"Hmm," Vinnie said.
"Hmm, what?"
"Thinkin', Don Petrillo. If your contact's bent, they mighta skipped checkin' in with him."
"Yeah, I had the same thought. He's bent, all right. I don't trust him; I imagine the Feds wouldn't, either. He did know about Strong makin' a movie there, though."
"You ask him, or he volunteer that?"
"I mentioned it. Why?"
"I just wondered."
"But you know what?"
"What, boss?"
"He brought up Danilov's name. It just hit me. He said Strong was workin' with a rich Russian named Danilov, and he was a major contributor to both political parties down there."
"You think he knows Danilov? I mean, personally?"
"Yeah. I know he does. Why?"
"He'd be able to leak the info to Danilov about Berger bein' a Fed. You think he'd keep your name out of it?"
"Yeah, for a fee. Damn, Vinnie, you do got some of the old man's genes, after all. If he hadn't been partial to screwin' retards, you mighta been a fuckin' genius, boy."
****
"I'm so glad that you decided to give this a try, Dani," Strong said. He and Dani sat side by side in a pair of comfortable, forward-facing seats near the bow of the big, inboard powered RIB. The two crewmen were behind them at the center console, tucked behind a windscreen. "You're going to be perfect for this; I can tell."
"I hope I don't disappoint you, Kev." Dani turned to her left to face him and smiled, feeling the wind whipping her short, curly hair. She brushed it back with her right hand. "I've never done any kind of acting; I don't know the first thing about it."
"I do," Strong said, returning her smile. "You're type-cast for the role."
She tipped her head forward and gave him another little smile, looking up at him, to make her eyes look bigger. "What's that mean, type-cast?"
"It means that the character could have been modeled on you. You won't have to act; all you'll need to do is be yourself."
"I don't feel like Cassie; she seems so ... I don't know. Sure of herself? That's not quite right, but ... "
"You have plenty of self-confidence, Dani. Trust me, you'll do fine."
"But I'm out of my depth, Kev. This is so unfamiliar to me. Yes, I'm pretty sure of myself when I'm in my element, but this just seems so overwhelming. It's easy for you; you're a big star with a track record. Me? I'm just a girl who's spent her life on boats."
"You'll get the hang of it. I'll be right there to whisper in your ear if you get lost, but I don't think you will."
"You said that Mr. Danilov and some of his key people wanted to meet me."
"That's right. They've planned cocktails and dinner starting at six to welcome you aboard. We'll get there around 4:30; that gives you time to get a little rest and freshen up before the gathering, okay?"
"I guess so. I could stand to take a quick nap and a shower before that. Is that all right with you? I know you want to get to work, but ... "
"Sure. That's fine. I know you need to be rested for an encounter like that; we'll get together afterward," Strong said, patting her hand.
"I'm a little nervous, to be honest," she said, moving her hand to run it through her hair. "Is this going to be, like, an interview? Do they have to approve of me before I get to be in the movie?"
Strong laughed. "Not at all. The casting decisions are all mine. They just pay the bills. They want to meet you because they're charmed by the magic of the silver screen. They're like groupies; they want to see you and touch you. To them, you're bigger than life, the next big star, and they'll be able to brag about meeting you and talking to you one-on-one."
"You're sure I won't embarrass you, Kev? I find people like them intimidating; Mr. Danilov's one of the richest men in the world, from what Blaine and Mindy said."
"Blaine and Mindy?" Strong raised his eyebrows, then said, "Oh, your charter guests, right?"
"Right," Dani smiled at him again, and quickly looked down at her hands, clasped in her lap again.
"Well, that's true. He's rich and powerful, but he finds people like us intimidating."
"Like us?"
"Artistic genius has a way of making those who don't have it feel less than adequate. They'll feel out of their depth with you and me, as you put it a moment ago."
"With you, maybe. I'm no artist; I'm just a simple girl who loves sailing."
"Ah, and that's your charm. You'll do fine. Don't worry about it. They're going to love you."
"Who'll be there besides Mr. Danilov?"
"A man named Greg Baklanov. He's Danilov's right-hand man. He's the one who makes things happen; Danilov refers to him as his 'fixer.'"
"His fixer, huh? Who else?"
"Most likely, he'll have Angelika Ivanova there. She's basically his Chief Financial Officer. She pays all the bills and keeps track of his money. I understand she gives him a daily report on his cash flow."
"Okay. Anybody else?"
"I don't know; those are the key players. I don't really expect anybody else to be there."
"How do you want me to act, Kev?"
"Just be yourself; you're perfect."
"No, I mean, are there any topics I should avoid, or anything I should say in particular?"
"Mm, not really. Although ... since you asked ... don't get into any discussions with any of them about your compensation."
"My compensation?"
"They want to meet you because you're playing a key role in the film. From their perspective, you have a lot to do with the success or failure of the movie, and you're going to be knocking down some big bucks, too. They're making a big investment in you, basically on my say so."
"How big an investment are they making in me? We haven't discussed that yet."
"That's right, we haven't. It's a little premature, don't you think?"
"I guess," she batted her eyes at him. "I'm assuming you'll take care of me."
"Of course I will. And I'm setting you up with a talent agent that I've used before. They'll handle negotiating your fees, and they get a percentage, so they have an incentive to make sure you get treated right."
"That sounds complicated; I'm glad I have you to look out for my interests."
"Why the frown?" Strong asked.
"Won't they be negotiating with you?"
"Well, that's true. Why?"
"It just seems like an extra step, that's all."
"It's important that you and I have a buffer for the business details. We're going to become very close over the course of the production. The agent will keep the business relationship separate from the personal one; that's important for appearance's sake, when it comes to the investors."
"I see ... I think," Dani said.
Strong grinned. "It'll be fine. If anybody brings up money, it'll probably be Angelika. Just tell her you don't really know much about that part of the business; that you're leaving that to me and the agent. Okay?"
"Okay. I can do that. Anything else?"
"No, I think that about covers it as far as meeting them goes."
"Are there other people aboard Platinum Odyssey?"
"There's the crew; I don't know much about them. There'll be stewardesses to do your bidding — show you to your cabin and get you settled. You probably know more about how a yacht like this is run than I do. I'm just a passenger, a guest, like you."
"Okay. Are there any other guests? People I'm likely to bump into?"
"I don't think so. I know he has a stable of ... uh ... hostesses, I guess you'd call them, but you probably won't run into them. They seem to stay in their cabins on the deck that adjoins the pool area, and they keep to themselves."
"I don't understand what you mean by hostesses. They're different from the stewardesses?"
"Um, yeah. They're aboard to entertain, uh, visiting dignitaries, I guess."
"Oh, I get it." Dani looked away, embarrassed. "Like, um ... never mind. I think I know. But they don't mingle?"
"No. You
might see them if you're out by the pool, but otherwise, they're pretty much invisible."
A few minutes passed in silence, and then Dani spotted Platinum Odyssey on the horizon.
"Wow!" Dani said. "That's maybe the biggest yacht I've ever seen. Is that — "
"That's Platinum Odyssey. We'll be there in a few minutes. Just relax. You're going to have a great time."
Chapter 24
"What do you think of her, Greg?" Danilov asked. The two of them had retired to his quarters after dinner.
"Stunning girl," Greg said. He laughed. "Did you see the way Angelika looked at her?"
Danilov smiled. "Can you imagine Angelika kicking her ass? That would be something to see, wouldn't it? If I didn't know better, I'd think Angelika had fallen for Strong, the way she glared at Berger."
"Are you sure she hasn't?"
"It's possible, I suppose," Danilov said. "He's a handsome man, and she does like the ones who are malleable. If she and Berger got into it, I'd put my money on Angelika. Age and experience would triumph over youth and agility."
"I'm not sure about that, Andrei. Remember, she and Strong wasted Chernov."
"I wasn't talking about letting them tag team Angelika, Greg."
"Are you serious, Andrei? You aren't going to let that happen, are you?"
"Well, probably not, but ... you never know. It's fun to imagine, don't you think? The two of them, stripped and oiled, in the ring? Who knows what could happen. I could read Angelika's thoughts when she saw him looking at the girl. Couldn't you?"
"Yeah, she's pretty transparent. I'm sure Berger probably got some vibes from her. She seemed to be steering clear of her."
"She did, but I didn't get the sense that she was afraid of Angelika, did you?"
"I thought she was a little hard to read. She didn't get too far from Strong, but she seems a little wary of him, too."
"Think he might have put the moves on her already? Scared her? You know he wants some of that; a blind man could see how he looks at her."
"I don't know. She didn't seem scared of him; it wasn't anything I could pin down. She seemed to be playing along with his moves, but keeping him at bay."
"Should we ask Angelika? She could share a woman's perspective on Berger's behavior."
Greg laughed. "You are ready to start a cat fight, aren't you? I think the only thing Angelika noticed was the way Strong was drooling over Berger. Not that I blame him, mind you. She is a tasty looking morsel. And wiry, too. Did you see the way her muscles rippled under that silk dress? I think she might be a match for good old Angelika, if it comes to that."
"Well, there's no reason it should. Berger seems well behaved. Aside from the reaction she provoked from Angelika, I think she's a charming young woman. My only real worry is why she's bothering with Strong. What the hell does she see in him?"
"He's going to make her a star." Greg said. "Think that's it?"
"It's possible, I guess, but she didn't strike me as that shallow, even though she was acting that way."
"You think she was putting on an act?" Greg asked. "Playing dumb for Strong?"
"Maybe. I'm not sure."
"Why would she do that, though, unless she wanted what he's offering?"
"Who knows why women do the things they do?" Danilov chuckled. "Except, of course, Angelika. With her, there's never any doubt."
"If I didn't know better, I'd wonder if Angelika's really a woman," Greg said. "She's definitely different."
****
"How did I do, Kev?" Dani asked, as Strong stood in the door of her stateroom. He had walked her back to her cabin after dinner, suggesting that he'd like a brief chat with her.
He raised his eyebrows and stepped toward her, raising his hands to her shoulders. "You were magnificent!" he stepped closer, and his hands slid around her shoulders.
She took another step back, putting both hands on his chest. She didn't exert any pressure, waiting to see if he reacted to her body language. "I don't think Angelika likes me," she said, hoping to distract him.
"You're a threat to her, Dani. You're beautiful, vivacious. You had the undivided attention of every man there." He pulled her closer and moved forward again, his hands slipping to the small of her back. "I love the feel of the silk, the way it slides over your body ... you're so firm, so — "
She increased the pressure of her hands on his chest, sending a clear message that she didn't want him any closer. "You wanted to talk," she said, continuing to apply firm pressure.
He nodded, a look of disappointment crossing his handsome features. "I'm sorry. I let myself get out of control; you're so beautiful, and you remind me so of Cassie."
"But I'm not Cassie; I know about method acting, and I understand that you're into your role. You see me as your lover; I get that. I'm not Cassie, Kev. I'll get there, but not yet. This is happening too fast for me. I'm still Dani right now."
He dropped his arms and took a half-step back. "You're right. I apologize. I got carried away." He smiled, a sad look in his eyes.
She smiled back, looking up into his eyes. "I know. I'm sorry; I'm just not ready for that yet, okay?"
"I understand," he said, a genuine smile on his face as he parsed her words. "There's no rush."
"Would you like to come in? Just to talk?"
"Is that all right with you?" he asked.
"I'd like that," she said, stepping aside and swinging the door back for him.
****
Strong checked his watch when he got back to his stateroom. Disappointed but not surprised by Dani's rejection, he decided it was still early enough for him to check in with Las Vegas. He touched the number on the screen of his phone and waited for the gruff, "Yeah?"
"Hello, Johnny?"
"Who's this?"
"Kev Strong."
"I thought you'd call earlier. What's up?"
"I was tied up, but I've got Dani Berger aboard the yacht."
"Good. You got the particulars on her yet?"
"I emailed them to you just a few minutes ago."
"Good. We'll get started on her paperwork first thing tomorrow. Did she read for the part yet?"
"Not yet. She's only been aboard a few hours, and we had dinner with the investors; they wanted to meet her, obviously."
"Yeah, sure. That go okay? They like her all right?"
"I think so, but they're still leaving it up to me. That's the deal."
"You still like her okay for the part? She gonna take direction?"
"I ... think so. Why do you ask that?"
"We just wondered if she might have her own ideas."
"Why would you think that?"
"She's an unknown — new to the game. My associates and I have seen this kind of thing before. We're worried that she might be gonna do her own thing."
Strong frowned. "Have you learned something about her that you haven't told me?"
"No, not that. We were worried that you were so dazzled by her that you might be missing something, some problem in her background, you know."
"No, I don't know what you mean. What are you talking about?"
"Just be sure she's on the same page the rest of us are, Kev. That's all."
"Yeah, okay." Strong shook his head.
"We'll send along her paperwork tomorrow, then. Talk to you later."
"Okay, tomorrow." Strong disconnected the call and turned off the light on his nightstand.
Chapter 25
Vinnie knocked on the door of the Don's office and waited a few seconds until he heard, "Yeah?"
He opened the door and said, "Sorry I'm late, but I finally heard from Strong just now."
"Yeah? What's new with him?"
"He's got the woman aboard Danilov's yacht. He was late calling because he was tied up with Danilov and his people; they wanted to meet Berger."
The Don laughed. "Yeah. I'll bet she wanted to meet them, too. Fuckin' Fed. You get any more sign of whether Strong knows what she's up to?"
"I don't think he
does. I couldn't come right out and ask him; they're probably listenin' to our calls, but I did push him a little on what he knew about her — you know, like would she follow direction, was there anything in her background he should worry about, shit like that."
"And?"
"He didn't seem rattled by any of the questions. I mean, you know, the answers weren't gonna tell me shit anyway, but I figured if he knew she was undercover, he'd get a little shook up when I started pushin' him about her."
The Don nodded. "And I guess he didn't?"
"No. I mean, like he was confused about why I was askin' shit like that, but you gotta expect that. I'd a been able to tell if he'd been scared I was on to somethin' you know?"
"He's a damn actor, don't forget, Vinnie. He might be able to cover up his reactions."
Vinnie grinned. "Maybe in the movies, Don Petrillo, but this here's real life."
"So?"
"In real life, he's so scared of us he just about shits every time I talk to him."
"Okay. It'd be good if he wasn't workin' for the Feds; I hope you're readin' him right. Otherwise, we might be screwed."
"You think any more about leakin' the story on her to Danilov?"
"Yeah. I'm likin' the idea of gettin' the Minister to tell Danilov. Even if that goes all screwy, I can't see any downside to us, can you?"
"No. Danilov's bound to waste Berger, but who cares?"
"Strong will care; he's got plans for her," the Don said. "In the movie, I mean." He grinned.
"Yeah, but he'll find another pretty girl. They ain't hard to come by, and besides, when it gets a little closer, I got an idea how to use this to keep his ass in line."
"How?" the Don asked.
"After the shit hits the fan with her, I'm gonna let him know we blew the whistle on her. That way, even if he is hooked in with the Feds, he ain't gonna play their game no more."
"Damn, Vinnie, I'm impressed. Now get outta here. I got stuff to do."
****
"Your guests," Marie said, "how long have you known them, now?"
"About a week," Liz said. "Why do you ask? Did you learn something from your inquiries?"
Bluewater Drone: The Eleventh Novel in the Caribbean Mystery and Adventure Series (Bluewater Thrillers Book 11) Page 18