Temptation Island (35 page)

Landon pulled the steering and turned the helicopter away from the side of Mt. Liamuiga.  “So, what you’re saying is that your old boss is pissed that you grew up and went to the states and got yourself educated and straightened out?  Did he ever threaten you about it?”

Marek’s mouth pressed in a thin line as he nodded.  “He did.  The day I told him I was done he said I’d regret it someday, but I didn’t believe him.  I figured he was just pissed about losing his best runner.”  Marek slammed his fist against the dash.  “
Merde.
  I should have clued in when we saw Kypher this morning.  I knew I recognized the kid, Landon.  It’s because he’s been running for Carillos.”

Suddenly a loud
ping
! rang out and the helicopter lurched to the right.

“Shit!  They just shot at us and hit my baby in the landing skids.”  Landon growled as he pulled the Cyclic Control and banked the chopper hard to the left.  As shots continued to ring out, Landon maneuvered them quickly into the safety of the dense clouds, melting into the grey moisture.

Marek swore and glanced out the window.  As the clouds closed in around them he caught a brief glimpse of Carillos holding a deadly looking automatic rifle against his shoulder as he aimed at Landon’s machine.

“That bastard is going down.”

TWENTY THREE

Where the hell was he? 
Carm slammed down the receiver and swore before she remembered where she was. She glanced around the first floor of the Green Island Inn and smiled in apology to the receptionist behind the antique desk.  It was the same young woman that had mentioned Marek’s “reputation” to her the last time she was there.  Under normal circumstances she would have found some amusement in that, but it wasn’t a normal circumstance.

Kate was home giving birth to a baby two months premature with no family there for support.

Biting back another vicious oath as she spun around, Carm almost made it to the door before a voice behind her called, “
Bonjour
, Carmen.  I didn’t expect to see you here.”

She turned around as Marek’s mother approached.  Maria looked stunning as usual in a long linen shift of pale green.  Braclets jangled at her wrists and a gorgeous oyster shell necklace hung loose around her neck.  Matching earrings shimmered in the filtered foyer sunlight as she crossed the hardwood floor.

Carm mustered up a smile and returned the greeting.  “Maria, how are you?  You look wonderful.”

With all the confidence of a goddess, Maria glided past Carm, linking arms as she went.  “
Merci. 
Let us go sit on the front porch, shall we?  You can tell me what brings you to my inn.  I hope my son is treating you well?”  Carm nodded as she was lead outside.  “Good.  Have you found the villain responsible for terrorizing you?”

Terrorize was a bit too strong a word in Carm’s mind, but she kept that opinion to herself.  “Not yet, Maria.  Actually, I came into town to find Marek.  I can not reach him on his cell phone and I really need to speak with him.  Have you seen him?”

The sun beat down warm on Carm’s back as she turned to look back at Maria.  She’d picked up a watering can and was busy giving her petunias a drink.  Water dripped out the bottom of the hanging pots as she moved down the porch watering each one.

Turning her pale green eyes on Carm, Maria frowned and shook her head.  “I’m not surprised you could not reach him.  Cell phones don’t work very well here sometimes.  Did he say where he was going?”

The hot sun soon had beads of sweat pearling at the base of her neck as Carm stood in the tropical sun watching Maria water her flowers.  An insect buzzed around her head and she absently swatted it away with a hand.  The fine hairs at the base of her neck grew damp and curled against her heated skin.  Thank goodness she’d thrown her hair back in a ponytail.  It was an unusually hot day. 

Carm shifted her weight from one foot to the other.  “He didn’t say where he was going, but Landon came up to the house and picked him up.  All he said was he had business in town.”  That was a lie, but Carm figured it wouldn’t help anything for Maria to know about the vandalism to Marek’s jeep and the spy work he was planning on doing.

Maria set down the now empty watering can and dusted off her hands.  “Have you tried looking at Landon’s place?  They might have gone back there.”

Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that
.  Maybe they went there to strategize their spy mission.  It would be just like those men to go hole up somewhere and play G.I. Joe.  “Actually I haven’t, Maria.  Can you give me directions?”

After Maria gave her directions to Landon’s bungalow she gave Carm a hug and said, “When you and Marek are ready you come to the house and tell us about the matching rings your wearing and how you two found each other, you hear?  I’m thrilled my son finally found his
amour
.  You’ll be good for him,
mi ami
.” 

She pulled back and patted Carm on the cheek.  Then she turned with a smile and disappeared back into the inn, leaving Carm staring dumbstruck after her. 
Well, I’ll be damned.  She’s known the whole time.

With a shake to get moving, Carm walked around to the side of the inn to the small scooter waiting for her.  She’d found it in Marek’s garage when she’d gone looking for a way into town after the phone call home.  It was old and slow, but it worked in a pinch.

Throwing a bare, golden leg over the vinyl seat, Carm put on the helmet.  Taking a moment to adjust her sunglasses and the strap under her chin, she turned the key and started the ignition.  Rolling down the driveway, Carm shifted in the seat as she came to a stop at the road.

With a quick glance in both directions she revved the scooter, picked up her feet and pulled out onto the hot pavement.  The sunshine felt wonderful on her bare arms and legs as she puttered down the road out of town toward Landon’s house.  Balmy salt air filled her lungs as she leisurely rounded the island and watched the foliage grow more dense and lush.  It amazed her how one side of the island looked so different from the other.

The tropical sun glinted off the aqua water of the gentle surf and colorful birds chirped noisily overhead.  The air stirred around her, caressed her bare skin.  Carm felt a smile tug at her lips.  It was almost enough to make her forget for a moment what her sister was going through without her.  Almost.

Following Maria’s directions Carm wove her way just past Smuggler’s Cove toward Long Beach.  When she reached the private dirt drive that lead to Landon’s bungalow on the beach, she slowed the scooter down, turned onto the hard-packed dirt and stopped.  She took a moment to study the little driveway with deep wheel ruts, scraggly grass growing down the center and palm trees lining it. 

Though it wasn’t paved or near as long as Marek’s, Landon’s private drive had a charm all its own.  The sound of the surf could be heard faintly from the entrance and someone had painted a large boulder further down the drive with a bold mural of a surfer riding the waves.  Carm rolled down the lane and smiled at the amateur mural.  It must have been Landon’s work because it looked like some design from a Billibong shirt or surf logo.

Carm continued down the dirt lane until she came to an opening.  A break in the trees created a clearing large enough for Landon’s house, a small round dirt drive and a stingy grass lawn.  Well, it couldn’t really be called a lawn.  Really it was just some tall, spindily tufts of grass and a whole lot of sand.

Pulling to a stop on the flattened area of Landon’s drive, Carm noticed how it was slightly uphill and there were steps leading from it to his bungalow.  Then she realized it was done that way on purpose in the event of flooding. 

The guys obviously weren’t there since Landon’s Ranger was nowhere in sight, but Carm took off her helmet and climbed off the scooter anyway.  A dried palm frond crunched loudly beneath her feet.  Other than the sound of the surf rolling into shore it was the only noise to be heard.  Like Marek, Landon had chosen a very private, quiet place to call home.  

Lulled by the relaxing sound of the waves lapping against the shore, Carm took a moment to gaze at Landon’s bungalow.  Built on stilts—for the same reason his parking spot was uphill—his one-story house perched unpretentious and welcoming.  The lap siding was painted a soft cream with sage green trim.  Even the stilts and steps were painted sage green.  Shutters the same green were open against the cream siding and Carm noticed most of his windows were thrown open as well.

Curiousity getting the better of her, Carm strode across the sand covered patch of grass and climbed the flight of steps to Landon’s front door.  An open window was just to the left of the porch but she couldn’t reach far enough over the railing to peak in.  Though she knew it was horribly rude to snoop, she couldn’t help it.  Landon was such an intriguing man and she wanted to see how he lived.

Suddenly she noticed that his front door was slightly ajar.  Not much, just enough that it wasn’t latched all the way.  Like he’d left in a hurry without double-checking that his door was closed. 

Logic and manners told her she should pull the door closed and back away.  She had no right to saunter on through his house like she had the right to be there.  Just because he did that at Marek’s didn’t mean she could do that to him.  He and Marek were best friends.  She was just his best friend’s wife.

Carm was about to leave when a thought occurred to her.  What if someone broke into his house and that’s why the door was open?  Shouldn’t she go in and check?  While inside she could try using Landon’s phone to call Marek’s cell again.

“That’s logical.  Makes sense.  I’m being a good, concerned citizen, right?”  Carm placed her hand on the sun-warmed doorknob and turned.  “Who am I fooling?  I’m just plain nosey.”

She pushed the door open and stepped over the threshold into Landon’s beach house.  Her first impression was that it was nothing like she expected it to be.  The second was that nobody’d stolen anything.

One glance at Landon’s domain and she was sucked right on in.  She even closed the door behind her. 

For some reason a nervous giggle bubbled up in her chest and worked its’ way loose.  She felt like she was breaking and entering. 

The interior was an open, flowing space.  Very spacious.  It was actually quite a bit larger than it appeared on the outside.  And much better decorated.

The entryway was part of a greatroom, giving way to a large living room with floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors that lined the wall facing the beach. A huge deck flowed beyond the French doors and ran the length of the house.  A pair of lounge weathered lounge chairs faced the ocean and a big pot of geraniums sat between them.

  Light flooded the room and reflected off the bamboo floor.  Carm had seen pictures of bamboo floors but had no idea they were so beautiful.  The light blond color of the bamboo gave the room and airy feeling, as did Landon’s choice of a neutral color scheme. 

Beige and cream furniture filled the room with natural woven sisal rugs and blinds.  Like Marek, Landon had a few large palm plants arranged around the room.  The couch, loveseat and chairs were set in very linear lines in the room. 

And it was all very, very neat.

That surprised Carm most of all considering that Landon usually appeared a bit shabby and messy.  But, then a man who’d spent time in the military would know a thing or two about keeping things tidy.

Carm made her way into the kitchen and open dining area adjoining the living room and noted again how tidy everything was.  Even the white tile countertops sparkled. 

The whole place had a very Zen quality to it.  Very simple and calming.  The only things that really stood out were the bookshelves crammed full of paperbacks and the surfboard in the corner by the panoramic window.

Carm was about to leave when she heard a small scratching noise coming from one of the bedrooms.  Following the sound down the hall past a very neat bathroom to a closed door, Carm stopped and listened.  The scratching came again from inside.

I hope it’s not an ax murderer. 
She pushed the door open and jumped back as she squeezed her eyes shut.  When no blood curdling scream came from the room, she opened her eyes and looked. 

Nothing. The room was empty.

Then the noise came again and her eyes flew to the open window.  A large palm branch brushed against the window frame creating a loud scratching noise.  Carm walked over to the window and looked out to find the palm tree only a few feet from the house. 

Relieved that’s all it was, Carm turned and went back down the hall the kitchen.  The phone was mounted against the wall next to a little plaque in the shape of a key with hooks.  Two sets of keys sat neatly on the hooks amusing Carm. 

Letting out a short laugh she reached for the phone and dialed Marek’s cell phone number.  By now she knew the number by heart.  Carm leaned back against the wall and waited as the phone rang.