The Reef

by Lois Kay

  * * *

  “Inspector? There were two gunshots.” Peter’s worried voice sounded trough the speakers. “Do you want us to go in?”

  “Damnit.” Inspector Wong saw both Jody and Sarah turning pale. “Close in and tell me what you see. The reinforcements should be there any minute now, they’re coming up the road. Can you see them yet?”

  “No, Inspector, not yet. But we do have a visual on the shed though. There’s a car, a Land Rover. Three men. One of them is on the ground, Inspector,” Peter informed her with a tense voice. “I think he’s been shot.”

  “Can you identify them?”

  “Not yet. One man jumped in the car, he’s taking off. The other one ran into the plantation.” Peter, who was running toward the shed sounded slightly out of breath. “The door of the shed is open, I don’t think there’s anyone inside. My guess is the girls took a run for it, Inspector. The guy here on the ground is dead. I think it’s William Jenkins.”

  “The reinforcements have arrived. They’ll pick up the Land Rover. Go after the one who’s on foot. Leave this connection open.” The urgency in Inspector Wong’s voice was clear.

  “On our way, Inspector.”

  Jody had grabbed Sarah’s hand and felt sick to her stomach. Peter’s report had been very clear and even though there was no sign of Sam and Megan, she knew they were in danger. Although the fact that they apparently had managed to escape, had given her hope. Jody felt an arm around her shoulder and she was pulled into Lucy’s body. “It’s going be okay, Pea. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

  Jody nodded and wished she had her sister’s confidence. “How are you holding up, Sarah?”

  Anxious gray eyes looked up at and Jody could clearly see the pain and fear. “They will be fine,” she repeated Lucy’s words, trying to ignore the knot of tension that had taken up residence ever since Sam had left. It had only grown bigger and more painful.

  Chapter 26

  Sam lost her balance and was barely able to avoid a collision with the trunk of a tree. Her knee collided with a rock and she had to bite her lip to not cry out in pain. With every step she took, the insistent throbbing in her leg became more persistent. The heat from the sun was making her dizzy and she felt a steady stream of perspiration run down her face. The salt was stinging her eyes and made it hard to see clearly. Impatiently, she used her shirt to wipe her face. Her lips were so dry they were almost cracking and her mouth was parched. Her tongue felt like a piece of dry leather.

  Sam stood still for a few seconds and listened to the surrounding noises. In the distance, she could hear a car coming up the hill and she hoped it would be the police. The banana trees blocked her vision though and frustrated she realized she couldn’t determine whether help was on the way, or if it would be Joe Michaels and Steven Hayes. The sound of rustling leaves made Sam stand very still and listen carefully. The noise came from her right and it sounded like somebody was heading down the hill. Cautiously, Sam continued her descend. She followed the sound her ears had picked up, hoping it would be Megan. She tried to keep in mind it could also be Little Steven or Joe Michaels coming after them. After a few minutes, Sam’s eyes caught the form of Megan and a huge smile crossed her face.

  “Megan,” she whispered.

  Megan’s head whipped around and when she saw Sam she ran toward her and jumped into her arms. “Sam. I’m so glad to see you. I’ve been so scared. Where are they?”

  “I don’t know, Meg,” Sam answered in a low voice. “’I knocked them down, but I’m afraid they’ll try and come after us anyway. The good news is that there’s supposed to be police around here, although I haven’t seen any of them yet. But as long as I don’t hear a friendly voice calling out my name, I’ll stay out of sight. Are you okay?”

  “I am now,” Megan answered and wiped her forehead. “I was petrified, Sam. While they were waiting for you to come, they were talking and I knew they would never let me go.”

  “Yeah, somehow that didn’t surprise me,” Sam said. “Let’s see if we can get down this hill, Megan. I stashed away a little car there somewhere. Maybe we’ll be able to use it and get the hell out of here.”

  “I wouldn’t count on that.”

  Sam froze when she recognized Little Steven’s voice. She swallowed hard and moistened her dry lips. “How’s the knee?” she asked, slowly turning around. When she noticed the blood coating his face she felt an odd sense of satisfaction. “How’s the head?” As she was talking, Sam tucked Megan behind her.

  Little Steven glanced at her with a murderous expression in his eyes. It was a scary sight. The tall, bulky man was covered in blood that was dripping from a gash in his forehead. His face was dirty, his clothes torn, but the hand holding the gun was steady. “This is as far as you’ll get, Stevens. I should have killed you before, when I had the chance.”

  “But where’s the fun in that?” Sam answered. He heart was pounding in her chest. “I thought someone like you would appreciate a challenge.” Sam’s hands were behind her back and she gently pushed Megan further away from her body, hoping she would get the hint and make a run for the road.

  Little Steven chuckled. “No use, blondie. I’ll shoot her like I will you, like the dog you are.”

  “I thought you were more interested in my money,” Sam answered. She was trying to buy some time, desperately trying to come up with a way to get closer to the man with the gun.

  “Not anymore,” Little Steven growled. “All I want right now is to get rid of you, Stevens.”

  Little Steven raised his hand that was holding the gun and aimed it at Sam’s chest. “Say your prayers, Samantha Stevens. You’re about to meet your maker.” He giggled. “Or, in your case, you’ll probably end up in hell.”

  Things happened so quick, it was a blur. Sam pushed Megan away, shouting at her to run as she dived toward Little Steven, feet first in a desperate attempt to swipe at his legs and make him lose his balance. At the same time, the sound of a gunshot pierced the air. They both tumbled to the ground and rolled down the hill for a few meters, until they were stopped by the trunk of a banana tree.

  “Strange. It doesn’t even hurt,” Sam thought. Her eyes followed a fluffy, white cloud in the sky above. It contrasted with the surrounding blue sky and Sam decided it was peaceful and quite pretty. Something heavy on her legs pinned her down and when she lifted her head, still dizzy from her fall, she saw the still figure of Little Steven draped across her legs. Blood seeped from a tiny hole in his temple and gradually Sam realized what had happened. A feeling of panic grabbed her by the throat. “Megan,” she shouted.

  “Sam.” Megan was panting when she dropped to the ground next to Sam. Her eyes searched Sam’s body. “Are you hurt?”

  Sam breathed hard. “No, are you?”

  When Megan shook her head, Sam pulled herself free from underneath Little Steven’s body and rolled onto her side. The release of the weight on her leg made her gasp in relief. She pushed herself in a sitting position and looked around, still amazed by the fact that she was alive. Only then she noticed Trishia Waters and Peter Jones. Peter was checking Little Steven for a pulse and slowly shook his head, his face was red and sweaty. Sam saw Trishia swallow hard and hand Peter her gun.

  “It was a clean shooting. You had no choice, Trish,” Peter said in a gentle voice. “He was about to shoot Sam and Megan.”

  “There’s another guy around here somewhere,” Megan said. Her voice was strained with emotion and quivered with unshed tears.

  “Don’t worry about him, Megan. He’s been caught down the road and has been arrested already,” Peter said.

  * * *

  Inspector Wong tried to control her nerves. After they had heard the clear sound of a gunshot, the whole office had gone silent. All eyes were fixed on speaker on the desk, as if I would be able to provide the answer to the question that was on everyone’s mind. Everyone was straining to pick up any sound, but, even though the connection was still open, the silence was deafening.
>
  Jody was staring at her hands. They were balled into fists and her fingernails were digging into the palms of her hands. The slight discomfort it caused strangely kept her grounded. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her breathing came in shallow gasps. She didn’t have to close her eyes to remember Sam’s clear blue eyes that could look at her full of love and passion, but just as often twinkled with amusement. All Jody wanted, was to see that spark again.

  “Trishia! Peter!” Inspector Wong raised her voice when she called out for a third time. Her usual unflappable disposition was cracking and only the knowledge that her staff and Sam’s girlfriend, family and friends were in the same room prevented her from losing her composure. “Would either of you please pick up that damn phone?”

  Like a cool breeze on a hot day, Peter Jones’ voice filled the quiet office. “I’m sorry, Inspector.” He sounded apologetic. “We had a bit of a situation here, but everything is under control.”

  “What the f…heck happened?” Inspector Wong hissed remembered her manners just in time.

  “We had to take down Steven Hayes, Inspector.” Peter paused and they could hear him take a deep breath. “I’m sorry, but we had no choice.”

  Inspector Wong swallowed. “How bad is it?”

  “Um…he’s pretty dead, Inspector. But everyone else is alright,” Peter quickly added.

  “What about you and Trish?”

  “It was Trish who shot him, boss. She had to, he was about to take down Sam Stevens.”

  Jody suddenly shot straight up and her eyes were wide in shock and fear.

  “Is Sam alright?” Inspector Wong quickly asked.

  “Yes, she is. A bit shaken up, but that’s understandable. I’ll wrap things up here and wait for the team and the coroner. I’ll send Trish back with the two ladies. If that’s okay with you, Inspector.”

  “That’s fine, Peter. Thank you.”

  “No worries. Everything’s peachy now, boss. The girls will be back within thirty minutes or so. They look thirsty, so someone better get some drinks ready.”

  Jody didn’t realize tears were rolling down her cheeks, until her mother knelt in front of her and gently wiped them away. She pulled her daughter in a hug. “It’s okay now, honey.” She could feel Jody’s body tremble. “She’s on her way back and she is okay.”

  “Oh, Mom, I’ve never been so scared in my life. I feel like throwing up.”

  “Not on me, you don’t,” Joan McDonnell gently joked, making Jody smile through her tears.

  “Thanks for your support, Mom.”

  “Don’t thank me for that, love. I’ve been letting you down too often and for too long. I should have stood up to your father years ago. I’m so sorry I didn’t have the courage to do that.”

  “Don’t apologize, Mom. We both know what kind of person Dad is. I’m just glad you’ve started to think about yourself.”

  * * *

  Less than twenty minutes later a police car pulled up outside and Fiona, who had been standing guard at the window, jumped up and ran toward the door, disappearing out of sight.

  “I guess they’re back,” Lucy grinned. She cast a glance at Jody and Sarah who both had looked better. Their eyes were red and puffy from crying, but when Fiona ran outside they both sported huge smiles.

  Before Sam and Megan could step inside the building the door flew open and Fiona threw herself in Sam’s arms, grasping her like she would never let her go again. For a moment, Sam held Fiona close and then playfully lifted her off her feet. “Are you the welcoming committee?”

  Fiona laughed through her tears. She loosened her hold and took a step back. She quickly wiped her eyes. “It’s a crappy job, but someone’s got to do it,” she quipped.

  Sam laughed and gave Fiona a quick hug. “As long as you don’t break out in song,” she teased.

  Fiona chuckled. “Don’t worry. That’ll never happen.” She turned to Megan and sent her a smile. “Welcome back. Sarah’s chomping at the bit, you’d better go see her.”

  Megan let out a tired laugh and stepped past Fiona. “Yup, just like Lucy,” she said, before entering the building.

  Fiona watched Sam and Megan disappear out of sight and became aware of a tall figure standing off to the side. Trishia Waters was staring at the sky where an airplane was leaving a white trail against the clear blue of the sky. There was a sadness in her eyes that tugged on Fiona’s heart.

  “Senior Sergeant?” Fiona said.

  Trishia turned her gaze from the sky to Fiona and produced a small smile. “Please, call me Trishia,” she said. “Senior Sergeant Waters is way too long. And it makes me feel old.”

  Fiona nodded and took a step closer. “I know what you had to do,” she said. Her gaze met Trishia’s. “I’m sorry. I can only imagine how crappy that feels. But, thank you.” Fiona stuck out her hand. Trishia grabbed it and was surprised by its strength. “Thank you for bringing Sam and Megan back to us.”

  Trishia nodded and could not hide a look of surprise. “Are you sure you’re only fourteen?” she asked.

  Fiona was glad to see the dull look had left Trishia’ eyes and was replaced by a tiny sparkle. “That’s what they tell me. It’s also on my birth certificate.” She paused and shot Trishia a grin. “It could be a fraud, though. Maybe you should look into that.”

  With a smile, Trishia put a hand on Fiona’s shoulder and gave her a gentle push toward the door. “You’re a troublemaker.”

  “Wait until you get to know my sister,” Fiona shot back. “Talking about a handful.”

  Trishia grinned, but Fiona saw the subtle coloring of her cheeks. With a smug smile, she entered the building. She was going to have to keep a close eye on Lucy.

  * * *

  As soon as Sam and Megan stepped inside the office, Jody and Sarah launched themselves into their arms. When Sam felt Jody’s familiar body, she finally started to relax. “It’s over, Jody. It’s finally over.”

  Jody felt the tension in Sam’s body and gently rubbed her back. “You’re back and everything’s okay. Let’s get you a chair, so you can sit down. You’re limping badly.”

  Someone pulled up a chair and gratefully Sam took a seat. Jody was leaning against the desk next to her, but Sam grabbed her hand and pulled her into her lap. It was slowly sinking in that their ordeal was over. She spared a thought for William Jenkin’s family and breathed in deeply.

  “Jody.” Sam’s voice was hoarse. “William Jenkins, he was there, but…he didn’t make it.” There was sadness in his voice. “He…they shot him.”

  Jody turned in Sam’s lap and raked her finger through the unruly hair that was sweaty and coated with dust, like the rest of her body. “I know,” she said. “As soon as I heard there was a male body near that shed, I had a feeling it was William.” Jody swallowed away the lump in her throat. “I know he did some pretty stupid things, but he didn’t deserve this. He had a family.” Jody cleared her throat. “His wife, Cheryl, I can only imagine what she’ll have to go through.”

  Sam nodded and wordlessly pulled Jody closer. She knew she was filthy, but she needed the contact. Jody grounded her in a way no one else had ever been able to. Sitting on an uncomfortable chair, in the middle of a bustling police station was heaven, as long as she had Jody to hold onto.

  * * *

  Inspector Wong looked at the two reunited couples and realized they had all been extremely lucky with the outcome. It could have been so easy for things to turn out differently. Her thoughts went to the two police officers she had lost that morning and a heavy feeling settled in the middle of her chest. She cast a look at Trishia who was sitting on the edge of a desk. Her face was pale and withdrawn and she was staring in the distance, not aware of what was going on around her. Her hands were clenched into fists and her normally relaxed posture was tense. She knew there would be an internal investigation in regards to the shooting, as was protocol, but Inspector Wong also knew Trishia would come out clean. From the little bits and pieces she had heard abou
t what had happened, she knew Trishia had only done what she had to do, and what she was trained to do. Luckily, Trishia was an excellent marksman. The Inspector had briefly spoken with Peter and he had told her that Trishia had only had once chance to safe Sam’s life. Apparently, Little Steven was about to pull the trigger when Trishia’s shot had taken him down. According to Peter, he had been dead before he hit the ground. Inspector Wong sighed and realized there were stacks of paper to fill out, but when she looked at the emotional women in the office, she knew it would be better for everybody to send them on their way and let them come back the next day. The reports could wait. She and her staff had to deal with the death of two of their own, which was hard enough already. She rubbed her forehead and felt the responsibility she had weigh heavily on her shoulders. A hand touched her arm and she looked up in the face of Joan McDonnell.

  “Thank you very much, Inspector Wong,” Joan McDonnell said. “You and your men….and woman,” she added with a smile, glancing at Trishia, “came through for us today. For that, I’ll be forever grateful.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. McDonnell,” Inspector Wong replied. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that Sam and Megan are safe and that Joe Michaels is in custody.”

  “I know your job is not finished yet. I’m sure there will be a lot of paperwork and your department suffered a huge loss with the death of those two young men. We’re all more than willing to do whatever you need us to do during the investigation and help to make things as easy as possible. I know I’m speaking for all of us.”