by Alexia, Ava
“Which I can most certainly provide,” Tony offered.
Jaclyn laughed at their banter. It was obvious that the three men were great friends. She looked at Matt.
“Tell me about these picnic plans,” Jaclyn said.
“I planned an outing by the waterfall. I thought we could have a picnic, swim and just have a good time,” Matt said. “I thought you and Tess would enjoy it.”
“It sounds fabulous,” Jaclyn enthused.
“My sentiments exactly,” Tess smiled as she entered the room.
“Ah man! There are two beauties living with you? Unfair!” Tony exclaimed.
Matt laughed and made the introductions to Tess. Tess greeted them warmly and they all sat and conversed for a while. Soon Ana came in and told them that all was in readiness for their picnic. The men went into the kitchen to get the picnic supplies. Jaclyn made sure they were out of hearing before speaking.
“I take it our private investigating has been put on hold,” Jaclyn said in hushed tones.
“You take it right. Matt told me about his plans this morning and there was nothing I could do but to go along with them,” she whispered.
“Well, they are not terrible plans. I think I will quite enjoy myself,” Jaclyn grinned slyly.
“They are hotties and seem totally into you,” Tess grinned.
“The picnic should be fun. And we will be in the right area, so bring your camera. You just may get a chance to shoot those photos anyway,” Jaclyn suggested.
“Good idea, Jax,” Tess said.
“What’s a good idea?’ Matt asked.
The men were loaded down with picnic paraphernalia.
“Jax suggested I bring my camera. I would love to get photos of all of you,” Tess said.
“That is a great idea,” Ollie agreed.
“I’ll go get it and be back in a jiff,” Tess said.
Tess ran upstairs to her bedroom to get her camera. She made sure she had plenty of film in her bag as well as two long range lenses. She then returned to the foyer.
“I’m ready,” Tess announced.
“Great. Let’s go,” Matt said.
They all left the house and put the picnic basket, cooler and other bags in the boot of the waiting jeep. Jax sat between the Tony and Ollie in the back seat. It was a bit of a tight squeeze but she didn’t mind. Tony and Ollie laid their arms along the back of the seat and Jaclyn felt as snug as a bug. Tess sat in the front with Matt who glanced at her and smiled broadly. She returned his smile feeling inexplicably happy. Matt then started the jeep and took off.
Chapter 6
Matt took a back road that was full of ruts and bumps. Everyone was bouncing and bobbing in their seats. Tony and Ollie teased Matt unmercifully about trying to kill them all. Matt swore it was a shortcut to the waterfall. He finally drove around a bend and suddenly the majestic gushing water was before them. Matt parked the jeep.
“Never doubt my prowess behind the wheel,” Matt grinned.
“Never doubt your crazy driving. My butt is black and blue I’m sure,” Tony grumbled.
Everyone scrambled out of the truck.
“It’s so beautiful,” Jaclyn sighed.
“Not nearly as lovely as you,” Ollie smiled impishly.
Jaclyn laughed gleefully. She knew that this was going to be a fantastic day for her ego.
“Why thank you, kind sir,” she flirted.
Tony suddenly grabbed Jaclyn’s hand and pulled her to the water’s edge. Ollie objected and followed. Tess and Matt grinned at the antics of the men.
“Thank you for bringing your friends for Jax. She’s already having a ball,” Tess said gratefully.
“I didn’t want her to begin to feel like a third wheel,” Matt responded. “Tony and Ollie are a lot of fun and good men. Jax will have a great time with them.”
“Has anyone told you that you have a very sweet and caring heart?” Tess grinned.
“Not the person whom I want to hear it from,” Matt replied.
Tess looped her arms about his neck and stared into his shimmering grey eyes.
“You, my friend have a beautiful heart; and it’s rather a sexy turn on,” she smiled sensually.
Matt gazed into her warm cherry brown eyes and sighed.
“If only we were at home. You would soon be in bed,” he whispered.
She drew his head down to hers and kissed him lovingly. Matt could feel the emotions in her kiss and returned the kiss aggressively. He wanted to convey he was feeling the same way. Then they heard someone clearing their throat. Matt broke the kiss and looked into the grinning faces of his friends, Tony and Ollie. Tess hid her red face in Matt chest in embarrassment.
“We thought we would come help unload the truck; if you’re not too busy,” Tony quipped.
Matt laughed and stepped back from Tess.
“Well, it’s about time you returned. I thought I would have to unpack all by myself,” Matt retorted.
The men pulled the heavy things from the jeep and carried them to the checkered cloth that Jax and Tess had spread under a huge oak tree. Afterward, they removed their outer clothes to reveal bathing suits worn underneath. Both Tess and Jaclyn wore bikinis; Tess was a bright yellow which looked great against her tanned skin and Jaclyn wore a red suit which highlighted her dark blond hair. Soon everyone was swimming and playing in the water and having a terrific time. After a while Tess swam toward a precipice with gently flowing water. It was one of the few crags in which the water wasn’t gushing. She swam under the streaming water, closed her eyes and turned her face upward to feel the cool liquid wash over her. It wasn’t long before she felt strong, sure hands glide around her waist. It felt wonderful to have Matt standing with her. Matt stood so closely to her that he felt that they were one. He didn’t try to kiss her but just stood there with her; communing with the natural essence of the waterfall. It was as if they traveled to a spiritual plane where time was irrelevant and problems didn’t exist. They could just be the twin flames that they were to each other. It was the sweetest moment in time that he’d ever experience. Matt didn’t know how long they remained under the waterfall. It was such a magical, mystical interlude that neither of them wanted it to end.
“Come on, guys. Let’s go eat,” Tony called to them.
The thread to their transcendent world had been broken. Tess turned in his arms and gazed up at him. He cupped her face and gently kissed her forehead. Then they swam back to the shore to join the others. The conversation was lively as they ate the fabulous fare that Ana had prepared. Tony and Ollie were hilarious as they related anecdotes about the three of them. Tess and Jaclyn were in stitches throughout the entire lunch. After a while the guys went back into the water to play water polo while the girls relaxed on their towels. Jaclyn turned her head to look at Tess.
“Tony and Ollie are really terrific,” Jaclyn said.
“Is there an attraction to one more than the other?’ Tess asked.
Jaclyn sighed.
“They’re both so handsome and sweet. But Ollie can be a little less aggressive and I find that very endearing. It’s hard to make a choice,” Jaclyn said.
“Who said you had to? Although I think you already have,” Tess grinned.
Jaclyn turned on her side to face her directly.
“Who?” she demanded.
“I’ll let you figure it out on your own. I don’t want to influence you,” Tess smiled.
“That’s a cop out. You just don’t want to say,” Jaclyn pouted.
Tess laughed.
“You’re right, Jax I don’t and I won’t. You’ll work it out if. Neither of these guys may be the one; but you have to decide that for yourself,” Tess said gently.
Jax rolled onto her back and sighed dramatically.
“Why can’t this be easy,” Jaclyn moaned.
“I’m discovering that love seldom is,” Tess murmured.
Jax looked at her sharply.
“Love? Are you in love with Matt?” Jacly
n asked excitedly.
“I think I’m falling for him. But it scares me. What if he doesn’t feel the same way about me? That would be crushing,” Tess said miserably.
“I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Jaclyn said.
“Why not? He certainly hasn’t told me he’s topsy-turvy for me,” Tess grimaced.
“Tess! Have you noticed how he acts around you? Come on, girl open your eyes,” Jaclyn responded.
“We’re good in bed, Jax. What man doesn’t enjoy that,” Tess retorted.
“It’s more than the sex. He can’t stay away from you,” Jaclyn said. “It won’t be long before he’s out of that water and sitting by your side.”
“You think?”
“Look at what he did when you swam under the waterfall. He followed,” Jaclyn responded. “I think he would follow you over a cliff if you fell off. He’s crazy about you and you feel the same way about him. This is marvelous.”
Tess chuckled.
“Let’s not get carried away, Jax. I’ll take it one day at a time,” Tess smiled.
“Okay. Just remember, I’m your maid of honor,” Jaclyn smirked.
“You’re impossible,” Tess said as she sat up. She reached behind her to grasp her camera bag. She took out the camera and the long range lens. She secured the lens to the camera. “This is probably the best time I’ll have to take some pics. I won’t be long.”
“I’ll come with you,” Jaclyn said as she sat up.
“No. Stay here and occupy the guys should they come out of the water before I return,” Tess said.
Jaclyn looked dubious.
“I don’t think you should go off alone. What if something happens to you?’ Jaclyn objected.
Tess stood up.
“Nothing is going to happen to me. I’ll be back before you know it,” Tess smiled.
“I have a bad feeling about this. Maybe you should leave it alone. Matt said he would handle it,” Jaclyn urged.
“And I can help him immensely by getting some incriminating photos,” Tess argued.
“I don’t like it, Tess. Don’t go,” Jaclyn insisted.
“I’ll be fine. See you in a bit,” she smiled.
Tess hung the camera on her shoulder and briskly walked off. Jaclyn felt uneasy as she watched Tess walk away. She picked up her cell and looked at the time. She would only give her twenty minutes. After that she was calling in the cavalry.
*****
The men came out of the river a little later and collapsed onto the towels and blankets in exhaustion.
“Where’s Tess, Jax?” Matt asked immediately.
“She went to take more pictures. She should be back in a few minutes,” Jaclyn mumbled.
Matt looked at her keenly. He noticed that Jax looked uncomfortable and continued to glance at her cell phone.
“Are you expecting a call, Jax?” Matt inquired.
“What?” Jaclyn asked distractedly.
“You keep looking at your phone. Are you expecting a call?” Matt asked.
“Oh, no. I was just checking the time,” she mumbled.
Tony and Ollie had lain back to take a snooze while Matt observed Jaclyn unobtrusively. When she began looking toward the far end of the grounds he became nervous. She was gazing at the waterfall area as if hoping to see Tess.
“Did Tess want to capture more photos of the waterfall?” Matt asked.
Jaclyn’s nerves had gotten the better of her and twenty minutes had elapsed.
“Yes and she should have been back by now,” Jax said.
Ollie and Tony had heard their conversation and sat up abruptly.
“Maybe we should look for her,” Tony suggested.
“Maybe we should,” Matt agreed with alacrity.
The men and Jaclyn trotted off in the direction of the waterfall. Jaclyn prayed that Tess was alright. She’d been on edge from the moment that Tess left. She now wished that she had never made the suggestion of Tess taking those pictures.
“How long has she been gone?” Matt asked.
“About twenty or so minutes. That’s not so very long but I would feel better if she were here with us,” Jaclyn sighed.
“We’ll find her. I’m sure she’s fine,” Ollie said reassuringly.
Tony looked at Matt and saw the look of worry on his face. Something else was going on here. He grasped Matt’s arm to pull him to a stop. The others paused as well.
“There’s something wrong, Matt. I can see it in your face. What is it?” Tony asked.
Matt sighed and told them about Tess’s photos.
“Who do you think those men are?” Ollie asked.
“I don’t know. But I doubt if they are up to anything good,” Matt said. He turned to Jaclyn. “Tess wanted to catch their illegal activities on camera. Are those the pictures she wanted to take, Jax?”
Jaclyn looked miserable.
“Yes,” Jaclyn admitted softly.
“My God! Do you know the danger she could be in?’ Matt stormed.
“I tried to talk her out of it but she was determined to go and she wouldn’t let me go with her,” Jaclyn cried.
“It’s a good thing that you didn’t. At least you’re here to tell the tale,” Matt said sharply.
Ollie surveyed their surroundings. He climbed a rocky hill and scanned the expanse.
“This is the perfect area for drug smuggling,” Ollie called back down to them. “It’s remote and well concealed by the surrounding jungle.” He jumped down from his perch. “An ideal spot for their operations.”
“We don’t know if that is happening here,” Matt said. “Let’s hope that it isn’t.”
“Or more importantly that they haven’t spied Tess and her camera,” Jaclyn said fearfully.
Matt knew that Jax had only said what everyone was thinking. But that fact did not make him feel any better.
“Let’s not think the worst. Let’s get moving,” Matt said.
*****
Tess crouched down behind a large boulder and gasped at what she saw. There was a military truck parked in front of the shack with green tarp covering the cargo bed. Two men were unloading plastic containers. Drat! The containers were black so she couldn’t tell what was inside of them. But she would guess that it was drugs. She needed to ascertain what was in those containers; but how? She focused her long range lens and looked through her viewfinder. She began taking pictures of what was happening. She was so intent on what she was doing that she didn’t hear the crunch of the footsteps behind her.
“And who do we have here?”
Tess dropped her camera on the other side of the boulder and spun around.
“Todd!”
“Tess?” he asked in shock. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I could ask the same of you but it’s blatantly obvious,” she spat. “You’re a drug smuggler!”
“And you’re a nosey bitch that’s as good as dead,” he snarled. He reached down to grasp her arm and yank her up. “You’re coming with me.”
Tess snatched her arm from his grip.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she retorted.
He grabbed her arm again and she struggled to free herself.
“Stop fighting me, Tess,” he snapped.
He pulled her in front of him, gripping her shoulders.
“Never!” she exclaimed.
Tess raised her knee and rammed his groin. He released her immediately and doubled over in pain. Tess took off running.
“Mother f—
He cursed as he managed to straighten and run after her. Tess looked behind her to see where Todd was but when she looked forward again she slammed into what felt like a brick wall. A tall, husky, mammoth of a man caught her arm in his massive hand. She looked into his scarred face and saw pure evil residing in his small black eyes. Tess was terrified and opened her mouth to scream. He clamped a paw over her mouth before she could emit so much as a squeak and dragged her through the jungle. Todd followed. No one noticed
the camera that was lying on the ground behind the boulder.
*****
Sergio manhandled Tess their entire trek through the dense terrain. Tess tried to shake his hand from her mouth to no avail. Then then bit the inside of his middle finger. He cursed and slapped her hard. She cried out as she fell to the ground. Sergio pulled her up and raised his hand to hit her again.
“No, Sergio. Don’t. I doubt that she will cause any more trouble,” Todd intervened.
“She has caused a hell of a lot of trouble already,” Sergio spat.
“Let’s get her to the shack,” Todd said.
Todd captured Tess’s arm and pulled her along with him.
“I suggest you sheathed your claws and play nice, or Sergio will kill you,” Todd whispered in her ear.
“He’s going to do that anyway,” Tess returned.
“But you don’t want him to torture you. That would be worse than the actual death,” Todd retorted.
They arrived at the shack and Tess noticed that the green military truck was gone. Todd pushed her into a small, dim room and forced her to sit on a wooden bench. Tess waited for her eyes to adjust to the limited light then looked around her. She looked across the room and saw the containers stacked against the wall. She’d bet her right arm that there were drugs in them. She’d read about the cocaine trafficking in this part of the world. These two scum balls were jeopardizing lives to fatten their pockets. They didn’t care about the effects of their dealing on the world. It was all about the money and what they were doing was unconscionable. Tess remembered how money had been the only thing that Todd had wanted to talk about while they were dating. Apparently he had now found an easy way to get rich. He didn’t care if it was at someone else’s expense. Sergio moved to stand in front of her. She stared at his scar on his left cheek; she couldn’t help it. It was long and ugly. Tess shuddered.
“You don’t like my scar? It was a souvenir I received when engaged in a skirmish in Mexico. It gives me quite the devilish look. I think I’m creating a fashion trend,” he chuckled.
Tess averted her eyes. Sergio grasped her chin roughly to force her to look at him. Tess closed her eyes. Sergio shook her face.