The Reef

by Lois Kay

  Fred nodded and opened the door to get out of the car. Without looking back, he walked to the street. He had his hands in his pockets and tried to look as casual as possible. His eyes took in his surroundings. All he saw were school children milling about and a few adults near the entrance of the school. Fred suspected they were teachers. They were standing in a small circle and were having an animated discussion. For a moment, Fred felt annoyed. They were supposed to keep an eye on the kids. It was their responsibility to keep them safe from the likes of Little Steven.

  With a confidence, he didn't feel, Fred walked to the area Little Steven had pointed out to him earlier. His eyes scanned the group of teenagers that that passed him on their way to the entrance of the schoolgrounds. As soon as he was out of sight he stopped a boy who couldn’t have been older than twelve. He had been kicking an empty beer can and seemed to be bored. Fred chuckled. He could relate. School had never been enjoyable for him.

  “Hey, mate,” Fred called and the boy looked up at him with curious brown eyes. “Do you know my sister, Fiona McDonnell?”

  “Yeah,” the boy drawled. He eyed Fred with suspicion.

  “Could you do me a favor? Could you, please, tell her I want to speak to her for a few minutes? I’m her brother, Gerald. Tell her Jody and Samantha sent me.”

  The boy shrugged and scowled. “Why don't you go see her yourself?”

  “Because I think my mom dropped her off and I don’t want her to see me.” Fred could feel the perspiration form on his forehead. He hadn’t expected to have this much trouble. “See, we're trying to organize a party for her, you know, our Mom. She's not supposed to know anything about it. Ask Fiona to come see me, mate? Alright?”

  “I guess.” The boy still didn’t look convinced. “I'll ask her.”

  Fred let out a relieved breath. “Thanks mate. I appreciate it.”

  The boy mumbled something and continued his way, leaving the beer can on the side of the road. Fred’s gaze followed him and he grinned when he noticed the boy approached Fiona, who was the center of attention of a group of peers. When the boy addressed Fiona, and pointed to the street, Fred made sure he was standing behind a tree, out of sight. The last thing he needed was for Fiona to recognize him from a distance and raise the alarm.

  * * *

  “My brother?” Fiona looked at the younger boy and raised an eyebrow. “Which one? I’ve got three brothers.”

  “Gerald,” Robert Finn answered. He shuffled his feet, feeling uneasy under Fiona's scrutinizing look. “Listen you—”

  “Gerald?” Fiona asked. She frowned. “That's weird. He's supposed to be going back to Brisbane today. Did he say anything else?”

  “That Jody and Samantha sent him and something about a surprise party for your mom.”

  “Samantha?” Fiona snorted. “He never calls her that.” Her gaze traveled to the area Robert had pointed out. She didn’t see anybody. “Is he behind that tree, the one near the corner?”

  Robert nodded. “He said he didn’t want to risk your mom seeing you when she dropped you off.”

  Fiona laughed. She always took the school bus. It was rare that her mother dropped her off at school. “I guess I’ll go check it out,” she said. “Either this bloke is crazy, or one of my brothers is pulling a prank on me.” She cast a glance at Robert. “Are you sure it wasn’t Michael? You know my brother Michael, right? Red hair, freckles?”

  Robert nodded. “Yes, of course I do. We ride the same bus.”

  “Alright.” Fiona hefted her backpack on her shoulders. “I’ll guess I’ll go see what’s up.”

  “Are you crazy, Fi?” Suzie Bowden reacted. She grabbed Fiona by her arm. “If your brother wants to see you, why doesn't he come up here? Or call your cell phone?”

  “Yes, Fi.” Anne-Marie Gunn backed up Suzie. “It's weird. Don't go. If he wants to speak to you he should come here. Besides, you know we're not allowed to leave the grounds.”

  “School hasn’t started yet,” Fiona replied. “I'll go and have a look. Don’t worry, if it’s not Ger, I won't go up to him. If it's someone else I'll come running back, okay? I will only go until I can see him from a distance.”

  “But he could be around the corner, Fi,” Suzie argued. “I think you should tell Mr. Richards, he could come with you.”

  “Dicky?” Fiona chuckled. “No, thanks. He hates my guts ever since I accidently knocked off his toupee when I ran into him. He'd kill me, given the chance. No, I'll go have a look. Just keep an eye on me.”

  “Why don't you go across the street? “Robert suggested. “That way, you don't have to go around the corner to see him. If he’s not your brother, you can run back and he won’t be able to come near you.”

  Fiona looked at the younger boy, who was blushing fiercely when the three older girls all watched him in silence. “That’s a great idea, Bob.” Fiona finally grinned and patted his shoulder. “That’s exactly what I’ll do. Thanks.” Fiona cast a look at the teachers who were enjoying a lively discussion and did not see her leave the schoolgrounds and cross the street.

  But Fred noticed and he mumbled a string of curses. “Damnit, that girl is too smart.”

  * * *

  Chapter 14

  Jody yawned and stretched, letting out a soft groan. Her body was relaxed and pleasantly sore. She had woken up from a deep sleep and when she noticed the beam of sunlight peeking through the blinds she realized it would be time to get up soon. She rolled onto her side and looked at Sam's sleeping form. She was on her back, one arm stretched out alongside her body, the other curled up around the pillow. Her breathing was deep and even and Jody couldn't resist the temptation of letting her hand wander across the exposed skin of her abdomen. She rubbed the warm skin in lazy circles, watching Sam for any sign of awareness. But Sam's face remained relaxed and her breathing never changed. Jody's hand traveled up until she could caress the soft swell of a breast. She enjoyed touching the warm skin and her mind went back to the previous evening, when she had paid homage to almost every part of Sam’s body.

  “Do you always take advantage of sleeping women?” Sam's amused voice broke the silence and Jody’s gaze met a pair of twinkling blue eyes.

  “You sneak.” She let out a soft laugh and playfully pinched a sensitive spot she had discovered a few hours earlier. “You’ve been awake for a while, haven’t you?”

  Sam chuckled and reached out to pull Jody close for a kiss. “Good morning, beautiful,” Sam smiled.

  “Morning, love,” Jody said. Her gaze locked onto Sam’s and, without breaking contact she tilted her head. “Magnetic blue,” she said. She laughed at the confused expression on Sam’s face.

  “What?”

  “Magnetic blue,” Jody repeated. Her index finger traced one of Sam’s eyebrows. “I finally found the word to describe the color of your eyes. Do you remember that morning, a long, long time ago when you pretended to sleep and surprised the heck out of me when I discovered you weren’t? I told you how beautiful your eyes were and you were challenging me to come up with a word to describe them? You wondered if there was a poet inside of me somewhere.”

  “I remember.” Sam’s fingers gently scratched Jody's back. “Magnetic blue, huh? I like the sound of that. It sounds better than baby blue. I guess there is a poet hiding behind those amazing green eyes after all.”

  “Only when I’m around you,” Jody confessed with a wink, making Sam chuckle. “So, how are you feeling this morning?”

  “Blissfully happy,” Sam answered. “And very loved.”

  Jody leaned in for a fleeting kiss. “I do love you, Sam.”

  “I know. I love you too, I always have. And right now, I feel like the luckiest woman on the planet to finally be able to tell you that.” It was a simple declaration, but said with such an intensity it touched Jody deep inside. She smiled and buried her face in the crook of Sam's neck. She felt Sam's arms around her tighten. One of Sam's hands idly played with a strand of hair as she pressed her lips against Jody
's temple, kissing her softly. “I could easily stay in bed like this all day,” she said. “Do you think anyone would miss us? Of course, at some point, things could get a bit more intense, but I don’t think you’d mind.”

  “No, I don’t think I would,” Jody muttered and Sam could feel her body shake with silent laughter.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing.”

  Sam chuckled. “Yeah, right.” She tickled exposed ribs and made Jody squirm. “Tell me, short-stuff. Come on.” Sam increased the intensity of the tickling with one hand, holding Jody down with the other until she gave in.

  “Okay, okay, I'll tell you.” She laughed. “I was thinking that you handled your first time pretty well. You seem insatiable.”

  “That’s because you made a believer out of me, honey, “Sam quipped. To prove her point she pulled Jody on top of her and caught her lips in a kiss that rapidly increased in passion. When they came up for air they were both breathing heavily.

  “Good grief, Sam,” Jody breathed. “I so want this, I want you, but we have to go to the police station soon. We can't wait too long.”

  Sam let out a frustrated groan. “I know. You're right.” She took Jody’s face between her hands and kissed her soundly. “How about a raincheck?”

  “I’ve got a checkbook full of those,” Jody answered with a wink. “We’ll continue this later. I promise.”

  ***

  The two-story police station was surrounded by rows of trees that provided much needed shade for the cars parked outside. Everything looked quiet and peaceful as Jody parked her car next to a police cruiser. She switched off the engine and cast a look at Sam who was sitting next to her with a pensive expression on her face.

  "Do you think we’ll be yelled at for withholding information?” Jody asked. "Inspector Wong doesn’t seem the type to have a lot of patience for uncooperative people.”

  Sam looked at Jody and sent her a warm smile. “Don't worry about it. When we talked to her before, we didn't know what we do now. I might have had some ideas, but the real proof that backs them up came last night when Tom sent me those files." Sam reached out and gently squeezed Jody's knee. "I think the Inspector will be very pleased. We’re saving them a lot of time."

  Jody rubbed her forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache. “I hope you’re right. But, even if she’s mad, I'm still glad for the police to take over. The thought that those idiots tried to get to my baby-sister pisses me off-big time."

  Sam chuckled and leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Let’s go then, shall we?"

  "Yup, let's get it done and over with." Jody stepped out of the car and followed Sam toward the main entrance. “It's going to be a hot day,” Jody said when she felt the early morning sun rapidly warming her skin.

  As Sam opened the door to the police station, Jody's cell phone rang. The sound was so unexpected, that the already tense Jody nearly jumped, much to Sam's amusement. With a scowl, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. When she saw the caller ID she frowned. “Hang on a minute, Sam,” she said, stopping Sam from entering the building. “It’s Fiona.”

  “Hey, Red. Aren’t you supposed to be in class?” she said.

  Sam saw the expression on Jody’s face change from curiosity to shock. “What? Where are you now? Okay, hold on, Fi.” Jody’s hands slightly trembled when she looked up at Sam.

  "What happened?” Sam asked in a tense voice.

  "Fiona is at school and she says one of the men that were outside the shop the other day is right outside the school. He asked one of her schoolmates to send her to him, telling the boy he was Gerald."

  Sam's face lost all color and with a grim expression she took the phone. She grabbed Jody's hand and pulled her with her back toward the car. “Fiona? It's me. Are you inside the school right now? Stay there. Don't move. We're coming to pick you up. …Yes, right now. We’re on our way. Whatever you do, don't go outside." Sam ended the conversation and cast Jody a worried look. “This is getting way out of control. Damnit. I should have prepared for this.”

  "Sam, how could you have known. Maybe we should—”

  "We'll pick up Fiona and come back here,” Sam said. “I’ve had enough of this. I want the police to protect your family."

  Jody could tell Sam was upset and she knew better than to argue with her. She knew Fiona would be safe if she stayed inside the school building. Still, she was glad they were going to pick her up and bring her back to the police station with them. Because of traffic, it took them twenty minutes to reach Fiona’s school. From the corner of her eye Jody could see Sam was her biting her lip. When they finally reached their destination, Sam spoke for the first time since they had left the police station. “Park as close to the entrance as you can,” she said. "I don't want any nasty surprises."

  "I'm not allowed to park there, Sam, it's for school buses only."

  "I don't care,” Sam said. “If we get a ticket, I'll pay it and get it over with. Besides, I wouldn't mind a few police officers outside right now." She looked around, scanning the area warily. “I don't know where those clowns are right now and I don't like that one single bit." Sam opened the door and stepped outside. Her eyes searched the cars that were parked alongside the street, opposite the school. She saw nothing out of the ordinary. “Come on,” she urged Jody, putting her hand in the small of her back. While they walked toward the school’s entrance she kept her body between Jody and the street behind them. She resisted the urge to look back, not wanting to let anyone who might be watching know she was nervous. When they entered the school, Sam decided to let Jody take the lead. As soon as they stepped into a long, brightly lit hallway they were approached by a short man. It was painfully obvious he was wearing a toupee.

  "May I help you?" His voice was gruff and he eyed them with an, almost angry look.

  Jody smiled. “I hope so. My name is Jody McDonnell and I’m here to pick up my sister, Fiona."

  Mark Richards didn't answer her immediately. His eyes curiously examined Jody and when they started to roam her body, Sam had to seriously resist the urge to grab him by his tie and wind it tightly around his neck. Instead she cleared her throat, sending him a menacing look.

  "Um...right…Fiona. Well, it's a school day and since I didn't receive a note from either of her parents, I’m afraid I can't let her leave the school grounds. It's against the rules, you see."

  Behind her, Jody could feel Sam's body tense and with a small gesture she stopped her from interrupting. "It's an emergency, Mr. Richards,” Jody replied politely. "It’s really necessary for Fiona to come with me."

  Mark Richard's muddy brown eyes took on a stubborn expression and he squared his shoulders, no doubt to look taller than he really was. “I’m sorry, Miss McDonnell, but as I already told you—”

  Jody felt Sam move behind her and before she knew what had happened, Sam had gently pushed her aside and was standing in front of the teacher, stretched to her full height. She looking down at him with a dangerous glare in her eyes. “Fiona’s sister just told you it’s an emergency. Now, are you going to tell me where Fiona is, so we can take her with us, or do I have to make sure your teaching days are over? The choice is yours.”

  Mark Richards had to crane his neck to look up and Jody saw him swallow hard. Still, he was not inclined to give in yet. “I don't know who you are, Miss, but you can't come barging in here like that, threatening me. I'd suggest you'll leave before I call the police."

  "Oh, please do, by all means,” Sam replied calmly. "Maybe you can explain to them how it's possible for one of your pupils to leave the schoolgrounds unseen and nearly get kidnapped. I'd love to hear your side of the story."

  "K…Kidnapped?" Mark Richards repeated and despite the air conditioning inside the building Jody could see the perspiration form on his forehead. She almost felt sorry for him. "B…But—”

  "Didn’t Fiona tell you what happened?" Sam inquired. Her voice was low and controlled, but Jody cou
ld tell she was angry.

  "Um...well…she did tell me there was somebody outside the gate who was pretending to be her brother, but…I…um…well, you know how kids are.”

  "Of course.” Sam’s eyes were cold. “They all make up stories about someone trying to kidnap them, so they’re able to skip class. And of course, all families react the same way. I bet you already sent away a lot of worried parents this morning, telling them there’s no way any of the students are able to leave the schoolgrounds unnoticed.” Sam's words were dripping with sarcasm and Jody saw the already pale teacher turn another shade of white. He looked like he could pass out any moment.

  “I'm going to ask you for the last time, where is Fiona? We would like to take her with us. Now." The last word was more like a growl and Jody realized Sam had to be a worthy opponent in any boardroom. And despite the seriousness of the situation she had to suppress a chuckle when she saw Sam’s tall frame towering over the cowering teacher. It was obvious she was deliberately taking advantage of her height.

  "She…she is in English class, I will get her for you. I—."

  "No need, I'm already here,” Fiona’s amused voice sounded through the hallway. When Jody looked around she saw Fiona's slender form approaching. Her school bag was slung over her shoulder and a wide, mischievous grin split her freckled face. Jody could tell by looking at her, she had been following at least part of the conversation. “Thanks for your cooperation, Mr. Richards,” she casually remarked while passing him, causing Jody to nearly choke.

  “Fiona,” Sam said with relief. “Where did you come from?"

  "I saw you two walking through the gate, so I told Mrs. Davids I had to go. She let me, no worries,” she explained. She cast a look at Mark Richards. “Mrs. Davids teaches English and knows the meaning of the word ‘emergency’,” she added, which earned her a warning glare from Jody.

  "Let's go,” Sam urged. "I want to get to the police station as soon as possible.” She cast a last look at the teacher. "Have a good day, Mr. Richards.” Without looking back, she walked toward the door, closely followed by Jody and Fiona.