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  “The earrings look great on you,” Christian said. “But I’m not the only one who thinks so.”

  “What do you mean?” I turned to follow his gaze. A man was sitting on a bench; a newspaper rolled in his left hand while he held a bottle of Inca Kola in the other. He sipped it through a straw and set it down on the bench between sips. He was very obviously watching us and didn’t turn away while we watched him. “That can’t be good. Let’s walk away. If he gets up too, then we’ve got a problem.” I took his hand again and walked toward the other end of the park. As I feared, the man stood but didn’t follow. He took out a cell phone instead and held it to his ear.

  “He’s not speaking English,” Christian said.

  “Or Spanish,” I added. “I don’t know what he’s speaking but we’re leaving anyway.”

  “Don’t look now but he’s coming our way.” Christian tightened his grip on my hand.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. Come on,” I said pulling him toward the curb. “We can lose him.

  We ran across the street, zigzagging and dodging the cars whose angry drivers lay on their horns. We made it to the other side and started down a crowded street full of pizza restaurants. The people in Lima called it Pizza Street for a good reason. Waiters and waitresses called to us as we passed, trying to convince us their restaurant was best by waving menus in our faces. One waiter actually grabbed Christian’s arm and he shook him off. The waiter lost his balance and fell on his butt on the ground. He screamed at Christian as I pulled him back onto his feet. A crowd had gathered to watch, shielding us from view.

  The waiter wiped the back of his pants with his hands, never taking his wide eyes from my face. I listened to his mind while he stared into my eyes, his pulse speeding and his heart drumming in my ears. The crowd whispered around us and I shut them out, concentrating on the image I was sending to the man’s mind. I felt Christian’s hand on my shoulder but did not acknowledge the touch.

  “Come with me,” the waiter said as the crowd parted to give us room. I followed him into the restaurant holding Christian’s hand again.

  “Lily, what are we doing?” Christian whispered as we filed past tables full of laughing teenagers.

  “He’s helping us out. Just follow,” I answered.

  The waiter led us through a kitchen, where cooks in black pants and white shirts were busy at a counter. Some were rolling out dough, and some placed toppings on dough on pans, readying them for the oven. It was at least twenty degrees hotter in there. He led us to the other end of the small kitchen and to an open door where a waitress stood with a cigarette dangling from her lips. She counted wrinkled bills with her other hand. She raised her eyes for a moment, nodded and smiled, and went back to counting money without a second thought.

  We stepped out onto the alley behind the restaurant and stopped. The waiter reached into his pocket and produced a set of keys, which he held up for me to take. “Thank you,” I said as I took them, careful not to touch his fingers.

  He pointed to a set of stairs to the side of the building. I nodded and turned, leading Christian to the steps. As I turned the key in the lock of the only door at the top of the landing, I looked below before pushing the door open. A woman pushing a child in a stroller walked down the darkened street, keeping her eyes straight ahead as she murmured to her passenger. No one else seemed to be there so I pushed the door and stepped in, Christian at my side.

  “What in the world just happened?” he asked as I searched for a light switch or at least a table lamp.

  “I asked that man if they had a back door or some place we could hide. He gave me the keys so I guessed that meant yes.” I switched on a lamp that was on an end table next to a love seat. It had no shade so the light bulb threw out more light than usual, distorting our shadows on the wall.

  “Incredible. I didn’t know you could get people to do what you want like that,” he said as he looked around the one room apartment. A beaded curtain separated this room from a closet-like room that contained a toilet and a small sink, but no shower.

  “Yeah, but it’s never been something I like. I feel like I’m manipulating people.” I pulled the curtain aside and looked out the window. A man stood below, his hands in his pockets, as he looked up and down the street. I closed the curtain and sat down on the dirty love seat. “He’s down there. I doubt he knows we’re here, but I say we wait a while before we try to leave.”

  Christian nodded and sat next to me. “That’s a pretty good power you have. I would love to be able to get people to do what I want.”

  “No, you wouldn’t. I don’t like controlling people. It’s not my place to do that,” I explained.

  “I can understand what you mean, but it could come in handy sometimes. Have you always been able to do that? I mean, I know you can make people see things, but this is different.”

  Trying to avert his eyes, I played with my fingernails. “Well, I knew I could make people see what I wanted them to see, but I didn’t know I could actually suggest things to them until Fiore did it.” I continued looking at my fingers.

  “I should’ve known. So I take it this is the first time you’ve tried it then?” He took one of my hands and held it. I raised my eyes to his.

  “Um, not exactly. I tried it once with you, in the cabin. It was nothing major.”

  He stood and walked toward the window then decided against pulling the curtain open. “And you never bothered to tell me?”

  “I just wanted to see if I really could, that’s all. I suggested that you drop the subject, I forget what it even was really, and you did. I made a vow to myself to never use it on you, and I haven’t. I won’t. It just really seemed necessary tonight so I decided to try again.” I stood and walked toward him, keeping a slight distance for now. “Are you mad at me?”

  He turned with a shocked expression and closed the gap between us. “Of course not. I’m just a little surprised, but I’m not mad at you. I could never be mad at you.” He kissed the top of my head and let his lips linger, inhaling the scent of my hair. I backed away from him enough to grasp his hand and lead him back to the sofa.

  “So, what do we do while we wait?” he asked.

  “I’m sure we can think of something,” I said as I leaned toward him. My lips found his and I kissed him fiercely, as if it would be the last time our lips ever met. His hands reached up and his fingers entwined in my hair, his chest pressing against mine as I turned slightly to meet his body. He moaned into my mouth.

  “Are you sure about this?” he asked, panting for breath to get the words out of his mouth.

  I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him closer again, my fingers fumbling to undo the buttons. “We have time to kill.” I draped a leg over his as I finally got the last button open. “Take this off.”

  “What if the waiter comes up and catches us?” Christian asked though he slid the shirt off his shoulders, revealing his perfect chest.

  “What if he does? I have the keys.” I trailed my lips along the top of his chest as he sighed. His hands pushed the back of my head against him.

  “Right, I forgot.”

  ~ Twenty-Two ~

  “I want to get to the airport. I can’t relax until I see Fiore safe and sound.” I said as I pulled the back door to the restaurant closed. We had just returned the waiter’s keys. He asked no questions when he put them back in his pocket.

  Leaving the excitement of Pizza Street, we walked down a darkened side street in search of a taxi. “If she does show up, then that could mean we’re rescuing Maia.”

  “I guess so,” I said with a sigh. Car lights lit up the street and I waved my hand in the air, hoping it was a taxi. The driver pulled over and I told him where to take us. One way or another, we were rescuing someone.

  “Where to now?” Christian asked as I paid the driver. The airport was bustling with people, even at this hour.

  “We can look at the arriving flights and see what’s coming in from Miami. That’s where sh
e was when I last heard from her. It’s only about a five-hour flight from there to here. I guess we could have called Aaron but, with all that was going on, I didn’t think of it. He probably knew her itinerary.” That would’ve been the easier thing to do anyway.

  “Yeah, but this is more like an adventure.”

  “Aren’t you tired of adventure by now? That’s all we seem to have.” I couldn’t help but laugh at his easiness.

  “That’s what it’s like with you, always an adventure, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Not as long as I have you, anyway. Just think of how bored we’d be if things were normal all the time.”

  “Normal would be just fine with me,” I said.

  We walked into the airport and headed right to the arriving and departing flights displays. “Llegadas Internacionales, that’s the one. You take that one and I’ll take this one.” I pointed to the two arrivals boards.

  “Here. I see one,” Christian said.

  “When?” I asked.

  “Wow, military time. We have,” he looked at his watch. “Two and a half hours yet. Then two more flights after that. One isn’t until 4:30 AM.”

  “Let’s hope it’s one of the earlier ones then. This could get boring. Oh, we have to remember the gates. “ I went back to look at his board.

  “Trust me, it’s never boring with you,” he said.

  “I don’t know whether that’s a compliment or an insult.” I smiled anyway.

  “Never an insult. Hey, there’s a souvenir shop over there. It’s still open.” He pointed to the shop enclosed in glass walls.

  “I was planning on going shopping for Kalia and Aaron anyway. We might as well start here.”

  We walked into the shop and started browsing. A man was looking at an intricately painted mirror and raised his eyes to mine. He smiled and went back to the mirror. A woman held a leather-covered bottle of Pisco in her hands and also raised her eyes to mine. I nodded a greeting and tried to look interested in the painted glass jewelry boxes we were standing in front of.

  I feel like we’re being watched…

  Me too…you think?

  I don’t know but I don’t want to be in here anymore…

  Christian took my hand and we exited the store without buying anything.

  “We can’t go anywhere or do anything. Do you think they were really watching us?” he asked.

  I turned to look as we walked away. They were both looking at us and diverted their eyes awkwardly. “They still are. Who the hell are they and how do they know where we are every second?”

  “I don’t know. I think maybe we’re just being paranoid now. Regardless, that second honeymoon is sounding better and better. I wish we could just hop on a plane right now and start all over again.”

  “Yeah, me too. But we have someone to rescue and Jose Luis to deal with. Besides, we don’t have our passports with us.”

  “Oh, I know. It was just wishful thinking.” There was always unfinished business to take of, it seemed. When would it ever end?

  “Let’s go sit outside somewhere and wait. It won’t be long until the first flight comes in,” Christian suggested.

  “That sounds good.” I glanced back once more to make sure the couple wasn’t following us before leaving the airport. They weren’t. Maybe we were just being paranoid. We sat on a bench and watched the traffic on the street. There was also plenty of entertainment from all the passengers coming and going from the airport and Christian and I made a game of it. We tried to figure out why people were here without listening to their minds, making up all sorts of crazy stories. One woman, who traveled with a little girl, who to us became a midget in disguise, was a spy for a Colombian drug cartel. She was here to gather information on possible competition. We made up many more stories, laughing at some of our more outrageous inventions. Finally, the first arriving flight was announced and we went to find our way to the gate.

  We stood among the crowd of awaiting friends and family, bodies crushed against us as the crowd grew larger and larger. After what seemed like an eternity, the first of the arrivals walked through the doors to the happy shouts of the children in the front row.

  “Papi, Papi!” they shouted as they jumped up and down. The man made his way through the crowd to gather them both in his arms. One after another the passengers walked out to their awaiting friends and family. I listened to the thoughts of the room past the automatic doors but it was no use. The noise was too loud and specific thoughts were difficult to distinguish.

  “Maybe she will be on the next one,” Christian said and squeezed my shoulder.

  “Yeah, maybe…there! There she is! She’s coming!” I all but jumped over the barrier separating us from the arriving passengers. “Fiore!” Christian dropped his arm from my shoulders.

  “Lily! Christian! What are you doing here? I would’ve taken a taxi.” She rushed us out past the crowd before she threw her arms around me. To my surprise, she did the same with Christian.

  “What are you doing here? I sent you a message but you didn’t answer.” Christian and I carried her bags and led her outside to get a taxi.

  “Yes, sorry, my battery’s dead. I left in a hurry because Maia left again,” she explained as we slid into the back of a station wagon. “She refused to say where she was going and she and Kalia actually got into an argument about it. It wasn’t pretty at all.”

  “Really? She always came and went as she pleased and they didn’t seem to think much of it. What did Aaron say?” I gave the driver the address and leaned forward so I could see Fiore past Christian.

  “Not a whole lot. He seemed to want to stay out of it. Maia and Kalia were actually yelling at each other. Maia ran upstairs and came back down with a suitcase. Next thing I know the front door slams and Kalia is crying in Aaron’s arms,” Fiore explained. “I didn’t get to hear all of it because I tried to stay in my room. I didn’t want to interfere but Maia was acting a little too secretive for my taste so I told them I would check on you. I’m supposed to call them after we talk.”

  “She didn’t tell them where she was going?” I asked.

  “No, she refused. I thought that was pretty rotten considering Kalia and Aaron are the ones paying for all her escapades,” Fiore told us. “Had that been me and my parents, I would not have been allowed to put a foot outside the house if I’d talked to them like that.”

  Maia’s comings and goings seemed a little strange to me from the beginning but I hadn’t thought about the money issue until now. Maia didn’t work so it was only logical that Kalia and Aaron paid her way for everything. How ungrateful could someone be?

  “I would really rather not involve them if we don’t have to. They’ve done enough already,” Christian said and looked at me. I nodded in agreement. They, along with Fiore, had bought us this trip and it was supposed to be a happy event. The last thing I wanted was to make them regret it.

  “I don’t think this is anything we can’t handle.” I filled Fiore in on everything that had happened up until her arrival. With Aloysius and Fiore as backup, we should be able to figure it out and resolve it before Kalia and Aaron became too worried; at least that’s what I hoped.

  “So I guess I can tell them you’re both fine and having a good time, but you invited me to stay for a little while since I came all this way. The good thing is there are four of us to take care of this now,” she explained, which made Christian smile. Fiore was counting him as part of the group without hesitation. “So we figure out what each of our roles is tomorrow night and then we go kick ass.”

  Christian and I laughed. “I’m glad somebody has confidence enough for all of us,” I said, but four against one really were pretty good odds.

  “I appreciate what you’re doing but you really didn’t have to come all the way down here. You could’ve called,” Christian said. I gave him a sharp look but he didn’t notice.

  “Would you really have told me the truth?” Fiore raised her eyebrows. Neither of us responded so she continued
. “Besides, we’re friends and that’s what friends do.”

  “Well, thank you.” I looked at Christian but he was looking out the window.

  When we returned to the apartment, Aloysius was waiting for us in the living room. He detailed the plan for Fiore and then showed her to her room so she could unpack and freshen up. Jose Luis, as promised, had eaten and then gone to his room to get some sleep. That left Christian and I alone.

  “Why do you seem so uncomfortable with Fiore?” I finally asked what I had been keeping quiet for so long.

  “I’m not uncomfortable with her. It’s just that, well, she doesn’t need to come to our rescue all the time.” He paused to pick up the crystal bowl Aloysius kept on the coffee table and fiddled with it. “She did it when we were at the cabin, showed up without being asked, and she’s doing it again.”

  “Is it wrong for her to want to help?” I tried to contain my frustration at what seemed like neverending tension between them.

  “Of course it’s not wrong. It’s just she assumes she’s needed even when she’s not.”

  “Higher numbers for us means better odds, like what happened at the cabin,” I explained.

  “You’re right. I kind of feel…I don’t know,” he said and put the bowl back on the table. He turned to look at me. “I feel a little threatened by her.”

  I laughed. “That’s ridiculous! Why would you say that?”

  “Guess I’m done for now. I ran out of hangers,” Fiore said as she walked into the room, interrupting our conversation before I could get an answer.

  “We have some extras in our closet,” I offered and stood to go get them.

  “No hurry,” she paused before the armchair. I nodded so she sat. “Am I interrupting something?”

  “Just our honeymoon,” Christian said.

  “Stop it, Christian. She didn’t come here to get in our way. She came to help,” I said.

  “I understand why you’re angry, Christian, but she’s right. If there weren’t a problem, I wouldn’t be here,” Fiore said in a gentle tone.