Page 79 of Wild Idol
“I don’t like change. And this feels like change. Things were running smoothly. I get the impression that you have disrupted that.”
“We just kept the entire village from getting slaughtered.”
“I work for people who don’t like disruptions. This seems like a disruption.”
“Your problem is not with us,” I said. “These people just want to leave the island.”
“And I want to date supermodels and be a rockstar. But I’m here, in the middle of the night, wondering what has happened.” He paused. “I came here to talk to Solomon but stepped into a war zone. You can understand my concern.”
“Solomon brought this upon himself,” I said. “If you want to talk to him, I suggest you do it now.”
“Who are you to tell me what to do?”
“I’m not telling you what to do. I’m trying to help you out.”
“Help me?”
“See, my guy in the trees, there. He’s really good with that thing.”
The cartel guy looked around me and spotted Jack angling his weapon around a tree at them. The barrel lined up with the short man’s head.
“He’ll drop you first. It really doesn’t matter what happens after that, because you’ll be dead.”
“My men will kill the girls,” he replied in a casual voice.
“Tell me, who wins in that scenario?”
“Nobody.”
“Or we can let each other go about our business, and we both win.”
He stared at me for a long moment, then burst into laughter. “Okay, gringo. This time we will pass like ships in the night. But if I ever catch you on my island again…” He slid his finger across his throat.
He nodded to his men, and they let the girls go and marched past me on the dock. They moved down the trail and disappeared into the jungle.
JD led the rest of the survivors down the beach to the dock, and we all boarded Solomon‘s boat. There was just enough space for 10 of us. I took the helm, fired up the twin outboards, and Jack cast off the lines. I throttled up andpulled away from the dock, crashing through the swells, leaving the small island behind.
The refugees watched with a range of emotions as the island grew small behind us. The paradise had turned into a nightmare. Star stared at the island, taking in one last look. Her eyes brimmed.
“Are you okay, Star?” Sunshine asked.
Star wiped her eyes and nodded. “Yeah.” After a solemn beat, she said in a light breath, “Call me Ivy.”
45
JD and I put the survivors up in a luxury hotel. For them, the escape from the island was just the beginning. They had a long journey of recovery ahead of them. With nothing but the clothes on their backs, they would need food, medical care, and a stipend of cash to get started in the civilized world. They’d undergone years of conditioning, believing that Solomon was their savior and protector. That would all have to be unraveled and wouldn’t happen overnight. They’d need therapy and support. They’d need bank accounts and passports. They would need to re-integrate into society. It would be easier for the new members. The long, devoted followers of Solomon would have a harder time.
Cult deprogramming and reintegration weren’t our strong suit. From the hotel, Jack called his buddy Tom Halford, who specialized in that kind of thing. He said he’d be on the next plane to San Montego.
Ivy tried calling her father, but it was no surprise when he didn’t answer. Worry tensed her brow. “He’s not picking up.”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” I said. “But we talked to the impostor in your father’s home. There’s a good chance that…” I didn’t want to say it, but she knew where I was going.
I’m sure that Ivy was dealing with a range of emotions. She called her sister, Anna. I don’t think the two had spoken in years.
The phone rang a few times before a woman answered.
“Anna?” Ivy said in a tentative tone.
