The Wicked Storm

by Cass Tell

  “Honey, now, we are going to give you a treat,” Flora said. “Have you ever been to spa before?”

  “No,” Amy answered. “I’m not sure what to expect.”

  “You’ll love it,” Georgia asserted. “We do it all the time. It is wonderful for body and soul.”

  Amy was nervous. On a table in her room was a brochure of the spa and it was expensive. To buy the clothing for her and to bring her to the spa meant that Flora and Georgia had a lot of money. She felt uncomfortable that they spent so much on her and wondered why these women took such an interest in her and Jack.

  The spa provided swimsuits so they started by soaking for thirty minutes in a small pool of hot bubbling water. After that came a hot stone massage, where a therapist placed heated stones on Amy’s back. The therapist explained that this relaxed tight muscles.

  Then the therapist gave a deep massage to Amy’s legs, back and neck.

  Amy had never experienced anything like this and as she relaxed, all the tension of the previous days left her body. She thought about the adventures they had in North Carolina and Florida. Things had happened so fast that she and Jack hardly had an opportunity to catch their breaths.

  Because of her and her brother, some evil men were now facing time in jail. Through Jack’s insistence, they found stolen electronics equipment. Their reward was a lot of money, now sitting in an account in Northern Bank. Yet, two of the thieves, Larry and Nalf were still on the loose and that made her nervous. She and Jack needed to disappear and find new lives.

  As the masseur pressed her fingers into Amy’s back, Amy realized there was something greater that made her nervous. It’s was not only Larry and Nalf. It was more about what happened in California.

  She thought about that.

  It began one night at their home in Long Beach when she heard her mother and father speaking in the kitchen.

  Her father said, “It’s really serious and everyone is in on this.”

  “What do you mean?” Her mother asked.

  “Large payouts of millions of dollars are being made to people in high positions.”

  “Like who?”

  “You wouldn’t believe it. They are paying everyone from the Chief of Police, the congressman for our district, the head of the FBI in Los Angeles and even the Governor.”

  Amy’s father was an accountant for the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Almost two billion dollars of goods passed through those ports each day.

  “How did you find this out?” Her mother asked.

  “I did an audit and came across something strange. Then I found these payments and at first, I didn’t believe it. The payments have been made for a long time.”

  “Where does the money come from?”

  “Illegal goods are being shipped through the ports, anything from undeclared household goods to stolen cars, and illegal drugs. The total amount represents a fortune.”

  “What can you do?” Her mother asked.

  “I’m not sure. Powerful men have become wealthy because of these payouts and they certainly do not want that to stop. I don’t know who I can go to.”

  “What about the FBI?” She asked. “Can you go to them?”

  “How can I? Their top guy in Los Angeles is very powerful and can easily cover up any wrongdoing. Who knows, maybe the Director of the FBI is in on this. It’s impossible to know how far up this goes.”

  “Do they know that you know about this?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. The head of the accounting team noticed what I was auditing. He is in on it with the rest of them.”

  “Then, what should we do?”

  “All day I’ve been thinking about this. If we stay here, we are in grave danger, so we need a place to hide. It would be best if we left the country.”

  “Leave the country. Why? What could they do to us?”

  “These officials are being paid off by some of the most dangerous criminal gangs in the world. They would kill us in a second.”

  “And, what about Amy and Jack? Would they kill them?”

  “They would permanently remove anyone who even remotely knows about what’s going on. Definitely our children are in danger.”

  “Then we should go,” her mother stated.

  “I agree. Tomorrow is Friday and I’ll go into work as normal. That will give you time to pack essentials like basic clothing, passports and to empty our bank account. Then we leave on Saturday.”

  “Let’s not tell the kids until Saturday morning,” her mother said. “It may be difficult for them to keep a secret.”

  Amy had listened to their discussion, yet she wasn’t fully aware of the real danger they were in.

  Chapter 10

  Amy recalled the horrible events that followed. She did not say anything the next day to her mother or to Jack and they went to school as normal.

  On Friday evening, Amy knew they only had one more night in their home. She and Jack went to their bedrooms while their parents remained busy downstairs.

  A half-hour after going to bed she heard Jack’s voice as he came into her room. “Amy, are you awake?”

  “Yes, you should be sleeping.”

  “I couldn’t. There’s no school tomorrow so I thought we could try out my telescope. I’d like to look at the stars. ” He had received a high power telescope for his birthday and had not yet been able to use it. The lights of the city blurred out most of the stars, yet a couple of blocks away at the beach the conditions were better to observe them.

  “Okay, let’s go to the beach,” she said.

  They took Jack’s telescope, snuck out Amy’s window, and walked to the beach. It was a glorious sight to see the stars and they looked at them for almost an hour.

  Then Amy said, “We better go back.” She knew they would be leaving in the morning with their parents. Jack still did not know.

  They were a block away from their house when Amy saw a gigantic flash, followed by a boom and a force that almost knocked her backwards.

  The boom caused Jack to drop the telescope and he exhaled, “What’s that?”

  “Oh no,” Amy cried out. She instinctively knew it was their house. “Come quick,” she said.

  They ran a half a block until they could see their house, which was a mountain of burning flames. The houses next to theirs were on fire.

  “What’s going on?” Jack questioned.

  “It’s, its . . .” She didn’t know how to say it.

  “It’s what?”

  “Bad people have blown up our house.”

  “But, mom and dad are in there.”

  “I know.”

  “Let’s go get them,” he implored.

  “No. we have to stay away. The bad people will think we were in in the house. If they know we are alive, then they will do terrible things to us.”

  “What bad people? What do you mean? He imploringly asked.

  “I can’t tell you now, but please trust me. This is deadly serious,” she uttered with tight lips.

  She grabbed him strongly by the wrist and pulled him away, torn by conflicting feelings. Half of her wanted to go back to the burning rubble to search for her parents, whereas the other half knew they should immediately leave. Her heart raced, pounding in her ears, and she felt nauseous.

  They rapidly walked four blocks as police cars and fire engines went past them with sirens screaming and lights flashing. When they got to a small house with a pickup truck outside they went to the front door and knocked.

  It was the house of Buddy the truck driver. He was an old family friend and he might be able to help them.

  Buddy wasn’t home very often, but they were lucky that night. He took them in and Amy described what happened, as well as the dangerous situation they faced. Buddy understood.

  The following day he had them in his large semi-truck and drove them to Las Vegas. He gave them money and arranged for other truck drivers to shuttle them across the country. He also set up an email account so they could communicate with h
im, but Amy rarely used it.

  Today’s technology can track the source of any electronic communication, unless you are some high-tech hacker who knows how to avoid detection. She and Jack used computers, but not at that level. All she knew was that they endangered themselves by communicating on the internet, and they were endangering Buddy.

  That is how they ended up in Charlotte and became part of the social services and going into foster homes.

  For a day or two, the media reported the explosion. The police concluded that the owner of the house was making bombs and one blew up by mistake. The FBI reported that the husband and wife that lived there were part of a terrorist group and were planning to blow up government buildings.

  The congressman and governor said that people like this needed to be arrested. The Chief of Police stood before the media and said they were looking for accomplices. He said it was tragic that the explosion killed the couple’s two children, but that was the consequence of misguided decisions. Then the event entirely disappeared from the news.

  Amy realized that powerful people had misreported the explosion and manipulated the media. Moreover, they would get away with it.

  The world learned that Amy and Jack had died in the fire along with their parents and it was best to keep it that way. If the powerful officials knew they were alive, the criminal gangs working with the officials would take action. They would permanently remove Amy and Jack, as they had done with their parents.

  Therefore, Amy and Jack could never return to California.

  As the masseur pressed her fingers into Amy’s neck, it was difficult for her to relax completely. Maybe she never could relax. At times, the image of the burning house filled her mind. She had nightmares about it and about the powerful men in California. Those men must never know that the blast did not destroy Amy and Jack.

  She and Jack needed to get away and start new lives. By tomorrow, the storm would pass and they would be on their way.

  Chapter 11

  Jack quickly walked in the opposite direction of Ward, Maya and Marv. Once he turned a corner, he sprinted toward the lobby.

  The size of Ward and his low voice rattled Jack’s nerves. He was not sure what they had been talking about and wished he had heardheard the entire conversation. It was difficult to know their exact plans and he wanted to find out more.

  When he got to the lobby, he quickly walked past the security guy whose eyes were fixed on his cell phone. Then he saw Robert the porter and went up to him.

  “How’s it going?” Robert asked.

  Jack was not sure how to ask about Ward and his team so asked, “Is everyone in the hotel here for the golf tournament?”

  “Well, just about everyone, except for a few people here because of the storm, like you and your sister.”

  Outside was a continual grinding noise caused by the high winds shaking the trees and the fierce rain beating against the sides of the hotel.

  “So, did most people pre-book to be here?” Jack asked.

  “Yes, of course, the golfers. Why do you ask?”

  “I’m just wondering.” Jack paused. “What is the security like in this hotel?”

  Robert smiled. “It’s quite good. I’m not supposed to say too much about the specifics. We have someone here around the clock, like the security guy over there. Did you have a problem?”

  “Ah . . . no. It’s just more like what happens when there is a storm?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “Like, if there was an emergency would there be enough security guys here, or would the police come, and stuff like that?”

  Robert laughed. “The police are likely to be in other places. Tallahassee is the capital city of Florida so I’m sure the police are stretched right now looking out for government buildings and for all the stores downtown. Every time there’s a storm like this, there is some pillaging going on.”

  “Pillaging?”

  “Yeah, you know when people break into shops and homes to steal things. So, the police are downtown but our security guy can handle things here. Why are you asking this?”

  “I don’t know. I was just wondering how hotels worked.” He looked across at the security guy who seemed more intent on his cell phone than on what was happening in the hotel. “Could I ask something else?”

  “Sure. You can ask all day. I’m not very busy as everyone is a prisoner here for the next twenty hours or so and there aren’t many bags to be carried around.”

  “On the TV it said that hurricanes can knock out the electrical power. Does that mean we go around with flashlights?”

  Robert laughed. “If you need a flashlight I can get you one. However, the hotel has auxiliary power, a generator in a building out back.”

  “That’s good to know. So, we are safe in taking the elevator.”

  “Hopefully.” Robert looked right and left and then whispered. “We once had some people stuck in an elevator for three hours so I wouldn’t trust it in this storm. Take the stairs.”

  “Okay, thanks,” Jack said.

  “Where’s your cute sister?” Robert grinned.

  Jack rolled his eyes. “She’s in the spa with a couple of those golf ladies.”

  “Good for her,” Robert replied. “That’s a great place to relax. You should try it.”

  “No way,” Jack stated. “By the way, where do they keep the golf carts?”

  “What for?”

  “I’m curious to know how golfing works. Where do the golfers to get their carts?”

  “There’s a club house with a lot of golf carts over by the first hole but don’t go down there. You’ll be blown away by the storm. There are other golf carts kept in a room just past all the shops. Those are for golfers too lazy to walk to the club house.”

  A receptionist called Robert so he said. “See you later.”

  As Robert walked toward the reception desk, Jack thought again about Ward and his team. They did not seem like golfers, yet they had likely pre-booked into the hotel. They were here with a purpose.

  Ward had mentioned security at the hotel and from what Robert said it was not much. He talked about the “security guy”. That means there was only one person watching the hotel.

  Rather than going to his room, Jack decided to check out the golf carts. He had a sinking feeling that something was not right.

  Chapter 12

  When the massage was finished, Amy got dressed and went to the waiting room in the spa. The spa would have been a wonderful experience, except for her time of remembering the explosion of their house in California and the loss of her parents.

  That memory left her with a deep sense of sadness. Much of the time, she managed to suppress those thoughts and feelings. She spent her days focusing on the tasks of each day and on caring for her brother. The experience at the spa caused her to relax and that brought on those horrible thoughts.

  Now she needed to avoid those thoughts for good.

  Flora and Georgia appeared wearing robes. They had been in something called a Haman, a Turkish steam bath. They had wet hair and red faces.

  Flora saw Amy and said, “What’s wrong honey. It looks like you have been crying.”

  As Flora said that, Amy fought back tears. “Not really.”

  “Didn’t you enjoy the whirlpool and massage?” Georgia asked.

  “Of course I did. I’ve never experienced anything like that.”

  “Then what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She wondered if she should tell them about the loss of her parents but decided that no one should know.

  “I understand her,” Flora said to Georgia. “Going to the spa can bring out your emotions. And, this grinding storm isn’t helping.” The noise of the wind outside made a constant rumble.

  “We’ll make you feel better,” Georgia said to Amy. “Let’s go have some lunch and then you can take a rest. This afternoon we booked you into the beauty shop to have your hair and nails done. You’ll feel like a new person after that.”<
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  Amy could not remember the last time she had been to a beauty shop. She went with her mother to have her hair cut but that was ages ago. Since leaving California, she had cut her hair on her own, most of the time just letting it grow. Now it was scraggly, consisting of various lengths.

  “Thank you,” Amy said.

  Flora laughed. “It’s our pleasure. We are having fun getting you dolled up. And, you will enjoy this evening at the gala dinner.”

  “Will they have it in spite of the storm?” Amy asked.

  “Absolutely,” Georgia answered. “This hotel was built to withstand very strong hurricanes so we don’t need to worry about that. The cooks are preparing the meal and servers are ready. Just don’t go outside and you’ll be safe.”

  Amy smiled. “I definitely won’t go outside.”

  “Then wait a few minutes while we get dressed and then you can join us for lunch,” Georgia said.

  The two women left the room and Amy waited. She felt comfort in how Flora and Georgia were treating her. No one had done that to her in a long time. Yet, their attention to her made her nostalgic for her mother and that made her sad.

  All of a sudden, she felt so alone and the responsibility of Jack felt so heavy. How long would she have to continue on that path? It was just so unfair. Anger towards those bad men filled her mind, clouding up everything. She forced herself to breathe deeply and concentrate on their situation.

  What was the reality? They were stranded in a hotel, at least for the next twenty-four hours. They just needed to get through this and stay out of trouble. They needed to get back on that bus and head for Texas.

  She wondered what Jack was up to and hoped he was not getting into mischief. Perhaps she should go find him and take him to lunch. At the same time, he was resourceful and could take care of himself. Anyway, she liked the idea of being alone with Flora and Georgia, a girls’ lunch together, a pleasant diversion.

  Jack was definitely up in their room most likely watching television and in knowing him, he probably ordered room service. He undoubtedly would have a big hamburger and a bowl of ice cream for dessert.