Around the World in 80 Men Boxed Set 31-35 (10 page)

“We've
met?” Mendez was on the hill, looking down at the men to make
sure he was right about who Anthony was. They never heard anyone,
and they both just stared at the man as he joined them. When Mendez
asked again, Anthony nodded. Their prior visual exchange in Carlos'
room was enough for both of them to recognize the other.

Mendez,
with his gun drawn, lead the way down the rest of the slope. He
didn't want to know who Tanner was, and he didn't ask. Tanner,
however, had a real good idea of who Mendez was.

“We
followed his trail about halfway, but it went cold right back there.”
Anthony pointed behind them, but Mendez just shook his head. Small
blood spots dotted the grass and small shrubs periodically, until
there was nothing to be seen. At that point, it wasn't clear if
Carlos had turned around and went back to the road, or continued on.

Mendez
shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. “No, he's
down there....and in just a few moments, your friend is going to get
his text that the skies are clear.” That friend, both Anthony
and Tanner knew, was Finlay. The man paying for it all.

“I
hope you're right.” Anthony watched Mendez take another step
down, then turn and wave his hand toward the brush.

“He's
on his ass. Scooting like a lame dog.” Mendez bent and moved a
thick branch to the side. There, on the ground, was a smear of fresh
blood. “Probably had a stick or that damned cane to help him
part of the way. Not now. He's barely crawling at best.”
Anthony nodded, he knew that adrenaline could have helped Carlos move
right away, but the pain would have over taken him if Mendez had
caused enough damage. Tanner bent to look at the ground as Mendez
continued on, and around several trees. The hit man was far enough
away to not be heard, but close enough to see through the thin tree
trunks.

His
finger touched the red blotch and he quickly pulled away.
Whispering, mostly to himself, “Anthony, this is still warm.
He's close...he's very...”

“Shit!”
Tanner heard Anthony and started to stand, but was pushed down
quickly by Anthony's hands. Tanner looked to his right, then left. In
less than a second he watched a bloody hand move from behind a large
rock and take the gun from Mendez. In the next second, Tanner was
back on the ground for cover.

A shot rang out, and Mendez fell back as he gripped his chest. Carlos
laughed, as he held Mendez's gun directly in front of him, pointing
it at Anthony. Anthony was still standing beside Tanner. Tanner,
still crouched under thick branches.

“You
don't want to do this. I'll leave,” Anthony's hands were up,
showing he had no weapon, but Carlos didn't care. He laughed again,
and squeezed the trigger.

Anthony
was hit, and fell across Tanner's back. It was on purpose, even in
the fraction of a second that Tanner watched it all, he saw the look
from Anthony that told him that he fell there intentionally.

Tanner
was still, unseen in the thick foliage, and closed his eyes as he
said a mental prayer for Anthony. He felt the weight of his body,
breathing heavy for several moments, until the life left the man that
saved Tanner.

Carlos
still laughed, knowing that the two men were dead, but groaned loudly
as he scooted from behind the rock, and closer to where Tanner hid.
Tanner's eyes finally opened, and he focused his gaze on Carlos'
every move. Carlos had inched his way to the body of Mendez and
removed a water bottle from the bag on his hip, then crawled back.
Carlos opened the bottle, then placed the gun on the ground beside
him as he took a long drink. Tanner's body tightened as he ever so
slowly maneuvered out from underneath Anthony. Carlos took a second
drink, and coughed erratically to get the liquid down his battered
throat. He fell to his side, wiping the water from his filthy face.
It was in that moment that Tanner stood, covered in Anthony's blood.
He lunged forward and dove to the ground beside Carlos. The gun was
quickly taken over by Tanner.

Carlos
choked again, but that time, with confusion. A mad man was standing
over him, the gun only two feet from his face. “You don't have
it in you, I can see it in your eyes, boy.” Carlos propped
himself up on one elbow and smiled. Tanner was too handsome, well
dressed, and even with fury showing on his face, Carlos could easily
see his kindness. “Do yourself a favor, kid. Go home.”
Carlos looked away, wiping the foul mess of water, blood and dirt
from his lips.

In
the next few seconds, Morgan's favorite birds in Costa Rica, the
Fire-throated Hummingbirds, scattered from their feeding ground once
again. A third shot rang out, and it left the surrounding trees as
lifeless as Tanner left Carlos.

With
hands shaking, Tanner took the phone from the pocket of Mendez, and
sent a final text. The phone, was then shattered against the boulders
at the bottom of the cliff.

Chapter
ten

Finlay
had decided on a short walk to calm his nerves, and was just
returning to the lobby as the sun began to set. Morgan was still
there, but the group had moved to more comfortable seating in the
main dining area, and from the looks of it, the group had grown.
Felix, Julianne and Cade could be heard laughing along with Morgan,
Angel and Alrik. Finlay wanted no part of it. It was Angel though,
who spotted Finlay and called him out to the whole group

“
Look,
it's Little Finny Foo Foo!” Angel jumped up from his chair,
having had more than his fair share of moscato, and pointed at Finlay
as he was about to enter the elevator.

Finlay
stopped in his tracks and took a deep breath. His own buzz had
started to wear off, and he was still not in the mood to be social,
but he knew everyone was staring. Slowly, he turned around, and
Morgan was already walking toward him.

“
Where
have you been all day?” Morgan pushed the hair from her face,
and stopped in front of him. “Angel said he saw you for a
minute, but when Alrik went to get you, you were gone again.”
She tilted her head slightly to the side, questioning him with her
eyes. Sadness, that's what he saw, and he swallowed hard.

“
I
didn't know I was invited.” It was the truth, and he didn't
know why he had felt that way.

“
Fin,”
Morgan reached up and placed her hands on his face. “I'm sorry
I snapped at you earlier.”

“
Don't
apologize, Love. You have every right to be angry.” Finlay
placed a kiss on top of her head. He knew he had kept everything a
secret from her to protect her, but he also knew she had a right to
know. He was never upset with Morgan, he was only upset with himself.

“
I
have to go get some medication. Go up with me?” She had gone
without her pills long enough, and since Julianne had joined the
group, Morgan knew there was no hope to sneak another drink to ease
her pain. Finlay nodded, and for the first time that day, he smiled.
“Besides, we have an audience.” The two of them looked
back toward the group, and every pair of eyes were upon them. The
laughter of Finlay and Morgan was the last thing they heard as the
elevator's doors closed. “You were welcome to come down at any
time. I just needed....” Morgan thought for a moment. “A
minute to think. Or not think.” Yes, that was it. She had
needed a moment to not think about it all, and that's exactly what
everyone had done for her.

“
I
had to do some thinking of my own. No worries.” He
had
been
upset that Alrik brought her the happiness he couldn't, but he was
was thankful she was happy. No matter who brought it to her.

“
From
the smell of ya, I'd say you thought a lot.” Morgan giggled
again, and wrapped her arm around his for support as the elevator
rose to their floor.

“
Everyone
needs to stop telling me how I smell.” Morgan knew immediately
that Angel must have said something earlier, and it brought out even
more laughter in the tired girl.

“
Well,
scotch stinks.” He didn't care that she was insulting his
favorite beverage. Her smile made him feel things that no amount of
alcohol could.

Just
as the elevator stopped, Finlay's phone sounded in his pocket. Morgan
had never seen anyone reach for a phone so quickly, and his movement
was what caught her attention. He pulled the phone out and on the
screen was one short message.

It
was in that moment of relief that Finlay's mind went to something so
small, yet so very important.
I'm glad Angel didn't give ye yer
gift yet.

*****

Morgan's
happy afternoon with friends had ended with a double dose of pain
medication and more than ten hours of solid sleep. The next morning,
Angel had insisted that she take her pills again, and was back in bed
when Alrik and Felix left for Sweden. They knew that she would be
upset with not having the chance to say goodbye, but her needed rest
was far more important.

That
day was spent in and out of sleep, with Angel and Finlay rarely
leaving her side. She would wake to their banter on occasion, or
soothed through nightmares of Carlos, but managed to rest until the
next morning. That was the day that Finlay finally had to return
home.

“I
can walk just fine.” Morgan was already trying to get dressed
when Finlay carried her back to the bed.

“I
doona need ye to see me off, Love. We can say goodbye well enough
right here.” Morgan wouldn't hear any of it. Finlay had made
sure that she had been medicated that morning, hoping that it would
help him get to the airport without her insisting to go as well.

“Put
me down!” Morgan squirmed in his arms, but lost the battle when
he put her back into bed. She knew that she wouldn't get her way, and
it broke her heart to be denied yet another small thing that she
wanted. Her eyes went to her hands and it tugged at Finlay's heart to
see her so broken. He sat with her, put his hand on her thigh, and
tried to ease her pain. “I have so many questions, Finlay.
Questions that only you can answer.” Finlay looked down, then
back to her face. Yes, it was time that she knew
something
. He
took a deep breath, and looked her in the eyes.

“He's
gone, Love.” Morgan's eyes widened briefly, then she looked
down.

“Forever?”
Finlay nodded, and squeezed her hand. The information was processed
as much as could be right then, and they were silent for several
moments. Finally, Morgan attempted to change the subject back to
where it had started. She started to tell him once again that she
wanted to leave with him, to see him off at the airport like a normal
person would, but he pulled the sheet to her neck as he spoke.

“I
love ye, Morgan. I love ye in this bed, I love ye at the airport, I
love ye when I'm home. That will not change. Stay here for me,
please. Get well, and come to me.” Morgan's tears fell, and
landed on his large forearm. He looked down at the single drop and
closed his eyes. “No matter where we are, my heart is with ye,
Love. Always.” His last whispered words were all that she could
hold on to as her eyes grew heavy. He held her hand, telling her of
all the things they would do when she would visit him in Scotland.
His voice, within minutes, lulled her to sleep.

Finlay
slipped his gift into her hand, and left her there to rest. “I'll
see ye soon, Love.”

*****

“None
of that, Boo!” Angel had heard almost everything from outside
Morgan's door, and knew that when Morgan woke, she would be a wreck.
He had another task ahead of him, and he was already at her side
before the true water works began. “Just let it out, I'm here,
Stick. I'm here.” He wedged in beside her, taking something
from her hand, and Morgan moved over to share her pillow. “Come
here, it's going to be alright.” He gently reached up and
pushed her head against his chest. It would be her safe place, if
only for a short time. “That's it, it's alright.” Morgan
sniffed loudly and took a deep breath. Finlay was gone, the pain was
back, she couldn't see him to the airport, she didn't know where
Carlos was, and she had finally taken all that she could. She no
longer wanted to hide from it. She didn't want to be medicated, she
wanted to scream.

“The
fuck it's alright! It's not fucking alright!” She sat up, as
did Angel. He just watched her as rage boiled over. “He tried
to... he tried...Carlos was going to...,”