by Karen Singer
The water looked nice. The small waves running into the beach weren’t anything like the waves they usually showed on TV. She didn’t think anyone would be pulling out a surfboard on that beach. “The water was warm yesterday,” she said.
“Hmm?” her aunt asked.
“Yesterday. The water was warm.”
“Yes, it was.” Sally pulled her head up to look at Jenni. “Did you want to go in?”
“I was thinking about it.”
Sally pulled her legs off the chair and sat on the side of it. She held her hands out toward Jenni. “Come on, let’s go.”
Jenni reached out and grabbed her hands and stood up. Sally dropped her sunglasses on the seat and the two of them headed for the water.
Jenni stopped when she was only ankle deep. “It’s just like it was yesterday,” she said. “Warm.”
“Of course. What did you expect?”
“I don’t know.”
“Come on,” Sally said as she waded in deeper. The water was up to her knees before she saw Jenni move. She kept going until the water reached her chest. She watched as Jenni followed her, very slowly and carefully, as if she was afraid to go deeper.
Jenni stopped short of her aunt when the water was just over her waist. “This is far enough, Aunt Sally,” she said nervously.
“Why?” Sally asked. “Come on.” She turned around and dove into the water, swimming a few strokes before she turned back to watch Jenni. Jenni was just standing there hugging herself.
“I can’t swim,” Jenni told her.
“Oh!” Sally replied. She headed straight back to Jenni. “I didn’t realize,” she said.
“Can we just stay here for a few minutes?” Jenni asked.
“Sure,” Sally replied with a smile. “As long as you want.”
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“Can you leave the boat here?” one of the two men asked once the boat reached the island. “We don’t know how long this will take. And if nobody’s here, we may be going back soon.”
“No problem,” the boat Captain replied. “Unless I get a call saying someone on the other end needs a ride right away.”
The man nodded and the two men left the boat. The island looked different in the daylight. They could see much more. One of the first things they saw was the lobby where they had killed whoever it was last night, the manager they supposed. The man who had told them which room Jennifer was supposed to have been in. Except, she hadn’t been there. Now they were going to have to be much more open about their search.
One of the men noticed someone inside the lobby as they passed. “Let’s go ask again.” The two men entered the lobby much as they had done last time.
“You’re back?” the hotel manager said, sounding somewhat perturbed.
The men weren’t sure how to take that. “What do you mean?” one of them asked.
“You. The police. I thought you all had left.”
“Yes,” the man replied. “More police work.”
“What do you need now?”
“Is everyone who was staying here last night, gone now?”
“Just about,” the manager replied.
“What is, just about?”
“As far as I know there’s only two women left. The detective wanted them to hang around for another day. I guess so he could question them again.”
“Of course,” the man replied. “You wouldn’t happen to know if the woman named Jennifer is still here?”
“Jenni? Oh yeah. She’s one of them. Her and Sally Finch. They’re the two the police are still interested in.”
“Are there still police here on the island?” the other man asked.
“Not that I know of. There may be. They’re not checking in with me, so I have no idea.”
The man nodded. “Thank you. Where can I find this Jennifer?”
“I think she’s staying in her aunt’s room now.”
“And what room is that?”
“I’ll have to check.” The manager quickly consulted his computer. “B-11. Go to the main path right outside. When you get to where a bunch of paths all come together, take the one that goes to the right. You can’t miss it, there’s a sign that points that direction.”
They had killed the manager the night before. That had been a mistake. When they couldn’t find Jenni, they had no one to ask. This time, the manager would have to live in case they needed him later. Besides, this man thought they were with the police. “Thank you,” one of the men replied.
The path was easy enough to find. So was the path that would take them to the room where hopefully they would find this Jennifer woman. They both noted several smaller paths intersecting with the path they were on, but they stayed on the larger path and soon found the building. Room B-11 turned out to be on the second floor. They climbed the stairs. The curtains were pulled so they couldn’t see into the room. One of them knocked. When nobody answered, he knocked again, harder. Still no answer. “Police!” one of them yelled. But as far as either of them could see, the entire building appeared to be deserted, including this room.
Both men looked around. Not seeing anyone, one of them shrugged. The other pulled out his gun, and shot through the large plate-glass window, just as they had done last night at Jenni’s room. A few kicks against the remaining glass and they had a hole big enough to reach through and open the door. They went inside.
The room was obviously occupied, but currently deserted. One of them quickly went through the door into the bedroom and checked there. “She’s not here, Rashid,” he confirmed a moment later. “What do we do?”
Rashid shook his head. “We leave another message, Kavad. These stupid American women think they are the same as men. They think they should have just as much right to do anything a man can do. They buy expensive clothes just to show off their evil bodies. They behave in ways that no sane woman ever should. We send another message. We destroy all those things that these women here in America seem to treasure so much. We show them that they are things that Allah has proclaimed they should never need.”
Kavad pulled out his knife, and smiled.
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“What was that?” Jenni asked at the muffled bang that reached their ears. To her, it sounded like it came from far away.
“Construction behind the bar,” Sally replied without looking.
“Oh,” Jenni agreed, knowing that most likely that’s just what it was. She was jumpy and she knew it. She also wasn’t as comfortable as she wished she could be, lying around on the beach in just a bathing suit. But there was nobody else in the family here. It was the only reason she had bought the suit. She didn’t want to admit that she was simply so jealous of all the rest of the women in the family…in the world! They could wear a pretty swimsuit to the beach. She couldn’t. Not under normal circumstances. But this wasn’t normal circumstances, so she had gone for it.
“Take a walk?” Sally suggested, seeing how uptight Jenni still was.
“Sure,” Jenni replied with a smile. Hand in hand, the two of them walked down the beach, ankle deep in the warm water.
--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---
“Where are they?” Kavad asked as they finally exited the room. They had left a whirlwind of a mess behind them, just as they had done the night before.
“I don’t know,” Rashid replied. “But I don’t think there’s many who are left here. We’re going to have to look. And if anyone asks, it seems we can simply tell them we are with the police.”
Kavad laughed.
They headed back to the main path, then turned where all the paths came together and followed it all the way back to building D where Jenni had been staying before. There was yellow tape stretched across that room door now, but it was obvious that once again, nobody else was around. They turned and went back to where the paths converged, this time going the other direction. It wasn’t long before they saw building A, but before they did, they also saw the beach, and the bar near the back
of it. There was construction noise coming from the bar, but the beach looked deserted…or almost.
“There!” Kavad pointed.
Rashid saw them now. Two women walked along the water’s edge, heading back toward the bar. “Maybe it’s them,” he suggested.
“I hope so,” the other agreed.
They headed down toward the sand together.
Jenni and Sally saw the two men walking across the beach toward them. “More police,” Sally grunted. “I wonder what they want now?”
“Maybe they’re here to tell us we can leave,” Jenni suggested.
“I hope so!”
The two men stopped and waited for the women to reach them. They both noticed that the smaller, skinnier woman looked…strange. She had a pretty face, but her body…. No boobs and no hips. Her waist was nice enough though. Skinny, but nice.
Jenni and Sally walked up to them. “What now?” Sally asked.
“Are you the one called Jennifer?” Rashid asked Sally.
Even though they hadn’t asked her, Jenni looked at the two men with disbelief. “Jennifer!” she exclaimed. “For God’s sake, get it right. It’s not Jennifer. It’s not Jenny with a y. It Jenni…with an i. An i. Get it straight! I swear, nobody gets anything right anymore.”
“So you’re the one called…Jenni?” Rashid asked, just to be certain.
“Well, duh! How stupid do you have to be?”
“Thank you,” the Rashid replied as he pulled out his gun.
Jenni and Sally both were speechless as the gun appeared, and the man aimed it right at Jenni’s chest. Just before he could pull the trigger, Sally jumped forward and grabbed his arm, pushing him and the gun away. The gun went off toward the water.
“Jenni! Run!” Sally screamed. “Run!”
Jenni didn’t know what to do. Her aunt was in trouble. They would kill her. But if she didn’t run…. Her feet stumbled in the sand for a moment, but she moved. A moment later, she was running as fast as she possibly could. Another gunshot sounded behind her and a patch of sand near her feet jumped. At least they hadn’t shot Aunt Sally…yet! Another gunshot sounded, and another patch of sand puffed up. She changed direction and headed for the closest path to take her off the beach.
Sally was shaking with fear. “Jenni!” she called weakly. “Jenni!” She was on her knees in the sand where the men had knocked her down in their haste to get to Jenni. She was so locked up with fear she couldn’t move now if she tried. She was amazed she had managed to grab the arm of one of the men, stopping him from shooting Jenni…her daughter. Now both men were chasing after Jenni, and both men were shooting at her. “Jenni!” she cried as she broke down completely into tears.
Someone landed next to her and arms wrapped around her. She screamed! “Let me go!”
“Take it easy. It’s okay. I’m not them.”
She looked and saw the bartender holding her, but she didn’t know what to make of it. “Jenni…” she sobbed.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get you out of here before they come back.” He helped the crying woman to her feet and half dragged her back to the bar. There was a small storage closet at the back of it. He grabbed his hammer to use as a weapon in case he needed it, then opened the door and led her in before closing it behind them. In the dark, he pulled out his cellphone and called the police.
--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---
The damn girl was fast! The two men floundered in the sand in their heavy leather shoes, while she ran much easier in her bare feet. But now she was off the beach and they would be able to catch up. Except…where was she? They ran along the path she had taken, but it twisted and turned, not giving them much of a view in any direction. They paused briefly at a bench along the side of the path, but it was obvious that Jenni wasn’t there. They kept running.
--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---
Jenni held her breath. She was hidden just off the path behind one of the tropical plants with large broad leaves. The men had run right past her without seeing her. She saw them pause at the bench, and then keep going. She silently went back to the path and ran the other way.
Aunt Sally! It was all she could think about. She had run away and left her Aunt Sally to be killed by them. In a hysterical fit, she ran as fast as she could for the beach. In moments she was there, but she saw no sign of her aunt. Where was she? Had they killed her? But if they had, they would have had to leave her there since both of them had run after her. So where was she? She would have called, but she dared not make any sound in case the men might hear her.
Scared, she ran off the beach and took another path, the one that led to the bird cage. She would have to keep searching for her aunt.
--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---
“Where’s the damn boat?” the Islamorada policeman roared into his cellphone.
“What do you mean?” the boat captain replied. “I’m here at the island of course. The last two policemen who came here asked me to stay.”
“What policemen?”
“The two that took the boat over here a little while ago. They’re still here and there’s no other way back. Besides, they must have found something bad because I’ve heard a few gunshots a minute ago.”
“Damn it! Get back here! Come get us,” the policeman yelled. “Hurry!”
The boat commander rolled his eyes. “Coming,” he said as he started the boat engine.
--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---
“Where is she? The cursed woman!” Kavad said as the path led them to yet another path. Neither of them knew which way to go.
“It’s like a jungle out here,” Rashid complained, looking at all the tropical vegetation that had been planted. “She could be anywhere.”
“Which way do we go?”
Rashid made a decision and pointed with his gun. “This way.”
--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---
Jenni stopped. She wasn’t thinking. If her Aunt Sally was still alive, then where would she go? Somewhere for help! But where? The only place she could think of, was the lobby. She turned around and headed the other direction, turning at the next path that she knew from experience would finally lead her where she needed to go.
She was out of breath, but her fear kept her running. The path met with another path, that led her to where all the paths came together. In moments, she was opening the lobby door and rushing in.
“What’s going on?” the manager asked, seeing Jenni running in. “I heard shooting. Who did those policemen find?”
“What police?” Jenni asked.
“The two men who came over on the boat a little while ago. They asked what room you were in.”
“You moron!” Jenni yelled. “They weren’t the police. They’re the ones trying to kill me! Where’s Aunt Sally?”
“They’re here to kill you? The killers?”
“Yes! Where’s my aunt?”
“Your aunt?”
Jenni realized he was going to be no help. “Call the police,” she yelled as she ran for the door. “The real police!”
Where was her aunt? She quickly checked the gift shop. Closed and locked. She checked the restaurant door. Locked too. Like it or not, she was going to have to go back into the main part of the island to search for her aunt.
--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---
“What do you mean the killers are on the island?” Pierce said into his phone.
“From what it sounds like, they’re there!” the Islamorada cop replied. “We’re waiting for the boat to come get us now.”
“The boat? Who said the killers are there?”
“The bartender called us. He’s got some woman named Sally Finch hidden in the storage closet of the bar with him. And the woman is hysterical about someone named Jennifer.”
“Not Jennifer! Jenni! With an i,” Pierce said quickly as he got up from his desk and ran through the precinct hallway. “Just get there as fast as you can. I’m on the way.”
“Maybe you better bring some backup,” the Isl
amorada cop replied. “The killers can’t get off the island without a boat. “Well send the boat back here as soon as we get off it.”
“Good thinking!” Pierce replied as he forced himself to stop. He hung up his phone and ran back to his Captain’s office. “The killers are on the island right now, and they’re after Jenni. I need backup to go out there with me.”
--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---
Jenni slowed to a careful walk. Hunched over and trying to watch and listen to everything, she headed along the path leading toward her aunt’s room. Scared wouldn’t begin to explain how she felt. She saw no one. She heard nothing. Building B came into sight. More cautious than ever, she worked her way around the side of the building, then up the stairs. She saw the broken window long before she got there. Looking through it told her her aunt wasn’t there. At least, she hoped her aunt wasn’t in there. Like her room had been, they had thoroughly trashed this room too. She remembered the muffled bang she had heard from the beach. A gunshot? She couldn’t be sure. She hurried down the steps and out to the maze of paths again. She felt safer there. If she heard anyone, it would be easier to hide in the lush greenery around her.
Where was her aunt? She decided to check the beach bar. She hadn’t really looked that hard there before.
--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---
Slowly and surely, the two men worked their way along the path, back towards the beach. They tried following several smaller paths in hope of finding Jenni, but so far, they had seen no sign of her.
“She’s probably gone to the lobby to call for help,” Kavad whispered.
Rashid stopped. “I should have thought of that. Let’s go!”
--- §§§§§§§§§§ ---
