Jimmy looked at her thoughtfully. “Really? And where does your mom’s friend live?”
It struck her as odd that he pressed for details so she was intentionally vague as she shrugged her shoulders and explained she didn’t know yet. She didn’t plan on giving him any more information and quickly changed the subject.
The restaurant was a great recommendation. The food was delicious and right in the girls’ price range – cheap! The rest of the evening was uneventful and they had a good time. It made Brianna feel a little guilty of suspecting Jimmy and Vivian of being anything other than a nice, friendly couple trying to make friends.
The walk back to the hotel was uneventful and the girls said their good-nights to Jimmy and Vivian when they reached the hotel lobby.
Before heading up, they stopped by the front desk and asked the clerk if she had any more strange calls. She shook her head “no” which made the girls feel a little better.
When they finally got back to their room, the girls flipped on the TV for the first time since they arrived. The storm was all over the news. It had been upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane but it was too early to tell for sure which way it was headed. They were still in the potential path of the storm but now they said there was a 50/50 chance it would completely miss them as it headed up the East Coast.
Even though that sounded like good news, the forecaster ended by saying that by tomorrow, the hurricane would gain strength and the winds would start to pick up, even if they didn’t get a direct hit.
The screen flashed to a local home improvement store where people were lined up to buy flashlights, tarps and other stuff they might need if the storm was a direct hit. Jasmine turned up the volume.
The reporter was interviewing one of the men standing in the long line. Some of those reporter’s questions were so dumb. “So are you worried that the hurricane will hit Central Florida?” Duh, of course he was worried. Why else would he be in line buying emergency supplies?
Jasmine shook her head. “What a stupid question!”
The reporter moved to an older, gray-haired lady that was behind him. “It looks like you’re not going to wait to find out if we’ll get a direct hit. What are you going to stock up on?”
Without hesitating the woman looked up at the reporter. “I’m hoping they have some generators left. I was here for the 2004 hurricanes and they were some of the worst storms I’ve ever seen. Never again will I wait until the last minute.” She looked right into the camera before continuing. “Folks, this is nothing to mess with. You need to get ready now!”
The reporter seemed to like that answer as he turned back to the cameraman. “You heard it right here folks - from the voice of experience. Don’t wait until it’s too late.”
Jasmine switched off the TV and plopped down on the edge of the bed. She glanced over at Brianna, a worried look on her face. “What if this thing ends up hitting us?”
Brianna tried to reassure her friend. “Even if it does, we’ll be fine. They deal with these kinds of storms all the time down here. Try not to worry about it.” Then she added, “Plus, we’re not even sure it’s coming this way.”
Still, they were both a little more scared than they cared to admit. With that, they agreed to call Beth in the morning. Maybe it would be a good idea to move on.
Neither one of them slept well that night as they tossed and turned. First it was the odd things happening to them and now they had to worry about a hurricane!
The first thing Brianna did when she woke up the next morning was pick up her phone and dial the number her mom had given her. When she didn’t answer, Bri left a message.
Beth called back a short time later. Brianna confessed she and Jasmine were starting to stress out about the storm. For some reason, she stopped just short of mentioning the odd things that were happening.
Beth could hear the worry in Brianna’s voice as she talked. “You girls can come stay with us. We have plenty of room.” She paused before adding, “I insist!”
Bri looked uncertainly at Jasmine. “We’ve already paid for tonight – but maybe tomorrow if you don’t mind?”
“That storm is far enough out that you’ll be safe in the hotel tonight. So it’s a deal. We’ll see you tomorrow then – say around noon?”
She went on, as if she needed to convince Brianna it was a good idea. “If this storm does hit, there’s a good chance the power will go out and you’ll be trapped at the hotel since they’ll only allow emergency vehicles on the road.”
Brianna hadn’t thought about that. Losing power and sitting in a hot, dark hotel room with a hurricane raging outside…
Brianna hung up the phone. It was time to call her mom. She was surprised when she didn’t pick up so she left a voice mail and then sent her a text. Maybe she was with a client and couldn’t talk, she reasoned.
It was Jasmine’s turn to call home. Jasmine’s mom picked up right away. She tried to sound casual as she mentioned the storm and the odd things that happened to them.
It didn’t matter how nonchalant Jasmine tried to sound. Her mother was alarmed. “I think the best thing for you girls to do is come home. Orlando is a big city with so many different people. You might think you’re safe but you can never be too careful.”
She continued. “On top of that, I was just watching the weather myself. It’s not just a “storm,” Jasmine. This could turn into a major hurricane! If it does hit, they’ll shut down the airports and you’ll be trapped down there until it’s over.”
Jasmine interrupted her mom. “I know you want us to come back and I didn’t mean to frighten you. We’ll be fine. We’re heading over to a friend of Samantha’s first thing tomorrow morning.” She added reassuringly, “We’ll be safe there.”
After a few more minutes of trying to convince Jasmine the best thing to do was come home, her mother gave up. It was no use. Her daughter was so stubborn sometimes!
Jasmine could hear the frustration in her voice. “If I can’t talk you into coming home, please promise me you will be very careful. And call me when you get to the friend’s house,” she added.
She started to hang up. “Oh mom!! If you talk to Brianna’s mom, could you please tell her to call Bri? We haven’t been able to get ahold of her and Bri is starting to worry.”
Her mom agreed to pass the message along. With that, Jasmine was gone. She looked down at the phone in her hand and bowed her head to say a silent prayer for the girls’ safety. A wave of anxiety rushed through her. Something didn’t feel quite right and there was something the girls weren’t telling her.
Jaz tossed the phone on the dresser and turned to Bri, “Sounds like this will be our last full day of fun. We better make the most of it.”
They decided to skip the amusement parks and head to the outlet malls to go shopping instead. Money was getting low and they still needed to buy souvenirs for family.
When they got to the lobby level, they peeked around the corner before stepping out. No sign of Jimmy and Vivian! With no time to lose, they made a swift beeline for the back door and moments later were safely inside their car.
The outlet mall was packed. You’d never know they were possibly in the path of a hurricane. It was a shopper’s paradise! The girls were in heaven.
Store after store lined the outdoor mall. They seemed to have everything. Everything brand name, designer and best of all – at huge discounts! They both picked up expensive handbags for half price, got a great deal on some nice perfume and then each of them bought their moms a silk blouse.
By the time they made it all the way around the massive shopping center, they were groaning under the weight of all the treasures they’d found.
Brianna dropped her pile of bags for the umpteenth time as she tried to organize them. “Why, oh why did I think I needed all this stuff?”
Jasmine was having difficulties of her own but somehow, the situation struck her as funny. She started giggling. “Just doing our part to help the local economy!”
&
nbsp; She stretched her arms above her head as she looked around. “I think we’re getting close to the car – at least I HOPE we’re close!” This time they made note of where they parked before they started shopping.
They managed to gather up all their bags one last time and continue on. Thankfully, she was right and they were getting close to the car.
As they rounded the corner of the last building and faced the massive parking lot up ahead, they heard the “bonk-bonk-bonk” of someone’s car alarm going off. But it wasn’t just anyone’s car alarm – it was theirs!
They picked up the pace, the car now only feet away. Brianna peeled the bags off her sore arms and quickly shoved her hand into her purse as she dug around for the keys.
The car alarm was driving her nuts! Finally, she found the right button and the annoying horn stopped.
She slowly approached the driver’s side as Jasmine made her way to the passenger side. They cautiously bent down and peered inside. Still not sure the coast was clear, they pulled on the door handles. All four doors were still locked.
Jasmine glanced at Brianna over the roof of the car. “I didn’t see anything. Did you?”
Brianna shook her head. “Me neither.”
Back at the rear of the car, they scooped up all their bags and loaded them into the trunk. Jasmine stood there for a moment, admiring the cleanliness of it. “I wish my trunk was this clean.”
Brianna nodded. “Yeah, me too. Mom’s been on me to clean my car out.”
After closing the trunk, they looked around before getting in. Once inside, they quickly locked the doors and turned on the car, cranking the air up to full blast.
Jasmine gave her friend a worried look. “This is really starting to freak me out.”
Brianna decided a little pep talk was in order. “OK, let’s not freak out. These are just odd little coincidences.”
Jasmine wasn’t convinced. “You’re just trying to make me feel better!”
Brianna sighed. “I’m trying to make us both feel better.”
Back at the hotel, they hauled their loot up to the room. Once inside, the girls looked around and let out an audible sigh of relief. Nothing looked out of place.
Brianna glanced down at the massive mound of bags piled high on the bed. “We need to figure out how we’re going to get all this stuff into our suitcases!”
They spent the next hour pulling all their great finds out of the bags and showing them to each other. When Jasmine got to the new swimsuit she bought for herself, it gave her an idea.
“Hey, we haven’t been to the pool yet. Let’s go lay in the sun!”
It was the best idea they’d had all day and minutes later, they were lounging poolside, a tropical drink in hand.
“Cheers to your brilliant idea!” Brianna raised her glass to toast Jasmine.
Although the wind had picked up considerably, the sun was still shining brightly. It was hard to believe a hurricane might be on the way!
It suddenly dawned on Brianna that her mom had never called her back. The last she’d heard from her was a brief text the other morning.
She fished the phone out of her bag and dialed her mom’s office number. When she didn’t pick Bri left an urgent message to call her right away.
Next, she dialed the front desk of her mom’s office. The receptionist informed her that her mother wasn’t there. She hesitated for a second. “Your mom didn’t come into work today. I’m not sure if she had a planned vacation day or called in sick but she hasn’t been here.”
Brianna frowned. Something was not right.
She thanked the receptionist and hung up. Panic filled her voice as she looked at Jasmine. “Mom didn’t go to work today and she’s not calling me back.”
Jasmine could see her friend was really getting worried. “I’m sure she’s OK. Someone would’ve called you by now if something was wrong…”
This made sense but still, she couldn’t stop worrying.
The Florida sun was hotter than the girls were used to. After only a couple hours, they decided to head in.
Although Bri was still worried about her mom, she was also excited about seeing Travis again. He must have read her mind. Just then he texted, asking what time the girls would be ready and where they wanted to go.
Since the weather was a little iffy, they decided to stay close by and head over to BeachWalk to have dinner at one of the restaurants.
During dinner that evening, the girls shared with Luke and Travis all the odd things that were happening to them. Bri finished by telling them she couldn’t reach her mom and was starting to get really worried.
Travis reached over and squeezed her hand. “I’m sure she’s alright. Try not to worry.”
“Maybe you two should move to a different hotel,” Luke suggested.
Jasmine nodded. “We’re checking out in the morning. We’re going to stay with a family friend. Her name is Beth.”
“Yeah, it’s kind of funny. My Mom found out after she got back from her recent cruise that Beth and my Aunt Debbie had gone to school together,” Brianna added.
Chapter 11
The plane had been in the air for over an hour. Lee reached over to grab Sam’s hand. She was lost in her own world as she gazed mindlessly out the window. When she turned to Lee, the calm demeanor had disappeared. Her eyes were filled with tears, threatening to spill over at any moment. Lee put a finger under her chin. “Sam, you need to stop tormenting yourself. Brianna will be OK.”
Sam shut her eyes tightly, the tears slowly making their way down her cheeks. When she opened them, Lee could tell she was listening to what he said. “Are you ready to hear the rest?”
She took a deep breath, wiped the trail of tears and slowly nodded her head.
“Good. This is important.” He continued, “Michel carried the map onboard and his plan was to smuggle it into either Mexico or Belize.”
“The original meeting was to take place in Mexico but at the last minute, Michel changed his mind.”
“Sam, do you remember the masked man on the bus in Mexico that was looking for a Miguel? We’re certain he was either looking for Michel or Miguel – the treasure map of the San Miguel.”
He went on to say that a second rendezvous had been arranged in Belize where Michel was to exchange the map for the cash and for whatever reason, he changed his mind again.
“The only theory we could come up with is he must have discovered the map was worth huge amounts of money – money that he wanted to keep for himself.”
Lee absentmindedly tapped his fingers on the tray in front of him. “So instead, he hid the map in your bag for safekeeping.”
Sam interrupted Lee. “But I never saw anything in my bags that didn’t belong to me.”
“He used a special, secret compartment to conceal the map in the bottom of your suitcase. The compartment would be undetectable and easily blend into the lining of your bag. You wouldn’t even notice unless you knew what you were looking for.”
He stopped for a minute before going on. “The map is fairly large so we think he probably put it in the biggest bag you had.”
Lee looked at Sam questioningly. “Was Michel ever in your room or did you ever give him access to your room where he might’ve had a chance to slip it in there?”
Sam’s mouth dropped open as a light bulb came on. “I never let him in my cabin but now that you say that, my room card came up missing one day when I was on deck reading a book.” Her expression grew serious. “Right after Michel stopped by to say hello.”
Lee nodded. “That’s probably when he did it and you never even knew.”
“When the abductors in Belize found out he didn’t have the map, they threatened him. Told him he was to get the map and meet them in Miami within a week. Or they would hunt him down and kill him.”
Lee looked at Sam. “That’s why Michel was stalking you. He figured you still had the map and didn’t know that it was hidden in your suitcase. He thought it would be easy to fly to Mich
igan, break into your house and get it back.”
What he didn’t plan on was that the suitcase wouldn’t be there. He tore your place apart looking for it and when he couldn’t find it, he had to kidnap you to try and force you to tell him where the bag– and the map were at.”
Sam looked confused. “But how did you find out he was stalking me?”
“From one of the abductors we interrogated in Belize. He never would tell us exactly why Michel was after you but we had a hunch. By the time I found out Michel was on his way to Michigan, there was no way I could make it there before him so I sent Donovan in my place.”
Sam leaned back in her seat as she tried to absorb everything Lee just told her.
As the plane got close to Florida, it started bouncing around, hitting several pockets of turbulence. Sam’s palms were sweating as she whispered to Lee, “I hate flying!”
Lee grabbed Sam’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
With less than an hour before their plane was scheduled to land in Orlando, the pilot made an announcement. “We’ve just received word that the Orlando airport has been closed due to poor weather conditions and our flight has been diverted to Jacksonville instead. I apologize for any inconvenience.”
That was it. The end of the announcement. Everyone groaned.
Sam looked worriedly at Lee. “It’ll be OK,” he reassured her. “When we get there, we’ll rent a car and head straight to Orlando. It’s about a 3 – 4 hour drive, depending on traffic.”
The pilot wasn’t kidding. The weather in Jacksonville was getting iffy too, and the landing more than a little scary which probably meant the drive to Orlando wasn’t going to be much fun, either.
After they landed, Sam turned her phone back on and saw she had a message from Brianna. She listened to the call. She could tell from her daughter’s voice that something was wrong. She immediately called her back but no one answered.
Sam listened to a second message. This one from Jasmine’s mom. She mentioned the girls were a little spooked – something about odd things happening to them, like they were being followed - but not to worry – the girls were going to head over to a friend’s house. Someone named Beth.
Winds of Deception (Samantha Rite Series Book 2) Page 6