CHAPTER FOUR
Margo, Priscilla, Elena, and Fiona took April upstairs to one of the large suites. Seated on the bed, she twisted her hands in her lap looking frightened and confused.
“Shouldn’t we call the police?” she said looking at the women.
“In a way, that’s who we are,” said Margo. “Quinn, River, and Finnegan just retired from the SEALs. Patrick was also a SEAL. Major was an Army Ranger and Adam was in the Army as well.”
“Oh,” she said with a whisper. “I feel so stupid.”
“Honey, you weren’t stupid. You tried to do the right thing. You get in the shower and we’ll find some clothes to fit you and leave them on the bed. When you’re done, come back downstairs and we’ll have some lunch.”
April nodded at the women, smiling her thanks as they closed the door behind them. They heard the shower start and then returned a few moments later, leaving a sundress, underwear, and a cardigan on the bed. They weren’t sure of her bra size but would worry about that later.
“How is she?” asked Quinn as the women walked into the kitchen.
“Scared. Confused. She thinks she did something wrong,” said Margo. “She’s in the shower right now and we’ve given her some clean clothes. What did Hiro say?”
“Jones is an obvious alias,” said Patrick, “but he did catch her leaving the restaurant on Monday night on security cameras. She doesn’t appear intoxicated or having any dizziness but the moment she pulls away, there’s a car that follows.
He must have known where the cameras were located because he didn’t leave through the front door. ”
“He must have wanted something from her to drag her all the way from Florida to California,” said Major. “They didn’t fly, we know that for sure. That means our alias rented a car to get her here. Why? She’s a flight attendant. She probably gets free flights.”
They all heard a hair dryer kick on upstairs and knew that it was a good sign. She probably felt better just being clean.
“You know, sometimes men just think they own a woman,” said Fiona. “I’m not saying it’s right, I’m just saying that maybe that’s all it is. His obsession.”
“Maybe,” frowned Quinn but it felt like there was something more. “If he was obsessed with her, he had every opportunity to abuse or rape her and didn’t take it.”
“I was running,” said the small voice.
They all turned to see April in the borrowed clothing, her hair now hanging loosely down her back. She was beautiful. With the hot shower giving her a pretty pink color to her cheeks, her big green eyes stared at them, the thick long lashes kissing her cheeks.
“You were saying,” said River, nudging Quinn to say something.
“Yes. Sorry, when I was in the shower I remembered that I looked up and saw Greg’s face and jumped to my feet. I just started running toward that big hotel.”
“Hotel del Coronado,” said Margo. “There are always people there, that’s for sure.”
“But that means you were coming from the fenced-in area at the North Island Naval Station,” said Finnegan.
“I don’t know. I guess so. I just remember getting to my feet and running. He tackled me and then grabbed my hair, pulling me. All I remember is that I needed to fight and I didn’t even know why.”
“That’s survival instincts kicking in,” said Quinn staring at the young woman.
“What did he want with me? Why me?” she asked.
“April, you said you were a flight attendant. Was Pensacola to Miami a normal route for you?” asked Major.
“Yes. I did Pensacola, Miami, Puerto Rico, Orlando, and Cancun. It was always different but I usually hit all of those cities during my shift. I usually had overnight stays in Puerto Rico, Miami, or Cancun.”
“When you first met him, had you been somewhere prior to Miami?” asked Patrick. His sons now knew the direction they were going.
“Yes,” she nodded. “I had gone from Pensacola to Orlando, then Orlando to Cancun. We spent the night and then flew to Miami the next morning, then on to Pensacola.”
“Did you go out while in Cancun? Go to any clubs, bars, that sort of thing?” asked River.
“No. It’s just me and another flight attendant on those short flights.
The pilots typically stick to themselves.
There’s been too many problems about pilots and flight attendants in the past,” she said with a small smile.
“We know better than to go out and party. You can’t function the next day.
We had dinner at a place across the street from our hotel and then went to bed. ”
“Did you share rooms?” asked River.
“Oh, no. They don’t make us do that any longer. Besides, the other attendant was a male. Jerry.”
“Did you and Jerry ever have a relationship?” asked Quinn with a harsh tone. She stared at him, then cocked her head to the side.
“I see what you’re asking. Sorry, no. Jerry is openly gay. I don’t think he’s in a relationship but he’s not interested me, I assure you.”
“I’m sorry for all the questions, April but do you take the same luggage every time?” asked Patrick.
“Usually. The trip coming back from Miami I lost a wheel on my bag. It’s crazy. I’ve never had an issue with that bag and they’re guaranteed for life. They’re specially made for flight attendants and pilots.”
“Did you throw the bag away?” asked Major.
“I meant to. I forgot all about the broken wheel, so on the next flight I tossed it in my car and then realized it wasn’t rolling properly. When I got to the flight attendant’s lounge, I bought a new one. They have a small store right there for us.”
“And the old one?” asked Finnegan.
“It’s still in the lounge, I think. I have a locker there since I’m based in Pensacola. I just shoved it inside the locker and transferred all my stuff to the new one.”
“April, is your bag ever out of your sight?” asked Patrick. She smiled at him.
“Sorry, but that’s exactly what they ask the passengers. ‘Was your bag in your possession, within your sight at all times?’ Everyone gets asked that, even us on occasion. I always keep my bag close. When I board the plane, Jerry and I put our bags in the coat closet at the door.”
“What’s Jerry’s last name?” asked Major.
“Sullivan. Jerry Sullivan. Why? He wouldn’t have anything to do with this,” she said. “Jerry is a sweet guy, afraid of his own shadow which is why he’s still single.”
“We just want to check to be sure he’s okay. Make sure nothing has happened to him recently.”
They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Fiona and Margo put lunch on the table.
“You’re not going to figure this out on an empty stomach. Let’s eat and then we can talk more,” said Fiona.
Before the first bite, April looked up at them all again.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your help but I’m very confused. I know you all were in the military, Special Forces, but why help me? I’m a stranger. You could turn this over to the police, they would send me home, and you’d be free to go about your holiday or whatever you’re doing.”
“That’s not exactly how we operate,” smiled Margo. “When people are in trouble, we tend to step in and do something about it.”
“The ten of you?” she asked looking up and down the table.
“There are more than three-hundred of us back home,” smiled Adam.
“Three-hundred?”
“Most of our family and friends are retired Special Forces or government agencies. We own a security company, private investigation, that type of thing. This is what we do for a living.”
April dropped her fork, staring at the table full of beautiful faces. She pushed back slightly, her face a bit a pale.
“April? Honey, are you okay?” asked Elena.
“Security company. Lots of people,” she said robotically. “D-do you know a man by the name of Colonel Tom Lewis?”
“I do,” nodded Major. “He was in charge of some of the first troops headed into the middle east. One of the finest military strategists I’ve ever known. How do you know him?”
“He’s my, he was my grandfather,” she said staring at Major.
“He died a while back but he told me stories about all of you. He kept saying, ‘if you’re ever in trouble April, find them’.
I had no idea how I would find you if I needed you but I guess he knew you’d be there no matter what.
The name of your company is REAPER-Patriots. ”
“It was,” nodded Patrick. “When my grandfather started with the original team, it was REAPER. Over time, we had other teams join us. We became REAPER-Patriots and then Voodoo Guardians. Now, our team is called Shadow Warriors.”
“I would have never found you,” she said. “Can this all be coincidence? Me being here, you finding me?”
“Mama Irene would say nothing is coincidence,” laughed Finn.
“Who is that?”
“We’ll explain later,” smiled Margo. “For now, at least you know that you’re in good hands and we’ll figure this out for you.”