by Alexia, Ava
“Look at me!” Sergio ordered.
Tess opened her eyes and stared at him.
“My face isn’t so bad once you get used to it. And you had better get used to it fast because we have some talking to do,” Sergio growled. He released her chin.
“Let me go,” Tess pleaded. “Please. I won’t tell anyone of what I’ve seen here.”
Sergio laughed.
“And you think I believe you? I’m no fool. You will not be going anywhere…yet,” Sergio responded. “Perhaps I’ll let you go when you’ve told me what I want to know.”
“What is that?” Tess managed to say. Her mouth was as dry as desert sand.
“What were you doing out there? Why were you spying on us?’ Sergio said.
“I wasn’t spying on you. I’d been admiring the waterfall and decided to take a walk,” she explained. “I grew tired and sat down to rest. That is what I was doing when Todd saw me.”
“She didn’t look to be resting when I found her,” Todd thought.
“What did you see?” Sergio demanded.
“Nothing. I saw nothing,” she swore. “I was just resting when I saw Todd.”
She had accused Todd of being a drug dealer. She prayed Todd would not speak of that conversation. She looked at Todd and he returned her gaze callously. She couldn’t be sure that he would remain quiet.
“I don’t believe you,” Sergio snapped. “I think you are lying.”
“No! I’m not,” Tess denied.
“Why are you on Aruba?” Todd demanded.
“I’m on assignment for Homes Extraordinaire magazine. You know I am a photographer, Todd,” she said.
Sergio looked at them intensely.
“You know each other?” Sergio barked.
“Yes. Our paths crossed about four or five years ago. It was a brief encounter,” Todd said disparagingly.
“We didn’t connect so we went our separate ways,” Tess said.
Todd laughed harshly.
“That’s one way of putting it,” Todd smirked.
Sergio looked at Todd.
“This presents an added problem. You would not want to see the demise of your ladylove which would put a strain on our relationship,” Sergio said thoughtfully.
“I could care less what happens to her,” Todd said caustically.
Tess sucked in her breath. He hadn’t repeated their conversation but he had left her to the wolves anyway. Sergio leveled his black beady gaze on her.
“Who’s here with you?” Sergio demanded.
“No one. I’m on a photography assignment. I always travel alone,” Tess said hurriedly. Then she thought maybe she shouldn’t have said that. It would make it so easy for them to murder her and think no one would miss her. But she wasn’t alone but they didn’t need to know that.
“Alone you say? That makes things quite interesting and gives me various options,” Sergio smiled ominously.
“My God! What have I done?” Tess screamed silently.
*****
“Where is she?” Jaclyn exclaimed in frustration. “We’ve looked everywhere.”
“Do you think she could have gone back to the picnic area and we missed her?” Tony questioned.
Matt shook his head negatively.
“We would have seen her. She hasn’t doubled back. She’s still out here somewhere,” Matt said tightly.
“We’ll find her,” Ollie predicted.
Jaclyn wandered about the area moving some thirty feet ahead of them. She walked over to a large boulder and looked into the distance. She caught her breath.
“Matt!” she called out.
Matt and his two friends ran to where she stood.
“Look!” she exclaimed.
“It’s the shack. It appears desolate and abandoned,” Ollie said.
“It was until recently. But that’s just the way our visitors want it to appear,” Matt said.
“They wouldn’t want to bring notice to their activities,” Tony said.
“I don’t see anyone,” Jaclyn observed.
“They are there,” Matt said grimly.
“And they probably have Tess,” Jaclyn thought. “No one wants to say it, but it’s what everyone is thinking.”
Jaclyn sighed wretchedly as she sat on the boulder to rest.
“This is all my fault. I should never have let her go off alone,” Jaclyn wailed.
“It’s not your fault, Jax. You know how determined Tess can be. You couldn’t have stopped her,” Matt said reassuringly.
Jaclyn looked at Matt sorrowfully.
“But I could have told you a lot sooner. And for that I am terribly sorry,” Jax apologized. “She could be safely with you right now had I acted sooner.”
“Or we could still be searching for her. You cannot predict what would have happened,” Matt replied. “Don’t blame yourself, Jax. This is not your fault.”
Matt squeezed her shoulder in comfort then moved away. Tony and Ollie joined him and spoke quietly among themselves. Jaclyn breathed deeply then pulled her knees up to lean on them. Turning her head to look at the shack, she caught a glimpse of something shiny in the shrubbery surrounding the boulder. She looked more closely at the undergrowth and saw a leather strap. She reached down to move aside the prickly branches and leaves. Then she saw it.
“Matt!” she cried out. Jaclyn grasped the camera and pulled it up. “It’s Tess’s camera.”
Matt crossed to where Jaclyn sat and took the camera from her.
“She was here,” Matt said.
“And she would never leave her camera,” Jaclyn said.
“Unless she did so deliberately as a clue,” Matt said. “She’s telling us that she’s in that shack and I’m going to get her out.”
“It’s so dangerous and we don’t know for a certainty that she’s there,” Jaclyn said apprehensively.
“And we don’t know for a certainty that she’s not. I will not risk that she’s not in that shack just to avoid trouble. We haven’t found her, Jax and we would have by now if she were out here,” Matt said sharply.
Matt took a step forward but both Tony and Ollie detained him. Matt tried to break free of their hold.
“Let me go. I’m going to get Tess,” Matt snapped.
“Not without a plan,” Tony retorted.
“And not without us,” Ollie said inflexibly.
Matt looked at his two friends and knew that they were right. He needed a plan. And it needed to be a damn good one if they were going to save Tess.
Chapter 7
“What are you going to do with her? Can we let her go?” Todd asked.
Sergio and Todd were in the back room that contained two bunk beds. There was a small, dirty bathroom just off from the room and a door that opened to the outside. Sergio was standing in front of the only window in the room which was grimy from filth. He turned to look at Todd in mock amusement.
“And why would you think that we could let her go? Has she not noticed those containers stack against the wall?” Sergio derided.
“But she doesn’t know what in them. There’s nothing she could say that would endanger our operation,” Todd surmised.
“Except tell the authorities that we have an operation. It wouldn’t take the FBI long to figure out what was going on here,” Sergio thundered.
“I know Tess. She’s too afraid to say anything. She won’t talk,” Todd insisted.
“Maybe you’re willing to take that chance but I am not. She needs to be eliminated and you’re going to do it,” Sergio said menacingly. “Since she means nothing to you; you won’t have any qualms about seeing to it. Tonight.”
Todd said nothing. Sergio moved to stand within an inch of Todd’s nose.
“Is that a problem?” Sergio whispered darkly.
Todd looked into Sergio black eyes and saw bubbling venom in them. If he didn’t do as Sergio said then Todd would be as dead as Tess. It was every man for himself and Todd wasn’t about to go six feet under due to Tess.
“A wise answer,” Sergio said softly. “It needs to be done before Sebastian Cortez arrive this evening. I don’t want any hiccups to occur during our transaction. I’m going out. Keep an eye on her.”
Sergio went out through the back door and Todd went back into the other room. He had tied Tess’s hands and feet to prevent her escape. He felt slightly sorry for her but not enough to risk his own neck.
“Can you untie me, Todd? Please,” Tess implored.
“It’s best to leave you as you are,” Todd replied.
Tess’s wrist and ankles were numb from the tightly tied ropes around them. Her hands and feet were numb from lack of blood circulation.
“Todd! Please. I’m not going anywhere. Untie me,” Tess pleaded.
Todd looked at her grimly then moved to untie her.
“I don’t want any funny stuff. If you make a break for it, you’ll be sorry,” he warned.
“I won’t run. I can’t,” she replied.
Todd removed the ropes and Tess immediately chafed her limbs.
“May I have some water?” she asked. Her throat was so parched that she could barely speak.
He crossed the room the mini fridge and removed bottled water. He gave it to her. Tess unscrewed the cap and drank deeply.
“What were you doing out here, Tess? And don’t give me that hogwash about sightseeing; I don’t believe a word of it,” Todd asked harshly.
“It’s the truth. I am on a photo assignment. And I was sightseeing,” Tess insisted. She crossed her fingers at the lie she told.
“Well you picked the wrong place and the wrong day to take in the sights,” he snapped.
“What do you mean?” she asked shakily.
“I mean that you’ve seen too much for our liking. We will have to do something about that,” Todd threatened.
“I haven’t seen anything. I haven’t heard anything,” she argued. That wasn’t quite the truth. She had heard their earlier conversation in the back room. But she wasn’t letting on. “You could let me walk out of here right now and no harm would have been done.”
“I can’t do that,” Todd retorted.
“Why not?” Tess nearly shrieked.
“Because I care more about my neck than I do yours. And I intend to live another day,” Todd yelled.
Tess was stunned as his words seeped into her mind. She was going to die. She actually was going to die.
*****
The sun had finally set and dusk was quickly turning to night. Tony and Ollie had gone back to the picnic site and brought some of their belongings to this temporary site. They had decided to wait until night to before approaching the shack. Matt had called his contacts the day before and the authorities were on their way; but they couldn’t arrive soon enough for Jaclyn. She was so afraid for Tess; if only Tess had listened and not gone to take those pictures.
“How are you holding up, Jax?” Ollie asked as he sat on the ground beside her.
“I’m okay. I’m not the one being held hostage. I’m so scared for Tess,” Jaclyn said softly.
Ollie put his arm about her shoulders and held her against him.
“Tess is savvy. She will hold her own until we can rescue her,” he said comfortingly.
“Has there been additional information on the authority’s arrival,” Jax asked anxiously.
Ollie shook his head.
“They should be here sometime tonight. That’s all we know,” he replied.
“I really am happy that they are coming. I just wish they were here already,” Jaclyn sighed.
“They will be here in time, Jax. I feel it,” he said.
“And your feelings are never wrong,” she responded wryly.
“Never,” he grinned impishly.
Jaclyn looked at Ollie and felt a closeness with him that she had not recognized before. Maybe because he and Tony had been constantly competing for her attention that she hadn’t really seen his individualism. Ollie was drop dead gorgeous with his thick brown hair and hazel eyes. But it was his character that was mesmerizing her. He was caring, considerate and attentive; all the things that she had looked for in a man.
“I hope you are right,” she sighed.
“Don’t worry about it. Just believe,” he said.
Jaclyn allowed her head to fall on his shoulder. They sat in companionable silence for quite some time. Then Matt approached Ollie and tapped his shoulder. Ollie looked up at him.
“It’s time,” Matt said stoically.
Ollie nodded and stood. He helped Jaclyn rise. She was going with them but had been advised to stay well out of sight when they grew close to the shack. The four of them started out.
*****
Sergio looked across the dimly lit room and nodded to Todd. Todd rose from the rickety chair he’d been sitting on and went into the back room. He returned with an ugly long blade knife in his hand. Tess sucked in her breath.
“Dear Lord! He was going to chop her up like celery for a stew,” Tess thought wildly. “She had to do something to escape him.”
Todd held the wicked blade in one hand and grasped her arm with the other. He pulled her from the bench where she had been perched all day. They went out the front door. It was a very dark night but at least there was a full moon. It would shed the necessary light for her to make a run for it. But she didn’t know how she would break his iron-clad hold on her. She had to think fast for she knew time was running out for her. If only Matt would find her. She knew he must be looking for her and he would guess that she was at the shack. She could only think that he wanted to wait until night to rescue her. Suddenly Tess heard a vehicle. She looked to her right and saw a dark SUV and the military truck driving toward the shack. It must be their co-conspirators were arriving. The deal was about to go down.
“Come on,” Todd said brusquely.
He dragged her forward. Little did Todd know that he was being observed. Matt bristled when he saw Tess being manhandled. He itched to get his fingers around that bastard’s neck. Then an altercation broke out between Tess and her captor. She turned to face him and threw a knee to his groin then took off running.
“Let’s go!” Matt shouted.
“Stay here, Jax” Ollie yelled.
The men took off running toward Tess. Jaclyn said a prayer.
*****
Tess was running like her life depended on it; which it did. She only had a few yards on Todd as he had recovered and was running after her. But Tess had run track in college. She knew that if she focused she could outrun him. Todd had gained weight since she last seen him which was to her benefit. She looked over her shoulder to see if he how far away he was when she suddenly went headlong into the ground. Pain shot through her ankle and up her leg. She must have tripped over a rut when she looked over her shoulder. She grabbed her ankle and saw Todd standing over her breathing heavily.
“It’s over for you now, bitch,” Todd snarled.
He raised his arm high ready to plunge that hateful knife into her chest when suddenly he flew backward and landed flat on his back. Matt straddled him and tore the knife from his hand. He threw it aside and began to pummel Todd’s face. Tony and Jaclyn raced over to Tess.
“Tess! Are you alright?” Jaclyn asked anxiously.
“I think I twisted my ankle but otherwise I’m fine,” she said. “Thank God you found me. He was going to kill me.”
Tess shuddered uncontrollably. Jaclyn held her close.
“It’s alright now. You’re safe,” Jaclyn soothed her.
“You won’t ever have to worry about him again; not when Matt is finished with him,” Tony said.
She looked at Matt punching Todd at will. Matt raised his fist to punch Todd again but paused. Todd was nearly unconscious from the beating he had sustained. Matt lowered his arm and stood up. He moved away from him and saw Ollie standing a few feet away from him.
“I’ll watch the piece of shit,” Ollie said.
Matt
looked down at Todd’s thrashed face in revulsion then ran over to Tess and collapsed on the ground beside her. He enveloped her in his arms and held her fiercely.
“Thank God you’re safe,” he said gratefully.
He then gave her a lights out kiss that filled her heart with love. Tess knew she loved this man and she would no longer wait to tell him. She pulled back and opened her mouth to do so when they heard a helicopter overhead. The helicopter cast a bright light onto the ground illuminating the shack and people standing in the yard. Sergio, Cortez and their henchman tried to run but police cruisers blocked their exit. Agents swarmed the area. There was nowhere for the criminals to run.
“Matt, Sergio is selling to Sebastian Cortez,” Tess said.
“Cortez is the head of the Brazilian cartel. The FBI has been trying to catch Cortez for years,” Matt said.
Matt made a phone call to one of the agent giving him the information. He also told them to come and collect Todd. Then he turned back to Tess.
“Are you hurt?” Matt asked in concern.
“My ankle. I think I twisted it when I fell,” Tess responded.
Matt scooped her up in his arms just as the FBI approached to collect Todd. He was handcuffed and read his memorandum rights. Todd stared at Tess in loathing as he was led away. Tess hid her face in the crook of Matt’s neck.
“Let’s go home, babe,” Matt whispered.
*****
They arrived back at the house and Matt carried Tess inside. Ana saw Tess and was shocked.
“What happened?” Ana asked in concern.
Matt laid Tess on the sofa.
“It’s her ankle. She thinks she sprained it in a fall,” Matt said.
Ana immediately went into fuss mold and ran out of the room to get the first aid kit.
“I’ll tell Ana the entire story in the morning,” Matt said. “Right now, Tess is exhausted and needs her rest.”