King Solomon's Journey (The Dominguez Adventures) (43 page)

            "I remember Mama that was when I joined Ruger in learning self defense. Not that it apparently did any good!" He laughed with the others.

            Amanda felt a bit like a fool. She had assumed that Ruger was a hired security agent, now she knew why he had come to Antonio's defense so quickly, and suspected her so fiercely. She would apologize as soon as she got the chance.

            Antonio was urged to tell more about him and Amanda. "Well, she is the sweetest, kindest person I know." The others pooed that idea, after all they had just heard how she whipped a man twice her size.

            "No, no, really, you should have seen her swearing she could not cook, just so Maria would not feel like she was imposing."

            "I did not mean for you to hear that conversation Antonio." Amanda was a bit embarrassed over his praise.

            "It's okay honey. I knew you had a kind heart already, that just made me happy to see how you spared Maria's feelings."

            "A good woman always makes those around her comfortable." Mama stated emphatically. Everyone agreed and Amanda felt elevated for her small deed in their eyes.

            "She is also a prize winning vineyard owner."

            "That reminds me, excuse me Mama, I have to get something from the library." José rose and left the table.

            Everyone waited for his return, and with his mother's permission, he uncrated several bottles of Amanda's Private Label.

            “The label is one of three finalists in the World Art Label Show in San Francisco. Amanda made the artwork,” Antonio told everyone.

            "Well pretty bottles are fine, but let's have a sip!" Xavier interjected. Nydia and Margarite rose to get the glasses, and once everyone had a glass, Amanda noticed they turned to look at Mama not their Pop, for the verdict.

            Antonio explained why, when he saw her questioning look. "While there were no wine producers in Cuba, Mama's family was directly linked with the finest Rum makers for hundreds of years. Once she came to America, she fell in love with discovering great wines. Mama can tell a good wine better than any New York City sommelier."

            "There is nothing wrong with savoring a good wine, or Rum. My family has never over indulged, and in our social circles it is best to have knowledge so in order not to appear out of touch. I taught our children about wine in order to further their American educations, and to keep them from learning the hard way that wine loosens tongues better left tight." Mama told Amanda with a smile.

            "Your wines have a distinctive flavor, and I imagine it has much to do with the area in which the grapes are grown. I like it, and am proud to have it accompany our meal."

            Pop interrupted with a call for a toast, and Amanda found herself beaming with pride over such a small nod of approval from this close group of people gathered around a table of love and friendship.

            When dinner was over, Antonio's father suggested to his sons that they join him in his study.

            Antonio clutched Amanda’s hand, guiding her out the back door.

            “Amanda, I don’t know what’s wrong with me today. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve never told those things.”

             “I know, Antonio. I’m fine now, I was perturbed at first, but it happened for a reason.” She believed he meant well.

            “You should be angry with me, Amanda.”

            “Well, I am not.”

            Putting his left hand behind her neck and his right arm around her waist, his lips moved over hers and he kissed her sweetly. Feeling his love, she relaxed herself in his arms. He held her tightly against him.

            His kisses were moist and flavored with Amanda's wine and gentle. Soon, even his taste became erotic. She felt like dying right there in his arms would be the most satisfying thing she had ever done. He made her feel so completely loved that she felt faintness come over her.

            “Amanda, I want you… always.”

            “Antonio, I am here - with you. If you want me…or need to find me, you should first look here.” Her hand pressed against his solar plexus.

            He wasn’t sure why she pointed it out now. Again, he kissed her.

            “Antonio, someone will surely see us, and we are way too old to get caught like this.”

            “Too old to be in love? I like being this old, and I like being this much in love with you. What in the hell is wrong with the world?

            One minute you’re too young to be in love. Then you wake up another day, told you’re too old to be in love. Too young to make love, and then you're too old to be in love. Amanda, I need more than ten minutes at the right age. I’m slow.” He sounded very serious.

            Amanda understood. She agreed with him.

            “You know, Antonio, you are exactly right. We are not too old. You know… do not tell me when we are too old. I don’t want to know.”

            “It’s a deal.”

            A cleared throat drew their attention, and they found one of the teenagers standing their grinning. He motioned over his shoulder and said. "The other 'grown-ups' are looking for you." He smiled and walked back inside, with a giggling Amanda and Antonio on his heels. Antonio went to the study, and Amanda offered to help clear the table.

            Seeing her happy face, Mama smiled. "Come Amanda, stay with us while the men stink up the study with the cigars they think I do not know they enjoy." All the women laughed and it was wonderful to feel such camaraderie among such strong women.

Chapter 49

"And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed-if all records told the same tale-then the lie passed into history and became truth.'Who controls the past' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past."
George Orwell (1984)

            Antonio and his brothers waited in their father’s office. They talked and joked while the Judge and José stepped outside. The two had to talk with someone who came to give them information. Antonio didn’t know what it was about, maybe a case from the law office.

            They all had read some of Antonio’s Hebrew translation from the Scrolls, and understood the scope of King Solomon’s ‘13’. The discussion had just started when the visitor came.

             “Antonio, you didn’t tell us how much trouble you got yourself into with Amanda over your slip of the mouth at the dinner table,” Xavier teased.

            “We want to know.” Tomas added.

            “None.” Antonio told them.

            “You’re lying, Antonio, she looked fumed.” Xavier said.

            “I’m serious.

            Saving him, Pop and José walked in and took their seats. Pop informed them about their impromptu meeting.

            “We were out speaking to a detective, who provided us with some valuable information. Antonio, you actually spoke with Detective Johnson early this morning at your hotel.”

            “Yes, I did.” Antonio affirmed.

            “Explain to all of us then, what you’ve done since you arrived in Miami.”

            Antonio hesitated, unsure of the reason.

            “We got here Friday, after I instigated a series of decoys. I changed our flight from New Mexico to an earlier option. Originally, I booked a suite at the National. Staying capricious, I called and reserved another suite at the Savoy.

            I did this from an airport phone in New Mexico. I canceled the National suite at the Miami airport, along with the car and driver I had previously booked.

            We took a cab to the Savoy, and checked in around 3:00PM. Amanda and I didn’t leave again until about 6:00PM. We ate at Ola, the awesome restaurant down from the Savoy.

            Before leaving to eat I called Lenny, the owner of the Florida Room to put my name on the list to get us in the place. Amanda wanted me to take her there after dinner.”

            Pop interrupted. “Which phones did you use?”

            “For dinner reservations, I used the hotel phone. I called Lenny from my cell phone. I had his number in my directory.”

            “Go on,” his father instructed.

            “Wait, Pop, I just remembered. Right after we checked in, I got a call on the hotel phone, then met a guy at the lobby with a bag of organic yogurt.”

            They all thought he was joking. He continued. “Ruger prearranged the drop-off of a .738, hidden in the bottom of the bag of yogurt. I couldn’t fly with a gun, and I need to protect her. Anyway, I took the .738 with me that night when we went out.

            We finished dinner at about 7:45PM. Amanda wanted to walk, so we went straight to the Florida Room. We had a great time. I even smoked a cigar for the first time in years. It felt great.”

            His father grinned with a nod.

            “We stayed until almost midnight, dancing and talking. A roaming photographer took pictures and I bought all of the pictures of us he printed.”

            José interrupted at this time. “How much did you and Amanda drink?”

            “We ate dinner and she drank the martinis over a four-hour stretch.

             “Amanda ordered for me, two glasses Courvoisier, during the four hours we were there. By the way, I’m a Courvoisier kind of guy.” His brothers begged to know the meaning.

“A Courvoisier guy is classic, but not dictated, sweet, but not too sweet, bold with a mild brocade, and extremely sexy.”

            His father laughed and asked him. “What did you do next?”

            Antonio looked to his father. Pop encouraged him.

             “Continue your story, Son.”

            “Amanda swims every morning, does her yoga, meditation, and prayers. It’s quite the long routine. I didn’t want her to swim without my supervision, in case there was a problem. I took her, and the .738 out to the pool.

            “Then we showered.”

            While she wrestled her hair, I got out my tuxedo. Inside the pocket of my pants, I found a box. Amanda left a gift for me to find.”

             “She left me a medallion with an engraving of Aaron’s Blessing in Hebrew, and a note inside the box. I sat, re-reading it for maybe twenty minutes.

            Amanda came out and I thanked her.”

            I used the hotel phone, and asked the Concierge to get us a car. I canceled the one I had previously arranged. We went straight to the Country Club.

            You all know what happened there. I called the hotel, with my cell phone, and they sent us a car to the Country Club. The hotel driver took us back to the hotel.”

            We were in our suite by midnight. “After that, we were pretty tired. Amanda woke me up later, at around 8:00 AM because there were cops and EMT’s everywhere. They had surrounded the suite next to us. I threw on some jeans and went to check it out.

            I made contact with the Miami police detective. He said, at that point they knew a woman drugged a federal agent, and took everything he had of value. The agent apparently picked her up at a local bar.

            The officers were sure she didn’t intend to kill him, but he had some weird reaction to the Mickey and died. The Detective then pointed out that the guy ended up being some peculiar type of Federal Agent.

            In fact, he appeared to be there stalking somebody, but the detective didn’t know whom. Reportedly, the Feds came and the locals lost jurisdiction. I took the Detective’s card.

I went back to the suite, removed my clothes, and got back into bed with Amanda. I started telling her what the Detective told me.

             Then José called, and wanted me to come over here. Now we have been here since then." Antonio finished.

            “Can anyone tell me when Antonio gave his location away?” His father asked the assembled brothers and brothers-in-law.

            Xavier answered, “He called Lenny from his cell.”

            Pop praised Xavier. “Exactly, they knew, not only that he arrived in Miami, but where in Miami. They also knew his schedule, and about how long he would be gone.”

            Antonio felt like an ass.

            “Who wants to reveal the agents story?” Pop asked.

            Tomas answered. “The agent checked in, and wired Antonio’s suite with some camera equipment while they were gone to the Florida Room. He would watch Antonio and Amanda 24/7 while they were in the room.

            They probably didn’t know the reason Antonio and Amanda came to Miami. They acted as if it had to do with the Scrolls and King Solomon’s ‘13’. The Feds expected to catch something on camera that would be useful.” He laughed.

            The agent gets bored, restless and lonely. He probably only walked a couple blocks last night. The moron picks up the next woman he sees. Poor jerk-off picked up the wrong chick, and she killed him for his money and his watch most likely.”

            “Very good, Tomas that’s exactly what happened.” Pop praised, and then continued. “The good news is - Antonio met the Detective.

            Turns out José knew him, so we found him quite easily. Det. Johnson went back and retrieved the camera’s surveillance and we hope, all of the film.”

            Pop explained it like a true Judge. Antonio felt ill thinking about a video of the two of them, leaking out, all over the Internet.

            José asked the next question. “How did the Feds know so quickly about the Scrolls and King Solomon’s ‘13’?” No one knew.

            José proceeded to help answer. “The Patriot Act.” Baffled, they knew about it, but why Antonio.

            “I didn’t know either, Pop, and I just found out. Through the Patriot Act, all archaeologists and anthropologists are under surveillance. They monitor them because they frequently travel to the Middle East and other areas of major interest.

            This was a major cause for concern.