Key West Wild (The Florida Keys Series)

by Cyndi Raye

  Josh grimaced. He needed them to be out in the open. Footsteps crept up steel steps and two more men fell out, toting guns. Good to know. He slipped to the darkness of the ship, too late now to do anything but get off the boat before the loaded guns of the chopper blasted everything into the depths of the ocean. His job was to capture someone who would talk now that Lane was dead, to make sure he was the only brain behind this operation. It didn’t look like that would happen and frankly, Josh didn’t care. As far as he was concerned, every criminal on the boat could be blasted into the deep waters of the unforgiving sea.

  A man hidden from Josh’s view did a good job of sneaking behind him, except Josh realized it at the very last second, except it was too late to stop the blow from the pistol. Josh staggered back, the wet stickiness pouring from his head. He charged full and fast in to the man who tried to pistol whip him. They both struggled, Josh dizzy but holding on while the man’s fist connected with his head several more times. The chopper appeared in the sky, the windy pulsing of the birds wings , causing the sea to roar. Rapid fire pelted the boat from the sky above, while men shouted and guns hit the deck, but he kept hitting fist for fist with the man fighting him.

  Josh didn’t go down easy. No matter how bad he’s hurt, it would take a blast from the sky to drop him. That’s what happened as one of the shots fired from above hit something flammable on the boat. A mild explosion from the far end of the fishing boat lit up the sky.

  Not sure what happened to the other man, Josh became desperate to get off and swung himself over the roped ladder. He fell in to the scarab and tried to start the engine. Blood ran down his face, rendering him blind, but the speed seemed to accelerate on its own. That’s when he realized there was an even bigger explosion and forces out of his control pushed him, transporting him through the air so far out it seemed as if the world shifted and stopped moving.

  <><>

  Sara stood on the deck, against the rail watching the beam of light in the water. Her brother kept her close to him, his arm around her shoulders. Sophie stayed close by, helping to hold her up when she began to teeter from the effects of the shot. It relaxed her to the point where she didn’t care what happened around her as long as she was able to wait for Josh. She sipped on hot tea, thanks to one of the agents who remembered she liked lemon tea when she upset her stomach. Funny, how little things make a big difference, she thought and let it clatter to the ground when the sky lit up a few miles away.

  Sophie cried out. Sara stared in shock, Morgan swore. She covered her hand over her mouth. “Josh is out there,” she whispered and turned to Sophie. From the horror on his sister’s face, Sara was certain he had to be smack in the middle of that explosion. Sara’s body slid down the rail to the deck.

  <><>

  The cruise ship docked in Ft. Lauderdale, but it was hours until the passengers were able to leave. Part of the ship, roped off with yellow tape, caused speculation from others in port. But Sara, she wanted to die. The doctor gave her another shot, but it didn’t help all that much. It made her so numb she didn’t care if she ever moved again.

  Morgan took her hand, forcing her to place one step in front of the other. “Do you think he’s alive?”

  “Yes, sis, I do.”

  “They searched for hours, but he was not there,” she sobbed. “Not even the speedboat.”

  Morgan wrapped his arm around her. “Don’t count him out yet. He’s been in worse situations.”

  Sara stilled. “How can you do this Morgan? How can you put your life at risk?” Fresh tears fell and she swiped them away. He shrugged and held her closer.

  “Sara!” Abby yelled. Sara ran to her, falling in to her arms, choking on her sobs, trying to tell her Josh got blown to pieces. Abby let her cry it out, holding her in the middle of the port at Ft. Lauderdale while Jon went for the SUV. He helped her in to the vehicle and Morgan gave her a hug.

  “Your not coming with me?” Sara reached out her hand. “I can’t let you leave me too.”

  “I can’t Sara, Sophie needs me.”

  Sara reached up and gave him a weak smile. “You like her a lot, don’t you?” she said, seeing the emotion in his eyes for the first time. He nodded.

  “Go.” She blew him a kiss and as he closed the door, she covered her face with her hands and sobbed, her shoulders shaking. She couldn’t seem to stop. Abby got out of the front seat and crawled in the back with her, holding Sara in her arms as they drove from Ft. Lauderdale to the Overseas Highway.

  “I’m going to stop at the Urgent Care Center,” Jon said later and pulled in to the parking lot. “I’ll be right back.”

  “We’ll go to my house, Sara. You can spend the night and then first thing in the morning, we’ll take you back to Key West. Okay?”

  “What if they find Josh and he needs me,” she murmured.

  “Jon gave Morgan our number, we’ll be the first he contacts, I promise.”

  Jon came out of the center with a few bottles of pills. He backed out the lot and turned left to head towards Abby’s. “I’ve got some sleeping pills and something to keep you calm,” he told her.

  Sara stiffened. “I don’t want to sleep. I can’t sleep, I have to wait, to make sure he’s-”

  Jon nodded as if in understanding. “They’re here if you need them.”

  The SUV turned down Long Beach Drive and turned in to the lane leading to Abby’s place by the water. A large two story house, encased with beautiful foliage and gardens set against the sky and ocean as a backdrop. A small lane fell off to the left, leading to a tiny cabin set back in the trees.

  Sara sniffed. “I’ve got to pull myself together, but the last few days have me drained.” She let Abby help her out of the vehicle and before she took a few steps her head began to swim. Abby called out to Jon and he picked her up and she felt safe for a moment, thinking Josh came home. But she looked up to see Jon’s face and burst in to tears.

  “Sara, let me give you something to ease your pain, please,” he begged. She saw her friend hold open the door to her house and she relented, knowing these kind people were trying to help her.

  She nodded. “Okay, but nothing too strong. I want to be awake when he comes back.”

  Sara settled in the living room and Abby fussed over her, covering her with a quilt. “I never did ask Josh who watched over the B&B when we left,” Sara said, wondering for the first time if she still had a job.

  “Maggie and Jake. They covered the moment Josh told them what he had to do.” Abby hugged her. “Don’t worry, you still have a job.”

  “I’m not sure what I have. Oh Abby, I can’t lose Josh.” When the tears fell again, along came the pitter-patter of feet and a coldish nose nudge her hand.

  “Penny’s the best therapy for sadness,” Abby said. “You wait and see.”

  Abby was right. Penny curled at the bottom of the sofa, and propped her head on Sara’s feet. She’d reach down and pet her, the soft fur and warmth of the dog easing her pain. Sara dozed on and off all day and deep in to the night. She dreamed of falling in to Josh’s arms but he was nowhere to be found.

  <><>

  Josh blinked, the hot sun burning his face. He forced his eyelids to stay open this time. Each shadow blurred into the sky above him. He made out a female figure, wearing a dress and a cape and holding a pile of books. She reached out to him with her other hand, beckoning him to follow. He blinked again, trying to work the dried sand from his face. When he saw the man in a Roman toga and the cracks that made it look decrepit, he realized they were statues.

  “Where am I?” He tried to call out, but his voice, parched from the seawater and hot sun, made him choke. Josh tried to move, but something held him down. He lay in a bed of burma reed, the stalks over three feet tall, hiding him from the outside world. Josh tried to move but something heavy held his legs down. The statues loomed above, towering over him. Water lapped against the beach. Far away the sounds of city life and traffic rent the air, but he couldn’t lift his head
far enough to see anything.

  Josh grabbed one of the leaves from the burma plant and yanked it from it’s stem, then rubbed his eyes, forcing the sand away. When he had a clear view, he lifted himself up as far as possible, trying to decipher his location. He looked down to his wrist, relieved to see his watch, still intact.

  When he took his other hand and pushed some buttons on his watch to start the gps, he realized how much blood covered him. Dried blood mixed with sand and dirt. He tried to move but it made his head pound causing a fresh stream of blood to drip past his temple. Dizziness tried to prevail, but he had to hold on, he knew help was on its way now. He had no plans to die on an island in the middle of nowhere.

  He must’ve passed out, but stirred again and forced himself with all his might to to see what held him down. Part of the scarab lay on his legs, the heavy fiberglass embedding him in to the ground. Josh struggled for some time but his legs were numb. His head began to float away again and he ground his teeth, forcing himself to stay alert.

  A siren blasted from the water, most likely a coast guard boat, then the scuffle of feet pounded the beach. It sounded like an army came after him, one man. Was he all that important? It’s something a man thinks about when there’s a possibility you’ll never see tomorrow, Josh thought.

  A helicopter buzzed overhead. “I found him,” a voice called out. Josh opened his mouth but no words would come out. First Morgan appeared, then Sophie, who reached out to him. He felt her sweet touch on his face.

  He coughed. Where is she? “S-” he tried to call out her name but nothing came out. He watched as the two medics, holding a litter, moved everyone out of the way, probing him and moving the boat off. He wondered why he hadn’t been able to move it. They pushed it aside as if it weighed nothing. He felt detached, as if he were viewing things from another place and time.

  Josh knew he was on the verge of death. It seemed too easy to just succumb to the euphoria all around him, to let it carry him into another type of bliss. Yet he kept Sara’s face in his mind’s eye because he had to get back to her. It was the only thing that kept him from stepping in to the depth of no return.

  <><>

  Sara stirred. She needed him, smelled him, knew he was close by. But when she opened her eyes, empty space surrounded her. Since the day she watched the sky light up in the ocean off of Ft. Lauderdale, she walked through life like a zombie.

  She was in Key West, back at the bed and breakfast. Maggie and Jake were there, taking care of the Inn, and her. Her bedroom door opened, and a cool nose nudged her hand. “Time to wake up, I get the message, Jax,” Sara crooned. She slipped out of bed, throwing on a robe and wandered to the kitchen. Sara went out to the garden and sat down at the table with Maggie and Jake, their dog at her heels. They were honoring the guests that already booked rooms, but had not taken any new ones since Josh disappeared.

  Jake looked up from his laptop. “Jax wake you up?”

  She nodded, propping her chin in her hand. “Every morning.”

  Maggie laughed. “There’s a great story about Jax. The pup is the reason Jake and I met.” She went on to explain but Sara wasn’t listening. Her mind wandered off, remembering how she first met Josh in the little bar down the street. Tears sprung to her eyes as she recalled the night he carried her home in the pouring rain.

  A tear slipped down her cheek. “Maggie,” Jake said, nodding to Sara.

  “Sara honey, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Maggie flung her arms around Sara.

  “I can’t stop,” she said, grabbing a Kleenex from her pocket. “It doesn’t matter what I do or what anyone says, he’s in my head and I can’t let it go. I don’t mean to be a burden.”

  Jake tried to stand up, to give her time with Maggie, but Sara put her arm out. “No Jake, don’t go, I think we need to talk.”

  He sat back down. “What is it?” he asked, closing his laptop. “Sara, one thing I want to say before you talk is that you are not a burden. You’ve helped me out of a bad situation taking over the B&B. I had a big deal going on last week, multi-millions involved and I wouldn’t have been able to do it worrying about this place. So don’t even think that way.”

  She nodded. “Thank you for saying so. I have to face the reality that Josh may not be found. I have hope and faith, but it’s been four days.” Her voice cracked, she blew her nose and held up her hand. “My brother wants me to move in with him, but in truth, I’m more at home here in this house. If you’re looking to sell, I would consider buying it for the right price.”

  Jake and Maggie both looked shocked. Jake spoke first. “Sara, do you realize how much real estate in Key West goes for?”

  Sara nodded. “I do. I’ve researched it before I ever came here. Let me show you something. Can I use your laptop?”

  Jake pushed it across the table. “Go ahead,” he said, his brow raised, curious.

  Sara pulled up her bank account and turned the screen to Jake. “This is one of my accounts. I have two more with almost as much. I can afford to buy this.”

  “Impressive, Sara. But do you want to make a financial decision right now?”

  She tried to work that out in her head. “I have to do something whether Josh comes back or not,” she said. “I married an abusive man who spent every dime we earned. For eight years I lived a nightmare, until I made up my mind to change myself. You see the results of that right in front of you. It seems when I’m down and out is when I do my best work. Perhaps having this place will keep me moving, make me want to live again. Make me feel alive and help me to put one foot in front of the other until Josh comes back.”

  Maggie wiped tears from her eyes. “Oh Sara, I’m so sorry for what you went through and what you still have to face. I am here for you. We both are.”

  “Thank you.”

  “To be honest, I’ll be glad to get this monkey off my back,” Jake complained. “I’ll give you a good price, Sara. I’ll only wipe out one of your accounts.”

  <><>

  Maggie and Jake stood on the front porch with Sara, saying goodbye. “My lawyers will wrap everything up as soon as they can, but consider this yours from today on. I wipe my hands of this wreck,” Jake muttered.

  Sara smiled, sad they were leaving. She dressed in a pair of bullet blues jeans and a t shirt, her feet bare on the wooden slats. “I wish Josh was here too,” she began and gave the two a hug. No point in thinking about him now, it had been five long days and nothing. Even Morgan seemed to have vanished in to thin air.

  Jake turned to her. “There’s still hope, Sara. Josh worked for ten years as a homeless man, surviving without much help from the agency. He may be out there on one of those tiny islands, it’s a matter of finding him. They never found the boat or him in the wreckage, that means he’s somewhere. Don’t give up, not yet.”

  “I’ll never give up. I want him so bad it hurts.”

  “Are you sure you’ll be okay by yourself,” Maggie asked. “I could always do my writing here with you and stay longer. I hate to leave you alone.”

  “Writing?” Now she understood Maggie’s remark the night they all went out.

  “I’m afraid there’s a handful of people I tell,” she admitted. She dug in her purse. “Here, it’s not all truth, but you’ll recognize some characters, including your love.”

  Sara’s eyes lit up at the author’s name on the paperback. “You? I love these books, they’re full of adventure and the heroine is always so strong.” Sudden realization hit her. “Maggie, are any of us safe from you?”

  Jake laughed as he walked down the steps. “Don’t count on it.”

  Sara settled on the front porch after they left, unsure of what to do next. Her heart was empty inside, even though this place was hers now. The dark hole reached way down in her soul. She sat alone, rocking back and forth on the swing, the hinges creaking every time she pushed back. She pictured in her mind’s eye Josh doing simple repairs to the place, helping to renovate, even if he had no interest in t
he building. He’d help because he loved the fact she would be happy. He could give up his secret agent life because they had this to fall back on.

  She felt connected to Key West, in a way she never thought. When she got on the plane in Philly, she kissed her former life goodbye and decided to make a new start in this tropical paradise. She could stay here forever. It would never be the same without Josh, but if she had to be anywhere right now, here is where she longed to stay.

  Life went on around her all day and deep into the night. She could hear revelry and party goers because she still sat on the same spot watching every car that drove down the street in hopes one would stop and Josh would be back. She’d watch each person who walked on the side walk in hopes her love would appear out of the blue. Her phone, stuffed in her pocket, stayed by her side in case he called.

  How long could she go on like this?

  She must’ve fell asleep. Day six and still no Josh. She stirred and went inside for a cup of coffee and a shower. She checked her phone, nothing and tried to call Morgan. “Please, Morg, I need some answers, did they find him! Call me.”

  After her shower, Sara began to pace back and forth, first in the kitchen. the dining room next, desperate to stir up interest in the new renovations she planned for the property. She decided to close down while making a few changes. She hated to lose the money, but it wouldn't hurt her bank account much. To be honest with herself, she didn’t have it in her to smile at people right now. It would be much better if she were alone.

  Sara stood in the library, remembering how Josh told her the truth there, about his secret agent job and how all he ever wanted was a normal life. A light bulb went off and it became clear to her at that moment she would make a home for him. She made a firm resolve to stay strong. He did not die in the explosion, she would not accept that. Until she heard different, she would work on this place and instead of trudging through each day, she would live for the day he came home. This would be a haven, his place of refuge.

  She was a terrible Inn keeper, but she would give him a home where he’d always be safe.