“Sounds like it.” She whistled softly. “So do you think he really does have a copy of that record? ’Cause maybe you could use it as, like, a bargaining chip or something.”
“Knowing Ben, he probably does. But listen, Allison. I need a huge favor from you.”
“Anything. You want me to wire you money? I’ll empty my bank account. I can lay my hands on a couple thousand as soon as the bank opens in the morning, and I’ll scrape up more if you need it.”
“No, nothing like that.” She hesitated. “At least, not yet. What I really need is for you to take care of my mom and Joshua. Maybe even let them come stay at your place for a few days, just in case these people try to…to…” She couldn’t finish the thought. It was too horrible to say.
She didn’t need to. Allison understood.
“Absolutely. I’ll go over there as soon as we hang up. Uh, are you going to call her and tell her what’s going on?”
“I don’t know.” She scrubbed at her forehead, trying to force her brain to think clearly. “Mom tends to freak out, so I don’t want to upset her. But she needs to know how serious the situation is so she’ll take extra precautions.”
The phone line was silent for a moment. When Allison spoke again, her voice was hesitant. “Listen, I don’t want to sound overly paranoid or anything, but if these people are as powerful as you say they are, and if they really wanted to find out who you were, they probably knew before they got your passport. I mean, the time-share resort office has your name and address, right?”
Nikki wilted slowly against the chair as she considered the ramifications of Allison’s words. “That means they might already know were my mother lives.”
“Hey, I’m sure they’re fine. I called her this afternoon to check on them, like you asked me to do last night. They were just coming home from church. But if these people do know where she lives, would they be able to tap her phone? If you tell her what’s going on, they’ll hear.”
Nikki covered her face with her free hand. “You’re right. What should I do?”
She could almost hear her friend’s thoughts whirling on the other side of the phone. Her own brain felt fried. She couldn’t come up with a single idea.
“Okay, how about this. What if you call her now, after we hang up, and act normal? Like nothing’s wrong. Tell her we’ve talked, and I’m going to be dropping by to check on them. You know, give her a hand with Joshua. That way she’ll be expecting me. I can explain everything in person, and I’ll convince her to come to my apartment for a few days.”
Nikki grasped at the suggestion like a lifesaver thrown to a drowning victim. “That’s a great idea.”
“I just hope whatever phone you’re using isn’t being tapped too. Where are you anyway?”
Nikki glanced around the bedroom. “With friends. They run a small church down here. I don’t think anyone will look for us here.”
A humorless laugh. “Yeah, they don’t sound like the kind of people who go to church.” She paused. “Oh, I’d better clean my apartment. I wasn’t expecting anybody’s mother to come over.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Nikki told her. “Mom will probably clean it for you.”
“Hey, there’s the silver lining!”
Nikki managed a weak smile. “Allison, how can I ever thank you for doing this?”
“Just stay safe. Call me tomorrow when you talk to the American Consulate. Then we’ll figure out what to do after you’re safely back on American soil.”
Safely back. With powerful people like Senator Webb in cahoots with Mexican organized crime, she wasn’t sure she’d ever feel safe in her own country again. “I’ll call the minute we know what we’re doing.”
Nikki hung up the phone and bowed her head over it. She’d had more scares in the past few hours than most people had in a lifetime, and the stress was taking its toll. Exhaustion was catching up with her. She could barely engage a coherent thought.
She drew in a deep breath and forced her eyes open. One more phone call, and she needed to sound normal. She glanced at her watch. Almost eight o’clock, which meant almost six in Portland. Joshua would just be having supper.
Leaning back in the chair, she punched in her mom’s phone number.
FIFTEEN
Ben pulled the comb Denise said he could use through his towel-dried hair and inspected his reflection in the mirror on the back of the bathroom door. The shorts and T-shirt he’d selected from a well-stocked shelf on the enclosed porch were faded, but at least they fit. And clean clothes felt terrific. He unbuttoned the pocket on his swim trunks and transferred his camera to one of the deep pockets in his new-used shorts.
Denise kinda reminded him of his mother back when he was a kid, before cancer transformed her into a wraith. And he had to admit, Denise seemed nice for a church lady. Genuinely nice, not fake nice like most of the goody-goody people he’d known. She hadn’t tried to preach at him, yet. He’d figured she would whip out her Bible and start thumping on it the minute Nikki left the room.
What was Nikki up to, anyway? She’d still been on the phone when he got in the shower, her voice nothing but an indistinguishable drone through the walls.
Probably calling her boyfriend back home.
Did she have a boyfriend? The idea filled him with gloom. The question had pressed on him ever since he first caught sight of her on the dock in Key West. He was afraid to ask, though. There for a few seconds, back in the water, and again on the dock at the marina, Ben thought she was warming up to him again. She had responded when he kissed her. For a moment, he almost hoped—
Cut it out. I’m nothing but a paragraph in her diary. Someone she won’t tell her kids about when she’s married and settled and this nightmare is behind her.
Of course, they had a lot of ground to cover before either of them could get back home.
And where was home? For Nikki it was Oregon, where she grew up and where her mother lived. But what about him? He hadn’t had a place he truly thought of as home in years, not since his mother died. There was nothing for him in Phoenix, where he had lived when he was a boy. His current residence was in the Florida Keys, but that wasn’t home. Key West and, before that, Cozumel were merely the most recent in a whole list of temporary locations he’d drifted to in his search of…what? The carefree lifestyle his father had enjoyed? Since Nikki’s departure over two years ago, a realization had been growing inside him. That lifestyle wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Sure, it sounded terrific having no responsibilities, no ties. But did he really want to live like this forever?
Ben folded his damp towel and draped it over the edge of the tub. When this was all over, he had some decisions to make. But that was in the future. The way things were looking now, he might not even live that long. He gathered his dirty clothes and headed for the kitchen.
A delicious aroma struck him when he entered the room and stirred up a rumble in his empty stomach. A wave of weakness threatened to knock him off his feet. When had they eaten last? A bag of potato chips, grabbed from a gas station in Mérida on their way out of town. So much had happened since then, that seemed like days ago.
Nikki jumped up from a chair at the small table and picked up the clothes Denise had selected for her. “My turn.” She smiled as she approached the doorway. “You look much better.”
He started to quip a response, something about how a shower would improve her looks too, but the words died on his tongue. They wouldn’t be true. Even dirty and disheveled, with her hair dried in chunky dreadlocks, she was stunning.
Instead, he said the first thing that came to mind. “Everything okay at home?” The words came out bitter.
Her eyebrows arched, but then she seemed embarrassed and mumbled as she edged around him, “Everything’s fine.”
When the bathroom door closed behind her, Ben turned to find two sets of eyes watching him. Denise stood at the counter, and the tall man he’d seen over at the church sat at the table. He stood and crossed the small
room in two long-legged steps.
“Hello, Ben. I’m Thomas Evans.” He shook Ben’s hand with a firm grip.
“Nice to meet you, sir.” Ben glanced at Denise and hefted his dirty clothes. “I figure I might as well donate these. You know, kind of a trade.”
“Thank you, Ben. Just toss them out on the back porch in that box by the door.”
He did as instructed and joined Thomas at the table. Denise placed a full glass of orange juice in front of him.
“Drink this. You need some calories in your system. I’m heating up some chile rellenos a woman in our congregation makes. I keep a few in the freezer for quick meals.”
Ben inhaled. “It does smell good, ma’am.” He picked up the glass and gulped half the juice.
Thomas waited until Ben set the glass down to speak. “While you were in the shower, Nikki filled us in on your situation.” He shook his head. “I wish I could say I was shocked, but organized crime is prevalent here in Mexico. Frankly, I think it’s a miracle you’re alive.”
The emphasis he gave miracle made it more than a figure of speech. Until a few hours ago, Ben would have scoffed at the idea that miracles existed. But the sight of that fishing boat, coming within a few seconds after he and Nikki said Amen… Well, the timing was nothing short of amazing.
“I guess Nikki told you about our, uh, rescue.”
Thomas nodded. His hair, more silver than brown, formed an M at his hairline and his scalp showed through on top. “She’s convinced the arrival of that fishing boat was an answer to prayer. I tend to agree with her. I’ve seen God go to some pretty extreme measures to answer the prayers of His children.”
Ben picked up his glass. “I don’t know. He sure hasn’t answered any of mine.”
The man leaned forward, his eyes kind. “How often have you asked, son?”
Here it comes. A sermon, and with Nikki in the shower, I’m stuck here for the full brunt of it.
Thomas didn’t wait for his answer. “Some people have a hard time believing in a loving Father who takes an active role in the lives of His children. Not me. I’ve seen a lot of things during my years here in Mexico. I know God comes through for His kids.”
“Thomas, don’t pester the boy.” Denise scolded her husband as she pulled a bowl out of a microwave and set another in its place. “He’s been through a lot in the past few days.”
Her husband sent an apologetic smile across the table toward Ben. “Sorry. She’s right. I tend to get carried away when I talk about my heavenly Dad, you know?”
“Your heavenly Dad?” Ben laughed and traced a circle in the condensation on the cool glass. “I’ve never heard anyone refer to God like that.”
Thomas shrugged. “That’s who He is to me. He’s proved it over and over.”
The idea of a dad who actually came through for his kids, who took care of them, was beyond Ben’s experience. Dads were fun, but they weren’t reliable. They couldn’t be counted on. At least, not Ben’s.
What if these people are right? What if God really does love and protect His kids? What if He really does care?
Yet another thing Ben would have to have to devote some time to thinking about later, when this ordeal was over.
“Denise is right, though.” Thomas straightened in his chair. “What we need to focus on now is how to get you two back home safely. What are your plans, and how can we help?”
“Wel-l-l.” Ben drew the word out while he tried to think. “I guess we’ll go to the American Consulate office when it opens tomorrow and report our passports as stolen. And hope they can help get us home. After that…” Ben hesitated. Could he trust these people? He glanced from Thomas to Denise, busy stirring the steaming contents of a bowl, and decided he could. “Did Nikki tell you about the list?”
Thomas nodded. “She didn’t tell us what it contained, though.”
“It’s probably best if you don’t know. When we get back to the States, I’m going to put Nikki on a plane back home, where she’ll be safe. Then I’m going to call someone. I don’t know who. The FBI, maybe, or Homeland Security. That information implicated some high-up muckety-mucks. I don’t know who I can trust.”
The older man leaned forward and reached across the table to place a hand over Ben’s. “I’m going to pray you know exactly what to do.”
Though he never would have dreamed it possible, the idea of Thomas praying for him gave Ben a flicker of hope that maybe this nightmare would turn out okay after all.
Nikki entered the room, her clean, wet hair combed straight back from her forehead. Ben’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of her.
What did somebody like her ever see in me to begin with? No wonder she left me.
Their last argument returned to him with force, every word of it. She’d been attending church—this church, with Denise and Thomas—for a few weeks, and suddenly she’d started hinting about “making things legal.” Ben had sensed the steel jaws of matrimony about to snap closed on him, and he had panicked. Told her that he would never settle down, never give up his carefree life. And at the time, he meant it, every word of it.
But looking at her now, with her face clean and glowing from the heat of her shower, doubts washed over him. What kind of jerk was he? Who let a woman like Nikki get away?
“They’re a little big.” Nikki tugged at the waistband of the donated shorts. “But they’ll be fine.”
Denise turned from the counter with a bowl in her hands and eyed her. “I think there are some smaller ones out there you can try. But first, sit down and eat something.”
She set a bowl of black beans on the table in front of Ben, then rice, and finally, a plate of chile rellenos. “I wish I had something better to feed you. These are just some leftovers I threw together.”
Ben inhaled the fragrant steam wafting from the beans. An answering rumble of anticipation vibrated in his stomach. “Are you kidding? This is awesome. Thank you.”
Nikki slid into the chair beside him. “Pastor Thomas, would you bless the food?”
“Certainly.”
The three of them bowed their heads. Ben hesitated only a second, and then did the same.
SIXTEEN
Nikki awoke with a start. Dark room. Stifling heat. Where was she? She sat up in the narrow bed. Her mind floundered in the dark while her eyes struggled to make out details by the dim light seeping through an open window.
Then she remembered. Ben. The flash drive. Denise and Pastor Thomas. And the Reynosa cartel.
She collapsed on the pillow and willed her heartbeat to return to normal. Wispy memories of the dream that awakened her floated through her mind, of blue-tinted water and bubbles and sharks. She willed them to go, to leave her mind clear and empty so she could go back to sleep. Above her, a paddle fan whirled and tried to cool her by bathing her body in warm, stale air. She opened her eyes and glanced at the window. The curtains hung limp, without a breeze to give them life. She’d modestly closed the door when she went to bed, but without the benefit of a cross breeze, she’d confined herself to an oven.
What was Joshua doing right now? Had Allison made a bed for him on the floor in her room, or was he in the living room, with Mom asleep on Allison’s comfy sofa? Or maybe Allison generously gave up her bedroom for Mom and Joshua. Wherever they slept, no doubt they were all snuggled beneath blankets, warm inside while the chilly Oregon wind blew at the windows.
I could sure use a little of that wintery cold right now.
Impossible to sleep in this heat. Maybe a drink of water would cool her off. She heaved herself out of bed and slipped her donated shorts on beneath the oversized nightshirt Denise had given her.
She opened the door slowly, in case it creaked and woke everyone in the small house, and tiptoed out into the hallway. A snore came from the other bedroom, where Pastor Thomas and Denise slept. From the direction of the living room came the sound of Ben’s deep, even breathing. Moving as silently as she could, she crept into the kitchen. Moonlight filtered
through a window to fill the comfy room with a white glow. Nikki took a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water from a pitcher in the refrigerator.
Ah. Cold and wet. Exactly what she needed.
Except now she was wide awake. What time was it, anyway? The clock on the wall read almost one. She’d fallen asleep around eight-thirty, shortly after the dinner Denise served them, unable to stave off exhaustion another minute.
One o’clock here would only be eleven o’clock back home. Joshua would have long since fallen asleep, but Allison and Mom might still be awake. Denise’s phone lay on the counter. Would she mind one more international call? No, a generous person like Denise wouldn’t mind a dozen calls. Besides, Nikki fully intended to reimburse her for the calls, no matter how she protested. And it would help Nikki to sleep, hearing Allison’s voice, knowing Joshua and Mom were safe in her care.
Nikki picked up the phone and crept out the back door and through the screened porch, where she sat on the small stoop. The moon shone brightly in the sky and illuminated the tiny backyard. She pressed in Allison’s number and held the phone to her ear.
No answer. On the fifth ring, she hung up before voice mail could kick in.
An uneasy feeling pressed at the edges of her mind. Why wouldn’t Allison answer the phone? Even if she had gone to bed, she’d hear the phone ring, wouldn’t she? She wouldn’t ignore the call, in case Nikki phoned again. With quick fingers, Nikki tried the call a second time.
Again, no answer.
Now fully worried, she attempted to calm her racing thoughts. What if something had happened to them? A number of possibilities came to mind, but only one flashed like a lighthouse in the midst of the storm raging in her head—the Reynosa people had found them.
Calm down. Don’t jump to conclusions. Maybe her phone is in the car or something. There are a million reasons she might not answer a call.
Into the Deep Page 12
