Page 8 of The Captive Missing

Nestled next to his mother on the couch, Jace and his father would discuss the day’s adventures. After they were finished, Val peppered her husband with questions about his court case, then rolled her eyes as he danced around providing any real answers. Although frustrated that he was holding back, the sound of his voice and charm of his smile melted any real anger that wanted to form.

It was the nights the internet dipped out on them that were hard. When they couldn’t see Jason, or hear his voice, then both Jace and herself dropped into a sort of melancholy. Jace missed him. She missed him.

“Uh-” Val huffed one evening, tapping her finger angrily on the screen of the tablet. “Is the internet not working?”

“Should be!” Gabe called from the front deck. He and Jace were busy cleaning the fish they caught for supper. “I’ll check in a second, okay?”

“Okay,” Val echoed before she tossed the tablet onto the sofa.

She had spoken with Jason only the day before, but he mentioned having to attend another court hearing in New York and she wanted to know the results. So far, his attorney was able to get the charges against Riggs Oil dismissed by proving that their funds were not used in the five million dollar payout to Gabe. Despite this bit of good news, Jason and the Feds were still defendants.

“Worried?” Bee lowered a glass of wine down in front of Val’s face, then waved it slowly side to side.

“No, just helpless.” Val took the offering, shifting her body to make room as Bee settled down beside her.

“Why so?”

“Because I’ve tried to look up the court case online and the website is impossible. I can’t get any real information out of Jason, and all the articles I’ve seen are just sensational fluff pieces. I have no idea what’s really going on and it’s driving me crazy.”

“Maybe I can help with that.” Gabe strode through the door, fish filets piled across a cutting board. Jace zoomed behind him, proudly carrying his own catch.

“Do you know something we don’t?” Bee twisted her head, following Gabe’s progress to the kitchen.

“No, but we’re running short on supplies and I was thinking of making a run into the city. I can pick up a few newspapers while I’m there.”

“Do they even have newspapers anymore?” Val joked.

“In Male? Yes.” Gabe washed his hands in the sink. “I was thinking I’d take Jace, too. It’d be good for him to have a change of scene.”

Bee and Val eyed one another, communicating in silence while Jace raced around to start the process of begging. On the one hand, the idea of letting Jace leave her sight made Val sort of queasy. On the other, it would be awfully nice to have a bit of peace and quiet. They wouldn’t technically be leaving the islands, just going to the capital, and Gabe would take care of him, no doubt.

As the seconds ticked by, Jace hopped on his tip toes, clasping desperate hands together in prayerful hope. Male was a bustling city, surprisingly filled with high-rise towers, restaurants and various shops. The ride by boat wouldn’t take them long, and the break in routine would probably do everyone good.

“There’s an arcade…” Gabe hummed from the kitchen, sending Jace’s puppy-dog eyes to pout even further.

“How could I say no to an arcade?” Val sighed, then clutched at her wine glass as Jace threw himself gratefully into her arms.

“We’ll leave tomorrow morning and be back sometime in the afternoon.” Gabe informed them before striding back out to the barbecue.

* * *

That night, despite the fact that Jason did not call, Jace was able to drift off to sleep happily. He was distracted by the promise of an adventure with Gabe and it made Val even more certain she made the right decision.

When the morning came and Gabe loaded Jace into the boat, Val and Bee stood on the dock waving as the they reversed into the open ocean. Jace’s innocent face radiated his pride as he sat in the shotgun seat. The attention from his uncle had done wonders to lighten the child’s spirit.

Little did he know; the women were possibly just as pleased to see them go. No more mess, no more yelling and splashing. Peace, at last. Well, for half a day at least.

“Pina Coladas on the beach?” Bee squealed.

“Yes please!” Val smiled.

Back in the kitchen, the blender whirred as Bee dumped in rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice along with a hefty scoop of ice. Val changed into a black bikini and fetched an armful of oversized towels, the heavenly blue colors of which matched the intensity of the water.

Arm in arm, the two of them strode down the dock until they felt the hot sand simmering beneath their bare feet. A few hundred yards down the strip of land there was a small wooden structure with palm fronds draped over its slanted roof.

Bee and Gabe’s home was not the only one on the tiny island. There were two more homes of a slightly smaller size but they were vacation rentals and remained uninhabited for most of the year. During the travel season, when the homes were full, Bee and Gabe hosted outdoor parties using the shared building as a bar. Val had attended one such gathering, and recalled the fantastic spectacle of music, dancing and drinking that was involved.

But today it was all quiet. Today, they were all alone. The other houses stood empty and the small bar unused. Just past the building were a series of posts Gabe had installed to hang hammocks from. He even erected a shade cover to make them more inviting.

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