Island of Bones(101)

“All right, let’s get out of here,” Landeta said.

They started down the slope. Landeta led the way carefully down the dock to the skiff while Louis backed his way down, the Glock trained on Carlos.

But Carlos hadn’t moved. The baby was pressed against his chest, the blanket dangling. The baby began to cry.

Louis heard Landeta getting into the skiff. He could hear the baby, too, its cry carrying out to him, like a small wounded animal.

Small coral grave markers...

“Louis, get in!” Landeta called.

A pregnant woman marched at gunpoint to an isolated cabin. A tiny fresh grave. No children on the island.

Roberto -- Is that a baby?

Carlos -- Is it a girl?

The sign in Latin at the graveyard: Agni Dei.

Dei... God? Agni...lambs?

“Louis!” Landeta said. “Get in the boat!”

“Mel,” Louis said, “they’re killing the babies.”

He started back up the dock, his gun drawn.





CHAPTER 47




A gunshot splintered the wood on a piling and Louis dropped to the dock. He looked back at Landeta, who had started to get out of the skiff.

“Mel! Go back! Get down!” he yelled.

Louis scanned the yard, squinting against the glare of the floodlights. He could see Carlos and Roberto standing near the porch. Carlos was still holding the baby and did not have a gun. Then Louis saw another man emerge from the trees holding a rifle.

It was Frank. Frank shot at him?

Another shot zinged through the air. Louis buried his head in his arms.

“Tomas!” Frank called.

Louis looked up. Frank was standing there, but his rifle was aimed into the trees across the yard, not at the dock.

“Tomas!” Frank called again. “Come out where I can see you.”

Louis saw a figure step out of the brush, across the yard from Frank. He was in the shadows, back-dropped by the trees. Louis couldn’t see Tomas’s face, but he could see his rifle, still aimed toward the dock. The rifle had a scope, and Louis knew Tomas could see him clearly in the floodlights.

Another figure came out of the trees, carrying his rifle low, stopping by Tomas. Louis couldn’t see who it was.

“Tomas, come into the light,” Frank said.

“And let the bastard on the dock shoot me? I’m not stupid, Francisco!”

Louis was flat on his belly. He slowly slid his Glock forward. Tomas was shadowed and too far away to give Louis a good shot. And the handgun was no match for the scoped rifle. Louis knew if he took a shot and missed, Tomas would kill him instantly. He could have done it in any of the first two shots. Now he was just toying with them.

Louis heard the lever action of the Savage rifle and another of Tomas’s shots popped the water under the dock, making Louis press his face to the dock.

“I’m not going to let you kill them, Tomas,” Frank yelled.

Louis snuck a look. Frank had his rifle aimed at Tomas across the yard. And the second man who had come out with Tomas had moved into the light. It was Rafael, and he was moving slowly toward Carlos and Roberto.

“Get away, old man!” Tomas said.

Louis could hear Tomas feeding more bullets into the rifle.

“I told you this has to stop,” Frank said.

“I’m not going to jail!” Tomas yelled. Another shot splintered the planks near Louis’s head.

Frank took a step toward Tomas. “Tomas! Stop! Now.”

“You gonna shoot me, old man?”

“If I have to.”

Tomas laughed. “You no longer have it in you.”

A small cry drifted from the restaurant. Louis could see Rafael taking the baby from Carlos.

“What is it, Rafael? Is it a son?” Tomas called.

Rafael was staring down into the blanket. “No,” he said. “God, no, it’s a girl. It’s another girl.”

“Then you know what needs to be done,” Tomas said. “Go back to the house. Now!”

Louis watched Rafael. He was shaking his head, clutching the baby to his chest. Louis’s eyes locked on Roberto.

If they were killing the babies, why was the boy still alive? Then he knew.

Dear God...they only killed the girls. That’s why Frank had left this island thirty-five years ago. He had left to save his newborn daughter Diane.

He realized everything had gone quiet. Then he heard someone moving through leaves. He saw Tomas heading toward Rafael. A few more feet and he’d be in the light.

“Carlos, take the baby from Rafael,” Tomas said.

“No!” Rafael shouted, backing up. “We keep this one!”

“Give her back to Carlos or I’ll shoot both of you now!”

Louis rose to his knees, aiming into the darkness toward Tomas’s voice. Rafael and the baby were backed against the porch. Carlos hadn’t moved.