“Alright,” Nick murmured. “I was going to ask you about living accommodations.”
Rand continued, “As a matter of fact, the office space in downtown Crystal Rock is currently being remodeled. It’s an older building and we’re trying to keep the historical value intact, and it just so happens there are two apartments that are going to be available upstairs. I figured I would offer the both of you living accommodations for free as one of the perks, as well as health insurance and retirement options.”
Nick was looking at Rand strangely.
“What?” Rand asked. “You’re looking at me like I have two heads.”
“He’s beginning to wonder if you do,” Jack answered, grinning. “One that plays at being a bad boy, womanizing jock, and the other with a head for business.”
“Exactly,” Nick murmured, definitely looking dazed.
“I told my Dad I was interested in working with him when I was fifteen years old,” Rand growled. “And he wouldn’t have a thing to do with me. Jake Loughlin came along and showed me the ropes. I think half my determination to succeed in the same business my father was in had to do with me wanting to be able to throw it in is face one day.”
“I don’t blame you being bitter,” Jack answered.
“It’s like an obsession with me,” Rand answered. “I’ve come to hate my dad, even though I had a great life being raised by my grandparents.”
Rand shook his head numbly. He didn’t need to go to that dark place that occasionally overtook his thoughts.
“But enough of that,” he muttered.
“So. you’re sure about hiring both of us?” Jack asked. “I’ll put my notice in as soon as I return to work on Wednesday.”
“Damn right. The two of you can report to work during the week of December 12th. How does that sound? That’ll give you a few weeks to get moved from Virginia and in to your apartments. We’ll pay your moving expenses as well. Since I won’t be there to show you the ropes, Mike will. You’ll both need your realtor’s license, which I doubt will give you much trouble. The office can officially open in January.”
“What’s the name of our place of business again?” Nick asked with a grin.
“Northwest Realty and Property Management,” Rand answered.
Just then, Nick and Jack’s flight number echoed through the air.
The three of them stood up from their seats, and Nick and Jack each held out a hand.
Rand snorted, giving Nick a quick hug with a slap on the back first, before doing the same for Jack.
“Thanks for everything, Rand,” Jack murmured as he and Nick headed toward the boarding line.
Nick halted, turning back to Rand. “I hope it works out for you and Ciara, Rand.”
Rand smiled wryly. “Me too, Nick.”
After the two men were out of sight, Rand sighed, murmuring under his breath. “I’d better get this show on the road.”
He had several places he needed to check out today. Rand had taken his computer program to the faces of the remaining suspect conspirators and had worked on some appearance variations. Rakir Humar had only been recently added to the suspect list, but some of the remaining men had been questioned in the past, so they were more likely to alter their looks so as not to be as easily recognizable if they were still intent on doing harm.
All of the suspects were spread out, working different types of jobs upon the island in the tourism industry, which was a reason in itself to be suspicious of every single man on the list. There’d been several very real bombing attempts exposed due to the work of the anti-terrorism unit, but they were concerned there was a much wider net of ISIS disciples whom they’d failed to capture.
Including one of the main players in the ISIS organization, who was believed to have moved right here to the island to insure their next targeted attack was successful.
Rand spent the day taking pictures and doing casual observation of the rest of the men on his list. The remaining men had names originating from a combination of Turkish, Indian and even Nigerian descent, which was nothing unusual if they were trying to hide their identities. It was disturbing how easy it seemed for Isil to provide documentation and passports for supporting their members false citizenship. Sakir Kamil was working at a Boat Charter and Car Rental Service close to Rand’s home, so he would be saved for last.
As opposed to Rakir Humar, the remaining men had jobs which kept them shadowed in the background. Therefore, it was difficult to identify all the remaining suspects where they worked. One who was hired at the National park, Rand discovered was a dishwasher in the cafeteria kitchen, while another who was working at the same kite-surfing park which Rand himself frequented was in charge of keeping track of rental equipment for park-provided activities.
All in all, Rand was satisfied with the work he’d accomplished that day he decided, pulling his SUV into the driveway of his home around five-o’clock that afternoon.
As he stepped inside the foyer, he tried to envision its grandeur through Ciara’s eyes. It was a mansion, even looking at it through the eyes of someone from the U.S. who was used to grandiose standards. With ten bedrooms and almost as many bathrooms, it was one of the largest private homes on the island.
While Rand had still complied with certain guidelines when building, the property was leased, because no one from the U.S. could own property here, although it had been rumored that it could potentially change in the near future. Also, the help Rand hired to take care of the home and the property were required to be islanders.
But Rand made it easy for the husband and wife team of Wayan and Kerilyntaryn, by providing them with a home near the property’s edge. Since Rand lived here alone and had few guests, all he asked was for someone to come in occasionally and clean or prepare some native dishes for Rand and his friends. He was treated with respect, because Rand respected the islanders too.
“Hello, Kerilyntaryn,” Rand murmured, walking into the kitchen.
“Wayan has been grooming the outside, and I have been cleaning for your guests.”
“Everything looks beautiful,” he said to the pretty Balinese woman standing near the sink. “Your baby is coming soon. Don’t overdue it.”
“Oh. I am fine,” she murmured, laying her hand over the bump of her belly.
“Well. I have a date tonight, so I guess I’d better get ready. I have to pick her up in an hour.”
“Another date? Me and Wayan think you need wife,” she said softly.
Rand froze, and then he started coughing.
Kerilyntaryn giggled, continuing to put away dishes.
Rand finally asked, “You’re not serious?”
“Oh, maybe I am not.” She grinned slyly. “Or maybe I am.”
“Okay. I’ll take that to heart.” Rand laughed.
“Eh. I do not believe that.” She snorted. “You go get ready.”
Rand laughed harder as he left the kitchen.
Chapter Thirteen
Emma and Janelle were having a fabulous vacation, and even though Ciara spent a lot of time with Rand, she and Janelle were always invited along to tour the island and see the sights.
But by the time Friday arrived, trouble was brewing on Bali. There was talk of tropical storms developing. So far, the forecast left Bali safe from the warning being broadcast as far south as Australia and north as the Philippines.
Emma and Janelle left the hotel early that morning and moved over to Rand’s place for the duration of the storms since it was like a fortress.
The next few days provided quite a challenge for Rand and the girls. Due to the deep spirituality of the natives, several families were still ready to leave their fate to the Gods. But Rand managed to convince some of the ex-pat families living near the beach to come and stay until after the storms when he couldn’t convince them to evacuate. Bali was close enough to the moderating effect of the equator to usually miss out on typhoons, tornadoes, and tropical cyclones, but apparently, this time, they wouldn’t be so lucky.
When W
ednesday came, so did the type four storm. Silence first, and then an eerie darkness before devastation struck, rolling waves thundering across the walls of Rand’s home, which had been reinforced with steel rebar and concrete when it had been built.
There were two generators for backup power, but only the essential electronics were left to work off the external sources. Rand and Ciara had purchased and stored as much food as possible, intending to ration it out to those who might be left homeless after the storms.
When the first crush of the cyclone blasted through, everyone gathered in the upstairs living room, where an electric heater circulated some warmth through the room. The storm went on for hours, every once in a while drowning out their conversation, or causing someone to jump when it was obvious that something heavy had either fallen onto the house or been ripped and flown through the air outside.
Eventually, the eerie silence returned, and Rand had gone onto his laptop to see if he had a signal so he could check to see how the island was holding up.
Surprisingly, he’d had a signal, which was a sign that the interior of the island was probably still intact. Checking the news, he’d been able to see that indeed there had been a lot of devastation in the southern portion of Bali, including Nusa Dua.
Rand’s cell phone suddenly rang, and he pursed his lips and answered, “Hello?”
There was a rumbling of his voice as he moved through the room, pressing a button and opening one of the shutters to get a view of the land outside.
“Whoa,” Ciara murmured, staring at the debris that had washed up along the beach.
Actually, it didn’t even look like a beach anymore, Emma realized. Laying on the patio were two huge palms, completely uprooted by the winds.
“There’s not as much damage here as I expected,” Rand murmured, listening to whoever was on the phone.
“Yep,” he said. “She sure can. She’s a licensed pilot and also knows how to operate a chopper. If you can get to us, I’m sure she’d be willing to help.”
Apparently, search and rescue needed them, and Ciara nodded her agreement to help.
“Okay,” Rand answered. “I’ll call you back in a moment, after I try and figure where you can land.”
“I doubt there’s anywhere,” Emma murmured. “And Kerilyntaryn still thinks she isn’t in labor, so Janelle is watching her like a hawk, so she doesn’t overdue it. Janelle thinks the baby’s coming in the next twenty-four hours.”
* * *
By Friday morning, the island had finally been given the all clear from other threats of storms. They were working on restoring the power, since southern Bali was the only area still without it since it had received the most damage from the cyclone.
Some of the men staying here were on their way into town so they could check out their homes and assess the damages.
Emma was standing in the kitchen and chatting with Ciara, surrounded by kids and a couple of the wives who’d remained while the others had gone to check out the hurricane damage, when Rand appeared, wearing a fierce frown on his face.
“Uh, oh,” she said to Ciara. “It looks something’s up. I can handle things here.”
Ciara met him halfway across the kitchen, reaching for his hand. “What is it, Rand?”
His eyes searched the room, before he whispered, “Let’s go outside for a walk. I’ve got some bad news.”
Emma had a feeling that Rand might be needed elsewhere. His air of authority had not gone unnoticed this past week, and Janelle and Emma knew he was something other than he pretended to be.
When Ciara finally returned several hours later, it was to tell Emma and Janelle that Rand was on his way off the island. She wasn’t allowed to talk about specifics, but yes Rand was a special investigator whose identity might have been compromised. So he’d been reassigned, because of being identified by local terrorist groups.
* * *
The following seven days ended up being the strangest week of Emma’s life. Janelle, Ciara and Emma stuck to a schedule. In the mornings they’d travel to some of the more essential areas of the city and help with cleanup, while later in the morning they would distribute food and care packages which were being delivered regularly via chopper. After that, they would assist with temporary evacuation of children and more fragile individuals who’d been hurt, although not severely.
When they returned to Rand’s home exhausted during late afternoon, Ciara spent time downstairs in Rand’s living space sorting through his things and packing boxes of items to send back to the states and put in storage. Apparently, Rand had spoken with his grandparents and given Ciara the address of where to send his things since Bali was the one place he would not be able to return for a long while, if ever.
Although Kerilyntaryn didn’t end up in labor the night of the storm, after insisting to Janelle that she wasn’t, it was definitely a prelude for what was to come.
With only two more days on the island, Emma was awoken by a painful cry during the middle of the night.
Janelle, who’d been sharing the room with her, was nowhere to be seen when Emma scrambled from the bed.
Rather than reach for her robe, she decided to get dressed instead, and after leaving the bedroom, Emma followed the sound of the woman’s cries echoing through the air.
Emma found Janelle with Kerilyntaryn laying on the bed in the master bedroom, which had it’s own private bathroom.
As Emma walked inside the bedroom, Ciara appeared with a large sheet of plastic in her hands.
“Let’s put this beneath her,” Ciara said. “Emma, why don’t you try and slip it on the mattress while Janelle and I lift her a little from the bed?”
“Where’s Wayan?” Emma asked, as she did as she was instructed. It looked like the baby would arrive any minute.
“Pacing outside instead of in here. He was driving us nuts,” Janelle muttered.
For the first time since the storm, Emma grinned.
Walking up to Kerilyntaryn, Emma asked softly, “How are you feeling?”
“Not good,” Kerilyntaryn murmured, crunching her teeth as another contraction started. “I am glad you ladies are here.”
“We are too,” Janelle answered. “Emma? How about wetting down a washcloth? It’s awfully warm tonight, so maybe you can wipe Kerilyntaryn’s face and try and keep her comfortable. Also, we could use a small tub filled with warm water for when the baby comes. Ciara and I will handle the rest.”
“How can you be so calm?” Emma asked.
“Simple,” Janelle answered. “My mom was a midwife. I also delivered two of my sisters and a brother while I was a teenager.”
Both Ciara and Emma looked at her in obvious astonishment.
“I don’t know about you, Em, but I think there’s a lot I’d like to know about our friend Janelle.”
“Ditto,” Emma murmured, smiling at Ciara.
“Let’s get this show on the road,” Janelle murmured. “It’s almost time.”
* * *
Two hours later, Wayan was back inside with wife, staring proudly at his newborn son.
“What did they name him?” Emma asked.
Ciara grinned. “I think it will be Wayan too. Rand told me that that daughters and sons are named by the order they’re born. It’s part of the native tradition, and there are only a few common names, I believe.”
Emma grimaced. “I wonder how they keep each other straight?”
Janelle laughed.
“I almost hate to leave in a few days. Everything here is still so unsettled,” Ciara said. “I’ll clean out all the food we won’t need from the fridge and do a few other things before we go to make it easier for Kerilyntaryn. I guess that Wayan and Kerilyntaryn will remain in their own home on the edge of the property while no one is living here, and they’ll continue to work as caretakers.”
“Let’s get some sleep,” Janelle said. “The baby seems healthy, and I’m sure that Kerilyntaryn is more than capable of caring for him. Supposedly, she has many brother
s and sisters, some who were here during the storm.”
“I’ve nearly got Rand’s things ready to go, so I’ll finish that up later. I suppose we should stick around the rest of the day today. I’ll be returning to duty as soon as we’re home, and we have that twenty-something hour flight coming up tomorrow.”
Emma scrunched her nose. “I’ve decided I’m staying overnight in Alabama once we reach the states. I don’t have to hurry home.”
“Good,” Janelle murmured. “I’ll have a few more days off before I need to report to base. We can hang out together before you return to Wisconsin.”
“Sounds good to me,” Emma answered.
Chapter Fourteen
After revealing his plans to Shauna, Nick went to speak with Dad first. Not only had Nick and Dad become closer during the past ten years, but Dad and Mike had also formed a bond. Mike had been married five years earlier, and he and his wife Amy had a three-year-old special needs daughter named Angeline who was the light of Dad’s life. Nick had been proud to become Angel’s godfather when Mike and Amy had asked.
“I knew you were restless,” Dad said, as they spoke alone together in Dad’s office. “Why not? You no longer have any attachments here since you’re not getting married and what you do for the company can be handled from almost anywhere.”
“If I like it there, I’ll either purchase of build a home.
* * *
Although Mike was currently overseas on assignment, the next morning before going into work, Nick stopped by his family’s apartment to say goodbye to Amy and Angel. Mike had been strangely moody and restless since his mom had died of breast cancer a few years earlier, but at least Thérèse had been there when her granddaughter was born.
Nick sat with Angel in his lap and had coffee visiting Amy, but Angel cried, when Nick finally rested her on the floor when it was time for him to leave. She was a beautiful little girl, with developmental disabilities, affecting both her comprehension and speech.
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