"What happened to him?"
"He was found in his home office in the D.C. suburbs by his housekeeper."
"Suicide?" I asked.
"Unlikely. I don't see how it could be. Never heard of a zamochit suicide."
"Whoa. So much for my plans to visit him. Guess he pissed off his Russian overlord."
"Yeah. Look, I was about to leave you another message, but since you're on the line, I'll just tell you. We cracked the code for that list your lady stole."
"Great. What's it look like?"
"Well, we're working out what to do with it. It will take a while to sort through it all. But I need to talk with you about a related matter."
"What's that?"
"Your career plans. Looks like you've lost your cushy government job. What's next for you?"
"Yeah, I figure I'm out of work. I haven't thought much about it yet. Why did you want to talk?"
"You interested in an opportunity to make a difference? Improve things for the good ol' US of A?"
"Maybe. What happens if I say yes?"
"I need you to trust me enough to say yes. It's the right thing for you, and I'm already in. Okay?"
"Okay."
"That's a yes?"
"Yes."
"Good. I was counting on that. Your lady friend there?"
"Her name's Mary. Most of the time, anyway."
"Okay. Mary. Is she there?"
"Yes."
"Can you put her on with us?"
"You sure about that, Aaron?"
"Absolutely. I trust her, even though I've never met her. You'll know why in a few seconds."
"Okay, then. Mary, say hello to Aaron."
"Hello, Aaron."
"Hi. Pleased to meet you. I need for you both to hold on for a second while I add someone to our call."
"Go for it," I said.
A second later, there was a click, and a man's voice said, "Medusa? Phorcys here."
Mary and I traded stunned glances. She swallowed hard and cleared her throat.
"Phorcys, Medusa."
"Good. And is Abigail's father on the line?"
"I'm here," I said.
"Excellent," Phorcys said. "You don't know me, but I've followed your career since your early days."
"You have?" I asked, wondering who he could be.
"I have. The man who replaced me when I retired told me you and Aaron were the best junior officers who ever served under him. And he was outstanding himself. He was the youngest general officer on active duty when he assumed command of my old unit."
"That would have to be Bob Lawson," I said.
"Correct. He picked you and Aaron out to recruit before he even assumed command."
"And that would make you — "
"Yes, it would. You know who I am. Bob wanted to welcome you aboard himself, but he's busy elsewhere right now. We're both pleased to have you with us."
"Thank you, sir. It's an honor."
"Yes. I'm honored to be in such company myself. Hate to cut this short, but I'm running late, so here's your first assignment. Ready?"
"Yes, sir."
"You can drop the sir. We're all in this together. I want you and Medusa to go somewhere private and take it easy for a few days. While you're resting, share everything you know about us with each other. Medusa's got a lot of recent background, but she will be surprised by some of what you tell her, Finn. You still answer to Finn?"
"I do."
"Good. Everybody calls me Mike now. If you have questions that one or the other of you can't answer, talk to Aaron. Just like always, he knows everything about everything worth knowing. And Medusa?"
"Yes?"
"You know how to reach me. Nothing's changed about our relationship. It's just that now you have two more people you can trust with our business. Okay?"
"Yes. Thank you."
"You're welcome. And I'm still indebted to you. Good evening, y'all. Carry on."
And with that, he was gone.
"How long, Aaron?" I asked.
"How long have I been working with Phorcys?"
"Yes. That's my question."
"I've been trading information with them since I left Bob's command, but I didn't know they were Phorcys — just some of my regular contacts. They only brought me into the fold since the business with Nora blew up. Looking back on it, though, it was a gradual transition.
"I wasn't holding out on you earlier, Finn. My answers were honest at the time. This happened in the last few days, the big switch. Mostly, they didn't have to tell me much. Just confirmed what I already picked up along the way. It's probably going to be the same with you — both of you. Welcome to Phorcys."
"Thanks. I'm sure we'll have questions, once we compare notes."
"No doubt. I'll answer what I can, but I have to tell you up front that Phorcys is organized in cells. We three only know one another and Mike and Bob, for sure. They know a few others. But beyond that, there isn't much I can tell you. Most of us are retired military. But not all, unless I missed something about you, Mary."
"No. I was never in the military, but I have a question for you."
"Ask away," Aaron said.
"What about the files?" Mary asked. "What will happen with them? The people, I mean?"
"They're all politicians or career bureaucrats. We'll investigate and categorize them. That's started already. Some will be turned over to the authorities, assuming the authorities pass muster. Some will be outed in the press or social media and forced to withdraw from whatever they're screwing up. But the worst ones will be prioritized for elimination."
"That's where we come in, I guess," Mary said. "The vigilante squad."
"Yes, but only in the best sense of the word 'vigilante.' I know Finn's okay with that, and I'm guessing that if you weren't, you wouldn't already be called Medusa."
"I'm okay with it."
"If you have questions, call me. Meanwhile, fair winds, and enjoy your holiday. Keep checking that email drop. I expect things will break on the files in about a week."
With that, we disconnected the call.
"I guess I won't be talking with Henry Jacobs," I said, looking at Mary.
"No. I guess you won't."
"So, do I get to call you Medusa now?"
"Call me whatever you want. But I like it when you call me Mary."
"Then I'll call you Mary."
"Are we going to stand watches?" Mary asked.
"Sure. If you want to crash, go for it. I'm too wound up to sleep."
She smiled and shook her head. "Me, too. How about if I make us a pot of coffee? Sounds like we have a lot to talk about."
"Coffee would be great," I said.
41
A few minutes later, Mary was snuggled under my arm. We sipped our coffee while I steered into the sunset with my foot on the tiller.
"You must have a thousand questions for me, Finn."
"I don't know about a thousand. But I do have a few."
"Is it okay if I ask you one, first?"
"Yes. Go ahead."
"Who is he? The man I've been dealing with?"
"Lieutenant General Michael Killington. Retired from the Army right before I began reporting to Bob Lawson. He's a legend. He was nicknamed Killer Mike. There are a lot of stories about how he got the nickname, but not much doubt about whether he deserved it. He led covert missions in the field — I mean with a bloody knife in his hand — right up until he retired. He would have to be in his 70s now. But I wouldn't want to tangle with him."
"I knew Phorcys was the organization's name, not his. But that's all I ever called him. Mike, huh? I'll be awhile getting used to that."
"You and I both will," I said. "He said your relationship with him was unchanged by this. What is your relationship?"
"Well, it started out like I told you, but for about the last year, I've been an exclusive contractor to Phorcys. They've been paying me to pass up other jobs."
"I see. So you weren't part of Phorcys?"
"No.
I didn't know anything about them, except that I always dealt with the same person. I would get a message to call a certain number and ask for Phorcys. When I identified myself as Medusa, the man we're calling Mike would answer. Same deal if I needed anything from them — like when I asked for help with Abby. Why are you frowning, Finn?"
"Because it's strange that an organization made up of people like Mike Killington would hire an outsider, a contract killer."
"I think I know the answer to that. And I'm not sure I like it."
"Really?" I raised my eyebrows. "Let's hear it."
"First, you served under this Bob Lawson, right?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Would he be in his mid-fifties, now?"
"He could be. I don't know exactly how old he was back then, but he was young, like Mike said. The youngest general officer in the Army."
"And do you know his full name?"
"Robert James Lawson."
"It has to be him," Mary said. "I can't believe it, but there's no way it can't be him. No way it's a coincidence."
"Okay, come clean. Him who?"
"Finn, I'm… he's got to be my uncle. My mother's older brother. I told you she was a druggie, right?"
"Yes."
"She was far worse than just a casual user, but let's skip that. They were estranged, she and my uncle. But he tried to straighten her out every so often. Long sad story. When she finally overdosed, I was 12. I went into foster care. That's a whole horror story, but the short version is I ran away. I was on my own before I was 13."
"Bob didn't help you?"
"No. Not then. I didn't even know him. Just that my mother had a brother who tried to help her. And she didn't want his help. I only have a few vague memories of him coming around when I was little.
"He apparently had people, private detectives, looking for me, after she died. But they didn't find me until I was in college. And I was already hooked up with the broker by then."
"So what happened?"
"I was an angry young bitch, then. I was super pissed-off that he didn't help me before. He told me he was in the Middle East when my mother died and didn't find out until after I bailed out of the foster care system."
"What did you say to that?"
"I told him to go fuck himself. I didn't need his help, and I didn't want him in my life."
"You think he engineered this deal with Phorcys?" I asked.
"He must have."
"He was famous for never taking no for an answer," I said. "This is the sort of thing he would do."
"I'm at a loss, Finn."
"Why? Still angry after all this time?"
"No, I got over that, even regretted treating him that way, after I cooled off. But now I feel like I've been manipulated."
"Everybody gets manipulated, one way or another. Sounds like he was trying to take care of you."
"Yes. But it will take me some time to get my head around this. Do you know him well?"
"I did, but that was a long time ago. You would have been maybe three or four, then. He was my commanding officer for around 18 months. When I came back from the dead, he had moved on. I always suspected he had a hand in my getting moved to the group that Nora ended up running."
"He wasn't the one who recruited you to go there, then?"
"No. It was another man I served with. He was probably Mike's age; he was the unit's executive officer. Then he retired and moved to the DOD to start the group. I was one of his first recruits."
"I don't know what to think, Finn."
"I can understand that. But you're in a good place to take your time and figure things out. I'll give you all the space you need."
"You're so good to me. I don't need space. Not from you. I need you to help me figure this out. What do you think about it all?"
"Mike sent you to look after me. With what I know now, I think they were betting we'd team up. I don't think any of this is an accident."
"Don't you feel used, Finn? Manipulated?"
"Yes. But I'm accustomed to it. I've been used and manipulated for better than 20 years. But I'm okay with that; I consented to it. I let myself be used to do things that are important. Remember, some folks just need killin'. That's what we do, you and I."
"We do make a good team," she said.
"Yes. And I'm excited about the idea that we're working for the same people. I like it. You seemed to be comfortable with Phorcys."
"That's so. I was. I am."
"Well, it's like Mike said. That part hasn't changed for you. Not really. And we can work together without trying to hide stuff from one another. It's all good, the way I see it."
"You trust them?"
"Yes. I surely do."
She nodded. "How is this business with my uncle going to come out?"
"That's up to the two of you. How do you want it to come out?"
"I don't know. I want it to come out so you and I are together."
"We already are."
"I mean long-term," she said.
"I'd like that; that's what I want, too. We'll make it happen."
"Thanks, Finn. I think I can sleep, now," she said. "You okay for a while?"
"Yes. See you in a few hours."
She gave me a kiss and went below.
Epilogue
Mary and I spent four days at Isla de Aves. She got used to the idea that she didn't have to fight all her battles alone.
And we discovered that being alone together on a desert island wasn't quite paradise. We were running low on fresh water, starting to think about where to go from there. Then we got a message from Aaron. We had our first assignment.
We set off from Isla de Aves on a broad reach, and 30 hours later, we put Island Girl in a marina in Fajardo. Mary took a nonstop flight from San Juan to Miami the next morning.
I stayed behind to get the boat squared away. We expected to be in the States for several weeks. There was a lot of work to be done. Mary was taking care of the logistics and preliminary reconnaissance for our first official job together. After another day of working on Island Girl, I planned to fly to Miami to join her.
Mary was excited. Me, I was a happy man. A job is just a job, but the people you work with make all the difference. I was going to miss living on the boat for a while, but I would have a real island girl to keep me company.
The End
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A Note to the Reader
Thank you again for reading Vigilantes and Lovers, the third book in the new J.R. Finn Sailing Mystery Series. The next book in the series will be released later in 2019. Please sign up for my mailing list for more information on release dates.
Reviews are of great benefit to independent authors like me; they help me more than you can imagine. They are a primary means to help new readers find my work. A few words from you can help others find the pleasure that I hope you found in this book, as well as keeping my spirits up as I work on the next one.
The first two books in the Finn series — Assassins and Liars and Avengers and Rogues — are available in audiobook format, and Vigilantes and Lovers will be available in September 2019. Learn more about these audiobooks on my website.
I also write two other sailing-thriller series set in the Caribbean. If you enjoyed the adventures of Finn and Mary, you'll enjoy the Bluewater Thrillers and the Connie Barrera Thrillers.
The Bluewater Thrillers feature two young women, Dani Berger and Liz Chirac. Dani and Liz sail a luxury charter yacht named Vengeance. They often find trouble, but they can take care of themselves.
The Connie Barrera Thrillers are a spin-off from the Bluewater Thrillers. Before Connie went to sea, she
was a first-rate con artist. Dani and Liz met Connie in Bluewater Ice, and they taught her to sail. She liked it so much she bought a charter yacht of her own.
Dani and Liz also introduced her to Paul Russo, a retired Miami homicide detective. Paul signed on as her first mate and chef, but he ended up as her husband. Connie and Paul run a charter sailing yacht named Diamantista. Like Dani and Liz, they're often beset by problems unrelated to sailing.
The Bluewater Thrillers and the Connie Barrera Thrillers share many of the same characters. Phillip Davis and his wife Sandrine, Sharktooth, and Marie LaCroix often appear in both series, as do Connie, Paul, Dani, and Liz. Here’s a link to the web page that lists those novels in order of publication: http://www.clrdougherty.com/p/bluewater-thrillers-and-connie-barrera.html
In September of 2019, I published Villains and Vixens, the fifth book in the J.R. Finn series. A list of all my books is on the last page; just click on a title or go to my website for more information. If you’d like to know when my next book is released, visit my author’s page on Amazon at www.amazon.com/author/clrdougherty and click the "Follow" link or sign up for my mailing list at http://eepurl.com/bKujyv for information on sales and special promotions.
I welcome email correspondence about books, boats and sailing. My address is [email protected]. I enjoy hearing from people who read my books; I always answer email from readers. Thanks again for your support.
About the Author
Welcome Aboard!
Charles Dougherty is a lifelong sailor; he's lived what he writes. He and his wife have spent over 30 years sailing together.
For 15 years, they lived aboard their boat full-time, cruising the East Coast and the Caribbean islands. They spent most of that time exploring the Eastern Caribbean.
Dougherty is well acquainted with the islands and their people. The characters and locations in his novels reflect his experience.
A storyteller before all else, Dougherty lets his characters speak for themselves. Pick up one of his thrillers and listen to the sound of adventure as you smell the salt air. Enjoy the views of distant horizons and meet some people you won't forget.
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