Deceived

by Patricia H. Rushford

  She took her plate out to a patio off the dining room and sat down on one of the wrought-iron benches. Flower beds bordered a wide expanse of red Spanish tile. A set of stairs led to more gardens and a wide grassy area that sloped to the edge of a cliff.

  She’d seen the cliff from the other side during her sail with Dominic the day before. It dropped off and fell about thirty feet to a rocky shore. A person could get seriously hurt if they chose that route—unless they had a rope and something to fasten it to. And you have about as much hope of getting a rope in this place as you have of making it snow.

  Voices from inside the villa drew her attention. From where she sat she had a view of the living room and the door to Señor Ramirez’s office. Ramirez emerged and two men followed. Probably the same two that had disembarked the helicopter earlier. This time Jennie had no trouble identifying them: Matt Hansen and “agent” Brett Roberts.

  The food Jennie had just eaten threatened to make an exit the same way it had gone down. She turned away, hoping Ramirez hadn’t seen her—wishing she hadn’t seen them. Maybe its not what you think, McGrady. Roberts may not be one of them. Jennie took several deep breaths and concentrated on keeping her food down. Roberts was an agent. He knew her dad. He’d pushed her down when Dominic had shot at her. Had he found out about Ramirez from Matt? Was Matt an agent too?

  Or were they both working for Ramirez? She could believe it of Matt—sort of—but Roberts? She’d trusted him. Had Roberts been acting as an agent to get information from her? She’d been deceived so often and by so many people, Jennie didn’t know what to think or whom to believe anymore.

  “Ah, there you are.” Ramirez had seen her. “Señorita McGrady. I see you have made yourself at home.” He eyed her empty plate. “That is good. I want you to be comfortable while you are here.” He turned and motioned toward Matt and Roberts. “Gentlemen. I believe you have met our guest?”

  Neither of them answered. They may as well have been cast in stone. She could read absolutely nothing on their faces to indicate which side they were on. Roberts adjusted his sunglasses and folded his arms, looking more like a hit man than a federal agent.

  Undaunted by their lack of response, Ramirez continued. “Mr. Roberts, as you know, works with the DEA.” How had he known that? Had Roberts been caught trying to rescue her? No, he looked too cool and put together.

  “Don’t look so surprised, señorita,” Ramirez crooned. “I’m certain that even as young as you are, you are aware of certain agents who, how shall we say, are willing to make deals? For a price, we were able to persuade Señor Roberts to deliver a message to your father.

  Señor McGrady should arrive this afternoon. When he comes I will arrange for a small family reunion. Then, señorita, at sunrise tomorrow, he will be executed.”

  So that was how he knew Dad was alive. If Jennie’s mouth hadn’t been so dry she would have spit on Roberts. “You traitor. I trusted you.”

  Matt grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Let go of me.” Pain coursed through her shoulder when she tried to twist away.

  “What do you want us to do with her?” Matt asked, tightening his grip.

  “Leave her.” Ramirez was apparently tired of tormenting her. He seemed to enjoy playing with people, driving them to the edge.

  “You’re not going to get away with this. My grandmother is going to know I’m missing. She’ll send the police.”

  “I think not, señorita. Señor Roberts has assured your family that you are enjoying your stay so much you will not be meeting them until they dock in Cozumel. By then it will be over.”

  He’d won another round. Jennie shrugged out of

  Matt’s grasp when he loosened his hold, and she ran into the villa. She rounded the corner close to the stairs and nearly collided with Dominic, who was just coming down.

  “Querida, what is it? What has upset you?” Dominic asked the question as if he honestly didn’t know why she was upset. His dark eyes looked so innocent Jennie wondered if someone had suddenly changed scripts on her. But this was no movie. She sat down on the stairs and buried her face in her hands.

  Dominic dropped down beside her. “It pains me to see you so unhappy. What can I do to help?”

  Jennie took a deep breath, forcing down the hysteria. She was coming close to the edge. Somehow, she had to hold on to the slim thread of sanity and common sense she had left. She had to find a way through it. She raised her head and met his gaze.

  “If you really want to help me, then stop your grandfather. Don’t let him kill my father.”

  Dominic lowered his head. “I cannot. Justice must be served. ‘An eye for an eye.’ You will be safe, querida. That is what matters.”

  “No. That’s not what matters. What matters is that you can’t just go around killing people. Shooting my dad isn’t going to bring your father back. I don’t know why it happened, but I do know Dad wouldn’t shoot anyone without a reason. And more killing won’t make it get better. It’s wrong.”

  “I am sorry. I…” Dominic unfolded himself and stood erect.

  Jennie bounced up and grabbed his arm. “Wait. Kill me instead.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “You and Juan Carlos need to avenge your father’s death. Before you decided my dad was alive, you were going to kill me, right? Well, do it. Kill me instead.”

  “I do not understand.”

  Jennie wasn’t sure she understood either. All she knew was that she would do anything to save her father, even if it meant losing her own life. Something Roberts had said about Dad tumbled into her head and seemed to turn on the lights. “It has something to do with sacrifice. There’s a verse in the Bible that says, ‘There is no greater love than this, that a man would lay down his life for a friend.’ That’s what it’s all about, Dominic. Dad gave up his life with us so we could be safe. He sacrificed everything for his family and his country. I didn’t really understand that until now.”

  Dominic stared at her for a moment, his dark eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Perhaps that is what happened with my father as well. He sacrificed his life to save my grandfather. You see, Juan Carlos had drawn a gun and your father was going to shoot him. My father stepped between them. Grandfather and I escaped.”

  “Dominic, you can’t let him kill my dad.”

  Dominic shook his head. “It is too late. I cannot stop him.” Jennie sank to the steps again and watched him walk away.

  21

  Now what? Face it, McGrady, you are in big trouble here. Jennie decided to follow the same course her mind had been taking earlier. Ramirez was letting her wander around freely. Apparently, he didn’t feel she was a threat. That could work against him.

  She walked back outside and took her time strolling through the gardens. If anyone were watching they’d think she was just admiring the flowers or going for a walk. When she reached the gate, she stopped to admire a bird of paradise, then walked on.

  No one stopped her, so she headed toward the boat docks. Off to her left, several men tossed bags of coffee beans into a truck bed that had already been partially loaded. A dark plastic tarp covered another kind of cargo. Most likely cocaine. The drugs would be hauled through the jungle and transported to the States, where they would probably be sold to dealers and resold again to kids too dumb or in too much pain to say no. Jennie shook her head at the thought.

  Ramirez was an animal. And Dominic? Even if he wasn’t involved, he had to know about the drugs. Jennie tried to imagine what it would be like to be in Dominic’s shoes. Would she stay loyal to her family at all costs? It wouldn’t happen, of course—Jennie was certain of that— but if Gram or Dad broke the law, could she turn them in? It was a question she hoped she’d never have to answer.

  Jennie tore her attention away from the warehouse and the trucks and concentrated on the water—her most likely means of escape. A couple of boats bo
bbed on the water about a mile off shore. She could swim that far. Were they Ramirez’s men, or a way to freedom? She’d just have to chance it.

  “If you’re thinking about making a getaway, I’d reconsider.”

  Jennie spun around in the direction of Roberts’ voice.

  “Did Ramirez send you out here to keep an eye on me?”

  “Ramirez thinks you’re a helpless female. I know better.”

  “Hummph.”

  “I’m going to get you out of here, but you’re going to have to trust me.”

  Had she heard right? “You can’t be serious. You turn my father over to that creep Ramirez, and now you want me to trust you?”

  Roberts glanced behind him. “I am an agent. So is Matt. I took a break from my duties to help you through this business with your dad. I didn’t realize until this morning that Matt had been assigned to Dominic as a way of getting into Ramirez’s inner circle—or that Dominic was Ramirez’s grandson.

  “By the time we got word that you and Dominic were not on board the ship, you were already on your way here. About the same time I discovered who Matt was. He briefed me on Ramirez and his operation, and we decided to team up.”

  “You expect me to believe that? You’re both agents, both on the same ship, and you didn’t know what was going on? Never mind. Let me guess. The fewer people who know, the better.”

  “That’s right.”

  For some strange reason she believed him. “I think you guys need to change your policy.”

  “Maybe. But first I have to get you off the island. And we have to do it in a way that doesn’t hinder the DEA’s plan to take down Ramirez and his operation. The US government has been after Ramirez for a long time. Caught up to him a couple of years ago in Colombia, but his son interfered and Ramirez slipped away from us. We managed to shut him down for a while, but he emerged bigger and more powerful than before.”

  “You’re going to arrest him?”

  “We’re going to do more than that, Jennie. We hope to close him down for good. We don’t want anything to go wrong this time.”

  “What about Dominic?”

  “We’ll just have to hope he has enough sense to stay out of the way while the bullets are flying and that he’ll cooperate with us when it’s over.” Roberts glanced up at the villa and frowned. “Go back in the house, have lunch as usual and come back down to the docks at 1400 hours—two o’clock,” he added for her benefit.

  “I can’t leave without Dominic.”

  “Impossible. He might tip off his grandfather. We can’t take that chance.”

  “But…”

  “Jennie, this is important. I don’t have time to argue with you. Divers from those boats out there will be setting explosives at strategic points on the island. At exactly ten minutes after two we let ’er rip. Matt’s men will raid the compound, and you and I will be on our way to Cozumel.”

  “Why are you telling me all this?”

  “Because you need to know. If I’m going to get us out of here alive, you’ve got to do exactly what I tell you.”

  “What about my dad?” Jennie glanced up at him. “What’s going to happen…?”

  Roberts removed his glasses and raised an arm to shade his face. “He’ll be safe.”

  Their eyes met and Jennie’s question stuck in her throat. Brett Roberts’ eyes were the same dark blue as her own. Shock waves coursed through her. She felt as if she’d been trying to open a lock for years and suddenly the door had swung open.

  Brett Roberts was her father. Older, balding, shorter than she remembered—but then she’d grown at least a foot since she’d last seen him.

  Daddy. She opened her mouth to say the word aloud, but he held up his hand.

  “Don’t, Jennie.” His eyes told her he wanted nothing better than to take her in his arms—to hold her and protect her like he had when she was little. But he didn’t. He replaced his glasses and stepped away from her. “We’ll talk about it later. You need to get back. Ramirez will wonder what we’ve been talking about.”

  Jennie wanted to throw her arms around him and hit him at the same time. Later they’d talk. Now she didn’t dare make any move that might betray him to Ramirez. Slowly Jennie turned away, then headed back up the hill and through the gate. Her mind felt numb. Ramirez was walking toward them. Careful, McGrady. If you slip up or show anything other than dislike for Roberts—Dad—Senor Ramirez might suspect.

  “It’s bad enough you bring me here as bait to lure my father. But do you have to send your scummy friends to stand guard over me? You know there’s no way for me to get off the island, so why don’t you just leave me alone.” Beneath the scowl on Roberts’ face, she could almost imagine him cheering her on. Or maybe he was warning her not to overact. Jennie flounced past the old man and went inside. She made it as far as her bedroom before her knees collapsed.

  She fell back onto her bed, unable to believe it. Dad was here. Roberts. How could she have missed it? No wonder she had trusted him. On some level she must have known all along.

  Dad was actually here. And they thought he was one of them. What a coup.

  Jennie wanted to spread her good news to the entire world. “Thank you, God. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Dad’s getting me out of this place and everything’s going to be all right.”

  Jennie bolted upright. No. Not everything. Not Dominic. Dominic wouldn’t hide, or cooperate. His strong sense of family would bring him running to protect his grandfather, just like his father had. If she could warn him, maybe he’d be able to get away, but knowing Dominic, she doubted he’d run. Besides, she couldn’t risk saying anything to anyone. Blowing Matt or Dad’s cover at this point could not only mess up their plans to get Ramirez. If she wasn’t careful, she could get them all killed.

  Still, McGrady, you have to find a way to protect him.

  During lunch, which she and Dominic shared with Matt, Roberts, and two other men, Jennie put her plan into motion. “Dominic, this waiting is driving me crazy. How about taking me sailing this afternoon?” She glanced at her watch. “Say in about half an hour?”

  “You are sure, señorita? After yesterday, I am not certain you trust me.”

  “What happened yesterday,” she paused for emphasis, wanting to make certain her father didn’t miss her meaning, “was an accident. You saved my life. Please, Dominic. I’d really like to go sailing.”

  After obtaining his grandfather’s permission, Dominic agreed, and at five minutes to two they met in the living room. “Un momento, querida,” Dominic said as he headed back to the stairs. “I have forgotten something. A gift for you.”

  “Can’t it wait?” Jennie called after him, but he’d already gone. She glanced at her watch. Four minutes. Come on, Dominic. Hurry.

  Three minutes. Dominic joined her. She grabbed his hand and hurried out of the hacienda and into the courtyard.

  When they reached the iron gate, Dominic stopped and pulled her up short. “I know you are anxious to go, but first you must listen. I have been thinking about what you said to me. It was wrong of me to bring you here and endanger your life and your father’s. My grandfather…” Dominic shook his head. “He is wrong to do this.” Dominic took Jennie’s hand and pressed a heart-shaped gold locket into her palm, then closed her hand and raised it to his lips. “For you, querida. I give you my heart.”

  “Oh, Dominic. It’s beautiful.” Jennie swallowed hard. One minute. When this was over she’d give it back. She had to get him down to the boat. She slipped the locket around her neck, took his hand again, and drew him forward. “This will make our sail even more special.”

  “No.” He pulled his hand out of her grasp and handed her a key. “I am not coming with you. The motorboat at the end of the dock. Take it and go to the mainland. There is danger here. I have learned that Grandfather does not mean to let you go.”

 
; “Dominic, it’s okay.”

  “Please, listen to me. I will do what I can to help your father. I promise. Only now you must go.”

  Two o’clock. Jennie glanced in the direction of the dock. Think, McGrady. You’ve got to get Dominic down there. “All right. I’ll go, but…come with me to the boat. If I go alone, your grandfather’s men might stop me. Please, Dominic.”

  To Jennie’s relief, he agreed.

  When they reached the dock, Jennie glanced around. Where was Dad? Great. Now what? He could have been on any one of the five boats harbored there. “Dominic.” She fingered the locket. “I wish you’d come with me. My father can take care of himself—that is if he even comes.”

  “No, I cannot.”

  Jennie handed him back the key. “Okay, but at least show me how to run this thing.”

  Dominic stepped up to the console and slipped the key into the ignition. As he did, Matt appeared behind him and touched his neck. Dominic went limp.

  “What are you…?” Jennie stared as Matt caught Dominic under the arms.

  “Get on board. Now.”

  Jennie obeyed. “What did you do to him?”

  “Pressure point,” Matt grunted as he dragged Dominic into the cabin, dropped him onto a bunk, and cuffed him. “He’ll come around soon.”

  “Where’s Roberts?”

  “I don’t know. He should have been here ten minutes ago. If he doesn’t show in two minutes, you’re going to have to take this thing out yourself.”

  “No, I can’t…Roberts…”

  “Something must have happened in there. He was talking to Ramirez. Look, if he doesn’t show, get this tub out of here. Head west. You’ll hit the mainland. If we don’t connect, hand Dominic over to the federales. They’ll know what to do.”

  Jennie tried to listen. Oh, God, no. Not now. I just found him. Don’t let anything happen.