The Collected

“I can walk on my own,” Nate said. He tried pulling from the man’s grasp, but Janus held tight, and alternated between jerking and shoving him all the way back to the hallway where the cells were located.

As they passed the door of the cell farthest from Nate’s, Janus reached over and pounded on it. “Wakie, wakie, Petey. You next.”

Once Nate’s door was open, Janus sent him into the room with a shove to his shredded back. Nate pressed his lips shut to prevent any sound of the pain he felt from escaping.

He stumbled over to his mattress and lay down. Two things stuck in his mind from his trip out of his cell. The first was Isla de Cervantes. It apparently had something to do with the reason he was here. And while he might not know why, one of his cellmates should. Unfortunately, he couldn’t just come right out and ask them. One of the cards he still held was that he wasn’t who everyone thought he was, and that was a secret he wanted to keep for now. Not knowing the significance of Isla de Cervantes could betray him to the others.

The second thing he’d noted happened right before he was locked back up. Janus had knocked on the door of the far cell, the one Nate was sure belonged to the prisoner who had called himself Jonathan.

Only Jonathan wasn’t what Janus had called him.

Wakie, wakie, Petey.

Now Nate realized why the guy’s voice had sounded so familiar.

CHAPTER 36

Whoever was in the Ford sedan would want to be in a position where they could see the car Quinn, Orlando, and Daeng had left at the gate, but not be seen by the three of them as they walked around the property.

Daeng figured that after the last time the car had driven by, it would have probably parked in the trees along the gentle rise in the road less than a quarter mile back toward the highway.

Quinn scanned the fence that ran parallel to the road. “They shouldn’t be able to see us approach from the end of the runway, and that should put us on their far side.”

It was agreed, with some resistance, that Orlando would wait until she received the signal from Quinn before proceeding to the car and driving it toward the highway. That settled, Quinn and Daeng skirted along the edge of the runway until they reached the end, then sprinted across the empty field up to the fence.

There was no conveniently loose barbed wire there. Quinn climbed up first, and draped his jacket over the wires for protection. Daeng followed. Once on the other side, they worked their way over to the road.

Sure enough, the Ford sedan was there, a man sitting in the driver’s seat. A second person stood outside just beyond the vehicle, partially hidden in the brush and looking toward the gate where the rental was parked.

Quinn pulled out his phone and sent Orlando a text:

NOW

He and Daeng moved in as close as they could safely get without being detected. Since neither of them was armed, Quinn thought it best to avoid a confrontation. He simply wanted to get a look at whoever the people were and note the car’s plate number. What he really wanted to do was turn the tables on them later and see where they went, because nine times out of ten, it was who the tail reported to that was important, not the followers themselves.

When the person standing in the brush suddenly tensed, Quinn guessed Orlando had been spotted. A moment passed, then the watcher headed quickly out of the bushes toward the car.

Quinn jerked his head back, sure his eyes were playing tricks on him.

The passenger door of the Ford opened, and the woman who’d been outside started to climb in.

“Is that-” Daeng began.

The words were enough to shake Quinn out of his shock. He popped out of their hiding place and grabbed the door just before it shut.

There was a shout of surprise from inside, and the engine roared.

“Shut it down,” Quinn said, staring across at the driver.

The man, looking like he was about to have a heart attack, fumbled with the key and turned the engine off.

Quinn’s attention refocused on the woman in the passenger seat, the woman who couldn’t possibly be glaring back at him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“What do you think?” Liz said. “Trying to find Nate.”

Orlando started the rental and backed it into the street. Keeping her pace unhurried, she headed down the road toward the highway. The hill wasn’t a large one, and as she crested it, she expected to see the car gone, and Quinn and Daeng farther down the road waiting for her. Instead she found Quinn leaning into the other car, and Daeng standing nearby.

She slammed on the brakes and jumped out, in case they needed help.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“A hundred dollars says you won’t believe it,” Daeng said. He poked his finger a few times toward the inside of the cab.

Orlando leaned down and looked in. “What the…” She stepped over to the driver’s door and wrenched it open. The driver had been looking the other way and almost fell out, but Orlando paid him no attention. “Liz?”

Quinn’s chest was moving up and down, anger swarming across his face. His sister was doing a pretty fair job of keeping pace with his mood.

“Hey! You two. Stop it,” Orlando ordered. “Acting all upset isn’t going to change anything. Just calm down and let’s all have a nice little chat.”

“Please, please, I’ve done nothing,” the driver said. “You can have my wallet if you want. Please, just let me go.”

Quinn’s and Liz’s eyes were locked on each other, neither wanting to be the first to look away.

“We’re not going to hurt you,” Orlando said to the driver. “We don’t want your money or anything. Everything is going to be fine.” She looked across the cab again. “Liz, why don’t you get out so we can let this nice gentleman go?”

She didn’t move.

“Quinn, step out of the way so she can get out.”

He didn’t move, either.

It was as if Orlando hadn’t said anything at all. With a look of determination, she headed around the car and didn’t stop until she was right next to Quinn.

“For God’s sake, it’s like you two are the same person!”

She ducked under the arm Quinn had braced against the car, and pushed him in the chest, forcing him to take a couple steps backward. Not stopping there, she turned, grabbed Liz’s arms, and pulled her out of the car. As she did, she spotted a backpack in the rear seat.

“Is that yours?” she asked.

Liz blinked. “What?”

Orlando thrust her chin at the car. “The bag? Yours?”

A quick glance. “Yes.”

Orlando opened the back door and pulled it out. “Any more?”

“No. That’s it.”

Orlando leaned into the open front passenger doorway. “Okay, my friend. Sorry for any problems.” She pulled a hundred dollars from her pocket and tossed it on the seat. “You can take off.”

The driver immediately cranked the key and dropped the car into Drive, as if worried she might change her mind. With a spin of tires, he was gone.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Quinn yelled.

“I already told you!” Liz volleyed back, matching his tone and volume.