by Cass Tell
Amy suspected these were the rich people here for the golf tournament. She saw the two men from the elevator get up from the bar and head to a table with a couple of women who wore clothing like out of a fashion magazine.
Amy felt like an ugly duckling with her jeans, t-shirt and tennis shoes. They had put the clothing given to them by Robert on the floor and that made her feel odd.
Then she saw the big guy in the suit. He was in a booth talking with a woman and a man. Their heads bent forward and they were speaking in low voices. She wondered what secrets they discussed.
“Don’t make it too obvious, but look over there in the far booth,” she said.
Jack had a menu in his hand and he glanced up from it toward the corner of the room. “It’s that guy,” he whispered.
“Yeah. He’s there with two people.”
Jack looked again. “They don’t look like rich golfers.”
“I know. We don’t either.”
“Let’s find out who they are,” Jack stated.
“Are you crazy? What for?”
Jack grinned. “Just for the fun of it.”
“No way. Until we get out of here, we keep a low profile and stay out of trouble. Do you remember how scary it was when Larry and Nalf were chasing us?”
“For sure, but it was fun.”
“Jack, you better listen to me and do what I say. “We don’t want to get into trouble . . . period.”
Jack looked back at the menu, sighed and said, “Okay.”
Jack ordered a hamburger and Amy a Caesar salad. When the hamburger came, it was much bigger than those served in fast food restaurants. Jack attacked it and did not say anything through the entire meal. They finished with ice cream for dessert and charged the meal to their room.
Then they went upstairs to their room and went to bed.
Jack fell asleep the moment he put his head on the pillow, but Amy was lost in thought. She heard the pattering of the rain against the window and thought about the coming storm. The detour to Tallahassee was unfortunate. They should be in Texas, but what could they do?
The notion of Texas gave her a strange uneasy feeling. Texas was in the direction of California, a place where they should not go. But, Texas was big and surely it would be possible to find a safe place for her and Jack.
On the west coast, evil men would be looking for them, if they even knew that Amy and Jack were alive. On the east coast, there was Larry and Nalf. Somewhere in the middle of the U.S. was the best for them.
All they needed now was to ride out the storm, keep a low profile, and then resume their search to find a new home.
Chapter 5
In the morning, Amy opened her eyes and looked at the clock on the nightstand next to her bed. It was seven forty. There was a low howling noise outside. The hurricane was getting stronger.
She looked across at the other bed and Jack was still asleep so she went to the bathroom, took a shower and put on her jeans and the shirt that Robert had given them from the cloths box.
When she went back into the main room, Jack was awake and sitting up on the bed.
“Good morning,” she said.
“Good morning,” he responded with a groggy voice.
“Did you sleep okay?”
“Yeah. It’s a real comfortable bed.”
“You could put ten people in those beds,” she stated.
He smiled. “I know. I’ve never slept in something so big.”
“Did the storm bother you?” She asked.
“Not a bit. And you?”
“I slept like a baby.”
“What’s that noise?” He asked. “It sounds like a tractor.”
Amy went to the blinds, opened them and looked outside. Sheets of rain hit the golf course and the trees tilted. Large puddles of water were on the golf course, like lakes.
“Wow, that’s amazing. You should see this.”
Jack got out of bed and went to the window, which was wet from the driving rain. It made a metallic noise, a thousand rainy fingers tapping on the glass.
“That’s crazy,” he said. “It’s like swimming pools everywhere. And, look at those trees. Any more wind and they will break.”
“We certainly don’t want to be out there today.”
Jack went back to his bed, sat on it, took the remote and turned on the TV.
“Watching TV already?” Amy asked.
“The Weather Channel,” he replied.
“I thought you said it was boring?”
“Not today,” he said.
On the TV, the weatherman talked about the hurricane. A map showed a large circle approaching the Gulf States, from Florida to east Texas. The previous day they were predicting a Category 1 storm with winds up to ninety-five miles an hour,
The weatherman said it may develop into a Category 2 hurricane. That meant that roofs and doors could be damaged and windows in skyscrapers broken. In addition, power outages were expected.
Around ten o’clock the storm would reach its maximum strength and then maintain that for the next twenty-four hours or more.
Amy looked out the window and again she had a feeling of doubt. Were they safe on the fourth floor of the hotel?
The weatherman explained that a Category 5 hurricane would knock down buildings. Luckily, this storm would not be so forceful.
Jack turned down the volume on the TV and said, “This is amazing. I’m glad we’re at the hotel rather than sleeping on the floor of a gym.”
“I agree, although I’m not so sure about being in this room on the top floor.”
“This room is cool. We can see everything.”
Amy looked again out the window. Leaves from the trees flew across the golf course. “I’m not so sure about being here,” she stated.
“Let’s order some breakfast to be brought to our room.”
“I’d feel better if we went downstairs,” she said.
Chapter 6
The restaurant was full of people and they had difficulty to find a place to sit. They stood and waited.
With wide eyes Jack said, “Look at that table over there with all the food on it.”
At the end of the room near the kitchen was a long table with bowls of fruit, eggs, pancakes, sausages and bacon and cheese. There were plates covered with mounds of pastries and bowls with jam, and breakfast cereals, and glass pitchers with different kinds of juices. The smell of coffee was in the air.
“I’m glad we came down,” Amy said, realizing she was hungry.
“Me too,” Jack said as he headed to get a plate and load it with food.
Amy followed him. She started with a bowl of fruits, knowing she could come back for more.
They stood looking for a free table when a man passed them with a cup of coffee. He asked, “You kids looking for a place to sit?”
“Yes,” Amy said.
“Follow me,” the man said. “We have two empty chairs at our table.” He was one of the men that joined them in the elevator the previous day.
They went with the man to a round table were there were three other adults, the second man from the elevator and two women.
The man said, “Have a seat.” He motioned toward two empty chairs.
After they sat he said, “My name’s John and this is Flora my wife, and this is Rick and Georgia.”
“I’m Amy and this is my brother Jack.”
“Glad to meet you,” Rick said. “This place is packed so you’re welcome to join us.”
“Thank you,” Amy replied.
Jack said, “Me too, thank you,” and then he focused on his plate of food.
“Are your parents here for the tournament,” Flora asked.
“Ah . . . no. We’re on our own,” Amy replied, “Because of the storm.”
Georgia smiled with perfect white teeth. “Yes, the storm did put a dent into all our plans.”
Amy noticed that Flora and Georgia were beautiful, guessing they were in their late thirties or early forties. The two men se
emed older.
The women wore slacks perfectly pressed and colorful blouses that seemed to come from expensive clothing shops. Their shoes, made from creamy leather looked both elegant and comfortable. On their fingers flashed rings packed with jewels.
Flora had lovely blond hair and wore diamond earrings. Georgia’s thick chestnut hair glistened and hung below her shoulders with bouncy waves and curls perfectly in place. She wore pearl earrings and a necklace with shiny turquoise gems.
Amy felt like a pauper in her jeans and tennis shoes, and wearing a shirt dug out of the box in the storage room of the hotel.
“Where are you from?” Flora asked.
“We were going to Houston,” Amy said, avoiding the question.
“That’s where we live some of the time,” Flora responded. “John is in the oil business. Do you live there?”
Amy didn’t know how to respond. How do you tell someone you are looking to find a new life? “Ah . . . we were going to visit relatives.”
“But, how did you get here?”
“It was the storm. We were on the bus and it got diverted.”
“The bus?”
“Yes, the driver brought us here and the bus company is paying for our stay. They’ll pick us up once the storm has passed.”
Flora looked at Georgia and then back at Amy. “Oh, I see.”
Georgia said, “Well, it looks like you kids are on your own. What are you doing this evening?”
Amy looked at Jack who was half way through his stack of pancakes. “We don’t have any plans.”
“Could we ask you to join us at the gala dinner?”
“The what?” Amy asked.
“Every year at the end of the golf tournament we have a banquet with entertainment and they give out the trophies. The tournament was cancelled because of the storm, so the dinner was moved up to tonight.”
Amy looked at Jack and he nodded. “That would be nice,” Amy said, “But, we don’t have anything to wear.”
Georgia turned to Flora seated next to her and whispered something in her ear. Flora nodded and Georgia said, “Don’t worry about clothing. Join us at the clothing shop in the hotel and we’ll treat you. After that, Flora and I are going to the spa and beauty salon in the hotel. You can go with us.”
“I’m not going to any beauty salon,” Jack stated.
Flora laughed. “If you agree, we’ll just take you to the clothing shop. Amy can join us at the spa.”
“Oh, okay,” Jack stated. He was into his second strip of bacon. He looked at Rick and said, “Do you really have an airplane.”
Rick asked, “How do you know that?”
“I heard you talking in the elevator. It must be so cool to fly in your own plane.”
Rick smiled. “It’s handy to have for getting around the world.”
“That’s amazing,” Jack said. “I never talked with anybody that had their own airplane.”
John grinned. “Look around. Just about everyone in this room owns an airplane, or their company owns an airplane. If they don’t own one, then they charter one.”
“Everyone?” Jack asked, as he stared at the people in the restaurant.
“Sure. We all fly in here every year to play some golf and socialize. Business deals are done, so the storm won’t stop that.”
“Cool,” Jack stated. He got up and headed back for the buffet breakfast table to get more food.
As Jack walked across the room, Amy noticed the big man in the suit carrying a cup of coffee. He sat down in a booth with the same man and women he was with the previous night.
They did not seem to interact with anyone else in the room and Amy doubted if they were here for the golf tournament. Had the storm also stranded them?
The image of the suitcase full of weapons came to her mind and she was intrigued to know who these people were. They certainly did not seem friendly.
The big man looked up from his coffee and his eyes slowly scanned across the room. His caught Amy staring at him and he glared at her. Feeling cold uneasiness, she quickly turned her head back to the table in front of her.
Chapter 7
Back in their room Amy looked through the rain splattered window. The ponds on the golf course had become larger, the trees shook, and fallen branches tumbled across the grass.
Beyond the hotel was a deep rumbling sound. The full strength of the hurricane was approaching.
She imagined that broken branches could fly into the window and break it, but so far, it didn’t seem likely. Although, she knew that the storm was still not at its full force.
They watched the weather report for fifteen minutes and then went down to the clothing store in the hotel.
Flora and Georgia met them and Flora said, “Are you ready?”
“Very much so,” Amy said. “What should we be looking for?”
Georgia smiled, “Something very special. This is a dressy affair.”
“Are you sure about this, to buy us clothing?” Amy asked.
“Of course, my dear,” Flora answered. “You are a lovely young woman and we would have great pleasure to dress you up.”
Amy glanced at Jack and he rolled his eyes and shifted his weight.
“Come this way,” Flora said.
They went past several rows of tennis and golf clothing and came to a part of the store with racks of shirts, blouses and sweaters. Other racks had skirts, dresses and men’s pants.
Starting with Jack, they quickly chose a pair of pants, a blue shirt and a dress jacket. They picked out a red tie for him and a pair of leather shoes.
When he put on all the clothing and looked in a mirror he said, “I look like a flag.”
Georgia laughed. “You look handsome my young man.”
“Can I go?” he implored.
Amy smiled. “Of course, but don’t get lost and don’t get into trouble.”
“I just want to look around,” he said. “Maybe talk with Robert the porter and see who’s at the hotel?”
“What do you mean by that?” Amy asked.
“You know.”
“Don’t snoop around,” Amy said, worrying that he might try and spy on the big man in the suit.
“Okay,” he said.
Jack changed back into his t-shirt and jeans and left the shop. Once he was gone, Flora turned to Amy and said, “Now the fun starts. You will look magnificent.”
Chapter 8
Jack walked through the lower part of the hotel, which he realized was massive. Robert was beside the reception desk and waved and Jack waved back. The security guy had changed places but was still looking at his cell phone.
Besides the lobby and the wing with shops, there was a large conference center on one end and a spa on the other.
There were meeting rooms near the conference center.
When Jack got near the restaurant, he saw the big man in the suit. He was walking down the hallway with the two people from the restaurant.
Jack became curious on where they were going so he tagged along behind them at a distance.
The three people came to a meeting room, opened the door and went inside. He wondered about the purpose of their meeting, so he went to the door of the room and put his ear against it. The door was thick and he heard voices but could not make out the words.
Then he went to the next meeting room and slowly opened the door. There was no one in the room and it was dark.
He found a light switch next to the door and turned it on. There was a thick separation curtain between the two rooms, so it made one big room if opened.
He put his ear to the curtain and tried to listen, but again he only heard muffled voices. Finding a crack in the curtain it allowed him to listen. They were in the middle of a conversation.
“Hey Wade, we just get in the car and go.”
Someone with a deep voice said, “Marv, with this storm we need a backup plan. Roads may be closed.” Jack recognized that voice as the big man in the suit.
“Then we just need to
wait out the storm,” a woman’s voice said.
“No Maya, we can’t wait. Marv, can you secure a couple of golf carts. And, put a car on the other side of the course.”
“I’ll do that,” Marv said.
“Do you think the carts can make it across the course? It’s pretty wet out there.” Maya said.
Marv responded, “I already checked the service road next to the course. If we stay on that there won’t be any problem.”
“What about security?” Maya asked.
“The storm is a fortunate event. It means less of it,” Wade replied.
“When will the two contract guys arrive?” Marv asked.
“They called. They will be here in the next hour. The storm delayed them coming in from Miami. So, is everything in place?”
“We’re ready,” Maya said.
“Okay. That’s it. You know the plan.”
The noise of moving chairs told Jack that their meeting was finished. Jack had learned their names, Wade, Marv and Maya.
They were planning something. Maybe it had something to do with the golf tournament, because they mentioned the golf carts and the access road near the golf course. Yet, something did not seem right.
Jack backed away from the separation curtain and bumped into a chair that flipped backwards into a table making a bang.
“What’s that?” A voice asked.
Jack ran to the door opened it and went outside. Wade, the big man in the suit came out of the adjoining meeting room, saw Jack and demanded, “What are you doing there?”
Jack was not sure what to say and then he thought of an answer, “Ah . . . playing hide and seek.”
Maya and Marv exited the meeting room.
“Hide and seek?” Wade asked. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. With the hurricane, we can’t go outside to play.”
“Don’t play here,” Wade commanded.
“Yes sir,” Jack responded as he ran down the hallway toward the lobby.
Chapter 9
Flora and Georgia led Amy to the Spa. The elegant clothing they bought for her was sent to Amy’s room.
