Indigo Incite (The Indigo Trilogy)

by Jacinda Buchmann

She accepted the band leader’s hand and he pulled her up, onto the stage. He then handed her the fiddle, and she tried it out to get a feel for it. Apparently pleased, he grinned and spoke to her in broken English. “Do you…know…Elvis, 'Jailhouse Rock'?”

  “You speak English?”

  “Only little.”

  “Yeah, I know 'Jailhouse Rock'.”

  He smiled. “Good.”

  Eddie called up to her, “I’ll be right back there at the table with Liliana. Have fun!”

  She looked uncertain but managed a weak smile. “Um…okay.”

  He resumed his seat and turned his chair so that he faced the stage. When the band leader announced that Grace would join the band for the evening, the men at the table nearest to them whooped and hollered.

  One of the men turned to him. “That’s your girl?”

  “She is.” His clear, firm response left little question in the matter.

  “She’s very pretty.”

  “Yes. Yes she is,” Eddie agreed.

  Their discussion stopped then when the band started up. The song was sung in heavily accented Spanish, but it was still enjoyable. Eddie wasn’t surprised that Grace had an impressive talent for the fiddle. She looked natural onstage, even out of place as she was, with a bunch of Mexican guys in cowboy boots.

  “I hope you don’t mind my saying so, but I can see that you like her,” Liliana said. “Your aura seems different tonight.”

  “I’m just trying to make sure that she’s safe. I’m looking out for you, too. I feel responsible for you both.”

  “Oh, I get that, and I appreciate it. I do. There’s something else though. When you’re around her, I sense that you like her, but you don’t want to admit it. Am I right?”

  Eddie was silent for a moment as he thought about the truth behind her words. She had seen right through him and had hit the nail on the head. The band started another song, and he turned to watch with rapt interest so that he wouldn’t have to immediately answer her question.

  “I don’t want to hurt her,” he said finally. He turned to Liliana. “If Grace thought there might be a chance for her and me, she would get her hopes up. I don’t want to disappoint her. The odds that it would ever work out between us are slim to none. Like I said before, I’m trying to keep her safe, not just physically, but emotionally, too.”

  “Relationships are never a sure thing, but I’ve always believed that it’s best to follow your heart. If the two of you are meant to be together, it will find a way to work itself out.”

  “You’re right, but what if we aren’t meant to be together? Just because two people like each other doesn’t necessarily mean that they should be together.”

  “But you admit that you do like her?”

  He shrugged. “Yeah, I do. I’ll admit it. But, life is going to go on. I have a life to get back to and so does she. Long-distance relationships never work out.” Eddie sucked in his breath when he saw Liliana’s reaction to his words. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m sure that you and Tyler will stay together. You two are obviously meant for each other.”

  “You think so?”

  “Of course. I can’t see auras, but I imagine yours lights up when you’re around him. I can definitely see it in your face, the way you smile at him, and the way he smiles at you, too. The two of you seem natural together. It’s like you’ve been friends for years and not just a couple of days.”

  “That’s exactly how I feel. I feel like I’ve known him forever. I hope that we can find a way to still see each other once this is all over. Who knows where he’ll end up. If the state thinks he’s a runaway, do you think they’ll lock him up?”

  “I doubt it. Besides, if the Federales find him tomorrow, they’ll inform the state that he was kidnapped. When that happens, they’ll just return him to his foster family.”

  “That’s a good point. I hadn’t thought about that. From what he says though, his foster family isn’t very nice. There’s probably no way they’d let him fly to Seattle to see me.”

  “You just have to think positive.”

  Liliana smiled. “You’re right.” She was silent while she listened to Grace and the band and then said, “I’m worried about him, Eddie.”

  “I know, but everything’s going to be okay. We have to believe that. Tomorrow, I’ll lead the Federales to the compound, and everything will be set right.”

  The song ended then, and Eddie and Grace applauded.

  Eddie watched while the singer spoke with Grace. He pointed to the microphone, something else was said, and then she set the fiddle down and followed him to the front of the stage.

  “We are in luck this evening,” the singer announced in Spanish to the restaurant patrons. “Our special friend from America has agreed to sing for us.”

  Throughout the evening, between traditional Mexican songs, the band had added several songs by Willie Nelson and Garth Brooks to the mix. It was obvious that the members of the band were big fans of American country music. Eddie was surprised that Grace knew the music; many of the songs had originally been performed well before her time.

  When she stepped up to the microphone, the crowd cheered. She glanced across the room to their table, and Eddie and Liliana both gave her two thumbs up. She turned and said something to the band, and then they started up a familiar tune. He was held captive by her beautiful voice and found it impossible to break his gaze from her sparkling eyes.

  Three songs later, Grace bowed to the audience when they roared in appreciative applause. Then the band leader stepped up to the microphone and called out, in Spanish, “I think this pretty lady deserves a dance. Would her boyfriend like to meet her on the dance floor?” He beckoned for Eddie to step forward.

  Eddie could see that Grace didn’t have a clue what had been said, but then the band leader turned and said something to her. Her eyes immediately found him across the room. He remained seated, his gaze transfixed to her.

  Liliana chuckled. “Go on. You should never leave a girl standing alone on a dance floor.”

  “You’re right.” He stood and headed toward the front of the room and the beautiful blonde awaiting him. He kept his eyes on her as she hopped down from the stage, and they met in the middle of the floor amid a half dozen other dancing couples.

  Eddie smiled and extended a hand. “Would you like to dance?”

  “Boyfriend?”

  He bit his bottom lip in paused embarrassment. “Sorry I had to tell the guy something so no one would hit on you.”

  She took his hand when the music started and followed his lead to the slow love song. “You don’t want anyone hitting on me?”

  “Not anyone here, that’s for sure.”

  “Not anyone here. So if we were somewhere else, then it would be okay for someone to hit on me?” He noted her sly grin and wasn’t sure how to respond. Of course he didn’t want anyone else hitting on her, but he couldn’t very well tell her that either.

  “Dance with me.” He grabbed her hand and spun her around to avoid the question. He was suddenly thankful that she couldn’t read his thoughts. The last thing he wanted was for her to know just how much he enjoyed holding her in his arms.

  *****

  Sleep was hard to come by, that night. When his thoughts weren't dwelling on Grace, he thought about Sarah, and when he finally managed to get her out of his mind, he couldn’t stop thinking about his impending meeting with the Federales. From the intermittent sounds of cheap, crinkly sheets and squeaky springs, he guessed that both girls were tossing and turning all night as well, their thoughts no doubt disturbed by their uncertain futures.

  They showered and dressed before the sun was up, and after a quick breakfast in the restaurant, they followed the directions provided by the waitress and located the nearest police station. Eddie didn’t stop. Instead, he drove around the corner and up a few blocks.

  He parked along a side street and then turned to the girls. “All right, Grace. You have the directions to get back t
o the compound?”

  “Yep. They’re in my purse.”

  “Okay. I’m going to get out and walk back to the police station. As soon as I leave, I want you to get out of here. Get back to the woods and hide before I get there with the police.”

  Liliana frowned. “But what if the police don’t believe you?”

  “If they believe that Americans have been kidnapped to smuggle drugs across the border, they’ll be interested. They won’t take a rumor like that lightly.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want us to stay close by?” Grace asked. “I hate to leave you without a car.”

  “I’ll be fine. I don’t want to take a chance that they might see you. They might ask too many questions. We don’t want to have to explain what you’re doing here. Once we reach the compound, I’ll sneak away and come find you."

  Grace frowned, and he placed a reassuring hand on her arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll see you soon.”

  “You’re right. I’m sure everything will work out. You’d better get going.”

  They got out of the car, and Eddie hugged each girl in turn. He was aware of the fact that he hugged Grace slightly longer than he did Liliana and hoped that she hadn’t noticed as well. Then, with a final goodbye, the girls climbed into the car, and he watched them drive down the street until they were out of sight.

  *****

  When Eddie entered the police station, the officer at the front desk greeted him in Spanish. “Good morning. How may I help you?”

  Eddie glanced toward the old man and two young women who sat in black plastic chairs, in the lobby and then replied in Spanish, “I need to speak with someone in charge. I’d rather not discuss it out here.”

  “I need to know what the matter is concerning before I disturb the chief. He will not be happy with me if it is only a trivial matter, you understand.”

  Eddie leaned in close over the desk and whispered, “Fine. You may tell him that I have knowledge of kidnapped Americans and a drug cartel.”

  The clerk’s eyes grew wide. “I’ll be right back.” He rose from his chair and quickly departed into a back room.

  A few moments later, he returned and motioned for Eddie to follow. “Please, the chief would like to speak with you.” He ushered Eddie into the back room and closed the door.

  The chief leaned back in a large, plush, leather chair; his feet were propped on his desk while he smoked a cigar. “Please, have a seat.” He motioned to a chair on the opposite side of his desk.

  Eddie accepted the invitation and hoped that his nerves weren’t obvious.

  “Now then, my assistant tells me that you have information we might be interested in. Please, tell me what you know and how you came about this knowledge.”

  “I work on a farm near the mountains,” Eddie began. “Sometimes no one goes up the road, and the past few days we have seen a lot of traffic coming and going. Many expensive cars, you know? My friend said that his cousin was working for them. His cousin told him that they were going to use Americans to run drugs across the border.

  “We were curious, you see, so yesterday we followed them to see where they were going. They have a hideout up there. We saw them take some teenagers out of a car. They looked to be Americans, and their hands were tied behind their backs. Then we overheard the men say that they were going to make their move later today.”

  “Thank you for this information. If you will give me the directions, I will look into the matter.”

  “I don’t think I’d be able to. Their hideout was so well concealed. I think I’d have to actually show you where it is.”

  “Hmm…just a moment.” The chief picked up his phone. From what Eddie could gather from the one-sided conversation, on his end, arrangements were made for the Federales to gather and meet in an hour. Then he hung up the phone and turned to Eddie.

  “It is not custom for us to bring a civilian on a raid. It could be dangerous, but it seems that we have no other choice. Please know that you place yourself at risk by coming with us.”

  “I understand. It’s a risk I’m willing to take if it means helping those kids.” When the chief raised an eyebrow in question, Eddie wondered if he had sounded too eager. He decided he should try to seem more like a poor, farm worker who was looking for self-gain. “Will there be a reward in it for me, if I lead you to them?”

  “Ah, let’s just take one step at a time. I must go now to speak with my men. You may wait in the lobby.”

  *****

  Eddie rode with the chief down the now familiar dirt road. They were followed by three vehicles, each filled with well-armed Federales dressed in their black and blue fatigues.

  Liliana and Grace would be concealed in the woods near the compound. They would have a clear view of the road, so that once the vehicles were spotted, Liliana could let Tyler know that they were on their way.

  As they neared the compound, the chief’s phone rang.

  “U.S. Government?” he asked. “Are you sure?” He was silent for a moment while he listened and then said, “I understand, yes, but if they are running drugs…Yes, sir. We will stop.”

  When the chief steered the truck to the side of the mountain road, Eddie glanced in the rear view mirror to see the black vehicles pull in behind. Eddie’s pulse began to race. Had they decided to halt the operation?

  “We’re stopping?”

  “Yes. It looks like there might be a slight problem. I need to go speak with my men for just a moment.”

  The chief stepped out of the truck and strode to stand beside the black vehicle parked behind them. He leaned into the driver’s side window and talked for a good five minutes. Eddie strummed his fingers nervously on the dash. He wished he could hear what the men were saying and wondered what the final result would be. Would they continue on or turn back to town?

  A few raindrops hit the windshield. Then the skies opened, and it began to downpour. The windows were soon blurred with water, and he could no longer see the men.

  A minute later, the chief hopped into the truck and hurriedly closed the door. Without a word, he put the truck into motion and continued down the road, toward the compound.

  Eddie couldn’t hide his curiosity. “Are we still going to the hideout?”

  The chief glanced at him. “Yes. It appears that the hideout doesn’t belong to a drug cartel after all. But if there are reports of kidnapped Americans, we have a duty to check it out and ask questions later.”

  Eddie relaxed slightly. At least for the moment, the plan still held.

  The heavy rain continued to pelt the truck and the wilderness around them. Eddie directed them to stop about a quarter mile from the entrance. They would continue the rest of the way on foot so that their arrival would remain covert for as long as possible.

  He planned to lead them as far as the bottom of the hill; from there they would be able to find the rock entrance Tyler had described. As soon as their attention was drawn off of him, he would escape to the trees and hike back to find the girls.

  Once outside and on foot, it wasn’t long before he was drenched from the cold rain. He continued on beside the chief. The Federales fell in behind and around them, their guns armed and ready. Then he looked up the hill and saw the rock formation he was looking for.

  “The entrance is just up there behind that big rock on the left,” Eddie said.

  The chief motioned for the troops to fall into position. Some stayed back and hid behind trees while others zigzagged their way up the hill. Just as he had hoped, his presence was quickly forgotten.

  By now, the surveillance cameras would have picked up movement from the intruders, and the guards would be alarmed and on high alert. He hoped that Tyler and Toby were ready.

  CHAPTER 21: RESCUE

  Anxious with anticipation for the events of the day to come and in shock that he had seen his father, sleep eluded Tyler. He lay on his bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling, but in his mind’s eye, he saw the man he had long ago assumed was gone forever. He closed his ey
es, and their conversation played back in his head.

  “Dad? Is that you?” he had called out to the man who had just stepped out of another office, down the hall. He hadn’t seen him since he was four, but the image of his father was still freshly engraved in his memory. Tall, fit, and muscular, with thick brown hair, he and his brother were the spitting image of their father.

  “It is him,” Toby had whispered.

  Rebecka leaned in to join their huddle. “Your father is here? What is he doing here?”

  Their father turned toward them. “Boys? It is you! Hurry!” He beckoned them forward. “Come down here before anyone sees you.” They dashed down the hall and stopped when they reached him. He opened the door and ushered them into the office. “Come on, we can talk inside.”

  Rebecka followed, and they stood, gathered close, while their father locked the door. Then he turned to them. “I have missed you more than words could ever say.” He stepped forward, pulled them into a group hug, and then stood back and looked at each, in turn. “My boys. Look at you two. You’re practically adults. I can’t believe you’re really here. I didn’t know that I would ever see you again.”

  “You can’t believe we’re here?” Tyler asked, incredulously. “What are you doing here?”

  Before he could reply, Toby answered for him. “He’s one of them.”

  Tyler turned to his brother. “What? He’s IIA? He can’t be.” Then he turned to his father. “Is it true? Are you really with them?”

  “It’s complicated. Not everything is always as it seems.”

  “But, you are with them?”

  “I am, but please, give me a chance to explain, before you judge.”

  With a note of disdain, Toby asked, “Did you know that they’ve been keeping me here?”

  “I just found out. That’s why I’m here.”

  “So, you didn’t help to plan my capture?”

  “God no! That’s why I left you boys in the first place. I knew that if I stayed with you, the agency would pick you up in no time. I didn’t want you to grow up under a microscope and get dragged into all of this.”