Reckoning - 42. Chapter 42

Patrick walked the path leading to his exit point beyond the gate. He checked to be sure the overgrowth still blocked the camera. He continued his walk, going to their indoor pool house to have a swim before movie night with his parents.

The Spanish decorum reflected an old world mixed with modernism. The house had an Olympic size pool with a hot tub/Jacuzzi and waterfall. A tall window showed the infinity pool outside and the picturesque view of the majestic mountains. Patrick stripped naked and dived into the heated pool, he surfaced in the middle floating on his back as his stress melted away.

Unaware he was being watched by Tony, who kept out of view on the second level. He held his cell and took several pictures of Patrick floating and swimming. He stayed until he received a text from his boss telling him to meet him in the garage. Disappointed, Tony took his leave, but not before he watched Patrick climb out of the pool.

Patrick toweled off and redressed returning to the house. Once in his room, he showered and dressed in cargo pants and a tee shirt slipping on low top sneakers. He stuffed his notes for his D&D game into his pocket, grabbed his keys and his backup cell. Patrick went to the South wing they renovated into a home theater. With stadium seating and an oversized sectional in front where he and his parents used when they were alone. They angled the screen for a private viewing equipped with IMAX surround sound. He arrived, finding his parent’s already eating popcorn. Raoul looked up and smiled at him.

“Come on, let’s start. You don’t want to be late for your game,” Raoul said.

Patrick sat beside his mother, who sat in between her men.

“I love watching movies together,” she said. “I remember the first time your father allowed you in here. You were so in awe.”

“I remember eating a lot of popcorn,” Patrick said.

“And I remember you complaining about a stomachache from eating too much,” Raoul said.

“Well, I promise I will eat in moderation.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Valdez,” Carlos interrupted.

“Yes, Carlos?” Raoul said.

“You have a phone call.”

“Tell them I’m busy,” he said with his arm around Drucilla’s shoulder while she fed him popcorn.

“I would Sir, but it’s Mr. Gomez.”

“Philip?” Raoul sat up, glancing at Drucilla.

“You should answer it, it might be important,” she said.

“All right, why don’t you enjoy the movie while I deal with this. I’ll try not to be long.”

“We can wait,” Patrick said.

“Don’t you have your game? If you wait, you’ll be late?”

“Oh, I forgot.”

“Go on, I’ll be right back, save me some pizza.” Raoul kissed Drucilla on the mouth and kissed Patrick on his soft curls on the top of his head before leaving.

Patrick leaned against his mother, who draped her arm around his shoulders as she brought her legs up.

When the door shut, the lights grew dim, and the movie began.

Raoul remain gone for the first fifteen minutes before returning and taking his place beside Drucilla. Patrick had turned and rested his head on her lap as she played with his curls.

Patrick commented on the film with his parents about the guilty pair when without realizing he had fallen asleep. What seem like he only shut his eyes to rest them, he was hearing his name softly spoken. When he opened them the theater’s lights were on and his parent’s looking down at him.

He took a deep breath as he blinked and sat up, seeing the screen blank.

“What happened?” he asked, turning to his parents.

“You fell asleep,” Drucilla said.

“I did?”

“Thirty minutes into the movie,” his father added.

“Man, I missed it.”

“You’re exhausted. At least you’ll be here instead of out for your game,” his mother said.

“Yeah, I guess I should go get ready.”

“You should turn in as soon as it’s over. Tomorrow we’ll have breakfast together.”

“Okay.” Patrick kissed his parents Goodnight before leaving the theater alone. He returned to his room, telling Carlos not to disturb him no matter what. He made sure the hallway was clear before grabbing his coat and a one item from his desk drawer, shoving it in his pocket making his escape.

The passageway was a tunnel his father had made in case of war or home invasion. But Patrick used it to sneak out at night. The twisting tunnel was reinforced with wooden timbers. It stretched two long miles strung with motion sensor lights. He grabbed a flashlight he always kept at the doorway of the tunnel. When he reached the exit point and came out into the frigid night air. He made sure he covered the exit before looking for Tony and the car. Neither were in sight. Dense trees were on opposite sides of the narrow two-lane road. He searched for headlights but saw none. He checked the time, showing a small window to make his appointment.

“Dammit Tony where are you?” he said as his breath froze in the air. He considered calling a cab when a car came down the road with no headlights. Patrick tried to see if it was Tony but was unsure through the tinted windows. He moved back into the shadows when the car stopped beside him. The front passenger side window lowered and Tony smiled at him.

“Get in,” he said, not bothering to open his door.

Patrick hesitated, then tried to open the back passenger door, finding it locked. He looked back to Tony. “The door’s locked.”

“No, it’s not.”

Then Patrick caught on. He tried the front passenger door and it opened. He didn’t have time to argue as he climbed inside. Tony took off still with no lights as Patrick tried to put on his seatbelt but it wouldn’t respond.

“The seat belt broke,” Tony said.

“Why did you get a car with a broken seatbelt?”

“Because,” he said. “I have to sign out for a car. It so happens that this car needs to go to the dealer for repairs, so my boss told me to drop it off on the way home and pick it up on my next shift. Is that okay with you?”

“Oh, okay.”

They road in silence as Tony rolled up the window and turned on the headlights. Patrick stared out his window at darkness as they left the estate. Tony pressed his foot on the accelerator, picking up speed.

“Can you slow down, you’re doing sixty?” Patrick said.

“I thought you needed to get there?”

“I do, but I don’t want us to have an accident. My boyfriend almost died on this road.”

“Your boyfriend? Oh, you mean that detective guy?”

“You can address him as Detective Potter.”

Tony gave Patrick a look of annoyance as he drove faster.

“Tony I said to slow down.”

“Stop being such a princess.”

“What did you say?”

“You heard me.”

Tony took a curve, jerking Patrick against his door before pulling to the side of the road. Patrick lurched forward, using his hands to brace himself from hitting the dashboard, then slump back into his seat. He looked to Tony, who was already out of his seatbelt and lunging at him.