Michelle stepped out on to the sand and breathed in long and deep. The night air was so theraputic but it was also chilly. The days were warm in February but the nights most certainly were not. She hugged herself against the chilly air. She had hastely put on her robe but she had nothing on underneath it. She had better find her top and get back inside before she caught a cold.
Where had she left the darn thing. It was beside the beach chair, she remembered. She and Danny had froliced away the day in the sun and he had finally convinced her to take off the top while they splashed around in the water.
The light from the beach house was not much help but the moon would provide the extra light she would need to find the chair. She should be able to locate it in just a few minutes.
She was just stepping into the sand when she felt someone step behind her. Danny had followed her outside. He was so sweet sometimes. She had only gotten her head turned halfway around when she felt the hand clasp over her mouth. She tried to scream but it was muffled against the hand. The assailant pulled her arm behind her back in a painful fashion and started to lead her away.
No, God, No, she silently pled. Danny, my God, Danny. What had they done with him? What did they want?
She began to thrash around trying to free herself. She managed to kick the unknown attacker with her heel. She heard a groan of pain and surprise.
The assailant put his mouth to her ear. She could smell the foul stench come from his mouth. "Do that again and I will slit your pretty little throat right here, right now" he threatened. Michelle froze. She detected a distinct Spanish accent.
Who was this? Was it one of the rival families would had been against Danny turning the business around. She knew there had been some hard feelings with Nino and his family but Carmen had assured them that they were fine now. It didnt sound like Nino but it could be one of his lackeys.
What had they done to Danny? Had they got to him first? Oh God, what was she going to do??
"Listen missy" the voice continued. "You better stop fighting me. I aint paid to kill you just yet but if you don't cooperate, I'm sure I can explain to the boss that your premature death was unavoidable."
Michelle froze. They were going to kill her! Had they already killed Danny? Who were these people? What did they want?
"Now, I am going to take my hand away from your mouth, you try to scream, then dear hubby is only gonna find a few pieces of you when he comes to look for you, Capice??" he said.
"Now you dont want that now do you?" he asked and MIchelle vigorously shook her head no.
Thank you God. Michelle prayed. Her attacker had just revealed that Danny was still alive. Thank you , thank you, thank you....
He lifted his hand off of her mouth and she took a big gulp of air. "Please, please, we have money, whatever you..." she began and then the hand was placed back over her mouth.
"I told you to shut up" he said and then turned to talk to another person. She hadn't realized there was another person there with them. "I told you she was going to be trouble. Santos had to go and marry one that didnt know when to quit" he said.
Michelle ceased her struggling. This person knew Danny. This was personal. It wasnt just a random attack. Oh God.
"I see we are going to have to do this the hard way" He said as he put a cloth over her face.
Ether. Michelle knew that smell and she also knew that she had mere seconds before she slipped into unconsiosness. Her last coherant thought was a prayer to the almighty. Please keep Danny safe, then blackness........
* * * * * * * * * * *
Danny stirred in his sleep and turned over. He placed his arm over to hold Michelle. It landed on the pillow instead. She was not there.
He sprang up instantly. This was not the first time he had awakened to find Michelle not in bed with him. He had gotten used to her being called in the middle of the night by Rick so she could come into the hospital and observe a particular trauma. He had relented after the first couple of times because this would only make her a better doctor in the future. This was different though. Something was wrong.
He had on occassion awaken to find her in her chair in their bedroom with her nose stuck in some medical book.
Again, something wasnt right. The hair on the back of his neck and his arms was standing up striaght. All of the instincts that he had sharpened over the years were telling him something was wrong. He checked the clock. She had been gone over an hour.
He sprang out of the bed. He noticed her robe was gone. He took time to put on his boxers and then flew out the door. "Michelle" he called. He heard her name echo throughout the stillness of the night. No answer except the few sea gulls flying around cawing. He saw the car in the driveway so she hadnt gone anywhere in the car.
He wnet out to the beach where she had gone to retrieve her bathing suit top. He fully expected to find her sitting in the beach chair watching the waves. She was the most perfect person he had ever met, but she had one fault that was extremly irritating. She had a bad habit of completely losing track of time. She couldnt simply run to the store for a few things, she would come back two hours later to find him tapping his foot in impatience.
Her amused look whould indicate she had gotten the message and she always apologized and promised to do better. Of course, he never did stay mad at her for very long.
He found the beach chair where they had left it. No Michelle. Her top wasnt on the chair where they had left it either. The tide was washing in now and threatened to take the chair out with it. Where was Michelle?? He sprinted along the beach calling her name. He help him when he found her he was going to throttle her for worrying him so.
He called her again. Still no answer. He ran back to the beach house and went in the opposite direction looking for her. His cries were becoming more desperate now. Oh God, where was she?? He took a deep breath and screamed at the top of his lungs "MICHELLE!!!!!!"
The only answer he received was the sound of the ocean waves as they crashed against the shore.
He walked to the shore. The waves were strong tonight. Must be a hell of a rip tide Danny thought and the thought turned his blood to ice.
Then he saw it. A tiny flash of yellow. "Oh God, NO" Danny screamed. "OH God Please" he said as tears began to flow. "MIchelle" he said brokenly as the yellow bikini top that he had spent the afternoon talking her out of, washed up on shore.
He darted back to the house and dialed 911. The operator barely had a chance to answer before he started barking into the phone. "Come quickly, I think my wife may have drowned" he said and proceeded to give the address.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Danny had been standing on the beach with the authorities all night. He was wrapped in a blanket. Someone had brought it to him. At first, he had refused it, but then relented when one of the workers told him he wouldnt be helping anyone if her went into shock.
The sun was just coming up he noticed, but the beauty of it was lost to him. Michelle and he had gotten up each day and watched the sun rise together.
They had combed the beach area for several miles on either side and so far Michelle had not turned up anywhere. Danny had hoped beyond hope that she was just walking. He would give anything to see her apologetic face right now. He wouldnt even be mad at her. He would just be thankful to have her back in his arms......
"Mr. Santos" the chief of police said interupting his thoughts.
"Yeah" Danny answered his mind being brought back to reality.
"I think its time we accept the fact that we need to change this mission from a resuce to a recovery" he said with his hat in his hand.
Danny's knees hailed to support him anymore and he fell to the sand and covered his face with his hands. "Oh God" he wailed.
MIchael Jeffries had been on more of these recovery missions that he cared to remember. He hoped they could locate this young man's wife soon. It wasnt very pretty after they had been out in the water all night. He only prayed the fish and other sea creatures hadn't gotten to her yet. He didn't think this poor fellow could handle that.
"Okay guys, operation recovery" he shouted and everyone formed one single file line.
"Look Mr. Santos" the chief said" you probably should go back to the house. We'll come get you if...."
"I'm staying" Danny said.
"I understand your wanting to stay Mr. Santos, but if we....." he started to say.
"I said I am staying" he said through clenched teeth. He would be here when they found Michelle. He would see to her himself. He wasnt leaving until they found her.
They finally called the search at 9:00 that night due to darkness. The chief told Danny that it was very unlikely that they would even find her body after this long. The current was so strong that she most likely had been pulled out to sea and the sea creatures....
Danny absorbed that piece of information and promptly threw up. He stood at the beach unable to remove himself from any hope that she was still out there somewhere.
The chief and all the rescue workers began packing up to go home. Chief Jeffries promised to call Danny if Michelle's body washed up anywhere along the coast. He jotted down Danny's number in his little spiral book and patted him on the back. He didnt have the words to say to Mr. Santos. Hell, when he got home, he was gonna grab his wife to him and not let her go for a long time.
Danny Santos was a shattered man. He wished he had some words of hope to give him but he didnt. Unfortunately these things happened. It was a crying shame too. This fella obviously loved his wife very much and he held on to the hope that her body would not wash up anywhere ever. It could be so devestating that he might never recover.
Michael gathered his gear and went to his city issued truck. Danny never took his eyes off the ocean's horizon. Somewhere, Michelle was out there. His Michelle, her life cut short all because he had to convince her to take off that damned bikini top.
He wanted to die too. He wanted to walk into the ocean and let the waves overtake him until he could be where Michelle was.
Instead he looked out at the ocean and said "I love you baby" and then walked slowly back to the house to face the agonizing task of calling the family.