Audio, Mystery/Thriller 1

                                                                                                    Chapter 1

Lisbon, Portugal

The black Mercedes followed the young woman along the street.

Again Mia, a young woman with wavy, short black hair, glanced over her shoulder. Yes, the car was still creeping along behind her. As she raised her cell phone, her heart pounded as though she had run a race.

“I’m in trouble,” whispered Mia into the phone, her hands shaking.

The woman at the other end said, “Your professor said it was dangerous to go into the archives.”

“Sophy, I took photos.”

“Of the forbidden documents?” asked Mia’s friend, alarm in her voice.

“Yes. There’s a car following me. What should I do?”

“Run!”

“To where?” Mia looked over her shoulder, heart pounding. The car was coming closer.

“I don’t know. Call that professor. Maybe he can help.”

Mia hung up and scrolled through text messages until she found the number of her old professor and dialed.

“Oh Mia, my dear,” said the familiar voice on the other end. “You called all the way to India. For the love of God, tell me you did not search those archives.”

 “Dr. Singh, help me. Men are following me. You were right. I found a huge plot involving the Knights Templar. Now I’m afraid for my life.”

“Oh child, those men are killers. I’m going to get in touch with an old friend named Jason Dalton, who may be able to help you.”

“But I need help now.”

The Mercedes stopped at the end of the street. Two men with broad shoulders and military haircuts, tattoos across their necks, pulled on blazers that covered the pistols hanging against their ribs. One of them pointed, and they walked toward Mia.

“Oh no, Doctor. Two men that look like club bouncers are coming.” Mia grabbed her laptop and hurried into a café, pushed her way through the kitchen, and hurried out the back door.

“Go into hiding,” shouted Singh, jumping to his feet. “Destroy your phone. Run! Find a friend’s house and stay there. Do not go outside. Do not go to the police.”

Singh waited for her to respond, but the call had been terminated. The pudgy doctor bumped into the masseuse table and pushed away the two women who a moment earlier had been working on his back with scented oils.

For a moment he stood in thought, then threw his cell phone to the ground and stomped on it. “Oh, I love my phone! I’m very sorry,” he said, grabbing the broken device and tearing out the SIM card.

His belly shook as he wrapped a cloth around his waist. Once he was covered, he dropped into a teak chair and waved away the boy carrying a pitcher of tea.

“My God,” he said, overwhelmed with the gravity of the situation. “If that call was traced, they’ll come for Soloman’s Key.”

 

Chapter 2

 

Puerto Morelos, Mexico

The green taxi pulled off the road and parked in the shade of palm trees that danced slowly in the Caribbean breeze. The driver looked over his shoulder. “Very good beach. Many tourist. You like.”

“Oh,” cried Jax, opening her door and stepping out in flip-flops.

Dalton climbed out and handed the driver a couple of bills.

Nick stood beside him and laughed. “Look at you two, all covered with oil, carrying towels and snorkeling equipment. What a couple of tourists you are.”

Jax stopped on the sandy trail to the beach. “Ha,” she said. “You’re the one with white turkey legs. Have those things ever seen sunlight?”

Dalton laughed and walked with Nick. “I wasn’t looking at those drumsticks. I couldn’t get past that plastic thing over your nose. Is that connected to your sunglasses?”

Nick leaned his head to one side. “My nose gets sunburned. I’m sorry, but I have red hair. I’m sensitive in the sun.”

“You’re not going to meet any women with that stupid thing on your nose,” said Jax.

Dalton elbowed Nick. “She’s right. You won’t get laid by any hot tourist women.”

“Oh my God.” Nick shook his head. “I thought we were here to swim in the Caribbean. Does my sex life have to be the topic again?”

“No,” said Dalton. “Let’s talk about your lack of a sex life.”

“Very funny.” Nick grabbed Dalton’s arm, holding him in place while Jax went on ahead. When she was twenty feet away, he said, “I saw a car with US plates four times today. They were asking questions.”

“You think they’re tracking us?”

“You tell me.”

“No, they’re not going to come all the way down here. That business is past. Let’s move on.” Dalton tapped Nick’s nose shield and walked down the path. He found the spot where Jax had laid her towel and purse, took off his shirt, dropped it in the sand and called to a coconut vendor. 

The vendor selected coconuts from an assortment that his helper was carrying, set them one at a time on his little cart, and chopped the tops off with a machete.

Dalton pushed the coconut into the sand so that it stood with the straw sticking straight up and ran to the edge of the Caribbean. He changed his stride once he entered the water, taking awkward steps until he could run no further. Then he dove and came to the surface beside Jax.

“See babe,” said Jax, touching his arm as she untangled the strap of her diving mask, “wouldn’t this be a wonderful place to raise a child?”

Dalton wiped the salt water from his face and looked along the beach. “Yes. It would be a great place. I just want to know that we’re safe.”

From up on the beach, Nick shouted: “Run some water through the snorkel before you put it in your mouth.”

“Why?” Jax tried to pull the mask on her head.

“Because you don’t want to suck a cockroach into your mouth.” Nick opened his eyes wide and nodded when she looked over.

“Oh! That’s terrible.” She dipped the snorkel and mask several times underwater and lifted it over her head as water poured out of the snorkel like water from a spigot.

“It’s so warm,” said Dalton as he came out of the water and walked along the beach. He picked up a towel from beside Nick, spread it out on the warm sand, and lay down.

“Have you noticed that everywhere we go in town there’s one of those Indians watching us?”

Dalton followed Nick’s gaze and saw a young man kneeling in a patch of grass in an empty lot.   

“He’s Mayan.”

“Whatever.”

“You think someone’s watching us?”

“I do. Why can’t I carry a weapon?”

“Dude, this is Mexico. Guns are serious trouble with the law down here. Besides, you need to think about getting a woman. Forget about carrying a weapon. Look up there at the hotel bar. There’s two young women. Go talk to them.”

“I can’t just talk to them. Are you crazy?”

Dalton shook his head and laughed. “Why not?”

“Because, like, duh, they wear make-up and perfume. And they have boobs. How can you talk when they have all that? My mouth gets dry and I can’t swallow. Then I can’t talk and they think I’m stupid.” He looked down. “But I’m working on it.”

“Sure you are. Jax and I are having dinner on the square. Why don’t you join us?”

“Boss, what about the people watching us?”

“You’re paranoid. Don’t talk to me. Talk to those women.”

“What about the car with US plates, and the driver asking about us?”