Her mouth dropped open. “A…secret? You…you…knew about the drugs?”
“A small sideline of mine, Maria. No need to trouble yourself about it.”
The shock that coursed through her veins began to melt away as anger took its place. “Are you out of your mind? You had no right to use my plane to smuggle drugs.”
“I hired your plane to deliver cargo.”
“Pet food, not cocaine. I never would have agreed to that.”
He chuckled. “Well, you did carry pet food, dear, plus two tiny extra packages. No need to get huffy about it.”
She gritted her teeth. “I’m way beyond huffy. I want my plane.”
“Excellent. I would be happy to reunite you with your plane as soon as you give me back my property.”
“What property?”
“The drugs that were hidden in the cargo.”
“I didn’t take the box. It’s still there.”
The sound of breathing filled the line. “Maria, you’re a good girl, an honest girl. I know you were surprised to find my extra packages, but let’s not make a big mistake here. I know you took one of them. All will be forgiven if you return it to me. I am nothing if not a fair man.”
“You are nothing if not a drug dealer.” Her mind reeled. “What does your wife think about your second job?”
“My wife?” He sounded puzzled. “What does she have to do with this? I am discussing business here. My package. It was stowed in your plane. My men tell me half of the goods are not there now.”
“I did not take your drugs. Maybe your gun-toting friends did. Did you think about that? They shot at me, you know.”
He sighed. “Yes, that was regrettable, but they have strict orders to return my property. They know what would happen to them if they crossed me. The man I hired to load the merchandise onto the plane found that out the hard way. Unfortunately, he tragically passed away.”
She swallowed. “Passed away?”
“He was run down by a car, poor man.”
The air felt suddenly colder. Maria still could not wrap her mind around the jolly beekeeper’s dark side. “Well, how do you know he doesn’t—didn’t take your property? Maybe he never hid it on my plane in the first place.”
“I had someone watching from a distance when he exited the aircraft and he carried nothing. It was a test, you see. He did well until he started talking to some folks about his new job, and he needed to be disciplined. We’ve searched his place and his car to be on the safe side.” Martin sighed gustily. “Breaking in new people is such a challenge. Running a small business is no picnic, either.”
The thought of a man being run down in the street made her shiver. “I am telling you, I don’t have it, Marty. You need to believe me. All I want is my plane.”
“I do want to believe you, sweetie. I am very fond of you. You are what I imagine my daughter would be like, if I had one.” His voice became hard. “But I want my property.”
She ignored the growing fear in her gut. “What are you going to say to the police when I tell them about your little business?”
He laughed. “You go ahead and tell them your story. They won’t find anything to connect me to illegal activity. I’m a very careful man, meticulous, one might say. You, on the other hand, are driving a car that isn’t yours and all you’ve got is plenty of debt and a nutty story. No proof of anything, my dear.”
She suppressed a whisper of panic. “I just want my plane. If I had your stuff, I would give it to you.”
“My men know your general vicinity, Maria. They know what kind of car you’re driving. It’s only a matter of time until they find you. It would be healthier for you to cooperate. Please, let’s be reasonable here. No need to sully our relationship.”
“I…” The phone suddenly died. Battery depleted.
Feeling depleted herself, she leaned a cheek against the steering wheel. “God, please help me. I’ve run away from one mess and gotten myself into another. I am the biggest chump on the planet to trust Martin Shell. I don’t know what to do or where to go. Help me.”
Maria stayed in the parking lot until the store clerk locked the door and walked to his car. He shot the Demon a suspicious look. She decided to move along before she got into any further trouble. With a sigh, she started up the car and eased onto the road.
Out of nowhere the sedan roared into sight.
She screamed and stomped on the gas but not soon enough. The car smashed into her rear fender, causing the Demon to skid wildly. She wrenched the steering wheel with all her might and managed to keep the car from careening into the ravine.
The sedan closed in again. Maria could see the two men, leaning forward, their faces intense in the weak light. She pressed the pedal to the floor. The trees and shrubs blurred into a green streak as she sped on. It was useless.
Rigid with fear, she watched the sedan overtake her. The seat belt cut into her neck as the two cars smashed together again. Bits of breaking glass showered around her. This time Maria could not control the car. The Demon skidded on the slick ground, hydroplaning in a half circle until it brought her face-to-face with her pursuers.
The driver slammed on his brakes, a look of shock on his face as his car shimmied across the slick surface.
Maria shook the glass out of her hair and clenched her jaw. “Okay, then. If you’re going to take me out, you’re coming with me.” She floored the gas pedal and sent the Demon plunging directly into the path of the sedan.
The man’s shock turned to alarm as he jockeyed the wheel to avoid a crash. Maria bore down on them, an odd feeling of exhilaration edging through the fear as she closed the gap. Five feet, three, two.
At the last second before impact the sedan pulled sharply to the side, sending the men squealing into the ravine.
Maria didn’t wait to see the damage she’d inflicted. Before the sound of the crash died away, she wheeled the Demon back again and sped off, heart jackhammering in her chest.
The road progressed from bad to worse. The paved surface gave way to gravel and then more or less to mud. With no streetlights to be found, the moon was Maria’s only guide as they bounced over the uneven ground. The borders of the narrow road were crowded with sugar pines and flowering bushes that cast eerie shadows. Something that Maria took to be a bat flittered over the path, making her heart leap into her throat. She waited for the moment when the sedan would careen out of the shrubbery and plow into her again.
Visions of Martin Shell’s cherubic face swam in her mind. She’d been so blind. And stupid. She blinked away tears.
Peering through the darkness, Maria was seized by a deep desire for sandy beaches and sunny afternoons. A place where people asked “How are you?” and honestly wanted to know the answer.
Her gut twisted when she realized she was picturing her childhood home in Southern California, specifically the small seaside town of Tidal Flats where her parents still lived. Why did she ever leave? Because she wanted a new life and to escape the pain of the old one, she reminded herself.
The car hit a bump and she half screamed. “It’s okay, Hank. We’re doing fine. I’m sure this road is going to get us to safety.” Or straight into the clutches of her would be killers. Every curve in the road was a new source of terror as she imagined them waiting to pounce.
Darkness closed around her like a velvet glove and she finally pulled up to a fork in the road. She considered her options. Behind her was the possibility of getting caught by the smugglers. Ahead of her was a set of dubious-looking dirt roads and the possibility of getting caught by smugglers. A lose-lose situation