Secrets of the Dragon’s Heart (Mysteries of Dragon’s Island #6)

Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

***CAMERON***

C ameron could feel Kennedy’s eyes following him up the dock but he didn’t slow his pace, so desperate to get away from her, he didn’t care if it looked like he was running away, and the truth was that’s exactly what he was doing. The last thing he’d expected out of the day was to find himself attracted to a woman, especially one like Kennedy, not that there was anything wrong with her. She just wasn’t his type, or at least he didn’t think she was, not that it mattered. He wasn’t looking to get involved with anyone, he was here to help Max.

Pushing the pretty blonde out of his mind, he took a deep breath, relieved to find that his equilibrium had returned and he felt completely normal. It must have just been the excitement of the trip, he decided. It was a one-time reaction, completely normal for most men, if not for him, and he shouldn’t be too concerned. Feeling even better, he finally looked around him, surprised to find he was almost to shore, then spotted Max waiting for him on the beach.

Hurrying just a little more, he studied his friend, noticing the dark circles under his eyes, the faint lines of stress on his face, and a look he could only describe as resignation. It disappeared a second later when a smile spread across Max’s face. “I can’t believe that you’re really here,” he said. “I never thought I’d be able to drag you away from the lab of yours.”

“You’re about the only thing that could,” he said, studying Max again. “After our last phone call, I had to come. You didn’t sound like yourself, my friend.”

Max’s smile faded, and he shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about that right now,” he said. “You just got here. Let me give you a tour of the island, and then we can have some lunch. Keith and Stella are coming to dinner tonight, so it will keep until then. This is supposed to be your vacation. I didn’t invite you here to solve my problems.”

“That’s what friends are for, Max,” he said. “I really think we should talk about it now…”

“Nonsense, you just got here,” Max said, grabbing his bags. There’s an ocean out there, in case you missed it. We’re not going to talk about anything but you enjoying the island for a few hours before dinner.”

Max was already striding up the beach toward the village, and he was forced to follow him or get left behind. “I do have some work I could do,” he said, catching up. “I hope you have a reliable internet connection. I’m expecting some results from a bank of tests in the next couple of days…I’ll need to review them to decide what my next step is, and I…”

He stopped talking when he realized that Max was standing behind him, his face filled with a mixture of anger and annoyance. “Which one of these is your computer?” he asked, holding up both bags.

“That one,” he said, pointing to the larger of the two, suddenly suspicious. “Why do you want to know?”

“You are not going to spend your time here working,” Max said, putting the computer bag over his shoulder, then handing him the other one. “I’ll be keeping this until you leave. If you want to contact your lab, you’ll have to use the computers in the clubhouse like everyone else.”

“You can’t do that,” he said, lunging for the bag, feeling a little desperate. “I have to keep working. You know how important it is, and I’m almost there. I’m going to get it this time, I just know it.”

Max studied him for a second. “You need a vacation, Cameron. You’ve been at this for years without a break,” he said. I know how important this is to you, but you’ve been saying that for a year. A few weeks won’t make any difference, and who knows, maybe getting a little distance will help.”

He opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again, knowing all too well that Max wasn’t going to change his mind by the stubborn look on his face. “You’re not going to back down,” he finally said. “But I would like to point out that I came here to help you. I don’t suppose that will make any difference.”

“Nope, not a bit,” Max said, shaking his head. “You need some island time, my friend, and I’m going to make sure you get it.”

“Then could I suggest a compromise,” he said, knowing he’d been beaten. “I get two hours a day on my computer, more if there’s a major breakthrough.”

Max considered that for a second. “Fair enough, two hours a day,” he said, handing over the bag. “And don’t think about cheating. My cabin and the clubhouse are the only places on the island where you can get internet.”

He let out a long sigh. “And what exactly am I supposed to do the rest of the time?” he asked. “I’m not the outdoors type, and you know it.”

“I have no idea,” Max said, shrugging his shoulders. But I’m sure you’ll find something to occupy your time. You might try just relaxing for a change. There are plenty of fun activities to do, such as sailing, snorkeling, fishing, and miles of hiking trails. Give something a try; you might be surprised.”

“Fine,” he said, sighing again. “Sign me up. Anything is better than sitting around worrying what’s going on back in the lab.”

“Well, that isn’t exactly the attitude I was hoping for, but I guess it’s a start,” Max said, slapping him on the back. “I think we’ll start with a sailing lesson. I’ll book you with Montgomery, he’s the best I’ve got.”

***Kennedy***

Kennedy stood on the porch of her little cabin, watching the colorful birds frolicking in the trees, completely charmed by everything around her and wishing that she was really there for a vacation. The resort was more than she could have imagined with its adorable little village, cabins suspended in the trees, and the miles of white sand beaches, and she hoped she’d have some time to explore while she was there.

But the story came first she thought, pushing herself away from the railing, and going inside to get to work. Her editor, a tough no nonsense kind of man, already had misgivings about her being here. She had to get something going and quick. After setting herself up on the little desk shoved into one corner of the room, she turned on her computer, then signed into the satellite connection that had cost the paper a small fortune.

When the computer was ready, she sat staring at it for a second, working up the courage to do what she planned, then began typing, trying not to feel guilty about hacking into the resort computer system. Telling herself that she was only looking for information she could get from the staff with a little work, she found a way through the sadly pathetic security program. A few minutes later, she had exactly what she needed, and a smile slowly spread across her face when she saw that she would be taking a sailing lesson with Cameron in the morning.

After adding her name to the roster for the next morning, she wrote down the rest of Cameron’s schedule and his cabin number and then, hoping she hadn’t left very much of a footprint, logged off. Looking up at the clock, she quickly calculated the time difference, then grabbed her phone and punched in Steve’s number, hoping her editor wasn’t already in bed. When he answered on the third ring with a growl, she winced, but he’d been the one who had demanded a daily update.

“I told you to email me,” Steve grumbled. “Do you have any idea what time it is here?”

“I know it’s late, but I wanted to let you know things are going really well. I’ve already made contact with Cameron,” she said. “We were on the same boat on the way to the island, and I’ve got a sailing lesson with him tomorrow.”

“A sailing lesson, huh,” Steve said slowly, “sounds more like a vacation than work to me, or maybe a date, could be that too.”

“It’s not a date. He doesn’t even know we’re taking the lesson together,” she defended herself. “I hacked into the resort computer. I know where he’s going to be for the next few days, and I plan to be right there. I’ll get him to open up to me, one way or another, and if it takes pretending to like him, then that’s what I’ll do. I’m going to get this story, Steve, and it’s going to be big; that man is up to no good, and I’m going to expose him.”

“I’m going to be honest with you, Kennedy, I’m not sure there’s a story there,” he said. “But I went out on a limb for you, so I hope that I’m wrong. This little trip is costing the paper a fortune, so you’d better come up with something, or we’ll both be out of a job.”

“I know what you think, Steve, and I know what you’re risking for me, but I promise you, there’s a story here, and I’m going to find it,” she said, then hesitated. “I did stumble across something else a bit interesting while I’ve been here. I don’t know if it’s enough for a story, but it’s got me intrigued.”

“I’m listening,” Steve said. “Maybe we can salvage something out of this if the Cameron Sullivan angle goes south.”

She hesitated again, feeling a bit silly, “Well, I’ve been hearing all these rumors about the island, some believable, some not so much,” she said. “People are saying that the island makes people fall in love and then tests that love. I’ve heard a few crazy stories about people changing their appearance, the jungle coming to life, and…well, dragons flying through the air. Some of my sources were a bit questionable, so I don’t know how reliable they are…”

“Follow up on it,” Steve said. “Work both of the angles, and we might just survive this insanity of yours. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to sleep. Email me next time instead of calling.”

The line went dead before she could say a word, and she disconnected the call, frustrated that she’d have to divide her time between the two stories. Human interest wasn’t her spatiality. She wasn’t good at the tears and smile journalism it required, she liked hard facts, digging for the truth and Steve knew it. He was just punishing her for making him go out on a limb for her, but she knew deep down that Cameron was up to something. She felt it every time she saw him. A fluttering in her gut, a sense that there was more to the man that he wanted the world to see, and she was going to find out what that something was.

She’d follow up on the other story if there was time. Steve would just have to be happy with that, she thought, snapping her computer shut. Cameron Sullivan was her target, and she’d get her first shot at him in the morning. Until then, there was nothing she could do. Looking around the cabin, she decided there was no reason she had to hang around the cabin all day; there was an island out there waiting to be explored, and there was nothing wrong with having a little fun while she was working on the story.

Grabbing her bathing suit out of her suitcase, she quickly changed, then grabbed a towel off the stack in the bathroom and headed for the beach. She climbed down the ladder from the cabin, feeling optimistic that she might run into Cameron. It might happen again, and this time she’d be prepared. If not, she’d spend a few hours enjoying the beach, then see what she could dig up about the rumors she’d been hearing just to make Steve happy and herself not feel quite as guilty.