The sheets were clean and starchy, the pillows thinner than she liked. Karyn lay for a long time in the dark, listening to the whisper of the surf and the night cries from the jungle. She drifted at last into an uneasy sleep.
The late flight south from Los Angeles banked into a gentle turn and began its descent to scattered lights of Mazatlan, nestled between the black jungle and the black ocean. Back in the tourist section, a broad-shouldered man with pale hair dozed fitfully in his too-narrow seat. Beside him at the window a woman gazed down at the expanding lights of the city. Her eyes smoldered with deep green fires. Unconsciously she touched the streak of white that ran through her midnight hair.
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
When the morning came the sun was bright and hot. The ocean was a calm, bottle-glass green, and the fears of the night were not so terrifying. Karyn was hungry when she awoke. Her first thought was to find Chris and have him join her for breakfast. Then she remembered that Chris was not alone. Best she stay out of his way for now. In her brief sizing up of Audrey Vance, Karyn had caught the clear message: He's mine. There were surely enough problems without causing any more friction there. Karyn could wait until there was a chance to see Chris alone to talk about their plans.
There was a discreet knock at the door. Karyn pulled a robe on over her pajamas and went to see who it was. Outside the door stood Roberto. He held a tray with a pot of steaming coffee, a cup, and a sweet roll. Behind him, on the walk that led past the cabanas, Karyn saw a metal cart with more trays and coffee pots.
"Buenas dias, Senora. Your morning coffee, compliments of the hotel."
"Thank you." Karyn smiled at the boy's obvious pride in his little speech.
"Do you wish sugar? Milk?"
"No, thank you. I drink it black."
"If there is anything more you wish, Senora, please call for me."
"All right, Roberto, I'll remember. Muchas gracias."
The boy's smile widened at her use of the Spanish phrase. "De nada, Senora."
The boy went away, and Karyn took the coffee inside. She poured herself a cup and sipped at it. The brew was murky and strong, but better than no coffee at all.
She showered and dressed and strolled down the walk past the other cabanas toward the main building. She noticed the blinds were drawn in Number 7. She continued into the main building, through the lobby and into the dining room where several other guests were having breakfast.
Karyn chose a table apart from the others and looked over the menu. She passed up huevos rancheros and anything else that sounded Mexican, and ordered straight-up fried eggs. The eggs were not bad, but the toast was dry and the potatoes were fried to crisp brown cubes. The coffee was no better than usual, but Karyn was determined to drink it every chance she got, just to spite Audrey Vance.
After breakfast she went back to her cabana and put on a pair of shorts and a light blouse. She had not thought to pack a swimming suit, considering the nature of her business here. She walked out onto the beach, and young Roberto came running up to provide her with a folding chair down by the tideline.
Karyn adjusted the chair so she could see the row of cabanas and the front of the hotel. Shortly before noon Chris came out, blinking at the sunlight. He started for the surf, then saw Karyn and veered over toward her. He wore brief white swim trunks, and Karyn could not help noticing the smooth tan on his well-muscled body.
"Good morning," he said.
"Hi. I hope you didn't interrupt anything important just to come out and talk to me."
"Don't you start now. I'm getting enough static from Audrey. She thinks the only reason you came down here was for my body."
"Oh? What did you tell her?"
"Nothing. It's easier to let her believe that than to try to explain the real reason."
"I see what you mean."
Both of them were silent for a moment, looking out to sea.
"Did you come up with any ideas?" Karyn said.
Chris sat down on the sand next to her chair. He continued to look out over the water as he spoke. "The way I see it, there isn't much we can do until they make a move."
Karyn whirled on him. "Make a move? You mean until they attack someone else?"
He faced her soberly. "Have you got a better idea?"
"I... oh, I don't know. I guess I expected you to magically solve all my problems. I'm sorry, Chris. I shouldn't have come here. It's not fair to drag you into this again."
"Cut it out," he said. "You came to me because there is no one else. It was the right thing to do. Now settle down and we'll try to approach this logically." After a moment he added, "If it's possible to be logical about werewolves."
Karyn drew a deep breath and gave him a small smile. "All right, let's be logical. Where do we start?"
"Do you expect them to follow you down here?" Chris said. "Marcia and Roy?"
"I'm positive they will. It took them no time at all to find me in Los Angeles. I don't know how, but they seem to know my movements. I wouldn't be surprised if they were here already."
"Okay, let's assume the worst. They're in Mazatlan, and they know where you are. Our best chance is to find them in the daytime. They have no special powers then. Once the sun goes down and they can take on the wolf shape, no man is a match for them. Nothing can stop them in that form except fire and silver."
"So if we don't want to meet them at night, how do we go about finding them in the daylight?"
"We don't," Chris said. "They find us. Find you, rather. You're the one they're after. Even with all the power the night gives them, they can't move around freely as wolves without attracting a lot of attention. As you saw up in Seattle, they found you in their human shape first, then when they were ready to attack they came as wolves. It's up to us to be alert, always watching, during the day."
"And at night?" Karyn said.
"At night we are careful as hell."
"Do you think they'll be clumsy enough to let us see them in the daytime?"
"I don't think clumsy has anything to do with it," Chris said. "I think letting you see them was all part of their plan. It was meant to frighten you before they attacked."
"Well, they sure succeeded," Karyn said.
A slim shadow fell across the sand at their feet.
"Hey, how cozy."
Karyn looked up and saw Audrey Vance standing behind her chair. The girl smiled tightly and let her eyes flick back and forth between Karyn and Chris. There was no doubt about it, Karyn thought. The girl did have a body. Her pink one-piece swimsuit was thin enough and tight enough to emphasize her nipples and the bush of pubic hair.
"Hi," Chris said. "Ready for lunch?"
"Yes, if you haven't already had yours."
Chris ignored the sarcasm. He stood up and brushed the sand from his trunks. "I'll go get wet and be with you in a minute." To Karyn he said, "Damned if the girl isn't making a swimmer out of me."
He loped down to the water and splashed into the surf while the women watched. He dived into an incoming wave and disappeared from sight momentarily, bobbing up again as the wave rolled over him and broke on the shore.
"Have you known Chris a long time?" Audrey asked.
"Yes. He was a friend of my first husband."
"No kidding."
There could not have been, Karyn figured, more than seven or eight years difference between her own and Audrey's ages, yet Audrey Vance made her feel positively middle-aged. She was acutely aware of her awkward position, sitting in the low folding chair while Audrey stood, straight and slim, a little behind her. Karyn stood up end faced the younger woman and felt better.