“It certainly seems that way.” She was quiet for a moment then she turned the water off.
“Everything except me.”
“Thank you.”
Em walked out of the bathroom, and nudity aside, I realized just how much I loved this beautiful creature. I didn’t want anybody else.
I marveled at her physical beauty as she dressed, and when she was done, she motioned to me to do the same.
Five minutes later I opened the door and James was standing there, holding the flashlight.
“Time to dig, guys.”
I nodded. The shovels were in the truck, and we had a six-pack in the cab. It was two thirty in the morning and what could go wrong?
What indeed.
CHAPTER TWENTY
It was hot and I could taste the thick humidity in the air. The temperature was still in the eighties at three in the morning and the lingering odor of salt layered with the sweet smell of frangipani drifted across the early morning. My hands were sweating, either from the heat or my nervousness.
“Okay, Skip. Em stays on the perimeter. We scale the fence and approximate where the foundation would be.”
I was scared to death, but I seriously had high hopes. I was thinking that this thing might be doable. And if we found the information, we were going back to Mrs. T. and asking her for two million dollars as our cut. Two million bucks. I couldn’t even fathom that much money.
“Em, you’re good with all of this?”
“I’m going to walk three sides. The street side of the fence, the Ocean Air side, and the other side that you’ve yet to explore.”
James nodded in the dim light. “It doesn’t appear that you can walk the waterside. The fence goes right to the water’s edge. So, you’ll monitor the three sides and simply yell if someone seems threatening.”
“I can handle that, James.” She had never cared for his condescending attitude.
“I hope so.”
My biggest concern was keeping the two of them from killing each other until we had our information.
I walked to the fence, looked up, and told James to put his foot in my clasped hands. Once he did, I thrust him up and he was able to grab the top, pull himself up, and straddle the fence. It wasn’t razor sharp, but if he slipped and his crotch landed on the fence top I shuddered to think of the consequences.
James dropped from sight.
“Em, clasp your hands.”
She did, and I put my foot in the cup she made. Grabbing the metal fence weaving, I asked her to give me a boost.
I was up and straddling, lifting my leg and dropping into the vacant lot. James stood there, smiling.
“Don’t aim for anyone, Emily.” James had that taunt in his voice. “Just toss the shovels, dear.”
“Here they come, Jim.”
He hated being called Jim.
The first shovel landed inches from my best friend, the second much farther away. He said nothing.
We picked up the two spades and headed out to the southeast corner of the grassy property.
“There are two kinds of people in this world. Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.” James kept walking in the dim light.
“I’ve got it, James.
“I’m proud of you, grasshopper.”
We both pulled up at the same spot. It felt right. This entire mission felt right.
“I’ll try it up here.” James motioned to a plot of ground. “You, back maybe ten feet. What do you think?”
“If it’s the southeast corner there’s a lot of southeast.”
“A lot of corner.”
I stuck the shovel in the ground and felt sandy earth. The tip went deep. Pulling a chunk of sand from the ground I dug back in, wondering what the owner would think when he inspected his property in the next several days. Clumps of packed sand piled up as I kept digging.
“James, anything at all?”
“Nothing.”
I forced the blade of the shovel deeper, hoping to find a solid base. Again, nothing.
Again and again. How much sand would have accumulated over almost eighty years? Inches, feet, yards? Still, I felt we were on the right track.
“We can change locations. Move in about two or three feet.” James walked closer to the center.
“Everything okay, boys?”
Em was on the Ocean Air side. I could barely make out her soft voice.
“Nothing yet, Em.”
Five feet and I planted the shovel in the ground. Again, the same old boring nothing. Once more and I felt the jarring in my hands and arms. I’d hit a stone. A rock. I moved the head of the shovel to go around the obstacle. I hit the same surface.
“James, I may have found something.”
In the dim light I saw him jerk his head up.
“Oh, my God, Skip. Do you think it might be-”
At that very moment I saw the light. The bright beam from a boat coming straight at us.
“James. There’s a boat heading for shore, right here. They’re heading for the boat dock. We’ve got to get the hell out of here.”
“Dude, you found a solid foundation.”
“James, there’s a frigging boat about one minute from docking.”
In the warm silence I heard the clink of metal on metal. Then a creak of hinges.
“Friend, someone is opening a gate. Can’t you hear it?” I loudly whispered my comment, aware of the clanking of metal.
“Let’s get out of here.”
And that’s when I heard the dogs barking. Not just barking, but growling with a killer instinct.
I could barely see James as he ran across the property, his feet flying. He grabbed the fence on the Ocean Air side, and grasping at the metal grate he moved up the structure and reached the top, vaulting over.
I spun around and there they were. Two big, muscular, black dogs, lips peeled back, sharp teeth bared, and ready to rip human flesh. My human flesh.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Running like I’d never run before, I hit the closest fence, clawing my way up. The dogs sounded like they were moments away and I jammed my fingers into the metal web, pulling and pulling, and finally I was at the top and I perched up there before dropping down. I felt the jolt in my ankles and knees.
The hounds howled on the other side. My Em stood there, her mouth hanging open. I had the same reaction. I’d escaped. I really had.
“I never saw them coming, Skip. I was on the Ocean Air side.” She sounded breathless, speaking in a soft voice. “I am so sorry.”
And as I glanced around I saw that I’d landed on the side we’d never seen. Four small block houses ran down
