by T L Swan
We are so good together. We could have had something. Damn it.
Right now, though, I need to focus on my task. I continue to walk slowly through the deserted deck. The sun is just dipping below the water line and light is fading fast. I look up at the numbers on the top of the containers as I walk between them all. Where is it?
I keep walking and walking. I thought I saw it over here the other day. I stop on the spot and look back from where I came, and then forward. It’s like a puzzle memory game. Everything looks the same. I thought it was over here near this red one and I go back over toward that direction. There it is.
1140
My eyes glance around to see if anyone has spotted me, but I don’t think they have. I quickly dart across the alleyway in the shadows and pick up the padlock and inspect it. It’s just a normal key.
Right.
I narrow my eyes as I think. I need to get into the control center to find that key cupboard. But how will I do that?
Stace is in there now.
I can pretend to go visit him? Yes, why not?
Within five minutes I am at the bottom of the stairs of the control center and knocking on the door. No answer. I knock again as I look up at the windows above. Hmm, maybe he has gone for the night? I wait for a few more minutes. Bloody hell, this was the perfect opportunity to get in there while nobody else was around.
I knock one last time.
“What are you doing?” a stern voice from behind me commands my attention.
I jump in fright and turn to see Jack, Angela’s man, standing behind me.
“Oh, hi.” I smile. “I was looking for Mac. Do you know if he’s in here?”
He opens the door with his key. “Yeah, I think so. Come in.”
Great. “Okay, thank you.” I follow him up the stairs and we get to the top level to a large computer room with machines, computers, and workstations everywhere. My eyes find him across the room as he sits at his desk, and when he looks at me I feel myself melt a little. It’s been a long day without him.
Stop it.
Wearing a high visibility work shirt and navy blue cargo pants, his sandy blonde hair hangs over his forehead. Those chocolate eyes and square jaw melt me. How is any woman on Earth supposed to block this out? Even in work clothes and steel capped boots, he looks orgasmic.
Christ almighty. Focus.
“Hello.” I smile, secretly hoping he will rush to take me in his arms.
“Hi,” he murmurs before turning back to his computer. My heart drops and I stand nervously waiting for his instruction. God, this isn’t going to work at all.
“Mac, did you see that email?” Jack asks. “I came back to make sure you did.”
“Which one,” he replies, distracted.
“Vikinos is flying in on the 29th.”
Macs eyes fly up to Jack and then to me… Shit.
“Rosh can you give us a minute?” he asks.
“Um, sure. Do you have a bathroom up here I could use?”
He frowns distracted. “Yeah, up the corridor to the left.”
“Thanks.”
I turn and walk up the corridor. Shit, I wanted to hear that conversation. The 29th. How many days away is that? I don’t even know what fucking day it is. I scan the office for a key board or something. Nothing. I walk up the corridor and see two offices. I bite my lip and turn back toward the men. Can they hear me if I open this door?
Shit.
I slowly open the door and it’s empty except for staff lockers. I move onto the next room and open the door. My mouth drops open.
Bingo.
The whole back wall is a board with keys that have numbers above them.
Shit, shit, shit, I’m going to get caught. I quickly scan for the one I want.
Where is it? Where is it? My eyes dart around frantically, and finally, on the bottom right corner, I find the first one and then the other.
* * *
1140 and 1289
* * *
I take the keys and I walk back to the door and look back.
Damn it.
It is blatantly obvious that the top key is missing. What do I do? My eyes widen. I know. I take out my room key and quickly slide it from its key ring and put it onto the hook below the number 1140. The second key is not so noticeable as it is on the top row. I then slide the container key onto my room key ring… nobody will ever know.
I slip out of the room and then duck into the bathroom. I sit on the toilet with an over the top smile on my face.
James Bond, eat your heart out.
* * *
He lies next to me in bed as he reads his book. The room is darkened, lit only by the lamp by the bed. It’s 10pm and he’s in boxer shorts and a t-shirt. I am showered and smelling like soap, naked, yet he hasn’t even looked in my direction.
He’s different.
Something has changed.
Two days ago I couldn’t fight him off me if I tried. Now… nothing.
“That Divinci Code must be an interesting book, hey?” I ask.
“Very,” he murmurs as he turns the page without looking up.
“I wouldn’t know.” I pause as I try to get him to look at me. “I’ve never read it.”
He rolls his tongue in his mouth as if thinking, but doesn’t answer.
I turn on my side and put my hand behind my head to lean up on it as I purposely let the blankets drop to reveal my breasts.
He catches the side of his bottom lip in his teeth as if trying not to react, but still doesn’t flinch.
What are you doing, asshole?
“I’m not tired,” I announce.
“Read a book.” He gestures to a box filled with books under his desk.
I roll my eyes and get up out of bed. I’m naked and I purposely bend over and slide the box out with my behind towards him. I can see him in the bathroom mirror behind me and his eyes rise to watch me, although he pretends not to.
I smirk. I sit on the floor and start to go through the books. I read the titles out loud.
“The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle. The October Country by Ray Bradbury. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes. Last Days by Brian Evenson.”
I curl up my lip in disgust. “This is your reading style?” I frown.
He glances up. “I like horror.”
I widen my eyes. “Boring.”
His jaw ticks in annoyance. “What do you like to read?”
I purposely bend over, revealing my naked ass. “I like raunch.”
“Figures,” he replies as he flicks the page angrily.
I put my hand on my hip. “Why would that figure?”
“Because you’re a sex maniac.”
I smirk. “Can you tape that please and show it to my ex-boyfriends.”
“Why would I do that?” he replies flatly.
“Because they all complained that I hated sex.”
His eyes rise from his book as if suddenly interested. “Did you?”
“With them?” I ask.
He nods.
“Pretty much.”
His eyes hold mine. “Do you hate it with me?”
“You’re the first man I have enjoyed it with.”
“Why is that?”
“I don’t know.” I pause for a moment. “Maybe because I know we can never amount to anything and I have to say goodbye to you soon.”
We stay still as we stare at each other, the air crackles between us.
“You go alright for someone who supposedly hates sex,” he murmurs.
“It’s easy once you find a man who knows what to do.” He raises a brow. “You know how to make me ache for it.”
He readjusts his length beneath the blankets. “Ache for it?” he questions.
“God, I ache for it,” I breathe.
“It?”
“You, Stace. I ache for you.”
He grabs his cock through the blankets and his haunted eyes hold mine.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask.
/>
“Like what?”
“Like I’m the enemy.”
“Are you?”
I frown. Why is he talking in riddles?
“I suppose so. I am someone you took against their will who is now…” I trail off. I don’t understand this myself.
“Who is what?”
“Who only feels safe when she is in your arms and I know that’s wrong.” He frowns. “I’m going fucking crazy.” I throw the book back into the box in disgust. “I feel sick when I hear myself say it out loud.”
“I make you sick?” he asks.
I smile sadly. “You should.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
I shake my head, our eyes are locked, and after a moment I reply, “No.”
“What do you think?” he asks.
“That’s the thing. I can’t think when I’m with you.”
He frowns as if understanding.
“When you touch me, nothing else matters,” I breathe.
He stays silent.
“I missed you when you were at work today.”
He drops his head. “Don’t.”
“I know I shouldn’t have.” I fake a smile as I try to justify my feelings. “I should hate you.”
“You should,” he snaps.
I walk over and sit on the bed next to him. His eyes meet mine. “Kiss me,” I breathe.
The room is filled with unbridled desire, so thick you could cut it with a knife.
He puts his hand up, cups my face, and gently kisses me. My eyes instinctively close. “Stace,” I breathe. I feel like I’m about to break, this is too much. The intimacy I feel from him is too much. I need to hate him. How am I going to do this?
As if sensing my fear, he whispers, “Shh.”
I screw up my face as we kiss.
“This has to stop,” he breathes.
“I know.”
“Last time,” he murmurs into my lips.
I kiss him and feel myself lift off the floor. “Okay.”
* * *
I look left, I look right. It’s just past noon and the coast is clear.
Stace has called a meeting about Vikinos’ visit next week. They need to get everything in ship shape. This is probably my only chance where everyone is preoccupied. The girls are up on top deck sunbathing, and all of the staff are on the maintenance level going through operations. I told everyone I was going to be sleeping.
I walk along the rows until I get to the container I need and I take out the two keys. I don’t know which one is which. I turn the first key and it doesn’t work. Fuck.
I take the second key and jiggle it a bit and it opens. I smile as my guilty eyes dart around. I open the padlock and remove the key and then put it back on the lock and swing it until it looks closed. I then open the door and peer in. Pitch black, I take out the small flashlight I took from the maintenance floor the other day and peer around. It said under the floor. I walk in and slowly pull the door to so it looks like it is closed from outside.
I put the flashlight in my mouth and bend down and tap the floor. Yep… It’s under the flooring. I walk around the perimeter of the container concentrating on the floor. I need to find a bit I can jimmy off. How do I do this without making noise?
Fuck it.
I think for a minute.
Behind me are some timber crates. Perhaps under those I will find a place to lift. I move one to the side, and then the one under it, and then the bottom box in really long and has a crack in the top. Yes… I put the flashlight in the crack and pull it up as I use it as a tool. After ten minutes of hard work the timber lid lifts.
I pull the shredded cardboard back and I smile.
A crate of Barret’s M98B—Sniper rifles.
Yessss.
Thank God they were where they were supposed to be. I rummage through the crate but there aren’t any bullets.
Fuck.
I pull the crate above it apart and still nothing.
Holy shit, screw this.
I pull apart the top box and finally find a metal case containing the ammunition.
I stand still for a moment and let the euphoria sink in. I take the rifle apart and load the gun. I load another and take all of the bullets. I then stand and put the crates back where they were.
My heart is pumping hard. I walk to the front of the container and stand with my back to the door. I frown.
I can hear footsteps.
I hold my breath and close my eyes. Shit, shit, shit.
“Who goes there?” the male voice shouts.
10
Oh my God.
I close my eyes and grip the gun hard enough to break my fingers.
“It’s me,” a man’s voice replies.
“Did you fucking hear him?” one growls.
“Yeah, I did.”
“How?” the other man asks.
I frown. Who is this and what are they talking about? Why are they meeting next to this particular container? Oh, God, I’m screwed. They are breaking in here to get the guns.
I stay dead still as I try to contain my frantic heart.
“It has to look like an accident.”
Who is out there? Who are they talking about?
“When?”
“I’m not sure. This week. He has to be gone before Vikinos arrives so we can blame it on him.”
“That fucking girl we supposedly picked up by accident is a cop.”
“What?” the other man snaps.
My eyes widen. Holy fuck… why would they think I’m a cop?
“Yeah, she fucking attacked me the other day, warning me against going near him.”
Oh shit. They’re talking about Stace.
I hold my breath. Please don’t find me.
“He’s brought her on here as a little fuck buddy bodyguard. That was no accident she came out of that door at just that moment.”
I frown.
“I will make an engine malfunction call this week sometime in the middle of the night, and when he comes out we will take care of it.”
“It has to look like an accident.”
“Yeah, it will. He will be going in the drink.”
“Okay.”
“Stucco?” Stace’s voice comes through the radio one of them is wearing.
“Yeah?” Stucco replies over the sound of the static.
“Why aren’t you down here in the meeting?” Stace snaps angrily.
“I’m coming now.”
“Fucking hurry up.” He growls before hanging up.
“Fuck. I can’t wait to kill this cock. He’s fucking asking for it.” Stucco growls.
“Yeah, well, make sure it happens.”
“I’m on it,” Stucco replies. “He’s dead.”
My heart beats frantically and I know I need this gun now more than ever. They are going to kill him. I knew I wasn’t imagining it.
“We better get back.”
“Okay, see you down there.” The man’s voice replies. Who is the other man? Stucco is working with someone. What are they up to and what do they plan on blaming on Stace?
I wait for ten minutes in the silence. Are they gone?
I’m starting to sweat, it’s so fucking hot in here. My mind goes to the refugees who have been forced to travel in these things for months. I can’t imagine such horror. I slowly push the door open a few inches and peer out. The wind is picking up, but the coast seems clear. I dart out and put my two guns down and quickly relock the container. I bend and pick up the guns and look around nervously. Please don’t let me get caught. I wrap the guns in a towel I have brought and quickly walk back to our room. I push the door open. I was unable to lock it because I don’t have my damn key, and that’s risky in itself. That stupid Stucco could be sneaking around in here. I throw the guns under the bed and then I put another towel over them. I haven’t got time to hide them now. I need to get to the other container while they are all busy. I wonder how long this meeting is going for?
The guns were th
e main thing I needed to get… now for the cherry on top.
I walk back up onto the deck and glance around, seeing it is still deserted. I take out the other key and walk along the back row of the containers. This one is easier to go undetected, being right up in the back row. I open the lock and go through the same procedure and pull the door closed behind me.
I blow out a breath as I turn my flashlight on. Fuck, it’s hot. I’m sweating like a pig.
Okay, what am I looking for?
Statues.
It said statue.
There are boxes in this container, probably about twenty in total. I open the top one and find the box has been partitioned into twelve squares with cardboard. In each little square is a small pottery cat statue standing about fifteen centimeters tall. I go through the box and take them out one by one and shake them. Nothing. They all seem empty.
If I was going to hide something in a statue, where would I put it?
I think for a moment. The bottom box. I quickly begin to move the boxes to the side one by one until I get to the very bottom box. I rip it open and take out the cat statues one by one and shake them.
Nothing.
Fuck.
I open the next box and the next box. Maybe there isn’t anything here? I scratch my head in frustration as the perspiration drips from my forehead.
Oh shit, maybe I misread the picture. Did I get the container right? I open another box and the first statue I pick up and shake clangs as something hits the inside edges.
My eyes widen and I shake it again.
Clink, clink, clink.
Yes, this is it. I quickly check the others in the box. Nothing. This must be it.
I quickly put the boxes back as they were and go to the door again. I slowly open the door and peer out. The coast is clear. I wrap my small figurine in my towel and exit and quickly relock the container.
My heart is beating so fast and I can’t believe I am actually fucking doing this.
Who am I?
I hot foot it back to the room and get in and shut the door behind me and lean up against it in relief as I pant.