Flipper countered. He then realized he was the only one still in the boat. The others had already gotten out.
“Then night-dreaming. Call it what you want” was Mac’s reply. “Just get out of the damn boat.”
Flipper didn’t have to wonder why Mac was in a rotten mood. Teri had texted him earlier in the day to say the new washer and dryer had been delivered. They were new appliances Mac hadn’t known they were buying.
Moments later, dressed in all black military combat gear, the five of them circled around to the back of the sports shop Rafe had frequented lately. Being ever ready and not taking any chances, Glocks were strapped to their hips and high powered tasers to their thighs. Due to Viper’s hypersensitive ears—known to pick up sound over long distances away—he would stay outside as the lookout. Flipper, Bane, Cooper and Mac bypassed security cameras to enter the building.
Once inside, they used Flipper’s cameras and it didn’t take long to find a hidden room. Making swift use of their time, they took pictures of everything. It was obvious this was the group’s operation headquarters. More tattoo ink was stored here along with several specific tattoo designs. One design Flipper quickly recalled seeing on the side of Rosie’s neck.
Flipper scanned the room with his camera and then opened several drawers in the huge desk and took photos of the contents. When he came across a photo in one of the drawers, he suddenly froze. “Damn.”
“What is it, Flipper?” Bane asked.
Instead of saying anything, he motioned his head to the photograph he’d found. Mac, Bane and Coop came around him to see it as well. They looked back at him and Mac said, “We’ve been royally screwed.”
An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of Flipper’s stomach. “I need to get back to Swan as soon as possible.”
* * *
Swan was awakened by the knocking on her door. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand and wondered who on earth would be at her house at four in the morning. Was it David returning? She didn’t recall when he’d left but knew it was the norm for him to leave her place around midnight to return to his hotel because of his work. Usually she would be awake when he left but tonight sexual exhaustion had gotten the best of her.
Pulling on her robe, she tied it around her waist as she headed for the door. Looking out the peephole, she saw it was Jamila and Horacio. What were they doing out so late and why were they at her place? She found it odd that Horacio was on the island when the cruise ship wasn’t due back in port again until next week.
From the look on Jamila’s face, it appeared she wasn’t happy about something. In fact, from her reddened eyes, it appeared that she’d been crying. Swan wondered what on earth was wrong. Had something happened?
Suddenly filled with concern, she quickly opened the door. The minute she did so, Jamila was shoved inside, nearly knocking Swan down.
“Hey, wait a minute. What’s going on?” Swan asked, fighting to regain her balance.
“Shut the hell up and don’t ask questions,” Horacio said, quickly coming inside and closing the door behind him.
Swan frowned. “Horacio? What do you mean, I can’t ask any questions?”
“Just do what you’re told,” he barked.
Swan glanced over at Jamila and saw the bruise on the side of her face. “Did he do this to you?” Swan demanded, getting enraged. At Jamila’s nod, Swan then turned to Horacio. How could he have done this when he adored Jamila? “I want you to leave now.”
“If I don’t, what are you going to do? Call the police? Or call that SEAL you’re sleeping with?”
Swan frown deepened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now leave or I will call the police.”
“You won’t be doing anything other than what I tell you to do. When I get the word, the two of you will be coming with me.”
Swan placed her hands on her hips. “We’re not going anywhere with you.”
A cynical smile touched Horacio’s lips as he pulled out a gun from his back pocket. “This says you will.”
Swan stared at the gun, not believing Horacio had it pointed at both her and Jamila. She was about to say something when Horacio added, “I’m giving you five minutes to go into your bedroom and put on clothes. Bring me your phone first. I don’t want you to get any crazy ideas.”
Swan had no idea what was going on, but from the pleading look in Jamila’s eyes, she knew it was best to do as she was told. She went and got her cell phone and handed it to him, but not before she noticed several missed calls from David. Why had he been trying to call her? Her mind was filled with so many questions.
“You got five minutes to get dressed. If you’re not back in five minutes or try some kind of funny business, your cousin here will pay for it.”
Cousin? Why did he refer to Jamila as her cousin? At what was obviously a confused look on her face, he said, “That’s right. Secrets. There are plenty more where those came from, Swan, and you’ll be finding out about them later. Now go.”
Swan got dressed in less than five minutes. If she hadn’t thought Horacio was serious about hurting Jamila, she would have escaped through her bedroom window. That bruise along the side of her friend’s face indicated the man was serious.
Swan was walking out of her bedroom fully dressed when Horacio’s phone rang. Instead of answering it, he said, “That’s my signal that things are ready. We’ll go out your back door to the beach. The boat is waiting.”
“What boat?”
“Please don’t ask him anything, Swan,” Jamila pleaded, reaching out and grabbing her arm. “All of them are crazy.”
Swan wondered just who were all of them. But she decided not to ask.
“Move!”
Following Horacio’s orders, she and Jamila walked toward Swan’s kitchen to go out the back door.
* * *
As soon as their boat docked, Flipper raced through the streets of Key West toward Swan’s home with his teammates fast on his heels. He had tried reaching her on the phone but didn’t get an answer. He immediately knew something was wrong because she kept her phone on the nightstand next to her bed and the ringing would have woken her up. He had tried several more times with no luck, which was why his heart was beating out of control and fear was gripping his insides, especially now that he knew who was involved.
They had contacted their CO and told him what they’d discovered. He was as shocked as they’d been and they knew Shields would be taking the necessary actions on his end. Flipper hadn’t had to tell the man there would be hell to pay if anyone hurt one single hair on Swan’s head.
When they reached her house, they found the door unlocked. Her cell phone had been tossed on a living room table and a quick search of her bedroom indicated she’d change clothes.
“Take a look at this, Flipper,” Mac called out.
When
