by L. J. Voss
I hesitate for an instant before I follow his orders. I run faster than I have ever run before. The dark line of the trees gets bigger the closer I get. It’s like one tall dark wall. My lungs are on fire as I make it to the thick coverage of trees and bushes. I stop and bend over, trying to catch my breath but Rice is pulling on my arm. “We can’t stop. We have to keep moving.” He takes the lead and I try to follow him as best as I can. I can feel the warmth of blood trickling down my side and down my leg. My lungs are still burning as I’m stumbling trying to navigate in the dark. Rice must not remember that his legs are like twice the length of mine because he just seems to keep getting farther and farther ahead of me. I’m trying to hurry as fast as I can limp but I keep tripping over tree roots and rocks.
Finally I hiss in a loud whisper, “Stop!” Leaves and twigs snap under his feet as he makes his way back to me. “In case you missed it, I have a gash across my knee and my stomach is basically cut open. I’m exhausted. My lungs are on fire. I can’t see where I’m going because unlike you I wasn’t blessed with night vision. I keep tripping. Plus your legs are like a million feet longer than mine. I’m done. I’m stopping here.” Okay so I’m exaggerating a little. But I’m tired and I’m hungry and my body hurts and I’m thoroughly confused. What is he doing here? In the moonlight dancing through the trees I see him pinch the bridge of his nose in agitation. He drops his hand to his side and squeezes his hands into fists a couple times then comes over to me and hoists me up on his shoulder. I was wrong thinking he didn’t know about my cuts because as he settles me on his shoulder he is mindful to make it my good side. A squeak escapes me before my protests start, “Put me down! Rice, you put me down this instant! You can’t do this. We’re not cave people.”
“If you aren’t going to walk then I’m going to have to carry you. I can’t leave you here or you’ll get yourself killed and I don’t want that. Now stop moving and be quiet.”
“Oh, I don’t care what you want, mister! I have been kidnapped, cut, sleep deprived, and I am starving. I am not going to add man-handled to the list! You. Put. Me. Down!” I start hitting him with my hands and attempting to kick him with my feet. The sting of his hand hitting across my butt shocks me into stopping.
I can hear the smile on his voice as he says, “Good girl.” Then he continues into the forest. You would think that my added weight would have slowed him down but he seems to be handling it like I weigh little more than a feather. While I still have a million questions running through my mind about who he is, why he is here, how he is here, the feel of his arm across the back of my thighs and my view of his glorious backside does a lot to settle me down. Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to be grilling him the second he puts me down but right now he is adding distance between me and a crazy person and I am taking advantage of that.
After what feels like twenty miles but I’m assured wasn’t even two he stops and sets me down. He bends forward and backwards stretching out his back and I’m happy to see that he was affected by carrying me since he was such a jerk about it. Now that we seem to be relatively safe and the fear and despair I was feeling before is gone, I take a good long look at him. I know he is wearing a leather jacket because I could feel the soft smoothness as he was carrying me. Looking at him now I see he has brought an arsenal with him. He is wearing one of those gun holsters that go on like a backpack with a gun on each side of his ribs. There is a huge scary looking Rambo knife attached at his hip and another gun on the other hip.
“So who are you? Or I guess maybe I should say, what are you? You obviously aren’t a coffee roaster.” I should be more scared or nervous. But with all the unknowns and unanswered questions, I know without a doubt that Rice isn’t here to hurt me.
He starts pacing and I can tell he is having a conversation with himself in his head, “Well, actually, um, your dad kind of sort of sent me.” Afraid of my reaction he seems to brace himself for whatever I’m about to unleash.
Although I knew he had to be more than just a guy who roasts and sells coffee - I mean he looks like he could give Jason Bourne a run for his money - him being sent by my dad and being mafia never crossed my mind. I stand there trying to process everything. I turn to him and throw my hand up, “Are you kidding me?! Is anyone in my life who they say they are? Is June a ninja? Mabel is Interpol?” The reality of the situation and the fact that so many people I thought I knew and could trust are actually big fat lying liars hits me. My knees go weak and I plop myself down on the dirt. “How? I’ve known you for, like, what, five or six months? I thought my dad didn’t know about me until like four months ago?”
“Actually he’s known about you for almost a year. He was hoping by keeping his distance he could keep you safe. But about six months ago he had a falling out with Manuel. Your dad wanted to cut ties but Manuel didn’t want that. Afraid that Manuel would find out about you, which in the end he did, he wanted someone to be close enough to keep you safe. So he sent me down here.”
“Wow. What am I supposed to say to that? I get trying to keep me safe but why wouldn’t he reach out to me? Didn’t he want to know me? Doesn’t he care about me?” For the first time in my whole life I am overcome with the feeling of being unwanted. My dad has known about me for a year but hasn’t done anything about it. The tears start to fall as I wish desperately that my mom was alive and here to hold me through the pain. Rice rushes over and cradles me in his arm.
“The moment he found out about you he wanted to fly down here and get you. But everything he’s been working years for was about to happen. And when that did, the threat and risk to you would have been too much. So he kept tabs on you and watched you. When it was safe he was going to reach out. But then Manuel put a hit on you and he had no choice to go to the police once our resources were exhausted.”
His words offer me a little comfort but I still feel unwanted. Like an inconvenience you have to deal with. “So who are you? I mean like in the operation, who are you?”
He notices as I shiver so he removes his jacket and puts it around my shoulders. Then he wraps his arm around my back and pulls me into him and leans back against a tree. “Well, that’s going to be a long story.”
“Seeing as I have so many places to go,” I trail off.
“Fair enough. My dad was friends with your dad actually. They were best friends growing up and when your dad took over the family business my dad was right there next to him as his right hand man.” He rubs his hand up and down my arm as he continues, “My parents were high school sweethearts. They got married after graduation. I was born six years later. My sister came four years after me. A year after that, your dad married Theresa and they got pregnant with Marie. Your grandfather was starting to groom your father to take over the family business and wanted him to settle down.” The excitement I feel at finding out I have a sister is weighed down with jealousy that she grew up with the dad I didn’t.
Unaware of my conflicting emotions he continues, “My youngest sister followed about two years later. My father was killed doing business six months after my youngest sister was born. I was seven. Your dad took it as his responsibility to make sure that we were taken care of. Since Theresa and your dad couldn’t have any more children after Marie, I was sort of like the son your dad never had and he was the father figure I needed. Theresa was like a second mother to me. Your dad’s been trying to build up legitimate businesses so that he can get out of all of the illegal business dealings. He has been grooming me to take over the business and didn’t want to leave it to me wrapped up in illegal activity. It’s always been my fate that I’ll run things when your dad retires.”
“Why would he want to do that? Isn’t that the opposite of what the mafia is?”
“There was an accident about ten years ago. Marie was out for prom. She’d begged your dad to let her go since she wasn’t quite sixteen yet. Your dad was wrapped around her finger. Well, he finally agreed but only if our g
uys could drive them. Someone ran them off the road on the way home from the dance. Our guys were killed. Her date lived but is paralyzed from the waist down.” My heart drops when I think that she didn’t make it. I’m disgusted that I felt any negative feelings towards someone who lost their life so young. “She fared a little better. Her right arm was crushed and she lost it from the elbow down. She also broke her leg and ankle. But she lived. She walks with a limp but she never lets her disadvantages affect her life.”
“So she is alive?! My sister is alive?”
“Yes, yes, she’s very much alive.” I let out the breath I was holding. “She is in school to be a teacher. It took a lot of her begging to finally convince your dad. He’s overly protective of anyone he considers family but he takes it to another level with her. Kids love her and she’s going to be a great teacher. She doesn’t take crap from anyone. She thinks she is bigger and tougher than she is and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to save her.” The emotion in his voice tells me he cares a great deal for her. Jealousy rears its ugly head again when I think of them having a romantic relationship. I have no claim on Rice but the thought of another woman being with him makes me see red. All we have shared is a kiss and some flirting and casual touching. It isn’t his fault that I read more into his actions.
Trying to change the subject I ask, “What about Mezzanote? Is that all a cover and lie too?”
“Actually, no.” I can hear the smile and how proud he is on his voice. “That was all my idea. When he found out about you and your café he started to worry about you and how he could keep an eye on things from so far away. That gave me the idea of becoming a supplier. He was looking for more business ventures and coffee is a profitable one. So he bought a coffee bean farm in Mexico and then the rest is history. Since it was my idea he sort of handed the reins and let me do what I wanted. I found someone who was knowledgeable in coffee roasting and we came up with our own blends and it’s sort of taken off.”
“Wow. Well I’m glad at least some of it wasn’t a lie,” I manage to say through a yawn.
“Try to get some sleep. We’ll need to head out as early as we can. In the dark I can’t be exactly sure where we are. I’ll have to figure out how far off course we are in the morning.”
I lay my head on his chest and nod. His steady breathing and the beat of his heart lull me off to sleep.
- Rice -
I feel her breath even out and her body relax against mine. Thinking back on the last couple of hours, my arm tightens around her. When I saw him take her at the grocery store I was out of my car racing down the street before I even knew what I was doing. He had her in the trunk and was driving away before I even made it to the grocery store. I hopped back in my car and followed them until he turned down a dirt road. I parked and followed them the rest of the way on foot.
After looking around and assessing the location, I went back to the car and went to get my guns. That’ll be something I will regret for the rest of my life. I should have followed after them and gotten her out. Thinking about what that maniac put her through, I grind my teeth together in anger. When I get my hands on him, he is going to pay for what he did to her. My slug to his thigh will have to do until I can wrap my hands around his neck.
Thinking of the attitude and fire in her eyes when she was arguing with me makes me chuckle. She has to be one of the only women I know who would be tossing around attitude after what she went through. I love that she says what she thinks and she doesn’t put up with any crap. Not seeing her and being able to be the one to protect her for the last few days has been killing me. I didn’t realize how much I look forward to seeing her all the time.
I remember when I first saw her picture when John found out about her. She was gorgeous. But that was it, intense attraction. That was all it could be. John is very protective of his family and the way to protect her was to keep her out of our lifestyle until it was safe. But that was where John was in denial; our lifestyle is never going to be safe. He has too many contacts and knows too much. I saw that and he didn’t. It’s why I’ve always tried to keep her an arm’s length away. Sure there have been a few times where I’ve slipped and that kiss the other day, it almost did me in. But I stopped myself before things went too far.
It started to change when he sent me down here to watch out for her. I’ll never forget when he called me into his office and explained how serious the threat was on her. He didn’t trust anyone to come and keep her safe but me. How to do I repay him for everything he’s done for me? Getting to close to the daughter he sent me to protect. The one thing he asked me to do was to keep her safe and out of anything remotely connected to our world. When I first walked into her café to try to sell her our coffee, I was blown away by her natural beauty. Her pictures didn’t even do her justice.
Once I started doing deliveries, I got to know how amazing she is. Like how she would run out into the middle of traffic to try and save an animal in the middle of the street. She will drop everything if someone she cares about needs her. She’s resilient. After everything she has been through, she is still optimistic and sees the best in the world. I laugh and smile more when I am with her than when I am with anyone else. Not everyone gets her sarcasm and humor.
Stopping that kiss the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I wanted nothing more than to keep kissing her but I would never disrespect John like that. No, he would have to approve before anything could happen between us. So I pulled away and in return caused her to run away. That was the last time I saw her before everything blew up our faces.
I’m content to just hold her right now. The feel of her in my arms is constant reassurance that she’s actually here and safe. Here in the dark it’s easy to trick myself into thinking things are okay and everything is back to normal. I’m not getting any sleep tonight because I know it’s not safe out here in the dark and I have to be on alert. Nothing and no one is going to hurt her again. The next few hours are spent trying to figure out where we are. The ground is damp and the air is muggy. There was a river running behind the warehouse and my guess is we are fairly close to it. I’ll be able to get my bearings more in the morning.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
- Rice -
When everything starts to turn to the muted gray of dawn I gently lay her down to look around. I glance back at her curled up body on the ground and there’s a small pang in my chest. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive myself for not being able to keep her from getting hurt. Walking out and through the trees, I realize we are a lot closer to the river than I thought. It is less than fifty yards to the east of us going by the sunrise. We can follow this down to a road and then we can find our way out. I check around us in the other directions and then check to make sure Imogen is still asleep. I head back to the river in the hopes I can find something to use to catch some food. Since I know she hasn’t eaten in almost twenty-four hours and I also know how she is when is hungry, I don’t want to risk not having something for her when she wakes up.
Luckily John taught me a lot of things growing up that I didn’t think I would ever need. I’m not saying he is one of those crazy preppers but he definitely saw the benefit in having unique skills. Right now I am thanking him. I used to argue and hate every second of my survival and military training. If he hadn’t made me do that training then I wouldn’t have known what to do with the old beer can I just found. I snap the tab off the top and I’ll use the can later. Setting the tab on the flattest rock I can find I take my knife and at an angle, I cut an opening in the bottom hole. After a few minutes of sharpening and shaping the hook it’s done. I take off the thin band of paracord I wear around my wrist. It was something John insisted on during training. Now it’s just a habit, most of the time I forget I’m wearing it. Cutting it open I start to pull the inner strands out. Once I have what looks like enough length I cut it and shove what’s left of everything else in my pocket. Once I get the hook
tied and the rope tied to a stick I dig around in the ground until I find a worm.
I have to toss out the line a couple times before I get a bite. The first bite I get ends up being too small. I throw out a few more times until I get another bite. This one is still a little small but it’ll have to do. Trying my luck one more I time I find another worm and toss it out. I’m just about to call it when I get one. This fella’s big and he makes me work for it but eventually I wear him down. My knife isn’t the most ideal fish cleaning knife so they come out a little mangled but food is food.
Then I take the can and fill it up with some water from the river. It should be relatively clean after we boil it. It’s not ideal but I know she hasn’t had much to drink in the last twenty four hours and we have a pretty good walk ahead of us. I’m not sure how long either of us will last in the heat and humidity if we don’t get at least some water in.
I go back to where I left Imogen. Judging by the light, I’m guessing I’ve been gone for a couple hours. When I get to her, she’s awake and leaning against the tree with my jacket around her. She stands when she sees me. She looks relieved for a brief second before it turns into anger. Limping over to me she slaps me across the face. “How dare you leave me all alone. I woke up and you were gone. Have you ever been scared out of your mind in a forest all by yourself? No? Well, let me tell you, every single little noise was Michael coming to finish what he started. Then I was afraid he had dragged you off and murdered you. Then he was going to come back for me. But that wasn’t believable because there is no way Michael could have dragged you anywhere and it would have been easier for him to just take me. So then I figured you decided to just leave me here to fend for myself.” She’s rambling. She does that when she gets worked up or nervous.