Chapter Eleven
When Nancy stepped off the plane late that afternoon, it was almost as if she had stepped into a whole new world. A warm ocean breeze lifted her hair, blowing it around her face as the humid air hit her like a solid blow. Although it had been warm in California, it was nothing compared to the climate here. Humidity was something that took getting accustomed to—even people from the region had a difficult time with it. Her clothes instantly stuck to her body, making her feel as if she was wearing a parka instead of a thin shirt and jeans.
"I always dread coming here," Daniel muttered as he stepped up behind Nancy.
Nancy turned to gaze at him quizzically. "Why? Isn't this supposed to be paradise?"
Daniel shook his head. "Depends on your definition of paradise, I suppose."
"Okay. Then what is your idea of paradise, Daniel?"
"Somewhere a little more tropical, with no humidity," Daniel answered. "As I step off the plane, there is a beautiful woman waiting for me with a drink in her hand." Daniel fixed Nancy with an amused glace. "I don't suppose you have a drink anywhere near you, do you, love?"
Nancy smiled, flattered by his flirting. "Sorry…I left the mini bar in my other outfit."
"Pity…"
Max came up behind them, pressing a hand softly against Nancy's back as they began walking towards the car. Nancy found herself oddly comforted by the soft touch, feeling completely out of place in this unknown destination. She was surprised—and a little relieved—to see the car wasn't another Tahoe. If she ever saw another one, it would be too soon. Instead, a silver Infiniti greeted them though Nancy could see no driver.
"Where's the driver?" Nancy asked.
Daniel walked ahead of them towards the vehicle. Opening the passenger driver's side door, he smiled before giving her a small bow. "You're looking at him."
"Seriously?"
Max helped Nancy into the vehicle before sliding in beside her. "Things are a little too complicated for us to trust anyone else at the moment. We have to assume that anyone could be working with Wolfe, even if we are clear across the country now."
"What's to say that the two of you aren't working for him?"
"I'm going to try not to be offended by that statement," Daniel said, closing the door before opening his own and climbing into the driver's seat.
"You're right to be suspicious, Nancy. No one can hardly blame you at this point." Max turned slightly in his seat to face her. "I can assure you that I am no longer working for Wolfe. I only have your safety in mind from this moment on. I want you to be able to go back home and live your life, but you can only do that if we stop Wolfe…for good."
Nancy nodded. "I'm all for stopping him for good. The sooner the better."
"I believe we all agree with that sentiment," Daniel said as he pulled out of the private airstrip and onto the highway. "I would love to get back to my cushy desk job. Not nearly as much stress."
Max chuckled. "You've had fun, Daniel. Admit it."
"Never."
Nancy didn't miss Daniel's smile reflected in the rearview mirror. The way that Max and Daniel went back and forth with each other kind of reminded her of Frank and Joe Hardy. She felt a slight pang in her chest as she thought fondly of the brothers, wondering vaguely if they were on a case and how they were doing. It had been too long since she'd spoken with them.
"Are you okay?" Max asked softly.
"Yeah," Nancy looked up and gave him a reluctant smile. "Just thinking."
"If it makes you feel any better, you can just look at this as a vacation. Sure, it's an unexpected and impromptu one, but a vacation just the same."
Nancy nodded as the car glided down the road, water as bright and blue as Max's eyes. It went for miles and miles, the sandy white beaches reflecting the sunlight from above. It was almost too bright to stare at for a long time, the sand was so white. It was unlike anything Nancy had ever seen in all of her travels. Palm trees swayed softly in the ocean breeze and the beaches were bustling with tourists and locals alike.
"Where exactly are we, anyway?" Nancy asked, unable to take her eyes off her surroundings. Maybe Max was right—maybe she could look at this as a vacation.
"Sugarloaf Key—Lower Sugarloaf Key, to be more precise."
Nancy felt as if the air had been sucked from the car, leaving her unable to breathe for a few horrifying seconds. She reached forward, clutching the headrest of the chair in front of her tightly, her knuckles turning white. Sugarloaf Key—it was almost too much for her to take, and her mind rushed back to that almost fatal night in Rio with Randy.
"Nancy?" Max's voice was full of concern and panic all at once. "Daniel, stop the car."
"What have you done to the poor girl now?" Daniel muttered as he applied pressure to the brakes before pulling over onto the shoulder.
"Nothing!" Max protested before focusing on Nancy once again. She felt him take one of her hands in his, squeezing it gently. "Nancy, what's wrong?"
Nancy ignored him as she tried to focus on her breathing. She took a few deep, calming breaths trying to push the memories away. It was just a stupid name, after all. She was being insane letting it conjure up these feelings.
"Nancy—" Max's voice was sterner this time, but Nancy waved him off before he could say anything else.
"The name just caught me by surprise, that's all." She sat up, smiling weakly at the two men as they continued to stare at her. "The last time I was anywhere that had the name Sugarloaf in it, Randy was trying to push me out of a cable car."
"What are you talking about?"
Nancy let out a sigh. "In Rio—the night Randy was caught—I was trying to get to my dad to warn him. He was at a restaurant at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. When Randy realized that I knew he was behind the emerald heist, he came after me and tried to kill me by pushing me out of the car as we were going up the mountain. My boyfriend at the time managed to save me before I could go…splat."
Max rolled his eyes. "That's not funny."
"It's a little funny if you think about it. Imagine a cartoon character doing it—then it becomes funny."
Daniel chuckled as he once again pulled out onto the road. "I truly do like this girl, Max. She's very witty."
"You're not helping, Daniel," Max muttered.
"No one told me I should be helping."
Max ignored him as he moved a little closer to Nancy. "Look, if it bothers you to be here, we can go somewhere else—anywhere else. Just say the word and we'll leave."
"It's fine, Max," Nancy said. "It's just me being stressed about everything and being silly over a name. I can handle it, I promise."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"How do I know you're telling me the truth?"
Nancy smiled sweetly, glad that Max seemed unsure of something for once. "You don't. You're just going to have to trust me."
Max smirked. "I'll begin to trust you as soon as you start trusting me."
"I'm here with you, aren't I?"
"That doesn't prove anything, Nancy. You're here because of your sense of self-preservation. You want to stay alive and you want to find out what Wolfe is up to. That has nothing to do with trust. For all I know, I'm just a means to an end for you."
Nancy opened her mouth to argue with him, but closed it just as quickly. How was it that Max could read her so well, and he barely knew her? Was she just using him? Or did she, on some deep level, trust him? It was too early for her to honestly answer that question.
"It's okay, Nancy," Max said, reading her expression. "I kind of expected that. In fact, I would be more worried if you put your complete trust in me. After all, you hardly know me."
"And you hardly know me," Nancy argued.
"True." Max was silent for a few moments as he stared at her. Nancy found it impossible to look away from him, no matter how much she wanted to turn her head away. "But I would like to."
"You would like to what?"
"Get to know you better."
Nancy glanced briefly at Daniel to see if he was paying attention to their conversation, but he seemed blissfully unaware. It could have been due to the fact that a couple of bikini-clad women were jogging down the sidewalk. Still, Nancy felt slightly embarrassed.
Luckily, she was saved from saying anything when Daniel slowed the car down and pulled into a gated driveway. Nancy found her attention riveted as Daniel rolled down the window and punched in a code, the gates swinging open to allow them entry.
Palm trees lined the long stone driveway and once they rounded a curve, a massive house came into view. It was an elevated white stone home with large picture windows, a grand staircase leading up to the double wooden doors. Gardens of bright, colorful tropical flowers surrounded the home and a three car garage flanked the right side of the property.
Nancy got out of the car as if she was in a trance, taking in everything around her. She couldn't remember ever seeing anything quite so beautiful.
"Just think…you haven't even seen the inside of the house or the backyard yet," Max said softly, appearing at her side.
"Well, if it's anything like this, it must be spectacular."
Max smiled. "Come on. Let's go inside and get something to eat. Then I can take you on a tour."
"What about Randy—" Nancy began.
"There will be plenty of time to worry about him," Max said, and his tone brokered no room for argument. "It won't kill you to take one night off, Nancy, and enjoy yourself."
"I really hope you're right about that," Nancy whispered as Max walked away, leaving her alone in the driveway.
"Sir, you have a visitor."
Randy glanced up from his computer screen as Travis spoke timidly from the doorway. For someone who was so resourceful, he surely could be weak at times. Randy wondered idly how he'd managed to survive this long. "I'm busy."
"I understand that, sir, but…"
"But what?" Randy fixed his assistant with a withering glare. "Stop screwing around, Travis, and tell me what the hell it is you want."
"Now, Randy, there's no need to be rude," another voice spoke up from behind the door, making Randy cringe. "He was just doing as I asked of him. I thought you would be happy to know he's doing his job."
Shit.
This was not what Randy needed, not right now.
"Are you going to invite me in or should I just stand out here for the remainder of the day?" The newcomer seemed amused.
"Sir?" Travis asked, in that same timid tone.
Randy plastered a smile on his face, though he felt anything but happy about his surprise guest. He'd been perfectly fine with handling all of their correspondence by email or telephone. Randy still wasn't particularly happy that he was dealing with a "boss" of his own, but he didn't have much say in the matter since he was the reason he'd been released from prison. "Show him in, Travis."
John Krieger's smile was unsettling as he pushed past Travis and walked into the office. The man exuded confidence and commanded attention as soon as he walked into a room. Randy found himself feeling a little nervous, despite his usual carefree attitude. Randy learned from the beginning of their partnership that Krieger was not a man to be messed with.
Randy rose from his chair, holding out his hand to the other man. "John. I didn't expect you to show up."
Krieger glanced at Travis with a contemptuous glare, making the assistant scurry out of the room without looking back. "I have to say, I'm not very happy with you at the moment, Randy."
"If you came here to criticize me, you could have easily picked up the phone," Randy said, lowering himself into his chair. He really wasn't in the mood for any of Krieger's crap.
"What's the point in that when you've refused to take any of my calls?"
"Because I knew what you would say."
"Really?" Krieger seemed amused.
Randy narrowed his eyes at the other man. "Don't stand there and insult me, Krieger. Tell me what it is you want, or you can turn around and find the door. It shouldn't be too difficult. You found your way in here, after all."
"You would be wise to mind how you speak to me, Wolfe."
"And why is that?"
Krieger smiled. "Think about how easily I got you out of that hellhole of a prison in Rio. And then think about how easy it would be for me to throw you back in there."
"You wouldn't do that." Randy knew he was taking a chance, challenging Krieger. He couldn't help it, though. The man had an annoying way of getting under his skin. He didn't particularly like answering to anyone else, especially someone as egotistical as John Krieger.
"How do you know that?"
"Because then you risk getting yourself sent back to prison. An Egyptian one, if I remember correctly. Last I heard, Rio was like a palace compared to where they stuck you."
Krieger's smile thinned, forming his lips into a tight line.
Gotcha.
"The way I see it, neither of us can afford to screw up." It was now Randy's turn to smile. "We are unfortunately in the same sinking boat."
For a few tense moments, Krieger said nothing. Randy was worried he may have pushed him too far. While they both may be criminals, Krieger certainly had more resources at his disposal, considering he was also a businessman. Both men stared at each other for what seemed like minutes before Krieger finally let out a sigh.
"Would you care to explain how Miss Drew got away from you?"
"Not particularly."
"Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I want to know how the hell she managed to get away from you when I've provided you with the best security team I could buy."
"She had help."
"Elaborate."
Randy didn't want to admit any error on his part. It had been his idea to hire Max Grey in the first place, even though Krieger had been against it. The last thing Randy wanted to hear was "I told you so"—especially not from him.
"I'm not a very patient man, Wolfe."
"It was Max Grey."
"The man you hired to grab her in the first place?" Krieger arched a brow. "The very person you were insistent on hiring because he was the best in the business?"
"Yes," Randy muttered, felling like a child who was being scolded.
"What interest would Gray have in Miss Drew?"
"We're still trying to figure that out."
"I suggest you work harder. Do you at least have an idea of where she might be?"
Randy shook his head. "Not at the moment. We got word that they were seen at an airport, but other than that, we don't know anything."
Krieger's eyes clouded over with anger. "I refuse to have this opportunity slip out of my hands. I trusted you to get Miss Drew because you assured me that you could do it. Is this going to be a problem for you, Randy? Should I get someone else to step in?"
"I'll find her."
"Good." Krieger took a step closer to Randy's desk, towering over him with a dark look in his eyes. "I seldom offer second chances, Wolfe. Consider this yours."
Randy swallowed nervously, trying to keep his face blank though he was feeling anything but calm and collected. He had no doubt Krieger would kill him in the blink of an eye.
"You have two days to find the girl. I don't care how you do it, but you find her." He straightened up, flashing Randy a bright smile. "If you don't, she won't be the only one going up on the block."
With that, Krieger turned and walked out of the office.
And there is the boss that Randy has been answering to. I have always, always loved the character of John Krieger, and I've wanted to write him into a story for the longest time. And I know I haven't entirely answered what it is they have planned for her, but there was a little hint!
As always, I would like to thank my reviewers: lys, MCR-1993, Angelvie S, Alicia Hardy (your review cracked me up!), Michelle Gallichio, and SC15! You guys rock!
I also have to give Lady Emily a shout-out for being there to listen to my crazy ideas! Thank you so much, Em!
Again, I apologize for any mistakes!
Until next time!