The Reef

by Lois Kay

  Little Steven tripped over the root of a tree, stumbled and lost his balance. With a loud crash, he fell in the middle of a lantana bush, feeling the fine needle-covered branches grab hold of his skin and clothes. He rolled down and shielded his face with his hands. A sharp pain shot through his elbow when it slammed against a rock, but then the surface he had landed on changed. Dizzy from the fall and lack of oxygen he lifted his head. His foggy mind recognized the surface he was on; gravel. A road. With a grunt, he pushed himself to his feet and stumbled to a tree stump. He sat down heavily and rubbed his throbbing head. Gradually, the blurry vision cleared and with interest he looked around. His eyes lit up when he realized he was on a familiar road. He recognized a tree that once had been hit by lightning and knew he was almost at the bottom of the hill. The main road was right around the corner. With a lot of effort, he pushed himself back up to continue his walk down. He tilted his head and listened intently, making sure he heard no sound behind him. Everything was quiet. With a grin, he limped downhill.

  * * *

  Megan squinted against the bright sunlight, cursing at herself for leaving her sunglasses on the kitchen table. She drove as fast as was responsible, heading toward the dirt road that would lead to her house. There was hardly any traffic and she was pleased at how fast she could drive. Without having to slow down, she steered her car onto the familiar dirt road. The gritty surface underneath the tires made the car swerve. She knew she had to slow down if she wanted to make it home in one piece. She took a deep breath, slowed down and rounded the first corner, only to slam her breaks in a reflex. In the middle of the road, facing the car, stood a big, tall man. His clothes were torn and his face and hands were scraped and bloody. In one hand, he held a gun that was pointed directly at her. But the thing that scared Megan the most, was the look in his eyes. His face was dirty and covered with angry, red scratches. But her gaze was drawn to his eyes that stared at her with a cold, predatory look. It made her blood run cold. When he smiled, Megan could feel her stomach clench.

  * * *

  Joe Michaels paced the tiny shed, something he had been doing for an hour. He ignored the nervous man, who was quietly sitting in a corner and looked at his watch for the sixth time in five minutes.

  “He should have called by now,” he grumbled. He wondered if their plan had been good enough. It had been simple, but he was convinced that the simplicity of it would also be its strength. He didn’t believe in complications. That was the reason for his success in business. Or at least, that’s what he liked to believe. His ‘take it, or leave it’ mentality was well-known. Joe Michaels knew that Little Steven and Fred wouldn’t screw up their mission this time. Because if they did, he wouldn’t hesitate to indeed turn them into shark food. That would be a pity, though. Little Steven had proved himself an asset to his organization, but he was dispensable. They all were. Joe Michael glanced at William Jenkins, who was nervously fidgeting with the gold wedding band around his finger.

  “If this goes wrong, you’d better run,” he warned the pale man, who suddenly sat up straight and looked at him with fear-filled eyes. “After all, if you’d have done a better job in the beginning, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

  “They’ll get here,” William answered with more conviction than he felt. He looked around the small shed and shivered. It wasn’t a nice place. There was a small, rickety table and one chair. In the corner stood an old, rusty bed, with a thin and lumpy mattress. The place, an old banana shed, was filthy after years of abuse and neglect. The walls were painted dark and the only window was tiny, covered in cobwebs and so dirty it couldn’t let in the bright sunlight. The only new thing in the room was the lock on the door. A thick cord of steel with a brand new shiny padlock attached to it.

  Joe Michaels had noticed William Jenkins’ inspection of their surroundings and he grinned. “Not exactly a place fit for one of Stevens’ heirs, don’t you think? I bet she can’t wait to convince Daddy to pay up.” He was going to say something else, but tilted his head. His grin turned into a full-fledged smile as he heard an approaching car. “Good job, mate,” he whispered. “It’s show time. I can almost smell the money.”

  William Jenkins looked at Joe Michaels when he walked to the door and he tried to hide the feeling of disgust he knew was showing in his eyes. He wished there was a way out, but he was in too deep. He had been going too far, letting his addiction to gamble not only ruin his own life, but that of others’ as well. Innocent people whose lives would be changed forever. Because of him.

  “Please, let no one get hurt,” he whispered to himself, trying to ignore the feeling of guilt that clenched around his heart like an iron fist.

  * * *

  The police office was buzzing with activity. Designated officers were busy taking statements of the women who had been rescued from the burning house on Junction road. Fred had been taken to a separate interrogation room and was guarded by two policemen, while Inspector Wong was talking to him.

  After a thorough search of the area around Sarah’s and Megan’s house, the women were taken to the station. Reinforcements, with the help of a K-9 unit, continued the search for Little Steven Hayes. The dogs had easily picked up his, but there was still no sign of the man himself.

  “Apparently, they were after Samantha,” Joan McDonnell told the young constable who was taking her statement. With a tired gesture, she rubbed her face. She was exhausted. Her life had always been predictable, but now, within two days, it seemed to have changed forever.

  “Did one of the suspects hit you, Mrs. McDonnell?” the younger man asked in a gentle tone.

  Joan McDonnell looked at him with confusion.

  “That bruise on your face and your split lip, did one of the suspects inflict that upon you?”

  “Oh, no. No, they didn’t,” she hastily answered. His question had made her feel uncomfortable. “No, besides tying my hands, they didn’t touch me.”

  “May I ask you what happened then?”

  Joan McDonnell cast down her eyes, ashamed of her injuries and tried to come up with an easy explanation. How could she tell a stranger in a few words what David had done to her? How could she explain her husband’s character and temperament to someone who didn’t even know him? What would he think of David? What would he think of her?

  “You don’t have to defend him, Mom,” Fiona’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “He was wrong and you know it.”

  Joan McDonnell sighed and looked at her youngest daughter who sometimes seemed so incredibly mature for her age. Their eyes met and the love and compassion she found gave her the courage she needed. How could she raise a daughter to be a self-respecting woman if she didn’t set the example?

  “My husband hit me,” she finally answered, avoiding the kind eyes of the officer and missing his look of understanding and support. Constable Ryan kept the expression on his face neutral, but inside he could feel the turmoil. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the first time he had met a battered wife and he knew it wouldn’t be the last time either. But every time he came across a situation of domestic violence, he was almost ashamed of being a male. He could not understand why any man could use his physical advantage to hurt a woman.

  “Mom already told Trishia, I mean, Senior Sergeant Waters about it yesterday, when it happened,” Fiona said. “But she hasn’t pressed any charges. Yet,” Fiona added with a glance at her mother.

  “Do you want to?” Constable Ryan asked.

  Joan McDonnell slowly exhaled and nodded. It was time to think about herself for a change. David had crossed a line and it was only fair he would be faced with the consequences. She didn’t want her sons to think that hitting a woman was something that would be left unpunished.

  Fiona saw the pain in her mothers’ eyes and quickly scooted her chair closer. She grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers in a silent gesture of support. “You can do this, Mom. Now is as good a time as any.”

  After taking a deep breath, Joan McDonnell began to tell he
r story.

  Chapter 24

  Sam was leaning against the wall, staring out of the window into the street below. Outwardly, she seemed calm, but inside a storm was raging. She was second-guessing her initial decision to wait and get the police involved. Had she done that, everything they had gone through that day might never have happened. Had it been only a week she had flown to Australia to sort out an administrative issue?

  She turned and cast a look at Jody, who was talking to Trishia Waters. She smiled and a warm glow spread through her body. It was as if Jody felt her stare, because she looked up and their eyes met. For a moment, the rest of the world disappeared. They didn’t need words, their eyes said it all and Trishia Waters, who had glanced up from her computer when her last question had not been answered, felt like she was intruding and modestly looked away. Her gaze was captured by an inquisitive pair of dark-green eyes. Lucy made a face and winked and Trishia could not suppress a soft laugh. Lucy McDonnell was trouble.

  The skin around Jody’s eyes wrinkled when she answered Sam’s smile and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the look in her eyes. Even from a distance, she could see Sam’s eyes change color. They went from a clear into a darker shade of blue, like a vibrant eastern summer sky, just before sunset. It was a color she had quickly grown familiar with, because it reflected something that was reserved only for her. She remembered it from eight years earlier, when they had spent so much time together and she had seen it again when they had shared a passionate kiss in the parking lot of the hospital. It was there when they made love and she had seen it in the morning, when she woke up and had caught Sam fully awake, staring at her. Her eyes full of love and wonder.

  When Trishia cleared her throat, Jody looked up startled.

  “Um…is it okay to continue?” It was obvious to Jody Trishia felt slightly embarrassed for interrupting what seemed to be such a private moment.

  “Yes, of course. I’m sorry,” Jody answered.

  Sam almost laughed and turned her attention back to the street outside. Happiness bubbled up inside. During the last eight years, there had been times she had missed Jody so much, it had physically hurt. But now, having her back in her life made all the pain worth it. They had a future together and Sam couldn’t wait to get out of the police station, put their ordeal behind them and focus on just the two of them.

  “Sam? Have you seen Megan?” Sarah’s voice interrupted Sam’s musing and she looked up in surprise.

  “Didn’t Inspector Wong say she was here, at the station?”

  Sarah nodded. “Yes, she did.” She looked worried. “But I’ve been looking all over the place and I can’t find her. She was with Constable Gates and he told me she went to the bathroom. When she didn’t come back he thought she might have gone for some coffee.”

  “Did you check to see if the truck is still here?”

  Sarah swallowed hard. “I did,” she whispered. “The truck is not here. I…I’m scared, Sam.”

  Sam put her hand on Sarah’s shoulder and gently steered her toward the door. “Let’s go check it out. Do you think Megan could have gone back to the house? We could have missed seeing her when we were on our way over here.”

  “She’s stubborn enough,” Sarah acknowledged. “But we didn’t see her drive up. It’s not like we could have missed that sorry excuse for a truck.” Her attempt at a joke made Sam smile.

  “Maybe there’s a logical explanation,” Sam said, trying to reassure her friend. “Let’s go outside and have a look around. Okay? She might have parked alongside the road, at the back of the building.”

  At that moment, the phone on Trishia Waters’ desk rang. She apologized to Jody and picked it up. After listening for a few seconds her eyes searched Sam, who was about to leave the room.

  “Sam,” she called. The tension in her voice made Sam stop in mid-motion and turn around. “There’s a phone call for you.”

  Sam could feel everybody’s eyes on her when she walked to the desk and took the phone out of Trishia’s outstretched hand. With a frown, she brought the device to her ear and in a very businesslike voice she said: “Stevens.”

  Jody, who was looking up at Sam from the chair next to the desk, saw the clenching of a fist and rise of anger in her eyes. She held out her hand and it was grabbed in a vice like grip.

  Sam’s eyes, dark with anger, searched Sarah’s who immediately knew the phone call had something to do with Megan. Her hand reached out to find support against the rough surface of the wall. She could feel her knees go weak and it took her a lot of effort to stay upright.

  Sam was intently listening to whoever was talking to her. Her eyes held so much fury nobody dared to say a word. After a few minutes of silence, she nodded. “Okay.” Her voice was hoarse. She put down the phone and with a few long strides she walked toward Sarah and enveloped her in a big hug. “I’m so sorry, Sarah.” Her voice was strangled. “I am so, so sorry, but I promise we’ll get her back. I promise.” Sarah hid her face in her hands and silently cried. Sam stroked the auburn hair, her eyes searching Jody’s, begging for help.

  Jody quickly stood. Her worried gaze never left Sam’s. “What happened?” she asked, rubbing Sarah’s back.

  “They have Megan.” Sam’s voice was void of all emotion. Over Sarah’s head her eyes found Trishia’s. “They want to trade. Megan for me.”

  * * *

  The atmosphere in the office was tense. Inspector Wong had been called from her interrogation session with Fred and as soon as she had stepped inside, she had taken control of the situation.

  “Tell me Sam, what exactly did they say?” she asked. She was casually leaning against a desk, but her intelligent eyes shone with alertness.

  Sam’s face was drawn, but her eyes were filled with determination, which worried Jody, because she could tell Sam had made up her mind about something. She knew she was not going to like it. At all.

  “That Steven person called,” Sam said. “He said, and I quote ‘We have your little friend and if you want to see her again, alive, you’d better do as you’re told.’”

  “He said ‘we’?” Inspector Wong asked. “Go on Sam.”

  “He told me to go to The Reef. In the front of the building, there’s a parked red Toyota. The door is open and the keys are underneath the seat. In the glove box, there’s a cell phone. I have to drive south and wait for instructions. That’s about it. Oh, and I should come alone, of course. No wires and no funny business.” She had left out the part where Little Steven had growled he would shoot her in an instant if she had any tracking device on her.

  Sam felt Jody’s hand crawl inside hers and grateful for the warmth and love, she entwined their fingers.

  “Did they say anything about when they would contact you again?”

  Sam shook her head and sucked in her bottom lip. “No, he wants me to start driving. Instruction will follow.”

  The room fell silent and Inspector Wong studied Sam. Her experienced eyes could almost see the tension rolling off her in waves. “You understand it’s my professional duty to tell you not to go,” she stated in a businesslike, but not unkind tone of voice.

  “Like you understand it’s my duty as a human being and as a friend to disagree with you and go anyway,” Sam answered. Her gaze locked with the Inspector’s and they silently fought a battle. After a while, Inspector Wong nodded. “I’m not surprised that’s what you want to do,” she said. “And I know the only way to stop you is to throw your ass in a holding cell.” She let out a frustrated breath. “Are you sure about this?”

  Sam felt Jody tremble and she wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry, but I have to do this. I can’t let them hurt Megan.” Sam pulled Jody closer and took a deep breath. She could smell the mixture of Jody’s light perfume and skin lotion and her heart ached when she wondered if she would ever smell it again.

  “I know that, for now, we have to play by their rules,” Inspector Wong continued, touched by the display of deep affection in front of h
er. “But I’ll do anything I can to, at least, try and keep an eye on you, Sam. You can’t stop me from doing that.”

  “I trust you, Inspector,” was Sam’s simple reaction.

  “Good.” Inspector Wong turned to Trishia Waters. “Trish, I need you to change out of your uniform and into street clothes. You too, Peter. I need the two of you to act like tourists. Drive around and enjoy the country side. You’re going to follow Sam. We know they want her to go to The Reef and drive south from there. There’s about an hour and a half between Megan leaving here and the phone call we just received. That means they can’t be that far away, but I don’t expect them to be in town somewhere. Take one of the unmarked cars and wait about a kilometer south from The Reef. Somewhere along the road they might want Sam to change cars, but I bet it won’t be that soon.”