She of the Sea

26 of 53 - An Ugly Scene

Bruce Webb nearly locked up the brakes of his car when by serendipity he spotted Cassandra exiting a building in downtown Tarpon Springs. His hunch had paid off. She was now being sheltered by Milos Argyros.

She looked pretty in a short, teal dress, pretty enough to draw attention to herself. He mumbled, "Cassandra, what are you doing?"

It came together for him when a young man held open her car door. It was Saturday evening, and she was going out on a date.

She shouldn't be taking such a risk, but a teen girl would be hungry for new, exciting experiences. He understood. A free spirit like her wouldn't survive living like a nun in a nunnery. If Tipstaff Security caught her, though, she would wish she did.

Webb pounded the steering wheel. "Damn it." Pulling a U-turn on busy Dodecanese Boulevard he followed the lumbering four door sedan careful to keep a discrete distance.

Cassandra's date turned onto the causeway for Honeymoon Island and pulled into a parking lot for "The Triton" restaurant. They parked and went in.

Webb parked a row behind their car and whistled. "Nice place. That young man is going all out to impress her."

He remained in his car and lost himself in his thoughts. He asked himself for the thousandth time what he was doing. How long was his obsession over keeping the girl safe going to last? The rest of his life? Well, that might not be for very long. His life was going downhill fast. Bonnie was at her wits end with him being gone all the time. She wasn't going to put up with it much longer.

His son, Brandon, might as well not have a father. Webb spent precious little time with him. He read disappointment in Brandon's expression every time he broke a promise to play catch with him or engage in some other father and son activity. How long would it be before disappointment turned into resentment?

Webb was failing his family, and it wasn't fair to them.

He sighed. "Maybe I should see a shrink. I obviously need help to set my priorities." But a shrink wouldn't be able to help him. As soon as he told a medical professional stories of sea creatures, they'd think he was crazy for sure.

Webb pulled his wallet and removed the token Cassie had given him. He wrapped it in the palm of his hand and clenched it. It felt cool against his skin. Cool like a Gulf breeze. Why had he held onto the thing for so long? He knew the answer. It reminded him of his responsibility toward the girl. The token was a talisman binding him to her. For what purpose or to what end, he had no idea.

He waited around for about an hour. The sun was setting, and the sky was turning grey as dusk asserted itself.

Webb suddenly perked up. He had been watching guests coming and going from the parking lot. Was that Tomas "Nico" Nicolaides getting out of a car, one of his old crew? It had been five years, but the man hadn't changed much.

A great weight landed in his chest. He didn't believe in coincidences and needed to figure out how to play the situation, fast.

He exited the car. "Hey, Nico."

The man was headed for the restaurant entrance. He hesitated at the mention of his name but kept walking.

"Nico," Webb called out. He started jogging toward the man. He couldn't let him enter.

When he caught up to his former crew member. Nico spun around, grabbed his collar, and shoved him backward around the side of the building. He backed him against a wall and spoke in a soft, but assertive tone. "Shut up."

"Nico, it's me, Bruce Webb. Let go."

The Greek let go of Webb's collar but continued standing in his personal space, sandwiching Webb between himself and the wall. "I know who you are, boss, but I can't be seen with you. Leave now!"