Island of Bones (28 page)

Louis stayed crouched beneath the window and watched as five of the del Bosque men came out the front door. They stood in a knot, talking for a moment then dispersed. A moment later, Frank emerged from the house.

Christ...
he was carrying a rifle.

Frank paused for a moment, looking around the compound, then disappeared down a path. Louis crept back to the place where he had left Landeta. He heard the small cries of the baby before he saw Landeta.

“Can’t you keep it quiet?” he hissed.

“What the fuck you want me to do?” Landeta
said.

Louis inhaled deeply. “They aren’t going to let us leave here alive. They’re going to hunt us down and kill us.”

He could hear Landeta breathing hard. The baby let out a cry.

“Louis
—-”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m thinking.” Louis looked back at the compound. No one else had come out of the house.

“All right,” Louis said. “I think the old guy is staying in there with the old lady. Everyone else is out looking for us, including Frank. I say we find a place here to hide. Stay here, and keep that baby quiet.”

Louis crept toward the back of the nearest cabin. Its screened windows were dark. There was no sound coming from inside. He pulled the pocket knife from his jeans, sliced the screen, and slipped inside.

He stood for a second, trying to get a sense of his surroundings in the dark. The room was small, furnished with a bed, a dresser, and something that looked like a desk in the corner. The room smelled of old cigar smoke and gunpowder. He moved to the short hall, pushing open a door with his hand. He peered into the dark and saw the outline of a smaller bed and dresser. He moved on.

On his right was a living area with just enough room for a sofa, a wooden chair, and a coral fireplace. A lantern was on the table, but there was no phone or television, no sign that there was even electricity.

He heard a faint humming sound and turned. A dark, narrow kitchen with a wood table, a sink, and an ancient refrigerator.

Milk for the baby? Something, anything to keep it quiet?

He retraced his steps and slid back outside. As he neared the brush, he could hear a muffled cry. When he reached Landeta, he saw Landeta’s hand over the baby’s mouth.

“Jesus, don’t smother it,” Louis whispered.

“I had to do something,” Landeta said. “You think you can do better then you take it, damn it.”

“Never mind. Follow me,” Louis said.

Louis took them back to the cabin, taking the baby while Landeta crawled in through the sliced screen. Once they were all inside, Louis left Landeta and the baby in the larger bedroom and went to the kitchen.

He hesitated in front of the refrigerator. Damn, there was no way around it. He opened it a crack and light split the darkness. He spotted the button and held it down. In the dark again, he scanned the shelves.

A milk carton. He grabbed it, shut the refrigerator, and went back to the bedroom.

“Here,” he said, thrusting it at Landeta.

Landeta took the carton. “What do you want me to do with this?”

“Give it to the baby.”

“With what, goddamn it?”

“Can’t you figure out some kind of nipple or something?”

“The only nipples I got won’t work.”

The baby’s cries grew louder. Louis walked a tight quick circle then went back to the kitchen. No way was he going to chance opening the refrigerator again. He quickly searched the cabinets, but saw nothing they could use.

He suddenly realized the baby was quiet and he hurried back to the bedroom. He let out a breath when he saw the baby squirming in Landeta’s arms. Landeta had the milk carton wedged between his knees, its top ripped open. Louis watched as Landeta dipped his finger into the carton and then gently put it up to the baby’s mouth. The baby was sucking eagerly.

Landeta looked up. “Don’t say it,” he said quietly. “Don’t even think it.”

Louis’s anger broke into a low laugh.

Landeta adjusted the baby in his arm. “I heard that
,” he said. “I heard you laugh. So I guess this means you’re not pissed at me anymore?”

Louis had been pissed. At Landeta’s need to come here, to somehow prove he was still the cop he used to be? At his clumsiness, his neediness, shit...his blindness?

No. He was mad at himself. For getting sucked into this in the first place. For not thinking this through. For not knowing about the tides, babies, and...

He turned and walked out of the room. He went to the kitchen, turned on the faucet, and splashed his face. It stung the cuts and bites but helped him clear his head. He saw a towel, grabbed it and soaked it with water.

He went back to the bedroom and held the wet towel out to Landeta. “I’m not pissed at you,” he said. “I’m pissed at myself.”

“You made a decision when you got in that boat tonight,” Landeta said. “Just like Rafael did when he turned out that lantern.”

“You know you winged him,” Louis said.

Landeta took the towel and wiped his face. “But he’s alive?”

“Yeah, I just saw him. He was with the others.”

“How many men do you think there are?”

“There are seven cabins. I’m guessing only the seven men I saw.”

“Any ideas?” Landeta asked.

“I don’t know. There is no phone in here and I’m not taking any chances on getting caught inside that house.”

Landeta threw up a hand, silencing him. He pointed to the doorway. Louis drew his gun and slid up behind the door.

The floorboards creaked. A small figure stopped in the doorway.

Louis lowered the gun to his side. “How long have you been there, Roberto?”

The boy looked back at Louis. “I was asleep,” he said softly. He was looking at Louis’s gun.

“I remember you,” Roberto said. “You came here for lunch yesterday.”

Roberto looked at Landeta and the baby. He went slowly over to them and peered down. “Is that a baby?” he asked.

“Yes,” Louis said.

The boy was quiet, staring at the baby. Landeta pulled the blanket off the bed and wrapped the baby in it. He was looking at Roberto, who was still staring down at the baby.

“Louis?”

When Louis looked up, Landeta nodded toward the boy. “Hostage?” he asked quietly.

Louis ran a sleeve over his sweaty face and let out a tired breath.

“We don’t have much choice,” Landeta said. “We give him up as soon as we get a boat. And no one gets hurt.”

Louis stared at the boy. It was dangerous and illegal. But hell, they had crossed that line hours ago. And Landeta was right
-- they were out of options.

“All right,” Louis said quietly. “Now we just have to get to the restaurant.”

“I know how to get there,” Roberto said. “There’s a path from here to there. But I know a secret way.”

Louis glanced at Landeta then turned to face Roberto. “A secret way?”

“Yeah, I take the secret way when I’m late and don’t want my father to see me sneaking in.”

“Your father doesn’t know your secret way?” Louis asked.

Roberto shook his head, still staring at the baby. “No one knows it but me.”

“Roberto, can you show us your secret way?”

He looked up at Louis. “I don’t know. If I take you that way you can’t tell, okay?”

“Scout’s honor,” Louis said, crossing his chest.

“Scout’s what?” Roberto asked.

“Nothing.” Louis
paused. “Roberto, do you know how to play hide-and-seek?”

The boy shook his head.

Louis placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “It’s a game and I’m going to teach you.”

The game, Louis told Roberto, was to get to the restaurant without anyone seeing them. The boy seemed excited and eager to play.

They exited through the slit screen in the back of the cabin, and Roberto led them into the brush. Louis followed the boy, with Landeta close behind carrying the baby. The moon was gone now and Louis was tempted to use his flashlight, but Roberto was weaving among the low-hanging trees and downed branches like a squirrel, so Louis trusted him to lead the way.

Roberto stopped suddenly.

“What’s the matter?” Louis whispered.

“We have to go around,” Roberto said.

Louis moved ahead and saw they had come out on the edge of the cemetery. “Let’s just go across this way and
—-”

The boy shook his head
. “I’m not allowed.”

“Roberto, we have to
—- ”

“They told me I can’t. I can go in the other one, but not this one.”

“There’s another cemetery?” Louis asked. “Where?”

“
Way over on the other side of the island,” the boy said, waving a hand. “It’s a long ways from here. It’s where my mother is buried.”

Louis pointed to the coral markers. “Then who is buried here, Roberto?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I just know I can’t go in.”

Louis looked back at Landeta, who just shook his head.

“All right, you go around,” he told Roberto. “We will meet you over there where the path picks up, okay?”

The boy looked troubled. But finally he nodded and scampered into the brush. Louis and Landeta crossed the graveyard. Roberto was waiting for them on the other side.

He led them back into the brush again. Louis could hear water now, a steady soft gurgle on their right. This new path seemed to parallel the one they had come in on, but it was so narrow and overgrown that Louis could barely stand upright.

But Roberto seemed to know every twist and turn. He was getting into the game now, hiding behind trees, waiting for them to come up, jumping out silently but with a big smile. It was clear the boy was at home in the woods, unafraid of anything. He felt as safe under the night sky of stars as a boy in a bunk bed under a glow-in-the-dark
ceiling cosmos.

Louis glanced back. Landeta was falling behind. Louis grabbed Roberto and gestured for him to stop. They waited until Landeta caught up. He was breathing heavily, the baby clutched to his chest. The blanket had come undone and the baby’s legs were dangling free.

“Mel, let me take it,” Louis said.

“No, I’m okay, I’m okay.” Landeta wiped a hand over his face. “I just
have to rest for a minute.”

Before Louis could say anything, Landeta eased himself down to the dirt.

Louis turned to Roberto, who was staring at Landeta and the baby. “Roberto, how far is the restaurant?” he asked.

“Oh, it’s a long ways yet.”

Louis looked around at the brush then turned back to Roberto. “Okay, it’s time to hide now,” Louis said. “Do you know where we could go?”

“Sure, I know a good place. Nobody ever goes there but me.”

Louis looked back at Landeta, but he was just sitting there, his eyes closed. The baby was starting to fuss again. Louis knew he had no choice. He had to trust the boy.

Roberto saw Louis hesitating and tugged at his shirt. “It’s real close. Come on, I’ll show you. The only thing that’s there is some old bones.”

The baby felt strange in his arms. When Landeta had handed the bundle to him, Louis was surprised at how light it was. He thought of Jay Strickland in that moment, and what the young cop had said about babies.

You're life and death to them, man. You're everything.

“The mosquitoes,” Landeta whispered. “Keep its face covered.”

Louis wrapped the blanket over the baby and clutched it to his chest with his left hand. Using his right hand, he pushed his way through the brush, keeping his eyes on Roberto as the boy led them in a new
direction back inland.

Louis was gasping by the time they broke free into a new clearing. Landeta followed a few moments later, and they both just stood there, pulling in deep breaths while Roberto watched them. Finally, Louis looked around.

The moon was out again and he could see that they were back at the Indian shell mound. But they had emerged out on the inland side of the mound. Louis could see now that there were many mounds, others that had been hidden by the trees and not visible from the first path below.

“This way,” Roberto whispered, waving to them to follow.

They walked slowly through the mounds. There were maybe a dozen of them, some just a few feet high, others towering to six feet or more, ten feet across. All were bare, no trees or grass on top, just millions and millions of shells. In the moonlight, the shell mounds had a soft glow, like old ivory.

Roberto led them to the highest mound, nestled back in the trees. Louis waited while Roberto pulled away some brush to reveal an opening. Roberto went in and Louis followed. The mound was unlike the others, U-shaped, like a cave without a top.

“This is my secret place,” Roberto said as Landeta followed them in.

“Roberto, do you know what this is?” Louis asked.

“Papa says Indians are buried in here. He says they should be left alone.” He hesitated. “You won’t tell, will you?”

“No,” Louis said quietly.

Landeta sank down to the dirt, head in his hands. Louis could tell he was exhausted. So was he. Tired, thirsty, hot, bitten up, cut up, filthy, and afraid. Afraid they weren’t going to get off this damn island alive.

The baby was quiet. But it was suddenly heavy in his arms. He couldn’t stand it any longer. He had to sit. Even if it was just for a few minutes. Just sit, think, and try to find a way out of this.

He carefully eased down to the dirt, leaning his head back against the wall of shells, the baby against his chest. There were shards of pottery littering the dirt floor —- and bones. Louis saw a jawbone and what looked like a leg bone. He looked up to see Roberto, sitting cross-legged in the dirt, watching him.

“Louis,” Landeta whispered, “we have to get a plan. We have to figure out what we’ll be up against at the restaurant. Ask the boy.”

Louis nodded. “Roberto,” he whispered, “how many men live here?”

The boy was quiet for a moment. “Eight. No, wait. That was before Uncle Emilio drowned. So there’s seven. But it’s eight if you count me.”

So he had been right. Seven cottages, seven men. Louis had a sudden thought. “Roberto, your uncle Frank, does he look like your uncle Emilio?”

“They were twins. Twins look exactly the same.”

“So that’s poor old Uncle Emilio lying in the Fort Myers morgue, wearing his brother’s toe tag,” Landeta said. “Romulus and Remus. Christ, why don’t you ask him about wolves while you’re at it?”

“Wolves are beautiful,” Roberto said softly. “I saw a picture of one once.
Abuela
Ana told me a story about two little boys who were left in a river and saved by a mother wolf.”

They all fell silent. Louis closed his eyes. But his ears were alert, trying to pick out any odd sound. But he couldn’t do it. He wasn’t like the boy, who knew every note of his island’s night music. He wasn’t like Landeta, who had learned to trust more than his eyes. He could only see what was there.

What had he seen exactly? A graveyard without names, a strange table, Angela being marched at gunpoint, an old woman arguing with a young man, and seven men desperately trying to protect something.

But what he hadn’t seen were other women. Or other children, for that matter.

Louis glanced over at Roberto. He was fiddling with something that looked like an arrowhead.

“Roberto,” he whispered, “do you have any aunts?”

“Yes.”

“How many?”

Roberto set down the arrowhead to use his fingers to count. “Well, there’s Aunt Emma, Aunt Paula, Aunt Cindy, and Aunt Angel. That makes four.”

Louis caught Landeta’s eye. Then he leaned his head back against the shell wall. They were alive. Thank God for that.

But it still didn’t make sense. Emma Fielding had been here for thirty-four years. And the others for twenty or more. So where the hell were they? And who was buried in those five graves back at the cemetery? He looked over at Landeta and knew he was thinking the same thing.

“Roberto, what about Aunt Shelly?” Landeta asked.

“Who?”

“A woman named Shelly,” Louis said patiently. “You never heard anyone called that here?”

“No,” the boy said “There was a strange lady living in Uncle Tomas’s house for a while. But I don’t know her name.”

“What did the strange lady look like?” Louis
asked.

“I only saw her two times. The first time was when Uncle Tomas brought her here. I remember she had really long hair. I thought she was really pretty.”

Roberto didn’t look up, but his face creased into a small frown. “The next time I saw her all her hair was cut off.”

Louis glanced at Landeta. “Do you know where she went?” he asked Roberto.

The boy shook his head. “She never came out of Uncle Tomas’s house. And then one day she was gone.”

“How do you know she was gone?”

Roberto gave a small shrug. “I didn’t hear her anymore. She used to scream a lot at night.”

Louis heard Landeta let out a tired breath. When Louis looked back at Roberto, the boy was smiling, holding up a small pointed object.

“This is a shark tooth,” he said. “I have a whole bunch of them in here. Want one? Papa says they’re good luck charms.”

Louis started to shake his head but the boy was obviously proud of his possessions. Louis took the tooth.

“Thanks,” he said.

Roberto smiled.

“Roberto, you said this is your secret place,” Louis said. “Do you ever bring any friends here?”

“Friends? What’s that?”

“Well, maybe like a brother or sister?”

Roberto shook his head slowly.

“Who do you play with then?” Louis asked.

“The Indians. I mean, they aren’t real. I just pretend they are.
”

Louis
watched Roberto playing with his small cache of artifacts.

“Well, what now, Rocky?” Landeta said softly.

“I don’t know.”

Landeta was quiet. “Do you realize what a mess this is?” he
said finally.

“Mel, for God’s sake,” Louis said, putting up a hand. “Yes, I have thought about it.”

“No, I don’t think you have,” Landeta whispered. He scooted closer to Louis. “When we moved Angela, we probably caused her to bleed to death. I shot and wounded an unarmed man. And now we could be charged with kidnapping. Not to mention trespassing.”

Louis looked at Roberto, but the boy was busy.

“Cult or no cult, the women are alive,” Landeta went on. “They probably came here willingly.”

“Shelly didn’t,” Louis said. “That’s what they were talking about in the house. Tomas killed
—-”

He stopped himself, looking at Roberto, but the boy didn’t seem to hear him.

“All right, all right,” Landeta said. “If we get out of here alive, the cops can come back and question Tomas. But we don’t have any proof that anything else is going on here.”

“What about those graves back there?” Louis
said, trying to keep his voice low. “What the hell is that all about?”

“I don’t know,” Landeta said. He leaned his head back against the shell wall. “I don’t know.”

Louis shifted the baby in his arm, trying to cover it with the blanket. It was awake and quiet, just lying there looking up at him with dark eyes.

“They’re hiding something, Mel,” Louis whispered. “Something besides Shelly’s murder. I know it.”

“Forget it,” Landeta said. “At least for now.”

“I’m not leaving this baby here,” Louis whispered. “Or him.”

“Louis, the boy is obviously in no danger,” Landeta said. “There’s no reason to believe the baby is either. Kidnapping carries twenty to life in this state.”

Landeta was right. They had no real proof of anything, not even that Shelly Umber had been murdered here. Their only option was to try to get off the island, go to Horton, and pray that the chief trusted them enough to listen this time. And they couldn’t take the baby or the boy with them.

“All right,” he said quietly. He handed the baby back to Landeta and touched Roberto’s arm.

“Roberto, can you take us to the restaurant now?”

The boy smiled and nodded, getting to his feet. Louis rose and helped Landeta get up. He realized he was still holding the shark tooth Roberto had given him. He started to toss it down, but then put it in his pocket.

“Let’s go,” he said.