by Lee Taylor
The game master reiterates the no-running rule when the airlock opens with a puff of smoke and we file into the arena pounding with pulsating lights and loud electronic music. A mass of teenagers and preteens scramble every which direction.
I follow Zach single-file through a rugged corridor and run into a group of teenage boys. Someone deactivates me, but Zach ducks behind a pylon and deactivates all of them. While my vest is dark, I scurry toward the base station, stepping around the boys, but they follow hot on my heels. My gun activates before theirs, and I quickly pump off a round of shots. They scatter behind another set of walls.
Zach provides me cover, while I shoot the base station to gain points for our team. But when it's his turn, the boys regroup and deactivate us.
"No sense fighting them. Let's go." Zach shouts above the music and waves me toward the sniper's nest where a guardian robot fires lasers at random.
He covers me while I sneak around a wall, giving me enough time to reactivate. I pump lasers into the robot's head and score.
When I turn around, the teenage boys box me into a corner and shoot me over and over again. I crane my neck for Zach.
He's busy fending off a group of adult men. He twists and turns, firing and dodging. I swallow more anxiety about his leg, but he deactivates the men and comes toward me.
"Hey, guys." Zach waves at the boys surrounding me. "Bet you can't catch me."
He raises his arms, presenting his chest target. They activate and aim, but Zach crouches and spins. He stumbles and ducks behind the wall just in time. I follow to cover him.
The boys chase him and I shoot them, scoring right when the game counts down.
"Wasn't that fun?" Zach helps me remove my vest. "You did great. Let's get our scores."
Outside, the game master hands us our score sheets. Our team wins, and Zach has the highest score. I'm seventh overall out of twenty-six. Not bad for a noob.
"How'd you get so many points?" I ask Zach, relieved that he doesn't seem to be in pain.
His smile is smug, and he nonchalantly wipes his hair back from his forehead. "I caught a bunch of people standing on top of a grid. They had no clue I was shooting them from below."
"So that's where you went when I was surrounded, getting shot over and over again. Some hero you turned out to be." I hip bump him and head toward the door.
The night air is a cool contrast to the steamy arena. Zach catches me and takes my hand. We're both sweaty, but I don't mind as I lean closer to him.
We stroll past the restaurants and walk across a highway bridge. He's now limping slightly, so I slow my pace, but catch myself before pointing it out to him.
The noise of the cars rushing below us sounds like surf pounding a beach. Shivering, I step back from the railing. We stop walking and Zach pulls me in his arms, strong and protective.
I'm not sure what he's trying to prove by leading me onto the bridge. It's just an overpass, not the Golden Gate.
He holds me tight and snuggly. My heart is still beating fast from the game, and now it accelerates for an altogether more primitive reason. I want so much to accept his affection. It feels so easy and right.
But I can't. Not when I flash back to the image of my father, one leg over the rail, looking at me, haunted and desperate. Was that how Zach's mother looked right before she died? Murdered by a man she thought was her friend, or at least, her employee? And why? Why? What was his motive?
Pain constricts my chest and I push out of Zach's embrace. I can't do this . . . pretend nothing had happened between them.
"Are you okay?" Zach sweeps his hand toward the bay. "I wanted to show you the lights of the marina."
Blue and white spotlights twinkle among the sailboats. Their white masts glow, stark and upright, as they sway gently in the smooth water.
"It's beautiful." I allow him to put his arm on my shoulder, but I'm too stiff to enjoy the closeness. "I had fun."
"What are you thinking about?" His voice is gentle.
"The past." I'm not ready to tell him the truth.
"The past is over, gone." He trails a finger through my hair. "All that matters is from here to forever."
Forever? This guy's a mystery. He says all the right things, but what does he really want?
We walk toward his car. Zach's hands are bunched in his pockets, probably uncomfortable that I didn't respond to his last remark. I have no clue which way I want this relationship to go. Somehow it's easier to end it rather than worry and be on tether hooks, waiting for the ax to fall.
Zach opens the trunk and gives me my purse. My cell phone lights with an incoming text message.
It's from Owen. "Tatay's IP address is from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia."
I fumble to lock the screen and instead drop the phone. Zach picks it up and glances at it.
"Tatay?" His eyebrows rise. "Doesn't that mean father in Tagalog?"
Chapter 10
Zach and I are still standing in the parking lot outside of Chuck E. Cheese's. Headlights criss-cross as cars turn in and out of the lot. He gives my phone back. "Sorry, I shouldn't have looked at your message."
I open and shut my mouth, my heart thudding like a dabakan drum. It's not his fault I overreacted and dropped the phone. But . . . how does he know the meaning of Tatay? Has he figured out who my father was?
I stare at the message display as if my father's face would pop up and he'd call me, but that's ridiculous. He's dead. I saw him jump.
Zach unlocks his car and opens the door for me. I shove the phone into my purse and slide into the passenger seat. The driver's door opens and shuts, and Zach is next to me. "Is something wrong? Do you want to talk about it?"
I look dumbly at him. Soon, my secret will be out. I'm frankly surprised his father hasn't said anything. But then, why cause his only son more pain? Let him believe his mother died peacefully of a heart condition. Let him not have the gruesome dreams I have . . . a porcelain neck sliced open, blood splattering her white blouse. Her pale blue eyes, accusing sharp pinpoints. And the screams covering my ears. I grab my head to shake off the scene. No, no, no. I didn't see anything, nothing.
"Shh . . . it's okay, Vera." Zach gently places my head on his shoulder and caresses the back of my neck. A lump rises in my throat, almost choking my breath. I let him comfort me.
"Who's Tatay?" he asks.
"I don't know. Someone who's leaving messages on my YouTube page." I break from his embrace. "And how do you know Tatay means father?"
He scratches the back of his head and shrugs. "Been learning a few words in Tagalog to impress you. I saw that post about Bing-Bing. Was it a pet?"
A niggling chill skitters down my spine. If he's been to my YouTube page, where else has he searched?
"No, he was my stuffed bear. I took him everywhere, but I think he got too . . ." bloody . . . "er . . . well actually I don't know what happened to him."
I peek at Zach, but he's staring across the steering wheel, a faraway look in his eyes. "I had a dog named Bing-Bing. He was an Australian cattle dog, a bluish-black one."
"Is it a common dog name in Australia?"
A grin leaps to his face. "You kidding? They go for manly names like Max, Buddy, and Digger. I got teased a lot. But even though Bing-Bing was a runt, he had heart and he stood up to anyone. My dad gave him to me after my mum died, when we moved back to Australia."
"Where did you use to live?" I know the answer, but I'm hoping he doesn't connect the two Bing-Bings. He must have named his dog after my bear without remembering.
"My dad says we lived in Napa Valley. My mum inherited one of the wineries from her first husband." Zach wipes his hand across the foggy windshield.
"First husband? What was his name? And the winery?" My heart speeds. Maybe one of his relatives had a motive.
Zach cocks an eyebrow. "I don't know, but I can ask my dad."
"Oh, never mind, I'm just shocked you used to live around here. You never mentioned it." I'm digging myself deeper wi
th my misleading implications, as if I don't know whose son he is. In any case, I have new information for Owen to investigate.
"Dad never talks about it. I don't even know where my mum's buried."
I gulp and wonder if he's ever done an internet search for his mother's name.
Zach's mouth presses into a thin line. He inhales through his nose and exhales. "I never understood why my dad buried her here instead of shipping her body to Australia. I should visit her grave, bring her flowers. She loved flowers. She grew orchids, prize-winning ones."
The car is getting too stuffy. I try not to gasp and fan myself. Images of white, purple and pink flowers, spotted red and yellow ones, flash through my mind. I remember their faces, like floppy-eared puppy dogs, their tongues lolling. The Golden Lady always threaded one in my hair, but Mama hated them, so I hid them under my bed until they dried out.
Mercifully, Zach starts the car and turns on the defroster. He seems deep in thought as we drive back to his apartment. All the excitement from the laser game fades into a dull, impatient sense of dread. I need answers. Why am I getting postcards from Australia? Why now? And who is this fan of mine, Tatay?
We arrive at Zach's place, and he cuts the engine. I open the door and step out before he has a chance to get it for me. Cliff is sitting on the hood of my Toyota, texting.
I stop in front of him. "What are you doing here? Is Louie all right?"
Cliff's head snaps up. "Louie's doing good. He asked me to keep an eye on you. Said you were hanging out with undesirables."
Did he just call Zach undesirable? A sudden sense of hostility causes my teeth to grit. "If anyone's undesirable, it's you."
Zach joins us. "Everything okay here?"
Cliff crinkles his nose. "Family business, which is none of yours. So get lost."
I tuck my hand around Zach's elbow. "Zach's my date. Just because you're my uncle's garbage disposal doesn't make us family."
I don't know why I enjoy verbal sparring with this dweeb. Maybe I'm jealous my uncle likes him so much, even though I should be happy he has someone to entertain him.
Cliff chuckles and swings a set of printouts in front of my face. "Tickets to Australia, Melbourne. Me and you. We're going to look for Tatay, your YouTube fan."
I jiggle out of Zach's hold and drag Cliff aside. "Why are you involved? How do you know he's in Australia."
"Your uncle saw the IP address logger on your website."
Could Tatay really be my father? Sweat prickles my forehead and the back of my neck. I cover my confusion by yawning and regarding Cliff out of the corner of my eye. Why would my uncle tell him? Unless he's a relative.
Now that I think about it, the punk could be part Asian. I always pegged him as Mediterranean, olive-skinned with dark-brown hair. But blue-green eyes? Unusual for a Pinoy.
Cliff's eyebrows dance. "Now's our chance to get to know each other better. Much, much better."
Zach stands back with his arms crossed, but doesn't interfere. Guess I'm not his girlfriend, just a date. Or maybe white men are less possessive than Filipino men.
"Aren't you excited?" Cliff says. "These tickets aren't cheap."
I snatch the papers from him. "Who paid for these?"
"Who else? If Louie were healthy, he'd go." Cliff grins cockily. "He trusts me with your life. Besides, I know the area well."
"So do I." Now Zach steps in. "Vera, if you want go to Australia, let me take you."
My head swivels from Zach to Cliff and back. As much as I'd love to travel with Zach, what would I do if I really find my father? Would Zach understand, or would he turn him in? I'll have to trust my uncle on this one.
"Let's not talk about tickets and who's going where." I speak calmly to diffuse the tension. "I'll speak to Louie tomorrow, but right now, I'm going to finish my date with Zach."
Cliff sneers and clamps his hands on his hips. "I can't believe you're dating a has-been white guy with an Asian fetish. Have you no pride?"
"How dare you insult us." I glare and step away from him.
Zach moves so fast he's a blur. He punches Cliff on the jaw. Cliff staggers but recovers his balance. He tucks his shoulder down and charges. I scream, but the two men are rolling on the ground, huffing, puffing and punching.
"Stop it, guys. Stop. Someone's going to call the police."
Lights turn on in the surrounding apartments. Zach has Cliff pinned, but Cliff hooks his foot behind Zach's thigh and kicks the junction of Zach's prosthetic leg. Zach yelps, his breath sharp between his teeth.
I yank Cliff's shirt. "Leave, or I'm calling the police."
"You're coming with me. Now." Cliff dusts himself off. "You're in danger. That's why your uncle wants me to protect you."
"Oh, stop being a drama king." I roll my eyes. One thing these guys don't realize, I am not a hysterical woman. Never have been, never will.
Cliff draws me close and taunts me in a lowered voice, "Zach has his own reasons for hanging onto you."
"I can handle it," I whisper harshly. "Now go."
I'm not going to fall for whatever melodrama Cliff has cooked up this time. Ever since I've known him, he's been overly flirtatious and cloak and dagger at the same time.
Zach's on his hands and knees, breathing hard. I help him up, and he limps to his door. I look over my shoulder. Cliff is still hanging around, walking back and forth like a caged lion.
I step through Zach's door and bolt it after me. He stumbles to the couch and lowers his jeans without glancing my direction. Grimacing, he detaches the prosthetic leg and unrolls his liner while rubbing his thigh.
"Should I get ice?" I wring my hands, torn between wanting to help and letting him take care of it.
"He twisted it good." Zach grunts. "There are cold packs in the freezer. Wrap one in a towel. What's going on with you and Cliff?"
I bring the packs and towel to Zach's side. "Nothing. My uncle has business in Australia. Guess he wants me to check up on it."
"Thanks." He applies the ice to his leg. "What's that about Tatay? Is he talking about your father?"
My jaw shudders and I rub my palms, panicking. Cliff should have kept his mouth shut. Why did he put on this show in front of Zach?
"Must be Cliff's father. My uncle must know him. Don't worry about it." I'm amazed at the lies I improvise as I sit at his side and peer at his leg. "Does it hurt a lot?"
Zach is examining his stump. I can't get over the gruesome scar, raw, jagged, red and beige. I keep expecting a bone to poke through the skin and bleed.
Since he doesn't reply, I retire to the bathroom to give him space. I'm sure he's embarrassed that he lost the fight, although Cliff fought dirty.
After I brush my hair, I return to the living room. Zach's wearing a pair of cut-off shorts and lying on the sofa, his hands clasped over his belly. He sits up as soon as he sees me and pats the cushion. I don't want to ask if he's hurting or if he's okay. I had a good time, and I need him to know it, so I cuddle into his side as if we'd just returned from our laser tag date and nothing else had happened.
"Think he's still out there?" Zach asks.
"Forget him." I kiss Zach on the lips. "I enjoyed our date."
"Mmm . . . me too." He's playing with my hair again, running his fingers through it in a way that makes me want to purr. "The offer's still open. If you want to go to Australia, come with me. My aunt has a bed and breakfast, and she could use some of your nursing skills in exchange for a room. She's a diabetic who loves to bake. Gets herself into trouble, and she doesn't monitor her blood sugar like she should."
"I haven't decided whether I should go or not."
"Of course." His eyes sweep my face and soften. "But if you do, I'm not letting you out of my sight."
"Umm . . . Zach? I can take care of myself."
"I know you can, but I worry about you getting involved in Cliff's business." He traces lines through my hair, then kisses my forehead. "You know what I think?"
His touch is comforting, but
I can't fall for him. Cliff could be right. Zach may want revenge once he's fully aware of my background.
I yawn loudly. "I'm tired. Think I'll go home. My mother's probably worried."
"She should be."
"Why?"
"Because Cliff's up to no good."
Zach seems sincere, yet I can't help but feel he knows more than he's letting on. If only I knew which one to trust.
Chapter 11
Three days later I'm in an airplane over the Pacific Ocean in the middle seat, with Zach in the aisle seat to my left and Cliff at the window, flying nineteen hours to Australia. Their broad shoulders infringe on my space, and their elbows hog the armrests. Even though I'm barely one hundred and five pounds, I like room to spread out. The three of us stare at the seatback screens and try to ignore one another.
There's no sense talking. Cliff claims Zach's family is a danger to me, but won't tell me what he supposedly knows. Zach says Cliff is a deranged ratbag who's stalking me and preying on my emotions about finding my father. Guess he didn't buy my little diversion about Tatay being Cliff's supposed father. By the way, who is Cliff's father?
Of course Tito Louie told me to trust Cliff, but won't say why. Meanwhile, I lied to Mama and told her I'm taking a much-needed vacation. I didn't even tell Maryanne, for fear she'd talk me out of going. Owen still thinks the entire hoo-ha is a jealous ex-girlfriend trying to break me up with Zach, except his theory backfired since Zach went into he-man protection mode and came with me.
The roar of the jet engines barely covers the thudding of my heart. I still don't know who I should go with when we get to Melbourne. At least I have many, many hours to think about it. With nothing I can do until we land, I numb my feelings and pretend I'm an observer outside my body.
There I am, with two guards hemming my every move. Their clashing colognes and deodorants make my belly quiver. I almost giggle at the thought of overdosing on the testosterone floating between these two muscle-bound specimens.
Spending the entire flight in the cramped bathroom is looking mighty attractive at this stage. As soon as the seatbelt light turns off, I tap Zach's knee and tell him I need to use the restroom. He stands in the aisle to let me pass. Cliff unsnaps his seatbelt and gets out of his seat, but Zach sits back down and blocks him from exiting.
