Page 70 of Shadow of Death
She laughed. “I know you didn’t. I couldn’t help myself.”
They were heading down State Road 7 or 441 and he noted the immense rise of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel as they drove along. It was a spectacular sight, visible from a distance.
“That place is impressive—quite an image on the skyline,” he said.
“It is. I don’t think you’ve seen it when the sun falls yet,” Amy said. “All the colors that light up in the night sky with their light show! I love to watch it. I think they’ve done an amazing job with the Guitar Hotel!”
He glanced her way, grinning. “You’re a casino hound? All this time. I didn’t know!”
She shrugged. “I’m not a hound, but I do love that hotel.” She hesitated and then continued with a shrug. “You know I’m friends with one of our forensics guys down here, Aidan Cypress. Aidan has a cousin who’s in management at the hotel and we’ve gone to have dinner with him a few times. And okay, I’ve played a few slots, but it’s like any other entertainment—you only spend so much, then that’s it. But the pools there!” She laughed. “I play enough to get some great reduced rates during the week, and now and then, a comp. I love the pools! Hunter, they’re so pretty and so nice. I love the slide and whirlpools at theoldpool and the falls and the restaurants and thebeacharea at the new one...and you can get an amazing ice coffee at the hotel!” She shrugged. “Restaurants are great. The music is always good. Makes me happy. And most importantly, I love the culture of our Seminole tribe.” She grinned at him. “They are theunconquered. They are the only tribe that never surrendered. The story goes that they are now descendants of the original two to three hundred Native Americans who fled into the Everglades during the Indian removal wars. Can you imagine? You’ve been out in the Everglades. Beautiful, and—even without major criminals on the loose—deadly. But they did more than survive. They held pat. And then, they stayed strong and moved into the future. They were the first Native Americans to purchase a major international corporation with Hard Rock! But there’s so much more than the casinos to the people. Growing up, I loved to come down here and go to powwows and the musical events that were going on. They are putting huge money into education. Aidan is brilliant, one of the best experts in his field imaginable, but you’ve worked with him so you know that. The Seminole are tribal—and citizens of the city, state, and country. They are like all Americans. They can grow to be what they want to be, and they’re still so darned special the way that I see it. And...”
“And?”
“I think it’s cool something has worked out well for people. And their several casinos have been great for the tribe. Like I said, I love the Hard Rock Cafe there, too. It has the nicest staff, and...what’s not to like about good music? Great concerts, too.”
“Good music is great,” he agreed. “I wouldn’t mind a good concert after all this! And, hm. I do love a good pool, lying in the sun... Yes, it all sounds wonderful!”
“I’m taking you there,” she told him. “I mean, in the future. When this is...”
“Over? Here’s hoping.” he said.
“Speaking of Aidan—” Amy began.
“We’re about to meet with him,” Hunter finished.
She nodded.
“And Special Agents Ryan Anders and Sean Masters,” he murmured. “They were assigned point until we could get here.”
The two were young agents—young proven agents. They’d already worked closely with Ryan and, through him, Sean Masters.
Ryan was capable of following someone and never being caught. He could change his appearance with the speed of a chameleon, making it extremely hard for anyone to note him as being on their tail.
Sean was equally talented, from what they had seen thus far.
“We’re meeting them where the foot came down,” Amy murmured.
“Yep. The foot isn’t there—it’s with the ME’s office, of course.”
“Of course.”
Amy shook her head. They were off the main highway, heading west. Civilization had expanded through the years, with communities pressing farther and farther west from the heavily populated areas on Florida’s east coast. There were problems with that, of course—you didn’t encroach on nature without nature retaliating. In the western regions, there were many more complaints about alligators in swimming pools than there were in the long-established urban areas close to the coast. Then again, she’d once seen a good-sized gator calmly crossing I-95 once just at the Miami-Dade/Broward line.
They traveled west on 595, then on to 27. In another five minutes, they saw Aidan’s forensic vehicle on the side of the road along with an unmarked car—Ryan’s.
Hunter parked and they exited the car. At first, they didn’t see any of the others, but the foliage to the side of the road was thick. If they’d walked any distance into it, they could easily be invisible.
“Hey,” Amy said, pointing. “There’s the tree.”
The car that had hit the huge banyan on the side of the road had obviously been speeding. There was a huge indent in its trunk. The trees were pretty remarkable, though, with a root system that kept them going and going. Hunter thought this tree had to be a hundred years or so old, and while injured, it would survive.
Still some major damage had been done.
Then again, if you were haphazardly disposing of body parts, the tree was a good choice with branches of all sizes stretching in dozens of directions.
“Guys!”
Looking to the western side of the road, Hunter saw Aidan’s face through the thick undergrowth. “There was a blood trail heading out this way. Took forever to find the little drops, and we didn’t get them the day of the accident. But these guys were willing to search with me, so...”
