Around the World in 80 Men Boxed Set 31-35 (8 page)

Angel
walked out of Morgan's room, and nearly ran face first into Finlay.
“I said go away.”

“
Did
you load Morgan's pink bag into the taxi?” Angel put his hands
on his hips. He knew for a fact he hadn't touched it because he'd
been dealing with her largest bag, which at the time felt heavier
than he.

“
No.”
Finlay kept walking without so much of a glance at Angel, and walked
out the front door. He had other business to attend to.

“
Fuck
you too, Finny Mouse.” Angel went back into Morgan's room and
sat down on the bed once more. He didn't have Anthony's number,
but... “Tan Man!” He remembered Tanner was in Costa Rica,
but another painful realization hit him at the same time. “Not
one mothafucka' told you.”

Finlay
needed to get out of the room, he needed to think. He was supposed to
get two messages from Mendez;
a storm is brewing
and
the
sky is clear.
The message he had just received, was neither of
the two.

“
It's
cloudy. What the fook is that supposed te mean?” He spoke to
himself as he waited for the elevator to open. Cloudy.
It means
things aren't clear.
His heart began to race. Something was
wrong, and things weren't going as planned. He walked into the
elevator and placed one hand on the wall above him as it descended.
“He escaped.” The thought hit him, as the elevator
reached the first floor. Finlay didn't know how it happened, he
didn't even care to ask. He had to tell Anthony.

“
Angel?
How ya doin', mate?” The last time Angel had called him, he'd
been on a flight to Hawaii within the hour.
Good thing Morgan is
only an hour away.
He was headed back from his trip, happy with
all he'd caught. Even a mahi mahi, which he'd happily sent a picture
of to Morgan as he'd promised himself.

Angel
didn't want to be the one to tell Tanner the news and he knew he had
to lie, which was something he was terrible at. But bringing one more
person to Morgan's side when all she wanted to do was hide was
something that he couldn't do. “Tan Man, Stick left a bag at
Antonio's house and I need you to mail it to her. In...”
Not
mothafuckin' Iowa. What is it?
Angel walked to the desk beside
the bed and saw the address for the hotel. “Ohio.”

“
Ohio?
What? She's in Ohio?”
“That's what I just fuckin'
said. Yes, Boo. Iowa.” Angel sat back down on the bed and
pulled at one of his curls. Again, not something he would normally
do, but his nerves were shot.

“
She...she
didn't even tell me? I thought....” He knew she still had a
little time in Costa Rica, and why wouldn't she tell him she was
leaving? He pulled over to the side of the road, hoping to get the
rest of the story out of Angel.

Angel
looked around the room, hoping for anything to guide him to a
response. “Julie Annie needed her here, that's all I know.”

“
Here?
You're there? You're with her?”

“
I'll
text you the addresses.” Angel hung up on Tanner, leaving the
man with more questions than he could deal with.

Chapter
Eight

Tanner's
hands came down hard against the steering wheel of his rental car. He
was furious at Morgan, and at Angel for keeping the truth from him.
What was the truth? That's what he kept asking himself as his fingers
gripped the wheel with all of his strength. “Why, Morgan?!
Why!” He yelled as he started the car, hoping to keep himself
together long enough to find a bar that would offer him a cold drink
to help him think. The sun was rising, but he told himself that it
was still technically
night
, and there would have to be bars
open twenty four hours somewhere.

Five minutes later, he slammed the car to a halt in front of the
first bar that he came to outside of town. His long legs carried him
straight through the front door, and he sat at the first stool he
came to at the long dusty counter. A middle aged woman looked in his
direction, seeing instantly that he was a tourist and most likely had
no idea where he had ended up. She smiled, and threw a dirty cloth
over her shoulder.

“Welcome
to the Purple Peacock. What'll ya have?”

*****

Finlay
left the hotel and walked directly to the small family diner across
the street. He didn't know exactly what to do, and that wasn't a
feeling that he was used to. Should he call, Mendez? Should he wait?
Should he fly back to Costa Rica and talk to him in person? He had no
idea, but a meal and some coffee should clear his mind enough to
figure it out, he hoped.

He
sat in the brightly lit dining room, and only ordered his drink when
he made his decision. Finlay took his phone out and called his hired
man.

“Under
normal
circumstances,” Mendez answered without a proper
greeting. “I wouldn't accept a call.” Finlay heard the
man take a deep breath, and continue. “He... isn't with me.
There's a slight delay.” Finlay started to speak, to ask the
two dozen questions that came to mind, but Mendez cut him off. “But
I assure you, the skies will be clear very soon.” Mendez ended
the call, leaving Finlay to stare at his phone with a fury that was
almost too strong to contain.

Finlay
squeezed his phone and took a deep breath, his fingers nearly
crushing the small device as he attempted to control his thoughts.
His only intent was to call the man back, and force a better
explanation.

At
that moment, Tanner had just finished his fifth beer. He was drunk
enough to act a fool, but not drunk enough to stop caring. All he
wanted was an answer as to why Morgan left Costa Rica. Why she
left....him. He had tried calling Angel, but there was no answer.
Tanner assumed that he was being avoided, which he was, and it was
pointless to keep trying. He also called Morgan's phone several
times, but it too went to voicemail. Tanner refused to leave a
message.

It
was the mixture of the alcohol with his tormented emotions that made
him make his next call. One that changed everything.

Finlay's
eyes were closed as he brought his death gripped phone to his
forehead. When it rang out with a call, he fumbled with it quickly,
knowing that Mendez was going to give him more information. “If
ye hang up on me again, I'll fookin' kill ye myself!” Finlay's
head dropped and he instantly lowered his voice as he continued.
“That bastard nearly killed, Morgan! He would 'ave, an ye know
it! Ye should want to kill him just for that.” Finlay's teeth
clenched and he took a quick breath. He knew that a hit man had no
feelings for Morgan, but it still didn't stop him from demanding that
he should. “Now ye lost him, and so help me Christ...if he
comes after her here, I'll kill the both of ye!” Silence on the
other end of the line made him continue. “Now, ye have three
seconds te tell me where ye lost the bastard.” Silence. Finlay
stood and walked put carlos on the floor quickly to the diner's
large front window. “Did ye at least get him out of the Purple
Peacock? Did ye?!” Silence. Finlay was ready to explode. “Where
is he?!” He no longer cared that people were staring. He was
about to walk outside where he would be free to shout, but he was
stopped with the first words from the other end of the call.

Tanner's
heart raced as he listened to the story from Finlay. Morgan had been
attacked. Her attacker was to be dealt with, and had gotten away. The
story was simple, the meaning was horrific.

His
hands trembled as he took several deep breaths. He had heard enough
to put it together, and his mind went from nearly numb to forming a
strategy that only Finlay could help him with.

“I'm
in Costa Rica, Mate.” Tanner ran his hand across his eyes,
rubbing away the moisture before speaking again. “Send me all
of the information that ya can. I'll find him.” Finlay's eyes
grew wide, then closed with regret. He'd just told Tanner what
happened, and the pain at hearing Tanner was also still in Costa Rica
was something else that had to be filed away for the moment.

There
was no other option for Finlay. He knew Mendez wouldn't answer the
phone a second time and with Carlos free, there was no time for
Finlay to fly back to Costa Rica and take care of it. Tanner was
there, Anthony was there. Finlay didn't like it, but they would have
to handle it without him.

The
Scot took a deep breath and pushed his pride aside.
This is for
Morgan.
“Her last
visit
,” Finlay spoke in a
quiet tone, “his name is Anthony. Find him, he will tell you
what you need to know. I will text you the address.” He still
had Anthony's information saved on his phone, and it would be better
if Tanner was told everything in person.

“
Already
have it,” Tanner admitted. Finlay thought to ask why, but kept
his mouth shut. He didn't need to know. “You mentioned the
Purple Peacock, is that where he was?” Tanner finished his beer
and slammed it hard on the dirty counter. He hadn't taken the time to
look around, and the place truly was disgusting.

“
Aye,”
Finlay answered, his curiousity piqued. Tanner asked for the room
number, and Finlay quickly told him.

“
Thanks,
mate. I'll give it a check to make sure.” It was understood
between the two men that Tanner was already there, but neither spoke
a word. They agreed to stay informed, and hung up. Tanner was up the
creaky wooden stairs before Finlay slid his phone into his pocket.

Tanner
pushed open the broken door with his boot, and discovered quickly
that nobody was there. There were no bags, clothing, or any sign of a
human staying there, but the sight was horrendous. Blood splattered
the wall and sides of the dresser and chair Carlos had been tucked
behind, and a thin red stain lined the carpet from the corner to the
door where someone had obviously been dragged. Tanner only hoped the
blood belonged to the attacker, and if that were the case, he knew he
would be badly injured. He wished he knew more information, because
all he knew was that someone had attacked Morgan, and that man had
escaped.
Escaped from where, though?
A basement? A closet?
Another hotel? He could be hours away. Tanner left the room and ran
down the stairs as he pulled up Anthony's address from Angel's text.
I hope ya can help.

His
eyes were on his phone when he threw some money on the bar, and still
cast downward as he walked out the front door, and to the sidewalk.
It was there, from the corner of his vision, that he saw another
small trail of blood. Tanner followed the small red dots to the curb,
then walked to the right. Nothing. He turned around and walked back
to where he started, and kept going. There, not three feet from its
starting place, were several more splatters. He took a few more
steps, to find even more.

“You
were driven away.” He was standing in the street talking to
himself when a young woman approached him. He didn't know that she
was in the street, not inches from his side, until she spoke.

“My
name's, Cat. I'll make this simple.” Tanner turned suddenly and
took a step back. She smiled and took a step forward. “You're
looking for the bastard that was in two o'one, right?” Tanner's
brows came together, but he managed a slight nod. “Look, I'm a
working girl....doesn't matter if I'm naked or not.” Tanner
quickly pulled his wallet from his back pocket and pulled out two one
hundred dollar bills. Cat smiled and took the money, shoving it
inside of what little bra she was wearing. “He was in that
shed,” she turned almost completely around and pointed, “then
carried out here. Was dumped in the trunk.” She smiled, and
Tanner could easily see that the young woman had seen far too much of
the ugly parts of the world in her short life. It seemed somehow
common, or normal, for her to recite such a story.

“Ya
wouldn't happen to know where they went, would ya?” He knew
that she wouldn't know that, and it was more of a smartass comment
than a question. He ran his hand through his hair and stared in the
direction that the car had gone.

“Not
exactly. But I wouldn't need to know where he was
supposed
to
be going.” Tanner turned suddenly, his head tilted in question.
Cat put her hand out, and Tanner quickly placed a few more bills in
her palm. “Like I was saying, the driver didn't take him
anywhere. The dude seemed barely alive, but he fell from the trunk
not far from here.” Cat pointed along the tree line, and
laughed again. “Nothing but caves and trees down that way. If
he's still alive, he's hating life right now.” She shook her
head, knowing that she was out of information, and popped a loud
bubble with her gum as she turned and walked away.