For Paisley, the danger was over, but the trauma would linger for a long time.
55
Juan met us at the marina. We helped Antonio into the back of his town car, and Juan said he would take him to a doctor. I thanked Antonio for his help and gave him all the cash that I had taken from Jordan, Raul, and the other thugs. It was way more than the thousand dollars we had promised him.
"Take care of yourself. Speedy recovery."
He nodded and shook my hand.
I closed the door, and Juan took off into the night.
We walked back to the hotel. It wasn't far. The sun would be coming up soon. We all looked like we'd been through the wringer. A hot shower and a change of clothes were in order.
Isabella had arranged a flight back. There was no time to sleep, and I wanted to get out of the country as soon as possible.
We grabbed breakfast in the hotel restaurant after we got cleaned up, then Juan came back to pick us up. He said Antonio was doing well.
Juan dropped us off at the FBO, and we boarded the private jet, settled into the comfy leather seats, and relaxed. Still over-stimulated from the chaos, it was hard to truly let go. But once we were in the air, I managed to doze off and get some sleep.
Before I knew it, the wheels chirped as we touched down at the FBO in Coconut Key. We stepped off the plane, and the Florida sunshine hit my face. The air was a perfect 72°. We breezed through customs, then caught a rideshare to Paisley's apartment. I escorted her inside and made sure she got into her apartment okay.
In her doorway, I said, "Are you sure you're going to be alright?”
She nodded. "I'm fine. I just need a little sleep, and maybe a Margarita when I wake up."
I laughed. "Call me if you need anything."
"I will." She gave me a hug. "Thank you for everything,” she said with misty eyes. “I never thought I'd get out of there alive."
We said our goodbyes, and I headed down the hallway.
She called to me as I neared the elevator. “Let me know what you find in my car, if anything."
I nodded, pressed the call button for the elevator, and plunged down to the lobby. I hustled back outside andclimbed into the rideshare with JD. The driver took us to the station.
We caught up with the sheriff and filled him in on all the details. The three of us headed over to the impound lot and searched the vehicle.
Sure enough, we found the prototype solar cell in a pouch on the seat back. It was the size of a credit card. As Tristan had said, it was game-changing. There was just one problem—a bullet from the original gunfight was lodged in the panel.
"All this over that," the sheriff said. "Now what the hell do we do with it?”
About that time, a black SUV pulled into the impound lot.
I slipped the prototype into my pocket.
Officers Conroy and Baker hopped out and approached. Conroy smiled and extended his hand.
We shook.
“It’s good to finally meet face to face,” Conroy said.
He and Baker shook hands with JD and the sheriff.
Conroy continued. “Funny seeing you here.”
I smiled and shrugged.
“We just wanted to look through Mercer’s vehicle,” Conroy said. “Tristan told us about their scheduled meeting. Were you aware that Mercer filed a patent for his invention?”
