“Sure,” Alp replied. “I hope it all goes well.”
“I feel confident that it will,” Lucinda replied with a smile. “Misha feels great and hasn’t complained of a headache once. We’re so very grateful…”
Alp raised her hand to stop her. “Please, you’ve thanked me enough. Let’s just see what the doctors say.”
Lucinda nodded. “Okay, you’re right. Help yourself to anything you want.” She pointed to the fridge. “Just put your dishes in the sink when you’re done. I’ll see you later this afternoon.”
She walked over and gave Alp a hug. As she did so, she whispered in Alp’s ear, “I really am so grateful.”
Damba and Alp sat down at their accustomed spots around the table. Alp noticed a folded piece of paper next to the plate where Damba usually sat. As he sat down, he also noticed it.
“What’s this?” He asked as he picked up the paper and began to unfold it.
“You received a call early this morning,” Lucinda said as she walked over with a pitcher of orange juice and placed it on the table close to Alp. “I started to wake you, but the man on the phone said it wasn’t necessary, but asked me to give you that information.” She pointed to the note.
Lucinda stood back and studied the table for a moment. “Okay, I think that’s everything. See you later this afternoon,” she said as she walked out of the room.
Damba opened the paper and read it. As he did so, his normally bright smile disappeared, replaced by a look of concern.
“What is it?” Alp asked as she poured herself a glass of orange juice and downed it with several large gulps.
“It’s from Zunga,” Damba replied. “He’s my friend who runs the supply ship.”
“Yes, I remember him,” Alp replied, a knot of worry beginning to grow just below her solar plexus. “Is everything all right?”
“I don’t know,” Damba replied. “It’s just a phone number and a note that says, ‘I need to talk to you about the cargo.’”
“The cargo?” The knot grew, pressing against her heart.
“Well, I doubt he means the regular cargo on the ship. I’m guessing he’s talking about your sisters and brother.”
“Oh my God,” Alp said, her appetite suddenly gone. “Of course.” Here she’d been resting comfortably for the past couple of days without even thinking where her sisters might be at this point.
“Well, give him a call,” Alp said pointing to the phone on the wall.
Damba rose from his seat, the delicious smelling breakfast growing cold on the table.
He picked up the receiver and punched in the number. After a few seconds, he heard Zunga’s voice on the line. As the two of them talked, the look on Damba’s face grew more concerned. Finally, he thanked Zunga for the information and hung up the phone.
“Is everything okay? Was it about my sisters?” Alp asked.
“No and yes,” Damba replied returning to his seat but ignoring the food.
“There were several armed men and a woman waiting to apprehend your sisters when they docked in Beaufort. Zunga was on the ship when he heard a commotion. He watched it all happened. There were too many of them for him, and they were heavily armed. All he could do was to call the police, but they arrived too late to stop them.”
Damba reached out and took Alp’s hand nearest to him and patted it gently. “He said he believes two or three of them might have escaped including the boy.”
“Any idea where they might have been taken?” Alp asked.
“He didn’t say,” Damba replied. “All he knows is that two of the men rushed the remaining girls into a van while the woman and other men looked for the three that had jumped into the water.”
Alp nodded, a plan beginning to formulate in her mind.
“What are you thinking?” Damba asked.
“I’ve got to go find them,” Alp replied without hesitation.
“You mean we have to go find them,” Damba corrected her.
Alp smiled at him as she reached over and patted his hand. “Okay, we have to go find them. It was a mistake for me to allow ourselves to be broken up like this; a mistake I plan to correct as soon as possible.”
“How?” Damba asked. “We don’t even know who took them or where.”
“Maybe not,” Alp replied. “But I know someone who may know and just might help us.” She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a crumpled, discolored business card.
“You’ve made your call. Now it’s my turn.”
Over the past couple weeks, it had become Flip’s pattern to retire early. He needed it to build back his strength but also it gave him more time to practice trying to reconnect with any of his children.
Tonight was no exception, even though he found himself more wired than usual by the news of Lionel’s and Bridgette’s engagement. It thrilled him to know his best friend had found the woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. At the same time, Flip felt a certain amount of pressure on him from their engagement. Would Denise now expect a similar proposal? After all, they had been together longer than Lionel and Bridgette. More than once they’d talked around the issue tentatively and carefully. They’d even talked about what Flip considered one of his main shortcomings as a husband; his inability to procreate, left over from the gunshot wound to his groin. Denise had assured him that it wasn’t an issue for her. After all, they already had plenty of children. Was it time to throw such caution to the wind?
These questions made it more difficult for Flip to relax. Luckily, he had learned how to quiet his mind fairly easily, so it wasn’t too long before he felt himself slipping into that familiar dreamlike state. Then something changed dramatically. He suddenly had a shock of energy in the most unusual of locations; in his groin, an area that had laid dormant and inactive since Liz had shot him over two years ago. At the same time, he felt himself flying through space even as he felt the pressure of the bed along his back.
Maybe Alp and he were about to reunite, he thought as he flew through the fog of his dreamscape, trying desperately to see some details of his destination. After what felt like several seconds his movement began to slow. As the fog cleared, he found himself looking down on a mountainous landscape partially lit by the stars of the Milky Way and a half-full moon.
Where am I? He wondered. Nothing looked familiar or did it? As he slowly descended towards the ground, he noticed the roofs of a couple small buildings with several trees around them and a dirt road leading up to the larger building. Behind the building which appeared now to be a small cabin stood a giant tree. As he watched, he noticed a flicker of light streaming through the branches and cover of early spring leaves. He felt like he imagined a parachutist must feel except he didn’t seem to have any control over his direction. Something else was in control.
As he continued to descend towards the center of the tree, he suddenly knew where he was--Madame Sarrah’s old homestead. What am I doing here?
He found the answer to that question in the center of the large tree where a cleared area void of limbs or leaves revealed the roof of a treehouse. He found himself looking down through an opening in the roof upon a scene that made him gasp in shock — a boy and girl clasped in the throws of lovemaking, but not just any boy and girl. They were two of his children; Mel and Tabitha.
No! Flip yelled, but even in that same moment he saw and felt Mel come to climax inside his half-sister.
What have you done? Flip asked, aghast at what he had just witnessed.
Like father, like son, Mel smirked without looking up, just before breaking the connection.
Reunion
Mel had been surprised how painful the lovemaking had been for Tabitha, who cried out at the moment he entered her and had continued to weep throughout the act until he finally climaxed. It was important to his plan that she remain on his side, so he continued to hold her, whispering softly in her ear to console her until she finally fell asleep in his arms. He waited a few more minutes until her breathing wa
s slow and steady, then carefully pulled away from her, pulling the blanket over her to keep her warm.
The night was still young, and his tasks only half completed, so he pulled his pants back on. He checked again to be sure Tabitha was still sleeping before climbing down from the treehouse. He didn’t bother pulling out his cellphone light. He had walked this path many times in the dark and knew each foot of the pathway from memory.
He quickly made his way back to the log cabin where he found Kirstin still sound asleep, snoring softly, her rear end sticking out invitingly from under the blanket. He had watched closely as the two girls had consumed the champagne voraciously. It seemed to him that Kirstin had made it a point to try to keep up with her sister’s drinking, a pattern of following the leader he had noticed in the short time they’d been together.
Well, I certainly wouldn’t want Kirstin to feel left out, he thought as he slid his pants off and laid down behind her. He raised the young girl’s miniskirt and slowly pulled her panties down. As he did so, Kirstin started to stir, so he reached over and hugged her, whispering into her ear. “It’s okay. It’s only me.”
Still drunk and half asleep, Kirstin wiggled against him. He felt the cold flesh of her buttocks against his body, then the warmth of her inner thighs. “This won’t hurt…” he started to say, and then corrected himself. “Well, not for long.”
He was surprised how strong Kirstin was, but it didn’t matter. Her struggling just made it that much more exciting for him.
From what Damba had learned from his conversation with Zunga, Alp surmised that besides Mel, the two sisters that had jumped or been pulled into the water with him had probably been Tabitha and Kirstin. That left Mia, Heather, Connie, Kim and Tina on the dock. The Kindred was now more fragmented than ever.
The two of them sat in the Robinson’s den as they discussed what they knew about the abduction. Then Alp picked up the phone and dialed the number on the card. She waited as it rang on the other end several times before a male voice with a deep resonance answered.
“Hello, James? Is that you?” Alp asked, surprised by how excited she was to hear his voice.
“Who wants to know?” He answered noncommittally.
“It’s Alp. You know from that trip to Bermuda you took recently.”
“Alp! It’s good to hear from you. I wondered when you’d be calling.”
“Really?” Alp answered, confused by his reply. “Why’s that?”
“Oh, let’s just say I had a hunch. You know how you think of someone and before you know it they call or you run into them? What can I do for you?”
Alp took a deep breath. “I need your help. I don’t know to whom else to turn. You said I could call you if I ever got into a fix, and well, I’m in a big one at the moment.” She relayed the essence of the news she’d learned that morning.
“So, I don’t know where they’ve been taken or by whom, but I thought if anyone could help me find them, it was you. Will you help?”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line before James finally replied. “Finding them will be a piece of cake. Getting them out of there…now that’s another story.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Simple,” James replied. “I know where they are and who has them. I can help you with that much at least.”
“Well, that would be a good start,” Alp said. “But how could you know?”
“I’m the one who flew them out of Beaufort, my dear. I wasn’t part of the actual abduction but from what I heard from a couple of the guys that were, I got a pretty good head count. I figured somehow or other you hadn’t been part of the deal.”
“So that’s why you were expecting my call.” It was as much a statement as a question.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“So, who was it that took my sisters?” Alp felt herself growing angrier as she asked the question; angry and afraid.
“The person that headed up the team is a woman. Her name is Willow Crowe. She’s a hired gun for a man known as the Sheik. He’s a real nutcase, but a very clever and dangerous one. He’s made millions of dollars developing real estate in Dubai as well as running several other much less respectable businesses.”
“The Sheik?” Alp asked, trying to wrap her head around what she was hearing.
“Yeah, but don’t let the name fool you. He’s no more an actual Sheik than I am though I’ve heard reports he may have some ties to one of the actual Sheiks that governs part of the United Arab Emirates. The guy fancies himself to be the reincarnation of the old silent movie star, Rudolph Valentino. Well, most of the time he acts like the character Valentino is most known for — a.k.a. the Sheik.”
“Really?” Alp asked. “He does sound strange.”
“Oh yeah,” James replied. “He’s even had plastic surgery, so he has a striking resemblance to the dead actor, and as often as not he dresses like how he looked in the movie. Other times, he appears much like Valentino did when he wasn’t on the set. Slick back jet black hair, refined carved features, smokes cigarettes like crazy. Even named his place there in Dubai, Falcon Lair, which is what Valentino called his place in Hollywood.”
“And that’s where you think my sisters have been taken?”
“I’m afraid so,” James replied.
“But what does he want with them?” Alp felt like the knot that had been growing in her since this morning had grown to the size that it threatened to cut off her windpipe.
“I’m not sure, but knowing The Sheik as I do, it can’t be good. My guess would be, for starters, he wants to add them to his personal harem. Also, The Sheik is obsessed with power, and as you pointed out to me more than once, you’re part of a powerful family.”
“Yeah, it’s both a blessing and a curse,” Alp replied.
“I hate to have to bring this up, but the job of rescuing your siblings is going to be expensive no matter who’s involved. I finished my contract with the Sheik when I made my delivery so technically I’m now available to be hired. I’d be happy to give you the Stepp family discount for my fees. It’s still going to cost quite a bit to free your sisters from the Sheik especially considering that if I help you, I’ll have a price on my head.”
Alp thought about it for a minute. Of course, he was right, but she’d been so focused on finding her sister, she’d not thought about the costs. She looked around the room of the Robinson’s home. While she knew Chunk and Lucinda would be happy to help her out after her saving their daughter, they still had medical expenses their insurance wouldn’t cover.
“How much do you think we’ll need?”
“Hard to say,” James replied.“But it’ll probably be in the tens of thousands of dollars.”
Ouch, Alp thought. Where could she come up with that kind of money? She thought about how Mel and she had conned and stolen money from people back in Snowshoe, but Mel had been the brains behind that operation. Besides, it had never set that well with Alp. There must be some less illegal way to come up with the funds. Then it dawned on her who could bankroll such a mission—someone who had at least as much interest in finding and returning her sisters to safety as she did. It was time to reconnect with her father.
“I’ll have to get back in touch with you about this,” Alp said, “but I can assure you that it won’t be a problem. Could you go ahead and start making some plans on how to get them out of there without the money first?”
“Yeah, I guess I could make a few calls,” James replied. “But just because I like your spunk. Just don’t spread it around. I don’t want any of my other clients to know what a soft touch I’ve become…and I’m not saying I’ll help you. I’m just checking around to see what it would take to recover your sisters.”
“I really appreciate whatever you can do,” Alp said, her voice cracking despite her best effort to not become too emotional.
“No problem, kiddo,” James paused on the other end of the line. “Listen, I know you’re worried about your sisters, but try not to
fret. The Sheik is one weird dude, but I don’t believe he’ll harm them.”
“I sure hope you’re right,” Alp said then hung up.
Lionel looked over the bar that separated the kitchen from his small living room to confirm that everyone had arrived. Bridgette finished setting out the light brunch fare of toast, bagels, fruit salad, and coffee on the bar so everyone could serve themselves easily.
Denise stood up from where she had been sitting next to Flip who was still confined to a wheelchair. He was in a vigorous routine of rehabilitation in the hopes of one day walking again, but he still had a long way to go.
“Is there anything I can do?” Denise asked.
“No, we’re just about set,” Bridgette replied. “Oh, wait, there is something. Why don’t you introduce your friend to the rest of us?”
“Gladly,” Denise replied turning to the attractive woman who’d arrived with Flip and her. “This is Pat Vogt, my friend from college. I know you’ve heard me talking about her and all that she’d doing to try to help us recover our children. I thought it time for you to meet her. I hope it wasn’t inappropriate to invite her. I know this is supposed to be about celebrating your recent engagement…”
“Don’t be silly. Yes, we’re celebrating Lionel and my engagement. At least that’s what we’re telling anyone else who asks,” Bridgette said. “But it’s just as much to figure out what our next moves are to bring our children home, so it’s perfect that Pat is here.”
“Well, thank you for including me in this festive celebration,” Pat said as she joined Denise in the center of the room. At just a couple inches over five feet, Pat was several inches shorter than Denise and also appeared to be at least five to ten years older, but she was far from over the hill. She looked like she could qualify as a body builder and probably win most such contests, thought Lionel. Then again, given her job as the head of a successful private investigating firm, staying in shape was probably a job prerequisite.
“Let me clarify something right off. While Denise and I did meet in college, it was my second time through. I had gone back to schools to brush up on some courses when I started my PI firm.”
Kindle Series 3-Book Bundle: A Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Thriller Series Page 51