The Colonel's Daughter (5 page)

A petite girl with golden curls slid her body beneath the bed and popped up on the other side. She tossed the ball in the air then caught it in her glove.

“So, you play baseball. Are you on a team?”

“Yep,” she twirled her body from side to side.

Javi smiled then drew his attention to the TV. “What? The Mets lost again. Come on.” He waved an arm in the air.

She looked up at the monitor. “The news is boring. Do you want me to change the channel for you? I saw somebody else watching this really good cartoon. I can find it for you. It’s a funny one. I know you’ll like it. Everybody likes it even my mom.”

“You’re a little chatter box aren’t you. I’m actually enjoying the news thanks…and…no…it’s not boring.”

She shrugged her shoulders, “If you say so.”

“So tell me about your baseball team.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Is it a softball or a baseball team?”

“It’s baseball. And I’m the only girl on the team. I play first base.” Her shoulders rose with pride.

“Keith Hernandez played first base for the Mets when they won the ‘86 World Series…but…you probably don’t know who that is.”

“My mom likes the Mets.”

“So what’s your name?”

“Samantha but everybody calls me Sam. So…what happened to you?”

“To tell you the truth Samantha, I don’t really remember exactly what happened. Everything’s kind of in a fog right now.”

“My mom calls me Samantha, but only when I’m in trouble.”

Her hazel eyes grew wider as she heard her mother’s voice getting closer and closer.

“Samantha? Samantha? Where did you go?” Jasmine called from behind the door.

Sam bit her bottom lip and took a step back.

Jasmine opened the curtain, “There you are!” and grabbed her daughter’s arm. “I am so sorry, Javi. She’s not supposed to wander off.” She looked down at Samantha. “I’ve told you a hundred times. Don’t leave my desk.”

“But momma…I got bored. And besides…I’m gonna be late again.” She whined.

“If you would have been at my desk, we would have left already.” Jasmine glanced at Javi’s sideways smile that unveiled perfect teeth.

Samantha walked up to his bed. “I gotta go now. I have a dentist appointment. See my tooth?” She pointed. “I fell off my bike, right on my face. My front tooth got pushed right out of the socket. The last time I went they had to give me a shot right on my gum and then they pushed it back in.” She opened her mouth. “See…it looks like I have braces but I’m too young for braces. It’s a splint for my teeth. It looks just like braces, right?”

Javi nodded then cleared his throat. “Something like that happened to me once.” He pointed to his tooth. “See this tooth right here?” He leaned towards her ear and whispered, “It’s fake.” Then he gave Jasmine a wink.

“Say bye to the Captain.”

“Bye.”

“See you later.” Javi waved.

Samantha marched alongside her mother and past a short, older gentleman who was carrying a tray of food and greeted the two ladies as he entered the room.

“Buenos Dias.” He said in Spanish. Mom and daughter smiled politely then rushed down the hallway.

“Buenos Dias Capitan. Here is your coffee Sir.” The jovial gentleman handed Javi a menu and continued in a heavy Spanish accent, “The doctor is letting you pick from the good stuff now. Let me know what you want me to bring you for lunch.”

Javi looked at the menu. “You got any Mongolian BBQ?”

The mention of Mongolian BBQ triggered a memory. A vivid image of the mess hall in the Afghan Desert and feelings of peaceful camaraderie with his fellow soldiers suddenly turned to horror at the flashbacks of shots being fired and then a deafening explosion.

* * * * *

Abby sat on the tall nook chair, legs crossed and both elbows on the granite counter. While taking a bite of her cinnamon raisin bagel, she thought about her dad who used to eat a lightly toasted bagel every Saturday morning.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so busy these last couple of days.” Her mother Susan placed a teabag in her mug. “We haven’t spent any time together since you’ve started school.” She poured the boiling kettle water. Susan had become a top Real Estate Agent for a prestigious firm in Miami Beach and the only quality time Abby spent with her mom was tagging along at high end Open Houses serving hors d’oeuvres.

Abby remained silent while looking at her mother’s long red fingernails as she stirred her tea. All she could think about was Dallas, and how she wished he had told her more about her father. Their brief lunch together left her wondering why her dad had sent a bodyguard and she regretted telling him that she could take care of herself because now he was gone. She thought
maybe if I look out the window one more time and if he’s there, I can go talk to him
.

“I’ve got an idea,” Susan gasped. “Today is the final walk-through for a very important client. Why don’t you come with me?” Susan’s voice rose to a higher octave with each word. “You will absolutely love this villa and we can have lunch afterwards. What do you say honey?”

Abby peered out the window examining the street below. There was no sign of Dallas’s truck. “Sure mom, I’ll come with you.”

“Where is this villa anyway?” Abigail asked sitting as an inquisitive passenger in her mother’s SUV.

“It’s on Fisher Island.” Her mother shrieked.

Abby had accompanied her mother to Fisher Island on a few occasions. Behind the glamour of the island, she discovered the unique beauty of exotic birds like the colorful peacocks that parade around as owners and protectors. She tagged along as Susan toured her buyers around the two deep-water marinas that could be accessed by yacht, seaplane and its round the clock car ferry. Abby would listen to her mother go on and on about the Spanish Architectural style of the villas depicting its signature red barrel tile roofs.

Susan clasped the steering wheel. She kept her eyes fixed on the road. “You should see this place, Abby. It’s the best one on the island. When you swim in the private pool,” she motioned waving her arm in the air, “All you see for miles and miles is pure ocean.” She gripped the steering wheel again.

“All you see is ocean?” Abby raised an eyebrow. “How do you know that…don’t tell me you swam in the pool, mom.”

“Don’t be a smarty pants. I didn’t swim in it. I’m just tellin’ you how I imagine it would be. How else am I supposed to sell something if I don’t imagine what it would feel like?”

“So who’s this rich client of yours?” Abby tossed a piece of gum into her mouth and checked her black eyeliner in the visor mirror then noticed Dallas’s blue pickup truck following close behind.

“My client is a very wealthy Arab.” Susan said in a gossip—whisper. “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him in person. I’ve only met with his assistant.” Susan’s bracelets jingled every time her arms moved with excitement. “The commission I’m earning will pay for the rest of your tuition and will buy us both a new car.”

“I don’t need a new car, mom. Mine runs just fine.” She kept an eye on the truck in the mirror.

“Well then I will buy myself a sports car and you can take this one. It’s a lot newer than the one you have now.”

“No thanks. What am I going to do with an SUV?” Abby nodded her head in disbelief.

“Abby, darling, you’re going to have to get rid of that gum. We’re about to get on the ferry. I don’t want you chewing gum in front of my client.”

“Why are you so excited to meet an Arab? What about dad?”

“Sweetheart, not everyone is the enemy. You can’t think that way. Your dad would not want us to think that way.”

Abby folded her arms and gave a thousand yard stare out the passenger window.

* * * * *

“Madame, Mister Shahrivar had to fly back to his country,” explained Faisal the bony Arab brother-in-law.

“Unless you have power of attorney, he needs to be here to sign these papers,” Susan declared holding a large manila envelope.

“His son will be here to sign. The villa is for his son, Maurice.” Faisal’s black eyes followed Abby who walked past the living room towards the French doors.

Her artistic eye paid close attention to the detail of the design in the crown molding leading to the patio. She opened the doors and could faintly hear her mother discussing with Faisal that a particular chandelier would not be included with the sale.

Abby stood outside at the wrap-a-around veranda with her eyes fixed on the ocean view. She imagined herself sitting in front of an easel capturing the splendor of such a color palette with oil on canvas. Her eyes focused on a unique pattern of pastels, in a row of blooming rose bushes, perfectly aligned along the edge of the patio next door. She noticed a red haired woman sunbathing by the pool near the roses.

A moving shadow caught Abby’s attention and out of the corner of her eye, she saw two men in grey suits walking along the outer fence of the woman’s yard.

Abigail took a step back hiding behind a large potted plant. She took a deep breath and looked again. This time she noticed a man walking on the tiled roof of the same villa. She had difficulty swallowing and thought about running back inside but was afraid to be seen. She watched from between the branches of the tall plant as two men climbed over the concrete wall and ran towards the sunbathing red head. Another one leaped from the tiled roof to the woman’s porch and pulled out a gun. The lady struggled to get away but the guy with long black curls placed a handkerchief over her face and she passed out. The same guy placed her body over his left shoulder and took her inside the house.

Thinking she was in the clear, Abby dashed to meet her mother only to catch a glimpse of the man still standing on the porch holding a gun. He looked at Abigail but before she could see his reaction, she ran inside.

“Mom! Mom!”

“Not now honey. My client has arrived.” Susan put a heavy hand on Abby’s shoulder. “Maurice, I would like you to meet my daughter, Abigail.”

Abby’s eyes scanned the room noticing several men with the same grey suits.

“Hello, Abigail. I believe we’ve already met.” Maurice extended his hand but Abby was too preoccupied.

“Mom, there’s something I want you to see in the patio. You really should come with me to take a look.” Abby gave her mother a big smile and thought,
if I could just get my mother to the veranda we might have a better chance to escape.

“Abigail Johnston, what has come over you?” Susan wrinkled her brow. “I must apologize for my daughter’s behavior. Something tragic happened to her father recently and she has been deeply affected.”

Maurice smiled and with an attempt to appease both mother and daughter said, “I’m afraid that your daughter may have probably seen some strange happenings next door. My head of security did some checking on our new neighbors, and as it turns out the man who lives next door is a drug dealer who has gotten himself mixed up with some very bad people. But you don’t have to be afraid, Abigail. My men are here to protect you.”

Susan’s pale face broke into a smile of red lipstick and white teeth. “Well that explains everything. Don’t mess with them and they won’t mess with us, right Abby?”

Maurice’s words did not assuage her. But for her mother’s sake, she decided to play along. “You’re right mom. I actually know Maurice. He’s in my English class.” Then turning to Maurice, she feigned a smile, “I guess I’ll be seeing you tomorrow.”

Insisting that he sign the revised purchase contract, Susan placed the paperwork in front of her client then added, “It’s so wonderful to have you attend school here with my daughter,” then congratulated him on his new purchase.

While back out on the veranda, Abby caught sight of the grey suits boarding a yacht in the marina off in the distance. She jumped, suddenly startled by Dallas, as he swung his body off the barrel tile roof and onto the terrace. He wore a pair of black jeans and black steel toe boots. His t-shirt, pulled tight across his strong chest, revealed an incredibly toned body. He brought his index finger over his lips. With one look at his dimpled smile, Abby no longer felt restless.

When she smiled back, Dallas looked at her beautiful smile and gazed into her brown eyes and once again, his heart raced to a dangerous number of beats per minute. It was the kind of heart pounding that would bring tunnel vision to a sniper, making it nearly impossible to aim a rifle.

“You’re in a lot of danger. I have to get you out of here.” He whispered.

“My mother’s inside. I can’t leave her.”

An armed man walking on the veranda approached Abby. Dallas quickly rounded the corner and hid against the wall.

“Is my mother ready to go?” Abby asked.

He nodded and motioned with his gun for Abby to follow him inside.

Abby returned to her mother and before they could leave, Maurice asked, “Would you two ladies like to accompany me for dinner Monday night after the closing of my new purchase?”

Abby looked at her mother hoping she would say no but Maurice insisted that he had no one else with whom to celebrate the purchase of his new home. To Abby’s dismay, Susan obliged.