Mabu Thermas Hotel and Pools

Iguazu, Brazil

Amy's face was still flushed from shooing the boys out of the shop where she was trying to find a swimsuit suitable for her. She had supremely not appreciated the boys' attempts at 'helping' her find one. There did seem to be an inordinate amount of strings, straps and animal print in this gift shop. No way was she going out in something like the ones the boys had picked out. Over her dead body, thankyouverymuch. She picked up a pink bikini and one with blue and white stripes and headed for the fitting room. Five minutes later she paid for the blue and white one, went back to the changing room to put it on and made to join the boys. She found a towel and wrapped it around her waist as she walked. Ahead she could see Atticus, Dan and Jake joking around with each other, their things spread over two loungers. She took a moment to appreciate Jake shirtless. He was toned, with great muscle definition and an appreciative six-pack, but he wasn't beefy like Ham. All of a sudden, an image of Evan popped into her head and it made her steps falter. Why was she thinking of him, now? Because you still care about him, that's why, she thought. She gave her head a small shake and Evan disappeared. Why? Why did things have to be confusing?

Jake turned to see Amy approaching. She was wearing a blue and white striped bikini and a towel wrapped around her waist. His pulse quickened as she approached. She was a knockout in that bikini. He knew he shouldn't stare, so he tried to memorize her in the few seconds he had before it became awkward. Lately, he had often wondered what she'd look like in a bikini, or, maybe even less, but seeing her here in person, was amazing. She had a runner's physique; toned arms, small pert breasts, flat stomach with some definition on the sides. Plus, even her toes were cute.

He looked away before it became obvious he was staring. The four of them rode the elevator down to the pool deck. Jake, occasionally taking side-glances at Amy as all four of them looked out the glass walls at the ground rising to meet them. As they pushed through the glass doors to the outside, Atticus put one had to his eyes and peeked through his fingers,

"Not nudists." Relief in his voice.

Jake moved a little closer to Amy, "What's the plan?" he asked, his voice low. He followed her gaze as she looked around. The hot tub, two big pools, the patio. There was a lot of ground to cover. She didn't answer so he continued on.

"We can start with this pool, it's the biggest. Atticus you and Dan take the perimeter. Amy and I will take the rest of it."

"Is that an order?" Amy said, crossing her hands across her chest, "or just a suggestion?"

"I'm only trying to help." Jake said, "And Atticus, you don't go anywhere on your own. One of us always has to be next to you."

Atticus looked like he was about to talk back, but Jake's expression clearly indicated zero tolerance. He just shrugged and cannonballed into the pool, followed immediately by Dan.

Amy watched Dan for a few moments. Her expression softened. He already seemed to be free from the effects of the curare.

She cleared her throat and turned to Jake, "We should try not to look like we're searching." She said.

"Agreed." Jake said, then pausing. "Can you swim the butterfly stroke?"

"Yes" She said, "not great, but why?"

"I can't. You can teach me. That can be our cover for going back and forth across the pool a million times."

Amy smiled, "good idea."

Jake smiled too as they dropped their towels and made to dive in. This felt almost as good as making her laugh.

The water was warm and it felt good to be doing something as normal as swimming in a hotel pool even though the purpose of their visit never left their thoughts. Jake wanted nothing more than to splash and play in the water with Amy but they got right to work.

Swimming close to one another, Amy whispered, "if we start at this end and work our way across, we can make a zig zag pattern across the pool, checking edges and bricks as well as the drains."

"Good idea." Jake said nodding. His pulse quickened as Amy's leg brushed his.

They felt along the edge, making it appear as if they were walking their hands down to the corner of the pool.

"What I remember of the butterfly has to do with the dolphin kick. You do it like this," Amy said, pushing off from the wall and keeping her legs together, she bent her torso so that her butt came up at the same time she bent her knees and gave two quick simultaneous kicks with her legs. Jake treaded water alongside her as she worked her way across the width of the pool dolphin-kicking. Jake was very content to watch her rear end break the surface every second kick. She really did have a cute, perky butt.

Pay attention! He chastised himself giving his head a tiny shake. He glanced back over his shoulder as Amy reached the wall. Dan and Atticus were hauling themselves out of the pool and heading for the shelters that surrounded the pool on one side. No one was around them. He turned back to Amy.

"What am I supposed to do with my arms?" he asked, embarrassed. He had been so focused on her butt he hadn't paid any attention to what stroke she had used.

"Don't worry about that yet. Just do the breast stroke for now. You have to get the kick down first."

Now it was Amy's turn to tread water alongside as Jake dolphin-kicked his way back to the other side. He was a fast learner. Amy was, once again, amazed at his ability to learn physical things.

"You are a quick study. It took me longer than one length of the pool to master that stroke." Amy said smiling.

Jake smiled back, he liked being this close to her. "Well, swimming has never been my forte, so I'm glad to hear you think that."

Together, they examined the edge of his part of the pool, and made to head back across to the other side.

Now it was Amy who glanced back over to Atticus and Dan. They had split up, but were still nearby each other. Atticus was examining the cabana structure and appeared to be contemplating the roof while Dan was down on his hands and knees peering at the sidewalk.

"Now to add the stroke. After you do the two quick dolphin kicks, in the pause, you'll bring your arms up and out of the water while you get a breath. It's important to always keep your eyes trained 90 degrees to the surface so you're always looking at the bottom of the pool. Pull your arms parallel with the water, get a breath and drive them down toward the bottom of the pool as your legs come back up. Like this."

Amy set off across the pool in a sloppy butterfly. Her form got better as she swam. Jake was trying to make mental notes, but it didn't feel instinctual to him at all.

As she returned back to his position, he saw her break form as something caught her eye on the pool deck. Jake whipped his head around to see Dan hunched over a section of the sidewalk with a woman standing dangerously close to him talking in his ear. Atticus was approaching them slowly. Alarms bells sounding in Jake's mind; he was out of the pool in a flash, Amy right on his heels.

"Hey!" He shouted as he jogged toward the boys.

"Dan! Run!" Amy yelled.

Just then, Atticus whipped off the towel he had over his shoulder and wrapped it around the woman's head and neck. He pulled and she fell to the ground, dropping a shiny object she had concealed in her hand. It was a knife. A butter knife.