Payne knew Jones cared about her — more than he was willing to admit — and that he wanted to prove his worth by rescuing her from danger. As someone who’d been through a similar situation with his ex-girlfriend Ariane, he understood Jones’s desire to be a protector and wanted to help him in any way possible. At the same time, though, he knew he had to step in at some point and speak up for Hamilton. It was one thing to be a good wingman and help his buddy work things out with an old flame. It was another thing completely if Hamilton died or got hurt while Jones and Maria struggled through their issues.
Payne thought Hamilton deserved better than that.
He deserved their full attention.
If Jones and Maria didn’t get their act together soon, he would be forced to call in reinforcements from the US Embassy. His conscience wouldn’t give him a choice.
Trying to calm down, Payne picked up a flat rock and tried to skip it across the undulating surface of the Caribbean. The rock skipped four times before it was swallowed by a turquoise wave. A split-second later, the wave crashed into a nearby reef, sending spray high into the air. Other than the surf and the wind, the only other sound was the rumble of a distant motor. Shielding his eyes from the sun, he gazed to the northwest and spotted two jet skis running parallel to the crowded beach, both riders zipping along at high speed.
Payne smiled as he thought back to a recent trip to Clearwater, Florida. He and Jones had rented WaveRunners near Pier 60 and had taken them into the Gulf of Mexico, where they’d lucked upon a school of dolphins. For more than ten minutes, the dolphins had followed them wherever they went. Not in a predatory way. More like a game of follow-the-leader. Back and forth, side by side, as fast as they could go. It was, without a doubt, one of the coolest things he had ever experienced. Two species, intrigued by each other, sharing the open sea.
Unfortunately, his smile quickly faded when he refocused on the current situation. For whatever reason, Maria was harbouring some serious anger towards him, and it had reared its ugly head on two occasions in the past few hours. Thankfully, neither instance had put them at risk, but he realized it was only a matter of time before it did. If the two of them were going to work together, Payne knew they had to come to an understanding. Otherwise, his involvement would cause more damage than good.
For Jones’s sake, he was willing to try.
He hoped Maria would, too.
31
Payne kept his distance for a few more minutes before heading back to the Hummer. Jones spotted his approach and intercepted him about 20 feet from the vehicle.
‘How ya doin’?’ Jones asked in a playful voice.
‘Not great, but better than before.’
‘Are you sure? Because I’d be happy to drive into the city and buy you some Prozac. Down here, they make it themselves and sell it behind the pharmacy.’
Payne smiled. ‘As tempting as that sounds, I think I’ll pass.’
‘What about a beer? Maybe a Dos Equis or a Tecate. Oh, I know! What about a hooker? I bet they’re in the same alley as the Prozac.’
Payne declined again. ‘No thanks.’
Jones took a step closer and lowered his voice. ‘Listen, I know you’re tempted to bail on this, and if you did, I wouldn’t blame you at all. Maria’s behaviour was way out of line. That being said, I’m asking as your best friend, please hang in there a little while longer. I really need your help on this one.’
‘I know you do, but—’
‘But what?’
Payne leaned away from him. ‘First of all, you’re a little too close to me right now. Please back up before I’m forced to give you a mint.’
He smiled and took a giant step back. ‘Sorry.’
‘Second, you know how I feel about begging.’
Jones rolled his eyes. ‘It should only be done by children in Third World countries, or in movies for comic effect.’
‘Exactly.’
‘In my defence, I act like a child quite frequently, and Mexico isn’t exactly a superpower.’
‘Those are very good points.’
‘I thought so.’
Payne continued. ‘Thirdly, despite my recent outburst and my obvious frustration, I am not the main problem here. I think both of us know that Maria has a bigger issue with me than I do with her. As long as she harbours that animosity, there’s very little I can do besides staying out of her way — and that will be tough to do if I’m trying to protect her.’
‘Trust me, we’re in complete agreement on this one. As soon as she calmed down, I let her know that she was at fault and her childish behaviour would not be rolerated.’
Payne smirked. ‘Yeah, I’m sure you said it just like that.’
‘Or words to that effect.’
‘That means you begged her to give me one more chance.’
Jones laughed. ‘I will not confirm or deny the allegation.’
‘Personally, I don’t care what you said or how you said it, as long as her behaviour improves. If she pulls that argumentative shit when we’re in a dangerous situation, there’s a very good chance someone will end up dead.’
‘I agree.’
‘Does she know that?’
‘I’ll make sure she does.’
Payne pointed at the Hummer. ‘Speaking of danger, I think it’s time you told me what you found with the artefacts. I need to know what we’re facing here.’
Jones stared at him. ‘How do you know I found something?’
‘How? Because I’m fucking psychic.’
‘If that’s the case, then you already know what I found.’
‘Shit, I walked right into that one.’
‘Which proves you aren’t psychic.’
Payne conceded the point. ‘Actually, when I pulled up, you said this was a good news/bad news thing. I’m guessing the artefacts are the good news. I’m still waiting for the bad.’
Jones turned and faced the Hummer. ‘Then follow me. There’s something you and Maria need to see before we leave Cancún.’
‘We’re leaving Cancún?’
He nodded. ‘The sooner, the better.’
As they walked, Payne briefed Jones on the surveillance video and everything else he’d learned at the security office. He also showed him a photo of the two Latin men who’d broken into the suite. Maria heard the tail end of the conversation, but was reluctant to ask any questions before she had a chance to clear the air with Payne. Then again, even if she had questioned him, it wouldn’t have bothered him in the least. During his military career, he’d crossed paths with many people he didn’t get along with, and it had never prevented him from doing his job. It was a skill he’d learned at the academy and mastered during Special Forces training. Instructors had taught him how to compartmentalize his feelings, allowing him to focus on the task at hand while blocking out everything else. Compared to the horrors he’d suppressed on the battlefield, his issues with Maria were easy to ignore.
Jones opened the driver-side door and reached between the seats. ‘As soon as I saw this in the trunk, I knew something bad was going on. I don’t know what, but something.’