Blood Cruise: A Deep Sea Thriller

by Jake Bible

  Tony set the radio down and sighed. He patted Captain Staggs on the shoulder with one hand while keeping his pistol trained on the man with the other.

  “How long you been doing this, Cap?” Tony asked. “You look like you know what you’re doing, but you don’t have the look of a salty dog.”

  “I’ve been captaining yachts for ten years,” Captain Staggs replied. “I worked as crew for ten years before that.”

  “Always yachts?” Tony asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Captain Staggs said.

  “You never worked on a fishing boat or charter?” Tony asked. “Never ended up stinking of halibut or cod for months?”

  “I may have done some of that type of work when I was young,” Captain Staggs said.

  “See there, Cap,” Tony said and grinned. “Never be ashamed of doing an honest day’s work. You’re so used to sucking up to rich assholes that were born sucking caviar out of their mommies’ tits that you’ve forgotten where you come from. Be proud of who you were.”

  “Yes, sir,” Captain Staggs said then whipped the wheel to the left. “The waters are getting worse. I need to put more space between us and that ship.” He started to say something then paused.

  “Out with it, Cap,” Tony ordered. “You got something to say then say it.”

  “It’s just that, I was wondering if what you are looking for on that ship will need to be brought over to this ship,” Captain Staggs inquired. “I just need to know if it’s flammable or explosive. If so then we have a secure locker it can be stored in down in the lower deck.”

  “Don’t worry about that, Cap,” Tony said. “Whatever it is, will be staying on that ship. I only need to confirm it’s there and my men will do the rest.”

  “You have someone that can pilot that ship?” Captain Staggs asked.

  “Why would I need that?” Tony responded. “When I have a perfectly good captain right here.”

  “Sir, no offense, but I have never captained a ship that size before,” Captain Staggs said. “Or that class. I’ve piloted yachts slightly larger than this, but never a military cruiser.”

  “Who said it was military? You see any insignias or flags on that thing?” Tony asked. “I don’t.”

  “I know a military cruiser when I see one, sir,” Captain Staggs said.

  “I don’t think you do,” Tony said. “Because I know for sure that ship isn’t military.”

  “Then what does a pig like you want with it?” Niya asked as she stepped onto the bridge with both hands up, her two .45s aimed at Tony. “If it’s not military then it must have something very valuable on it.”

  “Niya,” Tony said, chuckling as he slowly set his gun on the dash by Captain Staggs. He held up both hands and faced the woman as she squared off with him. “Nice look. Yoga assassin?”

  “I like to be comfortable when I work, Tony,” Niya said. “You know that.”

  “Oh, I do,” Tony chuckled some more. “I certainly do. You aren’t still sore about Morocco, are you?”

  “That and Croatia,” Niya said. “And Lisbon and Dublin and Hong Kong.”

  “Hong Kong wasn’t me,” Tony said. “That one was Cooper.”

  “The Canadian?” Niya asked. “Do not insult me, Tony. It was not him. I put a bullet in his belly three weeks before Hong Kong. He was still learning to crap in a bag back in Toronto when you hijacked my shipment.”

  “Nope, not me,” Tony said. “Dublin, Lisbon, and Croatia were me, but not Hong Kong. And if it wasn’t Cooper then I guess we’re both in the dark on that one. I’m gonna have to find some new sources if they are going to be wrong on important facts like that.”

  Niya glanced past Tony and frowned.

  “Is that the ship?” Niya asked. “It looks abandoned. You getting into the salvage business, Tony?”

  “A man should always diversify,” Tony said. “And ship salvage can be very lucrative.”

  “What’s on the ship, Tony?” Niya asked. She kicked backwards and shut the bridge door.

  “Why’d you ask me if it was the ship?” Tony asked. “You specifically said ‘the ship.’ Kind of like you knew there would be a ship here and I was looking for it.”

  “We all have our sources, Tony,” Niya said. “Some of mine work in circles well outside your reach. There is an advantage to being a beautiful woman in this business instead of an ugly thug like you. I look like I fit in at even the most grand of galas. You barely look like you fit in at a New York deli.”

  “I prefer Jersey delis,” Tony said. “When I’m in the States, at least. Not a fan of the city. Too noisy.”

  “Tell me about the ship,” Niya said.

  “Why should I do that?” Tony asked. “I tell you anything and you’ll put more than a few holes in my body. That don’t work for me, Niya.”

  “You can tell me or not,” Niya said. “But even with what happened in Morocco, I didn’t come here to kill you.”

  “I find that hard to believe,” Tony said.

  “If I kill you then Lombardo takes over your territories,” Niya said. “I hate Lombardo more than I hate you. With you, I know what I’m getting. Lombardo is a lazy psycho. He kills anything and everything he doesn’t like, doesn’t understand, or doesn’t get a cut from. He’s bad business and I’ll spend more time defending my operations from him than I ever did from you.”

  “I don’t exactly agree with you,” Tony said, “since I’ve known Luci most of my life. But, I do understand the need to keep the devil you know. That’s always a good philosophy.”

  Tony cocked his head in the direction of the bridge windows.

  “Tell you what,” he said. “You work with me and I’ll cut you in on a percentage when I make delivery to the client.”

  “A percentage?” Niya laughed. “Do these pistols look like they want a percentage?”

  “You can’t have it all,” Tony said.

  “You got all of Morocco, Lisbon, and Croatia,” Niya said. “I want all of this. Make that happen and you live.”

  “Dublin,” Tony said.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Dublin. You forgot I took Dublin too,” Tony said.

  “I didn’t forget,” Niya said. “I just didn’t say it because I’m saving that debt for another time.”

  “But if I give you this job you’ll forget about the others?” Tony asked. “We’ll be clean on those?”

  “We’ll be clean on those and the hit I put out on you last week will be lifted,” Niya said.

  “Hit? Damn, my sources really are not doing their jobs,” Tony said. He slowly lowered his right hand and held it out. “Throw in Dublin and we have a deal.”

  “I keep Dublin for later,” Niya said.

  “No, I can’t agree to that,” Tony said. “What’s on that ship is worth a clean slate. No debts, no grudges. We start clean and go back to being friends.”

  “We were never friends,” Niya said.

  “Then we go back to just fucking when we run into each other,” Tony said. “I miss that.” He moved his hand about to indicate Niya’s body. “I miss that a lot. Brains, beauty, and a bod that surpasses both. You got it all, Niya. We both know that finding someone to be within our line of work ain’t easy. I get the airhead bimbos that just want my money and you get the sycophants that only want to use you to get ahead in the game.”

  “That’s what vibrators are for, Tony,” Niya said. “They never stab me in the back.”

  “Come on, Niya,” Tony said. “It’ll be worth it, trust me. I give you this job and we’re even. But you have to let me handle the deal. They’ll never trust you.”

  “Because I’m a woman?” Niya asked.

  “Well, yeah,” Tony said and shrugged. “These guys are old school. They aren’t the kind that deal with Russians, let alone Russian women.”

  “Ukrainian,” Niya said and her grips on the pistols tightened.

  “Ukrainian,” Tony said. “My apologies.”

  “Sir? The weather is turning fast,” Capt
ain Staggs said. “I know you two are in the middle of delicate negotiations, but you are about to lose your window to board the other ship. You have maybe an hour before we need to head back to land.”

  “That so?” Tony said. “You aren’t exaggerating, are you?”

  “He’s not,” Niya said. “I checked before we left for this ship. Bad weather is coming this way. Mr. Sheeran’s proposed route put us outside of it, but looks like you changed the route.”

  “Sir, I must also say that there is no way I can pilot that other ship,” Captain Staggs said. “I am sorry, but in the time we have, I won’t be able to orient myself with the controls.”

  “Did you know ships aren’t ships aren’t ships?” Tony asked Niya. “I thought they were. Doesn’t matter. I was only testing you, Cap. Just in case things went weird. The gentlemen I’m making the deal with are coming to us. Bringing a helicopter right to the ship with their very own captain. All I need to do is make sure the cargo is on board and secure and give a call.”

  “A helicopter is going to have an even harder time in this weather, sir,” Captain Staggs said. “They had best already be on their way.”

  “Let me worry about that, Cap,” Tony said. “You just keep doing the fine job you are doing.” He raised his eyebrows and focused on Niya. “Do we have a deal or what? You heard the captain, time is ticking.”

  “We have a deal,” Niya said. “But I’m going over there to inspect the cargo.”

  “I assumed you would be,” Tony said. “You’ve always been so hands on.” He glanced at the radio. “Where the hell is Sheeran?”

  29.

  The tenuous alliance held for exactly ten minutes.

  Everyone left the game room as allies, but it only took a couple passageways for it to all go to shit.

  “That’s one of Giraldi’s men,” Nick said as they came across the corpses in the passageway. “They must have shot each other.”

  “He shot Ashley while he was face down?” Manny snapped. “Then his ghost shot her point blank?”

  “No?” Nick replied.

  “Niya,” Ben said. “She’s the variable.”

  “Why’d she shoot Ashley?” Nick asked. “Because she was INTERPOL? That’s a huge risk even with Niya’s reputation.”

  “I need to get Maggie to our cabin,” Ben said. “I’m doing that first so she is locked in and safe. You all head up to the bridge.”

  “I’m going with you,” Jessica said.

  “Why?” Ben asked.

  “Because you are out of your depth, Clow,” Jessica said. “You want Maggie safe?”

  “Yeah,” Ben replied.

  “Then one of us should be with her,” Jessica said. “And no offense to Lane and Carlos, but I wouldn’t trust them with my eighty-year-old grandma. And that woman doesn’t go anywhere without a Buck knife sharp enough to cut atoms.”

  “What the bloody hell, Jessie?” Lane exclaimed. “I’m not the rapey type.”

  “You are the hold someone hostage and use them as insurance type,” Jessica said. “Or do I have you pegged wrong?”

  “No, that’s me,” Lane said. “But you owe Carlos an apology. He’s shite at holding hostages.”

  “Am not,” Carlos said.

  “San Diego,” Lane smirked.

  “Oh, yes, well, that was unfortunate,” Carlos admitted.

  “I’ll take you to your cabin and then you can catch up with the others,” Jessica said. “Which way is the bridge?”

  “Up this passageway, two turns then the stairs all the way up,” Nick said. “No, wait. Three turns, two sets of stairs. Hold on, no. Two turns is right, but three sets of stairs because of the deck we are on.”

  “I’ll find it,” Jessica said.

  “I’m not splitting up until I know Manny has called in to his man to save my daughter,” Ben said.

  “I already did,” Manny said. “She’s being moved right now.”

  “Good,” Ben replied. “Thank you.”

  “Move ass,” Nick said to Ben. “I’m not thrilled being alone with these assholes. You I trust. Them not so much.”

  “Your words hurt, Nicky,” Lane said. “They hurt deep.”

  “Whatever,” Nick said, looking to Ben again. “Hurry.”

  “I will,” Ben replied. “See you on the bridge.”

  He held Maggie to his side and helped her walk around the dead bodies until they came to their turn in the passageway. Jessica walked close behind him, her hand on the small of Maggie’s back to help with support. Maggie showed no signs of noticing the corpses or Jessica’s hand as her head lulled against Ben’s shoulder.

  “How much did she drink tonight?” Ben asked.

  “Why are you asking me?” Jessica replied as they walked down the next passageway. “I was at the table with you.”

  “You two seemed to get along,” Ben said. “Thought maybe you were watching.”

  “She’s your girlfriend,” Jessica said. “Yeah, I think she’s a nice woman, but we’re not besties or anything. She’s your responsibility, Clow.”

  “It’s Ben,” Ben said.

  “I prefer Clow,” Jessica said. “Keeps things in perspective.”

  “In case you have to shoot me?” Ben asked.

  “I leave all options open,” Jessica said. She stopped at a door. “Hold on.”

  “For what?” Ben asked. “My cabin is after the next turn.”

  “This is mine,” Jessica said. “Just wait.”

  Ben started to argue, but there was no point as Jessica entered her code on the keypad outside her cabin and was inside and out of sight in seconds.

  Ben leaned Maggie against the wall and pushed her hair out of her face. The woman stirred some and her eyelids fluttered, but she made no show of actual consciousness. For a split second, Ben regretted inviting her along, but then he pushed that guilt away since it was Nick that held all the blame. Ben had thought it was going to be an easy weekend on a nice boat, not a set up to play poker with some serious players involved in international crime.

  “What are you doing down here?” a voice asked from the far end of the passageway. “You should be in the game room.”

  “Uh, yeah, taking a break,” Ben said, his voiced raised. “My girlfriend had a little too much to drink so I’m walking her back to our cabin.”

  “That so?” the man asked as he walked forward, his .45 up and aimed at Ben. “We’ve been trying to get a hold of Frank and he’s not answering.”

  “Don’t know a Frank,” Ben said. “I know Manny the bartender.”

  “Frank wouldn’t have let you out without instructions from Mr. Giraldi,” the man said. “How about we turn around and go see what’s really going on?”

  “Can we drop her off first?” Ben asked, nodding at Maggie. “She’s a puker and I’d rather she didn’t embarrass herself in front of the others.”

  “Do you really think I’m that stupid?” the man asked, moving closer.

  Three thwips and the man collapsed against the wall, blood trailing on the paneling as his body slid to the floor. Jessica stepped all the way out of her cabin and placed the suppressor against his temple and squeezed the trigger again, putting a fourth bullet in the man. She glanced over at Ben and smiled.

  “I don’t care what Nicky’s instructions were,” Jessica said, holding up the pistol with the long suppressor on the end. “I never go anywhere without Teddie.”

  “Teddie? You named your gun?” Ben asked.

  “Some have stuffed animals, I have a Sig Sauer Enhanced Elite,” Jessica said and grinned. “You like guns?”

  “Not really,” Ben said. “I know too much about them.”

  “I love guns,” Jessica said. “Probably how I ended up in this line of work. Smoked too much pot to go into law enforcement. And I hate rules.”

  “But you love your gun,” Ben said. “I guess Giraldi’s men didn’t search your bags well enough.”

  “No one finds Teddie unless I want them to find Teddie,” Jessica sai
d. “Not even the TSA. This baby has more frequent flyer miles than a mid-level corporate manager.”

  “That’s a good one,” Ben said.

  “Let’s get her to bed,” Jessica said, nodding at Maggie. “Come on. I’ll lead in case we meet more muscle.”

  They took the last few turns and then found Ben and Maggie’s cabin.

  Ben keyed in the code and the door clicked open. Ben and Jessica helped Maggie to the bed and she groaned.

  “Too many clothes,” she muttered and started to pull her dress over her head.

  “Hold on, hold on,” Ben said and helped her get undressed.

  She swatted at him and then tried to grab for his crotch, but he gently pushed her hand away. Maggie tucked her knees up under her, her face pushed into the bed and her underwear clad butt in the air.

  “Sorry,” Ben said to Jessica. “She, uh, can be a handful when she drinks.”

  “We’ve all been there,” Jessica said. She nodded at the cabin door. “You better get back to the others. I’ll keep her safe.”

  “Back to the others?” Ben asked. “Do I need to?”

  “It’ll make them feel more at ease,” Jessica said. “If you’re gone too long, they’ll think we’re colluding and then things could go bad for both of us.”

  “Jesus,” Ben said. “How do you live like this? Being a rounder was hard enough, but your life is beyond complicated.”

  “We all live the lives we’re given, Sheeran,” Jessica said. “Now go make sure Lane and Carlos don’t get any ideas.”

  Ben hurried from the cabin and Jessica shut the door behind him, her pistol at the ready in case any of the rest of Tony’s men came calling.

  30.

  Before Nick could step one foot through the door, he was grabbed and thrown halfway across the bridge, his head slamming into the very expensive brass railing bolted to the teak and mahogany wall.

  “What the hell?” he cried out as he rubbed at his head. “Your guys said you wanted to… Oh…”

  “Yes, Mr. Sheeran, oh,” Niya said, her .45s aimed at Nick. “Who’s outside the door?”

  “What? No one,” Nick said. “Just me. Giraldi’s guy’s radio was all weird so he sent me out to meet with some guy named Lou, I think and—”