BLACK MONEY LOVE

Chapter 13

It was the longest day of her life. Roma worked and waited as the hours crawled by. Morales men mixed with the vacationers on the beach. So obviously,it seemed to Roma, that she wondered everyone else didn't notice them as they wore badges around their necks. Her boats went out, returned and went out again. Tanks and equipment were checked and rented. She filled out invoices and accepted credit cards as if there were some important to daily routine. She wished for the day to end. She hoped the night would never come.
A thousand times she thought of telling Morales she couldn't go through with it. A thousand times she called herself a coward. But as the sun went down and the beach began to clear, she realized courage wasn't something that could be willed into place. She would run,if she had the choice. But as long as she was in danger, Faith was in danger to, when the sun went down, she locked the shop as it were the end of any ordinary day. Before she'd pocketed her keys, Zack was beside her.
" There's still time to change your mind."
" And do what? Hide?" She looked out at the beach,at the Sea,at the island that was her home. And her prison. Why had she never seen it as a prison until Zack had come to it?
" You've already told me how good I am at hiding."
" Roma---"
She shook her head to stop him.
" I can't talk about it. I just have to do it."
They drove home in silence. In her mind,Roma went over her instructions, every point, every word Morales had pushed at her. She was to follow the routine, make the exchange,then turn the case with the money over to the police who'd be waiting on the dock.
"You're going to have a drink, some food and a nap," Zack ordered as he steered her inside.
" Just a nap."
" The nap first then." After securing the lock, Zack lowered her into the bedroom. He lowered the shades." Do you want anything else?"
It was still so hard to ask." Would you lie down with me?"
He came to her. She was already curled on her side, so he drew her against him and wrapped her close." Will you sleep?"
" I think so." In sleep she could find escape,if only temporarily. But she didn't close her eyes.
" Zack?"
" Hmm?"
" After tonight---after we've finished, will you hold me like this again?"
He pressed his lips to her hair. He didn't think he could love her anymore. He was nearly certain if he told her she'd pull away.
" As long as you want. Just sleep."
Roma let her eyes close and her mind empty.

The case was small,the size of an executive briefcase. It seemed too inconspicuous to be the catalyst for so much danger. Beside it,on the counter of Roma's shop, was an envelope. Inside was a slip of paper with longitude and latitude printed. With the slip of paper were twenty-five one-hundred-dollar bills.
" They kept their part of the bargain,"  Zack commented. Roma merely shoved the envelope into a drawer." I'll get my equipment."
Zack watched her. She'd rather do this on her own, he reflected. She'd rather not think she had someone to lean on, to turn to. He took her tanks before she could heft them. She was going to learn,he reminded himself, that she had a great deal more than that.
She was silent for a moment. All during the evening hours she'd thought about what she would say to him, how much she would say it." Zack what will you do?"
The flame of his lighter hissed,flared,then was quite.
" What I have to do."
The fear tasted like copper in her mouth, but it had nothing to do with herself and everything to do with Zack. " If we make the exchange tonight, turn the second case over to Morales.  They'll have to come out in the open. Manchez, and the man who gives the orders."
" What are you getting at,Roma?"
" Manchez killed your brother."
Zack looked beyond her. The sea was black. The sky was black. Only the hum of the motor broke the silence." He was the trigger."
" Are you going to kill him?"
Slowly, he turned back to her. The question had been quite, but her eyes weren't. They sent messages,posed argument,issued pleas." It doesn't involve you."
That hurt deeply,sharp. With a nod, she followed the shimmer of light on the water." Maybe not. But if you let hate rule what you do, how you think, you'll never be free of it. Manchez will be dead, Jerry will still be dead and you..." She turned to look at him again." You'll never really be alive again."
" I didn't come all this way, spend all this time, to let Manchez walk away. He kills for money and because he enjoys it," Zack repeated viciously. " You can see it in his eyes."
And she had. But she didn't give a damn about Manchez." I suppose you change the rules when it's personal."
" He was my brother."
" And he's dead." With a sign she lifted her face so that the wind could cool her skin." I'm sorry, Zack. Jerry's dead and if you go through with what you've planned, you're going to kill something yourself." And, thought she couldn't tell him, something in her." Don't you trust the law?"
He tossed his cigarette into the water,then leaned on the rail.
" I've been playing with it for years. It's the last thing I'd trust."
She wanted to go to him but didn't know how to. Still,no matter what he did, she was beside him. " Then you'll have to trust yourself. And so will I."
Slowly,he crossed to her. Taking her face in his hands, he tried to understand what she was telling him, what she was still holding back." Will you?"
" Yes."
He leaned to press a kiss to her forehead. Inside there was a need,a fierce desire to tell her to leave all that. But that would never work for neither of them.
" I told Manchez and Trydent I was going down."
" I guess your reputation's shot when you lie to murderers and drugs smugglers."
" Zack, I'm not in the mood for jokes."
He strapped on his divers knife, adjusted his weight belt,then reached for his mask." Maybe not. And maybe you're not in the mood to hear this. I care about you. Too damn much." He reached out, gripping her chin.
" My brother dragged you into this because he never wasted two thoughts about anyone else in his life. I pulled you in deeper because all I was thinking about was payback. Now I'm thinking about you, about us. You're not going down. If I have to tie you to the wheel, you're not going down."