“Not exactly, but it’s a damn good thing I was persistent.” I laughed softly. “What do you suppose is happening upstairs?”
“I think someone with large muscles made contact, possibly showing up looking for us. Let’s hope,” she sighed. “If that’s the case, Bonnet might think twice about hurting us before setting off a war. Spoon will never let our disappearance or deaths go unpunished. Those stoops upstairs know we had nothing to do with ripping him off, no matter how simple-minded he wants to play this game.”
“Why would someone have a room like this?” I couldn’t think of a single reason that had anything to do with something normal. “Do you suppose we’re out on Narcissistic Island?”
“I shudder to think. This room has such a creepy vibe. Nothing good happens here, you can be sure.” Fab eyed the window; without a ladder, there would be no looking out. “We’re out on his island. I came to on the boat ride over here, but Amazon caught me and chloroformed me again. I don’t think we get out of this without Bonnet’s benevolence.”
Bonnet would want a trade. What would he accept?
Fab and I leaned together and used each other as pillows. The room was eerily quiet, not a sound could be heard from anywhere in the house.
“Do you suppose we missed the button for room service?” Fab broke the silence.
“How come you’re so calm?” I laughed.
“I’m hungry.”
Chapter 40
At the sound of a key in the lock, I jolted forward. Fab’s arm across my chest held me in place.
“I guess they didn’t forget us. My butt is numb and my back aches,” I mumbled.
“Shh…,” she said. Amazon stood in the doorway. She had reapplied her bright red lipstick to match her dagger-like fingernails. Against her pale white skin the red made her look like a vampire. Make that a vampire holding a .357 Magnum in her hand.
At this close range, someone would be a long time cleaning up blood splatter and remains off the walls.
“No one said you could sit.” She laughed, a high pitched deranged sound. “Hurry your asses up. I’m out of patience.”
Fab grabbed my arm and headed to the door as we were once again herded down the hallway and up the stairs.
Fab, always the gutsy one, asked her, “How long have we been here?”
She eyed Fab, assessing her as a worthy opponent perhaps. “It’s the morning of your second day. Enjoying yourself?”
Fab stared back and never flinched. “What do you want?”
“I’m authorized to negotiate your release within the hour. Mr. Bonnet is owed five hundred thousand plus interest and penalties, but you can’t put a price on the inconvenience. So, rounded out, he’ll settle for one million.”
“Dollars?” I shook my head in disbelief, waiting for her to say, “Cash only.” Bonnet had to know we couldn’t come up with that kind of money. What game was he playing now?
“What do you really want?” Fab asked. “Bonnet has to have accepted by this time that the money’s gone, and he’s not getting it back. Another thing, the longer you keep us here, the higher the chances that law enforcement will motor over with a warrant that allows them to sniff in every nook and cranny. I know if we’re not returned in one piece, Bonnet’s days of sliding under the radar are over.”
“Shut up and sit,” Amazon ordered.
I must be the weak link; she stood behind my chair and fingered my hair, pointing the Magnum at my temple.
Minutes later, Bonnet burst through the door. “It was nice to meet you ladies.” He laughed, enjoying some private joke.
We both must have looked confused.
“You’re free to leave,” he added, waving his arm. He settled himself behind his desk and turned his attention to a pile of paperwork.
Amazon waved her gun at us, holding the main door open. “Let me show you out.” Her laugh tinkled like an annoying wind chime.
Fab and I exchanged the “this is too easy” look.
Red motioned us forward. The office opened into the living room on the second floor, with one hundred and eighty degrees to enjoy the views of the Gulf. It wouldn’t surprise me if Amazon threw us out of one of the floor to ceiling sliding doors, which I noticed opened onto a wrap terrace that overlooked overgrown mangroves and a private lagoon.
The house was breathtaking; it was too bad we weren’t here for a girl lunch. The floors were highly polished wooden planks, the furniture one of a kind pieces built for the room, and the walls were filled with personal photos of laughing, smiling people and paintings of Key West. A spiral staircase led the way to the upper floor. On one side there was a solid wall of books, and the ceiling was painted with an underwater scene.
Amazon leaned against the open door. Fab put her hand in the middle, preventing her from shutting it once we crossed the threshold.
Before she could utter a word, the redhead purred. “Did you need directions?” Her 3-inch long fingernail pointed across the Gulf of Mexico to the northeast. “The Keys. Twenty minutes by boat, ten minutes by helicopter. I’m not sure how long it takes to swim eight miles. Maybe you can hitch a ride from a passing boat.” Her eyes swept the water as she pushed Fab aside. She laughed heartily and slammed the door.
We raced down the stairs and sunk our toes into the sandy beach, sucking in the fresh air for the first time in days. Judging by its rotted condition, the old shipwrecked boat next to us had been resting on its side for quite a long time. Mangroves and palm trees surrounded the island, all seemingly growing out of the clear, blue-green waters. From here they looked like an impenetrable forest, surrounding the three-story main house, guest house, and several buildings.
Fab hustled me through the trees, making sure we weren’t visible to anyone looking out the windows of the house.
“Would you think out loud, please?” I demanded. I breathed a long sigh that we were free at last of creepy Bonnet and his scary side-kick, but until we got off this island, they were still in control.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m tired, hungry, and thirsty; not ideal conditions for a swim. I figure eight miles for two average swimmers such as ourselves would take us six to seven hours of continuous swimming.” Fab scanned the Gulf. “There’s not a boat in sight.”
“Fair warning: I’d probably drown first. I’d rather Bonnet shoot me, but he’d delegate to Amazon, and I wouldn’t get lucky enough for a clean shot. She’d make sure it was a hideous death. Why does the choice have to be Bonnet or an appetizer for sharks and alligators?”
“You have a third choice,” Fab cuffed me. “Me. Now stay here and out of sight.”
“Where in the hell do you think you’re going?” I almost shrieked, grabbing at her shirt, but she twisted away. “Don’t leave me here by myself.”
“I’m going to sneak around, see what I can find to aid us in our swim to shore.”
“They’ll come looking for us when they don’t see us bobbing around in the water,” I argued.
“Listen up, I’m in charge.” She shook her finger. “Neither one of them are going to get their expensive shoes dirty coming out here, slogging around in swamp water.
“If you don’t let me come with you, when you get us out of here, I’ll complain to Didier that you were mean and made me cry.”
“You’re not crying.” She looked suspicious.
“My stories are far superior to yours. I’m ready to play follow the leader.”
“You are a pain in my—”
“Aah!” I cut her off. “'And then, Didier, she cursed at me'.”
She snorted and shook her head. “Hang on to the back of my shirt if you need to.”
“If you tell me we’re going to get out of this alive, I’ll believe you and not worry so much.”
“Forget about dying,” Fab reassured. “Bonnet’s rich and flaunts it. He has to have some excellent toys around here somewhere. When it gets dark, we’ll help ourselves and get off this island. We can ditch them on the other side.”
> I bent down and rolled up my pants. I was tired of them after three days, but I knew it was not a good time to complain about wanting a change of clothes.
“Where’s Creole?” I wanted to scream. “I wish he’d kissed me one last time. But no, he had to stomp away mad.” I felt more guilt whining about kisses. “Spoon going to show up anytime soon? He has to know by now that we didn’t leave under our own free will. We wouldn’t have knocked out Billy. Oh, Billy... I hope he’s not dead.”
“Bonnet’s dumber than he acts if he thinks he’s going to cross Spoon. He’s got himself a dangerous enemy. If he did any checking at all, he knows there will be a heavy price for kidnapping, murder, or anything else. Payback is going to be ugly. I just hope Spoon doesn’t let the redhead run loose. That vacant stare of hers gave me the chills.”
Coming around the far side of the island, peering through the trees, we spotted the helipad. There was also a large storage building, doors closed, that I presumed held the helicopter when not in use. A large yacht was anchored a few yards out and under cover.
“All big yachts have water toys; we’ll check the storage area underneath. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find a wave runner or a speed boat.” Fab reached in her back pocket and withdrew a lock pick and waved it at me.
“What do you do, sew them in your clothes?”
“Here’s the plan. We lounge out here in the brush until dark and hope Bonnet doesn’t have dogs that he plans to unleash. He thinks we’re going to die on this stinkin’ island and gloat over our remains. That’s what he thinks. Later I’ll swim out and check out the yacht.”
“Whatever we steal, he’ll come after,” I warned. “There’s an old rowboat over there along with some other dry-rotted items. I don’t see any oars.”
We sloshed through the water and found places to sit on one of the hundreds of old tree roots growing above ground. At least we found a spot where we weren’t sitting in water.
“Those two are probably having a good laugh. They know we haven’t gotten off this island and could care less. They’re waiting for us to come knocking, beg for help rather than starve to death.”
I smiled at her. “If I had to choose one person to be stranded on an island with, it would be you.”
Chapter 41
I had already figured out that I’d never survive this without Fab, who never gave up and had a spine of steel. Soon the skies would be dark, the only light a half-moon and a few stars. As much as I wanted to be home, I dreaded the escape plan. Still, I pushed all my what-if thoughts from my mind.
“No splashing,” Fab hissed.
We crept along the shore, ankle deep in water, though our clothes had just dried from the previous splashing around. That was about to change when we dove in, fully dressed. Thank goodness we were in South Florida. If it weren’t for the warm night air, we’d freeze to death.
“Doesn’t it worry you that we haven’t seen Bonnet or his sidekick?” I asked.
“The upside is that we haven’t had to dodge automatic gunfire. He didn’t let us walk out the front door because he’s such a nice guy; we have to get out of here before we find out firsthand what his plans are.”
“Are you sure about this? Please be careful,” I squeaked. “Can you see where you’re going?”
Fab turned and grabbed my shoulders. “Take a breath. We’re going for a little swim, around the far side of the yacht to the back. If Bonnet’s got one thing with an engine, we’re out of here.”
“You’re driving, right?”
“I’m going to remind you that you said that.” Fab’s laugh floated on the water.
It felt weird to swim in sweat pants and a t-shirt. Probably easier than Fab’s blue jeans and ruined silk top. The late night swim felt good, made me less grimy, but I’d have enjoyed it more if I were at home in my pool. There was a certain comfort swimming in the shadow of the large yacht.
“Hang on.” Fab clamped my hand on a railing that ran from the bottom deck down to the water. “I’m going on board to see if I can find a flashlight or something so I can figure out how this door opens.”
Slowly treading water, I kept a watchful eye on the out buildings, not sure what I’d do if I saw someone. A loud bang broke the silence of the night and scared me witless, and a few more I identified as coming from inside the boat—and silence. I shivered that Fab had been surprised by something unexpected, possibly the redhead. I couldn’t do this by myself. Even though the helicopter hangar blocked the view from the house to the boat, Bonnet would surely have security that kept tabs on us as we sneaked around. I’d never believe he was as disinterested as he’d like us to think.
The garage door made a whirring noise and slowly opened straight up. Fab stood in the opening.
“Don’t go anywhere,” she said as she disappeared into the space.
The inside compartment was full of the coolest water toys ever, a perk of being very rich. Jet skis, slides, canoes––the climbing wall made me laugh––and a wide assortment of inflatables. Fab would laugh at my choice of transportation––the water bike. I’d have to pedal my butt off, but I’d only ever been a passenger on a jet ski. Not to mention, I forgot to sign up for a hotwiring class.
Fab reappeared and side stepped the ledge. She held out her hand and I climbed up the stairs.
“You’re going to need these,” she said as she tossed me a pair of men’s flip flops. I looked at her feet and she had slipped on a pair, I almost laughed knowing that she hated cheap shoes.
“Help me pull this out.” She had singled out a wave runner that conveniently had the key in the ignition. “We’re not starting it until we’re ready to leave. According to Randy, the start of the engine will carry over the water and Bonnet will investigate.”
“Stupid question, but who in the hell is Randy?”
“Full-time deckhand. His job is to make sure everything is clean and in working order. Nice guy,” she sighed. “I felt bad giving him a black eye and tying him up. I told him not to be stupid and show his face before we left. Sent a message through Randy for Bonnet--we’re filing a kidnapping report.”
Poor Randy, getting his ass kicked by a girl. I hoped for his sake that Bonnet didn’t kill him.
“Put this on.” Fab retrieved a life jacket off the floor.
“Do you know where you’re going?” I asked.
The shrug of her shoulders wasn’t reassuring.
“I felt your scowl in the dark,” I said as we climbed onto the wave runner.
“Hold on tight.” She fired up the engine, jammed her foot on the gas pedal, and we flew across the water.
Chapter 42
When we realized that no lights were behind us and that there were no engine noises of someone rapidly approaching, Fab slowed to a less hair-raising speed. I relaxed enough to lift my head, where previously it had been scrunched in the middle of her back. I looked at the rapidly-approaching coastline over her shoulder as the ocean spray beat us in the face, completely saturating our already-wet clothes. Fab made a straight line to where the brightest concentration of lights dotted the shoreline.
As we approached the shore, she cut the engine and we coasted in, not wanting to attract attention. We ditched the wave runner, tying it alongside rental water equipment for a five-star resort down on the docks at the end of Duval Street. We were free of Bonnet for the moment, but not ready to savor the victory, since we were still one hundred miles from home.
Wandering the streets of Key West in the middle of the night, hungry, thirsty, no cell phone, no money––it blew big time. I didn’t want to complain out loud, but this place was definitely more fun with a credit card and some cash. Neither one of us had a local connection we could roust from bed.
Fab spotted the water fountain and, with so little water pressure, she had to shove her face down as close to the bubbler as she could get. When finished, she wiped her face with her stained and torn top and made a sweeping gesture.
“Drink slowly.” She patted my back.
“I don’t want you to stand up and barf.”
When I finished, I grabbed the back of her shirt and wiped my face.
“You’re not funny,” she growled. She picked a long piece of seaweed off her pant leg and flung it in the gutter.
“You know that’s not true. What’s next, oh fearless leader?”
We headed down Duval Street in the direction of the Overseas; we had a couple of miles to figure out what was next. Walking home seemed improbable, since it would take days, not to mention it was illegal. The two-lane highway in each direction, stretching from the southernmost point of the US to Tarpon Cove, banned pedestrians.
Fab steered me to a clean and bird poop-free metal bench across from Hemingway’s bar. The bar boasted standing room only every night for live music, dancing, and drinking. Tonight’s crowd had dispersed, leaving behind the diehard drinkers. With so few people, we assumed that it must be nearly closing time. It shut its doors at four in the morning for a few hours, long enough to clean and re-open for the breakfast drinkers.
Fab, arms crossed, kicked her foot until I put my hand on her leg, which was more polite than kicking her to stop. At the sight of rapidly-approaching headlights, she jumped into the street and flagged down the lone cab. It barely slowed when she had the door open and slid into the front seat.
It was a brief conversation, and then the driver yelled, “Get out, or I’m calling the cops!”
Angry, she got out, turning to yell her regards to his ancestors as she flounced out of the street, throwing herself down next to me.
“That went well,” I said.
“I tried to convince him we were stranded and would pay triple if he’d drive us to Tarpon Cove. Do you know that he had the nerve to ask, ‘Where are a couple of homeless chicks going to get that kind of money?’”
“Let me guess, in response you tried to carjack him, and that’s when he wanted you out?”
“That bastard wanted a blow job in exchange for one hamburger. Said I’d have to share it with you. I unleashed a string of profanity. I may have mentioned his minuscule manhood, and that’s when he got mad.”
Deborah Brown - Madison Westin 07 - Kidnapped in Paradise Page 20