Secretariat Reborn (34 page)

Unsure of what had happened, Christian frantically wiggled, trying to worm his way out from beneath the heavy corpse. If he could get out of the hole, he might be able to slither across the ground and hide in the brushes before Price returned.

The woods were suddenly silent. Except for the sound of the nocturnal swamp creatures, the running feet, gunshots, and yells had stopped. Christian lay still and listened for several long, agonizing minutes, his sweat dripping and stinging his eyes. He then heard the low drone of approaching voices.

“Get that prick off him,” said a man, “and get him out.”

Abbas’s body was pushed off Christian who squinted with the glare of bright flashlights on his face. Two men lifted him out of the hole and laid him on the ground.

“Untie him,” the man said. “Kid, are you okay, kid?”

Christian knew the voice. “Sal, is that you?”

Sal chuckled. “Yeah, bet this is the first time you’re happy to see me.”

Freed of his bonds, Christian sat up. “Shit, man, I’ve never been happier to see anyone.”

Sal laughed again. He reached down and grabbed Christian’s chin, turning and examining his face. “Did they hurt ya?”

“I’m good.” Christian attempted to stand, but his legs were like rubber, and he crumbled to the dirt. His body trembled.

“Sit a while. You’ve had a pretty good scare,” said Sal. “Your adrenaline is screwin’ with ya. You’re probably also sufferin’ from a little shock.” Sal turned to another man. “Go to my car and get a blanket out of the trunk.”

Christian stayed on the ground and held his crossed arms. He stared down at the lifeless man in the hole and reflected on his own mortality. “I thought I was dead,” he murmured.

“It was close,” said Sal. “We were afraid to shoot while that fucker pointed a gun at your head.” He took out his cell phone and placed a call. “We got him. Caught up with them on US 41 in the Glades. Yeah, he’s a little shook up, but all right. Okay, we’ll see ya in a few hours.” He closed the phone.

Christian looked up at Sal. “That was Vince?”

Sal raised an eyebrow. “Ever since you told the boss about your scam with these assholes, he’s been worried.”

“I never dreamed they’d come after me.”

“That’s cause you’re wet behind the ears. If you’re gonna mess with bad guys, ya’d better learn to think like ’em. Vince figured you might get targeted, so he had one of our guys tail you. Our man saw the kidnapping and called in the troops.”

Sal pulled out a foot-long cigar and lit it. “We had to drive like maniacs on that freeway to catch up with the van. Then they pulled off on this damn trail, and we had to walk through this fucking swamp. And, kid, I’m scared to death of snakes.” The man returned with the blanket, and Sal wrapped it around Christian’s shoulders.

“Thank you, Sal. I owe you my life.” Now that it was over, Christian couldn’t contain his emotions. He sniffled and wiped his runny nose and damp face on a corner of the blanket.

Sal patted Christian’s back. “It’s all right to be upset, but when we get back, it’s Vince you oughta thank. Never realized how much the boss cared about you until these stinking Arabs nabbed you. Jesus, he went ballistic.”

Sal took a puff from the cigar and watched the smoke trail disappear into the night. “Ya know Vince was married twenty-somethin’ years ago. His wife was a pretty blonde with big blue eyes, but that little gal could dish out some shit. Vince just took it. He adored her. Anyway, they had a son, looked like his mother, but the baby died after a few months from crib death. Soon after, Vince’s wife overdosed on pills. Losing his family that year, it nearly destroyed the boss.”

Christian gazed at the ground. “He never told me any of this.”

Sal flicked the ash off the cigar. “He don’t like talkin’ about it. Ya know, I couldn’t figure why the boss put up with your bullshit and let you walk that first night after the boat ride. Got me to thinkin’. Standing up to him, cocky as hell, you acted just like Vince’s wife and, if his boy had lived, he’d be your age and probably resemble you. Then, to top things off, you pulled Vince from the drink and saved his neck. He’s proud of you, kid. I think Vince sees you as the son he might’ve had.”

Christian nodded, more to himself than to Sal. He understood at last. “I like Vince, too.”

“Well, we need to get going. Think you can make it to my car?”

Christian managed to stand but was still wobbly. He gazed up at the stars and thought about his real father.
Thank you, Dad. You said you’d look out for me
.

They walked through the woods toward the dirt road. Christian glanced over his shoulder, hearing men’s voices in the distance. Through the brush and trees, he saw beams of flashlights. “What about Price and the other guy?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sal said. “Let’s just say they’ll never bother you again.”

On the ride back to Sarasota, Sal and Christian sat in the backseat with one of Sal’s men driving. Sal took out his cell phone and handed it to Christian. “Better call your girl and make up some excuse that you’re staying out tonight. You’re not in any shape to go home. And it’s wise she don’t know about tonight.”

Christian took the phone, glancing down at his filthy clothes that were also stained with the dead man’s blood. He tapped the keys. “Hey, Allie.”

“Christian, I was just leaving for the marina. I tried to call you a million times and have been worried sick.”

“I—” He coughed and cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. Sal and Vince stopped by. We had a few drinks, and I lost track of the time. And I lost my cell on a dock. It fell into the water. That’s why I’m
using Sal’s. Listen, I’m a little wasted, so I’m crashing at Vince’s. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Fine, but I wish you’d find better drinking buddies.”

He glanced at Sal. “Isn’t there something about not judging a horse by his color? Believe it or not, Sal and Vince are good friends.”

“Whatever, Christian,” she said. “Love you, see you in the morning.”

“Ah—Allie, I love you, too. Really, really love you.”

She giggled. “Maybe you shouldn’t drive. You do sound a bit smashed.”

Two week later, Christian and Allie were sitting in the kitchen having lunch when a large white horse van bearing the sheik’s stable name pulled into the farm. Allie looked out the window. “What the hell? What’s the sheik’s van doing here?”

“I have no clue,” Christian said. They walked outside and approached the van. The driver and another man left the cab.

“Are you Christian Roberts?” the driver asked.

“Yes,” said Christian.

The driver nodded to the other man, who proceeded to the back of van and opened the door. “I need you to sign off on this horse,” said the driver. “Sheik Abdul say he has no further use of it.”

Allie followed the other man to the back. He led the horse out, and she screeched, “It’s Mystery, Christian!”

“I don’t understand,” Christian said to the driver.

“Look, I’m just the delivery guy. Do you want the horse or not?”

“Absolutely,” Christian said and signed the shipping paper.

After the van left, Christian walked down the drive toward the barn with Allie leading Mystery. “Why do you suppose the sheik gave Mystery back to you?” she asked.

“I’m not sure, but I’m betting Vince had something to do with it. Last time we fished, I told him everything about the cloning and scam and mentioned I was bummed because the sheik won’t sell Mystery back to me.”

“Vince? You really believe he has that much pull, especially over a sheik?” she asked when they reached the barn.

“People don’t argue with Vince.”

Allie swung Mystery around in the aisle and led him into his old stall. “Well, the man does owe you his life. Maybe Vince did get Mystery back for you.”

A few hours later Christian left the farm and drove toward Vince’s house on the key, wanting to learn if he had anything to do with the sheik returning Mystery. And, if so, thank him.

Vince opened his front door. “Christian, this is a nice surprise. Come in.”

Christian walked inside. “I also got a nice surprise a few hours ago. The sheik returned my colt. I’m guessing you had a hand in it.”

“Well, indirectly.” Vince grinned. “After that unfortunate incident in the Everglades, Sal and a few of the boys flew to Kentucky and met with the sheik. One of his men had apparently lost a fancy curved knife. Sal returned it to the sheik and said that if anything else happened to you, more than a knife would go missing. With the disappearance of his trainer and the two Arabian men, the sheik got the message. Learned you had some scary friends. Sal also mentioned you’d like your horse back.”

Christian thought of the power play of shady characters within the Thoroughbred business, an American gangster flexing his muscles against a wealthy Arab sheik who was probably acquainted with more than one terrorist—not your everyday playground.

“Thank you, Vince.”

In the barn, Christian took the tack off Hunter after an hour-long ride in the woods and picked up a currycomb. On the crisp winter day, the chestnut gelding didn’t even have saddle sweat marks. While Hunter ate hay, Christian groomed the red coat and reflected on his father.

Dad had said, “I’m going to make things square between us.” His father had lived up to his promise, the dream fulfilled. Christian couldn’t imagine a more perfect life. He had given his boat rental business to Jake but built a large garage on the farm where he could walk out the door and restore old sailboats at his leisure. The diversion gave him a sense of accomplishment, and he was too young to retire.

He had also found and purchased the sailboat he’d always wanted, a forty-seven-foot Catalina with all the luxuries necessary to sail around the world, if he so desired. The sloop was docked at Marina Jack a few blocks from the Sarasota downtown waterfront. Rather than have the inconvenience of paddling in a dinghy to an offshore boat, he could park his SUV, walk down the dock, and step aboard.

Allie continued to train and race a few horses, but with Juan’s help, it was more of a pastime rather than hard daily work, and she didn’t have the pressure of making ends meet.

Mystery, initially, had a rough time adjusting to retirement on the quiet farm. The first few months he would whinny in the morning, wanting someone to climb on his back and exercise him on the
track. Instead, he was turned loose in a large pasture where he revisited his old foal habit and raced in a large circle, quitting only when lathered and breathing hard.

It distressed Christian, watching the magnificent colt tear up the pasture in frustration. With a Thoroughbred’s competitive nature, Mystery truly loved and missed racing, and he had the potential to be the greatest Thoroughbred alive. Instead, he had sadly ended up on a little-known farm in a little-known place. Secretariat probably experienced the same bewilderment when retired in his prime.

With the arrival of the first quarter horse mare, Mystery’s focus shifted from racing to breeding. Although he couldn’t produce a registered Thoroughbred foal, his stud card began to fill with warm bloods, quarter horses, and Arabians, the mare owners hoping to produce a foal with his looks and speed for barrel racing, jumping, and other hobbyhorse sports.

Mystery didn’t seem to mind that they weren’t Thoroughbreds. After all, a girl is a girl. He settled down, content with his new role as a stud.

As Christian left Hunter’s stall, Allie walked into the barn. “I finished packing your SUV and am ready to go,” she said, “unless you’ve changed your mind. We could stay home this weekend.”

“No, I want to go,” he said and patted Hunter good-bye. “I just need a quick shower, and we’re off.”

They walked up the drive to the house, and Christian cleaned up. His mind wasn’t on the lazy days ahead of sailing and fishing aboard the boat, but on the small box holding a diamond ring that he had hidden from Allie in his dresser. She truly was his soul mate. They shared the same goals and mind-set, enjoying and loving similar things. She was beautiful, confident, and smart, but also scrappy, refusing to take flak from anyone, including him. He had met his match and was totally in love with her. The time had come to take the next step, pop the big question, and make a lifetime commitment.

Although Allie had told him she would never remarry, he felt sure she had changed her mind, especially when their discussion turned to kids. They both wanted a few, someday.

After dressing, he slipped the ring into his jacket pocket and hoped to surprise her on the boat with the marriage proposal. While they drove toward town, Allie glanced at Christian. “You’ve been awfully quiet today, in your own little world.”

“I have stuff on my mind.”

“Stuff, huh?” she said. “You never said how lunch went with your mother yesterday.”

He gave her a sideward glance. “Lunch was fine. Mom’s fine. Everything was great.”

“It was just a little unusual, you and your mom meeting alone for lunch.”

“Is it okay that I spend time with my mother?” he sniped.
Damn her instincts. She knows something’s up, knows when I’m being less than truthful
. There was no lunch. Instead his mother had helped him pick out the ring.