by Sharon Dunn
With a backward glance, the man resumed his rowing. He headed toward the shore by the park and the golf course, but Suzanne was gaining on him as she sliced through the water with strong, even strokes.
Arleta headed down the pier and across the grass where the squirrel man was likely to dock. He banged the gondola against the high piles and crawled onto the beach, still gripping his little boat. Arleta jumped in front of him obstructing his likely escape route on the path into the park. He sashayed first one direction, then another. She stepped side to side, mirroring his every move.
The man glanced back toward the water where Suzanne was within ten feet of bumping against his abandoned gondola. They had him.
His head swung like a pendulum from Arleta and then back out to the lake. Suzanne climbed out of her own boat into the shallow water.
He met Arleta’s gaze. Pain shot down her hip. Involuntarily, she bent forward. When she looked up again Simpson torpedoed toward her, clutching his boat. Here we go again. The pain from the previous tackle still hadn’t subsided. He was going to do it again, knock her over.
He closed in on her. Her shoulder burned. Her hip felt like it was on fire. I can’t go through that again. She stepped to one side. Simpson barely hesitated and ran past her into the park.
“What gives?” Suzanne stalked toward her, hands in the air. “You could have stopped him.” She gasped for air.
Arleta put a fist on her bony hip. “I’m kind of brittle.”
Suzanne tugged on her wet pant legs. “Let’s go get him for Ginger. Looks like he’s headed through the park into the golf course.”
Ice formed in Kindra’s veins as Xabier took her phone away from his ear and pressed it against his chest. He didn’t have to say a word. The glazing of the eyes and an expression like a mask of gauze told her what was up. Frankenstein and his buddy must have Gloria. How else would they have known to call Kindra’s cell? “What do they want?”
In the courtyard the two hotels shared, Xabier turned toward the trellis that overflowed with ivy. He clenched and unclenched his fists. “Dad told them about some cash he had stashed away in his office. They said they would settle for that.”
“We have to get help.” Her hand hovered inches from his back. She wanted to touch him, to offer support, but his actions just seemed so impulsive sometimes.
“We don’t have time.” He pulled his hair at the temples. “This is my mom we’re talking about.”
“I know that. I don’t want her to be hurt either,” Kindra said. “It just seems like you need to quit being such a Lone Ranger trying to solve this thing by yourself. Look how this has escalated.”
“They have her out at the golf course. I need to be on the second hole in fifteen minutes.”
“Can’t we just call the police?” A group of people walking into the Wind-Up stopped and stared at them. Kindra sank back toward the ivy-laden lattice. She hadn’t meant to shout.
Xabier lowered his voice. “They have my mom. I can fix this by myself.” His stare was intense. “Are you with me or not?”
A picture of a nine-year-old boy, shivering on a park bench and having to find his way home by himself materialized in her head. “I’m with you.” He needed someone to be on his side. His trust was so broken, he thought he had to do everything himself.
He headed for the side entrance of the hotel. “Dad kept a gun with his money stash.”
A gun. Her breath caught. What exactly had she gotten herself into? “Xabier, I don’t think—”
“I am going to get my mom back one way or another.” He held the door for her. “She is the last person on earth who deserves to go through this.”
While Xabier went to Dustin’s office to find the money and the gun, Kindra waited in the hallway and tried Suzanne on her cell. Xabier said no police, but he hadn’t said anything about friends. No answer, no way to leave a message. Suzanne must be busy. She dialed Earl’s cell. Ginger would probably be with him, or he would know where to find her.
It rang once, twice. Her hand tensed on the phone after the third ring. Come on, Ginger or Earl, pick up. “This is Earl’s message machine, not the real thing. Leave a message. I’ll get back to you.”
Kindra pressed her body against the wall and rolled so she could peer inside the office. Xabier came toward the door holding an envelope. Had he tucked the gun in his belt or decided not to take it? She pressed the phone against her ear. “Ginger, Earl, get over to the second hole of the golf course. It’s an emergency.”
Xabier tapped her phone with a finger. “You weren’t calling the cops, were you?”
“No.” And that was the truth.
They raced through the dark park holding hands, past the swing set where Xabier had kissed her for the first time. When she’d gotten on the plane in Three Horses, she never would have thought her trip would end up this way, running toward danger with a guy she cared about. Egghead Kindra on her way to a potential shootout, and she thought that she was just going to find some designer shoes on sale. God, am I doing the right thing?
“You’re awful quiet.”
“I’m praying.”
He stopped, letting go of her hand.
“Don’t you think it would be a good time to pray?” She leaned over, breathing heavily.
“When I was little, I prayed that my father wouldn’t leave us.” He dug at the ground with his toe.
Why did she like him so much? They were in totally different places with their faith … if he had any left at all. “Your father was the one who messed up … not God.”
“My moms been saying that kind stuff for years.” He tugged on her sleeve. “If we don’t hurry, I won’t be able to hear it ever again.” He sprinted down a paved trail past large trees, benches, and playground equipment. He picked up the pace even more.
Kindra jogged behind him. The distance between them increased. She leaned forward, pushing her leg muscles beyond the rising ache.
As they neared the slides, his sprint became a jog, then he halted. His words came out between gasping breaths. “Do you want me to be a big fake? Every time I go into a church, my stomach gets tight.”
“I’m still going to pray that God helps us get your mom back safe.” So she can keep telling you how much God loves you.
He squeezed her hand. “You do that. I haven’t been able to pray for years.”
Their feet pounded on the walking trail toward the far end of the park, surrounded by the quiet of the night. By the time they stepped from the hard-pack earth of the path onto the lush grass of the fairway, they were both out of breath.
“What exactly is your plan?” She couldn’t bring herself to ask if he had the gun.
“I don’t have a plan. I’ll make it up as I go. I just know I am going to get my mom back. I want these guys to pay.”
Xabier spoke with conviction, but making things up as you go had never worked for Kindra. She attempted to discern the layout of the golf course. A brick clubhouse with a single light was all she could clearly identify. Three golf carts were parked on the concrete slab outside the clubhouse.
Xabier strode a few feet in front of her. “I wish we had a flashlight.”
Kindra clicked her purse open and felt for Earl’s Pepper Light. “I think I have something that will work.” She clicked on the light and swung it across the landscape.
A bridge over a small creek came into view. Just across the bridge, the flag for hole number one jutted out of the earth. The second hole must be on the other side of the rolling hill.
“Nice flashlight. It throws a good-size beam.”
“Thanks, a friend of mine invented it.” She slipped it into his hand. “The other end is pepper spray. That might come in handy too.”
“You keep it.” He patted his jacket pocket. “I already have something. Lets grab one of those golf carts and find the second hole.”
Kindra’s resolve lagged as Xabier pulled her toward the golf cart. He had brought the gun. Why hadn’t she just called th
e police? That’s what the still, small voice in her head had told her to do. Her attraction to Xabier made sound judgment pack its bags and leave town. Xabier took her hand and helped her into the golf cart. The warmth of his touch subdued her fear … a little.
After climbing in on the drivers side of the cart, he kissed her forehead. “Thank you … for helping me.”
“You’re welcome.” She closed her eyes, unable to shake off the rising panic that corseted her rib cage.
The cart lurched forward, and Xabier steered toward the bridge. They rolled over the wooden bridge and up the grassy hill. When they came down on the other side, close to a rim of trees, a second flag came into view. A little farther up the hill a sign indicated the third hole was through the trees.
Xabier killed the motor. “This is it,” he whispered. “The second hole.”
Kindra crossed her arms against the nighttime cold. Xabier pulled his own jacket off and placed it over her shoulders. Why did he have to be so nice? What a special guy. She whispered a muffled “Thank you.”
Please, God, just get us both out of here alive.
Xabier crawled out of the cart. Kindra followed. She swept the flashlight across the green, past a sand trap and toward the tree line. Kindra’s pulse drummed in her ears. Her throat constricted. Her face brushed against the silk of Xabier’s shirt. He grabbed her hand.
She saw a flash of color by the trees.
Xabier let go of her hand. His back straightened.
A voice boomed from somewhere in the trees. “Leave the money and you can have her.”
Kindra steadied the flashlight. “It came from up there somewhere.”
They raced down the tiny hill across the sand trap. Twice, they fell. Xabier helped Kindra to her feet, pulling her up by both her hands. Her shoes filled with sand, tiny barbs against the soles of her feet. She ran up the hill behind him, her breath ragged and raspy, her heart pounding.
“Where is she?” Xabier paced by the edge of the trees.
“Put the money on the ground and back away.”
The voice was coming from somewhere in the trees, but where? The flashlight, still on, pressed against her leg. Kindra started to spotlight the area, then stopped. Better not risk making them angry.
“Where is my mother?” Xabier’s voice cracked.
Silence accentuated her breathing. And then, the distinctive click of a pistol slide being pulled back. Her blood iced, and her muscles tensed.
Footsteps breaking branches. She detected a shadow movement in the trees.
“I don’t think you are in a position to demand anything, Mr. Clydell.” The voice was closer now. “Put the envelope down and walk back twenty steps.”
Xabier placed the envelope in the grass and walked backward. Kindra gripped his arm. Her eyes fixed on the envelope. She curled her fingers into a fist.
A man burst out of the trees from a different place than the voice had come from. Even though he was more shadow than discernable features, he was clearly the shorter, rounder man.
Xabier lurched, then froze. He must have seen the glint of metal in the man’s hand. The man picked up the envelope, shone a tiny pen light into it, and disappeared.
They watched the trees. She grabbed his hand. Her breathing and his filled the air.
A mechanical noise, a low-level electrical hum, shattered the silence. Two headlights appeared on the path that lead through the clump of trees to hole number three. A cart with a passenger rolled onto the green and slammed to a stop. The passenger swung forward, then hit the back of the seat.
Xabier moaned.
Gloria lifted her head and gazed up at her son. “I was afraid I would never see you again.” He rushed toward her, placing his forehead against his moms.
Her hands were tied behind her back. The thugs must have set the cart in motion assuming she would be able to brake but not steer.
Kindra rifled through her purse for her pocketknife and handed it to Xabier. He pulled away from his mom after brushing her cheek with his hand.
As Xabier sawed through the rope, Kindra pulled it off. Gloria’s hands were cold to the touch. When she placed her hand on Gloria’s shoulder, the older woman was shivering.
“Mom, I—” A furtive glance toward Kindra indicated that he was embarrassed by the overflow of emotion.
Kindra reached over and squeezed his hand. “You got your mom back.”
“Where are they?” He pulled himself free of Kindra’s grasp and stalked toward the trees. Xabier was back in Lone Ranger mode.
Kindra placed an arm around Gloria’s back and helped her to her feet.
“Xabier, come on. Lets just go. The police will handle it. You don’t have to. They can get the money back and catch those guys.”
Xabier paced along the tree line.
“Please, son. Don’t try and do this yourself.” Gloria shivered so violently that she was almost vibrating against Kindra.
“It’s not the money.” Xabier paced. “It’s what they did to you. It’s what Dad continues to do to us even after he’s dead. This is his debt.”
Gloria’s entire body trembled from the sheer effort of having to stand up. Kindra pulled her a little closer and planted her own feet for balance.
“Xabier, for your mom, lets go. We need to get her to a warm place.”
He turned to face her. She’d seen that same dark look the night he’d been so angry at his dad.
Gloria stumbled, and Kindra caught her.
“Don’t let your life be about revenge and bitterness. Let God and the police take care of it.” Gloria spoke to the ground, taking a wheezing shallow breath after each word.
“God and the police, both very dependable.” His words dripped with sarcasm. “I depend on me.”
Kindra shook her head. “I’m getting your mom back to the hotel. That’s what you said you came out here for.” She placed the Pepper Light in his hand and pulled her cell out of her purse. “You might need these.”
She took a step forward and headed toward the sand trap. Gloria was still leaning against her and seemed to be getting heavier with each step. Kindra held her close and prayed for strength. After they crossed the sand trap, she helped Gloria into the golf cart.
Xabier still stood by the second golf cart.
Come on, Xabier, quit trying to do everything yourself.
Gloria moaned. She bent her head and crossed her hands over her body.
Move, Xabier, move. Come toward us.
Kindra stepped into the drivers side and turned the key. She moved in slow motion hoping that she would see Xabier head toward them out of the corner of her eye. Hoping that she would hear the sound of his feet mushing through the sand.
Gloria leaned against Kindra. Her breathing sounded as if it was filtered through steel mesh. When she glanced up the hill one more time, Xabier was out of sight.
“That’s it, we’re lost.” Ginger held the map of the golf course an inch from her face. “How hard can it be to find the second hole?”
“It’s dark out here, woman.” Earl tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel of the golf cart.
“We came in the wrong entrance. How was I supposed to know there were two clubhouses?”
Ginger slapped the map. “If we had looked at this thing in the first place, we would have seen that.” They’d probably be half way to Death Valley by now had she not found the map under her seat and put on her navigator hat. Of course, Earl couldn’t bring himself to actually study the map. In all the numerous road trips they’d taken when their children were little, she had no memories of him ever looking at a map. Lots of memories of being lost, mind you. “Kindra needs us.” That was the bottom line and the reason for her testiness. Her friend was in danger, and they were muddling around on the course like two stooges.
Earl held out an open hand. He sighed heavily on purpose so she could hear it, and had there been more light, Ginger was pretty sure she would have seen him roll his eyes. “Let me see the map.”
&nb
sp; Ginger’s jaw dropped. She made a gurgling noise and shook her head. “Earl Salinski, you surprise the socks off me sometimes.”
“Old dogs can learn new tricks.”
She ruffled the hair at the back of his head. “Sweet old hound dogs.”
“I know how worried you are about Kindra.”
In the wake of Earl’s sensitivity, her tirade just seemed silly. “Sorry I blasted you.”
He slid the map from her fingers, leaned toward her, and yanked on one of her curls. “Old poodles can learn new tricks too.”
“Let’s just find my friend.” She pressed her head close to his as he shone the Pepper Light on the map.
“Okay, the other clubhouse is right there.” He swept the light across the landscape. “Does that look like a building to you?”
Ginger leaned forward and squinted. It looked like a dark stain to her. “Yes, I guess.” She crossed her arms.
“Get that worried look off your face. We will find her.”
“In her message, she sounded … afraid.” She hooked one curl behind her ear as she squinted into the darkness.
Earl putt-putted the golf cart over a hill. A top speed of fifteen miles an hour did nothing for her anxiety.
Somewhere to the left of them in the dark, she heard noises. Ginger grabbed another Pepper Light out of her purse and clicked it on. Was she seeing right? “Suzanne?”
“Suzanne?” Earl slowed the cart. “I thought you said we were meeting Kindra out here?”
Ginger shone the flashlight in the same place. This time, Arleta ran through the band of light. It was just a flash of an image and some distance away, but she recognized that thin, perfect-posture woman anywhere. “Over there, go over there.”
“I thought we were trying to find the second hole.”
“The plan has changed. Go that way.”
They rolled down a hill toward a small pond and a sand trap.
Ginger stood up in the golf cart. “Suzanne.”
Somewhere in the darkness a man screamed as if in pain.
