Eden Explained...Chapter Five

The sound was a chainsaw outside the window, or so it seemed, and
for a second time in two days, Talia misinterpreted life as it greeted
her from the far reaches of sleep. Opening her eyes she saw two
gargantuan flies hanging tentatively on the mosquito netting about
three feet from her face. As she recoiled, she felt Greg leaning
against her hip. She threw a tired glance over her shoulder at him and
his face appeared above the tangle of black curls laying next to him on
the pillow.

Much like a gardener reaching through the hedges, he patted her hair
down and lay his head on it and snuggled closer. "Mmm, you smell good,
now go back to sleep," came out as a grumble rather than a term of
endearment. Talia turned back, the range of movement trapped by the
weight of his head and arm around her waist. He was softly snoring
again within moments. She lay there quietly listening to the flies and
imagined they were plotting how they would consume her flesh in tiny
increments when she finally ventured out of the netting.

Daylight gave her a new glimpse of the 'palace' that Greg had found in
the middle of this jungle. Rattan and wicker in shades of mahogany and
burnt sienna covered the walls and floor. A small kitchen at one end
and two overstuffed sofas surrounding a massive coffeetable filled the
center of the room. They were sleeping in a king sized four poster
canopy bed in black wrought iron ensconched in mosquito netting and
this was their home away from home.

There was a spiral staircase in the corner and curiousity got the
better of her. Slowly disengaging herself from from the mosquito
netting and warm body next to her, she slid out of bed. Swatting at the
insects she heard buzzing near her head, she walked to the stairs and
looked up. There were windows or perhaps more precisely, skylights in
view and she made her way up the stairs.

It was a square room, containing only one item; a massive hot tub, calm
and unblinking as it waited patiently for her. Talia didn't think
twice. She slipped out of her nightgown and settled into the water. All
the sins of traveling disappeared in the quiet heat. As she lay there
thinking how much she would welcome this back in Texas, she nearly
drowned as the water jets suddenly blasted on and she was dragged under
by the instability. She found air again and the face of Greg smiling at
her shoulder revealed his subversive activities.

"Couldn't wait, huh? Why didn't you invite me?" He slid in next to
her.

"Seemed too good to be true that there would be something so modern
here." She leaned back as the water took hold, convincing her aching
muscles that there were some redeeming qualities to jungle life. "Where
are we Greg and what are we doing here? The whole truth and nothing but
the truth." The words came out easily and Talia was tired of waiting
for his explanation in tiny, useless pieces.

Greg leaned back and with his eyes closed spoke to the ceiling.
"Alright. Here we are. Let's get the story straight. This is my house.
I had it built a year ago. There are about forty people living on this
island that is ten miles long and eight miles wide. I have every reason
to believe that somewhere underneath all of the scary, spidery bugs and
dangerously poisonous snake pits, there is ten million dollars worth of
diamonds buried, waiting for us to find it, in all its glory. Are you
following me so far?"

Talia kept her eyes closed and responded with a sound indicating the
affirmative.

Greg went on, "The part I didn't tell you isn't a big deal, but you
should know it. The guy who 'lost' them knows I am in hot pursuit. He
didn't really lose them. He originally stole them from someone else and
lost them in a card game. The one who won the diamonds is dead and the
diamonds are on one of these islands somewhere. I think I've narrowed
it down to this one, but can't be sure. The bad part is, and don't get
mad at me,but we have to find them and dig them up."

Greg had been rattling off the story in such a matter of fact tone,
that when he finished, Talia expected more. She opened her eyes a tiny
bit and looked at him.

"What are the names of the alive one and dead one? We'll talk about the
digging part later today." She looked at her carefully manicured hands
then and shook her head.

"The alive one is Javier Montez. The dead one is Martin Vasquez. There
isn't much to go on but a bunch of letters that Vasquez wrote to his
mother."

Talia laughed. "How did you get the letters? I have to ask. Did you
steal them from his mother Greg?"

Greg splashed her with water. "No. I did not. In fact I captained her
yacht for six years in a row and she was a lovely woman. I became
friends with her over time and when she died, she left the letters to
me, knowing I'd enjoy the challenge. She had no idea where the diamonds
were. He refused to tell her."

Talia looked at him through narrowed eyes. "I don't know if I believe
you. That's a bit farfetched to me. How did she die?"

"Are you insinuating that I might have something to do with it?" Greg's
serious look back at Talia was thrown with a left hook.

"No. Just curious." She kept more of the thought from leaving her lips,
although it was tempting.

"She died of cancer. It didn't take long once she found out. Her
attorney sent me the letters in the mail about a year ago."

"How will they help us find the diamonds?"

Greg sat up in the water and Talia could see that the conversation was
all about business now.

"There are a number of cryptic references to them. You're the scholarly
one. Maybe you can help me figure it out. We have one month. That's
all."

Talia looked at Greg and realized that he had kept the majority of the
story from her when he had convinced her to come along. Had it only
been a month? It seemed like a year at this point.

"So what about Javier? Is he the one who will string you up? At the
marina?"

Greg bit his lip and gave her a serious look.
"You heard."

"Yes."

"Yeah. He was a drinking buddy of our dead friend. He lost his sailboat
in a poker game with the diamonds onboard. I don't get the part about
the diamonds on board. Why would he give the whole thing away? I
wouldn't have left them on a boat I was going to gamble away."

"That is a lot to digest at the moment." She stared thoughtfully at the
water racing to the surface over and over again. She needed to think
about it. They needed to formulate a plan. Talia shrugged. "Who knows?
Let's put it all aside until after breakfast. You do serve breakfast
here at the palace don't you?"

Greg gave her a wicked grin and she snickered. "All I have had to eat
in two days is airplane food, grapes, and tequilla. Real food
please."

"I can do that. Omelets and fruit? Coffee?" He got out of the hot tub
and handed her a towel.

She wrapped it around herself and looked out the spacious windows. The
ocean sparkled in the space between the leaves and she could see just a
sliver of white sand.

"Looks like we have a place to go today." She pointed.

Greg nodded. "This is your day. We start digging tomorrow."

Greg followed her down the stairs and the two casually got dressed and
went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Talia started slicing kiwi as
Greg ground some fresh coffee beans.

As he ground the beans he punctuated the action by his words then. "We
are in paradise. You have to decide if you want to be tempted more by
sunshine and white sand or jewels. We can have a bit of both, but I
think you'll go my way."

"I'm always forced to deal with one temptation or another with you
aren't I?" Talia kept slicing.

"You are always the one tempting me Talia. I'll succumb to your
tempting every time. You refuse to do something I ask and I have to
convince you or else I can't live with it. It's unavoidable."

"Are you telling me that if I agreed, you wouldn't be tempted?" Greg
stopped and stared into space.

"I don't really know. I just never expect you to. You never agree to
anything. I always have to work at it. I like the challenge of it I
suppose." Talia nodded.

"I see what you mean. Do you ever feel badly when I get hurt?" The
words came out softly. He had been there for her every time, but then
he would be gone as she recovered.

He put the coffee in the coffee pot and placed it on the stove. The
flame was a bright blue and Talia found herself staring at it as she
waited for his answer. The silence made her look at him then.

His bare chest was tanned and he was fit for being in his mid thirties.
He leaned against the counter, his arms crossed in front of him and the
look on his face was blank in the harsh light of the morning.

The two stared at one another and Talia could feel tears threatening to
fill his moment of hesitation. He looked away from her face then and
the sounds outside, full and deep in their activity made the silence in
the room hollow.

He cleared his throat and Talia closed her eyes against the words that
he was going to say. Afraid she was too far away from civilization to
run if they hurt too much, she kept her hands busy at her task.

"Every time you get hurt, I swear I'll never come back again. I know
I'm no good for you. I fight with my conscience and then I see someone
who looks like you, wears your perfume, laughs like you do. I can't
help it. I find myself laughing at your quirky comebacks a year after
you've said them. You tempt me every day and I don't know why."

Talia felt a tear slip then and turned to finish cutting up the fruit.
Greg came over and stood silently next to her. He placed his hand on
her shoulder and as she turned the knife clattered to the floor between
their feet. They both stared at it and then back at one another. There
was no laughter in the gaze that they shared.