The Arcturus Man

  It was half past five in the morning and everything was dark and silent. Even the lobstermen weren’t up and around yet. Nautical twilight was just beginning. Jenny saw that Jared was asleep, so she didn’t wake him to ask. It was still too dark. She turned on the running lights and a spot light so she could see where they were going. She lost all track of time. Jared woke from time to time to give her directions. Finally, he pointed to a bright spot on the horizon and told Jenny to go there.

  Jared was slumped over, but righted himself as they approached the Ovid Marina. He cut the engine and drifted the boat toward the center dock. It was a small marina. He saw someone in the security guard shack stirring, but whoever it was, sat back down out of sight after peeking through a small window. The smoke rising out of the stack meant that the guard had a small stove going. He wasn’t going to leave his warm fire. This was all good. He didn’t want to talk to anyone right now.

  Jared climbed on to the dock, tied off the boat, and helped Jenny climb out. His leg gave way and he almost fell. They didn’t speak but she tried to do everything for him as soon as she realized what he wanted. She jumped back into the boat and grabbed everything that they brought.

  “Is there anything else we need?” she asked.

  “No. Everything we need will be on the cruiser.”

  He led her across a maze of ramps.

  “Here. Throw the stuff on board while I get the lines.” He was limping badly. Jenny saw the security guard watching them from his window. She hoped that Jared’s infirmity wasn’t so obvious that the guard would decide to investigate. He didn’t

  Jenny glanced over to the stern. The name of the boat was StarWind.

  “What a beautiful name,” she thought. She didn’t know that stellar wind was the strongest as a star neared the end of its life. Jared knew.

  Chapter Twenty – StarWind Goes Home

  At Sea Late December 2013

  Jared managed to climb on board and pull in the gangway. He suppressed the pain, but it was obvious to Jenny that he was in trouble. She wanted to help but on reflection, decided not to. He would resent it. She understood that he had the sin of pride, but it was difficult to watch him work.

  He went up to the fly bridge. The engines started immediately. He paid the marina well to keep his boat clean, maintained and fueled. He revved the engines and slowly pulled out of the slip and into the channel. He reversed engines and slowly accelerating, entered the bay. He throttled to half power. He checked to see that all of his running lights were on. They were well into marine nautical twilight and it was easier to see.

  Jenny came up to the fly bridge with an armful of jackets and sweaters. She was wearing a heavy Navy pea coat and a watch cap. Everything was too big for her but she looked cute. Jared did a double take.

  “I found these in a closet in the large cabin,” she said.

  “Thanks.”

  Jared grabbed a heavy jacket and put it on. “It will take a little time for the cabins to warm up.”

  “They are frigid,” said Jenny. “I’m not that tired yet. I think I found my second wind. Go down and get some sleep. I think I can take it from here, but where are we going?” she asked.

  “I’ll do that,” said Jared. “Stay on this heading. The sea is pretty flat tonight. It is a one to two-foot sea. When you get into open water just steer south and hug the coastline. You sure you can handle this? Wake me in two hours.”

  “Get out of here. The Captain has spoken.”

  Jared wasn’t in the mood for the levity.

  He climbed down from the fly bridge and down again into the cabin level. He walked into the first cabin he came to and flopped on the bed. He went to sleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. He didn’t bother to pull back the cover.

  About an hour later, Jenny thought the boat was in clear open water and that it was safe to leave the bridge. She found Jared. The cabin was warm. She began to pull his clothes off. She winced when she saw the duct tape over his wounds. He never stirred as he was being undressed. She got all of his clothes off. She managed to pull the cover out from under him and with some clever rolling, got him under the sheet. She covered him with a blanket and pushed a pillow under his head. He was pale and looked terrible. She felt his forehead. He didn’t seem to have a fever. That was a relief. Still, Jenny was worried and thought about getting on the radio to call for help. Maybe she should call the Coast Guard. The gun shot wounds would be impossible to explain. Finally, she reconciled with her conscience and agreed to do as Jared wished. They would handle this on their own.

  The sun was coming up on the eastern horizon. The sky was clear. It was another cold day, but it was a rebirth nonetheless. No matter how many times she had seen the sun come up over the ocean, the beauty was always startling. It is something she could never tire of.

  She set the course and walked down to the galley. They were still relatively close to Portland. Perhaps the TV could pick up Channel 6. She turned it on. The picture was snowy but the sound was clear.

  “At least seven bodies have been found so far, killed by last night’s massive explosion on Eagle’s Head Island. The source of the explosion is still under investigation. The medical examiner’s office has not determined whether reclusive millionaire, Jared Siemels, is among the dead. The police said that more victims are likely to be found. Reportedly, it may be days before all of the bodies are identified. None of the victims had any form of identification on them. The Maine State Police confirmed that Siemels is a person of interest in the recent homicide of MIT professor Ivan Smolenskiy in his apartment in Boston. Dr. Smolenskiy was found….”

  She had enough and turned it off. They found bodies. What happened? If they think Jared is dead, maybe they won’t be searching for him. What’s this about Professor Smolenskiy? Could he really be dead? She had to ask Jared later. She needed to make notes. She had a lot of questions.

  “ Smolenskiy. Smolenskiy,” she repeated until she dropped down into the galley to find some paper and a pencil so she could write down the details. She pulled open a drawer near the sink. A gun! She saw a gun in the drawer. She wasn’t all that interested in guns but she often hunted with her father and brother and they liked guns. This was the famous James Bond gun. What was it? Yes, she remembered. It was a Walther PPK. It was a 9 millimeter. The bullets were copper-jacketed hollow points. Why was the gun there?

  People died on the island. A lot of people. Did Jared kill them? She didn’t’ know. He might have. He probably did. Why was the gun there? Her mind was spinning. Jared wasn’t like that. He wasn’t a killer. Well—that’s not right. He killed those men at Old Orchard Beach. He was a killer. And they ran then too. What was going on? Maybe she didn’t know Jared at all. Why did they keep running from the police? Did Jared also kill Professor Smolenskiy? She began writing her thoughts on the pad.

  She wasn’t sure about anything. He was moody and she suspected that he was suicidal. Was she alone at sea with a killer? No! No! She had to stop thinking these terrible thoughts. He had a way of sensing what she was thinking. She had to clear her mind of these ideas. Still, there were questions that had to be answered. Later!

  Jenny went down to the cabin to check on Jared. He was lost to the world. He was breathing regularly and some color was coming back into his face. She kept a vigil over him for hours. The sun was setting in the west before he woke.

  Jenny was beginning to feel the onset of a fatigue crash. when suddenly Jared called for her from the cabin. It startled her. She wanted to sleep She walked into the cabin and found him tending to his injuries. He had already showered, shaved and combed his hair. He looked like a new Jared. He was shirtless.

  “Jenny, I want you to go to bed, but there is one thing you can do for me before

  you do. I can’t do the exit wound.” He held up surgical threat and a needle. He had already sewn the entry wound in his shoulder and dug out the Claymore pellets from his leg before she came down.

  “I’ve never done th
is but I guess I know how to sew. Is there any kind of special stitch I should use?” she asked.

  “Take a look at the front and try to match it. It’s not that important so don’t worry about it. This is nonabsorbable thread.”

  Jenny looked on the bed and saw that Jared had a complete medical kit spread out. The guy was like a doctor. It looked like he had already given himself some kind of shot. He was amazing.

  “Do you have any anesthetic before I start?” she asked.

  “Wash the area with the Betadine solution. After that you would normally use Xylocaine as an anesthetic. I have it, but I really don’t need it. I’m not being Macho for you. Honest! The anesthetic would merely slow down the healing.”

  “OK! If that is how you want it. You ready?” She gritted her teeth. Sewing into human flesh was distasteful. She wasn’t going to be weak. She had to do this.

  “You really look tired. Let’s get this done and then you go to bed,” he said.

  Jenny started sewing the opening in his shoulder. She was careful and slow. Jared never flinched as she sewed. She was doing all of the wincing. After she finished, she grabbed a small mirror from the bed and held it up as he walked over to a small vanity.

  “That looks perfect.”

  She was proud of her handiwork. This was the first time she had ever done stitches and it really did look good. She was definitely an expert now on repairing bullet holes.

  “Wait until Krissy hears about this,” thought Jenny. “I did bullet holes.”

  She helped him clean the sewn area and apply a large bandage. Jared finished dressing as Jenny undressed.

  the remnants of the duct tape.

  He started to pack up the medical supplies and gather up He glanced up to watch a completely naked Jenny walk over to the small shower stall in the corner of the cabin. She stepped in and pulled the curtain closed. Jared pulled the curtain open.

  “We don’t carry that much water so if you want another shower later some time, I’d make it a quick shower.”

  Rubio was picked up by helicopter at Lyman Landing. As they flew over Eagle’s Head, he noticed that the boat house was in tact. Jared must have found the explosive charge. The island was swarming with police, as well as a number of local fishermen. They would be searching for Jared soon. They might have already started.

  The helicopter was kept at 2000 feet. It attracted little attention. It had been several hours so Rubio guessed how far Jared might have gotten if he took the cabin cruiser. They picked up some more altitude and flew to Stephen King Island, then to Pea Island, and then out into the Atlantic Ocean, going south. Rubio put on his infrared goggles and it wasn’t long before he began to see the flashes from the firefly he planted on the boat. This was going to be easy.

  Jared checked the GPS and determined that they had rounded Cape Cod and were heading for Nantucket. He changed course and headed toward Martha’s Vineyard. He cut across the sound and passed Nonamesett Island on his way to Newport. He needed to get fuel and to dock the boat for the night. It was late, but Buzzards Bay was still alive with boaters.

  He went into Narragansett Bay and decided to anchor for the night off of Fort Adams State Park. He would pull into Bannister’s Wharf Marina late in the morning after he and Jenny were fully rested. He started to plan the day for Jenny. What would she like? He decided he would take her to Christie’s for lunch. It was a great restaurant that had relocated in the late forties to Newport from the Manhattan theater district. One of their special appetizers was stuffed quahog. Of course, maybe Jenny was tired of clams. They have a marvelous seafood pie. She would love it. Maybe a little wine. Maybe a Clos du Bois Chardonnay? Jared was looking forward to it.

  He checked the chronometer. It was almost midnight. He dropped anchor and closed up the boat. He checked the generator and made sure that they had enough gas. He went down into the cabin. Jared opened the door slowly and peeked in. Jenny was sleeping. It was a deep restful sleep. A soft red glow came through the red curtains, illuminated by the deck lights.

  “Wonderful,” thought Jared. The cabin was too warm now. She was beautiful. She was nude. He was expecting that, but he surprised himself that he realized that he could never tire of it. He watched her for a while.

  “That was wonderful too.” Jared closed the door quietly and pulled off his clothes. It was only a double bed. He gentled nudged her over a bit. One side of the bed was jammed against the bulkhead. It wasn’t easy. She stirred and resettled, giving him a little more room. He untangled the sheet from her legs and, trying to not wake her, put it back over her. He crawled in being careful to put his weight on the mattress gradually. He kissed her lightly on back of her neck. She seemed to smile ever so slightly. He fell asleep as their bodies went into the spoons position. For the first time in a while, Jared felt at peace. The night wind sang to them as they slept. The rhythm of the waves lapping against the boat kept time with the wind.

  As soon as he fell asleep, Jared had a dream that he has had hundreds of times before.

  He is in a book antiquarian. He is browsing through old books. He comes across the same book he always finds in this dream. He glances at the title, already knowing what it would be. Floral Rocks. He asks himself the same questions he always asks. Is this a book about mineral crystals that look like flowers? Is it about cave formations and exotic stalagmites? Is it something else? What are floral rocks? It makes no sense. He can’t read the author’s name. It is covered in dust and has been partially rubbed away by age. He can never open the pages to learn what the book is about.

  Abruptly, he is distracted by the appearance of a beguiling young woman on the opposite side of the row of book cases. He looks through the shelf and can only see parts of her, one part at a time as he moves his head. She is stunningly beautiful. She is naked. He peaks though a lower shelf and sees a perfect bare breast. He straightens again and tries to see her face, but he can only see an enchanting smile, her dark radiant eyes, and her sensuous pouting lips. It is maddening. What does she look like? Why is she naked in a book store? They seem to be alone but there must be many people in the antiquarian. What is her name? Is this Jenny? The eyes are similar, but not quite the same. No, the skin tone is wrong. He doesn’t know.

  He rushes down the aisle and back to where the mysterious girl was standing. Someone opens the front door and a blast of wind blows dust in his eyes. She is gone. The wind begins to howl. He searches aisle after aisle but cannot find her.

  He woke in a sweat. He tried to remember if anything in the dream was new, if there was anything to discover. It was always the same. No, this time it was slightly different. But how? What was different? He went back to sleep, hoping he would dream again and more would be revealed. It wasn’t.

  The Next Day

  It was a cold, crisp morning in December. The sun was up and the sky was clear. The air was still as it usually is this early in the day. Jenny woke first and went into the galley to make coffee. The galley wasn’t quite as warm as the cabin. She went back in to get one of Jared’s shirts to keep off the chill.

  “Morning, Jenny. Coffee ready?” asked Jared.

  “Just take a few minutes.’ She turned to leave.

  “That shirt isn’t going to help that much. Why don’t you come back to bed to

  warm up?” He pulled back a part of the blanket and held it open.

  “That is not a sincere invitation. I think you have ulterior motives. I don’t want to

  take advantage of the weak and infirm,” she said.

  Throwing off the covers, Jared jumped out of bed.

  “So you think I’m an invalid, huh?”

  Jenny had to admit to herself that his recovery was more than amazing. His

  stitches were still red, and the wounds were large and raw, but he otherwise didn’t show

  any other physical signs of the severe injuries he sustained. The wounds didn’t look as

  serious as she knew they had been the day before. The Betadine antiseptic ma
de his skin

  look yellow and dead around the wound, but that would wear off soon enough. He said

  that he had incredible recuperative powers and he wasn’t kidding.

  “I have to admit that you look pretty chipper for someone who was recently shot.

  How do you feel?” she asked.

  “I feel fine. Why don’t you come back to bed?”

  “Right now I want coffee. And…let’s pretend we are cultured people. Put on

  some clothes. Little Jared looks cold.” She went to the galley.

  That really wasn’t a rejection, but Jared was reconciled that she wasn’t in an

  amorous mood this morning. She had been through a great deal and this was the first time

  she could unwind in a calm atmosphere. It would have been better if he hadn’t tired to be

  so playful so soon. He had already put last night out of his mind. It was evident that

  Jenny couldn’t do that as easily.

  He took a quick shower. When he stepped out he could already smell the coffee

  brewing. He toweled dry and opened a drawer to find some clean underwear and socks.

  He started to dress.

  Jenny yelled down the hatch. “Coffee?”

  “That would be great,” said Jared.

  “You take it with milk and sugar in the morning, right?”

  “Yes!”

  She fixed his coffee and handed it to him. After a few hot sips she put her cup

  down on the bureau. She took off her shirt and stepped into the head next to the small

  shower stall. She was just a little self-conscious about these shared private moments.

  She thought about pulling the folding door shut but the head was already very cramped

  and she didn’t want to make to seem like she was shutting him out. Yet, she just needed