Page 36 of Resurgent
That means I got it during that window of time I don’t remember when everything seemed to go down. I rub my thumb across the three numbers carved on the back, wondering if they have any significance. I turn it over. Stunned, I stare at the design etched on the front. What the serious fuck is going on?
“What?” she says. “Do you remember something?”
“No. But this is the same design my college buddy Anthony has tattooed on his arm.”
She stares at me, equally dumbfounded. “Does it have some special significance?”
“He’s gay. I helped him design it when he decided to come out. It means…” I pause for a minute. “That’s it!” I jump up and kiss her hard on the lips. She’s looking at me like I lost my mind. Which, incidentally, I have. But maybe, just maybe, it’s coming back. I just need it to come back a little faster. “It stands for valor.”
“Which is another word for bravery,” she adds slowly. “But why would you have a necklace with your friend’s tattoo on it? Oh! Maybe you gave him the guns.”
I shake my head. I wouldn’t have implicated Anthony in any sort of illegal activity. The guy’s had enough trouble in his life. It’s not easy being the gay son of a Southern Baptist minister. “No. But I remember dreaming about a necklace when I was in the hospital in India. There were a few days when I was coming out of the coma that I didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t, but I’m sure I dreamed of it, I just couldn’t see the emblem. Anthony was in my dreams too.” I’m not about to tell her she starred in the majority of them. Although I’m starting to wonder…if my dreams of the emblem and Anthony were real…
“What do you think it means?” she asks excitedly, interrupting my thoughts.
“Let’s look at the bucket list.”
She hops up and disappears into the bedroom again, coming back with the folded and creased piece of paper. She carefully unfolds it and lays it on the table, and we lean over it.
“Hang on a second.” I point to the item that saysVisit the Dominion BDSM club in San Francisco. “Anthony lives in San Francisco. That sounds familiar.”
“You’ve probably been there before, seeing as how you’re so into kinky sex,” she retorts.
“Don’t knock it until you try it,” I tease.
She “hmphs,” but not before I see the flash of arousal in her eyes. Quickly averting her gaze, she says, “Let’s see if we can find some pictures. Maybe that will spark your memory.”
“Good idea.” It takes us the better part of half an hour to find anything on The Dominion—it appears to be extremely exclusive and private—but Charlotte’s research skills rival mine, and we finally find a few pictures. Unfortunately, I don’t recognize the place at all.
“Tell me more about Anthony,” she suggests.
“He was one of my best friends in college, one of the few who stuck by me after my parents died. The only person I trust more is Walker. We played football together at USC. As I said, he was gay, and it was a secret he kept for years. I used to always say if I ever had a secret, I knew I could trust him to keep it. We meet up whenever we can to dive.”
“Liam, look.” I follow her finger toDive in Malaysiaon the bucket list. “Do you remember diving here?”
“No. But I’ve looked at my passport. Malaysia’s the one place I’ve been in the last six months that I can’t explain.”
“This has to mean something! You have to call him.”
She’s right. We’re running out of time. I’d rather not involve anyone else, but as a self-employed attorney with a shitload of secrets he already keeps, I doubt I’ll put Anthony in any jeopardy. Unlike Walker. And I trust Anthony. If I tell him not to let anyone know I’m alive, he’ll take that information to the grave. “Yeah. I suppose I do.”
I purchased a burner phone on my way to Manzanillo, and I use it now. After I talk to Anthony, I’ll toss it in the Pacific and get a new one. Charlotte sits on the edge of her seat as I make the call, practically bursting with excitement.
He doesn’t answer. I hate to freak him out and leave a voicemail, but I don’t have time to pussyfoot around. I leave a brief message telling him I’m alive, not to tell anyone, and to call me as soon as he can.
“He didn’t answer,” I say unnecessarily as I put down the phone. “He’ll call when he can. But we don’t have time to wait.” I glance back down at the bucket list. “You want a plan, sweetheart? I’ve got one. We’re flying to Malaysia tomorrow.”
“But I—”
“Don’t have a passport?” I arch an eyebrow at her. “I got you one in Mumbai. It’s illegal as hell, like mine, but we should be able to travel undetected. We’ll retrace my steps when I was there with Anthony.IfI was there with Anthony. But I’m sure I was. I’ve never dived with anyone else. It’s on the bucket list, my passport proves I was there, and the necklace I gave Kenzie matches his tattoo. There’s got to be some connection, some clue there. Maybe even the guns themselves. We’ll head there and wait for Anthony to call. In the meantime, maybe something will spark my memory. With any luck, I’ll have guns before I meet with El Gato.”
“And if you don’t?”
“I’ll worry about it then. In the meantime, I want to do every damn thing I can that’s left on my bucket list that I don’t remember putting on it. Anything might be a clue.” I move my finger down the list, stopping at each unmarked item. “Let’s start with salsa dancing. We can do that tonight. I saw a sign about it in the hotel lobby. When I talk to Tony, I’ll ask him about the Dominion, maybe get him to check it out for me, so we can skip that. Tomorrow we’ll fly to Malaysia and check off diving and getting a tattoo.”
Charlotte looks at me incredulously. “You’re going to get a tattoo, just like that?”
“Sure.” I wink at her. “Never underestimate the power of fuck it. I have a couple of days to think about what I want.” I look back at the list. “Tweet from the equator…we can manage that while we’re in Malaysia. Sail the Philippines…probably won’t have time for that.” I look at her and wink. “Want to join the mile-high club?”
