“I have to go,” he said, kissing me again.
“Okay.”
Damian released me and left the cabin.
My stomach in knots, I quickly put on a pair of blue jeans and a white boat-neck top. I then checked my phone for a signal. There was a slight one, so I sent Ridley a text. He hadn’t said anything about texting and I couldn’t imagine that the kidnappers were sophisticated enough to read messages on my phone, if that was even possible.
Me: Are you awake?
After a minute, she sent me a text back.
Ridley: I am now. What’s up?
Me: Jake’s been kidnapped. Damian wants you and I off the ship because they’re letting the kidnappers aboard.
Ridley: What???
Me: Get dressed quickly. Grab what you can. Meet me out in the hallway in five minutes. Also, the yacht has been bugged. We can’t talk out loud about this.
Ridley: OMG. Okay.
I grabbed my carry-on and shoved my purse, along with a few other items inside, including the pepper spray that Michael had given me. I didn’t think I’d need it, especially if we were leaving.
But… one never knew.
I zipped the bag up and then headed out into the hallway. A few seconds later, Ridley stepped outside of her cabin.
“I can’t believe this,” she whispered, looking frightened.
I put my finger to my lips.
She cringed and nodded.
We hurried down to the garage and found Damian and Jeff preparing the speedboat. The captain had stopped the ship and it looked like water was being pumped in from the ocean to make the vessel float. It seemed very ‘James Bond-ish’. As impressed as I was, my excitement was overshadowed by the fact that Jake’s life was in serious danger. I still wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to leave or stay.
“Be careful,” I mouthed to Damian, as he helped me get into the boat. Nodding, he brushed his lips against mine and held me for a couple of seconds. I was suddenly struck with the horrific realization that it was possible that I’d never see him again.
“Maybe I should stay,” I whispered.
“Absolutely not,” he whispered back.
“But –”
“Don’t argue with me. Please. There’s no time.”
“Sorry.”
He nodded.
I sat down, my heart heavy for him and Jake. I said a silent prayer, hoping that if there was a god, he’d take care of them both for me.
Ridley got in next to me and sat down.
Jeff shook Damian’s hand and then jumped inside with us. He started the engine and then both men quickly untied the boat. Afterward, we watched as Damian opened up the garage door.
I waved goodbye and he gave me a reassuring smile. I could see the fear in his blue eyes, however, and wanted to jump out of the boat. He needed comfort but was a damn stubborn man. He definitely wouldn’t accept it right now, especially from me. I also knew that having three less people to worry about would be somewhat of a comfort by itself. He was risking quite a bit to make sure that we’d be safe.
Jeff maneuvered the boat out of the floating garage. I turned around and watched as the door closed behind us, a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach.
Please, keep him safe…
5
Damian
After closing the garage door, I pumped out the water and then called Charles, giving him the go-ahead. We began moving again and I made my way back to the bridge.
“Did you get something to eat?” asked Marshall, who I noticed was now wearing a brown leather bomber jacket.
I nodded. It was code for ‘Did the girls get off safely?’
“We’re going to be cutting it close, getting to the coordinates on time,” said Charles.
“Then kick it down,” I told him.
“Okay,” he replied, and then powered the engines to full throttle.
I looked at Marshall. “Everything good on your end?”
He nodded.
I’d asked him to wake the security guards we’d hired to let them know what was happening. Their orders were to give up their weapons unless we signaled them otherwise.
“Hey,” said Marshall.
I looked at him.
He nodded toward the exit and I followed him outside.
Marshall leaned toward me. “You carrying?”
Nodding, I pulled up my pant leg where my Glock was holstered to my ankle.
“Good. Me, too,” he said, opening his jacket. Marshall had always been a gun fanatic. He had an entire safe full of them and had gotten his Carry-and-Conceal license a few years back. I’d goaded him about it, but would never again. You just never knew what life would throw at you and this was definitely an eye-opener.
“What are you two doing up so early?” called a gravelly voice.
We both turned around and saw Ransom heading toward us. He was wearing sweats and a T-shirt promoting the Goo Goo Dolls.
I forced a smile to my face. “We can’t sleep. Too much nicotine, I’m thinking.”
“Yeah, I think that’s my problem, too,” said Ransom, stopping next to us. He yawned. “Those Cuban cigars are strong. Did you get a chance to have one of those bad boys, Marshall?”
“Uh, no. I’m just one of those people who never sleeps.”
“That’s too bad. I usually sleep like a log,” Ransom said as the wind whipped his hair around. He motioned toward the waves. “So, I noticed that we’re moving pretty quickly. Are we in a rush to get somewhere? I thought this was supposed to be a slow ride this weekend.”
Marshall and I looked at each other.
“I gotta tell him,” I said, feeling guilty.
My cousin frowned.
“Tell me what?” asked Ransom.
I quickly went over everything and after I was finished, his ears were steaming he was so pissed off.
“Those bastards! Do you have any idea of who they are?” he asked, after I showed him the picture of Jake they’d sent.
“No,” I replied and then an image of the YouTuber punk kid came to my mind. I brushed him aside, however. He had money and I really couldn’t see him as a kidnapper. Just another sociopath who thrived on attention and was getting paid well to be destructive.
“I think it’s someone who’s been planning this for a while,” said Marshall. “And they obviously knew about this weekend.”
“I didn’t tell anyone who was going to be on board. Except for you,” I said, looking at Marshall. “And obviously, I know you’re not behind this.”
“A crew member?” asked Ransom.
“That’s what we were thinking,” I replied.
“Or someone in your group,” said Marshall. “Not that I want to point fingers.”
“These guys are my friends, but that doesn’t mean that they kept their mouths shut about this weekend,” replied Ransom, frowning.
“I’m still thinking it’s a crew member,” I said. “Because the place is obviously bugged and someone would have needed to get on board before we set sail.”
“What about the two caterers? You don’t think they were involved at all, do you?” asked Ransom.
“No. They didn’t know anything,” I replied. “And I trust them.”
Ransom ran a hand over his face. “What’s the game plan? Are you just going to let them board?”
“I don’t know what else to do,” I replied, not sure of his reaction. “They have my son.”
“Soon they’ll have all of us,” he replied, staring out at the water. “And there’s no guarantee that Jake, or anyone of us, will get out of this mess alive.”
“Yes. I know,” I said grimly.
Ransom sighed.
I leaned over next to his ear. “If you want to bail, I understand. You and your friends can all get off of the ship. We have inflatable life-rafts. I’ll have the captain stop the ship.”
“And where will that leave you?” he asked dryly.
Thinking about it, I couldn’t imagine that letting Ran
som and his buddies go would change much. And, who was I to play around with their lives? I had to believe that they wouldn’t kill Jake if there was still a chance to get funds from me. And with a few hours and a couple of phone calls, I could get them enough to flee the country and live the rest of their lives very comfortably.
“We’ll be fine,” I said.
Marshall frowned. “Are you sure about this?”
“My son means the world to me,” I said. “But, who am I to gamble with the lives on board this ship? If anything happened to you, Ransom, I know it would kill Tiffany. I can’t do that to her. It wouldn’t be right. Every life matters on this ship.”
Ransom stared pensively toward the ocean again without saying anything.
“We need to wake the others.” I looked at my watch. “We’re running out of time. If we’re going to do this, it has to be now.”
“Okay. Get my friends off of the ship. I have to believe that none of them are in on this. I’ve known most of them for years,” he replied. “Some of them are assholes, but none of them would stoop this low.”
I nodded. “Sure. I’ll let the captain know.”
“I’m going to stay on board,” he added.
I stared at him in surprise. “Why?”
“Because if I leave, there’s a chance they’ll kill your boy. If that happens, I’ll never be able to live with myself,” he said.
“Are you sure?” I asked, feeling relieved and yet angry at myself for being selfish. His life was worth just as much as Jake’s. Especially to Tiffany.
“I know you’d do the same thing for me,” he said, putting his hand on my shoulder.
“I would,” I replied, meaning it.
“What about the person who’s helping the kidnappers?” asked Marshall, after Ransom left us to go wake the others. “What if Ransom’s wrong and it really is one of his buddies?”
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough,” I said.
My gut, however, was telling me that it was a crew member. Not only had they known who was boarding my yacht, but when we’d planned on setting sail.
***
In record time, Ransom woke his friends and brought them to the lower deck.
“Shouldn’t you be letting the cops handle this?” Reed asked me as we prepared the life rafts.
“Normally, I’d agree but they threatened my son,” I said. “I can’t take any chances.”
“Why in the hell are you staying on the ship?” Simon asked Ransom.
“Because the kidnappers are expecting me here,” he replied.
“So?” Simon said with an incredulous look. “You could die.”
“I realize that,” he replied coolly. “Thanks for reminding me.”
“Don’t be foolish. Get off with us,” said Simon. He nodded toward me. “This isn’t your battle. It’s his.”
“I told him the same thing,” I said. As much as I wanted to tell Simon where to go, he was completely right.
“I’m pretty sure these bastards knew that I’d be on board and that’s why they kidnapped Jake this weekend. As far as I’m concerned, this is my battle too. I’m not leaving Damian to deal with this on his own. We’ll get through this together,” he said, turning to me.
At that moment, I had more respect for Ransom that I’d had for my own grandfather. It wasn’t just that the man was trying to help me with my son, it was the fact that he would have done it for anyone.
Simon shook his head. “I think you’re making a terrible mistake. But, that’s just me.”
“I appreciate your concern,” said Ransom with a rueful smile. He patted Simon on the back. “Just get your ass on the life raft.”
“What about Tiffany?” he said. “How do you think she’s going to feel about this?”
“She knows me and will understand,” Ransom said, although the mention of her name brought a pained look to his face.
Simon shook his head in disgust. “Heroes don’t always win, you know. That only happens in the movies.”
“I’m not trying to be anyone’s hero,” replied Ransom. “Just a friend.”
The satellite phone began to ring. I answered it.
“If any of them leave the ship, your son dies,” said Jake’s captor.
My stomach dipped. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play stupid. I told you before, we have eyes and ears on the ship,” he replied.
“You don’t need them,” I argued.
“But you do. Listen to me. If any of Ransom’s friends leave, you know one of them will go to the police. That’s going to fuck everything up. They simply cannot leave.”
“They’ve given me their word that they’ll not call the authorities.”
The man snorted. “And you’re naïve enough to believe them?”
I looked at Ransom’s friends. “They understand the seriousness of this situation,” I replied, staring toward the group getting ready to leave.
“Just remember that your son’s life is in their hands. They leave and the police get involved, I’m going to give you your son back. Starting with his pinky.”
He hung up.
“He knows?” said Marshall.
I nodded. “He’s not happy about it, either.” I looked around at the others. “He’s threatened to give me back Jake, piece-by-piece, if the police find out about this.”
Ransom growled in the back of his throat.
“The Coast Guard is going to ask questions if they see these life rafts,” said Marshall, frowning.
“That’s it. I’m staying,” said Reed. “I’d rather take the chance of dealing with these assholes than fleeing like a coward and finding out that Jake paid for it later.”
“Me, too,” said Thane.
***
Fortunately, most of Ransom’s friends were willing to stay on the ship. The only one who argued about leaving was Simon. It didn’t exactly surprise me.
“You’re not seriously leaving, are you?” said another of Ransom’s bandmates, Mark. “You do realize that Damian’s son might die?”
Simon rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic. Anyway, they’re not going to kill his son if a couple of us leave. They’ve got too much invested in this, obviously. They’re just trying to scare everyone.”
“Then leave,” I said angrily. “Go ahead. Get on the life raft and save yourself.”
Simon frowned. “I can’t go by myself.”
“You’re going to have to,” said Ransom, also looking frustrated. “Because it’s pretty clear now that the rest of us are staying.” He turned to look at the others. “Unless I’m mistaken. If you want to leave, now’s the chance.”
Nobody said anything.
“See? You’re on your own,” said Ransom, turning back around.
“I can’t operate the life raft by myself,” Simon said, looking anxious. “To be honest… I have this phobia about the water and sharks. I won’t be able to leave on my own.”
“That’s your problem,” said Ransom. “Deal with it.”
“And quickly,” I added. “We don’t have all day.”
Simon clenched his jaw. “This is bullshit. I never signed up for this.”
“Nobody did,” Ransom replied, a look of disappointment on his face. “But a little boy’s life is on the line and there is no way in hell that I’m risking that. It amazes me that you are, though. I guess you’re not the man I thought you were.”
Simon let out exasperated sigh. “Fine. I’ll stay.”
Ransom patted him on the back roughly. “Good. There might just be hope for you yet.”
***
For everyone’s safety, we sent the guests back to their cabins and told them to stay put until we had more information. Most of them went back to Mark’s cabin to offer each other moral support. Meanwhile,
Thane and Reed volunteered their help in dealing with the kidnappers.
“I know a cop who might be able to trace the phone numbers that the calls were placed from,” said Reed, when we
were back outside on deck.
“I’m sure the calls were placed using disposable phones,” I said. “But, if you can find out anything, I’d appreciate it.”
“I’ll give him a call,” he replied. “I have a satellite phone in my suitcase. For emergencies. This would definitely constitute as one.”
I gave him the numbers I’d received the calls from.
“I’ll see what my friend can come up with,” he said.
“Look,” said Thane, as Reed went to call his contact. “I don’t have any CIA or FBI friends. I’m technically challenged… hell, I have never even used an iPad. But, I’m good with my fists and I know how to use a gun. If things get ugly and you need a fighter or sharp shooter, I’m your man.”
“I appreciate it,” I said. The guy was definitely in good shape, and from what I’d remembered, an ex MMA fighter.
“Ah, that’s why Sera calls you Sniper, now,” said Ransom.
He smiled. “We’ve been spending a lot of time at the shooting range lately. My aim isn’t too bad if I do say so myself.”
“That’s good. It might come in handy,” I said.
“Just let me know if things are going south and we need to take these guys out,” said Thane, lowering his voice. “I don’t want to have to kill anyone but I’m willing to do what it takes to keep us alive.”
“I appreciate it,” I replied, hoping it didn’t come to that.
“I just want to make it home to my wife,” he said, his smile fading.
“We all do,” said Ransom. “Hell, I want to make it home to make my girl my wife.”
I sighed. As much as they’d volunteered to stay, the guilt was still eating me up inside. “Do you want to call Tiffany before this shit goes down?”
“No. I thought about it, but she’d get upset and worry. It won’t do either of us any good.”
I nodded and looked at Thane. “What about you? You want to check in with your wife?”
“No. I feel the same way. If anything, talking to the girls might cloud our judgement and raise some alarms. Besides, even if I don’t tell Sera the truth, she’ll know something is up,” said Thane, yawning. “She sometimes has this way of knowing things that she shouldn’t.”
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