It had been a very long six weeks while I waited very impatiently for surgical incisions to heal, muscles to be re-toned, and bruises to fade. She had kept herself busy, of course, exploring the environs of Maracaibo and consulting with the surgeon who had performed her procedures on the best methods for a full recovery. When I saw Ember jogging down the dock towards the sailboat, I knew my patience would soon be rewarded...
I picked up my phone and sent a group text that read simply "initiate." I knew that out of sight, four of my best friends would be gearing and prepping rapidly, years of training in far more dangerous tasks and places now being put to use simply to fulfill a fantasy. Some things were worth doing right, however.
Ember stepped onto the boat with a wide grin, and I enjoyed the sight of her. At 5'8" she was a bit taller than most women, and her long golden hair was bound up in a ponytail. She had a lithe grace to her, and I enjoyed watching her move. She was dressed simply this morning, yoga pants and a loose shirt; they allowed her to survive the wet heat common even in the southern equivalent of fall.
"I take it Dr. Reyes has finally approved high impact activities again?"
"He did! He said everything had healed very nicely, and that I was "released from his care to do whatever I might wish..."
I smiled at her, enjoying her pleasure in her body. "Perhaps you could grab some celebratory wine from the corner mercado you found, since you usually know more about them than I do?"
She laughed. "I suppose I can at that. What are you planning on cooking?"
"I was thinking seafood of some type, so I'm sure you'll be able to find something appropriate."
She rolled her eyes at me. "Uh huh...I'm guessing you want me to go now?"
"It's still early, so yeah, before it gets too hot. Just make sure you take your phone."
With a put upon sigh that I could tell she didn't really mean, she grabbed her phone from the countertop and tucked it into her pants. I could tell she wanted to jog back down the pier, enjoying her release from physical restrictions at last, but she held herself to a walk.
I quickly grabbed the two bags I'd had packed almost since docking from the smugglers hold, and after checking to make sure that she was already off of the pier, quickly headed back to land myself. A nod and a passed wad of currency to the owner of the marina cleared my dock bill, and ensured there would be no complications once the plan went into motion.
A black van was waiting for me at the entrance to the marina, the side door already open. Four men in conservative clothing were waiting inside, looking at me expectantly. A quick nod confirmed that yes, we were a go, and feral grins broke out as I hopped inside and slid the door closed. One of the boys handed me a ski mask, and we quickly donned our disguises.
The van sped into motion, and we were shortly at the spot the team had picked out several weeks before. Professional reconnaissance had shown it to have excellent sight lines for the approach of the target, the local Policia Nacional had been amenable to a small bribe, and several routes were available for exfiltration. I'd carefully briefed the two shop owners that might have line of sight on the operation just in case, but it never hurt to be as prepared as possible.
Our wait was short, and as I saw her come around the corner from the mercado she liked to frequent, I sent her the text message we had jokingly discussed almost a year prior.
"Kidnapping." I saw her pull her phone out, then look up in sudden alarm.
The van roared into motion, and the door was sliding open even as the acceleration built up. "Standby!" I heard, and then the van was abruptly slowing.
We all rode the motion easily, jumping from the still rolling van in a practiced formation. With no hesitation, we each grabbed an arm or leg and lifted her up, running with her back to the barely stopped van.
I had grabbed her right arm, on the theory that it would be the one she would try to free the hardest if she decided to fight. Even with the text warning, she still couldn't resist biting me and tugging fiercely on my grip. I grimaced slightly, but had more important things to worry about.