“You don’t. I was hoping you could trust this face.”
Her lips purse. His attempt to make light of the situation fails. She sends me a sharp nod, and I hit send. He drops his head and murmurs, “Fuck.”
“Why are you here?”
When he turns his attention to me, a light bulb goes off. “You’re trying to find Ru—Tobias,” I stutter. Will I always be on their radar? The idea twists in the pit of my stomach.
“When we saw you were coming to the island, we wondered if you were meeting him here.” Now, I understand why he burned down this place. They’ll never stop looking for him. But it makes me furious they’re using me.
I let out a hollow laugh. “You think I want to see the man who kidnapped me?” The phone dings in my hand and Halli nods when I glance to her for direction. I read out the text that he checks out.
“Can you put the gun down now?”
She lowers her gun, putting it back in the holster. Snatching his badge out of my hand, she scans it before walking it to him. “You know as well as I do, he wouldn’t be here. So, why are you really here?”
Tight-lipped, he answers, “We’re covering our bases.”
I ignore the two staring each other down as I turn my gaze to the burned ruins of my home. Stepping on ash, I kick pieces of wood and walk over blackened furniture. The three stoves left standing in the middle of the destruction seem out of place.
I fist a handful of ash, letting it pour off my hand. I loved this tiny house so much. It was mine, the only thing I could call my own. I have so many happy memories of it. You still have those memories, my subconscious reminds me. This is all à propos when you think about it. It’s the finality of the life I thought was real. In a couple years when the jungle takes over this spot, it’ll be as if we never happened. We’ll be whispers in the night, stories told to visitors.
An overwhelming need to leave washes over me. “I’m ready to go. There’s nothing here.” I storm back to the dock without waiting for the other two and sit at the edge. Hanging my head, I again try to calm my inner spirit with the islands’ aura.
I groan out when every minor noise distracts me. Instead, I stand and rip off my clothes, thankful I put on a bathing suit, and dive into the water. Halli calls my name right before the water envelops me.
The silent water helps clear my mind as I focus on my strokes. Stingrays glide against the seafloor and I brush the top of one. I’ve named plenty of them in the past. I smile to myself as I push forward.
When I surface, the sun warms the layer at the top and I let it surround me as I float, taking in long deep breaths. An engine from a boat gets louder and I know it’s our ride, but I can’t make myself move. I’m finally at peace. The water is what I’ll miss the most.
“Are you going to float your way back,” Ari jokes from the boat, idling by. I guess he’s talking to me now. He waits for me while I swim to him. Helping me up, he tosses me a towel as I wring out my hair. We’re the only ones on the boat. I glance to the dock to where Halli and the other agent are standing.
“Wait, don’t go yet.” He eyes me with a lifted brow. “Where’s Dante?”
“He’s gone.”
My eyes widen in surprise. “What do you mean, gone?”
“There’re rumors that he’s the one who started the fires.”
My head shakes almost violently. “No. He wouldn’t do that. People have it wrong. It’s my dad who did it.”
He shrugs. “Someone witnessed him there and now he’s gone.”
“Probably because you guys forced him to leave by spreading lies,” I defend him, pacing the boat. “You don’t understand. My dad is a horrible man. He’s the one who did that.” I point to our destroyed land.
He runs his hands through his hair. “I don’t know what to tell you, Manu. I hate that he’s gone too, but…” His words trail off.
My dad’s lies weren’t supposed to destroy another life. I fall onto the seat, confused. Where would he go? If he didn’t do it, why would he leave?