by Jake Bible
“Nicky, Nicky, Nicky,” Lane sighed. “What the bloody hell have you gotten us all mixed up in?”
“I just want to say for the record,” Carlos announced, his voice raised and eyes looking about the room. “To anyone listening right now, that I was only here to play a friendly game of cards and get some free drinks and food. If this yacht is stolen, I had no prior knowledge and would never consider buying anything in an illegal manner.”
“Pussy,” Jessica said, spinning on her barstool to face Manny. “Who are you with, Wyatt Earp?”
“Wyatt Earp?” Manny asked. “Funny. I’m not a US Marshall, I can say that for sure.”
“We’re in international waters,” Lane said. “He’s either INTERPOL or secret intelligence. That it? You NSA, CIA, MI6 or something else?”
“He’s INTERPOL,” Ben said. “They’re after Giraldi, not you guys.”
“Jesus, Benny,” Nick said. “You really weren’t supposed to announce that.”
“Time to put all of our cards on the table,” Ben said. “Manny’s cover is blown.”
“Because you told them,” Manny said.
“Pretty sure you putting a bullet in that guy’s head was the give away,” Ben said. “But that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that Giraldi has zero intention of letting any of us live through tonight. I could see it in his eyes after that last hand. He had the look of a man that can’t lose. Same look some guys get when they are planning on jacking the winnings anyway, no matter how the game turns out. You learn the look on the circuit and you leave the game as early as possible.”
“That what happened in Omaha?” Lane asked. “You didn’t leave the game early enough?”
“We can’t really leave this game,” Jessica said, nodding at Manny. “Not with secret agent man there keeping us covered.”
Ben held up his hands and faced Manny.
“I know you have a job to do and most of these people aren’t exactly the type you fight to protect,” Ben said.
“Oy!” Lane snapped.
“Hey!” Carlos said.
Jessica shrugged. Maggie burped.
“But this has all gone sideways,” Ben continued. “You have to admit that. What you need to do now is get in contact with Ashley and find out what’s going on outside this room. Then you need to tell her to have your guy get my daughter and her girlfriend out of that party and somewhere safe so the Guillotine doesn’t hurt her.”
“Guillotine?” Nick asked. “Party? What’s that about? Why is the Guillotine after Tanni?”
“Because INTERPOL had you invite Giraldi onto this boat,” Ben said and held up his hand. “Yacht. He sent the killer to watch my daughter in case things went bad and he needed a bargaining chip. I’d like to remove that chip from the table right now.”
“Yeah, and I’d like my cell phone back, mate,” Lane said. “I need to check in with my people and make sure Giraldi hasn’t made any moves against them.”
“Going to have to agree with Lane there,” Jessica said.
“Back away from the body!” Manny shouted as he brought his pistol to bear on Carlos.
But it was too late. Carlos already had the dead man’s gun and was aiming it at Manny.
“Shit,” Nick said. “I was supposed to get that, wasn’t I?”
“Hold on!” Ben yelled. “How about we just set the guns down? Giraldi is the problem, not the people in this room.”
“I have an INTERPOL agent aiming his pistol at me,” Carlos said. “That makes him a problem in this room.”
“I am not setting my weapon down for any reason,” Manny said. “But he will be setting his down or I will fire.”
“No!” Ben shouted. “No firing! We can figure this all out! No firing!”
“Set the gun down!” Manny yelled at Carlos.
“Not happening!” Carlos yelled back.
“Everyone is so loud!” Maggie cried. “Shhhhh!”
The tension in the room was about to break. Ben could feel it building to a crescendo. As soon as that happened then there would be bullets flying and he’d be lucky not to catch one. So he did the dumbest thing he could think of.
“Knock it off,” he snarled as he stepped directly between the two men’s lines of fire.
“Benny Boy, that is not a good move,” Nick hissed.
“Cram it,” Ben responded. “You no longer get a say in any of this.”
“Mr. Clow, please get out of the way,” Manny ordered.
“Yeah, Clow, you best move,” Carlos said. “You are in way over your head right now.”
“No, I’m not,” Ben said. “Just listen. Manny, there are armed men on this ship that will kill you when they find out you are INTERPOL. I don’t know how many agents you have on board, but my guess is that’s it’s just you and Ashley. You need these people to help if we are going to live through this.” He looked at Carlos. “You. Where are you going to go after you kill an INTERPOL agent? You’ll still be on this ship. That helicopter that brought you here? Gone. Not like you can call a water taxi and slip away. You need INTERPOL’s help to get off this ship alive.”
Neither of the men lowered their weapons even a hair.
“What if Manny swears you won’t be prosecuted for anything that happens tonight as long as you promise to help against Giraldi?” Ben asked Carlos.
“I can’t make that deal,” Manny said.
“Dude,” Ben sighed. “Work with me here.”
“I can make a request, but it’s not up to me,” Manny insisted. “But he lowers that gun before I even think of making that call.”
“Carlos? Please?” Ben asked. “I really have to make sure my daughter is safe.”
“Guns down at the same time,” Carlos said. “Only way this will work.”
“Manny? You’re the good guy here,” Ben said. “Guns down at the same time. I’ll stay right where I’m at in case one of you tries to make a move. You’ll risk hitting me.”
“Benny, that’s not a risk you want to wager on,” Nick said.
“I’m not,” Ben said. “The odds are we all die if we don’t band together. Everyone do a quick calculation in their head and you’ll see I’m right. The only way we live is if you two set your guns down and we come to an understanding.”
Neither man lowered their weapon.
“Son of a bitch,” Ben muttered.
25.
“Just ease it along side, Captain,” Tony said as he stood on the bridge, a very large revolver pressed to the back of Captain Staggs head. “Get us as close as possible and my guys will do the rest.”
“That ship has no running lights,” Captain Staggs responded. “It’s going to be hard to maneuver close to it. I can barely see the hull with the way it’s painted.”
“Yeah, ain’t that paint something?” Tony chuckled. “I’m going to have my guys look at it closely. Supposed to help keep the ship off radar. Imagine that. A paint that blocks radar.”
“I’ve come across it before,” Captain Staggs said.
“Have you? First I’ve heard of it,” Tony said. “But you can see the ship now. It’s right there. Just ease up alongside it and then cut the engine.”
“These waters are too choppy to tie up to that ship,” Captain Staggs said. “It would make more sense to settle away from it and take one of the speedboats over there.”
“But I don’t want to take a speedboat over there, Captain,” Tony said. “What I want to do is get right up next to it so my men can hop aboard and make sure what I’m looking for is actually on the ship.”
“Mr. Giraldi, sir, you have to understand that I know more about piloting a ship than you do,” Captain Staggs said. “No disrespect meant, but you should really listen to me.”
“Should I? Is that what I should do?” Tony asked. He raised the gun to smack the captain on the back of the head then stopped. “Okay. Okay, I’ll listen. So you want to settle how far away?”
“At least a hundred meters,” Captain Staggs said. “That way if a
wave hits the other ship and brings the bow around, I’ll have time to move us out of the way.”
“And this thing has a speedboat? Where? I didn’t see one on the back when we flew over in the chopper,” Tony said. “You got it up your ass, is that it? Hiding a speedboat in your butt, Captain?”
“It’s below,” Captain Staggs said. “In the lower deck hold. Two speedboats and two speed rafts.”
“Speed raft? What’s that?” Tony asked. “Like those Zodiac things you see in the movies?”
“Exactly like that,” Captain Staggs replied. “Let me get this ship set and I’ll have one of the crew show you down.”
“Right,” Tony laughed. “So you can make a distress call and ruin everything? I don’t think so. Which panel is communications?”
“I’m sorry, what?” Captain Staggs asked.
“All these lights and dials,” Tony said. “Which panel controls the radio and intercom and all of that?”
“That one there,” Captain Staggs said as he pointed at a console a couple feet away. “But I don’t see why—”
He cried out as Tony pointed his pistol at the console and pulled the trigger three times, leaving the panel a smoking, sparking mess.
“You’re still coming with me,” Tony said. “I just want to make sure none of your crew can call out while we’re down below. Once my men are safely off in one of them speedboats then we’ll walk ourselves back up here and relax until they confirm what I need confirmed.”
“Yes, sir,” Captain Staggs said.
“I like your manners, Captain,” Tony said. “You know how to speak to your betters. Shows respect. That gets points with me.”
“I am glad to hear that, sir,” Captain Staggs said. “I try to treat everyone equally when I interact. It makes things more pleasant and keeps a calm atmosphere. Tension and high emotion are never a good thing on a ship at sea.”
“Now you’re ruining it,” Tony said. “No need to pile it on.”
Captain Staggs went quiet until they got closer to the other ship. He frowned and glanced back at Tony.
“No running lights and I don’t see any lights on the bridge, either,” Captain Staggs said. “Will you hand me those binoculars there, please?”
Tony pressed the muzzle of the gun up against Captain Staggs’s head as he reached for and retrieved the binoculars. He handed them to the captain and waited.
“What do you see?” Tony asked.
“Nothing,” Captain Staggs said. “Is the ship supposed to be deserted?”
“Not entirely,” Tony said. “But it shouldn’t exactly be bustling with crew members. Don’t worry about lights.”
“Well, the problem is that the ship obviously still has power,” Captain Staggs said. “The engines are running and it is moving at a nice clip. It makes more sense for us to pace it than to settle in place. By the time your speedboats get over there, it will be quite a ways away, leaving them with a large part of open ocean to travel when they come back.”
“What you’re saying is that you need to be up on this bridge the whole time, is that it?” Tony asked. “I need someone else to show me the speedboats?”
“Yes,” Captain Staggs said. “I’m not trying to play you, sir, I promise. You do not strike me as a man that likes to be played.”
“You got that right,” Tony said. “Fine. Get on the intercom and call your boss up here. He can show me where the speedboats are.”
“You shot the intercom system, sir,” Captain Staggs responded.
“No problem,” Tony said and pulled a radio from his belt. “Lou? Get your butt down to the game room and tell Frank to send Sheeran up here. I want that man in front of me in five minutes tops or I get upset.”
“Yes, Mr. Giraldi,” a man replied.
“Sheeran knows how to handle the speedboats, right?” Tony asked.
“Yes, he does,” Captain Staggs said. “He is surprisingly good with boats.”
“Well, everyone has to be good at one thing,” Tony said. “You probably don’t want to know what I’m good at.”
“Only if you feel compelled to tell me, sir,” Captain Staggs replied.
“I’m never compelled to do anything,” Tony said. “So count yourself lucky.”
26.
“Frank? Come in,” a voice called out from the radio clipped to the dead man’s belt. “Frank? You copy? Come on, man, don’t make me come down there. The boss needs that Sheeran guy up on the bridge in five. He was very clear about the five part.”
Everyone looked at Nick. He shrugged.
“He should go up there,” Ben said. “He can tell them Frank is having radio trouble. If he shows up then no one will suspect Frank is having living trouble.”
“Gee, thanks, buddy old pal,” Nick said. “Boot me from the frying pan and right into the fire.”
“Why wouldn’t Frank go with him?” Lane asked. “Sending Sheeran up there alone is just as suspicious.” He looked over at Carlos and gave the man a nod. “Lower the pistol, mate. Blogger Boy is right. We need to work together to get off this boat.”
Nick started to open his mouth in response, but just shook his head instead.
“INTERPOL lowers his gun first,” Carlos said.
“Jesus,” Ben sighed. He looked at Manny. “Other than pointing a weapon at an INTERPOL agent, has Carlos done anything for you to arrest him?”
“He has no current indictments or warrants,” Manny said.
“Does anyone else in this room?” Ben asked.
Jessica raised her hand.
“I’m wanted in Greece for wire fraud,” Jessica said.
“You are?” Ben asked.
“She is,” Manny said.
“Wire fraud, not terrorism or murder or anything violent,” Ben said, still focusing on Manny. “We need them.”
“I need to go up to the bridge,” Nick said.
“That would be stupid,” Manny said. He glared at Carlos. “I lower this and you lower yours. Then all of you help me and Agent Mulgrew get off this boat with Giraldi in hand. The helicopter can be here in two hours once I call them. That means we have two hours to secure this boat and catch Giraldi alive.”
“Does it have to be alive?” Lane asked. “I mean, it would be a lot easier if we just put two taps behind his left ear and called it good, mate.”
“I’d feel better knowing he’s dead,” Carlos said. “If he knows we helped, then even in custody he’s going to be trouble. He’ll still be making the calls from a cell.”
“He won’t have access to any communications where he’s going,” Manny said.
Lane looked at Carlos. Carlos looked at Jessica. Jessica looked at Lane. They all started laughing hysterically.
“Oh, mate, that is rich,” Lane exclaimed.
“Which facility will he be taken to?” Carlos asked, tears streaming down his cheeks.
“Brussels? Paris? Berlin?” Jessica asked.
“I can’t disclose the location of the facility,” Manny said.
“If it’s Brussels then he’ll have access to a cell phone within two hours of walking in the door,” Lane said. “Paris and Berlin only means he has to wait an hour longer.”
“It’s true,” Nick confirmed. “Brussels is a joke.”
“How would you know that?” Ben asked.
Nick shrugged.
“The only way we make this work is if Giraldi dies,” Carlos said. “Otherwise we have no incentive to do anything since we’ll all be dead in a couple weeks anyway.”
Manny thought it over, his internal debate plain on his face.
“I’m going to try to take him alive,” Manny said. “If he’s shot by one of you accidentally then that’s how I’ll report it.”
“That’s fair,” Ben said, looking around at everyone in the room. “Right? That sounds fair.” He frowned and looked at the closed doors. “Why isn’t Niya back yet? She’s been gone a long time.”
27.
The guard at the end of the passageway looked at
Niya and cocked his head. His resemblance to a confused golden retriever was a little too on the nose and Niya laughed as she put a little more sway into her hips, keeping her hands, and the pistol, behind her back.
“I think I got lost,” she said, her voice nothing but coquettish innocence. “Is the ladies’ room this way?”
“There is one down by the game room,” the guard said, turning his body so he was blocking the end of the passageway. “You should go back and use that one.”
Niya did the universal squirm that said she really, really had to pee.
“Is there one closer? I’m about to embarrass myself,” Niya replied.
“Why are you dressed like that?” the guard asked, finally noticing that Niya wasn’t wearing her dress or heels any longer.
“I like to be comfortable when I play cards,” Niya said. “You try wearing a skin tight dress meant for a woman with two less ribs. Does not make for an evening of fun.”
“Ma’am, you need to turn around and return to the lower deck,” the guard said.
“No,” Niya responded, her hands no longer behind her back.
The .45 barked and the guard was down and dead before his hand even twitched on his gun. Niya was at his side in two steps. She knelt and patted him down, finding another .45 and two more magazines. She tucked those into her waistband, but kept the second .45 out, giving both hands something to do.
She stood and looked back the way she came, listened, waited, then hurried forward, her destination only one deck up.
28.
“Lou? You want to tell me why Frank doesn’t have Sheeran’s ass up on the bridge?” Tony growled into the radio. “When I say five, I mean five.”
“Not sure, boss,” Lou replied. “I’ll go do it myself.”
“Yes, you will,” Tony said. “And have everyone check in. Open channel. I want to hear every single voice respond. If one of you found that pretty hostess and has her in a linen closet right now, there will be hell to pay.” Tony winked at Captain Staggs. “Especially since I always get first shot at a fine piece of ass like that.”