Midnight Lady

by Jamie K. Schmidt

  Amos shook his head. “I have no record on my ship’s log that she left the ship.”

  The globe remained a solid yellow.

  “Then your log was tampered with or she ordered it not to be recorded.” Black Belle played a hologram of exactly what she described. But she froze the playback and zoomed in. “She threw something overboard.” She zoomed in again.

  It was fuzzy. Maggie squinted, but couldn’t make it out. “What is that?”

  “It’s a gold statue.”

  “If you think Nicholette would toss out a treasure, you’ve got the wrong woman.” Amos gave a relieved chuckle.

  “I think she dropped a cursed item on my home world so that it would destroy it the way Oracle-7 was destroyed.”

  “I think you both hate her so much that you’re willing to make up stories about her.”

  Maggie felt that familiar pang of betrayal again when the globe remained yellow. He honestly believed that. “She lied to you about where she was going tonight, correct?”

  “I’m sure she had her reasons.” Amos looked down at the table.

  “She renamed Jovan’s ship after my bar.”

  “You don’t have a trade mark on the name.”

  “She was calling herself Margaret Flannery. Ask any airman on The Midnight Lady.”

  Amos didn’t say anything.

  “Was I going to be the next victim of the curse?” Maggie said. “Was Quick?”

  “Let’s find out.” Black Belle clapped her hands together. “Boys, bring in the prisoner.”

  Amos tensed as Black Belle’s two goons dragged in a cursing and spitting Nicholette. She sagged when she saw Amos. “Thank the gods. Get me out of here.”

  “Release her,” Amos said.

  “If she tells the truth, I will release her. At the first lie, I’m going to cut off one of her fingers.” Black Belle stood up from her chair.

  Amos clattered to his feet, but Maggie pulled her pulse pistol on him.

  “We were told that pulse pistols were forbidden,” Amos said.

  Maggie shrugged. “Sleeping with the plantation owner has its privileges. I don’t really want to shoot you, but I won’t let it spoil my breakfast either.”

  “You always sided with your mother over me,” Amos said.

  “How does that feel?” Maggie asked. “Sucks, doesn’t it? I know because that’s how I felt when you sided with Nicholette over me. Now, sit down.”

  Amos did.

  “Ugh, there’s nothing worse than a grown woman with daddy issues,” Nicholette said.

  Black Belle snap kicked her in the stomach.

  A muscle twitched in Amos’ jaw.

  “Okay Nicholette, time to do your evil villain speech of how brilliant you were and it would have all worked if it wasn’t for those meddling kids.” Belle pointed in the direction of Quick and Maggie.

  “I’ve got nothing to say.”

  Black Belle backhanded her.

  Amos made as if he would get up.

  “Uh uh,” Maggie said, wiggling the pistol.

  “I saw what happened to Castle Crag,” Nicholette said, spitting blood.

  Quick frowned at the mark it made on the floor.

  “It seems your looting and plundering have finally caught up with you,” Nicholette said. “I didn’t take the treasures from the dive sight, you did.”

  Ephraim kicked her again and she flicked her eyes to the truth globe. It turned black. Nicholette had plundered the Cozumel ruins and lived to tell about it.

  “What dive sight?” Black Belle asked, innocently.

  “Why did you want the mini submarine?” Maggie asked, not taking her eyes off her father.

  “It has its uses.”

  “Why did you lie to Amos about where you were going?”

  “He wouldn’t have approved of it.”

  “Why did you use my name?”

  “Because I wanted you to be blamed for the theft.”

  Amos closed his eyes. “None of this is a hanging offense.”

  “What if I had gone to prison?” Maggie asked softly.

  “You wouldn’t have stayed there long,” he said. “We’ve all done time at some point in our lives.”

  Maggie’s finger tightened on the trigger. No, she was getting stun happy. No matter how satisfying it would be to shoot him, it wouldn’t solve anything.

  “What was the purpose of going to Castle Crag on July 5th”

  “I was never there.”

  “Lie,” Ephraim said, revealing a blackened truth globe that he had under the table.

  “That’s one. Hold her steady.”

  “Actually, she lied before when she said she didn’t take the treasure from the ruins,” Ephraim said.

  “Two fingers then.”

  “Not here,” Quick said. “Take her outside.”

  Black Belle nodded. “All right then. We’ll keep track and do it all at once. Next question, what did you do with the statue?”

  Nicholette set her jaw.

  “Did you drop it on Castle Crag hoping it would curse me?”

  Nicholette gritted her teeth. “Yes.”

  Black Belle put away her dagger. “You killed several hundred people and wounded even more. You destroyed a thousand-year-old ecosystem. For what? For a man you had already taken from me? Or was it for a daughter you could never have?”

  “I wanted you to suffer.”

  “Why?”

  “Because she was my wife first,” Amos said quietly.

  Black Belle whipped her head to Ephraim, the golden globe stayed true. If Nicholette had said it, Black Belle could have dismissed the truth globe not calling it a lie, because Nicholette had always believed she was the first wife.

  This was the first time Amos ever uttered those words. All those years, Maggie thought Nicholette was the homewrecker, but it was just the opposite.

  “No wonder you hated me,” Maggie said. “You could have forgotten a quick affair. But you had me as proof that your husband had left you for another woman.”

  “He came back, though. But you were still there,” Nicholette said. “I couldn’t kill you both, but an ancient curse would do the trick.”

  “Take her back to the ship,” Black Belle said. “You will be hanged at sunset.”

  “What? You said you would let me go if I told the truth.”

  “But you lied. Twice. I’ve decided not to cut your fingers off, though. But you will pay for the lives your actions took on Castle Crag.”

  “No! Amos, help me!” Nicholette cried out as the bully boys dragged her out of the mansion.

  “Will you hang with her Amos?” Black Belle asked in the same voice she would have used if she was offering him more coffee.

  He threw his napkin on the table and stormed out without a word.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Maggie sat back in her seat, her head whirling.

  “Now that unpleasantness is out of the way, I’m going to need that submarine.”

  “For what?” Maggie asked as Black Belle sat across from her. “You can’t possible want to loot the temple after everything that happened.”

  “I don’t. I want to put that statue back.”

  Quick shot straight up in his seat. “You have it with you?”

  Black Belle smirked. “It’s secure.

  “It won’t fit.”

  “What won’t fit?” Black Belle said.

  “The submarine. I know someone who went down there. She says there is a vortex, like the ones we take our airships through. Only this one will only fit a person at a time.”

  “And it spits people out that it doesn’t like,” Quick added.

  “No,” Black Belle said, tapping her fingers on the table. “That make sense actually. That’s how Jovan and Nicholette got in and out. They’ve been through a vortex before.”

  “I’m not sure I want to risk my life on that theory,” Maggie said.

  “You’re not,” Quick said. “This is between Black Belle and the temple.�
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  Before Maggie could tell him that he shouldn’t get used to speaking for her, his butler strode into the room.

  “Excuse me, Mr. Donner? I thought you should see this.” He handed Quick a phone.

  Quick thumbed through it. “Gods damn it.” He tossed it to Maggie.

  “It’s a warrant out for my arrest. They have me as stealing the submarine and there’s an impound order for The Midnight Lady.” This was typical of her luck. Just when she thought she had her life figured out, everything turned to shit. “I’ve got to call Donna. I’ll be right back.”

  She took Quick’s phone because hers couldn’t do anything fancy like call another country or even get cell service out here in the boondocks.

  Dialing Donna’s number, she looked over the plantation. She felt a lot more comfortable with Quick when he was just an airship Captain who skirted the line of piracy. The fact that he was rich bothered her. What was he doing slumming around with her?

  “What the heck happened last night after I left? You’re all over the news. I’ve had reporters bothering the shit out of my family,” Donna said. “The cruise companies are dialing my number because you’re not answering your phone. Where are you?”

  Maggie jumped in when Donna paused to catch her breath. “It’s all a misunderstanding. I’ll clear it up when I get back.”

  “Get back? Where are you?”

  “I can’t say on an unsecured line, but I wanted to let you know I’ve been set up. It’s going to take a lot to clear my name, but I’m going to do it.”

  “Did you really steal the mini sub?”

  “No, but I know who did.”

  “The Federales are super pissed. My sister-in-law’s cousin is dating one of them and he told her than they have soldiers trapped inside the temple.”

  “What? How?”

  “They took the mini-sub as far as they could go. Then they launched divers into the swirly thing. It chewed some of them up, but others got through fine. They didn’t come back. And then the sea creatures attacked. It’s not safe for divers there anymore. It’s like the sharks know that this is a prime feeding spot.”

  “When were the soldiers trapped there?”

  “Yesterday.”

  “They’re out of air.” Maggie felt a stab of fear and pity for them. “What a horrible way to go.”

  “They think there might be an airlock based on some of the treasures they’ve seen. People didn’t just grab and go. They had to search. And the treasures didn’t have salt water damage.”

  It made sense. “Why didn’t they just swim out when they’re done.”

  “The sharks, I guess. Maybe they need that sub to get their men out. They’re going to pull out all stops looking for you.”

  “Crap. All right. I’m going to need you to cover for me. Tell the cruise lines that I’m no longer involved in the business and you’re in charge. That will buy us some time while we figure this mess out.”

  “I want a raise.”

  “Congratulations, you’re part owner of the bar. I’ll split the profits with you fifty-fifty.” Maggie didn’t see any other way around it. Donna could take the lead while she worked on her reputation. She would not let Nicholette ruin her life again.

  “Deal,” Donna said. “You be careful. Can I call you on this number if I need you?”

  “Definitely.”

  “What do I tell Quick when he comes in?”

  “He won’t.”

  There was a long pause. “Oh, is that how it is?”

  “What about you and Sweet?”

  “Nah, he’s just a good time.”

  “That’s what I said about Quick.” She looked over her shoulder when she heard a noise.

  Her Mom and Quick were coming out to join her. “I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.

  Quick took Maggie in his arms and held her. “You can stay here as long as you like.”

  “Thanks.” She wiggled free. “But I’ve got a better plan. We take the sub to the ruins.”

  “We?” Quick said.

  “You, me, Belle and the pilot, Benicio, wherever he is.”

  “I have him,” Belle said.

  Of course, she did. “We can’t dive to the ruins anymore. There are too many sharks and predators waiting for whatever the vortex spits out. We go in. Belle drops off the statue. Meanwhile, we rescue the soldiers that swam in and couldn’t swim out.”

  “Why don’t they just swim out?” Quick asked.

  “I haven’t figured that part out yet. But it’s been done before, so there has to be a way.”

  “I get why Black Belle is going, but why are we going?”

  “Because after we rescue the soldiers, I’m going to return them, and the mini-sub, to the Federales. You’re coming along because I’m going to need you.” Maggie raised her chin. “Of course, you can always stay here.”

  “Don’t be an idiot. If you go, I go. But we need to figure out how to get out or we’re going to be trapped just like those soldiers.”

  “You’re not going to like this part,” Maggie said, turning to her mother. “But we’re going to have to ask someone who has been in the temple and came back out again.”

  “Nicholette,” Black Belle snarled. “I can’t be in that same room with that bitch. I’ll kill her with my bare hands. I won’t wait for sunset to hang her. Besides, she won’t tell me a damn thing.”

  “If Amos is there, he might convince her to tell me.”

  Belle thought about it. “It’s worth a shot. Don’t let her get in your head.

  THE BELLE NOCHE was a speed airship. It was meant for strike attacks like the one that dropped Black Belle’s boarding team on The Midnight Lady. But it still had a cell for prisoners. It was there that they found Amos sitting across from Nicholette holding her hands through the bars.

  “It’s not sunset yet,” he said, his voice trembling with emotion.

  Maggie wasn’t prepared for the feelings that the new awareness of their relationship gave her. He really loved Nicholette and she must love him if she took him back after he spent several years living a double life. Maggie wasn’t sure she could be that forgiving of a man who betrayed her like that. She gave Quick a glare out of the corner of her eye, but he propped himself up in the doorway.

  Black Belle was on The Midnight Lady with Benicio making sure the submarine was still seaworthy. She agreed to let her have a half hour with Nicholette. It Maggie couldn’t get the answers, Belle had some creative torturing in mind.

  “I’m not here for that. I’ve got some questions about the vortex at the dive site. How did you get in and out when so many others died?”

  “Why should I tell you?” Nicholette said, her eyes were red rimmed.

  “Because there are Federale soldiers trapped inside. They could get in, but they can’t get out. Belle thinks that anyone who’s familiar with the airship vortexes will be all right. But that doesn’t explain why they can’t get out.”

  “Maybe they’re dead.” Nicholette took her hands out of Amos’ and crossed her arms over her chest. “Give me one of those fancy cigars, Donner. Maybe it will jog my memory.”

  Quick took one out of his breast pocket and lit it. He handed it to Nicholette through the bars.

  She took it with a nod of thanks. “Why do you care about a bunch of Federales who would throw you in jail just as quick as look at you?”

  “I’m going to return the sub and if I can rescue them, or return their bodies to their families, I was hoping it might smooth the misunderstanding over.”

  Nicholette inhaled deeply, savoring the cigar. She looked at the tip. “That’s awfully naïve.”

  “I can’t let them die.”

  “They’d do the same for you.”

  “It doesn’t matter. What did you see when you went through?”

  “It’s a temple.”

  “Could you breathe?”

  Nicholette nodded. “The temple is not underwater.”

  “It’s in another dimension?�
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  She shrugged.

  “Did you go outside?”

  “I didn’t want to waste time exploring. I had limited time and limited carrying space.”

  “Why limited time?”

  “There are traps that trigger the longer you stay inside.”

  “What are they?”

  “I can’t remember the details off the top of my head. Poison clouds. Darts. Pit traps.”

  “Nicholette, what’s the secret to getting out?”

  “Why should I tell you? I can think of nothing I’d like better than to have you trapped in another dimension with no way to get back.”

  “That’s a shame,” Maggie said. She took out the truth globe that she borrowed from Ephraim, and let it float between them.

  Then she dangled the keys to the cell next to it.

  Amos moved to take them, but Quick was there with his pistol.

  “I’ll stun you both and put you in the cage while Black Belle gets answers from Nicholette her way. It’s up to you,” Quick said.

  Amos sank back in his chair. “I should have blown your ship to toothpicks.”

  “If I tell you all I know, will you’ll let me free?”

  “Yes,” Maggie said. They all watched the globe stay yellow.

  “What does Black Belle think about letting me go?”

  “She doesn’t know.”

  Still yellow.

  Nicholette dipped her head back and laughed.

  “Thank you,” Amos said. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me. Your wife murdered hundreds of people. She deserves to hang. I’d put the noose around her neck myself. But I don’t want any more innocent people dying because of her jealousy. Nicholette, you are a dead woman. All I’m doing is extending your life. Days. Hours. Who knows? You’ll have a head start. Black Belle will come after you and she will kill you.”

  “She’s welcome to try.” Nicholette chuckled. “I never thought you’d be able to top screwing her over on the wedding, but this might get her to disown you for good.” Nicholette stood up and dusted off her hands. “All right, I’ll tell you the secrets of the ruins. Jovan left a journal. It details where all the traps are and how to get around them. The journal is on The Nicholette. You won’t be able to get to it without rousing Black Belle’s suspicions. But I’ll tell you what I remember about it. He did more than one trip. He didn’t take anything out until the last time. He wasn’t expecting the curse that killed him.”