Apocalyptic pirates 4, p.3
Apocalyptic Pirates 4, page 3
“We will,” I called back.
The wind whipped Shannon’s dark hair around her face, and the long silken strands lifted in the salty air as though the ocean breeze was playing with them. The sun touched her high cheekbones and gleamed on the rifle she held, and I was overcome by a rush of feelings toward her: pride at her strength, awe at her beauty, and a kind of humble gratitude that whatever deity might be organizing these events had managed to put this amazing woman in my way.
I waved again to her. Then I shifted the bag straps higher up on my shoulders, gripped my rifle at the ready, and set out with Letty and Dia along the dock.
The path must have been an unofficial route that was used by the resort staff. It led us through a clump of palm trees and up an incline where our feet slid in the white sand, and then it curved around to the right before heading steeply up again until it met a more official-looking road that was made of gray gravel rather than sand.
We followed the road up with the gravel crunching under our feet and soon found ourselves at the gates of the resort. They were huge black metal things with fancy curlicues and embellishments at the top as though we were about to enter a vampire’s castle rather than a holiday resort.
The gates were operated by an intercom system so that anyone who wasn’t a visitor could be kept at bay, but now they hung open, and the little keypad and speaker had been smashed in.
Dia pushed the gates further, and they lolled open with a high-pitched squeal that set my teeth on edge.
“Sorry,” Dia said in a stage whisper.
“It’s like Dracula designed this entrance.” Letty shuddered.
“You can say that again,” I muttered.
Even once we were past the gates and inside the walls, the resort didn’t quite leave the horror movie vibes behind. The path changed to smooth, pale gray tiles, and there were smooth green lawns on either side that swept around and up to the building’s entrance. A single palm tree stood in the middle of each lawn, and their leaves fluttered in the breeze like bunting at an abandoned children’s party.
You’d have thought I’d be used to walking around ghost buildings by now, but there was still something about visiting somewhere like this that sent a shiver down my spine. No matter how peaceful a resort was supposed to be, it was still always full of people, and it was strange to be walking around a place that was supposed to be busy and hearing only our little crew’s footsteps echoing on the path.
“This is creepy,” Dia muttered as she tightened her grip on her gun.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I was just thinking about how many abandoned buildings we’ve raided. It’s still weird walking around them.”
“You’re not scared of ghosts, are you, Dia?” Letty gave the Latina woman a playful nudge in the side.
“No,” Dia said quickly. “I’m not. And even if I were, it’s broad daylight.”
“Maybe these are special ghosts that only come out before sundown.” Letty waggled her fingers and bugged out her eyes.
“The Ghosts of Brunches Past,” I added with a chuckle.
“Diaaaaa,” Letty intoned and stretched out her hands in front of her like a zombie. “Come for mimosaaaaaas with me and the giiiirrrrrllls.”
“I’ll give you a mimosa.” Dia darted in and poked Letty in the ribs.
The Southern woman yelped in surprise, and Dia giggled and skipped ahead of us with her fears forgotten– or at least hidden for now.
Letty laughed and ran after her. The two of them reached the hotel’s entrance and waited for me.
“Honestly.” I jogged to catch up with them. “You’re like a pair of Golden Retriever puppies. We’re here on serious business.”
“We know, we know.” Dia shrugged. “That’s why I waited for you to go in first and check the lobby.”
“Ain’t that sweet of her?” Letty chuckled.
“Thank you, Dia,” I said with mock politeness. “So thoughtful of you.”
Dia grinned, but when I nudged open the hotel door, the playfulness left her face. She raised her gun and stepped close to me. Letty followed suit, and the three of us carefully stepped into the resort lobby.
It was a large square room with a lot of gold screens and gold Art Deco-like decorations everywhere. There was a desk on either side of the room, and a golden-colored luggage trolley was overturned in the middle of the carpet.
A shiny marble staircase began by the left-hand desk. The stairs were scattered with stray items of clothing and random possessions. I spotted several socks, a pair of pants, and a hot pink lacy thing that looked like it had been bought for someone’s wedding night. Whoever it belonged to must have had their honeymoon rudely interrupted.
“I’m guessing the guests left in a hurry,” I commented.
“I bet you were right, Drew.” Letty gazed around her with her eyebrows raised. “There must be loads of stuff that they left behind.”
“I call dibs on any tops in my size.” Dia put her foot on the first step, and then she hesitated. “Drew, you think it’s a good idea to investigate upstairs?”
The fact that she’d paused and actually thought about things before charging headlong into the situation warmed me. Dia was learning from all of us.
“We need to search the kitchens,” Letty insisted.
“How about you and Drew search the kitchens while I do a sweep of the rooms upstairs?” Dia suggested. “I’ve got my phone on me, so I can call you if I see anything.”
I didn’t like the idea of the group splitting up, but I didn’t want to spend any more time than was necessary in the resort. The shooters from the dock were still present in my mind, and we couldn’t rule out the possibility that they might make another attempt to attack the yacht. Shannon was there, and she would protect Ally, but we still needed to raid the resort as quickly as possible and then get the hell out of there.
Dia was a good shot, too, and she had her gun and her knife, as well as her phone.
“Okay.” I nodded. “You go up there and see what you can find, but keep your gun up and your eyes open. If anything doesn’t feel right, you text me or come find us. Alright?”
“Okay, jefe.” Dia rolled her eyes to undercut her previous moment of sensibility, and bounded up the stairs.
“She’s the real Golden Retriever puppy,” Letty said with a smile.
“Yeah,” I laughed. “She’s certainly got the energy and spirit of one. Come on, let’s get to work.”
We searched through the front desks to see what we could find first. I pocketed some packets of aspirin and hand sanitizer, and Letty found a bunch of keys hidden in a little drawer under the desk that she took with her as well.
The dark pink and gold carpet was stained and dirty in places where it looked like some kind of animal had managed to break in and take a nap in one of the corners. We passed through the lobby into a lounge area with some wicker and pink velvet armchairs, and apparently something had thought they looked comfortable because there were prints and a muddy trail leading to and from the biggest armchair.
“What do you suppose that’s from?” Letty wrinkled her nose. “I doubt it’s a raccoon or fox.”
“Maybe a monkey?” I suggested. “Or there might be stray dogs nearby.”
There was a bar in the lounge area, and a heavy gold and black door at the far end. We went behind the bar and hauled open the door, which led to a short corridor. At the end of it was a swinging door that led through to a large kitchen.
“Yes!” Letty hurried through and began opening cupboards and scanning the shelves.
I followed her and went to the huge fridge. I hauled open the door and immediately recoiled as the stench of sour milk and moldy cheese rolled out of the fridge.
“Oh, gross,” I mumbled.
But it was still running at least. The hotel must have had a backup generator, so if there were survivors on the island, it didn’t seem like they had the knowledge or inclination to use it.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Dia’s number.
She answered almost at once.
“Drew, what is it?” she demanded. “Are you guys in trouble?”
“No,” I replied in amusement. “I’m just checking in. How does it look up there?”
“All deserted,” she reported. “There’s tons of shit up here. I’m going through all the rooms and trying to collect together all the things I think we could use. I’ve got my gun and my phone right by me.”
“That all sounds good to me,” I replied. “Letty and I are in the kitchen now.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll let you get on with that.”
“We won’t be long,” I assured her. “See you soon.”
I hung up the phone and got back to work.
Letty and I made our way through the kitchen. We emptied out the drawers, got to the backs of the cupboards, ransacked the larders and crates and containers… At the end of it, we had a grand total of two apples, a can of chickpeas, a carrot, and half a bag of gluten-free macaroni.
“This is so damn annoying.” Letty huffed out her breath in disappointment. “I was so sure we would find supplies, but there’s hardly anything here.”
“I wonder if the people who shot earlier have been using the kitchen,” I mused. “That would explain why there’s not more rotting fresh food.”
“Did you see that bag of potatoes in the cupboard over the sink?” Letty wrinkled her nose in disgust. “I could have put my finger right through them, they were that moldy.”
“Yeah, this hasn’t been the greatest success, has it?” I offered Letty one of the apples and bit into the other one myself.
It was old and wrinkled, but even so, I hadn’t had an apple in weeks. The moment the taste hit my tongue, my mind was flooded with memories: stopping for gas on a work trip and eating an apple in the brief break from driving, cutting up fruit for Sammy to take to school, grocery shopping and trying to remember whether it was yellow apples or green that Sammy’s friends liked best.
So many memories, but they all felt like they belonged to another lifetime. What had once been so commonplace that it would never be remarked on now felt like strange and unfamiliar scenes taken from a science-fiction movie. Even though my current life was closer to a movie, it was the image of grocery shopping for organic apples that seemed bizarre to me now.
“Drew?” Letty asked softly. “What are you thinking?”
“Oh, nothing,” I sighed. “Just about Sammy, and home, and how things were before.”
The Southern woman stepped closer to me and put her arms around my waist. She gazed up at me with her large, soft, dark eyes.
“You’ll see Sammy soon,” she assured me. “And your parents. Ally says we’re making good progress.”
“I know, I know.” I threw the remainder of my apple core into the dirty sink. “It just hits me sometimes, you know? How different everything is now. How much has changed in such a short time.”
“I know exactly what you mean.” Letty nodded. “It feels unreal, like any moment, I could wake up and find out that it’s all been a dream. A nightmare.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s a nightmare.” I smiled down at her and cupped her soft cheek with my hand. “Finding you guys has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”
“Really?” Letty’s cheeks flushed.
“I wouldn’t trade this for anything,” I murmured, and I tipped her lips up to meet mine.
Letty’s lips were soft, and her mouth tasted of apples, of hope and promises, and the dream of a new life that was getting closer and closer every day.
She sighed and melted against me. Her hands wound around my neck and pulled me deeper into the kiss. Our mouths were hungry, and our tongues searched for each other tenderly and eagerly for a long moment.
Finally, we broke the kiss and paused for breath.
Letty smiled up at me.
“You make all of this worthwhile,” she told me.
“So do you.” I smoothed back her hair from her forehead. I loved the texture of Letty’s curls, and how her corkscrew curls sprang up under my hand.
Letty giggled suddenly.
“What is it?” I asked her with a smile.
“I was just thinkin’.” She smiled and shook her head. “The places we end up are never where we think they’re going to be, are they? When I was a little girl, I had dreams of a husband and a house and a career as a celebrity chef. Now I’m on a yacht, sharing a man with two other women, and my ingredients are a packet of ready-made pasta and a can of chickpeas.”
“I don’t think any of us could have predicted this,” I said. “But does it bother you?”
“Which part?” Letty looked up at me, and the angle showed off her throat and the deep cleft of her cleavage.
“Sharing,” I said after a moment when I’d collected myself.
“Oh, no,” Letty exclaimed and then gave a little laugh. “I mean, it’s probably not what my aunty envisioned for me, and I can’t say that it ever crossed my mind that I’d be in a situation like this. But no, it doesn’t bother me. I like it, actually.”
“Really?” I pushed.
“Yes.” She nodded. “I like the idea that we’re all joined together in that way. And love doesn’t have limits or boundaries. It just feels right. I think all of our hearts are big enough for each other. I love Shannon and Ally. And I love you.”
My heart melted, and a warm fierce rush of love swept through me. It engulfed all of my senses. Every corner of my heart was filled with the true and pure emotions that Letty roused in me.
“I love you, too,” I told her in a husky voice.
Our lips touched again in soft, gentle caresses that both fired me up and filled me with the feeling of comfort and safety.
I cupped Letty’s cheek in my hand and covered her face with kisses.
Letty closed her eyes and rested her cheek on my palm. Then she sighed.
“We should go and find Dia,” she said. “I don’t think we’re going to find anything useful down here.”
“No,” I agreed. “But don’t get too down on the place yet. We still need toiletries and such, and that’s more likely to be upstairs.”
I took her hand and squeezed it, and we walked hand in hand out of the kitchen and back through the lounge to the lobby.
We climbed the staircase and came up to the second floor. A long hallway stretched out in both directions. The floor was covered in more of the pink and gold carpet from downstairs, and the walls were hung with prints of palm trees, leopards, toucans, and flamingos.
“I don’t understand why rich people have such bad taste.” Letty raised an eyebrow and gestured toward a picture of a bird of paradise that hung on the wall. It was brightly colored, but the bird had an oddly constipated expression on its face, and the overall effect was weird rather than realistic.
“Maybe it’s modern art,” I chuckled.
“Maybe.” Letty rolled her eyes. “What’s the point of a picture that you need to have a college education in order to understand? Just make pretty pictures, folks, it doesn’t have to be that complicated.”
“Well,” I teased. “When we rebuild the world, you can take over as editor of the New Yorker, and you can decide what goes in all the galleries.”
“And you know what?” Letty nodded firmly. “I would do a damn good job of it, too.”
“I know you would.” I pushed open the door closest to the stairs, and we went in.
“Oh, my god,” Letty groaned.
We were in a bedroom where everything was green and gold. A large sign above the sliding glass door said that this was the Palm Suite, and whoever had been in charge of the decor had taken that description very seriously. The curtains, bedsheets, cushion covers, and rugs were stamped all over with huge dark green palm leaves.
“What do you mean?” I picked up a huge gold palm leaf-shaped vase from the side table and showed it to her. “Don’t you love this?”
“I’d love to smash it,” Letty sniffed. “I tell you, if someone had tried to get me to sell a house that looked like this, I’d have advised them to burn it to the ground instead.”
“I had no idea you were so passionate about palm leaves,” I teased.
“I’m passionate about good taste,” Letty corrected. “Everything in this room hurts my eyes.”
“It is a lot,” I agreed.
“Ally would weep if she had to witness this,” the Southern woman said with a click of her tongue.
“Oh, absolutely,” I snorted. “But look… jackpot!”
There was a small pile of objects on the bed: a travel size bottle of 3-in-1 shampoo, a sample sachet of Old Spice cologne, a face cloth, a hand towel, and a silk handkerchief.
I guessed that this was the result of Dia’s searching through the room for anything potentially useful. Though why she thought we might need Old Spice cologne was anyone’s guess.
I did a discreet sniff test on myself just in case, but luckily, I was still smelling pretty damn fresh if you ask me.
“Who do you think these belonged to?” I touched the silk handkerchief to feel how smooth it was.
“Some banker on a weekend retreat,” Letty guessed. “He didn’t want to come, but his anger management therapist said it would be good for him. He bought the Old Spice because he hoped he’d meet someone because he’s secretly a little bit romantic, but he took the 3-in-1 because he’s also practical.”
“Wow.” I whistled. “Look at you, Sherlock.”
“It’s just guesses,” Letty smiled. “But I think I’m pretty good at readin’ people. And it doesn’t take a genius to know that 3-in-1 shampoo is a serious cry for help.”
“It saves so much time, though,” I said, and then laughed at the outraged expression on Letty’s face.
We left the Palm Suite and headed into the next room.
This one was decorated with obnoxiously bright pictures of parrots. I noticed the bright red rug and enormous photo of a scarlet macaw on the wall above the bed.
But then my attention was completely lost because Dia was standing in front of the closet door looking in the mirror.
And she was only wearing her panties.
