streets.

  The rising sun colored the sky in a pale pink color. The town was eerily silent at this early hour, but past events proved that a killer could be lurking somewhere in the quiet streets. Her eyelids were drooping, and she bit into her lower lip to keep herself awake. It wouldn’t do her any good to fall off the motorcycle.

  Thank You, Lord, for keeping us safe, and thank You for this wonderful new day. And thank You, Lord, for giving me the chance to meet my father. Please keep him safe in Your care. Amen.

  They stopped at the Rios Azules hospital. After visiting with Aidan, who already had a crowd waiting outside his room, James and Soledad went to have James’s bandages changed.

  They settled in the plastic chairs while waiting to be called. She dozed off for a moment. Then she woke up and glanced around.

  James was talking to an old man and opened the door for him when the old man was called in. Then James played with a four-year-old boy, driving toy cars on the floor, while the boy’s mother was chatting on her cell phone.

  Soledad smiled. She wasn’t jealous anymore that he paid attention to other people. Instead, she admired his ability to connect with them so easily. The boy was called in to the doctor, and James returned to the seat near her.

  “You’re wonderful with people,” she said warmly. “Especially with children. I remember, in the pastry shop, you made the little girl with pigtails giggle.”

  “That’s a lesson from your dad. He told me that, every day, we interact with many people. I can brighten their day, even leave a trace, enriching my own life, too. Or I can pass that opportunity by, ignoring them. Or I can make their day worse.”

  Her eyes widened. How come she’d never thought about that? She considered herself a good Christian, but was she? Did she really love her neighbor if she’d never noticed most of the people she’d come across?

  On the other hand, James had played with the small boy while his own mother had ignored him. He’d paid attention to the old man. He’d helped the lady with her bags at the hotel. He’d put a smile on the receptionist’s face. He’d ordered a cake for the nurses at the hospital. And of course, he’d gotten Aidan out of the car before it had exploded. In her hometown in a matter of one day, he’d done more for its citizens than she had in months. He’d paid attention to people, while she… hadn’t.

  And now he wasn’t just keeping her alive. He was giving her a connection to her father. A very valuable connection.

  “What else did you learn from my dad?” she whispered.

  “Every day, we’re given a gift of twenty-four hours. Minus eight hours for sleep, that leaves us with sixteen hours or nine hundred sixty minutes. Let’s round it up to a thousand minutes. It’s up to us if we’
re going to make them a thousand blessings to ourselves and others. Or a thousand punishments.”

  “Every day, God gives us a gift of a thousand minutes.” She leaned against the back of the chair, amazed. “Why haven’t I thought about that before?”

  She’d wasted millions of wonderful minutes that God had given her.

  Once again, thank You, Lord, for putting James in my path. James is teaching me so many valuable lessons.

  Her heart soared and ached at the same time. How much could she have learned from her father if he’d actually raised her? Now she might never get to know him if she failed to find the treasure, or if the doctors had been right and Eliseev didn’t have much time left.

  Wrong thinking. Better to concentrate not on what could’ve been but on what she had. And every minute of her life — every moment with James — was a blessing. She could treasure those moments. She just couldn’t let herself fall in love with him, which was getting more and more difficult.

  Now only the two of them were left in the waiting room, and that heightened her awareness of him. He put his arm around her shoulder, and she leaned into him.

  “How did you meet my father?” she asked.

  He took in a sharp breath, as if the question had brought bad memories. Worried, she shifted to look into his eyes and immediately missed the warmth of his arm on her shoulder.

  His eyes were dark and unreadable.

  “You don’t have to tell me,” she said carefully.

  “He pulled me out of a car before it exploded.”

  “What?” Her jaw dropped.

  “I did some bad things when I was in high school. My parents ignored me mostly, so I used to act out to gain their attention. Any kind of attention. I became a bully and a player. I didn’t pay much attention to my studies, hoping that my star athlete status would carry me through. It wasn’t like I was going to go to college anyway. And I used to party a lot.”