Duty Bound (1995) (47 page)

Eli rose and took another bottle from the ice bucket. He put the beer in Bonita's hand. "Baby is okay," he said.

Bonita shot upright. "What?"

"Your dog is okay. I found him in the cruiser before it sank. He's at a vet."

Bonita covered her face. "Oh, sweet Jesus, I thought he was . . . oh, God, I left him, I left him." She suddenly lowered her hands. "Ted? He and the team made it out, right?"

Eli exchanged looks with Ashley before he wrinkled his brow and lowered his head. "They made it out of the estate okay, Bonita, but they went after the guys that fired you up.

We don't know for sure what happened, but it doesn't look good. The Coast Guard found the cigarette they used. It was shot to hell and the blood inside says most if not all of them were probably hit. I'm sorry."

Bonita's chin dropped to her chest. Slowly, she fell back on the bed and covered her face with her hands again.

"No . . . sweet Jesus, no."

Eli put out his hand to Ashley. "You have the keys to Ted's van."

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but why?"

"Give them to me."

Ashley looked at him a moment before leaving the room.

She came back a minute later and handed them to him. Eli sat on the bed beside Bonita. "Bonita, it's over. Mendez is dead. It's not going to happen like you thought. His people won't keep looking for you. He was the glue that kept his organization together. They'll be in a fight for what's left and they won't think twice about you. If you change your name and move out west, you won't have any problems making a new life. You have someplace you can go?"

Bonita spoke between sobs. "Ted . . . Teddy told me .. . to go to Kansas if something happened. He had a friend there who would take care of me for a while."

"Take the keys and go there, then. Agent Sutton will tell you where the van is. Get in it and go."

Ashley eyed Eli, but he lifted his hand. "I made a promise to Ted and I'm keeping it. Get up, Bonita . . . go start a new life."

Bonita gazed at Eli. "I don't care anymore, Tanner."

"You will," he said. "Scars heal." He took her hands and Pulled her to her feet. "Agent Sutton will give you my phone number in Columbus. In a month, call me. I'll have your dog and ship him to you. I'll also tell you everything I've found out about what happened to Ted. Come on, you have to go now. Agent Parker could come over at any time.

Agent Sutton will walk you to your van."

Ashley took Bonita's arm and led her to the door. Bonita stopped and looked over her shoulder at Eli. "Why . . . why are you doing this?"

"Like I said, I made a promise ... a life for a life. Ted gave me a second chance at life, and now I'm giving you that chance. It's his gift to you. Take it."

Bonita lowered her head and walked out the door with Ashley.

Eli lifted his beer bottle toward the empty doorway and whispered, "I hope you can find happiness."

Ashley walked back into the room and saw him sitting on the chair with his eyes closed. She sat down on the bed across from him. "She's gone, Tanner."

He nodded in silence. Ashley fell back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. "She had two million dollars under the backseat of the van, Tanner. Two million."

"Nice way to start over, huh?" he said.

"She wanted to give me a million . . . a million dollars. I refused, of course . . . I didn't even look at it, just shook my head and told her to go. Jesus, Tanner, a million dollars."

"You're a good agent, Sutton."

Ashley turned her head, looking at him. "And you're a good agent, too, Tanner. Just so you know . . . I would have done the same thing if I'd been in your shoes--let her go, I mean. It had to end, and this was just as good as anyplace to start. You did the right thing."

"I hope so, Sutton. It felt right, anyway."

"Your gut tell you it felt right?"

"Nope, my heart."

Ashley sat up and took his hand. "You have a good heart, Tanner, a good strong heart. It's what I like about you."

Eli squeezed her hand. "Thanks, partner. I like your heart, too."

He rose, sat on the bed beside her, and kissed her forehead. "I never kissed a partner before, but it's my way of saying thanks."

He leaned over, laid his head on the pillow, and shut his eyes. "I gotta sleep now, Sutton. Turn the light off when ya leave, okay?"

Ashley rested her head on the other pillow and closed her eye, savoring the feeling of his kiss. "Sure, Tanner, you sleep now . . . I'll turn it off." She began to get up but her heart told her something else. She smiled to herself, leaned over, and turned off the light. Pulling up the blanket, she rested her head again on the pillow and closed her eye again. After a few minutes she knew he was sleeping soundly, and put her arm over his chest and snuggled closer.

Don't worry, Tanner, she said to herself. I'll be gone when you wake up. It's a new start for me, too . . . a new start.

Chapter 24.

One month later, Saturday, Columbus, Georgia.

Eli opened his apartment door and Baby scampered past him and shot out the door. "Damn, Babe, just knock me down, why don't you? Hey, get back here!"

Eli watched as the golden dog ran down the walkway with his nose to the pavement. "Those squirrels been in the flower beds again, huh? Yeah, you sniff 'em out and scare 'em back to their trees."

Eli walked to his pickup and unlocked the door. Baby was back at his feet when he opened it and bounded up into the seat.

"Nope, we're not going anywhere, buddy; just got to get this paperwork here. Don't give me that look. Uh-uh, get out. I've got work to do. Come on, I'll give you a treat once we're back inside."

The dog hopped out and ran for the open door of the apartment. Eli smiled. "You sure know what 'treat' means.

Okay, I'm comin', I'm comin'."

Holding the folder with his request for retirement, Eli left the pickup and walked back toward his apartment. Reaching the doorway, he was about to enter when he felt something hard press against the small of his back. A voice said, "Don't move."

Eli slowly raised his hands. "What do you want?"

"Christ'a' mighty, get your hands down."

Eli turned and gasped.

Ted smiled and lowered his crutch. "No, it ain't no ghost.

It's me, your old teammate. How you doin'?"

"Jesus, Ted. I I. . . I thought you were--"

"Naw, almost, though . . . nearly lost my left kidney. The worst is over now. All of us made it. Damnedest thing, that dog of yours looks just like--"

"It's him, Ted."

Ted eyes widened. "It can't be . . . I saw him layin' on the cabin floor when me and the guys searched for Bonita."

"It's him, Ted. I took him from the cabin before the boat sank. I would have thought Bonita told you."

Ted's eyes narrowed. "What the hell you talkin' about?

You sick or somethin'? You know Bo is gone to her maker."

"No, Ted, she's alive. She went to Kansas just like you told her."

Ted was staggered. "A-Alive . . . she's alive? It can't be . . . I searched the cruiser for--"

Baby came out the door wagging his tail and jumped up on Ted. Eli smiled. "Come in, Ted, come inside and let me tell ya how she escaped. You'll be proud of her; she used your scuba gear and--"

Ted shook his head and began hobbling backward. "Bullshit, 'Come inside.' I'm goin' to Kansas."

Eli stepped out and caught Baby's collar. "Take him with you."

Ted looked at the dog, then at Eli. "You saved him, Tanner--a life for a life, remember? I saw and heard you talkin' to him. Everybody needs somebody, and I can see you got that somebody right there. I gotta go, Tanner. I got me a somebody in Kansas. Oh, and Tanner--the reason I came was to thank ya. We were a team, Tanner . . . a real team. I won't forget you."

Eli nodded. "Yeah, Ted, we were a helluva team. Go on; go find her."

Minutes later Eli sat on his couch with Baby beside him.

He stared at the phone in his hand and finally started pushing keys. Putting the phone to his ear, he waited a few moments while he heard the rings. "Come on, be there .. . please be Hey, Sutton, it's Tanner; whatcha doin'? .. .

Nothing? Good. Why don't you come over here and let's cook some steaks on the grill, then how about us takin' in a flick . . . I know I haven't asked before but somethin' just happened, Sutton. The day just became brighter and I feel great. Come on over and let me tell ya all about it. I . . . I don't want the feeling to end. . . . Will ya come over? I want to share this wonderful day with you . . . No, I'm not sick, damnit! I . . . I'm trying to tell ya I'd like you to come over because . . . because . . . ah, hell, Sutton, never mind. You will? Great! Me and Babe will be waitin'-hey, could you pick up some steaks on the way and some dog bones, you know the Milk-Bone kind that . . ."

Monday, Orlando, Florida Ted held a beer as he stepped out on the balcony that overlooked Lake Sweetwater. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he looked at the distant castle on the far shore. Wearing a robe, Bonita stepped out on the balcony and joined him. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Ted put his arm around her and motioned toward the lake.

"There's the canoes . . . tonight we'll be able to see the fireworks. The guy downstairs said they shoot up behind Sleeping Beauty's castle over there across the lake."

"It's Cinderella's castle, Ted. Come on back inside .. . let's start some fireworks of our own."

"Christ'a'mighty, Bo, we just got here."

Bonita let her robe fall from her shoulders. "Teddy."

Ted quickly set his beer on the rail. "Christ'a'mighty, Bo . . . hell, yeah, let's get them fireworks started."

Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii On the private beach of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Virgil handed Ramon a towel. "You best keep that bandage covered so sand don't get in it. You shoulda waited longer, ya know? We coulda come next month when you was healed better."

"And miss this, man--you loco? This is what I need. Sun, sand, and ladies. Man, check them two over there . . . they hangin' out all over, man. Oh wow, they checkin' us out. Be cool now. Lift your arm like you waving off a fly and show off that new gold Rolex . . . yeah, that got their attention.

Fishin', man . . . we sophisticated dudes doin' some lady fishin' now."

"Hey, Ray, the sunburned one is making eyes at me."

"No, man, she's makin"em at me. The dark-headed one is lookin' at you."

"Ray, the sunburned one is lookin' at me."

"Virg, forget them, man, check out the two at our three o'clock. Now that is some serious bad la-dies."

Virgil smiled as he flicked away another imaginary fly.

"Hey, Ray, it's been some ride, huh?"

"Yeah, Virg, it's been some ride, man."