Page 61 of Devil's Retribution
“What is it?” I looked over at him, his hands were relaxing on the wheel. “There’s only one resort with a golf course in Haiti. After the big earthquake, it got turned into a temporary tent city for refugees. The problem is that they never got together enough permanent housing for all those people to dismantle it.”
“That’s so sad. But at least now we know where to go.”
He looked thoughtful. “Yeah, we do. Thanks to you. Good job getting the information out of him. But I think I need to train you to use and keep a firearm from now on.”
I looked at him in shock. “A pistol?”
“Yes, or a shotgun.”
Nick poked his head between our seats. “Cool! Can I have one?”
“When you’re older,” Viktor and I nearly chorused. “And once I’ve taught you proper firearms safety,” Viktor insisted.
I blinked again. Viktor was talking like he planned to be in our lives from now on, and he was offering to teach things to Nick. That was, if not fatherly, at least familial. I wondered why the sudden change, but with what had just happened, both of us naturally had safety on the brain.
“Okay. I don’t want to hurt anybody by accident.” Nick sat back with a surprising minimum of fuss, and I heard him start fiddling with the small stack of books he’d brought.
“That’s a good attitude. You have to be safety first about a lot of things,” Viktor told him. “Cooking. Using knives. Lighting fires. Driving. You’ll learn more about it as you get older.”
“Being a grownup sounds a little dangerous.” Nick sounded solemn.
I sighed and nodded. “Parts of it yes. Danger is one of the biggest reasons we save some things for when you’re older. Danger and things just being complicated, or just for grownups.”
“There was danger earlier, wasn’t there?” he asked quietly. “That’s why you didn’t want me coming out.”
I did my best not to freeze up, but ran out of ideas to explain away what he’d heard and smelled.
“Some things are too dangerous, especially indoors,” Viktor stepped in again. There was a strange, wistful note in his voice. “Our job until you’re grown is to protect you from danger so you don’t need to be scared, your mom and I will always keep you safe.”
The look in his eyes made me curious. Something had changed, and it went beyond Uncle Charles sending a would-be assassin to eliminate Nick and I.
I was suddenly not only curious, but dead curious about the DNA test. What else could it be but that?
We went to a burger place in Hollywood that I hadn’t tried before. I wondered if it was one of Viktor’s businesses, because many of the workers and a few of the patrons nodded to him as he walked in. We were given a table right away, and I helped Nick sort out what burger he wanted. As usual, his eyes were bigger than his stomach, but that was why leftover bags existed.
“So, Haiti. He fled to Haiti. Not the most convenient place for a very wealthy, elderly white man with medical needs.”
I did a quick look-up on my phone. “There are twenty different pharmacies within his neighborhood. I am guessing he’d use one with a delivery service, which is most of them. That knocks it down to fifteen.”
“If I can have my computer guys find out where his prescriptions were transferred, we could follow a delivery up the hill and find his property, well, that’s assuming the pharmacies are online,” he paused. “Though, if not, that is not a problem, it just means it takes us a little longer.” Viktor’s voice was low, only raised enough to accommodate the loud hum of conversation.
I started deciding on my own burger. They had offerings I had never even considered. Guacamole and caramelized onion. Ten kinds of cheese, including blue cheese crumbles. I finally got a double bacon cheeseburger. I was starved, inexplicably, and was a little less interested in watching my waistline right this second when I’d just almost died.
“Will you’ll send someone?”
“I’ll go myself. The matter has become even more personal, now.”
I nodded, then looked up at him pleadingly. “Please take me with you.”
He took a deep breath and let it out, looking concerned. “It will be dangerous.”
“I understand that. It’s Haiti, and it’s my uncle. But I think you know why I want to be there.”
He pressed his lips together. I wished I could tell him straight out that I wanted to watch my uncle die with my own eyes. That I wanted a chance to spit in his face before he lost consciousness. I couldn’t say that in front of Nick. My innocence was gone, but he was a kid. He deserved to keep as much of his as humanly possible.
Finally, he gave a single nod. “Once I have handled a few issues involving Charles and his actions here, we will make our plans. Including making sure that Nick is well looked after.”
“But I want to go to Haiti with you!” Nick hesitated when he saw my face. “Is that bad? Where’s Haiti?”