I give him a victorious smile. “Good. My imagination will not be criticized. It’s not my fault neither of you have any.”
Henry gives me one of his infamous grunts and Ian just continues to smile. “I like her.”
Henry doesn’t seem too pleased by this confession. He wraps his arm around my waist and gives a firm nod to his old friend. “You’re right, we should get going.”
Ian continues to smile as he turns away, but Henry glares at the back of his head, like a child forced by his mom to share his favorite toy.
“If I didn’t know better,” I teasingly poke his chest, “I would say you’re jealous.”
I fully expect him to poke me back, just like he did a few days ago, but his gaze becomes earnest, and so do his words. “Maybe I am.”
Oh. “What is there to be jealous of?”
He opens his mouth to speak, but then he reconsiders, finally settling on, “Let’s get to the island, okay?”
I narrow my eyes his way but nod, hoping he knows I’m not letting him off the hook that easily. By the way he still protectively holds on to me as he follows after Ian, I would say he does.
From Miami we fly to Nassau, then Ian manages to rent a helicopter to take us the rest of the way to Neverland since there’s no runway for a plane to land there. With the helicopter, we’re able to set ourselves gently on the sandy beach, right in front of the lush jungle that hides our new safe haven. When I get out of the helicopter, stepping onto the golden sand, hearing the waves crashing all around us, I feel at peace, which isn’t an emotion I am accustomed to.
I could easily spend eternity here. When Henry gets out and unloads my bags, his hair ruffled and his dark shirt sticking to his skin, I know for a fact I could.
Once the helicopter is fully unpacked, Ian gives Henry a long look, contemplating something. Henry couldn’t be bothered to notice though; he’s too busy making sure my insulin hasn’t gotten overheated and that the icebags are still in place.
“I’m going to stick around in Nassau for a little while,” Ian announces, making H finally turn his attention back to him.
“You are?” I ask.
He nods, his expression softened. “Harrison and his goons will have already connected me to you, so going back home isn’t an option. Besides, you guys could use someone keeping an eye out off the island. That way you won’t be blindsided.”
Henry reaches out towards his friend, nodding once. “Thank you.”
Ian grasps on to his arm, shooting a smile my way. “You two look out for each other. I’ll be in touch soon.”
I give him a little wave in farewell, then I let Henry tug me towards the brush, with him carrying all of my luggage like a pack mule. The trees and bushes sway rapidly as the helicopter starts up again and begins its ascent into the air. Only after the wilderness surrounding us settles do we begin trekking through it, with H leading the way through the expansive jungle towards our bunker.
“Make sure to follow directly behind me—don’t wander,” Henry instructs, keeping his eyes firmly on the ground. “I have booby traps all around the island.”
“Booby traps?” I ask.
He nods, walking around a large bush, so I avoid it at all costs, keeping right on his heels. “My dad fought in the Vietnam War when he was a teenager, and he told my mom about all of the traps the Vietcong set, how effective their methods were. I took inspiration from the stories she told me. I have a map of where each trap is set. I’ll show it to you later.”
I try to remember what I learned in history about ’Nam, but my mind is totally blank. History wasn’t my greatest subject. Guess these booby traps will just be a surprise.
The bunker is in the center of the island, with a storm cellar-like entrance hidden underneath moss and leaves. The metal doors are silent as Henry lifts them up, though by their rusty appearance I would’ve expected them to creak and groan. H must have oiled them up somehow.
He holds the doors open for me, and when I peer inside, I find a small metal ladder that goes about eight feet down to the ground. I take one of my bags and secure it to my shoulders, then I climb down the ladder, with Henry right behind me. When the doors shut, we are covered in darkness, but as soon as my feet touch the ground, a light on the ceiling turns on, allowing me to see a concrete hallway leading to an elevator. It has a scanner next to it, and Henry places his face directly in front of it, keeping his eyes wide open. It scans his face, then a green light glows from the screen, making the doors swing open.
“That’s so fucking cool,” I gush, following H into the elevator.
“Only you and I have access to that elevator. All you have to do is stand in front of the scanner and you’ll gain access; that goes for every room in the safe house. If anyone tries to access the elevator or another room in the house, they’ll be electrocuted.”
Christ almighty. “You never do anything in halves.” I observe, aiming for a joking tone, but it sounds more like awe.
“When it comes to your safety? No.”
Okay not what I was expecting him to say but I silently preen at his reply.
“How deep does this go?” I ask as we enter the elevator. Without having to press any buttons, it descends lower into the ground, and it’s eerie seeing no screen showing the floors we are going past or hearing no jazz music in the background.