Her Loyal Seal (22 page)

“But what?”

“I talked to Rios. He didn’t think it was ever really going to be safe for your father to come back to Mexico City. Even with Guzman out of the picture, there are going to be too many people who will remember him.”

Lydia nodded.

****

“Clint, I don’t know what to do,” Lydia whispered.

She was sitting cross legged in the middle of the bed, staring at her laptop. “How do I tell my parents the great news that they’ll be free when the trial is over, but Beth still has to remain in hiding because a madman is after her? How do I tell Beth?”

She rocked back and forth, tapping on the space bar.

“Lydia, you don’t have to tell them anything right now. Everything is status quo. They all have to stay under protection until after the trial anyway. Why confront this?”
Dammit, why did everything always fall on Lydia’s shoulders?

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

“Why? What’s it going to accomplish? You tell them, they stay where they are. You don’t tell them, they stay where they are.” She looked up at him.

“That’s true, isn’t it?” She looked so hopeful.

“What’s more, you know everyone is looking for Berto Guzman. By the time the trial is over with, that asshole will probably be in custody so it will be a moot point.” Lydia stopped tapping and rocking.

“We’re going to help find that asshole. We’ve got a week until Papa has to testify. You’re right, this is nothing. We brought down an international drug cartel! We can stop his slime ball son!”

Clint gave her a big grin. He didn’t want to do anything to diminish her enthusiasm. But he’d talked to Mason and he knew they were fighting an uphill battle. Still if anyone deserved some luck, it was the Hidalgo sisters.

“Okay Lydia. Let’s blow this Popsicle stand and get something to eat. I’m sick of room service. We can work out some strategy over dinner. How does that sound.” She snapped shut her laptop and jumped off the bed.

“That sounds wonderful. Just give me a quick second to change. Are the guys coming with us?”

“No, they needed some downtime. It’ll just be the two of us. I would expect to see Darius first thing tomorrow morning. This thing with Rylie really has him rattled.”

“They’re just really giving me space, aren’t they?” she said as she went to the closet.

“Does it matter?” he asked as he watched her pull out a blue dress.

“No. I guess it doesn’t.”

“After dinner, let’s call Melvin. Maybe he knows something he doesn’t even know he knows about Rylie.”

“Damn, Lydia, that even kind of made sense.” She grinned over her shoulder as she closed the door to the bathroom.

****

“How often do you and Mr. Muscles have sex anyway?” Melvin asked. Lydia and Clint were on the living room couch listening to Melvin on the speakers of the computer.

“What?” Lydia was taken aback by the question, and luckily Clint stepped in.

“Baby, he basically wants to know when you’re going to want to video Skype with him again. Which will be never,” Clint said into the computer speaker.

“Damn, he has a brain too?”

“Did I tell you he’s a Navy SEAL?” Lydia asked sweetly.

“Please say you’re kidding me.” Melvin sounded like he was in pain.

“She’s just pulling your leg, Melvin.”

There was a long silence.

“Melvin? Are you there?” Lydia asked.

“Hold on, Kitten. I need just a little bit longer.” Clint held up his can of Mountain Dew to see if she wanted a sip, she shuddered as she shook her head. She did steal some Doritos out of his bag on the coffee table.

“Senior Chief Petty Officer Clint Archer, stationed out of San Diego. You’re originally from Denver. Your middle name is Anthony. You really are a fucking Navy SEAL and I’m never going to be able to video SKYPE with Lydia again, am I?” Melvin sounded dejected.

“Nope, you won’t. On the plus side, you’ve made some strong allies.”

“I’m not sure that makes up for the loss of seeing her in an angora sweater.”

Lydia squirmed.

“You own an angora sweater?” Clint asked, the Dorito halfway to his mouth.

“Enough guys. This is important.”
Seriously, men and boobs. Why women didn’t rule the world was beyond her.

“Melvin, did you hear Guzman was arrested today?”

“It was damn near all anyone talked about today. It made the dark net headlines.” Melvin laughed at his joke.

“I have two problems. Berto is on the loose and he doesn’t seem to care about the drug business imploding. He’s onto a new business,” Lydia explained.

“Yep, that made page two. He’s now in the sex slave business.”

“Melvin, can you please say human trafficking.”

“I believe in calling it the way it is,” he protested.

“Well then, let me inform you, that seventeen percent of the people sold into the US are sold for labor, not sexual slavery. So human trafficking is more accurate. I abhor that term.” She’d agreed with Drake, and was grateful when he had made a point to have the team stop using the phrase. The least she could do is follow through with others.

“I’m going to check your stats, but you’re right, I should be more respectful. Now that we’re done with the PC version of our program, tell me what you need from me.”

“I need any and all information on Berto. But just as critical I need any and all information on Sylvia Hessman and someone named Rylie Jones.”

“Ahhh, you figured that one out, did you.”

“You knew?”

“Yeah, since last year. I did some digging. I hate not knowing about my associates. It was odd to find out I was swapping information with a dead girl. But believe it or not she’s not my most interesting contact. There’s this guy from New Jersey who’s trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for speaking entirely in Klingon for the longest amount of time. He only has five more months and he’ll make the book.”

“Klingon?” Lydia asked.

“That’s a fake language from the television show Star Trek,” Clint answered.

“Not fake my friend. It has been made into a full-fledged language.”

“Clint, didn’t you hear? In order for this man from New Jersey has to beat out somebody else, he has to continue speaking Klingon for five more months.” Lydia put her hand over her mouth to stop the little giggle. But then it became a bigger giggle. Then it was a chuckle. Then it was a full blown laugh and she couldn’t stop it from bursting forth.

“Melvin, that’s wonderful! You have the best contacts in the world. Oh my God. This is too funny.”

Clint and Melvin were laughing as well.

“Yeah well, at least he’s allowed to type in English.”

“Okay, back to the reason for our call,” Clint said.

“I can definitely help with Berto, but you need to tell me why you want the info on Rylie.”

“Melvin, that’s why I love working with you. You’re loyal to a fault,” Lydia stated. “I’m really worried about her. She’s been getting pretty scary information and now she’s dropped from the grid.”

“She’s twelve. She needs some people in her life helping her,” Clint interrupted. Lydia elbowed him in his ribs.

“Clint, she might look twelve, but I believe the girl I investigated was twenty-one,” Melvin said wryly.

“You’re right,” Lydia agreed. “But we met her. Rylie or Sylvia or whatever you want to call her is a force to be reckoned with. I was really impressed by her. But she was awfully alone. I think she could use some help.”

Again they were met by silence. Finally Melvin sighed. “Lydia, it’s all that testosterone isn’t it. They can’t help themselves.”

Lydia laughed. “That’s definitely part of it, put a bunch of them together and they start with the cavemen tactics.”

“Okay, I’ll start putting together everything I can on Rylie. To tell you the truth, I’ve been worried about her myself. Hey, I’ve got to go.” Melvin was gone.

“That was fast, was he upset?” Clint asked.

“Nah,” Lydia said as she went to get something decent to drink out of the hotel’s little refrigerator. “He probably had somebody else pinging him.” She grabbed the lemonade and poured herself a glass. She went back and settled onto the couch.

“Now I have one important question to ask you, Lydia.” Uh-oh, he sounded so serious.

“Okay.” She set down her lemonade, uncaring that it might leave a stain on the wood.

“Did you pack the angora sweater?”

****

“You two sure look chipper this morning,” Drake noted as he plowed into his omelet.

Clint eyed his two friends who arrived for breakfast a half hour ago. Darius was barely eating, which went against all of their training. You always took in food when it was available. Rylie had him tied up in knots, and he didn’t think it was just the foster kid connection. Darius looked up.

“Got something to say, Archer?”

“Nope, just enjoying my breakfast. Shouldn’t you be?”

“Not hungry. You know we have to leave this afternoon. I was hoping for an update.” Clint sighed inwardly, and then Lydia spoke up.

“Some info came in while Clint was in the shower. You know we figure she lives in Oklahoma because we tracked her to that Internet Provider. There have been some awfully large donations that have been happening for the last two years to a home for abused and neglected children in Fallon Springs, OK. The donations have been anonymous wire transfers. Over a half million.”

Drake whistled.

“The home went under investigation because of the money last year. Then miraculously the donor came to light. It all came from this old man in North Carolina who was known to contribute generously to charities. It stopped the investigation in its tracks. But when Melvin dug a little further he found that Mr. Curruthers had been in a nursing home for dementia for the last two years. It couldn’t have been him.”

“Okay, what is the name of this place in Fallon Springs?” Darius asked.

“Forever After. And before you ask Darius. I’ve checked the records of all the staff, Rylie doesn’t work there.”

“But it’s a damn good lead.” Darius smiled. “Who the hell is this guy Melvin?”

“Don’t ask. Lydia has the most eclectic group of friends you could ever imagine. Anyway, we’ll keep at this. One more thing to consider, Dare.”

“What?”

“Your girl has an anchor. This place, Forever After, is an anchor. She has ties to it, it’s someplace she wants to help and make a difference for.”

Darius considered his words and finally nodded. He started to eat the food in front of him.

Clint reached over and stroked Lydia’s hair, before grabbing her hand and kissing it.

They’d started making good headway on one of their priorities, he just wished they had some kind of lead on the second. Only he didn’t think the problem with Berto was going to be as easily solved.

“Lydia, I’m going to drive the guys to the airport this afternoon, is that okay?”

“Okay, I can also check a couple of other sources. I also want to start packing.”

“Hey man, we can catch a shuttle,” Drake said. Clint just raised his eyebrow and Drake shut up.

****

“Okay, what did you need to talk to us about without Lydia hearing?” Drake asked as he threw his duffle into the trunk of the rental car.

“Remember what we pulled off for Mason when he proposed to Sophia.”

“Oh hell no, you are not going to copy what Mason did! That is such a craptastic idea. Lydia finds out you did that and she’ll divorce your ass. Women talk.”

“Jesus, Drake, give me more credit than that.” Clint said as he got behind the wheel.

“No, I just meant I needed to pull off something. When I proposed I didn’t even have a ring. I need to pull out all the stops when we get to San Diego, and I’m going to be counting on you guys to help me.”

“You got it. What do you have in mind?” Drake asked.

“A couple of things. First and foremost is getting all of the Hidalgos to San Diego after the trial. I don’t care if Berto is still out there, I want Beth there. I want this to be a big surprise engagement party for Lydia. She hasn’t seen her family for a long time.”

“Gotchya.”

“Have any of you talked to Jack Preston?”

“Not since he was assigned to Beth,” Darius answered. “I know Finn has been keeping in touch, because I’ve been talking to Finn a lot. He’s been having me keep an eye on his mom.”

“Hey, why didn’t he ask me to keep an eye on her?” Drake protested.

“Mellow,” Darius said soothingly. “Finn knew if he asked you, you would have smothered her.”

“I would not have.”

“Yes you would have. I’ve been checking in on her twice a week.”

“Only twice a week? What the hell man? She’s a widow! Her dad just died. Finn just uprooted her from Minnesota to San Diego and then left on assignment. You can’t just let her fend for herself. You needed to be seeing her a hell of a lot more often than twice a week!”

Darius didn’t say anything and Clint just concentrated on driving.

“Dare, are you listening to me?” Drake demanded.

Neither of them responded.

“Did you hear me?”

“Like I said Drake, you would have smothered her.” Darius sighed. “So Clint, I talked to Finn, it sounds like Jack might have taken a shine to Beth.”

“Yeah, something is definitely brewing. You heard she was in the hospital, right?” Clint asked.

“Yeah, Finn told me.”

“What the fuck, you never told me that!” Drake spun around in the passenger seat to glare at Darius in the back seat.

“Shit Drake, I’m sorry. Yeah, Beth was bit by a rattler, and it was touch and go. I didn’t hear until days later.”

“Anyway, I talked to Jack five hours after it happened,” Clint explained. “He was a basket case. I thought he would lose his shit. I just want to see how Beth is handling things with him. It will be good to see them together. We’re going to need a boatload of security unless we get Berto before then.”

“It’s possible we will find him,” Drake said in a hopeful tone, but he was aware of the truth, just like Clint. Berto was in the wind.