The Adventurer (13 page)

At that moment, Devon felt that his life had been INALTERABLY changed.

And he wasn’t at all certain that he wanted that to happen.

Jessica lowered her gaze. Her shoulders heaved once, then stiffened.

There was a flash of white as her teeth nipped her lower lip. She took another deep breath. “It’s getting late. “

Devon felt like he’d swallowed a rock. “Yeah, I guess it is”

She studied a squiggle of moonlight highlighting the crest of each rising swell. “We should probably leave soon. ” ‘ He nodded miserably. A strained silence stretched between them before she spoke again. “The moon is so bright that the waves seem iridescent. ” After a haphazard glance at the water, Devon did a double take. The waves didn’t just seem iridescent. They were iridescent, glowing with the refracted light of a million shiny little fish. He raised his arm in triumph and yanked down a fistful of air. “

“Yes!”

Ignoring Jessica’s startled expression, Devon quickly untied his shoes. He was tugging off his socks when the first glowing wave crashed, fragmenting into thousands of glittering particles. ” “Oh!” Jessica leapt to her feet as the undulating mass coated the sand, turning the entire beach into a twinkling wonderland. Ignoring the numbing cold, Devon rolled his jeans up to his knees. “Grab your sack. It’s show time!” With her j aw dangling comically, Jessica stood there as if rooted in the sand. “Come on. ” He tugged at her arm. “Time’s a-wastin’.” ‘ Awestruck, she gazed at the sparkling throng. “I’ve never seen anything like it. “

Devon beamed. “Yeah. Great, isn’t it? “

Her stunned expression melted into one of absolute delight, then she spun around, and shrieking gleefully, she dashed into the squirming silvery mass. In less than a heartbeat, she was toe dancing in the icy surf with foam licking her ankles and a grin bright enough to light Boston. Giggling madly, she bent to snatch a fish that was flopping at her feet and held it out like a trophy. “

“Look ! I caught one!”

The pronouncement was a bit premature. “As sl>e proudly eyed the four-inch creature, it squirted from her grasp and bounced off her nose. Startled, she backpedaled, lost her balance and sat down hard in the wet sand. The ocean rolled in to greet her, covering her thighs with frigid water and passion-crazed fish. Devon made a game attempt at a rescue but in the end, the sight of Jessica sitting in the surf, squealing and swatting a lapful of slippery grunion was too much. A mirthful snort escalated into uncontrollable chuckles and by the time he reached her, he was convulsed with laughter. He dropped in the dry sand a few feet away, helpless to do anything except hold his side and wipe his eyes. Jessica wasn t pleased. She did, however, scramble to her knees and was attempting to stand when another foamy surge knocked her face first into the surf. She emerged sputtering and spitting seawater, her soggy scarf dripping like a wet pelt.

Devon howled and fell back on the sand, holding his throbbing ribs.

Something cold and slimy hit his cheek. The effect was sobering enough that he rolled over and reared up on his elbow. Jessica, who was still kneeling in the surf, was blindly feeling around the murky water. “Aha!” With a smug grin, she extracted a wriggling grunion and lobbed it smack into Devon’s startled face. “Take that, you cad” Stunned, Devon numbly watched the finned projectile arc across the sand and disappear with the ebbing tide. He looked up stupidly and saw a silver flash in Jessica’s raised hand. “Don’t even think ab-” He ducked as the hapless grunion sailed over his head and landed on the damp beach amidst its wriggling mates. He sighed. “So thays how it’s going to be, is it? “

Palming the water, she came up with two more thrashing grunion. “

“Fish fight!” “You asked for it. ” Devon easily scooped two of the small creatures in one hand, then he leapt up and sprinted toward her. Giggling madly, Jessica feebly lofted her catch in his direction , but they flopped harmlessly onto the sand and wriggled away. Devon had better luck. He splashed into the water and stuffed the wriggling fish down the neck of her floppy sweatshirt. With a strangled gurgle, she sprang to her feet, stretched out the fleece hem and went into a frenetic tango that was highly amusing, if not technically accurate. After the slippery intruders had been dispatched, she turned on Devon with vengeance in her eyes. Screeching a war cry, she ran straight at him, leapt onto his chest and stuck like a burr.

Unbalanced by her weight, Devon’s stiff arms whirled like twin rotors.

He bellowed once, stumbled, and fell backward into the water with Jessica still sitting on his chest. “

“There!” she chortled gleefully. ” Now we’re both wet. “

A fresh surge of salt water rushed into his ears. “You’re a cruel woman. Grinning happily, she dismounted and wiped her drippy face. “I’ll race you for the blanket. Winner takes all. ” ‘ Without waiting for a reply, she took off. ” “Hey!” By the time Devon struggled to his feet, she was swathed in a warm woolen cocoon with only her face exposed to the cold night air. He ambled across the sand, shivering. “

“Comfy? “

She responded to his sarcasm with a contented purr.

Devon rubbed his arms and tried to look pitiful. “

“Is there room in there for a friend? “

“Maybe. ” Her eyes gleamed. ” It depends on the friend. “

Smirking, Devon pulled out his car keys and dangled them in front of her face. “The friend who may not be inclined to share the ride home with a blanket hog. ” “Oh. That friend. ” She heaved an exaggerated sigh and opened the blanket. Devon pocketed the keys and instantly stepped inside, wrapping the warmth around both of them. “Umm. ” Jessica melted into his arms and laid her cheek against his firm chest. She’d never felt so alive, so completely and utterly at peace.

Strange, she thought, that such small events could bring such great joy.

She couldn’t remember laughing so much as she had during the past week. In fact, she couldn’t remember feeling so much. Every cell her in body was electrified, intensifying common sensations into exquisite delights. Devon had illuminated her humdrum existence with a new Iight, showing her the world he saw, a world in which even the most mundane experience became an exciting voyage to adventure. After all she’d endured over the past months, Jessica had frequently wondered if she’d ever be happy again. But she was happy, deliriously so, and it was all because of Devon. She felt deep gratitude toward him.. and something deeper. Being with him had filled a void deep inside her, a vague emptiness that she’d never examined too closely, perhaps out of fear that she’d learn something frightening about herself. But at this moment, the past didn’t matter. Here, on a deserted beach, she was ensconced in Devon’s warm embrace , feeling safe and cherished. She didn’t know why; she didn’t care why. All she knew for certain was that after all the agony, all the lonely fears, she was happy. There was life after breast cancer; and Jessica was determined to live every delicious moment. Shifting the telephone against his numb ear, Devon massaged his eyelids and tried to concentrate on the terse voice filtering over the line. ” “There were incidents over the weekend, ” the Associated Press chief was saying. “Scuttlebutt has it that the cease-fire will be broken before the week is out. ” Devon’s weary gaze fell on the newspaper in his lap. Civilian Slaughter Halts Peace Talks, the headline screamed. The article went on to describe gory details that were already etched in his own memory. Less than two weeks ago, Devon had stood on the very street where the mortars had landed. He had friends there, some of whom had probably fallen victim to this latest attack , in what had become one of the world’s grisliest civil wars. The faces of those people slid through his mind-a wizened matriarch who’d lost her entire family when a round slammed into their apartment; the eight-year-old twins who’d been orphaned by sniper fire; newlyweds who’d died sprinting toward the border in a frantic bid for freedom These sad images and hundreds of others continued to torment him. For the year Devon had covered the evolving story, he’d watched a thriving populace deteriorate into benumbed zombies and a hauntingly beautiful city reduced to bloody rubble by the darkness of human hate. When he’d learned of his father’s heart attack, he’d left instantly, but not without mixed feelings. Although relieved for the temporary reprieve from the carnage, he also suffered deep-seated guilt at having deserted those about whom he’d come to care deeply. They were his friends and he had abandoned them. Some of them were probably dead now. Had he been there, perhaps he could have done something to stop it. Intellectually he understood the irrationality of believing his presence could alter the course of a mortar shell. Viscerally , however, he couldn’t help but ponder the possibility that if he’d chosen a different course of action, some of those people-like Tommy-might still be alive. An irksome buzz in his ear brought him back to the present Momentarily perplexed, he glanced numbly around his father’s living room before remembering that his bureau chief was still on the telephone. Devon cleared his throat. “Sorry. I didn’t catch that. ” A long-suffering sigh filtered through the Iine. “I said that the city’s defense line has cracked and humanitarian shipments are being held up at the border. There’s talk that the Allies are threatening air strikes on some of the artillery positions surrounding the city. ” “We’ve heard that before. ” Devon glanced up as Crandall entered the room. After acknowledging his father with a nod, he returned to his conversation. “But if anything should happen, Callahan can cover it. He’s a damned good reporter and he’s spent almost as much time in the city as I have. “Callahan is good, ” the chief acknowledged. “But not as good as you are. ” “Hell, no one’s as good as I am, ” Devon said drily. “But Callahan’s damned close. He’ll keep on top of things until I get back. ” ‘ Across the room, the color drained from Crandall’s face. “

“When exactly will you be back? “

The chief’s question pulled Devon’s attention from his father’s sudden pallor. “Hmm? Oh. I’m not sure. Maybe the end of the month. “

Crandall stood suddenly, went into his library and shut the door.

Devon would have followed if not for the irksome voice scratching at his ear. “I’m going to lay my cards faceup, Monroe. We need you in the field and we need you now” Devon’s worried gaze was riveted on the library door. “I’m on vacation, remember? I have two weeks left. “

After a long pause, the chief tried another tactic. “

“How’s your father doing? “

“Better, but still not back to par. “

“You must be quite concerned. ” “Yes, I am. ” The silky ploy didn’t fool Devon. He knew perfectly well that the only thing on his boss’s mind was getting Devon back to work. ” Look, I’m not going to catch the next jet out of LAX so let’s put that option to rest right now. ” “Oh. ” He heaved a sigh. ” So, what are your plans “Just to keep an eye on things and play it by ear. “

“Something’s going to break in the next week, ” came the ominous reply.

“I can feel it in my bones. “

“When you read it on the wires, give me a call. Until then, try aspirin.

“Devon cradled the receiver, realizing that this was the first time he’d ever balked at a superior’s request. Fortunately, the bureau chief hadn’t been willing to take the extra step of turning the request into an assignment. Refusing a direct order would have been a termination offense and a death knell to his career as a foreign correspondent. Certainly , that was a risk Devon wasn’t willing to take. Still, there’d been a time when Devon would have been pacing the halls, suitcase in hand, begging for an assignment Now he found himself dreading the inevitable day when he’d be forced to board that plane and return to the only life he’d ever known. And he didn’t know why. Shaking off the moody contemplation, he went to his father’s library and knocked on the door. When there was no response, he called out, “Dad?

Are you all right? “

“I’m busy. Go away. ” Irritated by the curt reply, Devon glanced at his watch. “Busy doing what? It’s after six. Everyone at the office has gone home to relax, which, according to doctors’ orders, is exactly what you should be doing. ” A grumbled suggestion of where doctors should store such orders filtered through the carved panel door, then Crandall added, “I’m not going to sit on my butt while a bunch of lazy nine-to-fivers flush everything I own down the damned commode. ” Frustrated, Devon entered the room. Behind the heaped desk, Crandall was riffling a sheath of papers beside a blinking computer monitor. He spoke without favoring his son with a glance. “I told you I was busy. ” Devon crossed the room and slammed both hands on his father’s desk. “No wonder you’re gray as wood ash. You’re not supposed to work more than three hours a day. Does the phrase no stress mean anything to you? “

“Yes, as a matter of fact. It means bankruptcy. “

Tossing his hands in the air, Devon stunned himself by raising his voice to a shout. “You already have more money than you could spend in a lifetime.

What in hell do you want? “

Crandall slowly removed his glasses and fixed Devon with a cold stare. “

“At the moment I want to be left alone so I can get some work done. “

Somehow Devon managed to reel in his anger, along with a burgeoning sense of panic. He took several calming breaths and softened his tone.

“I’m sorry.

I don’t want to add to your pressure. ” “Then don’t. ” Crandall turned away and refocused on the report he was editing. Devon recognized the abrupt dismissal. God knows, he’d seen enough of them over the years. This time, however, he stood his ground by snatching away the report and tossing it onto a nearby credenza. “What the-” Crandall’s complexion went from pale to beet red in thirty seconds flat. Devon responded by reaching over the desk and shutting down the computer.

Crandall exploded from the chair and pounded the desk with his fist.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? ” “Trying to keep you alive. If you don’t slow down, your next heart attack may be fatal. ” “And if you don’t give up traipsing through war zones, ” Crandall snapped,

“your next Pulitzer may be posthumous”