His Only Obsession (Protectors #27)

by Beverly Barton

  Will rushed after her, catching up with her only after they were spotted by Gwen’s father’s shipmates, as well as numerous natives. Coming up behind her, Will clasped her hand. She paused and smiled at him.

  “It’s my father. He’s alive. He’s all right.”

  Dr. Arnell’s head jerked up, his gaze scanning the area. When he saw Gwen, he did a double take, then cried out her name.

  “It’s my little Gwendolyn!”

  He broke away from the others and hurried toward her. Despite the man’s age and the weariness that etched his features, Will saw a strong resemblance between the old man and his daughter. Same dark eyes, same square jaw and prominent cheekbones, same high forehead.

  Gwen broke into a run, rushing headlong into her father’s open arms. Will stood back a few feet, his gaze darting from them to The Professor’s shipmates to the large group of natives collecting around them. He didn’t see any weapons, other than the spears held by the two escorts who waited outside the hut where the scarlet-robed man had entered. But considering the odds, unless he had a machine gun, he wouldn’t be able to take out more than a few natives before their sheer number overcame him. Maybe, just maybe, these people were friendly and not hostile. The Professor, Jordan Elders and Cheryl Kress seemed unharmed, even if they all looked tattered, worn and upset about something.

  Gwen’s father pushed his daughter back, clutched her shoulders and stared at her, apparently happy to see her. “It’s another miracle, your being here. But it was meant to be, wasn’t it? It is only fitting that you’re here to share this magnificent discovery with me.”

  “Then this is your island,” Gwen said. “The one you’ve been searching for all these years?”

  “Oh, yes, this is my island. And it has a name, you know. It’s Umi. It’s an Egyptian word meaning life.”

  “Egyptian?”

  “Yes. The village elder, Sebak, has been very kind to us. He is trying to help us. He even sent to another village for a healer for Molly.”

  “Molly Esteban is with you?” Gwen glanced at the guarded hut.

  “She was…injured…and there seems to be nothing that can be done for her. It’s too late.”

  “Daddy, how did you communicate with this man named Sebak?”

  The Professor turned and motioned to the tall, broad-shouldered man with a dark, lean body and thick black hair braided to one side. “Please, come and meet my daughter and—” He glanced at Will.

  “My friend Will,” Gwen said. “He and I have been one step behind you all the way from Puerto Nuevo.”

  “If only I had known you would actually come to Puerto Nuevo, I would have waited,” Dr. Arnell said. “But you were so adamant about not joining me.”

  The man called Sebak approached, his eyes alert and inquisitive as he surveyed first Gwen and then Will. “You are welcome to Oseye and to the great land of Umi.” His English was excellent, spoken with only a slight accent.

  Startled, Gwen said, “You speak English.”

  “Sebak speaks English and French and Spanish,” Emery Arnell explained. “As do one or two of the other villagers. But most do not.”

  “The scholars of Umi are fluent in many languages,” Sebak added.

  “Are you one of these scholars?” Will asked as he moved protectively to Gwen’s side. Although he sensed that Sebak didn’t pose a threat, at least not right now, Will did pick up on something negative, some odd gut-instinct type of warning.

  Sebak smiled. “No, I am simply a village elder. But my eldest son, Darius, is a scholar.”

  “Look, I don’t mean to be rude,” Will said. “But exactly where are we? Where is Umi located? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it on any map. Why is that?”

  “Please, the questions can wait until later.” Dr. Arnell took Gwen’s hand. “Come with me and let me introduce you to my assistant, Jordan Elders, and to—”

  “No, I don’t think the questions can wait.” Will looked directly at Sebak. “I’ve asked a simple, uncomplicated question. Where are we?”

  Sebak’s facial expression didn’t alter, not by a twitch or a nod. He met Will’s determined stare and replied, “Your question is simple, but the answer is very complicated and best left until later, until we have dealt with the woman’s death.” He glanced toward the guarded hut. “My people are unaccustomed to one so young dying. It will be difficult for them to understand, and I must explain to them that she and all of you who are visitors from outside Umi, are people who do not share our gift of longevity.”

  Gwen’s gaze connected with Will’s for a split second, silently communicating. He could almost hear Gwen saying, “This is my father’s island and everything he has told us about it is true.” And although he was pretty damn sure she was picking up on his doubts and concerns, he was certain that she thought he was overreacting, that he had no reason to distrust Sebak.

  But he wasn’t overreacting. Something wasn’t quite right here. And it was a lot more than the weird factor, more than his when-did-we-enter-the-Twilight-Zone reaction to this entire situation.

  “Sebak is right,” Dr. Arnell said. “There will be time enough to ask questions, to study the island, to explore the wonders of Umi, once we’ve tended to my dear Molly.” Tears glazed the old man’s dark eyes as he squeezed Gwen’s hand. “I didn’t tell you about Molly because I wanted you two to meet in person and for our engagement to be a surprise for you. I haven’t cared for a woman as deeply as I do Molly since your mother.”

  The curious natives who surrounded them began whispering in their unique language, but they quieted the moment Sebak’s dark gaze circled the crowd. He spoke to them in their native language, his voice loud and authoritative, his words dispersing them, sending them back to their evening routines.

  “Emery, please bring your daughter and her—” Sebak looked to Will. “Emery’s daughter is your woman, is she not?”

  Without giving his answer a moment’s thought, Will replied, “Yes, she’s my woman.”

  Sebak nodded. Dr. Arnell smiled faintly and sighed, as if greatly relieved that Will had given Sebak the correct answer. Another red warning flag popped up in Will’s mind.

  “Come along. We will prepare a place for you,” Sebak said. “If you wish to stay with Emery until his woman’s earthly life ends, you may do so. I will send someone with food and water.” He then spoke to The Professor. “I will make preparations for your woman’s farewell.”

  “Thank you,” Dr. Arnell said.

  After Sebak left them, Gwen stopped her father before he returned to the guarded hut. “What was that all about, that business of my being Will’s woman?”

  “Apparently, it is the custom with these people,” Jordan Elders said, as he and Cheryl approached. “A woman’s identity and status is based upon the man to whom she belongs.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “No, he’s not kidding,” Cheryl said. “We found out pretty quickly that around here, if a woman doesn’t already belong to a man, they will give her to someone. Otherwise she has no identity and quickly becomes an outcast.”

  “Don’t go all Women’s Lib on me,” Dr. Arnell told Gwen. “Please don’t judge these people until we get to know them and understand them.”

  “I don’t want to get to know them much more,” Cheryl said. “They’ve been nice enough, but I swear, they creep me out.”

  “You’re Cheryl Kress,” Will said.

  “Yes, I am. How did you know?”

  “I’m Will Pierce, a private detective. Your father hired my agency to track you down and bring you home.”

  Cheryl’s eyes widened. She smiled warmly, and fresh tears sprang into her eyes.

  “You can’t imagine how ready I am to go home.” She glanced from Gwen to Will and back again. “How did you two hook up?”

  “We met in Puerto Nuevo and quickly realized we were on the same quest,” Will told her. “Once we found out that both the girl I’d been sent to find and Gwen’s father were connected to Jor
dan Elders, we simply followed Mr. Elders’s path.”

  “I wish you’d found us sooner,” Jordan said. “I’m afraid we got ourselves hooked up with a criminal and then hit a freak storm and wound up on Dr. Arnell’s island.”

  “I assume you came by boat,” Dr. Arnell said. “Dare I hope it survived the storm?”

  “It survived,” Will replied. “But unfortunately the engines aren’t working and neither is the radio or anything else.”

  Dr. Arnell waved his hand, as if brushing off any worry. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sure Sebak will provide us with a boat when the time comes for us to leave.”

  Will noticed Cheryl rolling her eyes heavenward. Apparently, the young woman was as skeptical as he was about this island being some kind of magical paradise. On the other hand, Gwen and Jordan Elders were probably so devoted to Emery Arnell that, despite any misgivings they might have, they both wanted to share his enthusiasm over finally rediscovering his Utopia.

  Utopia by any other name…

  Umi. An Egyptian word meaning life. Isn’t that what The Professor had said?

  The Egyptian connection puzzled Will as much as anything else, adding to his list of questions. Questions that Sebak seemed very reluctant to answer.

  Gwen had stayed with her father in the hut where an unconscious Molly Esteban had been cared for by a healer. In those quiet, somber hours before Molly died, Gwen’s father had explained not only how Molly had been shot saving his life, but also about the abilities of the man he referred to as the adom, meaning one who receives help from God.

  “The people of Umi are never sick, and all live to at least two hundred,” her father had told her. “But they are not completely immune to accidents, to bodily injuries, and therefore they require a healer. The adom is somewhat like one of our doctors, only these men have a combination of medical and spiritual knowledge.”

  “Witch doctors,” Gwen had said before thinking. “Sorry, Father.”

  “No, no. It’s quite all right. In a way, that’s what the adom is. But unfortunately, since Molly had never been given the Eshe plant before, giving it to her now would do little to help her. One dose doesn’t heal. Only repeated doses over several years achieves the desired effect.”

  “The Eshe plant? Is that the youth-serum plant?”

  Emery nodded. “Just as umi means life in Egyptian, so does eshe. The island provides life for the people and the plant prolongs that life.”

  Molly Esteban died shortly after nightfall and was taken by the natives out of the hut and through the village. When Gwen questioned her father, he shook his head, requesting her silence. Then he walked away from her and went with Sebak, the two men walking slowly behind the small procession carrying Molly’s body away from the village.

  How at home her father seemed here, how easily and quickly he had adapted to these people and their customs. Had he, all those years ago, learned more about them than he’d ever told anyone?

  A young native woman came up beside Gwen, touched her arm and motioned to her. When she spoke, Gwen did not understand a word she said, but followed the girl to a small hut on the far side of the village. When she drew closer, she saw Will, Jordan, Cheryl and another man standing outside near an open fire pit that gave off heat and light. Odd how soon after sunset the temperature had begun dropping. Not that it was cold by any means, but with each passing hour, it became chillier.

  “Where’s Dr. Arnell?” Jordan asked.

  “Molly Esteban is dead.” Gwen went straight to Will, who slipped his arm around her waist.

  “Molly’s dead?” the scraggly middle-aged man asked.

  “Yes, and you killed her,” Cheryl told him.

  “He’s Mick McGuire.” Gwen spoke her thoughts aloud.

  “And you’re The Professor’s little girl, huh?” Mick moved in closer to the others and gave Gwen a once-over. “You’re not so little, are you? You’re all grown-up and filled out pretty good.”

  Mick McGuire made her skin crawl. Not only did he look sleazy and dirty, his attitude gave away his white-trash background.

  Will stepped between Gwen and Mick. She thought she heard Will growl, a sound deep and low in his throat.

  “Don’t get bent out of shape, buddy,” Mick said. “I get it that she’s yours. Besides, I’ve got my eye on one of the native girls. One of the young ones. You know, one with a firm little ass and a pair of big tits.”

  “Why don’t you shut up, McGuire. You’re disgusting,” Cheryl said.

  “You’ll be sleeping out under the stars on a pallet again tonight,” Jordan told Mick. “You’re not sharing a hut with either of us.” He hitched his thumb toward himself, then toward Will. “Only couples have their own huts. Single men who have been ostracized are expected to sleep outside, and since Dr. Arnell explained to Sebak that Molly’s injuries were caused by McGuire here, he’s persona non grata.”

  Mick glared at Jordan. “I’ll find a corner for myself, but you just remember that when it comes time to go for the gold, I expect to get my share.” Mick turned around and walked off.

  “What’s he talking about, what gold?” Gwen asked.

  “He’s talking about the Eshe plant,” Jordan said. “It seems there is a special plant that grows on this island, the one The Professor told us about, and Mick wants his share of the money when we take the plant back to the rest of the world.”

  A tight knot of apprehension formed in Will’s gut. “Does Sebak know about Dr. Arnell’s plans to take the plant off the island and share it with the world?” Will asked.

  Jordan shook his head. “We’ve been on the island about twenty-four hours, and in that time Dr. Arnell’s main concern has been saving Molly. He thought certain the Eshe plant could be used to heal her.”

  “What have you found out about this place, this island? And about Sebak and these people?” Will asked.

  “Not a great deal.” Jordan nodded to Cheryl. “As you already know, a woman has no status unless she belongs to a man. First to her father or eldest male relative and then to her mate. Every woman is placed with a man as quickly as possible. That’s the reason I claimed Cheryl.”

  “I understand,” Will told him.

  “As far as I know, only Sebak and a couple of other men in the village speak English. The others speak some ancient tongue that not even The Professor is familiar with.”

  “Have you been able to figure out exactly where we are and why this island has never been charted, why it’s not located on any map?”

  “We’re in the Atlantic Ocean, inside the Bermuda Triangle. This island has never been charted and isn’t on any map because—” Jordan paused “—because it isn’t visible to the outside world.”

  Will squinted as he glared at Jordan. “Run that one by me again. If it’s not visible, how come Gwen and I were able to see it? Why were you—”

  “I’m not sure, but I believe that Dr. Arnell’s theory that the island is only visible once every so many years, maybe every fifty years, might be correct. And that means people can land on the island and depart only during a specific time frame.”

  “Which would be how long?” Will asked.

  “When he was twenty, The Professor stayed here three weeks, then he was sent away. My guess is that the window of opportunity to arrive and depart is connected to that three-week time frame.”

  “If Dr. Arnell’s theory is correct, that means if we don’t leave this island within a specific time frame, be it three weeks or four, then we’ll be trapped here for years, maybe for the rest of our lives.”

  Chapter 14

  Gwen had wanted to speak to her father again tonight, but Sebak had forbidden it. When a loved one dies on Umi, the deceased person’s mate is expected to stay with the body that night, until at midnight, when the body is cremated. Then at dawn the mate takes the ashes and distributes them over a place called the Fields of Eshe.

  “Isn’t Eshe the name of the plant that keeps everyone healthy and gives you a long life span?” Gwe
n had asked Sebak.

  Sebak had nodded, but said nothing, then departed hurriedly with a group of men that Will had said he believed to be Sebak’s guards. Although the natives had carried no weapons, all six of the men with Sebak had been very young, quite tall and muscular.

  Since watches didn’t work here on Umi, there was no way to tell the exact time. But not long after Sebak departed, natives went around and extinguished all the central outdoor fires. Two men motioned for Gwen, Will, Jordan and Cheryl to enter their huts.

  “Let’s do as we’re told, for now,” Will said. “No need to create a problem until we figure out what’s what around here.”

  Although she and Will dreaded the thought of telling Cheryl about her friend Tori’s death, they felt she had a right to know, so they invited the other couple to join them in their hut.

  “Tori’s dead? How…? I don’t understand.” Cheryl’s eyes filled with tears.

  “She was strangled and left on the beach in Puerto Nuevo,” Will told her. “There’s a good possibility that Mick McGuire murdered her.”

  While Jordan held a weeping Cheryl, he looked directly at Will. “What can we do? We can’t let the guy get away with killing Tori and Molly Esteban, too.”

  “There’s nothing we can do now,” Will said. “But once we get off this island, we’ll turn him over to the proper authorities.”

  Jordan took a grieving Cheryl back to their hut, leaving Will and Gwen alone to settle in for the night. For the first time since entering the hut, Gwen took a really good look. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but definitely not the neat, well-maintained contents that, although certainly not modern, were not crudely constructed. There was a wooden table and four chairs in an area near a fireplace in which a roaring fire blazed. A large black kettle hung over the fire, its contents smelling of stew. A bowl of fresh fruit and a large, oval loaf of bread, surrounded by thick, fat, glowing candles, graced the center of the smooth, polished tabletop. On the other side of the room was a glossy wooden bed framed by sheer fabric that created a canopy. The bed itself boasted a thick cotton mattress and was covered with creamy white bed linens, in a cloth similar to the clothing the natives wore, and topped with a thick white quilt. The walls were a mellow cream, as if once white and now yellowed slightly by age. There was no indoor bathroom. Cheryl and Jordan had explained that the natives bathed in the nearby lagoon and that four centrally located outhouses were spread about the village.