SHERIDAN'S SECRET

Chapter Four

Charity and Miguel left early the next day on their romantic adventure.  "I brought some binoculars, two sets," Miguel told Charity as they  lovingly smiled into each others eyes.  "This is gonna be so great.  I can't wait to see the island up close."  

"I know, Miguel," she laid back in his arms as the motorboat slid  slowly and gently along the water cruising toward the little island.  "You said your father loved this island, that he dreamed of living here.  I remember that. You won't be sad, will  you, Miguel?"

"No Charity, I won't be sad." he squeezed his arms gently around her from behind and spoke softly in her ear, her soft blond hair dancing gently  over his face as they rode through the cool salty breeze.  "I'll never be sad as long as I'm with you."

"I know what you mean Miguel." she turned slightly to answer, her mind filled suddenly with memories of that first day they stood together hand in hand at the park, Miguel pouring out his memories and his feelings to her.  She thought the world of him. Now he was her world, the only person she had left that she really wanted to be with.  When she was with him, she could put aside her terrible tribulations and fears.  She wrapped his arms around her with her own hugging him close to her, and stared out into the open sea.

"I can see it, Charity.  There it is! "  Miguel spotted the island's shore through the hazy early morning fog.  It was a straight shot from the Harmony dock, but the view had been hampered by the ocean mist.  A  burst of sunlight broke through the clouds and spotlighted the sandy shore which looked much bigger close up.  "I promised Mama we wouldn't leave the boat.  it could be dangerous, but it's bright enough now that we should be able to see everything with these binoculars."  They cut the motor down and cruised around the shore looking at the areas they couldn't see from the park.

"There's the chimney, Miguel"  Charity was excited.  Miguel beamed with love seeing her  this happy. She was like a child at her first circus.  Everything he did with her was so special.  He was locked into a dream state for a moment staring at her beautiful face,  then let go of the throttle to pick up his binoculars for a look. 

"You're right, Charity, and there's smoke again too.  Do you see it? "  he asked.

"I do, Miguel, I see it!" she looked over at him and their eyes met in  a thrilled confirmation.  

"Oh my gosh, Charity," Miguel flashed her a look of astonishment.  "I see someone.  It's men, looks like three of them. Can you see them."

"Where, Miguel" she searched around with the binoculars.

"Right behind that wall, near the group of trees just to the left of the chimney." Miguel guided her shocked at this surprise civilization.

"Miguel," Charity grabbed his arm, trembling.  "One of them is in handcuffs.  I can see them so clearly.  There's a gun pointed at him."

Miguel threw down the binoculars, kicked the boat gently into gear and quickly but as quietly as possible headed out toward Harmony.  "Keep them in your sight, Charity.  Let me know if they see us or look over this way.  Just stay calm, and let me know what you see till I get us out of here."

Charity was softly crying, shaking as she held her view through the binoculars.  "No, they don't see us Miguel.  My God, what do you think is going on there?  They're walking further away. They're facing away from us.  I can barely see them now "

"Come over here, Charity," Miguel held her tight brushing her hair from her tear stained cheeks while the cold wind blew them dry.  They were both sticky from the moist salt air.  "I don't know, Charity, but I do know I have to let my brother, Luis, know about this right away.  That man's life could depend on me."

"Oh, Miguel, I'm scared.  What do you think will happen?"  she worried,  "You don't think they saw us do you, They couldn't know who we are could they?"

"No, Charity," he held her hand tightly as he picked up some speed toward home.  "You said yourself they went the other way, didn't you.  They didn't stop and look our way did they?"

"No, I'm sure of that, Miguel.  I'm just freaking out.  You're right.  We'd better tell Luis right away.  Thank God, we got out of there and didn't get any closer. Thank God I have you, Miguel.  I feel a lot safer now.  Let's just get home as soon as we can, ok?"  she snuggled down into his chest and wrapped her coat over her head until they pulled into the harbor. 

When Luis heard about what was happening on the island, he told Charity and Miguel not to mention it to anyone else.  "  It sounds like police business to me, and if anyone else finds out about it , it could hamper our investigation"  Luis warned, "I know this isn't gong to be easy, especially for you Charity, but trust me, this could be dangerous in the wrong hands.  You could actually tell the wrong person and pose a threat to them. I wouldn't want anything to happen to either or you.  I'm counting on you little brother. It's too late to see anything now, but tomorrow morning I'll head out there myself and evaluate the situation.  I can call for back up if I need to. Those people must have been there for at least a few days.  You said you saw the smoke last week, right?"

"That's right," Miguel answered, "Luis, I don't think you should go out there alone, bro.  They had guns.  They could be drug dealers.  Who knows what they might do to protect themselves.  Charity and I barely made it out of there without their seeing us.  I hope I did the right thing telling you, Luis, and not going straight to the police station. But I trust you, man.  Just promise me you won't do anything stupid.  Don't try to be the hero, ok.  You're all we've got now that Papa and Antonio are gone.  Mama and Theresa would die if anything ever happened to you.  And if I were to blame, I don't think I could live with myself."

"Don't talk like that Miguel"  Charity reminded him, squeezing his hand lightly, "Your brother knows what he's doing.  I trust him, and so should you.  "

"Thanks, Charity", Luis took her hand, then Miguel's.  The three stood united, hand in hand, in the moonlit backyard of the Lopez-Fitzgerald home. There they took a vow of secrecy and pinned their hopes on  big brother Luis,  with his expert investigative skills, his tenacious courage, his fiery  Latin temperament  and the luck of the Irish.

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