Page 33 of No Time Off (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #15)

THIRTY-THREE

Lexi

A fter we went over the details of the plan at least three times and had something to eat, I took a long-overdue shower and passed out in one of the yacht bedrooms until Manny woke me at about four o’clock in the morning.

“Time to go,” he said softly.

The two of us gently climbed down into the skiff that was waiting for us. The policeman and Manny rowed the boat to shore, avoiding the possible attention a small motor running might attract. Fortunately, the tide was with us and the trip was quick. Manny led the way, and I walked behind and slightly to the side so that I could see the path ahead illuminated with his flashlight. He used the red-light mode to limit the range it could be seen and to help us retain our night vision. Nevertheless, I stepped in enough muddy, sandy spots that new shoes were going to be at the top of my shopping list when Slash and I got back from our honeymoon.

That line of thinking almost caused me to trip. I’d been so focused on watching my step, I’d temporarily forgotten Slash was in real peril and we might not make it home. Fear started to bubble up from my subconscious, so I suppressed it the best way I knew how—by reciting the digits of pi.

Manny stopped suddenly, and I bumped into the back of his shoulder. “Are you okay?” he asked. I heard the concern in his voice. “You were counting, or at least that’s what it sounded like.”

“I’m fine. I was just reciting the digits of pi. It helps calm me when I’m nervous.”

“Sure. Okay. That’s a totally normal thing for a CIA agent to do. Just let me know if you start composing a symphony so I can be prepared.”

I had no idea why Manny thought I was a CIA agent and what that had to do with reciting pi, but now wasn’t the time to discuss it.

We plodded along until we arrived at the shop. Manny’s plan had us enter from the back, so we crept down a dark alley until he stopped at a door with a lockbox. It was after six by the time Manny keyed in the code and the back door popped open. He slipped inside, and I followed.

“Let me do the talking,” he advised, and I nodded.

We walked through a kitchen that, despite the early hour already had workers washing and cutting vegetables. A couple of them eyed us curiously but said nothing. Manny spotted a dark-haired man with a beard holding a clipboard and motioned for me to wait while he walked over to him. After a short hug, Manny pulled him aside and the two began talking.

Eventually, Manny waved me over. “Lexi, I’d like you to meet my cousin Ari.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said, holding out a hand. “Although I wish it were under better circumstances.”

“Likewise,” Ari said, shaking my hand. “I can’t pretend I know what the bloody hell is going on, but I know Manny. One of the best men I’ve ever known. If he says you need to get into that compound, then we’ll get you in.”

“Thank you,” I said, my throat tightening.

“That said, if they catch you, I’m not sure what they’d do.” His expression hardened. “But this is our island, and we’re not about to give it up to some foreign-backed coup, especially not one sponsored by the Chinese. Oh, and by the way, my son dropped this off last night.” He handed me a piece of paper.

I turned the paper over to see a Wanted poster warning the populace about me and Slash. We were labeled as terrorists and enemies of the people, and it sent a jolt of adrenaline spiking through me.

“Holy crap,” I said.

“He told me someone left a note in an envelope at his business’s door while he and his family were at the beach,” Ari continued. “The note promised him a lucrative payment if he printed five hundred copies immediately. My son gave it to me, saying I might know what to do with it, since he doesn’t print anything without payment up front.”

“Please thank him for me,” I said, ripping the poster into tiny shreds while Manny and Ari chuckled. “I never thought I’d be featured on a Wanted poster…and certainly not on my honeymoon.” I scowled. “And did they really have to use my passport photo? That’s just diabolical.”

Manny put a hand on his cousin’s shoulder. “The delivery truck leaves soon. We need to quickly disguise ourselves the best we can.”

“We have extra white jackets and hats in the back,” Ari said. “The good news is we’re virtually invisible to the Chinese. They’ll likely not give either of you a second glance.”

“The workers that usually make this delivery—do you trust them with us?” I asked. “We need them on our side.”

“Sefina and Amiri have been with me the longest and are loyal to me,” Manny assured me. “They will do as I ask, so they will do what you need them to do. They are also loyal to the prime minister, because they know she aims to protect the islands.”

“Do they know that she hasn’t resigned and is just in hiding?”

“They do, I’ve told them. They understand what’s at stake.”

“Thanks, mate,” Manny said to his cousin, and they quickly embraced again. “And don’t forget to tie yourselves up and rehearse the story of how your truck was hijacked,” Manny reminded him. “This is for your protection and the protection of your staff in case they come looking for you.”

“I understand the mission, and I’ve got this,” Ari said. “ Kia manuia. ”

He walked away, and I looked at Manny. “What did he say?”

“He wished us good luck. We’re going to need it.”

Manny and I made our way to the back of the store. White jackets were hanging neatly on hooks, and nearby were some white caps. Manny handed me the largest women’s jacket he could find, and I slipped it on, buttoning it up. It was snug, but it gave me the opportunity to slip another man’s jacket on over the top of it, roll up the sleeves a bit, and still give me room to move. I tucked my hair up inside the cap and stuffed another cap in my inside pocket. I was as ready as I was going to get.

Manny pulled on his jacket and cap, and we stood there looking at each other.

“Want to revisit the plan for once we get inside the compound?” I asked quietly.

“It’s not complicated, and we’ve been over it at least four times,” he replied.

“Another time wouldn’t hurt,” I said.

He sighed. “Okay. We carry the food into the kitchen, and at some point, we slip away to find Slash. We do what we need to do to get him back to the truck and out safely.”

I shook my head. “Manny, I’ve been thinking it over, and we need to revise the plan. I’m the only one who is going to slip away from the kitchen to find Slash. Two of us together is too noticeable, and I’m more likely to be able to talk my way out of a situation if I get caught. I’m less threatening than you and less threatening than both of us together.”

“I don’t like that plan. What if you’re recognized?” Manny asked.

“What if I’m not? No one is going to be looking that closely at me. I’m a lowly kitchen worker who will have her hair tucked up under her hat. And even if I’m unsuccessful, you can go back with the truck and figure out something else with the prime minister.”

“There’s no time for anything else,” Manny said.

“For Slash and me, no. But for the Cook Islands, yes. We’ve given our government enough fuel to come take a closer look at things. They’ve also passed the information on to the proper authorities in New Zealand and the UK. Shi’s plans are not as foolproof as he thinks.”

“Forget Shi for the moment,” Manny said. “I think we have a better chance together.”

“We don’t.” I put a hand on Manny’s arm. “Look, I’m going to get Slash out. I’m resourceful, you know that. You have to trust me. Okay?”

He scowled. “You waited until the last minute to spring this on me because you knew I wouldn’t like it.”

“Maybe,” I admitted. “But Slash and I have done this before. We’ve been in dangerous situations, and we’ve always been able to find a way to get through it. We’re good at that. We’ll do it again this time, but I need you to let me do it alone.”

He exhaled, clearly conflicted. But finally, he spoke. “Obviously, I’m out of my depth here. I won’t overrule you, Lexi. We’ll go with your plan if you insist. As long as you let Sefina disguise you a bit more and you answer a question for me…honestly.”

At this point, I would tell Manny almost anything he wanted to get his cooperation. “Sure,” I answered, looking him straight in the eye so he knew I was being honest.

“People with your level of experience in ‘dangerous situations’ don’t just magically appear in a crisis except in a thriller novel. Are you really on your honeymoon, or is it a cover?”

I hadn’t expected that question, but I answered it. “We’re really on our honeymoon. Trouble just seems to follow me like a shadow. Sometimes I look and it isn’t there, but it seems to dog my every footstep. We came here—the remotest island we could think of—for our honeymoon, and look what happened. I don’t know if I brought the coup or the coup brought me. But here we are. And thank you, Manny, for letting me do this on my own. I’m going to save Slash.”

“Don’t make me regret my decision,” he said gruffly.

“I won’t,” I promised. “I have too much at stake.”

We went out to the truck and Ari introduced us to Sefina and Amiri. Both were in their mid-forties and reserved. Amiri stood over six feet with dark hair shaved close to his scalp and strong arms. Sefina was tiny—at least compared to me—at maybe five feet one inches, with silky black hair that fell to her waist. They were willing to assist us, even if they weren’t exactly sure what they were doing. According to Ari, they only needed to know they were helping the prime minister against the coup, and they were fully in.

I’d never appreciated two strangers more.

“Just remember, do everything like you always do, but in slow motion today,” Ari instructed them. “That’s it.”

While Manny, Amiri, and some other workers began loading the truck with sacks of flour, cartons of canned goods, and fresh produce, Sefina led me into the back room to help me look more like an islander and less like a so-called American terrorist. She pulled a chair between a couple of crates and a tower of canned goods and made me sit down. Then she turned a wooden crate on its side and perched on it so we were face-to-face.

She pulled off my hat and then removed my ponytail scrunchie so my hair tumbled down past my shoulders. For a long moment, she studied me. “You’re going to need lotion and bronzer,” she said and hopped off the crate. “A lot of it.”

She came back a minute later with a small bottle of what looked like oil, a compact, and a large makeup brush. She first opened the small bottle and poured something into her hand. She then rubbed both hands together and slathered it onto my cheeks, chin, and forehead. It was cool and slippery.

“What is that?” I asked.

“It’s tamanu oil,” she replied. “It’s a nut oil made by pressing the seeds of the tamanu tree. It’s primarily used by Polynesian women as an antiaging strategy, but it also helps to moisturize the skin so the makeup I’m about to put on your face will stay put for longer. Especially since you have such dry skin.”

When she finished, I reached up and touched my cheeks. “Wow, it feels really soft, not greasy like I expected.”

“Your skin has already absorbed it,” she said, examining her work. “It’s soothing.”

She was right. I made a mental note to buy a bottle or two before we left the island… if we were able to leave the island alive.

Next, Sefina flipped open the compact and began deftly applying the bronzer to my cheeks and forehead in wide strokes.

“Easy with the brush.” I winced.

“Sorry, but you’re so pale. Do you even know what sunlight looks like?” Her accent lilted with amusement.

I shrugged and then gasped as Sefina’s makeup brush came perilously close to my eye. “Hold still,” she warned, and I complied as she resumed her strokes.

“I work with computers, which means I spend my days under fluorescent lights,” I explained, trying not to move my mouth too much. “I get a tan from my computer monitor.”

Sefina lifted the brush from my face and burst into laughter. “A monitor tan? Oh, that’s a new one, love. Well, today we’re turning you into a food warehouse worker, not a techie.”

She told me to close my eyes and then dusted my eyelids with a bit more bronzer. “Done with the face,” she said, snapping the compact closed. “Now it’s time for the hair.”

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a hairnet. She quickly pinned up my hair into a neat bun, tucking it under the net and then put my hat back on.

“Stand up and let me look at you.”

I stood and adjusted the oversized men’s jacket. “Are you sure this is going to work? It feels like I’m wearing a sail, and I’m already so hot, I’m afraid the makeup will melt.”

“Be confident in yourself,” she said. “We’ll make it work.”

She gazed up at me, her brow wrinkling. Next to her I felt like a giant. “How tall are you?” she asked. “You look like you might be near two meters.”

“I’m 1.8034 meters, to be exact,” I replied. “Not quite six feet.”

“Well, I can’t fix your height, but most of the time the Chinese don’t notice us anyway. I have a spare pair of glasses that might help.”

“Thank you, Sefina,” I said, putting a hand on her arm. “I really appreciate your help.”

She nodded. “You’re welcome. I’m no friend of the Chinese. They treat us like we are nothing, but we’re not as stupid as they think we are.”

We headed back to the truck to help finish loading. As they were done, Manny scrutinized me. “Sefina did a good job with the makeup. I hardly recognize you. Can you see out of those glasses?”

“Sort of. But if I have to wear them for a long time, I might get a headache.”

Once the last crate was secured, Sefina and Amiri climbed into the front, and Manny and I got into the back. They had a space for us to slide in behind some crates. A worker then strategically placed a large sack so that we were obscured from all but a thorough search. We would stay out of sight until we passed the compound’s gate.

Manny reached into his pocket and passed me a Taser. “Hopefully, we won’t be in there long. Be careful with this. This is a Chinese model they provide our police. It smaller than the typical Tasers sold in the States, but it really packs a kick. It activates with a single button and the tasing lasts as long as you hold the button, up to five minutes.”

I examined the settings and made sure I understood how to use it properly.

“Lexi, if you intend to use it, there should be no hesitation,” he warned me. “Use the highest setting.”

“No hesitation and highest setting,” I agreed.

“And no taking a stance like a television cop.” He snickered.

“Ha-ha.” I rolled my eyes. “Very funny.”

Chuckling, Manny rustled around in his pocket. “One last thing. Hold out your hand.”

Puzzled, I held out my hand. He dropped two large green peapods into my palm. I looked at him, confused. “What’s this for?”

“Slash must retrieve the recording device from the office and possibly his phone. You’d better give this to the parrot while he does that. It should shut him up long enough for you two to get in and out.”

I nodded. “Good thinking, Manny. You’re brilliant.”

“Bloody right. I have my moments,” he said with a smile and clapped me on the shoulder.

My heart raced as the engine rumbled to life and the truck pulled out. I took a deep breath and reminded myself Slash was counting on me.

Game time.