“We should be to Tekom in just a little bit, and I’m gonna make sure the gas tanks are full. It looks like there’ll be a place for us to get some food or snacks as well. We’ll want to make sure we get some food to take with us.”
She startled and looked to the side, seeing his blue eyes staring at her. Uncertain if he expected her to have replied, she simply nodded.
"You still have to tell me about the rest of your trip. You were telling me about Palenque.”
Gathering her thoughts, she said, “After that, we went to Chicanná. It was an ancient town but didn’t have pyramids. Instead, it had the most striking buildings with detailed and ornate carvings. It was completely unlike anything we’d seen before.”
Walker had fallen silent again, but as she glanced over, he offered an encouraging nod, so she continued. “Hernando told us that because of the ornate quality of the decorations it’s suggested that it was a town for the region’s most elite.”
“A city for the rich,” he stated matter-of-factly, eliciting a grin from her.
“Exactly. It’s not unusual for our cities and towns to have neighborhoods for the rich and famous,” she replied. “I guess that’s not a modern idea at all. It’s been suggested that it was tied into the city of Becán, which we went to next. It also has pyramids, the tops barely peeking above the jungle surrounding it. It’s less structured to see than some of the others, so we were able to wander around the twenty or so ruins as Hernando lectured about the history.”
“Sounds like you all packed a lot in a day.”
Walker’s hands on the steering wheel appeared more relaxed than when they first began their trip, and his voice was warmer as well. She felt some of the earlier tension slide out of her body as she leaned her head back against the seat. The old model Jeep did not have comfortable headrests, so she propped her elbow on the back of the seat and rested her head on her arm, still facing toward him.
Yawning, she continued, “That wasn’t even the end of that day. We also went to Xpuhil. It was a small site but very old, probably being occupied about 600 BC. It had three tall towers that at one time would’ve been covered with ornate and intricate details, but looters over the centuries have stolen much of it. Hernando did tell us that there were secret stairways inside the towers that allowed the priests to sneak up to the top so that they could magically appear to the people.”
“How are you able to remember so much?” he asked. “Your tour crammed so much into the days I would think it would all run together.”
“Hernando was so much more than a tour guide. He was a really good teacher. And at the end of each day, the girls and I would gather either at the dinner table, or at the pool, or just in our rooms, and we would talk. We talked about what we saw and how it affected us. None of us had laptops with us, but they had small tablets and I had my planner. I was taking notes on a lot of what we saw and then in the evenings we would compare notes.”
She looked over and saw him shaking his head, a slight smirk on his impassive face.
“What?” she asked.
“I’m still just amazed.” He glanced toward her and then quickly added, “I’m not trying to profile all teenagers together, because God knows it’s been a long time since I’ve been around teens. But when I was sixteen or seventeen, taking notes and studying while on a holiday is the last thing I would’ve been doing.”
She laughed, “I’m not offended. It’s been a long time since I was seventeen years old, and I doubt I would’ve been quite so into this either. But the girls seem to really soak up everything, and I just wanted to make sure the trip was something that they would remember. I certainly never got to take a trip like this when I was a teenager, and I’m glad they seem to appreciate that they were able to.”
She yawned again and felt her eyelids grow heavy as the rough bouncing of the Jeep was no longer able to keep her awake.
Drifting to sleep, she imagined Walker whispering, “Rest easy.”
Scanning the area as he drove into the tiny town of Tekom, Walker did not discern any unusual activity. The stone and concrete buildings did not appear to have been overly damaged by the earthquake, but then, it was hard to tell in their state of disrepair. He noted that not a lot of people were out, but neither were the streets empty.
His GPS showed that there were two small convenience stores in the town as well as a tiny restaurant and grocery. He had considered stopping at the restaurant to give Julie a chance to sit down to eat a meal and freshen up, so he stopped at the first convenience store to get gas and buy food for the road for later.
Glancing to the side, his hand halted on the way to her shoulder, hating to wake her. He sat for a moment and stared at her face, relaxed in sleep. Her lashes rested in crescents against her cheek. Her hair was still pulled back in a ponytail, although loose tendrils waved about her face. As her head rested on her arm, he looked at her wrapped wrist and chastised himself that he had not checked it recently. He could not remember the last time he had simply stared at a sleeping woman, preferring his encounters to be unencumbered with the entanglements of sleeping with someone. Life was simpler that way, with everything in its own box, including sex.
Blinking at the strange turn of his thoughts, his hand jerked roughly on her shoulder and he said, “Wake up, Julie.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and she sat up quickly, looking around in confusion. As the fog in her eyes lifted, she rubbed the back of her neck and asked, “How long was I sleeping?”
“Only about fifteen minutes,” he said as he climbed out of the Jeep. “Stay inside while I fill the tank with gas. I’ll go inside to pay and grab some food for later on, checking things out as well. If all seems okay, we’ll stop at a little restaurant down the block.”
Grateful she did not argue, he filled the tank and the reserve tanks on the back. Several townspeople walked by, conversations and behaviors appearing normal, causing the tension in his shoulders to relax slightly. Stepping inside of the small building, he grabbed a bag and began filling it with water bottles and packaged food. At the cashier, the older woman grinned widely as she calculated his bill and gleefully took his money.
Tossing the bags in the back of the Jeep, he climbed behind the wheel and drove down the block to the small restaurant. There was no parking lot, a few other cars simply parking on the street in front of the restaurant. Foregoing that, he pulled around to the back of the building, parking in the shade. Once more glad that she was not peppering him with questions, they climbed from the vehicle and walked around the front that was lined by an ancient stone wall, green vines and trees all around.
The inside of the restaurant was simple, a few plastic tables and chairs crowded into the floor space, with others spilling outside the open door. Colorful plastic tablecloths covered the tables. Seated near the back, he ordered tacos with pork shavings and chicken enchiladas. Looking over at Julie, he asked, “Is that okay?”
She nodded enthusiastically, her smile genuine. “Hernando made sure that we ate authentic Mexican food while we were here, but he usually ordered, so thank you.”
It did not take long for the food to come out, served by a smiling young man. They dug in, and he could not help but grin at Julie’s exclamations of appreciation for the food.
"You like the food?” the server asked when he came back around to check on them.
Smiling, Julie nodded. “Your English is very good. I’m sorry that my Spanish is not nearly good enough to speak in your language.”
Shrugging, the young man accepted her compliment and said, “We get English-speaking customers even if we’re off the main road. I like to practice.”
Walker watched as Julie and the server chatted for a moment, her smile infectious. The young man left so that they could continue their meal, and he was glad she dug in heartily.
“Oh, my God, this is so good,” she groaned, touching her napkin to her lips. “I was getting sick of granola bars.”
Her groan had shot straight to
his cock, and his eyes were glued to her lips as she licked more of the sauce from them. Shifting in his seat, he dropped his gaze back to his plate, concentrating on his own food and trying unsuccessfully to ignore the sounds coming from her. Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with me? He knew the answer to that… It’s been too fuckin’ long since I got laid. And that’s not going to happen anytime soon. Using all his discipline, he forced his cock to stop twitching every time she made a delightful moan, glad when she finished her food and pushed her plate back, a satisfied expression on her face. Losing his discipline battle, he thought of what he would like to do to give her an even more satisfied expression on her face. Wanting to get onto the road, he lifted his hand and waved toward the server.
The smile was gone from the young man’s face, and as he took Walker’s money, he bent low to whisper, "So, you parked in back? You go now. Quickly.”
Instinctively understanding the warning, Walker stood, his chair scraping back against the wooden floor. Grabbing Julie’s hand, he barked, “Let’s go.”
He pushed her ahead of him toward the kitchen area and, twisting his head around to glance out the front, saw several vehicles with heavily armed men hanging on them coming to a stop at the convenience store they had been at earlier.
Once more grateful that Julie was taking direction quietly, he continued to push her along after the young man until they reached the back door. Grabbing her shoulders, he shucked her to the side, placing his hand in the middle of her chest to press her against the wall, ignoring her wide, frightened eyes. Peering out the back, he saw that all was quiet and leaned down to whisper his command. “Get into the backseat and lay down on the floorboard.”
Giving her a slight shove, he forced her out the back door before he turned to the young man, pulling out some money from his pocket.
The server waved his hands in front of him, shaking his head. “No, no, sir. You and pretty lady be safe.” Grinning, he jerked his head toward the front and said, “They will come in here next to get something to eat. I’ll keep them busy. They eat long time.”
With a nod of gratitude, Walker turned and darted out to the Jeep, pleased to see Julie not in sight. As he climbed in behind the wheel, he looked behind the front seat and saw her crouching in the floorboard behind him. “Stay quiet and we’ll get outta here,” he assured.
He started the Jeep and drove forward, continuing down the alley behind several buildings until he pulled back out onto the main road. Stone walls lined the asphalt road as long as there were still houses. Quickly though, as civilization was left behind, the jungle encroached on either side of the road.
“Can I come out now?” came the muffled voice from behind him.
Scanning the area, including behind him in the rearview mirror, all appeared clear. “Yeah. You can come on up.” He was amazed at the speed with which she scrambled over the seat, her foot nearly hitting him in the head as she then plopped down.
Twisting to grab the seatbelt, she buckled and turned to him, asking, “What was going on?”
Wondering how much to tell her, he said, “Our server noticed some armed men coming into town and figured it was better for us to be leaving. While the townspeople seemed very nice, you never know who or what those men were.”
He spared a look her way, seeing her lips open as though to speak before snapping closed again. She nibbled on her bottom lip, and he fought the desire to reach over and rub his thumb to soothe the sensitive skin.
“I don’t even know where we are,” she commented.
“We’re heading south, but in about ten miles we’ll get off this highway and head due east toward Cobá. I’m afraid that road won’t be nearly as nice as the road we’re on right now.”
Her head jerked around toward him, and she said, “I hope you know by now that I’m not a fussy traveler. I know you’re trying to get me to safety, and I’m not going to break. Honestly, you can just treat me like anyone else.”
While he appreciated her words, he inwardly disagreed. The way his heart raced whenever he looked at her gave every indication that she was not like anyone else.
17
Drew was impressed. Expecting thatched umbrellas on the beach, bars overflowing with drunks, and crowded swimming pools in the resort that the girls were staying at, he was stunned at how wrong he had been.
The flight had been uneventful except for Tiffany’s continued illness. Landing at the Cancún airport, Mace had arranged for transportation, and as soon Drew secured his plane, he carried Tiffany to the large, comfortable SUV. Placing her gently in the back seat, he offered a smile and said, “I promise we’ll get to the resort in just a bit, and a doctor will be there to see you.”
She smiled wanly, and he stood back to allow Andrea and Jackie to climb in on either side of Tiffany. Getting their bags into the back, he pulled out into traffic. The short drive took longer than he wanted, but pulling into the NIZUC resort and spa made it worth it. The modern flare of the resort, along with the low crowd in the lobby, made him want to personally thank Senator Daniels for his foresight.
Check-in was efficient, and he was assured that a doctor was awaiting their arrival. Following the bellboy to the luxury villa, he carried Tiffany through the door. A quick scan gave evidence to two large bedrooms, one with a king-sized bed and the other with two queens. Making his way straight to the king room, he laid Tiffany down.
Looking over his shoulder, he could not help but grin at Andrea and Jackie’s tired-but-wide-eyed appreciation of their accommodations. “Girls, help Tiffany to the bathroom while I order some food. The doctor will be here soon. You two can get your things put into the other bedroom—”
“But we want to be close to her,” Andrea protested, her eyes showing their concern.
Shaking her head, Jackie answered for him. “No, Andrea. Tiffany needs her rest. We’ll be in the same suite, but we won’t disturb her while watching TV or chatting.”
Firing off an agreeing nod to her, Drew moved to the phone and ordered room service while the girls headed into the bedroom with Tiffany. He had no more finished ordering when a knock sounded on the door. Opening it, he was relieved to find the resort’s doctor.
The older man, his short hair completely gray, smiled as he introduced himself. “Mr. Drew? I’m Dr. Lopez, at your service.”
Drew looked at his identification before stepping back and allowing the man to enter. Curious, he asked, “Were you not called to service in the remote areas that were hit with the earthquake?”
“I’m retired now,” Dr. Lopez explained. "I’m on call for this resort only and to see an occasional private client.”
Recognizing the word client as code for wealthy, he acknowledged “I’m glad you could see us then. Come this way.”
As the doctor moved into the room where Tiffany lay on the bed, Drew was uncertain of the protocol. Looking over at Jackie and Andrea, he said, “I’m going to step out of the room, but I want you girls to stay in here.” Lifting an eyebrow, he was glad to see Jackie give a short nod, indicating her understanding of his desire to have a female in the room with Tiffany.
Leaving the door open, he walked back into the main room of their suite, having a chance to appreciate the surroundings more. The tile floor, polished to a shine, was warmed with area rugs in neutral colors. The low modern couches and chairs, also in neutral colors of browns and tans, were sleek and inviting. Not one to notice décor, he could not help but note the cream-colored walls and wondered at the blandness of the color scheme. Walking over to the large window, he pulled back the blinds and recognized the reason for the neutral tones of the room. They did nothing to detract from the aqua blue waters, pure white sand, and green palms waving in the wind in the vista before him.
Hearing a noise behind him, he turned seeing Andrea stand in the doorway of the bedroom, her face pale. Stalking toward her, he asked, “Everything okay?”
She slumped into the nearest chair and nodded as she bent forward at the waist, resting her
forehead on her knees. Jackie moved to the doorway, her eyes darting between Tiffany and the doctor in the bedroom and trying to keep an eye on Andrea in the chair.
“What the fuck is going on?” Drew asked, not able to read what was happening.
Jackie hurried to say, “The doctor is giving Tiffany an IV for fluids and an antibiotic shot. Needles make Andrea queasy, and she felt like she was going to pass out.”
“Jesus,” he said, heading into the kitchenette where he wet a towel with cold water before stalking back to Andrea, placing it on the back of her neck. Kneeling, he said softly, “Keep this on your neck and your head between your knees.”
Hearing a sniffle, he bent lower to catch what she was saying.
“I… I’m s-s-sorry,” she cried.
Taking an edge of the towel and wiping her face, he said, “Hey, none of that. You girls have done great. I couldn’t have asked more from you.”
“I don’t mean to be such a wimp,” she said, wiping her nose while breathing deeply.
“I think you’re doing fine. You recognized that you thought you were going to pass out and you got out of the room and came in here and sat down. That kept you from passing out and cracking your head open on the floor. See? You did good.”
That elicited a slight giggle from her, and he stood, casting his gaze over to Jackie. “You stay with Andrea for a few minutes, and I’ll go talk to the doctor.”
Jackie nodded but stopped as she was passing him. Looking up with a slight grin on her face, she said, “Why did the doctor call you Mr. Drew? Isn’t that your first name?”
Walker: Lighthouse Security Investigations Page 9
