Page 48 of Shared By the Pilots

“The couples massage is only fifty bucks extra,” Luke was saying while scrolling on his phone. “And when the massage is over, we have full access to the spa grounds. Which includes lunch overlooking the beach.”

“You had me at spa grounds.” I turned and looked out my window at the other cars leaving the airport. “I hope they have…”

I trailed off. In the lane next to ours was a black SUV. The windows were tinted, but the front passenger window was rolled down. I couldn’t see the man’s face, but his arm was hanging out the window.

With a turtle tattoo clearly visible.

It’s them.

As I watched the SUV pull ahead of us and merge into a turn lane, I couldn’t stop myself from leaning forward in the taxi and patting the driver on the arm. “Can you follow that black car?”

“He goes north,” the driver replied. “Your resort is to the south.”

“Veronica? What are you…”

I reached into my purse and pulled out the first cash I touched. It was a fifty dollar bill. “This is yours if you follow them.”

The driver immediately swerved into the left lane, accelerating rapidly to catch up. The light at the intersection turned yellow, and he sped up to get through the light and stay behind the black SUV.

“Veronica! What’s going on?”

“That’s them,” I said. “Our passengers. They’re in that car!”

“So what?”

“I want to see where they’re going. I bet they aren’t playing golf.”

The SUV ahead of us was going ten miles over the speed limit, but our taxi didn’t seem to care. He followed two cars behind them, changing lanes every time they did, always keeping them within sight.

“Turn this car around,” Luke said in his most commanding voice.

“I’ll do whatever you want,” the driver replied. “If you can do better than a fifty.”

Luke pulled his wallet out and looked at the contents. But I wasn’t worried. I had another hundred bucks in my purse. In my experience, cash was king.

On the north side of Cancun were most of the really exclusive resorts, which was where it appeared the SUV was going. But when we reached the city proper, their vehicle turned left rather than continuing north. We followed them into the heart of the city, where tourists normally didn’t go.

“Veronica,” Luke hissed, grabbing my leg and squeezing. “We need to turn around.Now.”

“Just a few minutes longer. I have a feeling we’re almost there.”

The SUV drove along a major road through the middle of town, which was crowded with traffic. Abruptly, it made a ninety-degree turn and drove across traffic down a side street and into a neighborhood. Our driver slammed on the gas, shooting across traffic in a tiny gap that left half a dozen cars honking. But our target was still ahead of us.

“They’re turning,” the driver suddenly said. “Into the park.”

Sure enough, their SUV turned right into a private park. There was a guard house next to a gate, where men with machine guns stood watch. The gate rose, allowing the SUV inside.

Damnit, I thought as the gate closed.We lost them.

“I am sorry, but I cannot follow them,” the driver said. “You can get out here, or…”

“Take us back to the highway,” Luke commanded while staring daggers at me.

This time, I didn’t protest.

26

Veronica

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