Scent of Gardenia (Scott Tucker Series) (28 page)

Chapter
70

My
wrists hurt and my ass felt like someone had used it for a punching bag. I was
in the back of a small truck without any windows. My ankles and wrists were
bound. I couldn’t feel my hands. My head was pounding in my ears.
I was
getting my memory back about what happened. The photographer stopped me, showed
me the picture he took of me, and when I went to see it under the parking lot
light—everything went dark. He must have knocked me out with something and
that’s why my head felt like someone was playing drums between my ears.

I had no
idea how long I was out. I looked over my shoulder, trying to see the driver,
but I was too low to get a view of him.
I know Mike is going to know I’m
missing for sure because I didn’t call him when I was leaving my hotel, and my
bags are still there. I think I would rather you find me before I’m dropped
off.

The
vehicle was now driving in second gear on a rougher road. I could tell we were
getting closer to the water, because I could smell it. It took about two
minutes down this roadway before the vehicle came to a stop. He was out of the
truck before I knew it. The rear facing doors opened. It was the photographer.
Big
deal…what’s that going to get me?

“Okay,
Mr. Scott Tucker, you just stay put while I see if anybody’s home.”

Since he
was gone several minutes, I took the opportunity to look out the back of the
truck. There wasn’t anything back there…just darkness.

I heard
footsteps and slid back to where I was when he left.

I could
see two silhouettes, one was the driver. “Here he is; he’s in perfect
condition, except the bump on his head.” He stepped away from the back of the
truck.

*.*.*

The
other figure climbed into the back of the truck. “Well, look who we have all
bundled up for me…Mr. Scott Tucker.” The woman was right in my face. She was
more beautiful than I had anticipated. Her long red hair was hanging down in my
face. She looked down at my clothes and shook her head. “I can take it from
here. Thanks,” she said, climbing back out of the truck.

“He’s
certainly in fine condition, but I’ll check the parts to see if there’s any
damage.”

“So, do
I get my weekend soon?” The driver asked.

“You
certainly will. I’ll be in touch.” She handed him a white envelope. “Thanks
again, here’s your money.”

She
grabbed my ankles, sliding me out of the truck. I landed with my feet on the
ground. We were nose to nose and she didn’t make any move…she just stood there.
Her eyes were familiar and she gave me the creeps. I could smell the ocean, but
I could smell the scent of Gardenia more. It was getting stronger and stronger.
The next thing I knew, I was over her shoulder.

I
guess the good news was—I was going to find ererybody. I guess the bad news was
I was the new guest.
A few minutes later I
was concerned she was going to drop me going down the stairs. She was having a
tough time. I felt the temperature change. She entered a room with a cell door,
dropping me onto my back. I thought I was going to hit a hard surface, but it
was the bed that cried out as I landed.

The room
was lit with a single small bulb. She hooked up shackles to my ankles, and then
removed the other restraints. She wasn’t saying a word. She hooked shackles to
one of my wrists and then removed the original restraints. She hooked the other
shackle to my other wrist. I was trying to study her face. She still wasn’t
saying anything. My eyes couldn’t miss the top of her sundress, and then I
looked at her eyes.

“I was
waiting for your eyes to check those out. It would seem your eyes are still in
good working order.”

She went
over to a small table, returning with a pair of scissors. “Now let’s see if
everything else works correctly.” She removed my shoes and socks and then took
off my belt. She started cutting away my clothes starting with my shirt. The
way she was moving those scissors I was worried she was going to inadvertently
stick me.

“Scott
you’re really jumpy. I’m not going to stick you…not now anyway. I want to see
if all the parts are still there, and there’s no damage. She pulled the pieces
of my shirt off and I felt the cool air on my chest. She ran the scissors down
across my chest and across my groin. I felt the blade of the scissors next
against an ankle. I guess I never paid attention to the snapping noise scissors
made. When she had the first pant leg cut all the way to my waist she stood up
and slipped her sundress off.

I closed
my eyes, immediately feeling the point of the scissors between my legs. I
opened my eyes. She smiled, and was shaking her head slowly. “No.” She climbed
on the bed and it sounded its displeasure. She started on the other pant leg,
taking her time on purpose. I was surprised there were no tan lines on her
body. My body was starting to become my next worst enemy.

The
scent of her perfume reminded me of Mercedes, which given my predicament was
not the right thing to be thinking of. I took a deep breath feeling the cool
air on my lower body. My pants were gone but the scissors remained too close
for
my
comfort. I was afraid to move and tried to focus on other things.
Are the others here? Did she get rid of any of them, or all of them? I could
tell she wanted me to react to her probing.
There was something familiar in
her exploration. Her eyes had looked familiar, the long red hair, and I thought
her voice sounded vaguely familiar.

She
opened the blades of the scissors and that caught my attention. “Scott, here
are the rules of the house. When I ask you questions, you give me an answer,
and it has to be the truth. Lie to me, and I’ll know it, and you will suffer
for it. She squeezed the scissors slightly and I quickly nodded. “Good, the boy
learns quickly. I like that. There’s no talking to the others, or there will be
consequences. In addition, it makes no sense resisting me, as I will eventually
get my way. If I have to work extra hard I will make you pay for it…and I will
make the pretty redhead here pay for it too.”

I took a
deep breath, trying to hold back my scream.

“Now, do
you like what I’m doing to you now?”

I
remembered what she said and answered, “No, it hurts.”

“I
didn’t think you would like that…very risky too.” She relaxed the pressure and
altered her attack. “Is that any better?”

I was
trapped either way. “Yes.” Unfortunately, her treatment confirmed my
suspicion—this woman had to be Melanie. This was a carbon copy of how she
greeted me years ago. I was very close to losing my life back then, and now she
had the ability to end it. “Melanie?”

She
stopped, looking up at me. “Isn’t it nice you remembered me? I guess I made an
impression on you years ago after all. You have been my fantasy since I had to
leave so suddenly that day. I don’t like to have something, or someone, get
away. Everything I’ve done here was done with the hope you would visit with me
again.” She slid up my body and kissed me. “Scott, remember what I said. I will
get my way sooner or later, and you and Holly don’t needlessly have to suffer.”
She kissed me again, like I was a long-lost sailor. A minute or so later she
stopped.

The
scissors were gone replaced by something slightly safer. “So tell me…have you
been seeing my sister Mercedes?” She was watching what she was doing.

I
hesitated answering, and paid the price.

It took
a moment for me to catch my breath. She watched and waited. “Scott, I warned
you. Now, have you been seeing my sister?”

“Yes.”

“I
thought you said you had a
special
girlfriend.”

“I did.
She passed away after we were married.”

“Oh, how
convenient that is for you and Mercedes. Have you and Mercedes made love?”

I rushed
my answer, “Yes.”

“Is she
a good lover?”

“Yes.”

“Is she
better than me?”

She knew
I couldn’t answer that question.
Mercedes, if you can hear me…rescue me.
This was like my naked dream years ago…only worse…I woke up back then. Maybe
Mercedes doesn’t care as much as she did back then; after all she has Ralph
now. I was glad there were no more questions…I had to develop a way to get out
of here.
I pulled on the chains.

She
laughed at me, uttering with a sexy voice, “I like the sound of those chains
rattling, do it some more Scott. Tell the neighbors they’ve got company. The
busier you are, the less time they have to spend with me. Thanks for returning…I
honestly knew you would…once the FBI, and Mercedes, were involved. Did you know
yesterday this
was
Shawn’s room?”

Chapter
71

All
three of them were waiting for Sam when he pulled up at the hotel. Mercedes and
Ralph decided not to call the police, for fear Margaret might be alerted to
their coming.

Mike
shook Sam’s hand through the window of his cab. “Good evening Sam, are you
ready to participate in your first raid?”

“Sounds
like fun to me.”

“Sam,
this is Mercedes Strong and Ralph…” Mike tried to provide the introductions.

“Ralph
Reynolds,” Ralph added from the back seat. He offered his hand which Sam shook.
“It’s nice to meet you Sam.”

Seated
directly behind him it was too awkward for Mercedes to shake his hand, so she
patted Sam on the shoulder. “Sam thanks very much for helping us and coming up
with Margaret’s home address.”

He
laughed. “Bermuda’s finest at your service, my lady.”

As they
headed toward the Southeast shore, Ralph offered a plan. “I think what we need
to do this evening is to verify this is really where Orion is keeping the men
and Holly. If we try to rush her tonight, we could risk her killing one or more
of her captives. We stand a much better chance of rescuing them during a time
when she is not at the property. Of course, the risk is she may kill one of her
guests, but I think that’s unlikely. She just killed Shawn Dustin and her new
guest should keep her occupied this evening.”

Mercedes
had considered her own plan for rescuing Scott, but others wanted to do it
right away. However, she didn’t want to risk Scott’s life, or anyone else’s for
that matter, and although the thoughts of Margaret, or worse her sister
Melanie, with Scott for any time at all was not appealing, it was the safer
alternative.

Mike
asked, “So what is the plan when we get there?”

Ralph
immediately responded, “We need to see where she has them. I don’t think she
will risk them being seen by any visitors to her property. She most likely has
them hidden away…I’m obviously not sure, but I would say they might be in the
basement or underground. I wish I thought of it before, but I wish we had
booked her for a dive excursion tomorrow morning. That would have assured us
that she would not be near them tomorrow.”

“So
let’s do that,” Mike offered. “Sam, can you stop some place where we can call
and book an excursion?”

*.*.*

Ten
minutes later, Sam spotted a small convenience store and pulled in. “I think
there should be a pay phone here, as a lot of folks don’t have their own phones,”
Sam explained.

“Mike,
you should make the call. Obviously, I can’t, and I think you’re the best one
to call her,” Mercedes suggested.

Mike
entered the small store, spotting the phone booth. He dialed the number and
mentally went over his planned introduction. The phone rang and rang without any
answer. He looked at the number on his slip and made sure he had dialed it
correctly. He hung up after many rings.

He
climbed into the cab. “No luck. There was no answer.” He almost knew why not.
Sam put the cab in reverse, pulling back onto the road. No one said anything
for a few minutes.

Mercedes
didn’t want to imagine what was happening, but without a doubt she was smart
enough to know. “Mike, it’s still a good idea, maybe you can try to get through
in a little while.”

Ten
minutes later Sam spotted her property entrance. There were three entrances off
the road; one indicated a golf course, the other a condominium complex and third
was unmarked. “This is the entrance to her property.” He turned off his lights
as he headed down the unpaved driveway.

Ralph
asked, “I can’t see the water or any house. Sam, how far do we have to go?”

“I
looked at the map and I would say we have about four or five hundred yards,”
Sam replied.

“We
don’t want her to hear us coming, or even see us. Drive about what you think is
half way, or find a place to pull off, and park there,” Mercedes nervously
suggested.

Sam
drove for another minute, pulling off at a wide spot. They all felt the cab tip
slightly. “I think we have a problem,” Sam whispered.

Mike
thought the same thing when the cab tipped, but Sam confirmed it.

*.*.*

Sam got
out, immediately slipping in the soft sand and went down. He mumbled something
to himself.

Mike
opened the left side door and got out of the cab and extended his hand for
Mercedes. Ralph was already outside the cab. Mike went around the driver’s side
and before he could help, Ralph was helping Sam get to his feet. “Shit, now
what do we do?” Mike broke the silence.

There
was only limited light from the moon, but Sam tried his best to assess the
problem. “You know, I might be able to get her out, but not without making some
noise. I suggest you folks tend to your plan while I tend to this,” Sam said,
shaking his head, walking to the trunk.

Mike
huddled up with Mercedes and Ralph. Fortunately they all wore dark clothes,
which would help conceal their approach. They all looked at the slight rise in
the road, which blocked any view of them, and blocked the view of any house.
Ralph was leading the way, and Mike noticed the concerned look on Mercedes
face. He was more concerned now himself. He needed to hide it from Mercedes.

They
were all quiet walking up the slight rise, anticipating what they would see
when they reached the top. Mike was thinking about
what he remembered seeing
when they raided the warehouse where Melanie was holding Scott. Melanie was
naked. She had Scott tied up on a platform the same way. Mercedes was tied to a
post near them, unfortunately watching helplessly what her sister was doing.
Melanie was getting her enjoyment at Scott’s expense. She was only minutes away
from ending Scott’s life. Having killed several men, she had nothing to lose.
Had they not been rescued, they would have surely been bait for the sea
creatures.

He
was sure Mercedes was having similar memories…there was no way she could not be
thinking about that episode…not when she theorized her sister was again holding
Scott hostage.

*.*.*

They
were all quiet approaching the small house, which looked the same as many other
houses on the island. The driveway made a circle in front of the house. Mike
could see a small pickup truck parked alongside the house. To the north of the
property there was a line of trees, which were quite close together, separating
this property from the golf course. There was another expanse of trees on the
south side, but they didn’t conceal the property as much.

Ralph
went around the north side of the house. He followed Mercedes to the south
side. She looked in the first window, shaking her head. She went to the next
window which he could see was the kitchen. Mercedes shook her head again. When
they reached the back of the house Ralph met them.

Ralph
whispered, “I didn’t see anyone.” He turned, looking toward the water.

Mercedes
responded, “Same here.”

Mike
could see two chaise lounges just a few feet from them on the grass, a large
shed and a boat dock along one side of the property. “Should we check out the
shed?” Mike asked softly.

“It
doesn’t look like it would be conducive to entertaining several people,” Ralph
answered, with a low voice. “My guess is she has something underground.” He
went back to the side of the house, returning quickly. “I don’t see any
basement windows, how about that side?”

Mercedes
answered, “There aren’t any here either. Should we see if the shed has any dive
cages?”

Ralph
didn’t answer, but headed down to the shed. There was a padlock on the shed,
and no windows. He pulled on one of the large double doors, but it didn’t
budge. He held his hand out for Mercedes’ small flashlight. He focused the
light on the ground leading from the shed. There were indentations in the
packed sand leading in the direction of the boat dock. He waved his finger to
indicate what he was looking at, and then nodded. He then pointed with two
fingers to indicate hand truck tire marks leading to the shed.

Mike
thought about what they had seen. The property confirmed their suspicions about
whether she could be holding people, and then disposing of the bodies. Ralph
turned off the flashlight and headed back towards the house. Mike followed both
of them, but Mercedes stopped at the chaise lounges, waving at Ralph.

She took
the flashlight, turned it on, and noticed the bottle of suntan lotion near one
of them. She slowly shined the light over the surface of the two lounge chairs.
She finally pointed to drops of lotion on both. She held up two fingers, but
didn’t say anything. She handed the flashlight back to Ralph, who turned it off,
motioning for Mercedes to look in the windows again. He then headed down the
other side.

Mercedes
looked in the kitchen window. Mike also checked it out. Mike tapped Mercedes on
the shoulder, motioning there was a door in the middle of the kitchen. He
motioned it could lead down steps. Mercedes nodded, studying it closely this
time. She left the window and went to the next one. Mike could also see it was
the bedroom. They were about to leave when he tapped Mercedes on the shoulder,
pointing down at the floor. There was a pair of man’s boat shoes next to the
night stand. She stared at them, and then nodded.

*.*.*

When
they reached the cab, Sam had managed to get the cab out of the soft sand and
back onto the road surface. They climbed into the cab. Sam immediately started
backing up the driveway without any lights. There was just enough moonlight for
him to see. There wasn’t any conversation while Sam was getting back onto the
main road. Mercedes tapped him on the shoulder when he finally hit the paved
surface.

“Sam, I
don’t know how you got the cab out of that sand, but nice job,” Mercedes
acknowledged.

“Thank
you. Did you folks see anything?” Sam asked, as he headed the cab in the
direction they came from.

Mercedes
responded, “The place looks perfect for keeping guests and disposing of any
bodies.” Ralph, we saw a pair of man’s boat shoes on the floor in the bedroom.
They were much too large to fit a woman. We also spotted a door in the kitchen,
which could lead to a basement area.”

“Judging
from the marks leading from the shed, I would say she had a hand truck and
moved something heavy. She could have tanks in the shed.”

“Ralph,
you saw me looking at the two chaise lounges. I think both of them were used,
as there was suntan lotion on both of them. People are creatures of habit, so I
don’t think she would have alternated between the two lounges…I think she
brought one of her captives outside, most likely Holly,” Mercedes said, excitedly.

Mike
finally spoke, “I think we found our bad guy’s property. Now what’s the plan?”

Before
anyone answered, Sam was pulling into the previous convenience store.

As soon
as the cab stopped, Mike jumped out, heading inside. Mike quickly dialed the
number, waiting for someone to answer. It rang and rang. He was about to hang
up, when a woman’s voice answered, “Hello.”

He
quickly asked, “Would it be possible to schedule a dive session for tomorrow
morning?”

There
was a hesitation on the line, and then she answered, “That time is available,
for how many people?”

Mike
could tell she was out of breath, most likely running for the phone. “I’m
sorry, I was expecting a man’s voice, are you the owner? However, to answer
your question there will be three of us.”

“I hope
you don’t have something against a woman…and I’m the owner. My name is
Margaret, or you can call me Rusty. What time do you want to leave?” she asked.

“How
about nine?”

“That
will work. Do any of you need lessons, or are all of you certified?”

“We will
just need to have a refresher.”

“Okay, I
can do that. The charge will be seventy-five each and another one-twenty-five
for the boat and equipment, which comes to three-fifty. What name should I put
this under? And, can I have a phone number in case I have to reach you?”

“That’s
fine. My name is Mike Miller. You can reach me at the
Hamilton Princess Hotel
.”

“I
detect a Bostonian accent. Are you from that area?” she asked, with a sexy
voice.

“That’s
very perceptive of you. Yes, I’m from Boston,” Mike replied, wondering now if
he had said too much.

“I like
Bostonians. Are the three in your party all men?”

He
wondered why she was asking that. “Why?”

“I need
to know for the wet suits, and possibly some other things.”

“There
will be two males and one female.”

“Thank
you. How did you get my name and number?” she asked.

Thinking
quickly, he replied, “The hotel gave me several numbers to call…I liked the
sound of Rusty’s.”