Bluewater Target: The 15th Novel in the Caribbean Mystery and Adventure Series (Bluewater Thrillers)

by Charles Dougherty

  "What's he going to find when he checks his account balance? A fat deposit?"

  "That was my first thought. Then I realized we could have Jeffrey Crosley clean it out. Leave him a thousand dollars or something. Or even wipe out all evidence of the account. That would shake him up."

  Liz laughed. "It sure would. Even Montalba probably never did that to him. If we cleaned him out, what would we say when he called back?"

  "I would bet he'll have his money people chasing that down; we probably won't get a callback for a while, maybe 24 hours. But when we do, we laugh at him again. Then ask him how much he needs to meet his expenses for the next two weeks."

  "Then what?"

  "Then we wire it to him, but with a hold on it until he comes to a face-to-face meeting to work out the details of his new partnership with us."

  "I like it, Dani. With that kind of leverage, we could probably dictate the terms of the meeting, within reason."

  "That's what I thought. I think this one might work. You want to kick it around with Marie when she comes up to relieve you?"

  "Sure. I'll do that. That gives her the rest of her watch to mull it over until you come up again. Then you can see what she thinks."

  "Okay. I feel a good sleep coming on, now that I'm not worrying about that any more. Thanks for listening. And for the tea."

  "You're welcome. Rest well."

  13

  "Good morning, Dani. Did you get some sleep?" Marie asked, as Dani brought her coffee up into the cockpit.

  "I did, thanks. Would you like tea? Or coffee? There's hot water on the stove, still."

  "No, thanks. I must sleep. This four a.m. to eight a.m. watch is hard for me."

  "Oh. It's always my favorite; I love sunrises at sea."

  "There is that. But for me, it seems longer than the others." Marie moved out from behind the helm as Dani took her place.

  "Did Liz tell you about our idea on how to approach Delaney?"

  "She did. I think it is a good one. He may still resist a face-to-face meeting, though."

  "But we will have taken away his money, at that point," Dani said. "It'll be hard for him to say no."

  "Yes. I agree. I think this will work. I will have to think of how to carry out the mission. The location must be secure for us, and it must seem safe to him, yes?"

  "Yes, I can see that. Finding a spot like that will be a challenge on the Chesapeake. But there's a lot of shoreline, and a lot of open water at the southern end. If you get out in the middle you're out of sight of land down there. Away from the ship channels and the areas where the fishermen work, there are areas we could use."

  "There may be a risk of damage to Vengeance, Dani. Have you considered this?"

  "Yes. It's a worry, all right. Ideally, we won't involve Vengeance. There are plenty of places we can leave her at anchor and use a speedboat to get to the ambush sight."

  "You know where we can get a speedboat?" Marie asked.

  "Small boats are easy to find on the Bay."

  "You are thinking to steal one, maybe? I do not like this; it may leave a trail to us, somehow."

  "No. I'm thinking a cash transaction with no paperwork. We could destroy the boat when we're done, either at the site or later, offshore."

  "I see. These are good ideas. I will keep thinking on them and we will see."

  "I have a question, Marie."

  "What is it?"

  "What about weapons?"

  "Weapons will not be a problem. I have a source."

  "I'm not talking about handguns or assault rifles, Marie. Delaney fields private armies, doesn't he? I'm picturing him showing up in a chopper with a gunship escorting him."

  "You are getting ahead of things, Dani. Do not make problems we may not have. And do not worry. I have access to any weapons we may need, just as I would in the islands, yes?"

  "That's what I wanted to hear."

  "Good. And keep thinking about how to approach Delaney. Maybe when we are all together for lunch we make some more plans, yes?"

  "Yes. I'm sorry I've kept you; I know you want to get some rest. See you in a few hours."

  What started as a smile changed to a yawn as Marie went down the companionway ladder. "Yes. See you later," she said.

  Dani switched on the autopilot and stood up, doing a 360-degree scan of the horizon. Satisfied that there was no threat from shipping traffic in the next few minutes, she took her coffee below to the chart table and plotted their position. They were about 270 miles from Cape Hatteras. They should round it about sunrise tomorrow, leaving them about 150 miles from Cape Henry and the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay.

  They would lose the push from the Gulf Stream after they rounded Hatteras. Still, they should enter the Chesapeake in about 48 hours. From there, it was roughly 160 miles to Washington, if Marie chose to go up the Potomac River, or about 120 miles to Annapolis, which would be Dani's recommendation.

  Dani didn't like the idea of being confined on the Potomac. While the Potomac was navigable, they would be restricted to its narrow channel for almost 100 miles from Washington, D. C. to its mouth.

  Vengeance would be easy to locate if somebody came after them.

  Staying in National Harbor Marina would leave Marie with an hour's drive to Delaney's place. The marina's proximity to D.C.'s tourist sights attracted Liz, as well.

  Still, staying in Annapolis appealed to Dani. It was less than an hour from Washington by car, so Marie would still have an easy trip to Delaney's place. To Dani, the big advantage was that they could be out of the harbor and on open water of the Chesapeake in minutes instead of 12 hours, giving them more flexibility in terms of movement.

  Besides, Annapolis was a quintessential sailor's town. They would be at home there, and Vengeance would be much less noticeable than she would be on the upper reaches of the Potomac. If they were going to lead Delaney into a trap, they would want to be on the less crowded waters of the southern Bay, closer to Norfolk. She would insist on Annapolis as their base of operations.

  Dani glanced at the clock on the bulkhead. She'd been below for less than five minutes. She refilled her coffee mug, ready to go back on deck. She hesitated, wondering if Liz had checked their email last night.

  Putting her coffee down on the chart table, she mounted the companionway ladder and poked her head up, making another quick sweep of the horizon. There was still no sign of shipping traffic.

  Dropping back below deck, she powered up their satellite internet access system and took their laptop from its drawer. Dani opened the lid, waking it from its sleep state, and connected to their on-board WiFi network. Watching as the email client checked their accounts, she was not surprised to see a message from Connie and Paul. When the emails were finished downloading, she powered off the satellite system and opened the email.

  "More about Walter Lucas from Leon," Dani read. "Guests leaving by lunchtime. We'll call you around noon. Further thoughts on the scam you mentioned, too. Fair winds, C & P." Closing its lid, she put the laptop back in its drawer and picked up her coffee.

  Back in the cockpit, Dani took another look for traffic. Finding none, she settled in behind the helm and switched off the autopilot, hooking one spoke of the helm between her right big toe and the one next to it. She leaned back and took a sip of coffee, relishing the feel of Vengeance surging along at 10 knots through the water on a broad reach.

  Dani glanced at the instruments. They were tearing along at a little over 14 knots with the lift from the Gulf Stream.

  Normally, Dani didn't like the way the boat felt with a following current, but their speed through the water was enough to mask the sloppy feel that came from being pushed by the current.

  Dani grinned at the slight changes in pressure from the helm as Vengeance reacted to minute changes in wind speed and direction in the long-period swell. She was one with her yacht; Vengeance was like a living thing, another being, enjoying Dani's company in the solitude of the open sea.

  Dani felt herself
slipping into a trance, but a snort and a splash startled her. She turned her head toward the noise in time to spot a silver, torpedo-like shape streaking along just below the surface.

  Smiling, Dani set her coffee down and watched the long, undulating shape keeping pace with Vengeance. She reached over and rapped on the side of the hull with her knuckles. In a few seconds the dolphin acknowledged Dani's signal, leaping from the water a meter off Vengeance's starboard quarter. Dani whistled and applauded, and her visitor treated her to several more leaps and pirouettes before disappearing into the translucent indigo water.

  Before the interruption, Dani had been planning to spend her watch refining her plan to lure Delaney into Marie's trap.

  Now, between the hypnotic effect of Vengeance's helm pushing against her foot and the uplifting encounter with the dolphin, she was no longer in a mood to think about such a depressing subject.

  Taking a sip of her coffee, she resolved to let herself relax and enjoy the morning's sail.

  Delaney was sipping coffee at his desk when his phone rang. Putting aside the notepad he'd been scribbling on, he looked at the caller ID before he answered.

  "Good morning, Bill. What do you have for me?" Delaney had left Bill Legrand, his chief financial officer, a message asking for an update on their cash position.

  "We're good for the next three weeks, Clayton."

  "Even with the hit from payroll coming up at the end of the month?"

  "Yeah. I was surprised; we got two wire transfers in yesterday from those companies that your friend controlled."

  "My friend?"

  "The guy you said had died. I wasn't expecting to see more money from any of his contracts."

  "Neither was I. That's a pleasant surprise. I wonder how that happened."

  "He probably had standing orders to the banks to make those transfers. They're all for an agreed amount, always the same — not like paying an invoice," Legrand said.

  "That's a relief," Delaney said.

  "Yeah. What's the deal on those contracts? Will we continue to deliver services against them?"

  Delaney hesitated before he replied. He'd kept Legrand in the dark on the details of the 'contracts' with Montalba's shell companies. He wanted to preserve Legrand's innocence, just in case. Besides, Legrand hadn't been around long enough for Delaney to trust him with that sort of information.

  "Sorry, Clayton. I didn't mean to — "

  "No, that's okay, Bill. I was just trying to figure out where we stood with those deals. You're wanting to know if there's more money to come? Is that it?"

  "Yeah, exactly. Just trying to pull together a new quarterly forecast. I'm still making some discreet overtures to selected banks."

  "I don't really know the answer. I'm trying to find out myself. I don't want to pull the plug if they're going to keep paying the bills, you know?"

  "Yeah. I absolutely agree. Those deals are super high-margin. We need all that we can get. It makes up for the fixed-fee markup on the U.S. government jobs."

  "Maybe I was overreacting to his death," Delaney said. "If there are standing orders with the banks, will they keep paying us… as long as we provide the service, I mean?"

  "That depends on the bank account and who's got the authority to authorize the transfers. If your friend's the one who authorized it, the authorization would normally die with him. But that's a guess on my part. Those banks are in some pretty off-the-wall countries. It's hard to know what regulations they're operating under, or what sort of deal he had with them. They may not even know he's dead. Want me to try to find out?"

  "I don't know, Bill. Is there a risk in rocking the boat?"

  "Maybe. You're thinking the questions might alert them that something's changed?"

  "Yeah."

  "That's always a possibility, especially if they're small banks."

  "I thought it might be. It's probably better to wait and see what I find out on the contracting side."

  "Yeah, probably so," Legrand said. "Meanwhile, we're still afloat. You need anything else?"

  "Not right now, but let me know if you get any more transfers on those deals. I'll keep you up to date from my end."

  "Okay, Clayton. No problem."

  Delaney set the phone in its cradle and picked up his coffee cup. He took a sip and counted his blessings. A three-week reprieve felt like a lifetime. A lot could happen in three weeks.

  Delaney didn't think there'd be more transfers. With Montalba gone, there wouldn't be anybody tracking payments, either outgoing or incoming.

  That meant SpecCorp could stop making payments against the loans. If anybody noticed, Delaney would take the position that he was holding the money to be sure it got to the right place, given Montalba's demise.

  He picked up the phone and called Legrand back.

  "Yeah, Clayton?"

  "You got me to thinking, Bill. Until we find out what's happening with my friend's business, I want you to hold the payments on the working capital loans. I wouldn't want them ending up in limbo somewhere."

  "Good thinking. I'll stop them; none were scheduled to go out until tomorrow, but they were hefty. That will change that three-week forecast we talked about."

  "Yeah," Delaney said. "I thought it would. How much time does it buy us?"

  "That depends on how long we get to hold the payments, but given the amount, we could run for at least another three weeks on it if we didn't have to pay it at all. You follow me?"

  "Yeah. I follow, Bill. Gotta go." Delaney hung up the phone and heaved a sigh of relief.

  14

  "I've been thinking about where we should go first," Dani said.

  Marie was folding down the cockpit table while Liz prepared a light lunch for them to share.

  "Yes?" Marie asked. "Where?"

  "I think Annapolis is our best bet. There are plenty of big boats there, so we won't attract attention, plus it's right on the Bay, so we'll have more flexibility if we need to move fast."

  "What about access to Delaney's place?" Marie asked.

  "It's near Manassas, right?" Dani asked.

  "Manassas?" Liz asked, as she reached through the companionway to set a tray on the bridge deck. "I just read about a battlefield there — a National Park, I think. What about it?"

  "Delaney's estate is near there," Marie said. "Dani is suggesting we use Annapolis as our base," Marie said. "But I am asking how much farther it is from Delaney's estate than this National Harbor you mentioned."

  "Yes, that's a fair question," Dani said. "I checked. It should be no more than half an hour farther. Maybe not even that, depending on the time of day. Traffic is as big a factor as distance in that area."

  "Traffic. I was thinking about this. I will need a car, yes?"

  "Yes," Dani said. "Public transportation is available, but it's geared to rush hour commuters. You'll need a car once you get out of Manassas proper, anyway."

  "This is no problem, then," Marie said. "We go to Annapolis. Sorry, Liz. I know you wished to be close to Washington for the sights, but I think Dani is right. Flexibility is important. Perhaps we will go sightseeing after we finish. I would like this, too."

  "That's fine with me," Liz said. "From what I've been reading, there are plenty of interesting places in Annapolis. And there are high-speed commuter buses into D.C., but that might not be a good idea if we have to drop everything and move Vengeance in a hurry. Dani and I should stay close to the boat."

  "Good," Dani said. "We should book dock space in Annapolis, then. It's none too early; it's always busy there except in the dead of winter."

  "I'll take care of that after we eat," Liz said. "Any preferred places, Dani?"

  "Wherever you can find a spot. Spa Creek is right downtown; Back Creek's a few minutes' walk. There are marinas in both."

  "You have been to Annapolis, Dani?" Marie asked.

  "A few times by boat, but not recently. I used to like it as a getaway when I worked in New York. I'd go there every chance I got to restore my sani
ty, but I stayed in a bed-and-breakfast in the historic part of town. There are lots of them if that appeals to you."

  "Perhaps," Marie said. "I will think on this. I may disguise myself as a tourist and stay ashore. This will call less attention than if I am on the yacht, maybe."

  "That's a thought," Dani said. "But there are plenty of tourists on boats there. It might be worth separating yourself from Vengeance, though, at least for a while."

  "Why do you say this?"

  "Because SpecCorp people stole Vengeance and wired her for audio and video, remember? Back when Montalba thought we were part of Connie's drug cartel."

  "But that man did not survive," Marie said. "Sharktooth took care of him. I remember this, and Phillip mentioned it recently. The video of his interrogation was the one Phillip's friends used to upset Delaney."

  "That's right, except that man wasn't one of the people who stole her. He was just sent to pick up the recordings. The others had moved on to another assignment by then. We don't know who they were, or who else in SpecCorp might remember Vengeance."

  "I see," Marie said. "This may be important. Vengeance will not attract so much attention in Annapolis, you said?"

  "Annapolis is one of the world's major yachting centers," Dani said. "Even if somebody recognizes Vengeance, she wouldn't necessarily arouse suspicion. We could be there for a number of boat-related reasons, or even just because our charter guests wanted to visit."

  Marie frowned. "Boat-related reasons?"

  "We could be there to have work done, or to buy new equipment," Liz said. "Connie had a refit done there after she bought her first Diamantista."

  "She liked Annapolis a lot," Dani said. "She and Paul spent time there when they were thinking of running summer charters on the Bay, too."

  Liz nodded and said, "I've wanted to visit ever since she told me about it. So I'm happy enough that we're going to stay there for a while."

  The ringing of the satellite phone interrupted their conversation. Dani retrieved it and checked the caller ID as she answered. "You must be psychic, Connie," she said. "We were just talking about you. We're all here. What's new?"