Bluewater Quest

by Charles Dougherty

  "I don't know. It's a prix fixe, table d'hôte arrangement. You two stay; I'll go see what's happening and call you."

  "I'm exhausted from the day anyway," Rick said. "How about you, Shellie?"

  "Let's go. Liz, you go ahead and take our taxi. We'll sort the bill out and come back to the boat."

  "Are you sure?"

  "I insist," Rick said. "Go."

  "Thank you. I'm quite worried. This isn't like Dani at all," Liz said. "Excuse me."

  Vengeance was dark as Liz approached. She walked all the way out on the finger pier, not stepping aboard. She saw that the companionway doors were open, which seemed strange to her since there were no lights on aboard. They were both careful about locking up when they left.

  "Dani?" Liz called, almost shouting.

  When there was no answer, she stepped aboard, careful not to rock the boat more than she had to. She opened a small locker in the steering pedestal and found a flashlight. Shining it into the companionway, she called Dani again as she swept the cone of light around the main cabin. She spotted Dani, sprawled face down at the foot of the companionway ladder. Seeing nothing else amiss, she descended into the darkness and switched on an overhead light.

  Kneeling, she put two fingers on the side of Dani’s neck, feeling for a pulse. She sighed with relief when she felt the strong, steady throbbing. She rose to a crouch and swung her light into the aft cabin, finding it empty. She moved forward and checked the rest of the boat to make sure they were alone.

  Satisfied, she knelt beside Dani again, putting a hand on her friend’s shoulder and shaking her gently. Dani groaned, and her eyelids flickered. Liz shook her shoulder again and rocked back on her heels as Dani rolled into a crouch, snarling like a wildcat. Liz fell backward to avoid Dani’s clawed hands.

  "It’s okay, Dani. We’re okay." Liz lunged toward her, wrapping Dani in her arms and pushing her backward, using her weight to pin Dani, who struggled for a second before she said, "Liz?"

  "Yes. Take it easy. You’re all right." She released Dani and sat up on her heels.

  "What happened?" Dani asked, rubbing the back of her neck and wincing. "Who hit me?"

  "I don’t know. How do you feel?"

  "Dizzy. Splitting headache, big knot at the base of my skull."

  Liz looked around, spotting the big flashlight on the cabin sole. "Were you using the flashlight?"

  "What?"

  "The big flashlight." Liz picked it up and showed it to her.

  Dani shook her head and doubled over, throwing up on the sole. "Shit," she said, after a moment. "What about the big flashlight?"

  "Were you using it?"

  "I don’t … what … " Dani fell backward, sitting down hard, leaning back against the corner of the bulkhead at the nav station. "Dizzy."

  "Take it easy. You’ve got a concussion. Do you remember coming back to the boat after the Everetts and I left to go to dinner?"

  Dani stared at her for several seconds. "The bilge pump."

  "That’s right. You came back because you thought the discharge hose in the aft head was split. You were going to close the seacock."

  "Did I?"

  "It doesn’t matter right now," Liz said. "Was somebody on the boat when you came back?"

  "The companionway doors weren’t locked. I thought you locked them."

  "I did," Liz said.

  "And they left the light on in the aft cabin," Dani said. "I remember that. But I thought I’d checked all the lights before we left."

  Turning off unused lights was an ingrained habit among people who lived aboard boats, where electricity from batteries was precious.

  "Did you come down the ladder?"

  "I don’t … I remember calling out to see if anybody was aboard. I think I leaned into the companionway, and then somebody grabbed my shirt and jerked me off my feet. I remember falling headfirst, and that’s it. How long have you been here?"

  "Two or three minutes, at most. You were out cold when I found you."

  "How long?"

  "How long were you out?"

  "Right. You know?"

  "It must have been 45 minutes or so," Liz said.

  "You didn’t see anybody?" Dani asked.

  "No."

  "Did they take anything?"

  "I don’t know. I checked to make sure nobody was still aboard and then tried to wake you up."

  "How long have I been awake?"

  "Maybe three minutes. You just asked me that." Liz held up her right hand with three fingers extended. "How many fingers do you see?"

  "Three. I’m okay. I see just fine. Where are Rick and Shellie?"

  "They’ll be here any minute. Why don’t you stretch out on the settee and let me get an ice pack for that place on the back of your head? I think somebody brained you with the flashlight."

  "Can’t believe I was so dumb," Dani said, crawling up onto the settee. "I deserved it, but I’m going to kill whoever did it."

  "Uh-huh," Liz said. "I’m sure of it, but I think you’d better wait until at least tomorrow."

  "I don’t know who to kill yet, anyway. Hurry up with that ice pack, okay?"

  7

  "Where’s Ashley?" Ed asked as he and Bert set the bags of groceries in the cockpit.

  "Aboard Vengeance. The people left a while ago like they were going out to dinner."

  "Oh, shit!" Bert said. "Can you call her?"

  Leila picked up her phone and touched the screen. "Sure. Why?" she asked, holding the phone to her ear. "What's up?"

  "We just saw one of the women — the blonde with curly hair. She was getting out of a cab, heading for the marina entrance."

  "She’s not answering," Leila said. "Went right to voicemail."

  "How long’s Ash been aboard Vengeance?" Ed asked.

  Leila glanced at the screen on her phone. "Half an hour, give or take a few minutes. Was the woman by herself?"

  "Yes," Bert said.

  "Good. Ash can handle that."

  "Handle what?" Ashley’s disembodied voice floated into their midst.

  "Ashley?" Leila asked.

  Ashley climbed onto the swim platform that was built into the stern of Aquila. "You didn’t call me," she said, anger in her voice. "I almost got caught."

  "I just tried. It went to voicemail."

  "When?" Ashley asked.

  "Just now."

  "Phone’s off, now, in the waterproof case. How about when the woman came back right after I got there?"

  "I didn’t see her."

  "Didn’t see her! Where were you?"

  "After you left, I came below to watch through the porthole. I was too conspicuous by myself in the cockpit."

  "That must have been the split second when she came aboard."

  "Slow down, you two," Ed said, in a calm tone. "What happened, Ash?"

  "We saw them — all four of them — get in a taxi, obviously going out to dinner. We overheard enough of their conversation as they walked up the dock to put that together." She paused, making eye contact with each of the others.

  "Okay," Ed said. "Then what?"

  "Then I went aboard their boat. Picked the lock with no problem and went below. I did a quick search, saw that the Everetts were staying in the aft cabin. Checked their stuff — no files, but they had a fancy laptop. I opened it and plugged in the thumb drive with Bypass on it. Then I felt the boat shift, like somebody stepped aboard."

  "And what did you do then?" Ed asked.

  "Left the computer running Bypass and got into position beside the companionway ladder, far enough back in the passageway to the aft cabin so nobody could see me. As soon as she was far enough down, I hit her in the back of the neck as hard as I could with one of those big three-cell flashlights that was hanging by the ladder. She collapsed."

  "And?" Ed asked.

  "I grabbed the thumb drive from the computer. It was still trying to crack the password. Snatched a GPS and a handheld VHF marine radio so they’d think it was a theft, and hauled ass."
/>
  "How long ago was it that you boarded?" Ed asked.

  Leila checked the time on the cellphone that she still held. "Forty minutes."

  "Where have you been since she surprised you?"

  "Under the dock, hanging on a piling. There were too many people around, strolling the dock, and I didn’t know how long she'd be unconscious."

  "Okay, good," Ed said. "Why didn’t you snatch the computer, while you were acting like a sneak thief?"

  "I knew I was going in the water. I didn’t want to ruin it and lose the files that were on it. I figured tomorrow was another day; we’ll get another chance at it."

  "You sure she didn’t get a look at you?" Ed said.

  "Positive."

  "What did you do with the GPS and the VHF?"

  She opened the drawstring bag that was tied to her waist and handed Ed the VHF and GPS. "I figured they weren’t good for anything. Just wanted to make it look like a petty theft."

  "We might be able to get something off the GPS," Ed said. "Waypoints, routes. You never know. I'll stick these under the chart table in a minute. You put the computer back where you found it?"

  "No. Left it on the berth in the aft cabin. They’ll just think the sneak thief got interrupted."

  "Okay," Ed said. "We need to tighten it up. We got lucky this time, but Lady Luck’s fickle. Let’s get some rest and get over our jet lag. Leila?"

  "Yes?"

  "You okay with keeping a lookout for four hours?"

  "Sure."

  "Good. I’ll relieve you. Pay attention to what they’re doing. You said the four of them left together?"

  "Yes, why?"

  "It’s odd that the Everetts aren’t back yet; they must have split up. Keep an eye out for them, and wake me up when they show. If they get out of a taxi, make a note of which one. It might be worth talking to the driver to see where they’ve been."

  "What happened?" Shellie asked, as she and Rick came down the companionway ladder.

  "Are you okay?" Rick asked.

  "Everything's under control," Liz said.

  "We had a thief, apparently. Dani surprised him, and he knocked her out. But she's okay, except for a little concussion."

  "A thief?" Shellie asked. "Did he steal anything?"

  "I was just about to check. You might want to take a look in your cabin, while I look around the rest of the boat," Liz said.

  Dani started to sit up. "I'll — "

  "You stay put, Dani," Liz said. "Keep the ice pack on your head." She put a hand on Dani's chest, pushing her back onto the settee.

  "Looks like our stuff's been plundered," Rick said, his voice coming from the aft stateroom a couple of minutes later. "But I don't think they took anything. My laptop's out on the bed, though."

  "The handheld VHF and GPS are missing," Liz said. "I left them out on the chart table. There's no sign that they even went up forward."

  "That's it?" Dani asked.

  "Seems to be," Liz said. "It's odd that they left the laptop, though. That's the kind of thing I'd expect somebody to take."

  "I can't log in," Shellie said, tapping on the computer. She'd brought it out into the main cabin.

  "What?" Rick said. "Let me see … hmm. It's not accepting my password. The keyboard's not responding."

  "Try a hard reset," Dani said. "Reboot it from scratch. Hold the power button down until everything goes dark and then start over."

  "Okay," Rick said. "I wonder if they were messing with it for some reason?"

  "Why would anybody do that?" Shellie asked. "I'd think they'd just grab it and run. How long were they aboard?"

  "We don't know," Liz said. "Dani came back and found the doors unlocked and a light on in your cabin. She called out and didn't get an answer, so she stuck her head below and somebody grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her below. I guess they hit her with the big flashlight we keep by the ladder."

  "So that would have been right after we left," Rick said.

  "Right," Dani said.

  "Computer's up and running," Shellie said. "I just logged on — no problem. Everything looks normal on the desktop."

  "That's a relief," Rick said. "Should we call the police, or something?"

  "It won't do any good," Dani said. "I didn't get a look at whoever it was, and they're long gone by now. It is odd that they left your laptop, though."

  "What about the GPS and … what else was it?" Shellie asked.

  "A handheld VHF radio — no big deal," Liz said. "They're easily replaced. The marine supply store across the street will probably have them in stock, or we can cope without them, if need be. We have both, permanently installed. We mostly used the handhelds for the dinghy."

  "Does this kind of thing happen often?" Rick asked.

  Liz shrugged. "It's not remarkable. It's a little unusual to have it happen in a marina; the security guy at the gate keeps an eye on who comes and goes."

  "But kids swim out to boats, sometimes," Dani said. "It happens more often out in the anchorage outside the lagoon. I think somebody singled us out. Probably watched us leave and made their move."

  "Why, though," Liz asked.

  "You mean, 'Why us?'" Dani asked.

  "Yes."

  "Who knows? Maybe they were watching to see which boats were unattended and saw us leave. You sure you locked up?"

  "Yes," Liz said.

  "I watched her do it," Shellie said. "We were talking about the restaurant, and I stood there with you while you locked the doors, Liz."

  "Can I get up now, Mom?" Dani asked.

  "I guess," Liz said. "How's your head?"

  "Sore. But the dizziness is gone. I want to check the doors; see how much damage they did."

  "While you do that, I'll check the hose on the forward head," Liz said. "Excuse us for a minute."

  Liz went forward into the cabin she and Dani were sharing, and Dani picked up the flashlight and climbed the companionway ladder. In under two minutes, they rejoined their guests at the table in the main saloon.

  "You were right, Dani. It's the hose," Liz said. "We can pick up a couple of feet when we buy the new GPS and VHF in the morning. It'll only take five or ten minutes to replace it. What did you find with the lock?"

  "If you're sure you locked it, then whoever broke in was a pro," Dani said. "There's no damage. They picked the lock, I'd say. Unless they had some kind of master key, but I can't imagine that."

  "Is that hard to do?" Rick asked. "I know not all locks are created equal."

  "This is a good one," Dani said. "If somebody picked it, they had some skill. We've managed to lock ourselves out once and had to call a locksmith. He even had a hard time with it. It's one of those high security ones with the dimpled keys."

  "That's strange," Liz said. "Usually, when kids or druggies break into a boat, they just pry the doors open with a crow bar and leave the wood splintered."

  "Good thing for them they didn't do that," Dani said. "I'd have made them suffer before I killed them."

  "What?" Shellie asked.

  "Nobody hits me and gets away with it," Dani said. "Somebody's going to die. If they'd splintered the teak, I would make them suffer for it first, for sure."

  Shellie laughed. Liz saw the color rise in Dani's cheeks and put a hand on her arm, shaking her head.

  "She's angry," Liz said.

  "I don't blame you," Rick said.

  "Just be glad you're all right," Shellie said. "You could have been badly hurt."

  Liz squeezed Dani's arm and winked at her, shaking her head again.

  "Yes," Dani said, her teeth clenched. "You're right."

  "Well," Liz said, "how about if I put together a light supper, since we missed dinner?"

  "You sure?" Rick said. "After all this, we could just get a sandwich or something. The marina grill was still serving when we got back."

  "I'm sure," Liz said. "I'd much rather cook. It'll give us all a chance to settle down, and I'll enjoy it. I can whip up a nice seafood pasta and some salad in
no time. Dani, why don't you break out a bottle of whatever Rick and Shellie would like? A nice crisp white of some kind, I think. Tell them what we have on hand."

  8

  "How are you feeling this morning, Dani?" Shellie asked, taking a sip of coffee. Liz had just served breakfast at the table in the saloon.

  "Much better than last night, thanks. I have just a hint of a headache, and that knot on the back of my head is tender, but other than that, I'm well enough."

  "Don't you think you should go to the emergency room, just to be sure?" Rick asked. "Concussions can have some serious consequences."

  "It's not my first time; I know what a serious one feels like. I was knocked unconscious for several days once. Last night barely qualifies as more than a bump on my head."

  "She's got a thick skull," Liz said. "I mean that in the nicest way," she added, smirking.

  Dani grinned. The cliché was a running joke between Liz and her. "I'm okay. Besides, in all the excitement last night, we didn't get to talk about your files. I'm eager to get on with your quest, if you'll forgive me for pushing my way into it."

  Rick smiled. "You're welcome; the more the merrier. Liz did say you had some questions, but she wanted to wait until both of you could talk with us. I guess now's a good time."

  "Sure. Liz and I had a little time to talk about it while you were still on your island tour. My first thought is that Grenada's not the most likely place to start."

  "Oh?" Rick asked. "Why's that? Something you saw in the translation?"

  "No, it's more basic than that. It has to do with some fundamentals of sailing the North Atlantic — nothing peculiar to the Moors, or even Columbus. Just some natural phenomena."

  "Tell us, then," Shellie said.

  "If you leave from anywhere around the Straits of Gibraltar on a Soufrière vessel — that's just about any sailing vessel — you'll end up taking the same route to go west, almost no matter what you try to do. The prevailing winds and currents will take you down the coast to the tropics. Somewhere around the Canary Islands, you'll begin to make a little westing, but you'll really be fighting Mother Nature until you get to the Cape Verde Islands. Then everything changes. The currents begin to set you to the west, and you catch the trade winds."