Trapped in the Mayan Tattoo (21 page)

“When do we shift
to recovery rather than rescue? Time is getting away,” said one of the local
sheriff’s deputies.

“She’s out there
somewhere in the forest. We just have to wait for our moment and stay
optimistic. We hope it’s a rescue, not a recovery. You all know what that means,”
he said. “In the meantime, everyone pack it in for the night but be ready to
jump if your monitor goes off. In other words, keep your clothes on.”

A couple of people
in the group said they had to beg off. Big Sam asked them to reconsider since
this was a highstakes rescue and they needed everyone—there was no time to bring
in someone new.

“You young ladies,
get some food and rest. If we can start again in the morning, you need to be
ready and strong enough to handle it.”

The meeting
dismissed. A few, including Big Sam and Mrs. Hightower, stayed at the law
complex in the hopes of restarting negotiations.

Scott had orders
to find a better location for Abbi and Louise. He gave them a ride to a nicer
hotel near the Blue Ridge Parkway and promised to spend the night watching
their room. They were still in Virginia, a little farther from the drop zone,
but this was a safer location. The girls were happy to find cushy queen sized
beds.

The hotel had a
little restaurant. Scott met them there. Abbi ordered light, picked at her food
when it came and stayed out of the chatter between Scott and Louise. She did
notice, however, that Louise kept to her role, not revealing the true nature of
Abbi’s involvement with Miss Shoe. For that, she was immensely grateful. She
found comfort in keeping the secret and not having to discuss it.

After they had
eaten, Louise and Abbi went to their room and settled in for the night. The
events of the day started pouring in on Abbi. She couldn’t forget some of the
things Miss Sobori had said and she began to cry as she recounted events of the
day with Louise.

For awhile, Louise
tried to console her with junk food but Abbi had no need for sustenance. She
had no need for her clothes that she left in the hotel. She had her briefcase of
folders. She wanted her parents. That’s all she wanted.

            Growing impatient with
Abbi’s tears, Louise said in a dramatic tone that Abbi found annoying, “Get a
grip, Abbi! You think I don’t want my parents too? You think this is easy for
me? I don’t even want to be here!”

            Abbi stared at her. If
she’d had a cartoon balloon over her head, the words inside would be: You’d
better apologize fast because I don’t think I can ever forgive you for what you
just said. And I know I’ll never forget!

            Although she didn’t say
the words out loud, she turned her back on Louise, stopped crying and allowed
silence to fill the room.

           
Abbi still had
the things Mrs. Hightower had given her, and she had the contents from her
mother’s desk and computer. These files she kept with her constantly to study
and keep her focused. She ignored Louise and leafed through to the very tattoo
Miss Sobori had shown the rescue team. The thought of that horrible tattoo on
some young girl’s neck was appalling. Abbi held it up to the light to see it in
full color.

            “Abbi,” Louise said.
“Sometimes I’m just too caught up in myself. You make me see that. I hate
myself for it and I almost hate you, too, but not really. You are so
determined. You inspire me.”

Abbi let her talk.
She wondered if this would be like one of those not-really-an-apology apologies
that the politicians sometimes used when they said something unforgiveable.

“I like your
gentle way of making me see that I need to be a better person, and not such a
self-centered little bitch. I miss my parents but they’re still there. Dad’s
doing his job analyzing things, probably, and Mom keeps him company doing
whatever Mom does. Your situation is so different. I really can’t imagine what
you’re going through. I’m sorry. It hurts me just to think about it, and I don’t
know what it must be like for you. I’m really sorry, and I feel perfectly awful
that I’m not a better friend.”

Suddenly, Abbi
felt better. No longer angry, she felt like a weight had been lifted.

“We’re gonna get
through this, Louise,” Abbi said and smiled at her. “But please, let go of the
drama queen a little. I can’t handle it right now.”

“I’ll try,” Louise
said.

Trying to lighten
the topic, Abbi asked, “So will I. Where’s that hunk of yours

anyway?” She really didn’t care. She
continued sorting through the pages of notes.

Louise looked out
the window.

“He’s out talking
to Big Sam,” she said. Then she laughed. “My hunk, hmm?”

“Big Sam’s here? I
wonder why!”

Abbi, now just in
her leotard, started to rush into the hallway and on out to the cool night air.
Louise threw her the sweater she’d been wearing.

“I’m not gonna let
you steal my hunk!” Louise said.

When Abbi caught
the over-sized sweater, she threw Louise a smile. Then she ran to catch Big
Sam.

The door opened to
a carpeted inside corridor. Abbi followed the hall to the stairs to find the
nearest exit. Running all the way, she hoped to find Big Sam who apparently was
travelling courtesy of the Sheriff’s Department.

“Hey, girl!” Big
Sam said as she ran up. “They’re talking again. NM2 doesn’t want anyone there
but the person doing the drop.”

Abbi felt worried.
Having a whole team to back her up was a lot different than going it alone.

“We’ll still have
the sniper to watch you. Only trained military could spot his movements.”

“Good!”

“We’re going to
try to pull this off at O-Early in the morning. Get some sleep. Oh, and here’s
something to help you sleep better. I received word that your father’s
condition is no longer considered critical. They’re planning to do surgery in
the morning.”

“OK! God is good,”
Abbi said. “Goodnight, Sam! Goodnight, Scott! Thank you!”

Abbi started the
day the same as she ended last night—with faith and a prayer. She woke up about
five minutes before she heard a knock on the door. They would be gone before
her 6 a.m. wake up call sounded.

“You girls ready
to roll?”

“10 minutes?” Abbi
asked. “I wasn’t sure when O-Early was!”

“Make it 5,” Big
Sam said. “Rough it. No showers this morning.”

Louise for once
wasted no time and rushed to be first to the bathroom.

“Is Scott at the
door?” she asked while she was brushing her teeth.

 Abbi said,
“Nope,” but she thought, Ain’t love grand?

She noticed that
the air was no warmer this morning than it was last night. Poor planning. She
had no extra clothes and her heart was beating erratically.

Abbi rushed past
Louise to get into the bathroom.

“It’s cold and I’m
all nipply again. Mind if I wear your sweater?”

Louise looked at
the same outfit she’d been wearing.

“Go right ahead.
Let ME be cold,” Louise said with sarcasm.

A knock at the
door sent Louise scurrying to get her clothes on.

“Just a second!”
she said.

“I was able to get
your luggage from the other hotel. It’s here if you want it,” Scott said.

“Yes, yes, yes!
Tell him YES!” Abbi repeated. “Fresh underwear, socks, a long hoodie! YES!”

Louise flung the
door open wide as Abbi poked her head out of the bathroom. The way Louise
brushed her hair back amused Louise.

“Thanks, Scott!”
Abbi called. “I know. I still have to wear the leotard, but at least I can
cover up.”

“Awfully nice of
you, Scott,” Louise said.

“Are we staying
here tonight?” Abbi asked.

“We don’t know
yet,” Scott said. “Lock up when you leave. I’ll get your things later if
necessary.”

When Scott left, Abbi
hurriedly dressed and pulled her hair into a bushy ponytail. The braids had
fallen out and made her hair even curlier than usual, but long loose hair could
be deadly on a zip line.

She stole one full
minute to sit in a yoga position and try to meditate. If NM2 cooperated with
this drop, then her mother’s release should soon follow. Something nagged at
her. Some déjà vu feeling that again it wouldn’t happen. She could still do the
drop, successfully, but something told her they wouldn’t release her mother. The
feeling kept nagging at her.

She got up from
trying to meditate and went to find Big Sam in the parking lot.

“Is the full
amount in this one envelope that we’re dropping?” she asked abruptly.

Big Sam looked at
her in surprise.

“And how much
would that be?” he asked. He seemed offended at the question.

“NM2 is going to
check the amount before they release my mother and then only if the full amount
is there.”

“Don’t you worry
about that,” Big Sam said. The condescending tone of his voice made her angry.

“Listen to me,
Sam. They’re not going to let her go that easily. I know what I’m talking
about.”

“Young lady, we’re
giving them money in three locations, not that you need to know,” he explained
this in the same tone, as if it tired him out to give out details to an
underling. “Then, after they pick up all three drops, we’ll hear from them
about your mother’s release.”

“Thanks, but why
would they risk getting caught in three places?”

“We don’t know.
They stipulated three locations. We chose this as one, just to let them know
that we know they’ve been here before. That gives us leverage. They probably
suspect it’s a trap. They chose the others.”

“So we drop it and
wait,” Abbi said. 

“Pretty much it.
You ready?”

“Ready,” she said
and hopped into the SUV.

Louise came and
brought a pillow from their hotel room.

“You’re kidding!”
Abbi said as Louise got in and sat down.

“Not,” Louise
said, and rested her head on it.

Before they
reached the forest, Louise was asleep again. When Scott braked to avoid hitting
a deer, Louise still didn’t wake up.

A nagging thought
made Abbi venture one more question.

“Without telling
me how much total ransom money there is, will the total of the three drops be
the right amount?”

“Little lady, who
even hinted that we’re dropping money up until the conversation we had a few
minutes ago? Did someone tell you that?” He turned and raised an eyebrow. “No
one told you. Don’t assume things, but if you must, don’t say it out loud.”

“Mrs. Hightower
said ransom. Can you answer my question?”

“Why does it
matter?”

“Because it
matters to NM2. And if the amount isn’t right, then I won’t get to see my
mother. Alive. To me, that’s a pretty big deal. And I will have done this,
probably risking my life and my mother’s, for nothing. So don’t you think you
can answer my question?”

Big Sam hesitated,
turned to look at Abbi and then murmured in a hushed tone, “If they’re smart
enough to do the math, then no, it won’t add up.”

“Then I don’t want
to do it,” Abbi said.

“What do you mean,
you don’t want to do it?” Big Sam demanded loudly.

“Don’t assume I
want to if I said I didn’t want to.”

Big Sam looked
furious. Scott parked the SUV, and Big Sam got out his phone and slammed the
door when he left the vehicle.

           
The second
aborted mission, this one due to Abbi’s refusal, meant a long silent ride back
to the hotel for Abbi and Louise where Scott dropped them off. Big Sam was on
the phone pulling the team back into the law enforcement complex at Cave Spring
for an early morning change of plans and trying to work out details.

            He spoke to the girls
only briefly when he opened their door to let them out.

            “Your mother could die
because we’re waiting.”

            “She’s more likely to
die because we botched the drop, Sam,” Abbi said hotly.

“Isn’t she?”

            Big Sam spun around and
glared at her.

            “You girls go shopping.
Do whatever you want. I don’t want to see you or hear you. I’ll call you when I
need you but until I do, don’t say a word to me. Not a word. I’m still going to
try to get this to work out.”

            Louise, having slept
through most of the argument between Big Sam and Abbi, looked up worriedly when
they parked and she caught the last of it.

            “Come on, Louise, grab
your pillow. We’re going shopping,” Abbi said, with a quick look back at Big
Sam.

What Abbi really
wanted was to study her mother’s notes more but it would be good to get out to
a mall. Louise had been a pretty good sport about being stuck to Abbi, but she
really lived to shop, so shop she would and Abbi would find a way to make it
fun!

            Louise dropped the
pillow back on the bed. They both changed into clothes that were a little more
suitable for a day of shopping.

            “I get to go shopping!!!
Yay me! Yay me!” Louise said over and over like a cheerleading chant.

            “You saw the mall when
we got the pizza. It’s not real big. Not a lot of your favorite stores,” Abbi
said.

            “I’m still so getting
out!” Louise said. “Not stuck in a box! I’ll take any store.”

            “Hardware. I could use
a prusik,” Abbi said.

            “Hey, why aren’t you
doing your thing in the forest back there?” Louise asked, finally fully aware
that the drop had been at least postponed and that she didn’t just sleep
through it.

            “I didn’t feel right
about it,” Abbi said. “It wouldn’t have worked.”

            As they were closing
their hotel door, Louise stopped and stared at her.