The Scene 3

by Roxy Sloane

  The key. I didn't realize he left it there all the time.

  Barton would tell me to go over there now and search the place before he gets there. Barton would tell me that I have to go to the Caymans.

  Barton is not going to be happy about Xavier leaving town.

  Chapter Seven

  I'm running out of time. Once Xavier is out of the country, my chance to prove he's El Jefe is gone. But if I go with him to the Caymans and everything blows up in my face, there won't be anyone to help me. Xavier sounds sincere— that he just wants to bring me with him on a business trip— but what if there's more?

  Barton's phone rings once before he picks up. "It's about time you called me. What do you know?"

  I quickly explain the phone call, and he wastes no time giving me his thoughts.

  "You have to get me the proof, now. Before he leaves the country."

  "There's not enough time."

  "Make time." His voice is so forceful, that the effect is like a punch. "He must know there's someone working against him. He's fleeing the country, and he's going to take everything important with him. We'll never get to him."

  "I don't know what to look for, Barton. I know he won't be gone long enough for me to copy the whole hard drive."

  "You don't have to. My sources tell me it's on a silver flash drive that's engraved with an 'X'. Have you seen it somewhere?"

  "Yeah. I saw it on his desk at his villa once. I don't know if he carries it with him or it's there."

  "Get the drive, Nicole. Copy the files onto another drive and I'll meet you."

  "But we're leaving this afternoon. I'm meeting him at the villa around five."

  "Then he's not there now. It's the perfect time to get it done. If time runs out, just grab the drive and bring it."

  What he doesn't say is what I'm thinking. If I take the drive, Xavier will know someone was in his villa and took it. It won't be long until he figures out it was me.

  #

  I pack my bag with the essentials I need for a trip to the beach, but I'm not sure why I even do it. Going on the trip seems like the worst idea ever under these circumstances. If I get the files for Barton, do I really want to be stuck in the Caymans with Xavier wondering the whole time what he finds? If I can't get the files, then Barton will harass me about snooping in Xavier's business.

  Either way, the whole situation feels wrong. Things are too rushed, and I'm worried I'm going to screw something up. Taking a trip with Xavier would be fantastic if I was one hundred percent sure that someone had framed him. But despite my gut feeling, I can't be sure, and a week is a long time to spend with someone twenty-four hours a day if you're paranoid they're not who they say they are.

  On the way to the ferry dock, the sky grows increasingly darker. It's pale gray with darker swirls of clouds that look like smoke. The storm is almost here, and I don't just mean the hurricane.

  Traffic is light since most people head away from the water, not toward it. I reach the ferry quickly, catching it minutes before departure to Fisher Island.

  The water is choppy, and the boat sways. Luckily, I shouldn't be on it long enough to get sick.

  "How long will you be?" I don't remember the attendant's name, but he's always nice to me when he's working.

  "I'm not sure, why?"

  "We're shutting down. Last ferry leaves the island in an hour. You don't want to miss it."

  The wind picks up, distracting me from responding. There's a heaviness to the air, a charge to it. It feels like the whole atmosphere holds its breath. Like that moment at a fireworks display between the pop of the explosion and the appearance of the colorful pattern in the sky.

  I've never seen the dock so full of people. When we approach, they barely want to let anyone off the ferry in their hurry to board. There are only a few of us getting off the boat. Unlucky resort guests stuck here by the storm and a few employees called in to help. I must be crazy to even come out here.

  One golf cart waits in the guest spots, so I grab it and take off. I'm relieved that I won't have to run. The wind already pushes me like a bully, whipping my hair around and causing the golf cart to work extra hard.

  I find the key to Xavier's villa in its hiding spot under a loose tile on the steps leading to the door. Even though I have permission to be here, my heart races as I enter. Xavier's permission didn't extend to snooping around.

  My sandals slap against the tile as I hurry into the main room. I call out Xavier's name a couple times, but the place is deserted. The silence is eerie. No noise even outside besides the howling of the wind. The storm is getting closer, and I'm not sure she'll wait to let the ferry go in an hour.

  I quickly move to the desk and check every drawer for the flash drive, papers, anything that might be helpful. There's nothing. I make a quick circle around the main room. Other than a couple magazines on the table, there's nothing. Not even drawers to rifle through.

  Xavier's bedroom proves to be a disappointment also. No drives or disks of any kind, and the only papers lying around are from the resort: menus, a listing of television channels, excursion options. I find a couple old boarding passes in the nightstand drawer and snap photos with my cell phone just in case, but there's just nothing here. Xavier is too neat to leave stuff laying around, incriminating or otherwise.

  I even check the bathroom drawers and cabinets just in case he might stash something there. I come up empty there, too, and plop down on the edge of the bathtub to regroup.

  "Damn it!" I say the words out loud, and they echo back off the tile. It feels like they're mocking me.

  My phone buzzes with a text message, and I pull it out of my shorts' pocket. Xavier's on the ferry. Meet him at the dock.

  There's no time for anything else. The ferry's leaving soon, and Xavier will be waiting for me.

  "Fuck!" I say out loud. This time the echo definitely mocks me.

  #

  I lock the door and decide to take the key with me. I'll just give it to Xavier. I jog from the villa to the edge of the sidewalk where I left the golf cart.

  It's gone. I'm completely screwed.

  Xavier texts again. I'm here. Where are you?

  There's no time to even answer. I flat out sprint, pushing myself as hard as I can. It's been a few years since I've run this hard. I lost interest after high school track ended. It was never the running part that I liked. I just wanted to compete against myself.

  I check my watch, and I have exactly eight minutes before the ferry leaves. It should take me about four minutes to get there. It's okay. Possibility and relief give me the push I need to keep going even though my lungs burn from the effort. I'm running against the wind, and I feel the extra resistance.

  When I finally round the corner to the dock area, though, the ferry has already pulled away. I stop running and bend over to catch my breath, checking my watch. Four minutes and thirty seconds to spare. But the last ferry is gone.

  I feel a hand on my back and turn my head to see Xavier. He rubs my back as I recover.

  When I finally straighten up, I turn to him and say, "I'm so sorry you're missing your trip because of me."

  There's no anger in his face at all. Even his usually intense eyes are soft, forgiving.

  "It's not your fault, Nikki. Even if we had been able to get on that ferry, the airport grounded everything a few minutes ago, even private flights. The storm hit earlier than expected."

  "Looks like you're stuck with me tonight."

  "I think we can find a way to kill some time." He winks at me and picks up my bag from the ground. "Let's get you out of here before the rain starts. It looks pretty bad on the radar."

  I'd been so worried about what happened if I got stuck in the Caymans with Xavier that I didn't think about this scenario. I have to be extra careful tonight, especially with Barton on the rampage. There's nowhere to go if I say something I shouldn't, or if Xavier gets suspicious.

  Chapter Eight

  We barely make it inside Xavier's
villa before the sky opens up and sheets of rain blanket the resort, turning everything shades of gray. The roar of the wind mixed with the pouring rain is surprisingly loud.

  Xavier calls the reception desk, but I can't even hear what he says. It's a relief that someone will know we're here in case of emergency.

  "Apparently there are a lot of people still on the island. We'll ride things out here until the eye passes over, and if things look bad, we'll head to the main building."

  "It sounds like the rain's about to come through the roof."

  Xavier laughs. "I keep forgetting this is your first hurricane. These are the outer bands now. It's going to get much worse."

  "Worse?" My voice cracks. "This is bad enough!"

  He crosses the room and takes my hands in his. "We're going to be okay, Nikki. I've been through a bunch of these, and this one isn't terribly strong."

  "Really?"

  "Yes. After this band passes through, one of the resort managers is going to bring us supplies. He wouldn't do that for me, guest or not, if it wasn't safe."

  "Okay, but you better not be lying to me, Xavier."

  He makes an "X" over his heart, and a laugh escapes me. It's not so much because of what he did as it is from my nerves. I'm still on edge about the whole trip and the reasons behind it. He took missing the flight awfully well for someone who had important business meetings to go to.

  I expected him to be furious with me, but he's in full on protector mode. He digs out candles from the pantry and sets them all over the villa for when the lights go out, which he assures me will happen soon. He even pulls the sofa into the dining room so we'll be safe from flying glass if the storm damages the doors that lead to the pool.

  The power does go out about twenty minutes later, and I gasp as we're plunged into darkness. The sun hasn't set yet, but with all the clouds, the world outside is dark and creepy. Inside, it's even darker, especially away from the glass doors since there are no windows except one in the bedroom to let in any light. I don't realize just how tense I am until Xavier sets a hand on my shoulder, and I jump a little.

  "It's okay, Nikki. Just a little rain." He grins. "It's more romantic without the lights, don't you think?"

  He makes his way around the room lighting candles, and it helps calm me down. I feel pretty ridiculous for being so anxious, but I've seen the news footage of hurricanes and how devastating they can be. Between that and my uncertainty over my work for Barton, I can't seem to relax.

  "Thank you for humoring me. I'm just on edge. Anticipating the worst, even though everyone has said this isn't a strong storm."

  "It's understandable, but don't worry. I'll keep you safe."

  Xavier finishes lighting the candles, and they fill the room with a soft glow that flickers and casts shadows on the walls. He turns on an oil lamp that sits on the desk, and now the room is much brighter and less scary. I walk over to him to examine the lamp. It's made of clear glass that's crisscrossed by wiring. It looks like one of those expensive replicas of antiques.

  "So this is why they call them hurricane lanterns, I'm guessing?"

  His phone buzzes with a text before he can respond to me.

  "The manager should be here in a couple minutes. The radar is clearing up." He removes the contents of his pockets and places them in the drawer as he talks. "I'm going to go change clothes before he gets here so I can help bring everything in."

  He places a final object in the drawer before pushing it halfway closed. There it is, inches away from my hand. The silver flash drive with the "X" engraved on it.

  He kisses me on the cheek and heads into his bedroom to change. I'm paralyzed with indecision. Do I text Barton? Do I look at the files while he's occupied with the supplies? I brought my laptop in case I went to the Caymans with him. Maybe I should save everything on my hard drive and decide later?

  My need for answers and my need to be right about Xavier war in my brain. If I give this to Barton, I can't undo it. If there's something incriminating, it will be out there. I won't be able to deny Xavier's involvement in El Jefe's world in whatever capacity. But if I don't give it to him, I'll never know the truth. I have to.

  I text Barton that I've got it and I'm at the resort. His reply comes in seconds.

  Next rain band should clear in 45. Pick you up-back supply dock.

  "Everything okay?"

  "Just Hailey worrying about me." I'm surprised at how easily the lie slips out.

  He leans in for a kiss and grazes my lips. "I know one way we can pass the time." He moves to my neck and plants a row of kisses there.

  I know the manager will be here soon, so I let him continue and enjoy the sensation. Sure enough, he gets one button undone before a knock at the door ends everything.

  While Xavier and a manager I haven't met mess with the supplies, I hide out in the bathroom perched on the edge of the counter. How am I supposed to meet Barton? I'm trapped with Xavier.

  I open the medicine cabinet looking for the ibuprofen I know is kept in every guest's room. I've had the makings of a tension headache all day.

  Just as I'm about to close the cabinet, I notice something. An unopened pack of sleeping pills. My stomach lurches, and I worry I'm going to be sick. Am I really going to drug Xavier?

  Do I really have a choice?

  The power flickers back on, making it easier to read the box. It says the normal dose is two, so I pop four out of the blister pack just to be safe. The weight of them feels heavy in my pocket as I head back into the living room. Xavier is busy testing the Coleman stove the manager brought for us.

  "I saw a bottle of Irish cream in the kitchen, and thought I'd make us some coffee while the power's back on. Sound good?"

  "Definitely."

  While the machine brews, I use the noise to crush up the tablets with the back of a knife. I quickly slip the powder into his cup and pour the Irish cream into both. Hopefully it will mask the taste enough.

  I'm stirring the drinks when I feel Xavier's breath on my neck. His hands go to my waist, and he nuzzles my shoulder. My heart pounds, and I just know at any moment he'll realize what I'm doing.

  "Ready to ride out the storm with me? I've got lots of fun things planned."

  His hands slide up and cup my breasts, but I gently push them back down.

  "I am completely onboard as soon as I have a little liquid courage to help me forget about the storm."

  "It smells fantastic."

  He grabs the drink on the right. My brain panics. Is that the one I put the pills in? It is, right? I'm not confident that it's the right one until he takes a sip and looks puzzled.

  "This tastes a little different." He takes another sip. "Secret ingredient?"

  "I'm full of secrets."

  He laughs. "I bet you are. One day I'm going to unlock that vault you keep in your brain, and they'll spill out everywhere."

  I take a small sip of my coffee, and it tastes normal. Thank God.

  "A few more of these," I hold up my cup like I'm toasting, "and you just might get your wish."

  "You did make them pretty strong. Trying to take advantage of me?" Xavier winks at me and moves to the sofa.

  We sit and drink our coffee while we watch the storm through the glass doors. There's something calming about the quiet inside compared to Mother Nature's rage outside. I look down at my watch. I've got twenty minutes to meet Barton.

  Xavier finally drains his cup, and reaches for me. I barely have time to set my own cup on the table. His kisses are hot and insistent, but I don't let myself relax into them. I need to stay alert.

  After a minute or two, he slows down considerably. His words slur, and I gently push him back on the couch as I kiss him. He doesn't protest, and his arms flop uselessly to the sides. He's out.

  The guilt hangs over me like a cloud. I can't believe I did this to him.

  But I don't have time to think about it much more. I have to get out of here.

  I grab the flash drive out of the desk drawe
r and plug it and another flash drive into my laptop. I set the files to copy, and go into his bedroom. His briefcase sits on the bed. I open it and pull a file out, flipping through the pages to see if it's relevant.

  The papers all appear to be shipping manifests for various goods. There's nothing in common with them that I can determine, other than coming into the Miami port. All have different origins.

  I've quickly gone through about half of the files when I feel a presence in the room. Xavier stands in the doorway.

  I freeze. What do I do? There's no explanation.

  He's having trouble keeping his balance, but he finally focuses on me.

  "What the hell are you doing? You're going through my things?"

  His words are harsh and angry but very slurred. I can't believe he's even standing right now.

  He takes a couple of steps toward me, and I drop the briefcase and rush past him. His hand locks on my arm, but he's unstable.

  "You drugged me?" His voice is more confused than angry now, and I see the betrayal in his eyes.

  I can't respond. My mouth feels as dry as a desert.

  He stumbles, and I'm able to yank my arm and escape his grip, running into the living room. I lunge for my laptop and pull the two drives out of it. I don't know if everything finished copying, but there's nothing I can do. I have to get out of here.

  I run out through the front door and into the hurricane as tears and rain stream down my face.

  Chapter Nine

  I struggle against the pounding rain as I run along the path to the back docks. The rain comes down almost horizontally, and it stings as the wind whips it against my bare legs. I'm completely drenched, and my clothes feel like lead weighing down my body.

  I tried to call Barton as I ran, but it didn't work. First it gave me the "call cannot be completed message" and then it just beeped nonstop. The towers must be down because of the storm.