"So tell me ladies, the big boat, and the island, is Roberto over compensating for something?" I asked letting my fingers skim the water of the Olympic sized pool as I relaxed lazily on a float in the center. Bella and Lola erupted in uncontrollable laughter.
"Size is not the problem," Bella replied between giggles.
"Longevity of the experience is," Lola added with a smirk.
"Are you saying that Roberto is a two minute brother?" I asked semi sitting up on the float.
"Not two minutes." Bella answered with a wicked smile of her own.
"More like one and a half." Lola added.
"What's up with that crazy ass housekeeper of his?" I asked swiftly changing the subject no longer wanting to talk about Roberto's premature ejaculations.
"Oh don't mind Ava, she's just jealous. With us in Roberto's bed there's just no room for her," Bella replied, shrugging.
"You mean she is sleeping with him?" I asked, shocked and more than a little disgusted.
"I know, sickening isn't it? Roberto told us she worked for his father before him and that she was his first." Lola explained taking a sip of her drink.
"So that's why she slammed the door in our faces?" I asked, sucking my teeth.
"That, and because she hates me and Bells. She only tolerates us because there's really nothing that she can do about us. Not as long as Bertie still runs hot for us." Lola replied distractedly while she made eyes at the houseman who came in to refresh our drinks.
"So what was the problem then?" I asked Bella. "I'm definitely not looking to jump his bed anytime soon or later."
"She doesn't approve of Roberto's occupational choices and for him to conduct business here on the island is just not done." Bella explained while accepting the new glass from the houseman.
"Bertie's father was killed in his home by people that he did business with; Ava doesn't want to have to sit through a repeat performance." Lola explained slipping into the water.
"So Rose, what is Julio like in the sack?" Bella asked licking her lips with obvious anticipation.
"Julio is impotent," I answered flatly. "As matter of fact I often amuse myself with whatever scenery takes my fancy. The only problem here though is all of these damn cameras, if Julio ever found out that I like my ice cream too, well let's just say that would be the end of me."
"That's true. Sometimes this island can be a real bitch. I rarely can have any fun here. I'm so tired of sleeping with the head security man. Even if he is hung like a bull and keeps a permanent erection. It's like eating chicken every night, where's the beef," Bella said, splashing her hand on the surface of the water in frustration. Wow, did she just say the head of security?
"Why would you have to sleep with the head of security?" I asked trying not to thirsty.
"He is the only one other than Roberto who has control of all the cameras on the island." Bella explained with a frown on her face. Bingo. That meant that this man would know where the control room was for the security of the island.
"Hung like a bull you say? You wouldn't mind if...." I asked letting my words drift off.
"No knock yourself out, like I said I'm tired of chicken." Bella muttered.
"Which one is he?" I asked in a bored voice.
"The big dumb one with the curly hair and green eyes." Bella answered slipping into the water. I watched as one of Roberto's guards approached and stopped at the edge of the pool.
"Mr. Guevara has sent me to take you on a ride in one of the speed boats that is if you are still interested?" The man asked in perfect English.
"Yes I am, but can I meet you back here, there's something in my room I need," I said using my hands as paddles to get me over to the ladder of the pool.
"Of course, I will return in twenty minutes," He said turning on his heel and walking back in the direction he'd come from. Once I made it over to the ladder, I slid easily off the float and climbed out of the pool.
"I'll see you guys later." I threw over my shoulder to Bella and Lola.
"Bye Rose." They both cried out in unison.
As I headed upstairs to get Big John I decided to stop off at my room to pick up a coverall for my bathing suit since my wrap had gotten soaked by the pool and my sunglasses. Once in the room I heard a vibrating coming from my bag that was sitting on the dresser. It was my cell indicating that I had a missed phone call from Eric. Man, I'd been waiting on this call. I anxiously hit the send button to call him back. The line began to ring and Eric picked up on the second ring.
"Kayla?" Eric breathed into the phone.
"Yeah Eric, it's me. Were you able to find anything in the sample I sent to you?" I asked wasting no time on small talk.
"Yeah that's what I was calling you about. I actually got the results back two hours ago." Eric replied in a whisper.
"Well?" I asked not having time for this.
"Kayla what the hell is going on? Are you in some kind of trouble or something?" Eric asked ignoring my question.
"Look Eric I really don't have time for this right now, so tell me what the hell did you found in that sample?" I said trying to control the volume of my voice.
"Whoever that sample belonged to had a very healthy dose of Rohypnol in their system." Eric replied accusingly into the phone.
"Rohypnol, the date rape drug?" I asked, my hatred for Caleb, climbing another notch.
"Yeah, I don't think the person this sample belongs to was taking it recreationally, I think they may have been drugged, Kayla." Eric replied with concern in his voice.
"Look Eric, I have to go." I said distractedly.
"No Kayla wait-" I didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence before I hung up the phone. Rohypnol that would explain all of the symptoms I experienced that night. However, why would Caleb go through the trouble of drugging me just to warn me when he knew that I would still continue to look for Miah in spite of all his threats? Why not just kill me and just get it over with? At that moment, a knock at my door startled me out of my thoughts.
"Yes?" I yelled at the closed door.
"Hey it's me." I heard Big John yell back from the other side of the door; I crossed the bed room to open the door.
"I was just about to come and get you." I said filing my thoughts about Caleb away not needing the distraction.
"How did it go with the golden showers sisters?" Big John asked glancing back and forth down the hall to make sure we were not being watched.
"It was informative." I answered stepping out into the hall and letting the door close behind me.
"So what's next?" He asked calmly, ready for whatever, that is exactly why he was the first person I called whenever I needed back up.
"One of Roberto's guards is waiting downstairs to take me for a ride on one of his speed boats, you can join me." I replied turning to head back down the hall. Silently, Big John fell in to step beside me. When we made it back down to the poolroom, the guard was waiting at the edge of the pool. The room was empty Bella and Lola must have decided to find something else to entertain them.
"If you would follow me," The guard said when we reached him. I gave him a nod and let him lead the way, instead of leading us back to the front of the house the guard made a left and we followed him deeper into the mansion. We walked for about five minutes until we came upon the kitchen, I glanced at Big John and he gave me a shrug. The kitchen was quite large with a lot of activity going on in it and in the middle of it all stood Ava giving orders like a general in control of a well-trained army. When she saw us passing through, she shot us a hostile glare and dismissed us as if we were no more important than the staff she was ordering about. Damn, this woman made the North Pole look like a summer retreat. We continued to follow the guard to an open door in the back of the kitchen that led out to the beach. Once we were outside, I spotted a row of beautiful speedboats that lined a peer.
"Mr. Guevara instructed me to tell you that all of his speedboats are at your disposal." The guard told me gesturing toward the flashy spectacle that lined the pear.
"That is most generous of him." I replied with a smile.
"Would you like for me to show you how to drive one?" The guard asked expectantly.
"That want be necessary, I will be more than happy to show her." Big John said breaking his silence.
"Very well then, please do not hesitate to call if I am of need to you in anyway." The guard replied with a nod and then turned to leave. I waited until I was sure the guard was gone and signaled for Big John to follow me out to the peer.
"So what's the plan Kayla?" Big John asked eyeing me knowingly.
*****
Three hours of talking bullshit with Guevara and I was no closer to finding out any damn thing. It looked like I was going to have to go looking for the answers I came here for. I opened the door to my room and walked in letting the door close behind me. Where the hell was Kayla? I know she was still not trying to get information from those ho's, what could they possibly know? I swear if I were not so worried about the men that hired Martinez and Willoughby to kill me hurting Kayla, I would have left her in Miami with Kenyon. I paced the room back and forward debating on whether I should go and look for her or wait until she returned. As I turned to head for the door, deciding to go look for Kayla, I stumbled and tripped over something and fell flat on my face.
"Fuck." I yelled out in frustration sitting up and rubbing my head at the same time. I glanced back at the foot of the bed to see what it was that caused my fall and my eyes landed right on Kayla's chest. The very one that she'd hauled from Miami. I wondered what was in the damn chest anyway. With her, there was no telling. My curiosity got the better of me and I leaned forward and tried to open the latch on the front but it wouldn't budge. Shit, it was locked. What the hell was she hiding?
I could always pick the lock. She would never even know. Besides whatever is in this chest could probably get us all hurt. I reached in my back pocket for the pick that I always carried around for situations like these and remembered that they were on my dresser back in my condo in Miami. I let out a harassed sigh and looked around the room for anything that would enable me to pick the damn lock. However before I could locate anything else I heard a sharp rapt on the room door. Slowly, stood and made my way to the door, the knock came again this time more urgent.
"Yes?" I called through the door.
"Julio, it's me Bella." A feminine voice drifted through the door. Who the hell was Bella? I opened the door and there stood the red head from the hot tub.
"What can I do for you Bella?" I asked, shooting a glance over my shoulder at the trunk.
"Can I talk to you? It's important." She breathed out in a voice that was meant to seduce. I watched as she gazed back and forward down the hall making sure we were alone. I folded my arms and leaned against the doorframe.
"I'm listening." I answered, not even close to being interested in what she had to say.
"Do you mind if I come in?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. I stared at her for a moment, with a sigh I stepped back to let her in.
"So what is it that-" I started but she did not let me finish. She was all over me, clawing at my shirt and jamming her tongue down my throat. I tried grabbing her arms and pinning them to her side but that only seemed to excite her more. Great she liked it rough, but right now, I did not have time for this shit. I pulled her arms from around my neck and slung her on the bed.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked buttoning my shirt back up in frustration.
"Nothing, I'm quite well Rodriguez what the hell is wrong with you?" Bella asked wearing a smug expression on her face as she propped herself up on her elbows. I stopped dead in my tracks realizing that she had just called me by my last name. I stared down at her with a blank expression giving nothing away.
"Yes Antonio, I know who you are, but what I don't know is why you are here?" She questioned with a raised brow.
"I don't have the slightest idea what you are talking about." I replied deciding to lie to buy me some more time.
"Oh really? Well maybe we should get Roberto and see if we can all sort out this whole thing together," Bella said with a smile as she rose from the bed.
"What is it that you want Bella?" I asked carefully as I stepped in front of her blocking her path to the bedroom door.
"I want to know why you are here. This is way out of the Dade county's police department jurisdiction, so what in the hell or you doing here fucking up a federal investigation?" Bella asked staring up at me expectantly.
"If you had done your homework you'd know that I am no longer with DCPD. I guess the FEDS or losing their touch." I replied picking up a lock of her fire red hair.
"Even worse! You're a civilian that is now in my way." Bella hissed, her green eyes flashing.
"Look I am not here to be in your way I'm here because I'm working on a case and a lead brought me here, and as soon as I find what it is I'm looking for I will be on my way and out of yours." I explained calmly letting her hair slip through my fingers.
"What is it exactly that you're looking for?" She asked tilting her head to the side.
"How long have you been with Guevara?" I asked ignoring her question opting not to disclose my business to the FEDS.
"Too long." She answered with a sigh. "Two years."
"Let me guess, since your only a piece of ass to Guevara he is not too forthcoming about his dirt, and seeing that you are still here, he doesn't leave anything incriminating lying around?" I asked with a knowing grin.
The glare she shot me confirmed my suspicions.
"I am the only agent that has been able to get this close; all the others weren't even able to get an introduction to him. Something big is going down here tomorrow night and sources tell me it is what I have been waiting on for the last two years and I don't need you here screwing this up for me." Bella said stabbing her finger into my chest.
"You're talking about the package that will be arriving tomorrow afternoon?" I asked my mind working overtime,
Maybe we could work together.
"How do you know about that?" She asked as interest brightened in her face and changed her tone.
"You want Guevara and I want information that Guevara has. I think if we work together we may be able to get what we both want."
*****
As Big John zipped the boat pass, the peer for the eighth time the wind continued to whip my hair into my face. While I fought to keep my curls under control, I noticed a man standing about ten feet away from the pier staring out at us. Something about him seemed familiar, but I couldn't place where I'd seen him before. I tapped Big John on the arm to get his attention.
"Hey, take the boat back to the pier." He gave me a nod to let me know that he'd heard. Pulling alongside the pier Big John cut the engine, tied the boat up, and proceeded to help me onto the dock. I looked toward the spot that I'd seen the man earlier but it was empty. Where did he go?
"I think that the plan is going to work Kayla as long as you find the power source and the backup generators." Big John said as we started to make our way back to the house. Before I could respond to Big John something out the corner of my eye moved. When I turned to see what it was, not twenty feet away stood the man. This time I was able to make out his features. My heart stopped and started back in a rhythm of a drum roll. It was the same man from the Bahamas that I met on the beach. The one who told me Miah wasn't dead and led me to seeking out Antonio for help. I watched as he raised his hand and beckoned for me to follow him.
Without thought I turned and headed in the direction of his retreating back. As fast as I ran to catch up with him, it was not fast enough. He always stayed at least twenty feet ahead of me. I followed him away from the house to a wooded area with a narrow path, with dense trees and bushes on either side of the path that was just west of the house until he stopped. The man looked back at me his eyes full of something that I just could not begin to understand and then he turned away, and gazed in the direction of an opening about two yards in front of him. As I approached, he didn't look at me again. He kept his eyes trained on the opening. When I stood beside him I craned my neck to see what held his attention. My breath caught.
"Kayla, how did you find this?" Big John asked startling me out of my daze.
I had completely forgotten that he was even with me. There in front of us stood not only the power control panel for the entire island but also the backup generators.
"I didn't, he did." I answered tearing my eyes away from the miniature power plant and turning toward the man that stood next to me. Only the spot next to me was empty.
"Who did?" Big John asked, looking around.
"The man I followed. The man who was just here beside me." I mumbled more to myself than to Big John, still staring at the empty space beside me.
"You mean one of the workers on the island?" He asked drawing his gun and spinning slowly around in a circle, attempting to detect a threat.
"No, never mind. The last part of the plan just fell into place. You think you can bring down the power." I asked still a little distracted and even more freaked the hell out.
"Yeah but it's going to take time, the only way around it is to completely blow the system and that won't even matter as long as the backup generators are still fully functional." Big John replied frowning at the row of backup generators that was all hooked up to one massive generator.
"Do you think a few EMP's will do the trick?" I asked not taking my eyes off the sophisticated power central that ran the entire island.
"Yeah that would do the trick, but wishful thinking is not going to help us here," He said still frowning at the main generator.
"No it won't." I muttered to myself. "Be in my room after dinner, you're gonna have a busy night."