Found in the Lost

by Tarina Deaton

  Squatting in front of her, he took her hands in his. She had washed them, but still had blood around her nails. “It relieves the pressure in the chest cavity created by the bullet wound. You doing okay?”

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure. I’ve never seen that much blood before.”

  Before he could respond, two men in police uniforms stormed into the small examination room. “Get away from that man.”

  Shane rose and stepped in front of Kinley, shielding her from the newest threat. Until the men identified themselves, that was exactly how he would treat them. Sparing a glance at Ace and Phantom, he saw they felt the same even though they had taken a step away from the driver. There wasn’t much they could do for him until the ambulance arrived anyway.

  “Who are you? Who shot this man?” one of the men asked in heavily accented English.

  “My name is Shane Ivers. This man is our tour driver. We were stopped on the road from Flores by four men with guns and he was shot while we were trying to get away.”

  “You think banditos tried to kidnap you?”

  Shane pointed toward the end of town. “We were attacked about fifteen minutes from here.” He didn’t know if the men they injured would still be on the road and it was better not to mention there might be bodies for them to find.

  The two men spoke in rapid-fire Spanish and the other man left. “You will come with me while we check your story.”

  “There’s an air ambulance on the way to transport the driver to a hospital.” Shane glanced at his watch. “It will be here in less than five minutes. I’d like to wait until he’s loaded up and on his way.”

  The officer scoffed. “There is no air ambulance available in this area.”

  “Maybe not usually, but one is on its way,” Shane said.

  “Fine. Show me your passports while we wait.”

  Shane glanced at the others who shrugged and shook their heads. “All our identification is in our bags, which are still in the van. It’s parked on the side of the building.”

  The officer widened his stance and crossed his arms over his chest. “Someone will get your bags while you are questioned.”

  Shane leaned against the wall next to Kinley and matched the officer’s pose. No skin off his nose.

  A few minutes of tense silence later, they heard the sound of a helicopter approaching. The officer’s eyes widened and his arms released slightly. The noise grew louder until gusts of wind blew in the still-open door to the clinic.

  The police officer left the clinic and Shane followed. Outside, the civilian equivalent of a military UH-60 helicopter touched down in the middle of the street about fifty yards east of the clinic, its rotors still spinning.

  A woman wearing a blue flight suit with a red cross on the breast exited the back of the helicopter and looked around. Shane raised his arms and waved them over his head before jogging to meet her halfway between the helo and the clinic.

  “Shane Ivers?” she asked in a loud voice.

  “Yes,” he said.

  “Karen Abbot. Where’s the patient?”

  He liked that she didn’t waste any time on small talk. “This way.” He cocked his head in the direction of the clinic.

  A man exited the helicopter carrying a collapsible litter and followed them. Stepping inside the clinic, the woman asked, “What’s his status?”

  Ace went through the injuries. He’d been shot twice and the chest wound caused a lot of secondary damage.

  Karen’s companion flipped out the litter and they loaded Jorge onto it, placing the bag of fluids on his chest once he was strapped in.

  They followed the medics as far as the door of the clinic and watched while they loaded him. Karen waved before climbing in and slamming the door shut. They all turned their heads and covered their faces with their hands as the helicopter lifted off, its rotors kicking up dust.

  “I need a drink,” Ace said.

  “You and me both,” Phantom said.

  Chapter 4

  “Mr. Ivers?”

  Kinley glanced at the policeman as he approached. Not this again. Raw, gritty tears stung the backs of her eyes—the urge to cry from frustration was strong. Nothing had gone right from the moment she’d set foot in Guatemala. If she didn’t want to prove her discovery so badly, she’d get in the van, drive herself back to the airport, and catch the next flight back to the U.S.

  “I spoke with Mr. Graham from The Leonidas Corporation, as well as the district governor,” the officer said.

  His tone and demeanor were much more conciliatory than they’d been earlier. Whoever Mr. Graham was, he’d obviously had an effect on the man’s attitude.

  “We retrieved your bags from the van and have them at the police station,” he continued. “We need to record your statements of the incident, but you will be free to go after.”

  “Of course, Officer…?” Shane held out his hand.

  “Pineda.” He took Shane’s hand. “I apologize for earlier. The nurse is my wife’s sister. She said you came in with guns and a man you shot.”

  “They didn’t shoot him!” Kinley’s outrage drove her forward a step. “That man would have died if not for them. They very likely saved his life. And mine.”

  “Of course, Miss…I’m sorry, the man I spoke with did not know who you were,” Officer Pineda said.

  “Kinley Dunn. I’m with the International Archaeological Foundation.”

  “Ah, yes,” he said. “Many archaeologists pass through Carmelita. I will escort you to the hotel once we are finished.”

  “We can all find the hotel together.” Shane shifted closer to her side.

  The muscles in her shoulders relaxed. Shane’s no-nonsense statement eased a worry she hadn’t even realized she had. Whether it was the way they’d protected her or the intense events of the last couple of hours, the idea of being by herself and not with these virtual strangers was suddenly terrifying.

  “Of course. If you will follow me?” Officer Pineda gestured for them to cross the street. Despite his easy tone, she had no doubt it wasn’t an invitation they could really refuse.

  Forever later, but in reality, in less than thirty minutes, Kinley had both her backpacks and crossbody bag, her passport, laptop, and, most importantly, her notebook. She clutched it to her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Did they break the lock on your diary?”

  Kinley opened her eyes and smiled at Ace as he sat in the hard plastic chair next to hers. “Not quite. All my research is in here.”

  “Can I?” he asked.

  She stared at the simple composition notebook, then held it out to him. “Sure.”

  He took it gently and opened it, flipping through the pages. He frowned and tilted his head, turning the notebook sideways. “What language is this?”

  She glanced at the page he looked at. “Well, the pictures are Mayan glyphs.”

  “Okay. What’s the rest of it?” He stretched out his arms, then pulled the notebook closer to his face.

  Kinley chuckled. “That’s my own code.”

  Ace closed the cover and returned her notebook. “Do you write all your notes in code?”

  “I do.” She didn’t want to get into the details right then, so returned the notebook to her backpack.

  “Who’s ready for that drink?” Shane entered the small waiting room settling his duffel bag on his shoulder, followed by Phantom.

  “I need to check in to the hotel and find the Foundation site office. I think it’s at the hotel,” Kinley said.

  “I could do with a shower before we eat,” Ace said.

  Shane looked at Phantom. “You?”

  He only tilted his head back in a semblance of a nod, which must have been agreement in man-speak.

  “All right. Let’s check into our rooms and get cleaned up, then food.” Shane leaned down and picked up her pack, hefting it over his other shoulder.

  “I can… okay, then.” Kinley stared at his back as he walked out of the police s
tation, ignoring her protest that she could carry her own bag.

  “Better follow him,” Ace said with a grin.

  Kinley sighed and settled her smaller backpack on her shoulder. This was definitely turning into an interesting trip and she hadn’t even reached the ruins yet. At least Shane’s lean hips and confident swagger gave her something to focus on other than what a catastrophe it was turning into.

  “Gracias.” Kinley took the long envelope from the hotel desk clerk. Settling into the worn, but clean sofa in the lobby, she tore open the flat and pulled out the single sheet of hand-written note paper.

  Kinley, I went to the site a few days early. A car will meet you outside the hotel at 8 a.m. on Friday morning. I’m so excited to share what we’ve discovered so far! - Christine

  Why hadn’t she sent the driver to the airport? Or sent her some kind of email or message before she left Carmelita? Kinley had been able to connect to the hotel’s Wi-Fi and check her email, so Christine should have been able to. Had Christine forgotten when she was supposed to arrive? It wouldn’t have taken any longer to send her an email to double check than it had to write her a note.

  She slumped back against the couch and pressed her lips together, staring at the paper. She’d probably forgotten about her. Her nose stung and she twitched it back and forth. It was exhaustion, that was all—not the crushing weight of disappointment. Everything would look better after a good night’s sleep.

  If Shane and his friends didn’t come down soon, she was going to forgo food and settle for sleep, which would be…disappointing. Her stomach flipped at the idea of not seeing Shane again before she left. Of course, she would also miss saying thank you to Ace and Phantom and saying goodbye properly. Sure, that was all it was.

  Not the way Shane had watched out for her all day. Or the way he simply watched her out of the corner of his eye when he didn’t think she was paying attention. Or the way he’d been upset when they’d taken her away to be questioned separately at the police station. Or the way he’d carried her bag up to her room and set it inside the door once she’d opened it and made sure she locked the door before he left. Or the way his smile seemed to form in slow motion, reducing her focus to the way his full lips spread into a Cheshire-like grin.

  Who really found courteous, chivalrous, sexy men attractive nowadays anyway?

  A huge yawn overtook her, causing her jaw to pop. She needed to eat and sleep. Exhaustion was going to win sooner rather than later. According to her phone, it wasn’t even six in the evening, which seemed impossible.

  “Centavo for your thoughts.”

  “Huh?” She looked up from her phone as Shane sat in the chair to her right. Wow. His still-wet hair curled around his ears and his snug T-shirt showed off his muscular arms. Her best friend was always sending her pictures of “arm porn”, but Kinley had never understood the appeal until that very moment. Who knew arm hair was such a turn-on?

  “Oh. Uh…hey.” Giving herself a moment to gather her wits back together, she shoved the letter into her purse. “I was about to give up on you guys and call it a night.”

  “Sorry about that. I had to make some calls. Jorge made it to the hospital and they got him into surgery. My company will let me know when he’s out and how he’s doing.”

  “That’s good. Thank you for letting me know.” A small kernel of shame wormed its way through her. She’d been so distracted by her own problems and thoughts of Shane’s arms she hadn’t even wondered about Jorge. She was a horrible, horrible person.

  “You okay?” he asked. His eyes flitted back and forth as he examined her, tiny lines forming between his eyebrows.

  “Yes. Just tired and hungry.”

  “Well, let’s go.” He pushed up from his chair and held out his hand, palm up. “Ace and Phantom can either catch up with us or starve.”

  Kinley slipped her hand into Shane’s. His rough-skinned fingers closed around hers and he exerted the smallest amount of pressure to help her stand as a tingle raced up her forearm.

  It felt significant. More than just a helping hand. It was as if they’d struck an unspoken deal, but she wasn’t one hundred percent sure what that deal was.

  Chapter 5

  Shane directed Kinley to the small cantina he’d scoped out earlier, sneaking glances out of the corner of his eye while they walked. She looked better than she had earlier, but was definitely still pale.

  He, Ace, and Phantom had taken the time to recon the town after dropping Kinley off at her room and making sure she was locked in. After conducting a brief after-action of the assault, they all agreed the attack wasn’t random, but didn’t know why they’d been targeted. The attackers had been looking for something specific—they just didn’t know what. Or who, since they’d tried to grab Kinley after searching their bags.

  Inside the restaurant, he led them to a square four-top table in the back of the room. Turning the table so the corner of it faced the wall, he held out a chair for Kinley and took one of the seats facing the front entrance and kitchen. Once Ace and Phantom joined them, they’d have the entire restaurant covered.

  A short, plump woman approached their table.

  “Hola. Agua y menu, por favor,” Kinley said.

  His lips twitched. Her accent really was horrible.

  “No hay menu. Hoy es tamales, pepián de pollo, o hilachas, y arroz,” the woman said.

  He watched Kinley’s eyes widen as she tried to follow the woman’s rapid-fire Spanish and took pity on her. “She said they don’t have a menu. Today’s options are tamales, chicken pepián, or a shredded beef dish, and rice.”

  Her head swung his way. “You speak Spanish?”

  Nodding, he watched her emotions play across her face. She should never play poker.

  Her rosy lips parted, then pressed together before one corner of her mouth quirked up. “Well you get to do the translating from this point on.”

  He appreciated that she didn’t throw a fit or get huffy that he’d let her struggle through speaking Spanish. He hadn’t done it on purpose—she’d taken the lead whenever anyone had spoken to them and he hadn’t seen the need to tell her he spoke it. “Deal.”

  “The chicken pepián is a local dish and is supposed to be really good. I’ll have that with the rice,” she said.

  He ordered four servings of the chicken and extra tamales as well as water and beer for everyone. Ace and Phantom pushed through the low door as the woman returned to the kitchen. They scanned the small restaurant before joining them. As soon as they took their seats, the woman returned with drinks.

  “I got ahold of the tour company,” Shane said, picking up his beer. “The driver was also our tour guide. There are no guides available for the next three days. Our options are to wait or go ourselves.”

  “I say we go ourselves,” Phantom said. “Didn’t see the point of a guided tour anyway.”

  Ace swallowed his beer with a satisfied sigh. “I wanted a nice, relaxing vacation where I didn’t have to think about anything or plan anything.”

  Phantom cocked a brow. “How’s that working out?”

  “Fan-freaking-tastic.” Ace raised his bottle and air toasted Phantom before downing half of it.

  “Can I ask something?” Kinley rolled her bottle between her fingers.

  “Shoot,” Shane said.

  “How are you guys not freaked out about what happened? I was shaking the whole time I was in the shower.”

  Damn, he hadn’t thought about her going into shock after he left her. “That was your adrenaline crashing. I should have made sure you were okay before leaving you alone.”

  She shook her head. “I was all right. I didn’t expect you to babysit me.”

  Ace shifted in his chair and leaned back, affecting a relaxed pose Shane knew was anything but. “That was really nothing.”

  Shane braced his forearms on the table. “What he means is we’ve faced more difficult situations.”

  “How did you know what to do?” she asked.
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br />   “Training,” Ace said.

  “But you didn’t talk about what needed to be done—you just did it.”

  “Lots and lots of training,” Phantom added.

  “It was really impressive,” she said. “I froze up. I couldn’t even remember simple first aid like applying pressure to stop the bleeding.”

  Shane took one of her hands in his, stopping her from picking at the label. When she raised her gaze to his, he said, “It’s like any other skill you learn and practice. Take driving. You’re probably a much better driver now than you were when you first learned because you practice. Things you used to think about ahead of time, you now do from muscle memory. It’s the same idea, just a different skill set.”

  She nodded at his explanation and he ran his thumb over her knuckles before letting her hand go. He didn’t want to, but it would be awkward to keep holding on. It could have been his imagination, but her fingers tightened ever so slightly before she pulled her hand away.

  The woman came from the kitchen holding a heaping plate of tortillas in one hand and a large platter of tamales in the other. They moved glasses and bottles from the middle of the table to make room for the plates. She left and quickly returned with a tray laden with bowls of their food.

  “This is a lot of food,” Kinley said.

  “You think?” Ace scooped a heaping spoon of rice onto his plate. “I’m already planning on asking for seconds.”

  Kinley laughed and shook her head. “You can probably have some of mine.”

  “Oh, we’ll eat whatever you don’t,” Shane said.

  “And still ask for more,” Phantom said.

  They ate quickly with little conversation, everyone concentrating on their plates. Despite asking for more, Ace and Phantom finished before Kinley was halfway through her food.

  Shane shot them a look and tilted his head toward the door.

  Ace spread his arms wide in an exaggerated stretch and yawned. “Oh, man. Would you look at the time. Phantom and I should go and figure out what we’re going to do tomorrow. And get some shut-eye. ‘Cause…yeah. We’re tired.”