Is this destiny?

Jeff could not believe how much JoAnna laughed when she used wet sand to make his toes look huge (and oddly shaped). Really… this woman can be so easily entertained. And her laughter is contagious.

Jeff can't be happier knowing that JoAnna is so unguarded with him. He can see all her different expressions, and quirky personality and he loves every side of her equally. She is amazing, and she is his wife. WIFE! As much as he craved for JoAnna to become his wife, now that it happened, he is not able to adjust to that fact. He is quite confident that he is dreaming, and he fears that he will wake up and find out that he is still single, spending days in his office… or maybe he is in Franciscan Medical Center, desperately trying to find that eluding nurse with name Jo.

Jeff was startled by JoAnna's cry.

"Waah! Look at this giant seashell!", JoAnna could not hide her excitement by her latest discovery. That conch shell is huge! 

"Do you think I can hear the ocean?", she placed it next to her ear.

Jeff got out of the sand swiftly, rushed to JoAnna and pulled the shell away from her head.

"Don't put random things from the beach on your face before checking if something alive is inside!", he warned her. "What will I do if you get hurt?"

JoAnna pouted for a second, checked the shell and shook it few times demonstratively before placing it back to her ear. She closed her eyes and smiled blissfully.

Jeff was amused how childish JoAnna is, and he was slightly irritated that she does not take his concern for her safety seriously. "You realize that you can't hear the ocean in the shell, right? That is just environmental noise that resonates with the shell's cavity."

JoAnna squinted at Jeff. "Yes, environmental noise. And since we are right next to the ocean, that means that the ocean IS making the environmental noise. So, I am hearing the ocean in the shell. Don't spoil my fun." She stuck her tongue out at him defiantly and continued listening to the 'ocean in the shell'.

Jeff sighed and closed his eyes. This woman will be the end of him… She is the only one who dares to openly defies him and stick her tongue out like that (his mother does not count).

He was startled when he felt something hard and slightly abrasive on the side of his face.

"Here, some ocean sounds for you.", JoAnna grinned while holding the seashell next to his ear.

If he had any resentment, it disappeared under her bright smile. That is JoAnna's power on him. She can effortlessly control his mood. And Jeff is confident that JoAnna is not aware of it.

They were putting their shoes back on, ready to continue the hike when JoAnna's attention got pulled to the side. She extended her neck and her eyes focused on a nearby rock formation. "Let's check there…"

Jeff didn't see anything other than rocks, but it seems that JoAnna noticed something. Well, that is why they came here… to explore the island.

When they approached the rocks, JoAnna inhaled dramatically. "Look, a cave! Let's see what is inside…"

Jeff gave JoAnna a side look and watched her excitedly strut inside. He shook his head and chuckled while thinking what can be inside… Rocks? Sand? Bats?! He panicked slightly at the thought of wild animals and extended his strides to catch up to her.

"Pirates!", JoAnna exclaimed at the sight of numerous large wooden and few metallic boxes in front of them. She turned to Jeff and when she saw his confused expression, her playful mood dropped. "This is not a storage you know about, is it?"

"No. There should be no such thing here.", Jeff responded with concern.

JoAnna's first thought was that this is some storage used for the needs of the villa, or staff. And her intention was to pretend that they discovered pirates' treasure. Who does not want to find hidden treasure? (even if it's just pretend)

But now that she confirmed how Jeff is not aware of this… it's not a joking matter. Someone is using this cave to store things without authorization.

"So… it's really pirates.", JoAnna concluded while slowly advancing toward the boxes. Her mind was racing. 'Jewels! Pearls! Golden coins with skulls on them! Is there a curse placed on some mysterious items? ...'

"Wait!", Jeff grabbed her hand which was reaching for one box, obviously with intention to open it. "Let me."

"No. Better me." JoAnna objected.

Jeff frowned. "How can it be better you?"

JoAnna's eyes are glowing from the wild thoughts of what is inside, but that does not mean that she is not putting safety first. And her first priority is to make sure Jeff is safe. "Let's assume there is some trap. You can call for help and carry me back to the villa. If you get hurt, I can provide first aid, but there is no way I can carry you."

"Why would you need to carry me? Just call for help. It will not take more than few hours for security to come here, even if they come on foot. But they can be here with a boat, even at the maximum distance it can't take more than two hours. The communicator has GPS so they can find us."

"Hours…" JoAnna thought for a second before explaining: "I don't want to risk pirates coming back and finding us here."

"Why do you think they will come back?"

JoAnna pointed toward few boxes. "These boxes are almost new. There is no dust or any sign of aging on them. Those have some mild signs, but none look like they are here for a long time. We can conclude that pirates are coming here occasionally, maybe few times a month. Entrance to the cave is sandy, and we didn't see any footprints because the tide washed them away. When did you set up the radars?"

"They became functional few days ago."

"So… last few days pirates didn't come here and that can mean that they should come here. Soon." JoAnna gave him a meaningful look.

Jeff admires JoAnna's analysis and observation skills. He didn't pay attention to the entrance of the cave… he was going after JoAnna. That is where his attention went.

The idea of some pirates, probably armed, coming any minute, alarmed him. "You are right. We should get out of here and let security handle this."

"Yup, we should get out, but not before we check what is inside here." JoAnna rubbed her hands together and approached one box.

"Wait!", Jeff exclaimed, but too late.

JoAnna already removed the latches on the side and flipped the top.

Jeff exhaled in relief that there are no traps, but at next moment he held his breath while staring at the contents of the box. "These are…"

JoAnna reached inside and pulled one rifle. After few seconds of examining it, she looked at Jeff. "FX-05 Xiuhcoatl, an assault rifle used by Mexican military."

---

If you are not reading this at 'W e b n o v e l .. c o m', then the content you're reading is stolen! Please support the author by reading this novel from the original source.