Plunge by Mark Rogers

Author:Mark Rogers [Rogers, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Endeavour Media
Published: 2019-02-26T16:00:00+00:00

In Punta Cana, the airport is all sea breezes and sunshine — the airport is famous for having a palapa roof. Almost everyone arriving is a tourist on vacation, getting into the holiday spirit as soon as they land, wearing shorts, shades, and Panama hats. They’re greeted by smiling musicians playing Dominican folk songs on acoustic instruments. The whole thing is a pleasant fantasy and why not? These people are on vacation.

Santo Domingo couldn’t be more different. This is an airport serving an urban island capital, crowded with down-at-the-heels islanders mixed in with hustling businessmen sweating in their suits. The walls, the floors, the stairs — everything is worn and scuffed. As Sally and I headed toward the exit, I could already smell the gasoline in the air, and the assaultive reek of burnt cooking oil from a street vendor.

A tout came up beside us. “Señor, do you need a taxi? I have one waiting, no problem.”

A second tout cut through the crowd like a shark. “A taxi, señor? Where are you staying? Where are you going?”

I took Sally’s arm. “Ignore them.”

We made it through the exit door and I was brought up short by Sally, who stopped in her tracks. We were enveloped by the intense humid heat, the insistent beat of reggaetón music, and a crush of brown-skinned people jostling for cabs and crying out greetings to waiting friends and family.

Sally glanced this way and that, overwhelmed. “What do we do?”

“We wait. Someone out there is watching us right now.”

As if on cue my cell phone buzzed.

The familiar distorted voice said, “You have the money?”

“A bank check. Let me talk to my son.”

“You are to take a cab to Apasionados. Do you know it?”

“Yeah, in Santo Domingo. Right before the overpass at the edge of the city.”

“Go there and wait.”

End of call. Apasionados. Why did they pick a place like that?

I put the phone back in my pocket.

“What?” said Sally. “What do we do?”

“You’re gonna love this.”

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