This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons is entirely coincidental. All characters depicted in sexual situations are at least eighteen years old.
As always, any political, social or religious views in this story are those of the characters and their circumstances, and don't necessarily reflect those of the author.
SPECIAL NOTE: Be aware that part of this installment includes a character's recounting of a disturbing and nonconsensual situation in her past. It's necessary because a large part of the story's plot revolves around it and its effects on the character. I've edited it a bit to make it less graphic than in its first publication, but it's still not pretty.
* * * * *
PART THREE -- Disturbing Secrets are Revealed
"Hey Kira," I say, keeping my voice mild and casual despite my inner agitation, "I need to visit the boy's room. I'll be back in a bit." Then, a little louder, "I'm sure
no one
will bother you while I'm gone." Several male heads casually turn away.
"'Kay."
I feel bad about not telling Kira what I'm up to, but if she acts the least bit suspicious, I probably won't be able to pull this off. I walk to the restrooms, set at the back of the beach area against the overgrowth, but I don't go in. Instead, I go around the far side and melt into the jungle. I have to circle around because there are a group of twelve bungalows situated just inside the foliage.
Walking through the jungle in the nude is a strange experience. Just me and the wilderness. I'm feeling like a true primitive, but I'm careful about where I step, both to protect my bare feet and to stay as quiet as possible.
I approach him from behind. He's got his towel spread at the back of the beach, almost in the trees, and nowhere near anyone else, which makes what he's doing possible, but also works well for me. He looks to be in his late fifties, quite short, and thin to the point of being bony, but with a large potbelly. He's winter pale and wearing a ridiculous little Speedo.
At the last second, my foot comes down on a dried leaf and makes just a small sound. The guy's head whips around. When he sees me, he's off like a shot, leaving everything behind. The fact that he knows to run should be proof enough. I start after him, but after a few steps I pull up. There's no need to run him down. I walk over to where his stuff is spread on his towel.
His beach bag has the Hidden Springs logo on it, and all it's got in it is his shorts, sandals and shirt. No ID or anything like that, but it's the expensive item he's left behind that I really want. I feel very little guilt about wrapping it in his shirt and taking it with me as I walk back across the beach.
Kira is still on her back as I approach. Her face is pointing the other direction, perhaps watching for my return. I startle her a little when I sit down on my towel.
Her head whips around to look at me. "Where did
you
come from?"
"I stopped to visit a friend and picked this up along the way," I say, indicating the wrapped item in my hand.
"What is it?"
"Let's check it out together."
I glance over at where I've just come from. The towel and beach bag are gone. We reassemble our makeshift sunshade, then put our heads together.
Digital SLR's have come a long way, and this one is top of the line, with an ungodly number of megapixels and a very large telephoto lens. "Who exactly did you get this from?" Kira asks.
"The nice fellow up in the trees who was taking pictures of us. He decided to take off when I showed up, so I didn't get a chance to introduce myself."
"You
stole
this?"
"I borrowed it. Depending on what's on it, I might even return it."
I'm fiddling with the controls. My cheaper camera at home is the same brand and works pretty much the same way, so we're reviewing the pictures within seconds, beginning with the oldest.
The first shots are of random women on the beach, most of them still in suits. Then there's one of Kira spreading her towel, one where she's pushing her suit down over her knees, and another of the two of us standing face to face with Kira staring at my erection. Again, I marvel at the magnitude of our size difference.
"Why was he taking pictures of
us
?" Kira murmurs.
"Because you're by far the most beautiful woman on the beach."
"Harrumph."
There are a bunch of long-range pictures of Kira and me running out into the surf, then one of her high in the air, a shocked look on her face. This is followed by a couple of pictures of me holding her in my arms out beyond the surf line.
Next, there are quite a few pictures of other nude and topless women walking around or lounging on their towels. Then there are several amazingly clear shots of Kira and me out at the buoy, especially from when I was holding her to my chest. Our expressions clearly show we were having a serious discussion.
He took some more pictures of women who were evidently shedding their suits as we were swimming in, but then the focus is back on Kira as I carry her back up onto the beach on my shoulders. There are a ton of pictures of us applying sunscreen to each other. After that come pictures of Kira all by herself on the towel. The last shot is a blurred image of the jungle. He must have pressed the shutter as he dropped the camera and ran.
"He's got a serious crush on you," I say.
I glance over at Kira, expecting her to be a bit embarrassed, but she's seriously upset to the point of being near tears. "Hey, Kira, it's just pictures. And I'm going to erase them."
"What am I going to do?" she asks, her voice cracking. "I think I may have screwed up royally, coming here. I should have known that Angelo wouldn't just let me walk away."
"Wait, you're not saying that the creep has something to do with your
husband
, are you?"
"It's all right there on the camera. He knows I'm here and he hired a private detective to get some dirt on me."
"How could he know you're here?"
"I don't know, but he has a lot of resources at his disposal," Kira says. "And that guy is still out there. He could be watching us." She ducks out from under the towel and reaches into her bag for her suit.
"Okay," I say. "We've probably had enough sun for one day in any case."
Our freewheeling vacation mood destroyed now, we pull on our suits and gather our things, then troop back toward the hotel. We're gritty with sand, goopy with sunblock, and chafing from the salt water, so when we get back to our room, we take turns in the shower.
Kira goes first, so I take the opportunity to call the front desk. A male voice answers with a New York accent of all things, so I know it's not Raul.
"I'm calling to let you know about a serious lack of security at your resort," I say, sounding quite concerned, but not quite belligerent. I peek around the corner into the bathroom and see that Kira is still in the shower, so I walk in and noisily go through my Dopp kit by way of an excuse to be on the other side of the curtain from her. I want Kira to hear this conversation.
"I'm sorry to hear that sir. What seems to be the problem?"
