Page 35 of No Time Off

He nodded impatiently. “Yes. I want to track this Moe Tataroa. It may help us determine where he is at any given time, and that could lead us to others.”

“Oh, okay,” I said, reaching behind my ear to tug one of them off. “I get it. You need a tracking device.”

“Exactly.”

Rangi stared at us in disbelief during this exchange. “What’s going on? I’m not sure what to be in shock about first—that you want to track Moe, or that she’s wearing trackable earrings. Whoareyou people?”

“Just two geeks on a honeymoon,” Slash said, taking the earring I gave him and dropping his bags at my feet. “Given our current situation, the best defense might just be a good offense. Both of you, stay here. I’ll be right back.”

He disappeared before Rangi could protest. We moved closer to the shadows of the trees, but I could feel Rangi staring at me.

“Look, it’s not what you think,” I finally said, lifting my hands. “I have this habit of getting into trouble, and it helps when Slash can track me quickly and efficiently. Think of it as a kind of Find My Phone app, but without the phone part. You know, like Find My Lexi?”

He didn’t laugh or comment. Thankfully, Slash returned quickly, relieving the awkward silence.

“I wasn’t seen. I put the earring under the mat of the passenger seat of Moe’s vehicle,” Slash said, retrieving the duffel and his laptop bag. “It may be a long shot, but worth taking if it leads us to where the so-called coup team may be setting up.”

Rangi nodded. “Hate to say it, but that was smart, if not dangerous. You could have been caught.”

“And yet here I am,” Slash said. “Safe and sound.”

We picked up the pace and ducked down a path that led to the pool and then swerved onto a sandy path that led away from the hotel and back toward the center of the island. Rangi took the lead, I followed, and Slash brought up the rear.

“How much farther is the car?” I asked.

“It’s parked a few more blocks away,” Rangi said, glancing over his shoulder.

We crossed a small side road and Rangi quickly ushered us into the shadows until a police car and an open truck with some armed men in the back drove past.

“More thugs,” Rangi said in disgust and then motioned for us to continue. “We don’t have much time. They’ll be back around.”

We crossed a few more side streets before arriving at a dark sedan. Rangi opened the door for us, and we climbed in. Slash sat in the passenger seat, and I got into the back.

“Where are we going?” I asked, fastening my seat belt.

“To the prime minister, but not by a direct route, just in case,” Rangi answered.

He pulled away from the curb and we headed in the opposite direction of the resort, the prime minister’s house, and the capital.

“Hoping to avoid a roadblock?” Slash asked.

“I am,” Rangi said. “Not sure how lucky we’ll get. There’s essentially one major road on the island, and there are places where there are no side streets; everything just funnels to the Ara Tapu. Those are the logical spots for the roadblocks. I just hope they haven’t had time to set up everywhere yet.”

We drove slowly for about five minutes before Rangi swore and pulled off to the side of the road. “Roadblock ahead and no way around it.”

It was possible to see in the distance the unmistakable flashing of police lights. The sight sent a spike of adrenaline through my veins.

“What are we going to do?” I asked.

“You’re going to get in the trunk,” Rangi said.

“What?” I exclaimed from the back seat. “The trunk?”

“They could be looking for you, as well as the prime minister,” Rangi said. “It’s safer that way.”

“What about you?” I asked. “Won’t they recognize you?”

“You overestimate my popularity,” he said. “They won’t be looking for me.”

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