24. Antonio
Antonio
The call came sometime after nine. His coffee was still warm in his thermos, and he was still reading over the night shift’s reports when the dispatcher stepped into his office.
“Got a weird one for you, Captain.” The man said with a half amused, half concerned look.
“Please tell me it’s not another kid stuck up a tree in the Azure Forest.” He sat back in his chair. The report he’d been reading was easily set aside as he waited for his dispatcher to explain.
“Lucky Wilde chained himself to a bulldozer over at Playa del Tesoro… The rep from Hulltown is asking us to cut him loose.” Antonio wasn’t sure what he had expected but it certainly wasn’t that.
“Tell them I’m on my way… Mateo is working a shift with the paramedic unit today so have uh…” He paused, running over the current on-call crew, “Lacy Mastern, she can take over as squad lead for any additional calls today.”
Antonio was out the door as soon as the dispatcher nodded.
Driving was a blur. He was distracted, lost in his head and flying blind. It was almost easy to give himself over to irritation. He could picture what Luc was doing, a protest, a disruption, some form of civil action that would raise awareness for his cause. But he hadn’t told Antonio. It stung.
Pride was the bigger emotion. A swell of impressed joy that was utterly untamable crested high in his chest, crashing only when he stepped into the sweltering humid air. It was a hot morning, the kind that settled slick against his skin.
The island was always beautiful, even with greenhead flies buzzing ruthlessly in the dunes. He knew it would be a long day the instant one landed to bite his leg.
“Would anyone like to explain what’s going on?” Antonio called out as he made his way through the scratchy dune grass. The bulldozer loomed amongst the golden reeds. Teague stood near the bucket while the two representatives and a sweaty man in a suit lingered to the side.
“Good morning, Antonio.” A chirped greeting had him rounding the machinery to meet ocean eyes glittering with amusement.
“Lucky…” Antonio sighed, “I don’t think this is what constitutes a good morning on my end.” He knelt, to make it easier to speak with the omega. “You okay?”
“I’m doing great! It’s the representatives who seem to be having a terrible morning. And Brian the suit. Though why Brian is here, I have no idea.” Lucky was staring pointedly at the man melting in his dark suit.
“We were hoping you could cut the chains so we can be done with this situation and discuss it like adults.” Councilman Dove wrung his hands as he asked.
Lucky hadn’t explained what was going on yet. Not in words, not with the gentle rambling way of his. Instead, those blue eyes were boring into his soul like he was daring Antonio to do something. A challenge and a decision. “Actually, a civil disturbance isn’t something you rescue someone from.”
“You can’t be serious!” The suit threw his hands up, exasperated.
“Antonio, you work for the island, two representatives are requesting you cut him loose…” Councilman Dove tried again, fingers curling in the front of his shirt.
“Actually, I work for myself. While the SAR unit might get some funds from the island… Our equipment is privately owned. By me.” Antonio bounced slightly on his toes where he crouched, arms resting on his knees.
“Captain Saavedra, this is ridiculous, surely—” He stood up, cutting Alexander Dove off physically.
“I’m very serious, councilman. None of my equipment will be used to move Lucky from this spot. And if anyone from the council tries, they’ll be dealing with a lot more than just a refusal to move.” Antonio stepped even closer, “Am I clear?”
The man swallowed audibly, squaring his shoulders. “Crystal.”
“Absolutely not! If you won’t remove him, we will find someone who can!” The man in the suit, an alpha from the acrid stench of him, attempted to thrust himself into the center of things. But a hand on Antonio’s shoulder was a reassuring touch as Teague moved alongside.
“Oh, you think we should call some people? I think that’s a great idea.” Teague already had his phone in hand, a call displayed on the screen, “You heard that, right, Jackie? Bring everyone…”
Alexander sputtered, frantic, “Teague, please, stop this… For the sake of our long friendship at least, be reasonable.”
“This is me being reasonable, Dove.” Teague shrugged, “The council didn’t listen. Per the charter, we have the right to act against the council and force a vote on the matter. So, I think you should get on with gathering for a vote, don’t you?”
A beat of silence, the weight of history as long and as storied as the sea herself.
To refuse a vote was to refuse the charter…
Alexander Dove let out a hearty sigh. “A vote.” He held up a hand before the other councilwoman or the suit could interrupt, “Please try to keep things somewhat orderly until we return, Teague.”
“No promises.” Teague grinned.
Alexander Dove was not a terrible person. His fond little smile and shake of his head spoke of years knowing the Wilde family. Antonio didn’t begrudge the man his difficult position. But he wouldn’t sit back and let Lucky be pushed around either.
He watched, cross-armed and frowning, until the three cleared the beach. No sooner had their cars began to pull out then a fleet of new vehicles came to replace them.
“You want to fill me in, now that they are gone?” Antonio kept his eyes on the road.
“Depends. Are you mad at me?” Lucky didn’t sound sorry at all, not that Antonio expected him to be. He wasn’t even defensive. There was an honest curiosity in Lucky’s voice that made him smile.
“At you? Never.” He finally looked back at Lucky. Blue eyes were dark under the shadow of Lucky’s hat, but they were soft and warm as they held his own. “Tell me, please. I want to be on the same page as you. I want to support you wholeheartedly. Let me be in on it, Lucky. Please.”
That last plea seemed to touch Lucky as his shoulders slumped and he melted into the bucket of the bulldozer.
“They won’t listen to anything else. Jack found out they want to clear the land, and I couldn’t let that happen.
Not when they keep saying the sale isn’t final.
They aren’t even giving us a chance to outbid!
The island, the turtles, deserve a chance at least.”
“So you decided to force a vote?” Antonio arched a brow, “Then you succeeded. Doesn’t that mean we should free you?”
Lucky shook his head. “No. They are going to come back saying they voted to clear the land… We need to make them listen, make them vote to give the island a chance at least.”
“Which means staying here, then?” Antonio sighed, resigned. He put a hand on the bucket, lowering himself to sit beside Lucky.
“What are you doing?” Lucky was smiling like he already knew the answer.
“Joining you.” He pulled out his phone, opening the group chat he had with all the SAR members, “As I suspect others will soon. Right?”
Teague joined them on the flattened dune grass. “More than a few, I think…”
Both watched the cars lining the road. Cameras were being set up as women armed with beach umbrellas and men dragging coolers made their way down the beach.
College students, families, the elderly.
They showed up in cars, on bikes, and even on foot as they walked from Rubí Beach to Playa del Tesoro with a determination he couldn’t help smiling at.
“You really know how to bring people together, Lucky.” He rested a hand on Lucky’s knee as he texted the SAR chat with an invitation to anyone who wasn’t on duty.
“This island was built on a system that favors the voice of the small… But not because of signatures on a piece of paper.” Lucky shook his head, “We’re strong together, but someone has to take the literal first step.” He rattled the chains, “An ultimatum they can’t ignore.”
“How long will you stay out here?” Antonio looked up at the bright blue sky overhead.
A few scattered clouds drifted by. It was a hot, muggy day on the island.
The kind that would have the beaches full even with locals.
But they were here. With signs they posted around the bulldozer, with beach chairs and beers before 11, with a determination that made his heart swell.
“As long as I need to be.” Lucky shrugged. “You don’t have to stay… You’re supposed to be working, right?”
For a million reasons, Lucky was right. He shouldn’t stay.
He had a job. He had explained time and again that there would be moments he couldn’t stay for.
He rubbed his forehead. Every fiber of his being wanted him to stay.
He wanted to hang onto Lucky, to show that he could be there when it mattered sometimes.
Except his phone buzzed with a familiar sound reserved for emergencies.
“I don’t get a choice in the matter.” A fire near the camping grounds, campers unaccounted for. “The SAR team is aware of your protest, I need to head out, please don’t be too reckless?” Antonio pushed Lucky’s wide-brimmed sunhat back to kiss him firmly.
The chains rattled as Lucky tried to reach for him, a displeased sound vibrating between their mouths. Antonio curled their fingers together to sooth his ruffled lover. His other hand settled on the back of Lucky’s neck, tongue slipping past Lucky’s lips to taste him one more time.
Maybe they’d be a lifetime of one more times. One more kiss, one more touch, one more moment before something pulled them apart.
He felt like a magnet, inevitably drawn to Lucky despite everything standing between them.
“Go. I’ll see you later.” Lucky smiled against his lips and meant it and that touched Antonio more than anything ever could.
“I love you.” Because that was the most important thing he could think of.
“I love you too. Go.” Because it’s the sweetest thing Lucky could say.
The sharp tang of adrenaline settled into his veins as he settled behind the wheel of his Jeep. Failure wasn’t an option. No council, no fire, no fucking corporation was going to stand between them. Lucky would win. Antonio couldn’t accept any other outcome.