Elisa rolled her eyes. “Don’t get any ideas, Davalos. You helped me back on Yonaguni. This is just me returning the favor. You know how I don’t like being in anyone’s debt.”
Lucas’ smile remained. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, sweetheart.”
“You were supposed to disappear after Yonaguni. How did Clarke find you?”
“Now there’s a good question.” Lucas stubbed out the cigarillo and climbed out of the pool. Elisa turned away from the sight of his naked body. Lucas noticed the gesture and looked down at himself. “Oh come on. Nothing you haven’t seen before.”
“And nothing I care to see again.”
Lucas gave a dismissive wave. He picked up his lighter and cigarillo case, then walked over to a lounge chair where his clothes had been left after his companion pulled them from his body. Lucas pulled on a pair of jeans and a Hawaiian shirt. He pocketed the lighter and case, then walked over to a small, refrigerated bar. Lucas procured two beer bottles from the cooler, removed the caps, and brought them over. He handed one to Elisa and she accepted it.
“I was in Thailand. Koh Tao specifically, enjoying one of the Full Moon parties.” Lucas stretched out on the lounge chair and took a sip of his beer. “This guy comes up to me—tall, Aryan-looking bastard.”
“Roland. We’ve met.”
“Right, Roland. Well, he says he’s got a job for me and he mentions the Necronomicon. He says his employer’s willing to pay a million in cash for it. Now, I know the Necronomicon is complete bullshit, but one million? I’ve gotta at least hear the man out.”
“What happened then?” asked Elisa.
“He brought me to meet Clarke. I get half upfront in cash and then I’m off. Gives me a phone to stay in touch. I ditch it first chance I get, then I have Stubby set me up with a new identity. That was about a month ago.”
Elisa thought on that statement while she drank from her bottle. “The bartender said you’ve only been here a week?”
“I jumped around a bit at first, went down to South America and reserved some rooms under some of my old identities before making my way to Polynesia. Keeping Clarke off my scent.”
Elisa pulled her legs out of the water and stood. She stepped closer to Lucas, casting a shadow over him. “I’d say your vacation’s just about over.”
Lucas fixed his green eyes on her face. “You mind stepping out of my sun?”
“If I could find you, that means so can Clarke,” said Elisa. “You can’t risk it.”
He calmly took a swig of his drink. “Y’know what your problem is, Elsie? You let Max Finch suck all the fun out of you. Now you walk around with a big stick up your ass.”
Elisa rolled her eyes and placed one hand on her hip while sipping her beer. “Yeah, here we go…”
Lucas rose from the chair, pointing at her as she turned her back. “We were a team. Partners. And together, we were the best. Nobody could hold a candle to us. But then you went and screwed it all up.”
Elisa spun on her heel. “I screwed it up? All I did was say we should back off the mercenary jobs, try and do something of actual value for once. And then how did you respond?”
Lucas shook his head and looked away, drinking.
“Come on, Davalos, I’m waiting,” said Elisa. “Remind me of how this is all my fault. What did you do that officially ended our partnership?”
Lucas tried to ignore her, finishing off the bottle and walking back to the bar to grab another. Elisa followed him, the anger within her now reaching a boiling point.
“You left me in the middle of the goddamn desert is what!” She threw the bottle and it struck the ground right in front of Lucas’ feet, the remainder of the beer splashing on his legs.
“Jesus!” He stepped away from the broken glass, raising his feet and examining them one by one to check that nothing other than the beer hit him. He huffed. “It was—”
Elisa quickly bent down and grabbed the kukri, holding them with the tips pointed at Lucas. “I swear, if I have to hear you use the words ‘it was nothing personal, just business’ one more time, I’ll cut off your scrotum and shove it down your throat.”
Lucas paused and glanced down at his body. He carefully made his way around the broken glass to grab a fresh beer and popped the cap off. “You always did have a creative imagination.”
Elisa lowered the kukri, shaking her head. She chortled. “I really have no idea what the hell I’m doing here. I came because I thought you were in danger, because I wanted to make sure you were okay. I thought after what happened with Seth and the Order there was a chance you’d changed in some small way. But no, you’re still the same old Davalos. Nothing more than a scoundrel.”
She put her sandals back on and stormed over to where she left her bag. Elisa dropped the kukri into it and slung it over her shoulder. Lucas walked to the doors leading inside the villa and leaned against them, watching Elisa as she collected her belongings. “So what, you’re leaving now?”
“Can you give me a reason why I should hang around?” asked Elisa.
Lucas looked up in thought then stared at Elisa and a lecherous grin spread on his face. Elisa’s expression showed she didn’t share his amusement. “Keep it up, there won’t be much hanging.” She walked inside the villa and glanced over at the seating area to her right with a couch facing away from her and another couch perpendicular to that. Elisa moved towards the doorway to the foyer.
Lucas entered the villa behind her. “Hey, for what it’s worth, I do appreciate you being worried and coming in to see that everything’s okay. It’s nice to know even after everything, you’ve still got my back.”
Elisa stopped, her hands balling into fists. She turned to face him, her eyebrows practically knitted together. “No, Lucas. I don’t have your back. Not anymore. I tried giving you the benefit of the doubt and—surprise!—you disappointed me once again. Like you always do. I don’t know why I expected someone as shallow as you could ever change.” She sighed. “So I’m done. I don’t give a shit what happens to you.”
Lucas looked down at the floor, trying to think of something to say in response. Elisa didn’t give him the chance to come up with anything and walked to the door. She opened it and gasped.
“Ms. Hill, fancy seeing you here,” said Roland with a smile. There were three men behind him and all were dressed casually in polo shirts and shorts. But then she looked down and saw the handguns they held.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Get down, Lucas!” Elisa slammed the door shut and ran through the foyer’s entry, stepping to the side and placing her back against the wall. Lucas hit the ground just as bullets punched through the front door. Elisa heard the door kicked in and reached in her bag for the kukri, holding one in a reverse grip. She cast a quick glance at Lucas, who lay face-down.
One of Roland’s men took point, holding his gun out in front of him as he moved through the doorway linking the foyer with the living room. When she saw the arm, Elisa raised her own and brought the kukri down, stabbing him in his forearm. He screamed and dropped the gun. Elisa pulled out the kukri and kicked the gun over to Lucas. He grabbed it and jumped to his feet, firing one shot into the man’s head. It knocked him back into one of his partners and gave Elisa and Lucas the opportunity to run out onto the terrace.
“Go!” shouted Roland.
On the terrace, Lucas pointed to the wall on the right. He kicked lounge chairs and knocked over a table to provide obstacles. Elisa ran to the wall and started to climb up. Lucas came up behind her and stuck the gun behind his back into his jeans. He grabbed her legs to push her up. Once Elisa climbed onto the top, she offered her hand and Lucas took it so he could climb up as well.
A gunshot rang out and Elisa jumped over the edge. Lucas returned fire, nailing the second man in the chest and he fell back into the pool with a loud splash, his blood staining the water. Roland and the final man squeezed off more shots, but Lucas had already gone over the edge.
Roland and his final man
retreated back into the villa and exited through the front door. Roland glanced around and cursed. He touched a hand to his ear where he had a comm-link inserted. “Stay on guard! They’re on the run! Repeat, targets are in motion!”
***
Lucas and Elisa ran among the palms, staying parallel to the main path.
“Those probably aren’t the only men Roland brought with him. We have to get out of here,” said Lucas.
“It’s an island resort, where do we run to?” asked Elisa.
Lucas paused and thought on it. An idea came to him and he made sure the gun was covered by his shirt. “I’ve got an idea. Move quickly, but try to be casual. And stay on alert.”
“Sure, that should be simple enough…”
They moved back onto the main path, quickly glancing around for anyone who seemed to be searching for them. The pair walked with haste through the resort, and Elisa spotted a few men in sunglasses who started to move closer to them, cutting off their exit.
“I think you were right about Roland’s back-up.”
Lucas glanced over his shoulder and confirmed Elisa’s statement. “Right, come on!”
He broke into a sprint and Elisa followed. The men who were behind them did the same, chasing after them. The villa was secluded, but the two hoped their pursuers wouldn’t pull out their weapons in such a crowded area. They pushed past guests and resort staff, knocking a few over in their escape. The human obstacles would slow down their enemies, but only temporarily. Elisa wondered just what sort of plan he had in mind and cursed herself for what felt like the millionth time since finding Lucas for even coming here in the first place.
Lucas led her out onto the beach. At the shore were five jet-skis with a guide explaining them to a few guests as he sat on one. Lucas pushed past the guests.
“Excuse me, sir, but you’ll have to schedule an app—”
Lucas silenced the guide with a swift punch that knocked him from the jet-ski. “Sorry about that, friend.” He climbed onto the jet-ski, ignoring the shocked cries of the guests. A quick look to the side and he saw Elisa strapping on her belt with the kukri holstered at the back, dropping the bag and then boarding one of the jet-skis. They started them up and set off onto the clear blue water.
Roland’s team arrived on the beach a few moments after and watched as the pair rocketed over the waves. Three of them boarded the remaining jet-skis and shot into pursuit.
“We’ve got company!” shouted Elisa over the roar of the engines. “We have to get away from this island!”
“Not enough gas in these things to get to Pape’ete!”
“Then we lose them and get to the airport!”
The three pursuers drew their handguns and opened fire. Lucas and Elisa ducked as low as they could on their jet-skis, swerving about to avoid giving them a clear shot. Lucas reached behind his back for the gun he stole. He turned his torso, keeping one hand firm on the jet-ski’s handle as he fired at their pursuers. The shots missed, but did cause two of them to veer off-course so they wouldn’t get hit.
“If they follow us to the airport, we’re screwed!” he said. “We have to deal with them now!”
Elisa was reluctant to admit he was right but she knew it was their only option. She took a sharp U-turn and gunned the engine, shooting off towards their attackers.
“Elsie!” Lucas grumbled and followed her lead.
As she approached one of their attackers, Elisa squeezed the throttle, sending the jet-ski into a jump. She pounced from her vehicle and drew the kukri while in free-fall. Elisa jammed both daggers into the closest rider, stabbing him in his shoulders. He cried in pain and she pulled the daggers free and threw him off.
His compatriots slowed and circled her, opening fire. Elisa ducked and squeezed the throttle, flying off again. Lucas came up behind them, shooting one in the back a few times. He turned his gun onto the remaining rider, but when he pulled the trigger, the gun just clicked impotently. Lucas tossed it into the water and rode after the final man, who was now in pursuit of Elisa.
Lucas gunned his jet-ski, revving up speed. When he was close enough, he sprung from his seat, landing into the water. The jet-ski’s momentum sent it crashing into their remaining attacker, toppling him off. Before he could recover from the disorientation of the collision, something grabbed his leg from beneath the water. It was Lucas, who grappled with him under the waves.
Elisa slowed her jet-ski and turned, coming to a complete stop and watching the bubbles on the water’s surface. She waited with bated breath, holding one of the kukri in a throwing grip. Elisa extended her arm, waiting to throw it if the wrong man came out on top.
A man broke through the surface and took a deep breath, his sand-colored, wet hair flopping around and clinging to his neck. Elisa exhaled in relief and lowered the kukri, sheathing it behind her back. She approached slowly, extending a hand to Lucas once she reached his location. He took hold of her arm and pulled himself onto the back of her jet-ski.
“Admit it,” he began, wrapping his arms around her waist, “this is the most fun you’ve had in a long time.”
Elisa took hold of the handles and squeezed the throttle. “Let’s just get to the airport. Never thought I’d be happy to leave Bora Bora.”
As they rode towards the airport, Elisa felt a smile tugging at her lips. She’d never give Lucas the satisfaction of knowing, but she couldn’t deny that he was right. This was a lot more fun than she’d expected. Working side-by-side with him once again, it reminded her of old times. Not necessarily better times, but more adventurous ones to be certain.
“Looks like you got your wish, Elsie,” he said. “I’m stuck with you after all.”
“Wouldn’t call it my wish, just think of this as settling our debt.”
“So what’s the plan from here?”
“Get back to the States and Stubby helps you disappear again,” said Elisa.
“And Clarke?” asked Lucas. “He’s gonna be gunning for you, too.”
“I can handle Sebastian Clarke.”
“I’m not letting you take the heat for me. If you’ve got a plan, I want in.”
Elisa hesitated before responding. She knew she was taking a risk crossing Sebastian, but she hoped that she could manage without him discovering her involvement. “Asami’s hunting down any leads on the Necronomicon. Maybe we can trade whatever information she finds, convince Clarke to call off his hounds.”
“Kind’ve a long shot, isn’t it?”
Elisa smirked and gave a quick glance over her shoulder. “I thought you liked those.”
Lucas smiled back. “You know me. I’m a sucker for lost causes.”
Elisa turned her attention back to her driving. Lucas’ arms tightened around her waist and she felt his chest press against her back. It gave her a sensation of nostalgia, and she tried to push it out of her mind. The last thing she needed was to revisit those old feelings again.
CHAPTER TWELVE
They abandoned the jet-ski in the middle of the water and swam to shore. From there, Elisa and Lucas went the remaining distance to the airport on foot. The afternoon sun was hot enough that their wet clothes quickly dried during their walk.
“So you and Asami still working together?” asked Lucas. “That’s a little surprising. She doesn’t seem like the reliable type.”
“After the Lemuria job, we worked together again in China. Dealt with some pretty crazy stuff. She really proved herself. We’ve been working together pretty much ever since.”
“What sort of crazy stuff?” asked Lucas.
Elisa grinned. “I got to ride a Jiufeng.”
“A what?”
“It’s a creature from Chinese mythology. A nine-headed bird.”
Lucas chuckled. “Would’ve loved to see that.”
“Also fought giant crab soldiers.”
“Hah! Now you’re just pulling my leg.”
Elisa shook her head while snickering. “Nope, on my parents’ graves. It was a pretty crazy
time.”
Lucas held out his arm, gesturing to the surrounding landscape. “Guess after all that, this seems a bit pedestrian. Just running from a bunch of humans with guns.”
“After fighting the Dragon Kings, I don’t mind something a little more pedestrian,” said Elisa.
Lucas got quiet, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He finally glanced at Elisa and asked his question. “And Finch?”
She gave a nod. “He’s good.”
“Bet he didn’t approve of this little job.”
Elisa blinked and took a deep breath. “That’s an understatement…”
“Just as I figured. He’s never been a big fan of me.”
“Can you blame him?”
He shook his head. “Not for a second. If I were him, I wouldn’t want you hanging around with me, either.”
“He did come through, though. Gave us a lead on where we could find the Necronomicon.”
Lucas clicked his tongue. “Right…”
Elisa turned her head towards him. “You don’t think we can find it, do you?”
He shrugged. “What’s there to find? Lovecraft himself said he made the whole thing up.”
“Say that you discovered something. Something so powerful, so dangerous. Something that, if it were to fall into the wrong hands, could cause unimaginable destruction. Wouldn’t you try to convince people that it didn’t actually exist?”
“I’d try and make some money off it.”
Elisa crossed her arms and cocked her head. “Okay, then also imagine that you’re not…well, you.”
“I get what you’re saying. And yeah, suppose I would try to keep a lid on it. But if this thing existed, that means it would’ve predated Lovecraft. Don’t you think there would have been some mention of it before the twentieth century?”
Elisa sighed. “You might be right. Let’s just get back to the States and figure things out from there.”
They walked the rest of the way in silence. When the airport was in view, Elisa removed the belt with the kukri holsters. She wrapped the belt around the sheathes and handed it to Lucas.
Curse of the Necronomicon (The Myth Hunter Book 3) Page 5
