“Sweetie, you’ve seen most of their faces in magazines and on the news,” Diedre continued. “This is like their little playground hideaway.”

  Rachel was deflated. “You mean this is how I am going to spend the rest of my life?”

  “Who knows how long they’ll keep us here.” All of a sudden, Diedre’s own words sank in. She shuddered, realizing that they might never be allowed to leave. They knew too much. A prickly sensation crawled up the back of her neck.

  Rachel noticed the instant change in Diedre’s demeanor. “You okay?”

  Diedre shook herself back to being nonchalant. “Yeah. Must be the buzz I got off the smokes.” Rachel knew right then and there that she had to figure out how to get off the island alive.

  Rachel’s mind went to the unthinkable. She just didn’t let on.

  “Okay, girl. Let’s put on our costumes and slap on a smile.”

  Diedre reached down and pulled Rachel off the bed.

  They got dressed in silence, each wondering what the other was thinking.

  Rachel donned the one-shoulder gold lame D&G gown Yvonne had picked out, gold sandals, and hoop earrings.

  Diedre was equally glamorous in her Versace metallic animal-print cocktail dress.

  “Ready to roll?” Diedre asked wryly.

  “Do I have a choice?” Rachel replied.

  “Now you’re getting it.”

  Diedre gave Rachel a quick lesson in the garb the men would be wearing. She also instructed her to say very little, smile, nod, and touch her guest’s arm from time to time, pretending to be interested.

  Diedre led the way to the main hall and elaborate staircase. As they descended, Rachel spotted several men wearing the same type of clothing she had seen earlier. It was a caftan-type robe called a thawb, and a turban-like headdress called a kaffiyeh, wrapped with an agal leather band.

  Rachel thought she recognized three of the other women. But, like her, they had gone through a metamorphosis from plain and frumpy to gorgeous and glamorous. Two things stood out to her—their teeth and their rings. The Pledge rings. Diedre didn’t have one because she had never moved from Tyro to Pledge. Rachel politely introduced herself to the group, and the men simply bowed their heads. Then she recognized a person from all the newspapers and the society pages, Daniel J. Ruffing. This must be the playground people whispered about. It hit her like a ton of bricks. I’m in way over my head.

  The dinner lasted for almost three hours as the men discussed their latest acquisitions, including boats, planes, chateaus, and small islands. One of them implied he had just bought a US senator, which caused a roar of laughter among the powerful men.

  As Diedre had instructed, the women barely spoke to the men. They simply pretended to hang on every word, smiling, nodding, tossing their hair, and giggling when one of them made a joke. It was purely theater.

  After dinner, drinks were served on the veranda, where the men enjoyed their Cuban cigars and sipped Rémy Martin Louis XIII Cognac costing over four thousand dollars per bottle.

  The moment that Rachel was dreading had finally arrived. The women lined up, side by side, each man choosing one. They were escorted to the area behind the grand staircase, where several rooms awaited. The rooms looked like something out of a porn movie from the 1970s, with mirrored ceilings, red shag carpeting, and black satin sheets. Rachel started to tremble. She didn’t think she could go through with whatever lay ahead. Earlier, when she was offered wine and cognac, she politely declined, thinking she wanted to keep her wits about her. Now she wished she had drunk more than enough to withstand what was next.

  The man guided her to the bed, pushed her down, and proceeded to undress her. He wasn’t rough in the beginning, but when she was down to her bra and panties, he tore them off. She was about to cry out when he put his hand over her mouth and shoved himself inside her. He hadn’t even taken the time to disrobe. The man grunted and groaned and finished his business in less than three minutes. Rachel was relieved that he was not a man of huge girth. Maybe that’s why he needed to come to this place. He could have sex without being concerned about ridicule over his size or lack of endurance.

  He rolled over and got tangled in his garb and clumsily fell off the bed. Rachel thought it was almost comical, except for the rape part. He straightened himself, nodded at her, turned, and left.

  Now what? Rachel thought to herself. Would there be another horny man waiting in the wings? A few minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door. It was Yvonne. “You may go back to your room now.” She sounded like a receptionist talking to a client. Or a nurse to a patient. Rachel’s mind was in total chaos over what had just happened. She was back to pinching herself; but this time, it wasn’t from anticipation about the glorious future she hoped for. Her grand dream had turned into a nightmare.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Noah knew he had gotten himself, and his brother, into an extremely unpleasant situation. It wasn’t so much what was being said, but it was about what wasn’t being said. Lots of conversations between Ruffing and his flunkies, or pals, were in some kind of code. And Ruffing seemed to be getting richer by the day. Ruffing was also busier with offshore deliveries, calling Noah at all hours of the night.

  During his latest midnight run to a charter fishing boat, Noah had noticed lights from other nearby boats. Most of them were white, indicating they were anchored, but he thought he saw one flash several times before going out. As he approached the fishing charter, one of the crew tossed a rope to Noah so he could tie up next to it. They would exchange the packages, using a boat hook or a pulley. That night, as one of the coolers was coming off the fishing boat, it hit the side of Noah’s cigarette boat and nearly went into the drink. Noah was able to grab it and pull it onto his deck. They signaled each other that the exchange was complete, and Noah untied the rope and headed back to Miami.

  When he reached the dock, he noticed a big gash in the cooler. As he inspected the container for damage, he realized that the crack was a split in one of the seams. Hoping none of the contents were waterlogged, he tried to pry it open since he didn’t have a key to the lock. He didn’t think anything of it. He had been running delivery errands for several years and had never questioned the contents. Until that run, when he saw bags of white powder. Lots of them. He started to sweat, even more than from the Florida heat. Daniel’s other cronies would be picking up the coolers shortly. He needed to think. Try to glue the container back together? Toss it overboard? He was in a panic.

  In the distance, he spotted Rico heading in his direction. Rico was one of Ruffing’s top men. Would Rico believe him if he told him the truth? Or would Rico think Noah was trying to steal from Ruffing? The fishing-boat captain could corroborate his story. Noah could also pretend he didn’t see anything as he clumsily tried to push the two sides of the cooler together. He decided to go with the truth.

  “Rico. Hey.” Noah put concern into his voice. “I had a little problem tonight.”

  “What kind of problem?” Rico’s dark black beard encircled his gold-capped teeth.

  “While I was exchanging coolers, one from the fishing boat hit the side of my boat, and it cracked.” Noah pointed to the cooler without getting too close. “You can see where it dinged the boat.”

  Rico bent over to take a closer look. He cocked his head and eyed Noah. “I’ll take care of it.” Rico stood and hoisted the cooler onto a small dolly, keeping the cracked side facing him. He looked at Noah again. “I’ll be back for the other two in a few minutes.” Rico ambled toward the end of the dock, where he placed the cracked cooler on the deck of another boat. Noah looked away. He was worried that Rico would think Noah was learning too much about Ruffing’s business.

  Noah stuck to the ritual of tying up the boat and cleaning the deck, acting as if nothing had gone awry. Rico retrieved the other two coolers, saying nothing to Noah. Noah didn’t know if that was good or bad. He was hoping for the former.

  Noah knew that Ruffing was a wheeler-dealer. Many of his assets and business dealings were public knowledge. Noah was willing to bet this particular venture was not one of them. Drug running and money laundering. Several times in the past, Ruffing had demanded that The Haven provide female entertainment for his buddies, but Noah was never given details. He was under the assumption that once the girls served their purpose, they would return to some other life. Yet, so far, none of the women who were told they would be “spokespersons” had ever returned. At least not to The Haven. Until that night’s incident with the cracked cooler, he hadn’t given the matter any thought. But now his suspicions skyrocketed after the revelation as to what was in the coolers. Ruffing was clearly involved in drug running and human trafficking. But to what extent?

  For the moment, Noah was going to keep his eyes and ears open and his mouth shut. He was regretting ever having gotten involved with Ruffing,. For the first time since his father’s arrest, Noah was embarrassed and ashamed. How could he have been so easily fooled into thinking everything was aboveboard? He had enough self-awareness to realize that he was a victim of his own making. He had been willing to turn a blind eye, and now he found himself deep in a world populated by unsavory people, criminals, to put it plainly. People who could destroy him and Liam.

  Unlike Noah, Liam had no idea about the depth of Ruffing’s involvement with The Haven. As long as Noah kept the books balanced, Liam assumed his mission was successful on its own. Poor bastard, Noah thought. But what can we do about it now? He surely couldn’t go to the police. For one thing, he would incriminate himself, and second, he would probably be putting a bull’s-eye on his back, and perhaps Liam’s as well. Ruffing was too powerful to be taken down; and if he ever was, Noah knew he’d be going down with him.

  * * *

  Liam was on his fifth speaking tour and retreat. This time he was in Tibet. While he enjoyed meeting like-minded people, he felt he should be spending more time at The Haven. Even though the Luminaries were well versed in modern spirituality, Liam knew most of the people were there because of him, because he had empathy, something that had been forbidden and discouraged in his formative years. His mother was cold and emotionally detached. His father little better. It took Liam years to forgive her for making him feel unloved and undeserving. Now he was free from guilt, shame, and fear. He was in a good place mentally and spiritually, but there was still something missing emotionally. Something big. It was love. Romantic love, the kind you share with a partner—someone who knows your essence; someone with whom you can share your deepest secrets. There were a few women over the years who had sparked Liam’s interest, but none of them were spiritually enlightened. Watching the latest episode of The Bachelor was not his idea of anything worthwhile, which was what most women his age seemed focused on. It was all too superficial for him.

  But then he met Gabby. Gabby Richardson, a bright, beautiful woman who was truly on a quest for enlightenment. She was kind and engaging. He could not understand why Noah had come to dislike her. Perhaps it was jealousy, or even fear.

  Liam thought about it. He and his brother had done almost everything together since they were born until the time Liam had gone on with his education and then his vision quest and Noah had chosen to go to work for Daniel Ruffing. When Liam returned, he had noticed a change in Noah. Nothing terribly drastic, but Noah had become a bit more cynical. He certainly was adept at making good money, especially in getting the funding for The Haven. Liam could not quite put his finger on it. His thoughts returned to Gabby.

  He mulled over the incident at the airport. Why had Noah sent Guardians to bring her back? She could have refused to return. But she hadn’t. Liam thought she might quit The Haven after they thwarted her plans to see her mother. But again, she didn’t. She could have complained. But she didn’t. If his sixth sense was correct, there was a connection. But then again, it could just be his male hormones reminding him that it had been a long time since he had been intimate with a woman. How to broach the subject with Gabby would be challenging. He did not want to be viewed as a predator, seeking out the companionship of a woman who had not indicated any interest. If he could just go for a walk with her. Maybe hold her hand? It was a conundrum he was going to meditate on. He hoped he would find an answer.

  * * *

  When Noah returned to The Haven, there were several messages from Ruffing. His palms began to sweat. What if Rico had said something? He reached for the desk phone and dialed Ruffing’s number.

  “Hey, dude. Nice property you sent.” Ruffing sounded congenial. Noah had to think about what Ruffing was referring to. Then it hit him. Rachel.

  “Oh good. Glad it worked out.” Noah was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  “Do you think you can send another one for next weekend?” Ruffing asked, knowing full well that it was more of a demand than a request.

  “That’s not a lot of time.” Noah didn’t want to piss him off.

  “I realize that, but there is a small group of industrialists and politicians visiting, and I’d like to have some entertainment for them. We could use two more.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Noah replied, his palms even more sweaty than before.

  “Attaboy.” With that, Ruffing ended the call.

  Noah sat in his office, trying to remember to breathe. He flipped through the pages of the binder that contained all the personal information on the members. He had to find someone who had no family connections; someone who wouldn’t be missed, at least for a while. Gabby was out of the question. He needed her at The Haven until her trust fund became available. And she had family. The more he thought about the situation, the more he just wanted to disappear.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  The Haven

  Yoko dressed very casually for her visit to the open house at The Haven. She pulled out her road atlas and traced her way through the thick, overgrown roads. When she arrived, a young man dressed in the same outfit she had seen on those at the market greeted her at the gate. “Welcome to The Haven. How can I assist you?” Yoko thought that he was just a teenager.

  “Hello. I’m here for the open house.” Yoko waved the flyer at him.

  “Oh yes. Please park your car over there.” He pointed to a small gravel area with signs that said VISITOR PARKING. “Someone will be with you shortly.”

  “Thank you.” Yoko proceeded to the indicated area and parked the car. As soon as she got out, several white-clad people greeted her. “Welcome to The Haven.” They nodded but didn’t introduce themselves. “Hi, I’m Tina.”

  “Hello, Tina,” they said in unison. Yoko controlled the urge to smirk, thinking that very often the sisters would also respond in unison, but this crew was on a totally different wavelength. Just what this place was all about was what she was there to find out.

  “Please follow us.” They surrounded her as if they thought she might run away. They led her to an open area of the compound. It was covered with St. Augustine grass, a favorite in Florida because of its heat tolerance. Benches and planters encircled the quarter acre of greenery. Several buildings surrounded the green area. They were all relatively new, prefabricated buildings. Some resembled barracks. Another was a cottage with dream catchers and wind chimes hanging near the door. There was also a large main building and smaller bungalow structures. A five-car garage was near the main house, and on the far end, she could see a large vegetable garden. All in all, it looked like a mini-campus of sorts. She took copious mental notes.

  Yoko was led to one of the benches. It appeared she was the only one dressed in civilian clothes. There were approximately twenty or so identically clad people in white, some wearing green scarves, others wearing blue. There was one man wearing purple.

  A light-sounding bell rang three times. Yoko knew that was usually the signal before a meditation practice would begin. “Good evening,” said the purple-and-white-clad man. “Let us begin with a short meditation.” Yoko looked around and saw that everyone had placed their hands in what is called a mudra position. The index finger touches the thumb forming a circle. They did it with both hands. It was like making the “Okay” sign with your hands resting on your lap. Yoko followed suit, except for closing her eyes completely. She opened her lids slightly. It was just enough to be able to check out what was going on around her. The bell rang three more times, and everyone chanted “Om.” Then there was silence. Yoko kept squinting and rolled her eyes back and forth as best she could. Time seemed to have come to an abrupt halt. How much longer is this going to last? she wondered. Finally, the welcome sound of the bell ringing was heard again. And again, and again.

  The Luminary, the man with the purple scarf, began his speech about world peace, oneness, wholeness; the spiritual laws of attraction, reflection, and divine oneness. All of it sounded quite profound and enlightening. Yoko was waiting for the catch. And she waited. Almost an hour had passed, and she still hadn’t heard a sales pitch. The Luminary finished up with a kind blessing: “May you be happy, may you be safe, may you be filled with peace.”

  So far, nothing untoward. At least nothing obvious. The bell rang again, one more “Om,” and everyone broke into applause and hugged each other. The applause part struck her as a bit strange. Even the hugging to a certain extent although she could certainly relate. The sisters hugged all the time.

  The Luminary approached Yoko. “Hello. Nice of you to join us this evening.”

  “Thank you. It was very inspiring.” Yoko smiled, waiting for the sales pitch. Again, nothing.

  “Please, take this with you.” He handed her what looked like a brochure. It had Liam’s photo on the front. “He’s the master teacher here. Unfortunately, he is out of town this week. Perhaps you can come back another time?”

  Yoko froze. She thought she would get a tour and spot Gabby. “Oh, I thought your words were most enlightening. Can you tell me more? Or am I taking up too much of your time? I would love to see the rest of this peaceful and serene place.” Yoko gave him the biggest puppy-dog eyes she could muster.