He tapped another security code into the elevator panel and began the descent downward. At the bottom, the door opened, and he walked down a hallway with a single door at the end. Repeating the security systems again, the final door swung open. The main room of the Lighthouse Security Investigations was a cavernous space, the walls and ceilings reinforced with steel beams and panels. Underneath his feet was a concrete floor, smooth and solid while retaining the original look of the cave. Mace had had the room sealed and environmentally protected, and it was filled with computer equipment, stations where several of the men were already manning the keyboards while staring at screens.
Specialized printers, processors with high-speed connections, servers, and other computer equipment filled the back wall. Another wall contained large screens, multiple images flashing upon them. Software tools, specific to each employee, enhanced their ability to organize, access, and analyze information.
Hurrying by two of the desks near the entrance, he offered chin lifts to Babs and Sylvie on his way toward the conference table. Glad to see he was not the last one there, he snagged a loaded breakfast biscuit from a basket sitting in the center.
Chewing gratefully, he said, “Thank God for Marge’s breakfast biscuits!”
The others chuckled knowing that Marge, who could take down a much bigger man, use a weapon with deadly accuracy, and was incredibly intelligent with a sharp, analytical mind, could also cook like a southern grandma.
The last few Keepers came into the room, and the group quickly settled as Mace brought the morning meeting to order. “Blake? Updates on the Honduras situation?”
“I’m still working with the CIA agent and thought I was going to have to travel down there this week, but the CIA’s person of interest has already been brought back to the States,” Blake began.
“When were you going to tell me you wanted me to cancel the travel arrangements?” Babs asked, piping up from the corner, a scowl on her face.
Ducking his head, Blake mumbled, “Sorry…uh…I guess I won’t need those travel arrangements.”
The group grinned as Babs muttered her own curses from her desk as her fingers began flying over the keyboard.
Continuing, Blake added, “I’ll get my report submitted after I have another meeting with the agent.”
With a short nod, Mace looked at Tate. “Identity changes?”
“We’re working on one right now, with another possible two coming up. I get the feeling from the FBI Director, Jerry Dalton, that he would like to use us exclusively for their identity changes.”
Walker looked between Tate and Mace, seeing a dark eyebrow lift on his boss’ sardonic face.
Tate quickly said, “Don’t worry. I made no promises and reminded him he would have to talk to you about that.” Shrugging, he continued, “But, for now, it’s just a couple that I’m finishing up.”
“Chatter?” Mace asked.
One of the things that Mace had emphasized was that he felt strongly about using LSI’s resources for local and national assistance when necessary. He had the Keepers routinely monitor police reports, reading and dismissing most taglines until they came across one that snagged their attention. Then, with a little research, they could determine if it was a case that they felt needed their assistance. It was on a mission like this that Mace met Sylvie when David witnessed a murder and the local police did not believe it occurred.
Drew leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “I came in early and checked but didn’t come across anything that looked like it needed us.”
Several more Keepers gave reports on the missions they were working on, and Mace brought the meeting to a close as he gave out a few new assignments.
Walker headed over to his computer station, having agreed to work with Tate on one of the identity changes. He never minded any of the work that Mace assigned to him, but he nonetheless felt the itch to get back out into the field. As he thought on the strange feeling he had in the middle of the night, he wondered what it could mean. Maybe something interesting will come in today.
5
The morning was spent continuing their tour of Chichén Itzá, following Hernando around as he lectured on the various buildings and history. Julie had read that they were no longer able to climb to the top of El Castillo, listed as one of the new seven wonders of the world, because years before a woman had fallen to her death.
“Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could go to the top?” Tiffany said, her head leaned back as her gaze reached the top of the temple.
Smiling benevolently, Julie said, “Just pretend that you’re one of the common Mayan people. They would have never been allowed to enter many of the structures and certainly not climb to the top.”
Turning around in a circle with her arms spread wide, Andrea said with awe, “It’s so hard to imagine that these buildings have been here for over a thousand years and are so well-preserved!”
Smiling widely, Hernando beamed. “You ladies are an absolute dream for a humble guide like myself. To be able to show our beautiful sites and historical architecture to someone so young and so appreciative makes me truly happy.”
Julie could not help but meet his smile, pride moving through her. They finished their tour and began walking back to the parking lot. Their resort was right next to Chichén Itzá, but in the hot sun, the walk would have been unbearable.
Snapping a few last pictures, she tucked her phone into her bag, pulled out water bottles for the girls, and climbed into Hernando’s small van.
He dropped them off at the front of the resort and said, “You have time to eat lunch here and then you will need to have everything packed and ready to load up by one o’clock this afternoon. Then we will travel to Balam Caverns for a tour and lecture before traveling to our next destination.”
Leading the girls through the lobby, Julie said, “Let’s go back to the room and freshen up and get our bags packed. Then we can meet down at the restaurant for lunch.”
Glad for the two bathrooms in their large suite, Amanda and Tiffany took showers first, and then Jackie and Julie did the same. As she was getting dressed, there was a knock on the bathroom door.
“Ms. Baxter? Is it okay if we go on down and get a table?” Tiffany asked.
Ever cautious, Julie had made sure to accompany the girls everywhere, but she was almost ready, so she agreed. “Grab a table, and I’ll be there in just a moment.” She heard the door close, and she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. With a swipe of lip balm, she stepped out of the bathroom, grabbed her purse, and made sure to lock the door as she left.
Since they were only on the second floor, she decided to skip the elevator and take the open-air steps that were close to their room. Pausing on the landing for just a moment, she cast her gaze out over the palm trees and lush grass surrounding the blue swimming pool. This, by far, was the nicest resort they had stayed in, and she almost hated leaving it. But in another two days, they would be in Cancún, at a huge resort with multiple swimming pools, pristine white sand beaches, and a chance to simply lie in the sun.
She placed her hand on the rail as she turned to go down the last steps when a loud, rumbling boom sounded out and the world began to shake. She fell forward, bouncing on the last few concrete steps, crying out in pain. A large crack appeared in the wall next to her and bricks began to shatter, falling from the ceiling, crashing all around.
Scrambling to her feet, she threw her hands over her head and tried to run into the cafeteria, her steps as wobbly as a drunk. The screams of others met her ears, and her gaze darted around the room. Part of the ceiling had crashed to the floor, chairs overturned, dishes shattered next to upended tables.
Desperate to find the girls, she screamed for them, grateful when Jackie screamed her name in return. Their wide-eyed, frightened expressions locked on hers and they rushed to her, their steps as drunken as hers. They clung to each other, tears streaming down Tiffany’s cheeks while Andrea’s and Jackie’s expressions registered shock.
The shaking of the building had slowly subsided, but as she looked above to a precariously swinging light fixture, she cried, “We’ve got to get out of here!”
She herded them through the large doors, the glass now shattered about the floor. Rushing over the grass along with other resort visitors and staff, they stood near a tree.
“Oh my God, oh my God,” Andrea cried, pale and shaking.
Tucking Andrea close to her, she felt the girl’s body quivering, and with her hands on her shoulders pushed slightly, encouraging her knees to buckle so she could sit on the grass.
“Ms. Baxter, what are we going to do?” Tiffany asked, her lips trembling and her chest heaving.
“Our stuff. All our stuff is in the room,” Jackie moaned, kneeling next Andrea. She jerked her face up toward Julie’s and continued, “I left my purse up there. I shouldn’t have, but I left my purse up there and it’s got my passport!”
Standing, Julie looked around, her mind racing. People were still pouring out of the resort, some being held by others, some with injuries. Hernando? Where’s Hernando? He’d know what to do.
Not seeing their intrepid tour guide, she tried to reason out the best thing to do. Squatting, she said, “Girls, listen to me. I need you to focus and listen carefully to me.” Assured that she had their full attention, she said, “I’m going to run up the steps and grab what I can. I won’t be able to get everything, but I’ll grab what I can, especially your purses and passports. But do not leave from this spot! I don’t care what anyone says to you or who comes by…you must stay here! When I get back out here in a few minutes, I can’t wander around wondering where you are. Promise me!”
The promises from the girls came quickly, and she squeezed their hands. Uncertain if she was making the right decision, she refused to waste any more time thinking about it and ran toward the building.
The crack in the wall running by the stairwell was even wider, but she refused to focus on the danger. Several more people were hurrying down the stairs, and she pushed against them, going against the flow. Rounding the top of the concrete steps, she rushed to their room, pulling out the room key with shaking hands. Fumbling, she prayed that the earthquake had not disarmed all of the automatic doors. “Come on, come on,” she grunted in frustration. Finally hearing the click, her breath left her lungs in a rush as she pushed open the door.
Their room was a mess, more cracks in the walls exposed, tables toppled over, and the glass windows were shattered. Stopping for a second, she closed her eyes and centered her focus, forcing her tangled thoughts to what she needed. Purses. Passports. Change of clothes. Water bottles!
She ran to the girls’ bedroom, finding Jackie’s purse, glad that Andrea and Tiffany had theirs. Throwing open their suitcases, she grabbed a few clothes from each one, shoving them into their small travel backpacks, heedless of which clothes went into which case. Remembering that the girls were wearing flip-flops, she saw their sneakers near the beds and grabbed those as well.
The building began to shake again, and her heart halted its beat for a second until the shaking stopped. Aftershocks. That must’ve been an aftershock. A few more pieces of ceiling tile fell, and her sense of urgency heightened even more.
Running into the next bedroom, she grabbed her larger backpack, shoved some clothes in it, glad she was wearing her sneakers. Racing to the small refrigerator, she filled another bag with water bottles and all the snacks they had accumulated.
Arms now full with four backpacks filled to capacity, another bag equally heavy with food and water, and her ever-present large purse stuffed with more things she could grab, she fled the room.
The building shook with another aftershock, this one slightly stronger than the last, just as she got to the stairs. Shock and adrenaline had kept her from noticing the pain in her wrist and knees, but she instinctively clutched the railing as she went back down. Continually glancing above, praying no pieces of the building were going to fall on her, she rushed out onto the lawn.
Hearing her name screamed, she looked up, grateful to see all three girls where she left them, now running toward her. They collapsed to the ground, and she fought to catch her breath.
“When we get somewhere safe, we’ll repack everything so that you know what’s in your own bag. I was just grabbing and shoving things in any bag open, so I’m sure all your stuff is everywhere. Double check to make sure you’ve got your passports, phones, and billfolds.”
“You’re hurt!” Jackie exclaimed, looking down at her shins.
“It’s just some scrapes,” she said, glancing down at the abraded skin. “I’m fine.”
“Ms. Baxter, we haven’t seen Hernando yet,” Tiffany said, her eyes watery.
Reaching over to grab her hand, Julie squeezed. “I’m sure he’s running around looking for us.” The lawn was filled with other vacationers and staff, some nursing injuries, many crying. Standing, she spied a tall palm tree off to the side and said, “Let’s go over there. We can go through our belongings, and I think Hernando will be able to find us more easily if we’re out of the main crowd.”
“What’s gonna happen to us?” Jackie asked.
Shaking her head, she replied, “I know we’ll be fine, and I don’t know exactly how the resort management and local police are going to handle this, but I’m sure we’ll be fine. If the van is okay, then Hernando can find us and get us out of here.”
She herded the girls over to the bare ground near the tall palm tree, and they set their bags down, kneeling next to them. Wanting to give them an occupation to focus on, she said, “Dump everything out and carefully go through it. Take your things and put them in your own bag.”
While the girls divided the belongings that she had managed to grab, she stood guard over them as she tried to ascertain if there was any rhyme or reason to what the resort management was doing. Her wrist was beginning to throb, and she was grateful when a man walked over to them and asked if they needed any medical assistance.
“I think we’re okay, except I fell when leaving the building, and my wrist may be sprained.”
He gave it a cursory glance, dug into his bag, and pulled out an elastic bandage. “This is all I have.” He handed it to her before hustling over to the next group.
She wrapped her wrist as best she could, then turned to see how the girls were doing. Pleased to see they were finished, they stood, each slinging their own backpack over their shoulders. Turning back around, her gaze continued to scan the madness of the scene before her, searching desperately for any sign of Hernando.
“Where can he be? He must be looking for us.”
“Can you call him?” Jackie asked.
Swinging her head around, she realized that Jackie had come up with a solution she had never thought of. Jesus, I’m the one who supposed to be taking care of them! Nodding, she said, “You’re right.” Pulling her phone out of her bag, she dialed the number he had given them on the first day. The phone rang several times, but there was no answer.
Finally turning back to the girls, their wide eyes staring at her, she recognized trust. Shit. They’re looking at me to make this all better, and I’ve got no frigging clue what I’m doing! Giving a quick mental shake, she said, “I think we need to walk around and see if we can find Hernando. I want us to stick together, though. Under no circumstances do I want us to separate at all.”
The girls immediately nodded, none appearing to desire separation either. Making sure they had all their belongings, they began walking through the throngs of people, searching for any sign of their guide.
The earthquake had only struck forty-five minutes earlier, but evidence of humanity was all around. People were assisting each other. Hotel staff was passing out water bottles. And the few harried medical personnel helped those they could.
Turning to the girls as they continued to scan the area for Hernando, she assured, “We’ll be fine. There’ll be food and drink here, and I’m sure rescue officials will come and let us know what to do.” As
the words left her mouth, she realized she had no certainty that she was speaking the truth but could not imagine that help would not come.
The sound of a phone ringing met her ears, and she turned to look at Tiffany as she was digging in her bag. Tiffany pulled out her phone, looked at the caller ID, and connected. “Dad? Dad, can you hear me?” She paused for only a few seconds, and then burst into tears, saying, “Dad, there was an earthquake!”
6
The morning had continued to be slow, each of the Keepers working on their assignments. Walker considered what he wanted to do for lunch. It would take almost thirty minutes to drive to the nearest restaurant, but Marge kept a well-stocked refrigerator and pantry in the house upstairs. At least I can fix a sandwich. And maybe Marge will have some of her homemade soup as well.
Disgusted with himself for spending so much time thinking about food, he recognized the restlessness as needing to get out into the field. Deciding on a workout in the gym, he stood, stretching his back, wincing at the pain that always hit him after he had been sitting for too long. Before he had a chance to see if anyone else wanted to hit the gym, Babs called out, “Mace! Senator Daniels from Florida is on the line. Says it’s an emergency.”
“Put him on speaker,” Mace ordered.
Walker turned and faced his boss, and like all the other Keepers was immediately on alert.
“Senator Daniels. Mason Hanover here, what can I do for you, sir?”
“Mr. Hanover, I need you and I need you now.” The Senator’s words were rushed, and his voice was shaking with obvious emotion. “My teenage daughter is on a trip in Mexico, and they just had an earthquake.”
Mace nodded toward Tate, who, with a few clicks of his keyboard, pulled up the news and a map of Mexico on the big screen. According to the seismologists, an 8.2 earthquake had occurred in the Yucatán between Mérida and Chichén Itzá.
Walker: Lighthouse Security Investigations Page 3