Page 90 of Raven

I think it over. “We’ll have to talk to Archer about that.”

I don’t know how to explain to Sonny why this island has so much money, but the things have gotten so out of control that we simply are not in charge of the small town anymore. You think money can solve problems. But there are other things that are above the wealth—local government, social structure, mentality. I hope one day, Port Mrei will rise back to its former wellbeing. But as of right now, I think even Ayana is in danger of collapsing. This resort will quickly turn into another Port Mrei if we don’t have enough service people. And service people come from Port Mrei. And Port Mrei is trouble. Don’t ever underestimate the power of the masses that are fed up with poverty. Revolutions start from the bottom.

But there is something sneaky about the little dude. I can sense it. He is angry, and that’s something I don’t see very often.

I know the little guy well by now. When he is in a hyper mood, he does sneaky things.

And I already sense that something is coming.

34

RAVEN

Two hours later, when my speedboat is scheduled to go to Port Mrei, I check Sonny’s Ayana bracelet activity on my phone.

He’s at the spa.

Odd.

I call him, but he won’t pick up. I call the spa center and ask them if the kid is there. Negative.

That’s even more suspicious.

So, I go to the spa. As I walk through the waterfall and garden area, yoga groups and relaxation gazebos, I watch my phone screen. Sonny should be right here, the tracker says so. But there are only staff people. And that’s when I spot it—a young girl folding towels, Ayana bracelet around her wrist.

Shit.

The service people have scannable badges, not bracelets. When I approach, she starts blabbering about that kid who promised her a pass to the movie theatre and asked her to wear his bracelet until later tonight.

Sonny, that little punk, thinks he is clever. He knows that if he takes the bracelet off, the heart monitor will send the vitals alert into the system.

Argh. I know what this is about.

I grab the wristband from the girl and dial my guys. “Hold the boat. Do not leave until I get there.”

In a flash, I’m stomping across the beach, my feet angrily sinking into the sand, then onto the pier, and I jump onto the boat.

The sea is nervous, the heavy bruised clouds weighing down on it. I love rain, even more so storms. Just not the unexpected ones.

That little punk, I’m sure, didn’t even bother switching to a different hiding place. As the guards watch me with curiosity, I go for the galley and yank the lid open.

Sure enough.

I want to be angry, furious even, but relief washes over me when I see the sneaky dude curled up in there, his guilty eyes on me. His lips puff out a frustrated exhale.

“What did I tell you?” I snap, trying to sound vicious as I motion for him to get out of the boat. “Do you want me to put you in classes morning until night, every day?” I say as we are walking away from the pier. “You want to be grounded?”

“Wa’ ’s grounded?”

“You didn’t listen, Sonny,” I snap and stop to make him look at me.

“I jus’ wanna?—”

“You can’t! You don’t have parents, but you do have to listen to the adults.”

“They don’ have parents too,” he says, looking at me from under his eyebrows as he digs the tip of his shoe into the sand, his hands clasped behind his back. “My friends.”

“But they are there! And you are here!”

---