Beyond the Palms

by Amanda Aggie

  “Well, as great as it has been spending time with you and kicking your ass at basketball, my shift at the restaurant starts in about 30 minutes, and I should get going I have to go upstairs to my room and change.”

  “I’ll walk you there then?”

  “You mean, you’ll limp me there. You can walk me to the private elevators.” She teased.

  He laughed; he had a feeling that he would be going to get told jokes of that nature for a while. At least until he was 100 percent again, as they walked back out of the arcade and back into the restaurant, she stopped one of the waitresses as they walked by.

  “Can I borrow this?” she grabbed a pen from the girl’s apron and held it up.

  “Go for it,” the girl replied with a smile.

  “I still can’t believe that the restaurant in this hotel has an arcade, it has been— Wait, what are you—” he attempted to get the words out as she grabbed his hand and drug him out into the lobby area in front of the restaurant. She walked to the elevator to the right of the restaurant entrance. She clicked the pen into use and wrote a number on the palm of his hand. As the realization of what she had just done sunk in for Jack, Jane reached out and swiped room key type card and then pushed the up button on the panel.

  “Just so my intentions are clear, I would love to do this again. This is my cell phone; you can call me anytime.” She said as she waited for the doors to open.

  He looked at the number on his palm and back at her. She backed up a step and waved a hand at him. She went to turn around and walk back inside but was stopped by him grabbing her wrist and spun her back towards him. She landed against his body; she looked up at him. Their faces were separated by inches. Jack whispered to her through a flirty smile that crossed his face.

  “Just in case, you decide to change your mind.”

  He leaned in and kissed her, pulling her up to her tiptoes. When he let go, she plopped back down on her heels, her head spun. She cheeks flushed bright red as she turned to walk back inside.

  As soon as she was out of sight, he had a moment of celebration before collecting himself.

  “Yes!” he hissed, he threw a fist out in front of him and then drew it back to his hip. “He shoots, and he scores! The crowd goes wild!” he thrust his hands up into the air in excitement. He turned to go to the elevator, hoping not to see her father. Instead, he saw Alex leaning against the front desk, talking to Eddie, the front desk attendant. He gave Jack a thumbs up and continued his conversation. Jack quickly made his way back into the arcade. He walked through the sea of people in the restaurant and made his way back to the basketball game. He swiped his game card, and the balls rolled down again. It made Jack feel uneasy being the only one in the arcade. He shot basket after basket, and when the balls ran out, he swiped her card again, trying to improve his skill for the next time he and Jane competed. When the music stopped, he thought he heard someone else in the room and turned around to see who had come into the arcade. When he did, no one was there, the only thing that looked back at him were arcade games in idol waiting for someone to turn them on. He swiped the card to the basketball game again. The music boomed; it was so loud that he didn’t hear the person walk up behind him. He felt the hand on his shoulder before he could see who touched him; everything went black. He couldn’t see, but for a moment he could feel. He felt something warm run down the side of his head and the intense pain that throbbed a few seconds later. He panicked for a second unable to move, and terror ripped through his body. Seconds later, the world went black.

  15

  Betrayal

  Thea had decided that Alex wasn’t worth worrying over and instead would continue sitting on the beach and reading as she had planned. Thea’s mother laughed at the sight of her hauling the backpack lugged down with textbooks on to the plane, and again as she carried it down to the beach.

  Her father was hungover from last night, all of them, but Jack, who chose to enjoy the TV to himself, went to this bar and grill restaurant a few blocks away from the resort. Since it was vacation, he decided that it would be OK to let loose and drink a couple of beers instead of stopping at 2. Which, in turn, ended up with him taking shots with strangers and dancing around for hours. She and her mother simply watched the chaos unfold.

  They would make sure he returned to the hotel safely, but everyone knew that once John had his mind set, there was no changing it. He would occasionally come and convince Eleanor to dance with him, and then would go back to singing along to the music and making friends with everyone in the bar. Eleanor finally decided that it was time to go when he started requesting Disney songs and attempting to take the microphone away from the DJ.

  Now, John laid in one of the beds of their hotel room, curtains closed, TV volume on two and refusing to eat. Thea and her mother decided to go to the beach, and Jack took off early that morning to the arcade in the restaurant in the lobby.

  Her mother laid out in the sun and napped, occasionally striking up a conversation or two before falling back asleep. Thea enjoyed the feeling of the sun on her skin. The ambiance of the crashing waves sang to her as she devoted herself to her studies. She gave herself breaks from it throughout the day and laid down on the beach blanket and lost herself in her thoughts. She honestly wasn’t sure how she felt, but she knew she would be damned before getting upset over a man she just met, regardless of how perfect the guy was. He wasn’t completely perfect, or she wouldn’t be feeling this way right now.

  They stayed out until lunchtime and decided to go back to the hotel to check on her father. When they walked through the large doors, they saw Jack walking into the restaurant. They saw Eddie and Alex talking at the front desk. Thea stood there, beach back thrown over her shoulder, cemented into that very spot as Alex felt her stare. He looked at her and gave a head nod to acknowledge her presence. She wanted to storm over to him and demand more answers, but even acknowledging her gave her hope that he would reconsider.

  Her mother must have seen the stress of the decision to talk to him across her face because she reassured her to stay put.

  “Don’t; there is no point in wasting your time. After what we just talked about on the beach with how Alex ended things, he needs to be the one to change your situation. If you go to him now, you give him the inclination that he can just do whatever he wants. If he doesn’t realize he was wrong and try to fix it, then there are other men in this world that won’t make the same mistake.”

  Thea agreed. After all, she was right. She would wait for him to make the first move before approaching him again.

  “Come on, let’s go make sure your father is still alive.”

  The two of them made the trek to their room when they arrived at the door, Thea stopped short to putting the room key in the door sensor. She reached up and grabbed the envelope that was taped to the door. She opened it and pulled out the thick card-stock letter; it had the same letterhead as the one from the box Alex left her.

  Thea,

  Please meet me downstairs at 1:30; I will be in the same room as last time. I can’t wait to see you.

  Best Regards,

  Dr. Alex Callahan

  Eleanor read the note over her shoulder.

  “Well, that was a fancy note for something so short and simple.”

  They pushed open the door to be welcomed with the sounds of snoring.

  “Are you going to go?” her mother asked.

  Thea rolled it over in her mind for a second before responding. Her mother did say wait until he reached out, and he did. That’s OK, right?

  “Yeah, I think I am.”

  “Well, then you best get going because of its almost 1 p.m. right now.”

  “You’re kidding!”

  Thea looked for the time. Sure enough, it was 12:30 p. m. Thea set her bag’s down and searched for what to wear, showered, and within 40 minutes was ready to go. When Thea walked out of the bathroom, Eleanor held a finger up signaling her to be silent and waved her to go.

  “Hav
e fun!” she mouthed.

  Thea grabbed her purse and went downstairs. She still was on the fence about whether or not she would take the invitation as an apology, but she was willing to hear him out or maybe give him a piece of her mind too. Making her way downstairs, she saw Eddie manning his station at the front desk. As she walked by, he called to her.

  “Ms. Dawson! I assume you are looking for Alex?”

  “Yes! Wait, how did you—He had you deliver the letter, huh?”

  “Yes, Ma’am. He is in the restaurant in the party room, do you need me to show you where it is?”

  “Oh, no, thank you. That was where I met Alex last time; I’m sure I can find my way.”

  She waved at him before heading for the room. When she opened the door to the private room, Alex sat at the table that once was so beautifully decorated, now was bare wood and covered in papers. Alex heard the door open and looked at her over the top brim of his glasses that slid halfway down his nose.

  “Hey, I got your letter.”

  “My—”

  She didn’t let him speak.

  “I just wanted to say what you did the other night was rude. Everything was going so great, and then just like that,” she snapped her fingers, “you were done.”

  “Did I do something wrong? Was my family too much? You know what, never mind. You invited me here, so you’ve changed your mind. Can we just start over?”

  “I—”

  “No, no protests. We can drop it.”

  She pulled out a chair from the table that he sat at and he slid some papers over. She clasped her hands in front of her.

  “You know, when I read the letter, I didn’t think that paperwork was what we would be doing.”

  He raised an eyebrow. A moment later, he took his glasses off, folded in the sides, and set them on the table in front of him. Taking advantage of the first opportunity for him to speak he said,

  “Thea, I didn’t send you a letter.”

  “Eddie said you…. Well, this is awkward then. I am just going to go.”

  Thea started to get up but stopped mid-motion when she heard him speak.

  “Wait, please sit. You’ve come all the way down here. At least let me try and explain. I like you a lot, and I want to get to know you more. I am not sure why I do, I’ve barely known you more than a week, but something just makes it feel right. However..” He paused to gather his thoughts and figure out how to word his response.

  She looked at him, waiting for him to finish his explanation. Instead, what came next she didn’t expect.

  The door behind her opened. She saw the man that she now knew was his uncle.

  “Alex! I need to…. Oh, Mrs. Dawson. How nice to see you again! I hope you are enjoying your stay.”

  She nodded respectfully at him.

  “I am so sorry to interrupt, but can I talk to you for a minute?” He said, directing his attention to Alex.

  “Uh, sure.” He started to stand up. “I will be right back, OK?”

  The two of them walked out into the restaurant. Alex followed his uncle.

  “Uncle Eric, what is it? I was having an important conv—”

  Eric turned around and put a hand out stopping Alex in his tracks.

  “Do you trust me?”

  “Of course. What is wrong?” Alex questioned.

  “There have been some complications,” he said, letting his hand fall back to his side.

  “What kind of complications?”

  “It is better if you see it.”

  Alex rolled his eyes and huffed at the idea of suspense.

  “That is what you always say! Seeing will have to wait, just tell me what’s wrong. I have things to do, and I was in the middle of something.”

  “Ms. Dawson will be fine; she knows James, right?”

  “Yes, but.”

  Eric grabbed his phone, touched a few buttons, and then held it to his ear.

  “James, can you please go and keep Mrs. Dawson company she is in the room at the restaurant. I have some business to attend to and need Alex’s help…. Great!….. and James, be sure to bring her a drink on me.”

  He hung up the phone and looked at Alex.

  “We good?”

  Alex nodded and watched him call the elevator. The two of them stepped in and silently ascended to the convention room floor. Upon arrival, Eric unlocked the door, and the two of them stepped inside.

  “OK, so before you get mad, I need you to understand we don’t have a choice.”

  Alex cocked his head quizzically and furrowed his eyebrows together. When his Uncle walked into the conventional hall, he strolled straight to the room with the cages.

  “Come on now; we don’t have a lot of time. The convention starts tonight, and I have a lot to do, let alone handle this.”

  He walked in and gestured to a cage. Alex took a step in and looked. His heart stopped, and his breath caught in his chest. He looked at his uncle for answers, his eyes large with surprise and shock.

  “What did you do?” he finally got the words out of his mouth.

  “Alex, we had no choice. He and his family know too much. They discovered a recording device in the room; they were putting together the pieces. You wouldn’t leave the young lady downstairs alone, and this was the only thing I could think of to fix it all. I told James, and he agrees.”

  “You consulted James? Instead of me? Of course, he is going to agree, have you not seen him lately? Yeah, he’s still nice like always to customers, but you know how hard it is for him to keep that front, especially when it starts getting close to the convention. I had to stop him the other day from practically drooling at some girl in the lobby and not for the reason you would think. He looks at other people like they’re meat. The man is hungry. He’s waited a whole year for TODAY, and you just offered him a 4-course meal. Do you think he’s rational right now? Instead of coming to me, you went to him and just acted upon whatever the two of you decided. Now, what are we going to do?”

  He looked at the unconscious teenage boy in the cage. Judging from the amount of blood on his clothes, he has lost a lot of it.

  “How long has he been out?”

  “He is fine; he sedated him when he woke up. He kept screaming and yelling. Granted, the walls are very, very soundproof. I just didn’t want to have to listen to it.”

  “I need to look at his head.”

  Alex looked around and saw the five other people in the cages sleeping, likely sedated too. “Wait, there’s only five?” He thought and recounted. That must be another reason why he wants to go after Thea’s family. He didn’t make the quota for the convention, and he is panicking.

  His uncle opened the gate. The squealing noise echoed through the room.

  “Give me your phone and keys. If he wakes, we can’t take the risk of him getting a hold of it.”

  Alex did as he was told and stepped inside the cage. He pulled up Jack’s head and examined the gash on the back of it.

  “It’s not deep. Jack might need a few stitches, but he will be ok. Maybe if we’re lucky he won’t remember it and we can just say he fell or something. No harm is done.”

  He heard the gate shut behind him. He spun around to see his uncle standing on the other side.

  Alex was stunned, he couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe. His brain was on overload and couldn’t compute command to respond to what had just happened.

  “I’m sorry, I need to know that you will stay out of the way. We’re not going to hurt you, but I can’t let you and your emotions mess this up.”

  As his uncle walked out of the room, he tried to yell after him, but he just kept walking. The door to the elevator closed behind him, leaving Alex alone in the cage with Jack, and in the room with the other candidates, who were only noticeable by the faint sound of heavy breathing. A bone-crushing fear raced over his body with the next realization that came to mind. His eyes grew wide, his heart stopped.

  “Thea.”

  16

  The Enemy Wi
thin

  Eleanor sat up in the bed of the hotel room. John had finally decided to get up and munched on the bag of chips that she had found in the vending machine. He scrolled through the channels on the TV, looking for something minutely interesting to watch.

  “You seem to be feeling better.”

  Eleanor said she shut her book after finishing the last chapter and placed it on the small table located by the recliner chair.

  “I am, for the most part. I am never drinking again.”

  “Oh, I’ve heard that before. Then, you always say that you’re too old for this crap. Then, you do it again a month later.”

  She said, calling him out on his statement.

  “As true as that is, it makes me feel better to say it.”

  John looked around the room.

  “Where are the kids?”

  “Well, Thea is with Alex, and Jack is in the arcade downstairs. That kind of seems to be the usual lately.”

  “Oh, yeah, that seems right.”

  “Oh, I wanted to show you something.”

  She reached over to her purse and pulled out a ring of small golden keys. She dangled them in the air for him to see.

  “What are those?”

  “Well, earlier when I went to get your chips, I saw the maids cleaning a room down the hall. Well, these bad boys were hanging on the side of the cart. I may have snagged them. Maybe we can see what is in that vent.”

  She pointed to the vent on the ceiling. John squinted looking at the vent on the ceiling and noticed a lock on the front panel. There had to be something cool behind there to justify them locking it with a key. He jumped to his feet and slid his slippers on that sat next to the bed. He walked over to Eleanor stood with one hand, grabbing the back of her neck and the other on her hip. John pulled her close and kissed the top of her head before squeezing and letting her go.

  “Have I ever told you how much I love you? Thank you for indulging my curiosity about this place.”

  “Consider it an early anniversary gift.”