by E. C. Towers
Los Muertos
Linda stood on the lower stern deck and watched the land begin to disappear from site as the yacht moved farther and farther into the Bay of Bandera. The trees, buildings, and people soon became a big blur of colors in the distance. It didn't help that her thoughts went back to Dalila. Tears threatened to spill at the thought of never seeing her again. What Linda had felt between them seemed real, and now disappointment weighed heavily on her psyche at the thought that it might have all been just another day at the job for her.
A ringing of a cell phone cut through the rhythmic noise of the boat engines and roaring sea. Linda hurried inside, wondering if it was for her.
It was.
“Where are you, Linda?” a desperate woman’s voice cut through the receiver before she even had a chance to say ‘hello.’
“Before you start asking me questions, maybe you should explain yourself.”
Linda was not going to be made a fool of any longer.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
Linda hung up. She didn't have time for this shit.
The phone rang again, and this time it was Linda who started.
“Stop calling me until you're ready to tell me the truth.”
Dalila froze. How did she know? Before she could get her thoughts together, Linda hung up the phone again. Damn it. After seeing that Linda had left this morning, she was expecting a lot of apologies and explanations, but not this. She picked up the phone again and called Linda for the third time.
Linda simply picked up the phone and let the silence greet her.
“Okay, so you know. I don't know how much you know or what story was told to you, but I the truth is that I'm an officer working undercover.”
More silence.
“I don't have time to explain everything. I was calling to let you that I told Derek.... about us."
She could hear Linda’s breath escape softly.
“I had to, Linda. He came looking for me when he saw I wasn't in bed, and found me in yours still...you know.”
She felt like a fool when he discovered her naked on Linda's bed.
“He saw your note in the living room and... he's trying to find you right now. So you’d better get to your boat.”
“I’m aboard now. We’ve already pulled out of the bay.”
“Where are you going?”
“Back to Driftwood. I'd rather face whatever music awaits me back home than hang around to get caught in between the two of you and your... work.”
Linda kept her voice cold and impersonal, trying not to show her just how hurt she was.
“You can't go back to Driftwood. He suspects you’d return there, and he's going to follow you. Change course and go to Playa De Los Muertos. He has no reason to expect you’d turn up there. Wait it out for a day and then go. Please believe me and go to Los Muertos now. It won't be long until he catches up to you… and it'll be too late if he does.”
Linda hung up the phone once again as Jacob walked out to the deck with her.
“Who was that?”
“It was Dalila.”
“Does she know where we are?” Jacob’s voice rose as his confidence that they would get to Driftwood Cove unnoticed was shattered.
“Yes, but it's Derek we have to worry about. He knows I'm gone, and he's following me. We have to change this boat's direction and dock at Playa De Los Muertos for a day. Then we can go back to Driftwood.”
“Did Dalila tell you this?” Jacob asked.
“Yes.”
His exasperation didn’t hide his point from Linda.
“What if she's lying, Linda. What if she has the cops waiting for you at Playa De Los Muertos?”
“Why would she have cops waiting for me there?”
“Tim! I'm not stupid, Linda. I know that's why you're here. You were involved in Tim's disappearance. I don't know the details, but it had to have been pretty bad for you just to pick up and leave Driftwood."
Linda shook her head. Derek was right. It was a stupid decision to leave Driftwood, because even if they hadn't connected her with Tim's disappearance, she still caused unnecessary talk amongst the residents when she left. She panicked, and as usual, decisions based on fear are rarely better than mistakes. That's the last time I do that, Linda promised herself. No matter how this whole scenario played out, she was going to keep her head together and make only logical choices based on facts.
But what facts did she have right now? Why was she so willing to trust Dalila and take her advice after she had clearly been lying the whole time about who she was. Linda guessed that deep down, despite her deceit, she hoped that Dalila had felt what she felt when they made love.
“We can't go there. It's some kind of trap, I'm telling you."
He couldn't believe she was contemplating on going back when their escape had been so relatively effortless.
“Listen, regardless if she's telling the truth of not, Derek is going to find out I left when he sees I'm not at the house. He's going to call the cargo dock and find out that I took the boat. It doesn't take a genius to realize that I would be headed back to Driftwood Cove.”
“But what if she is lying and has to cops waiting for you?”
“That's a chance I'm going to have to take.”
Linda told a deck hand to inform the captain of their course change.
“No! We can't, Linda…” Jacob protested.
“Need, I remind you that this is my decision?”
He took a deep breath to say something back to her but let it all out with one defeated sigh. She looked ethereal out on the deck with the breeze blowing her dark hair away from her face. Jacob saw her steely resolve etched into her jaw. There was no arguing with her.
They reached Puerto De Los Muertos before noon, dropping anchor only a couple hundred yards from the beach, where the immense size of the Patriot was unavoidable. Even if the authorities weren't waiting, it would not be long before word had spread of the charcoal behemoth that had just pulled up beside the small schooners scattered about. A deckhand prepared a small vessel for Linda and Jacob to motor to Los Muertos Pier, which jutted gracefully out from the beach. There was very little human presence to be found as they pulled up and disembarked. Jacob and Linda felt even more apprehensive as they stood at the end of the long pier watching the quiet town gracefully carved into the side of the mountains, waiting for the police to come and take them. But after half an hour of silent waiting, no one had come. Perhaps she was right, Jacob thought.
After even more silence had passed, Jacob followed Linda into town. They waited, seated on a boardwalk bench, watching the tourists stroll lazily in the afternoon heat. All at once, Linda rose and walked to a taxi’s waiting in queue near the pier and asked him to drive them to a small tower hotel down the strip. It was just a few blocks away, but the air conditioning of the taxi was worth the short trip.
Upon arriving, Jacob ordered separate hotel rooms, attracting an appreciative smile from Linda.
“If you get lonely, you know where to find me,” Jacob sheepishly bowed, handing over the key card to her room.
Her room was small but offered a balcony overlooking the ocean. The well-appointed bathroom contained a giant jetted bathtub, which she immediately took advantage of as soon as she walked in the door. Linda got undressed and immersed herself into the hot water that was almost too hot to get into and sank until the water was up to her chin. She closed her eyes and truly relaxed for the first time that day. Linda stopped her mind from racing and pushed aside thoughts of what her next step was going to be.
For now, she was going to enjoy every minute of this bath. After a few minutes, Linda’s idle mind wandered to thoughts of Dalila. At first, she felt saddened by the thought that she wouldn't be by her side when she went back to Driftwood. Linda wished she would have cherished their last encounter more, now that she knew it was probably the last time she would be with her. Undulating thoughts played out their intimate moments: the feel of he
r lips, the softness of her breasts as she took them into her mouth, and the feel of the rounded curve where her thighs and legs met. She the thought of those soft thighs wrapped around her, slipping a finger down to touch herself as memories of Dalila's tongue teasing her swollen clit.
Linda caressed her soapy breasts, sensitive from the scalding heat of the water, and fingered herself as her thoughts raced from one erotic scene to the next: burying her face into Dalila's soft breasts, the thought of Jacob's hard cock against her thigh, fantasizing about what it would be like to have it inside of her, and then enjoying Dalila's wet pussy in her face while Jacob took her from behind. Her thoughts also went to Derek and how his lean, muscular body would feel on top of her as he held her legs open, pounding his thick cock into her over and over. Having one of them, two of them or all three. Images of being fondled, licked and fucked by all three of them sent her over the edge. She slipped two fingers inside her and pressed her thumb hard on her clit as a powerful orgasm passed through her, arching her back as she moaned in delight.
A second one was building when she opened her eyes and saw Derek standing in the bathroom beside her. He stood by the doorway, heavy-lidded with his large dick in his hand. She gasped in surprise at the sight of him, but she surprised herself even more when she didn't stop.
Linda watched as Derek feverishly rubbed his cock. He was grasping it hard and breathing heavily, watching Linda intently as she played with herself. This time, she spread her legs out a little more so he could have an unobstructed view of her fingers going in and out of her under the surface of the water. She arched her back a little more and pushed herself into her hand. Derek walked closer to her, still thrusting his dick into his grasping hand with a fervent intensity she had never seen before.
He raised his shirt and thrust his hips out a bit as he slowed his kneading down and put on a show for her. He encircled the head of his cock with his hand and stroked the head, making it glisten with his pre-cum.
Linda followed his motions with her clit, spreading her lips and making sure he saw exactly what she was doing. His breathing became labored once again. He gripped his cock tightly with both hands, thinking about how tight Linda's pussy was and how it felt when he would position the tip right on her swollen clit before plunging deep inside her. He thrust into his hands over and over with his eyes closed and his head back, grunting and groaning in pleasure.
“Oh, god... Linda. Fuck!” he jerked one final time and released his load as the spasms shot all over the ground and tub before him.
Linda was fucking herself fast, thinking about Derek's perfect cock inside her and came immediately after hearing him call out her name. She lay there, exhausted, relaxed and somewhat confused about what to do next.
She opened her eyes and saw that Derek was already seated on the toilet in front of her with a smile on his face.
“Damn, I missed that. I miss you,” he said.
“You found me.”
“Yeah, I did.”
Linda was a little put off by his calm and almost pleasant demeanor. He looked at her like he used to in their lazy post-coital bliss. Love mixed with lust and satisfaction in his choice for a woman. She hated that she was both flattered and still slightly enamored by the sight of him.
“And I know what happened with Dalila. I'm here to tell you that we were both fools. Her fools."
He looked away in anger as he told Linda what she already knew, that his wife was an undercover cop.
“We've been together almost two years and I never once suspected. How could I have been so stupid?”
They were both fools, yes, but she didn't beat herself up over being deceived as much as Derek did right now.
“She's going to take me down, Linda. Dalila knows all the ins and outs of what I do, the people that need to be eliminated from the game. She's put me in the most fucked up position. I either go to jail, flee to another town or just kill her. Either way, I am at risk of getting killed by the cartel for fucking an undercover cop and getting everybody arrested. I need your help.”
“My help? What do you want me to do, Derek? I have my own troubles. I don't want to get involved in this.”
“You involved yourself when you asked for my help, remember? I helped you, and now it's time to help me out!”
Before Linda could respond, her cell phone beeped at her, indicating that she had gotten a text message.
“Derek, you're going to have to give me at least a day to think this over.”
“I don't have a day, Linda! We need to go now and decide what I need to do later. You don't have to go all the way with me, just drop me off someplace, please. My house is probably being raided as we speak.”
Linda put on her robe and walked out of the bathroom, not exactly knowing what to say or do next. Her first instinct was to, of course, help Derek, but she had just promised herself that she would not make rash decisions based on feelings.
Derek followed her out, waiting for an answer.
“Linda, please, I'm desperate here.”
Linda's cell phone beeped again, reminding her that she had a text message.
“Derek, please, at least give me a few minutes to get dressed.”
“Fine,” he rose his hands in defeat.
Derek grabbed a small bottle of vodka and a glass from the mini bar and stepped out onto the balcony.
18
Decisions
Jacob knocked on Linda's door urgently, and he was surprised she answered right away.
“You're awake, thank god.”
He let himself in, immediately noticing that not only was she awake but was impeccably styled in a light gray dress that fantastically draped over her curves, holding her bosoms up like a delicious offering to the gods.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, stepping in his way to block his entering any further.
“We have to go, now.”
“What do you mean we have to go? Why? What’s happened?”
Derek suddenly burst through the balcony door, throwing the empty vodka bottle and his glass on the floor.
“Who the hell are you?” he spat at the young guy at the door who looked up and seemed to recognize Derek.
“What's he doing here!?” he grabbed Linda's hand instinctively and began to run to his room but Linda was staying put.
“Jacob... wait!”
“Who is this fucking Jacob kid?” Derek asked, realizing the boy looked familiar.
“You're friends with Will, right?”
No, no, that wasn't it, he remembered.
“No, wait. Will is your brother. Oh, yes. You're Will's brother.”
Jacob was shocked to be identified in this way. How did he know that?
“I don’t understan...”
“Your father’s friend, you idiot. Officer Perry. Don't you think I know what detectives are after me? You don't think I've researched all of them, their history, their family, every friend they’ve ever had and all the shit in their past they're trying to hide. I saw you in photos at Perry’s Fourth of July BBQ.”
“Linda, let's go! This guy's crazy!”
He attempted to grab Linda again to usher her out of there. But she stepped out of his reach and got in between them.
“Derek, you know this guy?”
“Yeah, he does. Why else would he be here? Do you know him?”
Linda sighed. There was no time to go into how she knew Jacob, or if she even knew him at all. Was he a part of this ploy, as well?
As if he was reading her mind, Derek whispered at her, “He's undercover.”
Linda was so utterly confused. It was like she had been thrown between a lion and bear, and she had to choose which one could eat her first.
Suddenly, she felt the floor shaking underneath her foot and the raucous noise of feet stomping. The sound crescendoed and the room was suddenly swarmed by men dressed in black with guns pointed at her and Derek. Jacob was pushed aside as he tried to grab for Linda and make a run for it. He was only
able to grab a piece of her dress before Derek grabbed pulled away from him.
Linda fell into Derek, who clutched her tightly and ran her towards the balcony. She wrangled free from him, frustrated that she was being handled like some damsel in distress and fell to the floor.
“Linda!” a voice screamed from the hoard.
All the men ran past her to get to Derek except one. It was Dalila.
“Linda!”
Linda barely recognized her dressed from head to toe in SWAT gear. She looked unbelievably sexy.
“Come on. Come with me! They're arresting Derek.”
Linda followed her out into the light of exterior hallway as more police rushed passed them to arrest Derek. Dalila walked her to the far end of the hallway.
“Wait here,” Dalila ordered before racing back into the room hotel.
Linda stood in shock, not knowing what to do next until she turned her head to notice Jacob waving wildly to flag her attention down from the street below. He motioned for her to come with him and pointed at a taxi that was waiting on the street.
Linda made a run for it, just in time to fly past Dalila.
“No! Linda please, come back!”
Linda didn't know if she could trust Jacob, but she already knew for sure she couldn't trust Dalila or Derek, so going with him remained the only option for her. She ignored Dalila's pleas and ran across down the stairs to where Jacob and the waiting taxi.
Dalila ran after her, begging and pleading for her to stop. Much to her surprise, just as Linda was about to jump into the taxi, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned around to faced her.
“Come back for what!?” Linda yelled. “So you can lie to me again!”
It wasn't in Linda's nature to raise her voice, but she could no longer contain the resentment she harbored for Dalila.
“You lied about everything,” she said pointedly to the woman.
Linda looked away as tears began to form in her eyes. She hadn't realized the depth of her broken heart until that moment. She knew that she should hate Dalila for everything she had done, but struggled to feign her animosity. Linda was disgusted at herself for still loving her.
