Aubrey (Axis Rising)

049:

*****049:

Rafe

I clicked on my phone screen as it buzzed in my hand. I kept it with me 24-7, had to with Aubrey ready to pop any time.

It was Eli.

I hadn't seen Eli or heard from Max or his goons in days. It felt surreal, as if the world had stopped spinning. So much adrenaline and then absolutely nothing.

I mean, I should have been really glad. Aubrey needed a completely stress-free environment, and when I was home, every waking moment needed to be devoted to her. I couldn't do that justice if I was busy trying to keep secrets from her about clandestine meetings with Eli or Max or Jack or whoever.

"Dude, can you talk?" Eli's tone was urgent, but the static and faint dead spaces in my ear buzz made me think he wasn't even in the country.

I looked around me. Justine was at the mic, a vocal coach was talking to her earnestly. Some really good sound engineers were at the controls, and Jeff sat behind the glass listening to her attentively, really concentrating. Which is where I had been, until I took it in the hall.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Max found out the necklace is a fake."

"I figured it wouldn't take long."

"He had some guys break in and trash the place. I'm having it reconstructed as we speak."

"Trashed Gomez and Ariana's house?"

His sigh was exasperated even at this distance. "Look, Felicity is in danger again!"

"Why does it need reconstruction? How are you having it done?"

"Senor, the child is a target. Please take precautions!"

"Eli, how can I take precautions if I don't know from which direction they are coming? Tell me what happened to the house."

"They searched for the safe tearing up walls and floor boards, smashing tiles and windows, arches over bedrooms, and interior planters. To the tune of a hundred thousand in US damages."

I blew out my breath. But they hadn't finished it off by blowing it up, which was a typical MO for them. They must still think it had some value.

"They had plenty of time then, and no one was around to stop them." I mused.

"Apparently."

"Where were you? Where were your guys?"

"Business. I can't watch Sonora every minute. The palacio may be legally mine, but the land it sits on is Maximiliano's."

"And he's letting you go there and fix it up? That doesn't make any sense."

"It is the way it is."

"So, you two work together?"

"No, Senor! We are enemies! I have told you! You must trust me. You Americanos do not understand our ways. Leave it alone, and believe me when I say your daughter, Felicity, is in danger."

I ran my hand through my hair. "What about you? Did you find the safe?"

"I did not. I believe once the repairs are finished, if we bring Felicity here, she may be able to identify the place."

"No, she won't. She's not going there, and she's not involved. If neither of you guys can find the safe at the palacio, it's probably not there. Two grown men with armies at your disposal and you can't destroy a house enough to find the safe? It's not on the groundsman, face it." I smiled to myself. "And if it's not on the grounds, then it's not available to anyone. It may have been inadvertently destroyed. I think you guys have nothing to worry about. Have a nice life!"

"Wait! Wait! Senor Stryker! It is on the grounds! We know for a fact it is. But Gomez was naturally very secretive. We believe that the answer lies with the necklace."

"If you can't find the safe how will you use the key on the necklace to open it?" I scoffed, rolling my eyes, glad that he did not have the actual necklace.

"The other charms are clues to the whereabouts. I have proof of this, amigo, please trust me."

"And you've decoded the necklace you took from me?" I held my breath for his answer.

There was a pause. "No. I have not. Gomez was a very secretive man. I am not sure what the clues mean." He was understandably baffled, and I commiserated with his predicament. "If we could try and skype with Felicity soon, after the damages are repaired...."

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. I believed he was serious about his quest, and was working very hard at his goal. But I wanted to completely disabuse him of the idea of involving Felicity. She was too young, too impressionable, and too far removed from the situation. All it could possibly do was bring up sad memories for her.

"Eli, I feel for you, man."

"No! No, you obviously don't see it from my point of view! Senor Stryker, what about your bodyguards who died at Teotihuacan? What about Gomez and Ariana? Did they deserve to die? What about her unborn child?"

I felt instant rage that he should bring up something so painful. He admittedly had not been close to Gomez and Ariana--- barely knew them, his loss was not as great as mine. I felt my other hand clench into a fist, my lips thinned out and I bit the top one.

"I see you have not thought through the ramifications." Eli said sorrowfully. "Ask yourself, if you could bring the men to justice that killed your friends, would you? Or would you sit idly by as they continue to ravage other families such as yourselves? How many other children need to go fatherless for you to find it in your heart to help them?"

"I am helping them! I have adopted their child! I am giving her a home and family! Don't lecture me on helping the fatherless!"

My righteous indignation brought a startling thought to my mind. I felt wrath--- I felt affronted that he would even consider disparaging my contribution. And it brought it straight to my heart---- are you doing this for approbation? Did you adopt three children so others would see your contribution?

I rebelled inside, irritated at that inner voice that sometimes took the steam out of my sails.

Eli's calm demeanor was a slap in the face. "Help me, amigo. I need your help. Allow Felicity to virtually walk through the palacio with me. I am her Uncle, and I am her friend!"

My insides were shaking. "No, you're not her Uncle or her friend!" I felt like wounding him for casting such aspersions on my character, as if I were less than charitable for not wanting to put my daughter in extreme danger to fill his need for revenge.

He clicked off.

I felt sick, and---- strangely--- terrible. I felt like I'd just kicked the proverbial dead dog when he was dying.

I turned back to the studio rooms and slammed my clenched fist into the door, smashing right through it and causing a lot of loud expletives, and some really startled mayhem to erupt. Without thought, I stormed out of the house/studio and made it out to the beach in the bright light of sweltering heat.

*****