“That can’t have been very good for your ego,” Tucker barked. “So, what did you do, or did you live continuously in fear?”
“One day, I hit her back. She, the older one, had a black eye that nearly extended from her unibrow down to her jaw. Big and purple. Looked like a birthmark. And with her bloodshot eye, she looked like a witch in a Disney movie. My dad was worried we’d have to leave the island.”
Tucker found that funny and belly-laughed for several minutes. “There’s something so pure about that, Jason. A bully is just a bully when it comes down to it. That was justice. You’re a force for good.”
“I spent half the year mowing the family’s lawn, too with one of those push mowers as my penance. They’d sprinkle the grass with dog poop from the neighbors.”
Tucker was losing it, but Jason had never considered it a funny story.
“Did they ever outgrow their obsession to torture you?”
“When I outgrew them. They were still tilting some three hundred pounds at barely sixteen, but I got to be six foot my Freshman year in high school and that kind of ended their fun. Plus, I could way outrun them.”
Tucker shook his head, still guffawing from time to time, until the urge left him.
“So were you not closer to your mom than your dad? For some reason, I thought you would be.”
“I think I was. Dad was not comfortable around kids. He loved us, but he was more westernized. Worked in a big hotel and had ridiculous hours. Mom and her sisters were the keepers of the stories. I seemed to cleave to that side of things. I was always fascinated with the pageantry of the feasts, the dancing. I started getting my tats at about eleven.”
“Whoa! That’s not something I could have done. My mom would have shredded my skin with sandpaper if I’d done that.”
“Only thing important to my mom was that it looked good. We were starting to experiment on ourselves, and, well, you know, we didn’t know what the hell we were doing. And, it’s permanent, you know.”
“Fuck yeah. I could see how it would be kind of important. I had my ex’s name altered, and I can tell you it’s not an easy thing to do.”
“You shed blood for Brandy. That’s a good man!”
Tucker roared at that one, and they clinked their plastic glasses and demanded more. The skinny male attendant did leave them the rest of the tray this time.
“I’m going to sleep through dinner, I think,” said Tucker.
“Breakfast. We got breakfast coming, not dinner. And not for another four hours, Tucker.”
“Well, if I pass out, wake me, okay?”
“Roger that, buddy.”
Jason knew he was going to have to pee, so decided to do it now before Tucker got too comfortable.
“That’s a good idea, son,” Tucker said as he followed him to the restroom compartment ahead of them.
Jason could hardly fit inside the doorway of the little room. He wasn’t sure Tucker would be able to.
He washed his hands and waved to the rest of the squad sitting in the back of the plane then took his seat. He checked his phone and saw the message from Kiley, but was unable to play it. He saved the number to her contact and settled in for a long nap, or as long as his bladder would let him.
Jason woke up as the plane lurched forward on their ascent. The force of his body against the strength of the seat belt popped the device open and he hit his forehead on the seat in front of him. If Tucker hadn’t been seated next to him, he’d have been sprawled on the floor in the aisle.
Tucker’s quick hands yanked his shoulders back so his body didn’t rise en route to a short flight into the attendant cabin.
“You all right?” he shouted over the noise of the engines.
Jason checked his shoulder, then his chest and held up the broken seat belt with his left hand. “That’s never happened to me before.”
“Me neither.”
Jason had gotten drunk and sober on the plane, the flight was so long. They had each been served double helpings of breakfast, which helped. They’d passed on the mimosas. So when they deplaned in Madrid, both Tucker and Jason went on a quest for some strong coffee and located a small espresso stand. The rest of the squad hung together in the waiting area for the Iberia prop jet to Gran Canaria.
He excused himself to try calling Kiley, but the phone never picked up, since no answering message had been created. He swore to himself internally when he saw the second voicemail, she’d left him and wished he’d tried to listen to that first.
Her first few words sent him immediately into a runaway elevator.
‘…but I’m taking charge of the situation. Don’t worry.’
It had the opposite effect on Jason. He hoped he could make contact before they boarded. He paced in front of Tucker and a handful of the guys seated in the waiting area until their flight was called.
This time the plane was packed with tourists. The seats didn’t incline, and there was no first class. Both he and Tucker were seated in a middle row seat with college-age kids on either side of them. At first, sleep was impossible due to the banter between the aisle seat and the window inhabitant. Tucker stopped it on his side by growling with his eyes closed. Shortly afterwards, Jason could detect some of Tucker’s world class farts, and that seemed to quiet the whole back end of the plane for nearly an hour.
Finally, nearly twenty-four hours after landing in New York, they arrived at Gran Canaria and the port city of Las Palmas. They were shuttled by van to a small resort right on a stretch of pristine beach with a view of the blue waters of the Atlantic in severe contrast to a line of stark white cruise ships.
Kyle and Jack Gridley were to take Kelly Fielding and Sven Tolar and check in with their Spanish liaisons downtown, as well as secure reserved transportation, while the rest of Jason’s flight was left to explore the picturesque town nearby with its numerous watering holes and restaurants. The brick streets and bright-colored plaster storefronts looked like a patchwork quilt of different cultures: Portuguese, Spanish, and old Morocco. They were to return before nightfall to connect with the other members arriving on later flights and to go over the plans for the subsequent days.
He walked with a group including Coop, Fredo, Jake, Damon, and the brothers-in-law Tyler and Trace. Several other groups went ahead separately.
Damon left a message for Martel while Jason did the same for Kiley. “They’re shopping. I think that’s what she said they were going to do. Martel turns her phone off.”
“I got a message from Kiley that there’s a little wrinkle in her plans. I’m kind of worried about her. I would think she’d want to be available after that, but who knows?”
“I’m sure they’re fine. She’ll call. We’re what? Five hours ahead here?”
“Yup.”
“Might be late, but she’ll call,” reassured Damon.
Jason walked with his hand in his jacket pocket, gripping the cell he hoped would vibrate soon, connecting him to Kiley’s world. He wished she’d gone into detail about the concern he heard in her voice, but there wasn’t anything he could do but wait.
Worry over Kiley’s phone call made it difficult to play the part of a casual tourist. The fact that all the guys were excessively built and inked didn’t help either. Their sunglasses matched, being Navy-issue, which was a dumb mistake someone should have caught.
Though they were on an island with miles of beautiful beach rimming the perimeter, it didn’t feel anything like Jason’s homeland. For one, the foliage was scarce, not because it wouldn’t grow but because every stick of wood was harvested and made into fence posts, used to patch a wall, or turned into some small trinket at the tourist stalls. It was cleaner than he remembered Cape Verde had been, and it had more of a European population of visitors, mostly young twenty-somethings in beach attire. Jason’s teammates wore too much clothing and didn’t smile.
Well, not until they were eating fresh fruit from a street vendor and a local burro peed on Damon’s shoe. That started a series of pr
anks until they found a pork barbeque stand that served ribs, of all things. The dinner was simple. It consisted of ribs, red rice, beans, and pitchers of some local drink made from coconut milk. In fact, Jason couldn’t recall seeing a green vegetable anywhere.
The pork was divine, dripping in hot barbeque sauce with chunks of pineapple in it. They ate steamed yams seasoned with cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter for dessert.
The sun was hanging low in the horizon, so the group commandeered two donkey carts and had a race back to their hotel. Dusty and smelling of alcohol, they entered the lobby to a room filled with newly arrived team guys who were tired, cranky, and lacked any sense of humor.
A list of room assignments were given out. Jason and Damon had been placed together, so they headed to the second floor to unpack their minimal load.
“Have you heard anything from Martel?” Jason asked on the way up the stairs. He was taking them two-by-two, the alcohol in his system giving him an extra spring in his step.
“Not yet. I’m sure she’ll call tonight. Might be late.” Damon unlocked their door and stepped into a huge room with a balcony overlooking the blue Atlantic. “Wow. This is hella better than last trip.”
“Well, you forget, this isn’t Africa. It’s part of Spain,” reminded Jason.
“Would you look at that?” Damon said, opening up the sliding glass door to the balcony.
Jason looked out. A gentle warm breeze blew from the ocean. The surf was flaccid but rolled in nearly a half mile. “Damn, if the surf was any bigger, this would be perfect. I’ll bet it is during storm season.”
“You’re probably right. Just look at all the blue water and beach. Does this remind you of Hawaii?”
Jason listened for a minute and then shook his head. “Not a bit. You can barely hear the ocean. There are no palm trees to sit in the shade. No sounds of the women singing, no smell of flowers. In fact, I don’t see any green at all.”
“You’re kidding. You’ve got the sun, the beach.”
Jason sniffed the air. “Actually, it smells of burro pee.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Damon said as he looked down at his stained pants and leather sandals. I’ll wash everything out tonight. Will that suit you, your Highness?”
“As long as you get that sick puppy smell out, I’m good.”
Damon leaned against the railing. “You sure this doesn’t remind you of Hawaii? It’s an island.”
“Nope. That hot, dry sun? Hawaii is gentle. This is harsh. You turn into a prune here. Even too hot for swimming.”
“Sort of like Florida, then?”
“A lot like Florida but different.” Jason picked one of the beds and then unpacked his shaving gear. He leaned against the doorway of the bathroom just as someone whistled from downstairs.
“Showtime!” said Damon, jumping to his feet.
“Listen, if she calls and I’m asleep, I don’t care how late it is. Wake me up, okay?”
“Will do, Jason.”
They ran downstairs to join the rest of their teammates who were gathering, waiting for instructions.
Chapter 12
Kiley called ahead to make sure Aimee and Martel were still home and then walked the short distance to the Carr residence. Andy was puttering in the kitchen, and he directed her to go upstairs to see the girls.
“Martel talked to Damon. They arrived safely,” Andy shouted up the stairs after her.
Kiley leaned over the railing. “When was that?”
“They just hung up. About five minutes ago.”
“I wonder why Jason hasn’t called me?”
Andy shrugged. He held a glass of wine in his right hand. “Are you staying for dinner?”
“Do you have enough?”
“We’ve got plenty.”
“Okay then. Let me go check in with Aimee.”
“Roger that,” Andy said and went back to his food prep.
She found the two girls painting the smaller bedroom a light shade of blue. “Wow! Looks nice, Aimee.”
“You think so? I debated. I thought maybe this room would make a nice nursery, if that should happen. But I liked this blue, and it goes with the color of the sky, so I went with it.”
Kiley smiled at Martel. “Andy says you got a call from Damon?”
“Yes, he told me they landed safely. He said Jason has been trying to reach you.”
Kiley checked her phone. No messages registered there. “I gave him this number to call. I’ll give him a try right now. Just a minute.”
She ran to the master bedroom, sat on a chair on the deck overlooking the ocean, and dialed Jason’s number again. He picked it up on the first ring.
“Hey there. I’ve been worried—”
Kiley was relieved to hear his voice. “Nothing to be concerned about. I told you that.”
“You need to tell me what’s going on, Kiley.”
“Corbin published my article early, and they’ve been getting tips pouring into the paper. He’s got the police chief calling me, so it looks like we’re getting some action.”
“That’s good news. So what was the complication you talked about? And, honey, don’t ever leave a message like that again, okay?”
“Fine. I won’t.”
“And? The complication?”
“Now Carmen’s gone missing.”
“What?”
“I’m going to fly back there tomorrow and do some digging. Find out who she talked to. And now since the police are interested, I’ll have someone to give my information to. I’m going to help them, Jason.”
“Hold it, Kiley. They said you could help them?”
“Well, Corbin said—”
“Did the police say they wanted your help?”
“The chief called my editor; said he had some questions for me. So, I’ve left him a message and told him I’d answer all his questions tomorrow when I arrive.”
“No way, Kiley. You didn’t promise to go back to Portland?”
“I think it will be fine now. I have allies. Michael is on the story, so is my editor, and I have the ear of the chief.”
“This is the chief you didn’t trust to give the information to before?”
“Yes, but that was—”
“The one hired by the mayor you said told your editor to bury the story?”
“Yes, but that was—”
“And you haven’t received any reassurances from anyone. You were not even sure you could trust your editor, last I heard.”
“But with Carmen out of the picture, who’s going to go interview the houses, and the—?”
“What houses, Kiley?”
“The group homes several of these women were staying at. I’ve got notes, and interview tapes from the staff. If I have to, I’ll share these with the chief so he can do his investigation.”
“Have any of the girls been found yet?”
Kiley hesitated. “Just the four.”
“It’s a very bad idea to go back to Portland,” he whispered. “Promise me you won’t do that, not until I get back home.”
“But you said—”
“I said I couldn’t interfere. And I can’t. But I can keep you safe. Don’t you see the problem?”
“Yes, you’re halfway around the world.”
“Exactly.”
“But I gave my word, and besides, everyone’s pulling in the same direction. The police are on board. All the research has been done. Now I just have to give them what they need to launch their investigation.”
“You’re still in danger.”
“But that was only until the report was filed. Now that it’s out, the public knows. It’s like shining a light on it. I think all the pressure was to stop the publication of my report. That’s been done. The cat’s out of the bag.”
“Except you said you needed to help them with their investigation. You honestly think you’ll be able to be involved in that? The police don’t work that way, Kiley.”
“But I have the notes, the interviews.”
“Correct. And that puts you in danger.”
“Well, I’d just be helping them. All I would do is show them my findings.”
“Which was not in the paper. Not all of it, right?”
“Right.”
“So it sounds to me that if Carmen were somehow interfered with, someone didn’t want that research to go forward.”
“But she never had all the information.”
“And don’t you suppose they know that by now?”
It hadn’t occurred to her that Carmen’s status, if she was in harm’s way, was altered by the fact that the paper published Kiley’s article. A wave of ice water filled her veins and caused that familiar shiver down her spine.
“Who has that information, Kiley?”
“I do.” She didn’t want to admit it, but Jason was right. And then she thought about her phone. “I should at least talk to the police in Portland, though.”
“Probably. They’ll find you, if you don’t.”
“Through my cell. I have to get rid of the cell. I gave that number to the chief.”
“Look, Kiley. Wait until I get back. Hopefully, it will be just a couple of weeks. We’re not expecting to be here long. I’ll ask Kyle tomorrow if I can have leave after we return stateside. Then I’ll accompany you. But wait until I get that permission, okay?”
“What are you going to tell him?”
“The truth, or what I believe you told me was the truth. The missing girls, especially the new one. We can look the articles up online. I can’t break any laws, and I can’t interfere with local law enforcement. But I can protect you. We do that all the time. We protect State Department officials, embassies, traveling heads of state.”
“Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll wait here. And I’ll get rid of the cell.”
“I think that’s wise.”
Jason’s silence made her nervous. “What are you not telling me, Jason?”
“As much as I hate to say it, I think you should tell Andy. I’d like to hear what he has to say about it. Have him call me if he needs to. But let me ask you one question first.”
Escape To Sunset: One Night Stand Romance-Hiding From The Mob (Sunset SEALs Book 4) Page 11