Page 61 of Riptide
“In a few hours, he goes to San Diego. He said something about a new shipment.”
“Shipment of what?” Seth asked.
“I don’t know. It could be anything. Girls. Drugs.” Joli shrugged. “Just please. Give me a few hours. I promise. I just don’t want a scene in here. And I need to go to the apartment. I’ve got to get my stuff.”
“If there’s people watching you, I think it’s best if we come back with you,” Seth told her.
“No, he’ll be watching.”
“He’s in your apartment?” Kaimana asked.
“He’s in the building. There’re cameras. But he’s leaving soon.”
“Can you just wait until he leaves?” Seth suggested.
“No. He’ll want me back in the apartment. I’m not allowed to leave.”
“Here’s the deal, Joli. The Feds are going to get him and you,” Seth told her. “So maybe it’s best we just leave now. We can get your stuff later.”
“No.” She pinned her eyes on Kaimana’s and nodded her head, her expression tense. “There’s something that I need. I can’t leave it behind. I’m not sure I should do this. I shouldn’t talk to you.”
“We can get you back to your family. You can start over.” Kaimana’s heart broke for her, knowing that she’d never asked for this life.
“That’s just it.” Joli’s eyes focused into a blank stare. “There is no one. My folks. They weren’t the best. I’m not feeling sorry for myself, but it happens. My dad skipped out. My stepdad abused me. I don’t want to say anything else. But my mom knew. So I already got out of a bad situation. I got out alone.”
“You’re not alone now. You’re helping Evan. You’re helping me. We’re going to get you out. You can start again. It will be better,” Kaimana offered, unsure if her own words were true. She could only offer her own friendship. The world was a harsh place, and if Joli didn’t get the right support, it could happen to her again.
“And what am I going to do after this? No one will ever want me.” A stark expression of hopelessness washed over Joli’s face. “I’m just…I’m no one. I’m nothing.
“You’re not nothing. You cared about Evan. You helped me. How old are you?”
“I’m going to be twenty next year.”
Her words came like a punch to Kaimana’s gut. “Listen to me, Joli. Someone stole your life. We can’t change what’s happened in the past, but we can change your future. I promise. Just come with us. We’ll get you out. I’ll support you, help you get a new life. All you have to do is tell us, tell them everything you know. Please.”
Tears streamed down Joli’s face. She bit her lip. “He’s going to kill me. You don’t know.”
“Please let us help you. You can get out forever.”
Joli nodded and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. “I need to get in and out. There’s just one thing I need. It’s from Evan.”
“What?” Kaimana’s heart stopped.
“Adam is trying to move up in the organization, you know. He took me to a house in Oʻahu for a meeting. The men all got drunk one night. They were all doing some kind of new drug. Some of them passed out. But one of the guys overdosed. The guards were gone for over an hour. I searched the house because I hoped Evan might be there. I found him in a basement behind a locked door. He was hurt. He told me to get help, but they have special locks on the door. Some kind of a fingerprint thing. He slid a piece of paper under the door. It has numbers on it.”
“What are the numbers, Joli?” Seth asked.
“I…I don’t know. He could barely talk. I got out as soon as possible.”
“When was this?”
Joli took a deep breath and shook her head. “It was a few weeks ago. I can’t keep track of days. I’m not allowed a calendar. I’m only given a phone if he’s away. It’s just a basic cell phone though. No internet or anything. I’m not allowed a computer either. At night, I’m locked in my room.”
“Jesus Christ,” Seth growled.
“We’re going to get you out,” Kaimana said, her voice strong and determined. “You just have to cooperate with us. That’s it. I’m going to help you.”
“Okay, okay, I’ll do this. I’ll go inside and tell him that I accidentally hit on a cop and had to get out of the club. It happens sometimes, you know. He’ll get ready to go and lock the doors.”
