Free Dawn Patrol by Jeff Ross Page B

moon had broken through the clouds, although it was only a crescent.
    â€œWhat should we do?” I said.
    Kevin put his hand on my arm again. There was a flash of light in the jungle where I thought I had seen something move. And suddenly I recognized Jose’s profile as he lit a cigarette.
    â€œWe’re going to have to take him down,” Kevin said.
    â€œBut what if you’re right?” I said. “What if Delgado’s protecting your parents rather than holding them hostage?”
    â€œThen I’ll have to apologize to him,” he said and ran across the beach.

chapter nineteen
    Kevin moved silently. I followed him, but for the first time, I wasn’t able to catch up. He launched himself at Jose.
    â€œKevin!” I said.
    By the time I reached them, Kevin was sitting on Jose’s chest, holding his arms down. “Where are they?” he said.
    Jose shook sand off his face. “What? What are you doing, man?” he said.
    â€œYou speak English!” I said.
    â€œOf course I do, brah. I’m from LA.”
    â€œWhere are they?” Kevin said, shaking Jose.
    â€œGet off, man.”
    â€œWhere are they?” Kevin said again.
    â€œWho?” Jose looked at me. “Who is he looking for?”
    â€œEsme and his parents,” I said.
    Jose seemed unable to look directly at Kevin. “I don’t know about that, man.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Kevin asked.
    â€œI…man, I don’t know…”
    â€œIs there a house or something here?” I asked.
    â€œYeah. Back there.”
    Kevin grabbed Jose’s throat. “Who’s inside?”
    â€œDelgado and that girl,” Jose squeaked.
    Kevin squeezed Jose’s face in his hands. “That girl is my girlfriend. And you better not have laid a finger on her. Who else is in there?”
    â€œNo one,” Jose said.
    â€œAre you sure?” I asked.
    â€œIt’s a two-room hut, brah. Kinda hard to hide.” Kevin raised his fist above his head. Jose winced and screwed his eyes shut. “Come on, man. You don’t want to hit me.”
    â€œKevin,” I said.
    Kevin looked at me and then back at Jose. “You stay out here, or I swear I will pound you into the ground.”
    â€œWhatever,” Jose said.
    â€œNot whatever, Jose.” Kevin stood, and Jose rolled out from beneath him.
    â€œOkay, okay, man. I’ll stay right here. I’m through with all of this anyway. It’s gotten too weird.” Jose picked his cigarette up off the sand and pulled his lighter out. Then he leaned back and started smoking as though nothing had happened.
    â€œCome on,” Kevin said to me and took off through the jungle.
    Crabs scattered as we ran through the thick growth. A lantern inside the house flickered.
    â€œNo electricity out here,” Kevin whispered. We crept to the side of the house. It was a solid wood structure with a window or two on each side. There was a porch with a lantern dangling from a hook and, inside, another three or four lanterns illuminated a living room. “Let’s check around the back.”
    At the rear of the house was a door with no steps leading from it. The house wasn’t on stilts. It looked like a set of stairs had never been built to the door. In fact, as we got closer, the whole house looked half finished. The door was open, and the smell of boiled fish wafted out. Kevin crept to the bottom of the doorway and peered in.
    He waved me over.
    â€œDo you like hot sauce?” we heard Delgado say. “Okay, Miss Esme, I will continue to talk to myself. I will not put hot sauce in the stew and, instead, will place it on the table so everyone can make up his or her own mind.” I peered in the door and saw a kitchen. Delgado was only five feet away, with his back to us, and a giant pot steaming before him. “Now, I’m going to untie you so you can eat. Do you promise to be good?”
    Again there