It Happens in Threes

by Denise Robbins

  “Why the boat? Are you taking me scuba diving? What’s the plan, Nico?” she asked. Not sure she wanted the answer.

  “My plan.”

  The reply that came wasn’t from Nicolas. It came from behind her in the direction of the galley.

  Shock grabbed her by the throat, squeezed and began choking. Terror held her motionless and silent.

  Hazel eyes fastened on the horizon, staring as a peaceful blue sky met evil, turned dark shades of purple and cloudy in her mind, her heart. Dread and horror slammed against ribs, heart pounding, Ruby twisted to face her demon.

  “Alex, I presume?” she asked. Raising her head, her eyes met the cold steel gaze of her ex-fiancé. “Or should I say, Thomas?”

  * * * *

  The long, hot shower eased tense muscles and Michael emerged rejuvenated. A towel wrapped around his waist, he stood in front of his computer, tapped the keys, and checked his email. A string of oaths spewed across his lips as the strong, black coffee he drank spilled on his bare chest and scorched him.

  “Damn! Did she never sleep? She’d done it. She broke the encryption key on the emails.”

  His heart plummeted in his stomach, the roller coaster dipping and turning when he saw who the anonymous emailer was. He couldn’t believe it. He read it again. The second time he read it, he yelled, a mixture of anger and dread swamping him.

  “Shit!”

  Reading the original message and not Ruby’s synopsis, Michael felt sick. Alex, his missing partner, wasn’t after him, he was after Ruby. The mug dropped from his grasp, shattered when it made contact with the table, spilling coffee. His head swimming, Michael felt everything plunge into the abyss as he rushed to the bedroom and located his cell phone in the slacks he’d worn the night before. With a single push of a button, he waited for the other end to pick up. After five rings and no answer, he slammed it shut.

  With hasty movements, he pulled on boxers and dialed Jake. The phone was answered while he had a leg halfway in the pants. Before Jake could say more than hello, Michael relayed what he knew in quick, succinct sentences.

  “It’s Alex. He’s here. He’s after Ruby. How close are you to her? I tried her cell but got no response. She never keeps the damn thing on.” He prayed that was why she hadn’t answered.

  “Get there Jake. Now. She isn’t wearing the necklace anymore. Long story, but please get there,” he begged, terrified.

  “On my way,” Michael told Jake. “Hurry like your life depended on it.” Ruby’s did.

  * * * *

  Before the car came to a complete stop, Michael opened the door, Jake running toward him. Pain gripped his heart. She was gone.

  “She’s not here,” Jake told him, panic evident in his voice. “I got here just in time to see the boat take off for blue waters. Ruby was on it.”

  “How long?”

  “Not more than five minutes.”

  Michael turned and yelled. “Let’s go.”

  He took off running full speed to the car. Jake was right behind him, sliding into the passenger seat as he turned the car ignition, slamming it into drive, and drove like a bat out of hell.

  “Get on the phone. Call the base commander at Tripler, Admiral Montgomery. Tell him to get a chopper revved and ready to go in five. Tell him to pack it with two sets of dive gear.”

  His brow furrowed, Michael concentrated on the road while Jake made the call. His grip tightened on the wheel, his knuckles bloodless and white.

  “I’m not gonna lose her,” he reassured himself.

  “No, we won’t, Mick. Not as long as I’m breathing. Ruby is a special little lady. We’re getting her out of there. In one piece. I assure you, I won’t let any harm come to her.”

  Michael pulled into the base, showed his ID to the petty officer manning the gate, who ushered him through to the helicopter that was ready and waiting.

  Before climbing into the RAH-66 Comanche, an experimental military stealth-enabled reconnaissance helicopter, Michael shook the Commander’s hand, thanked him for the use of his equipment. Then he and Jake were strapped in and lifting off.

  In the air, Michael and Jake discussed their strategy. They concluded Alex had taken Ruby as bait. Neither of them doubted Alex meant to kill her, but he wouldn’t do it until he was certain Michael was in his sights. With Alex’s resources and Nicolas’s money, Nicolas’s boat would be equipped with the best nautical and tracking devices.

  One such device included a radar that tracked contacts. When anyone entered a certain area an alarm went off. That was the one thing they were going to have to get around. Jake’s choice of helicopters aided in that effort. Michael had to give Jake credit. The man knew his flying machines.

  After fifteen minutes in the air they spotted Nicolas’s 30-foot boat, the Sirena. To avoid the radar detection, Jake pulled back to hover a couple miles away. While he did that, Michael got into the dive gear.

  Michael considered the distance between him and Ruby, the eighteen knots at which the underwater propulsion unit could speed through the water, and calculated.

  “Okay, Jake, here’s the plan. If I don’t signal you within forty-five minutes you swoop in with your stealth machine and call the cavalry.”

  “I still don’t like it. You need a dive buddy. Even with that underwater propulsion unit three miles is a good distance away. Anything could happen between here and there. And do you think the guy could have chosen a worse site? Shark’s Cove for hell’s sake.”

  “It makes sense when the bastard doesn’t give a shit about the woman and he knows her fears. She hates and fears sharks and barracudas more than anything. And it’s the perfect location for a ‘dive accident’.” But he wasn’t going to let that happen. As stubborn as Ruby was, she wouldn’t let Alex win either.

  “All right, Jake, let’s do this.”

  A couple of minutes later, Michael strode off the RAH-66 and into the outer skirts of Shark’s Cove. His heart raced and his mind raced faster, buzzing with a silent prayer. Ruby shouldn’t be on that boat. She should be at home in New Hampshire or at her parents’ home in Florida, anywhere but in the grip of his one-time friend, attempted-murderer, and now the man who could steal the life of the woman he loved. This wasn’t supposed to happen. But it had.

  The underwater propulsion unit and his compass got him to his destination, Nicolas’s boat. Holding onto the ladder, Michael dropped his fins, BC, and weight belt. Before pulling himself up to the first step, he checked the titanium Glock tucked into his shorty wetsuit, loaded and ready to roll.

  Reaching the last rung, Michael checked the area for any surprises or unwanted hosts. No one was there.

  It was too quiet. He hoped he wasn’t too late. Prayed he wasn’t too late. One way or another Alex was a dead man and he was going to be the man that pulled the trigger.

  With his weapon ready, he walked in stealth silence, worry gnawing at him. Worry for Ruby, their future, and his heart. When he reached the windows to the sleeping quarters, Michael peered through them. He saw no one. It wasn’t until he reached the forward deck that he heard voices.

  Holding his breath, he turned the corner to the helm and heard the distinct snick of the gun beside him. Pistol still extended in front of him, Michael pivoted to his right and came face-to-face with Nicolas La Rue and the Beretta aimed straight at his temple.

  “Welcome to the party, Mickey. Drop the weapon.”

  Michael did as directed and laid the Glock at the feet of his enemy. If it weren’t for Ruby’s life, Michael would’ve pulled the trigger without a second thought. Now, his only thought was on Ruby and his gut-wrenching need to rescue her.

  The gun on the floor, Michael stood slow and careful, his hands raised in surrender.

  “Walk forward,” Nicolas ordered.

  “Where’s Ruby?”

  “Move it.”

  “Not until you tell me what you’ve done to Ruby. If you’ve hurt her, your life is over. Even if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll hunt you dow
n and chase you like the dog you are.”

  “If you don’t move, you’ll never know whether she is or isn’t alive.”

  Michael obeyed. He had no choice. He’d think of something. He’d devise a way to get Ruby off the boat and to safety. He had to. If not, Jake would be there in another eighteen minutes. One tactic was to stall until then and let the cavalry come in, but his fear was that all hell would break loose and he didn’t know who would be left standing. He’d think of something.

  Once he had Ruby away from these madmen, he’d make damned certain she was never in a situation like this again. Never. That was his last thought as he stepped into the helm and faced his ex-partner, the man he’d trusted, the same man who’d shot him and left him for dead. The man who held a Glock on a frightened Ruby.

  Michael looked at Ruby first for assurances. Clad in a string bikini and dive gear, she stood with her back straight and stiff next to Alex. Eyes, big as saucers, stared back at him flecked gold with fear.

  “You’re looking well, Michael.”

  Turning his gaze to Alex, he regarded his one-time friend turned traitor. Once lanky, he now had more bulk. But the eyes and jaw were the same. Cold, hard, and deadly.

  “I wish I could say the same.”

  “What does that mean?”

  A slight smirk lifted at the corner of Michael’s mouth. He always could push Alex’s buttons.

  “It means I’m looking at a dead man.”

  Alex let out a roar of laughter then settled his pistol against Ruby’s temple. At the contact, she gasped. Catching his attention, his head swiveled back to her in time to see her flinch. Her eyes welled with unshed tears. Michael felt as though he’d been filleted and gutted.

  “Are you okay?” he questioned, with a gentleness he didn’t feel but was best in their situation.

  “T...Thomas hasn’t hurt me yet,” she managed to stutter out. “He wants you, Michael. He wants to kill you.”

  Thomas? Did she say Thomas? Holy shit! The man Ruby had been involved with, engaged to, and was running from was Alex. The realization grabbed him by the throat and started to choke. He couldn’t breathe. Holy shit!

  “A little shell-shocked, Michael?”

  Shell-shocked wasn’t the word he would have chosen to describe his feelings. Anguish. Regret. Guilt. Alex had gone after Ruby to get to him from the beginning. She was a pawn. And it was his fault. If not for his relationship with her, for their friendship, and the fact he’d shared so much with his partner, Ruby wouldn’t be on this boat at this very moment. Rage boiled inside.

  “Let her go,” Michael demanded between tight lips. “She’s not part of this. She’s innocent.”

  “Not from what I saw a few nights ago on the beach. I’d say she’s no longer innocent, if she ever was.”

  Fists clenched at his sides, Michael took a step toward Alex. Before he could take another, something struck the back of his head. The impact pushed him to the side, but he didn’t lose balance. He kicked Nicolas in the ribs, then his arm, dislodging the gun from his hand sending it sailing over the side of the boat, landing in the ocean with a kerplunk.

  The sound of a bullet discharged, whizzing toward its target, ricocheted in his brain. Past, present, and future swirled in a kaleidoscope forming a convoluted vision of his life with Ruby.

  “Nooo!” he screamed.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Icy terror ripped through his mind, stopping his heart. With a fear he’d never experienced in his life, Michael spun back around in search of Ruby. When he didn’t see a dead body on the floor, his head shot up. Like a defibrillator to his chest, his heart jolted at the sight of her standing there. His eyes made contact with hers, and a wave of relief rushed through him, tempered with some fear. The Glock aimed in his direction.

  Michael turned back to Nicolas, who slumped on the floor, a large spot of blood pooled at his abdomen. He wasn’t dead yet.

  “I never did like him very much. Too unreliable,” Alex said. “Besides, this fight is ours, Michael. I won’t have someone else get in the way of my satisfaction. Let’s get on with it.”

  “Not until you let Ruby go. You want to settle what’s between us? Let Ruby go. She’s an innocent.”

  “So was Katya,” Alex raged, “but that didn’t stop you from breaking her neck.”

  “She wasn’t innocent. She was an agent and a player who played you like a violin. Katya pulled the strings and you danced, only the music was about to end with you dead on the dance floor.”

  “I don’t believe you. Katya loved me.”

  “She loved herself. The night I went to her apartment she was going to kill you. You were my partner and friend. She would have killed you with that Makarov. Why can’t you see that?”

  “Because I loved her,” Alex bellowed, his grasp tightening on Ruby. “You stole Katya from me. You stole what we would have had together.”

  Glancing at his watch, Michael confirmed he had fourteen minutes before Jake came running. All he had to do was keep Ruby safe for that time and everything would be set right.

  “Now you want to steal my life,” Michael stated in a monotone voice. If he could remain calm then maybe he could keep Alex talking. Just fourteen minutes.

  “In the beginning, I planned to replace you in Ruby’s life. Take the one woman you could never forget and cut you out of her life.” He shrugged. “But then the situation changed so I altered the plan.”

  “Now you have me. Right here. Right now.” Michael pointed at his chest. “Deal with me. You don’t need Ruby.”

  “You’re right. I don’t need her anymore.”

  With the pistol pushed up against her neck, Alex shoved Ruby toward the stairs of the bow. She almost tripped over her fins.

  “Ow!” She struggled against his grip. “Let me go.”

  “I am. You were going to go diving, so you’ll go for a dive.”

  The grin Alex provided Michael was chilling. It sent alarms ringing in his ears, ice rolled down his spine. What had Alex done or what was he planning to do?

  “No. I won’t leave Michael.”

  “How sweet,” Thomas whispered in her ear. “But you don’t have a choice.”

  Before she could argue, she saw the gun in Thomas’s hand pointed in Michael’s direction. Eyes bulging with shock and fear, she froze. If her hands weren’t tied behind her back, Ruby would’ve scratched Thomas’s eyes out.

  “I can shoot him or you can do as instructed and your lover may have a chance to survive. Which will it be?”

  Ruby swallowed hard. That was a choice? Either way, she knew he intended to kill Michael. Would she be giving Michael a better chance if she were out of the way and didn’t have to worry about her?

  “Ruby.”

  She looked deep into Michael’s eyes. For an instant, she saw fear. Then his blue gaze touched her, comforted her. His glance told her to save herself. She didn’t want to. Her eyes filled with tears as she nodded.

  “When you’re underwater, head to the rear of the boat, and keep swimming. I’ll catch up with you,” Michael assured her.

  She wanted to believe him. Her heart hurt from wanting it so much. For once in her life, Ruby would trust him and do as Michael asked.

  “Untie her wrists, Alex,” Michael demanded.

  “I agreed to let her go. I never said in what state.”

  “Damn it, Alex,” Michael bellowed. “Let her go.”

  The next thing she knew, the mask was pulled down over her eyes and nose, the regulator thrust into her mouth and the valve was opened, turning the air on. Shoved one last time, she held the mouthpiece tight between her teeth as she floated through air and dropped into the ocean with a splash.

  As she hit the water, she kicked the fins frantic to reach the surface. She couldn’t. The weightbelt too heavy, she drifted down through water and angel fish until her feet hit the ocean floor. Damn. She couldn’t get any buoyancy.

  If she released the regulator mouthpiece, she could maybe get the manu
al BC inflator, but there was no guarantee. Nor did she know if she’d be able to get the regulator back in her mouth. That wasn’t part of any scuba diving lesson.

  Hands tied behind her back, Ruby couldn’t reach the mini knife hidden on the underside of her compass and air console. Assuming it was still there.

  She noticed the bubbles expelled from her mouthpiece. She was breathing too fast. She had to calm down or she’d run out of air too soon.

  Oh, crap, she murmured in her head, closing her eyes in anguish.

  Opening them again, she breathed slow and deep. Air tasted kind of funny, metallic. She probably bit her lip and tasted blood. Forget that. Think, Ruby. Think.

  As Michael told her, Ruby headed toward the stern of the boat. How the hell was she going to get untied? An answer came to her when she glanced up and saw the motor prop. If she could just get to the blade, she could use it to cut the rope. Brilliant, Ruby. If you can’t float, how can you get to the prop?

  Come on woman, you can do this, she commanded, searching the ocean floor. There had to be a way, something. Then she saw it.

  Ten feet away was an outcropping of staghorn coral. It had sharp branches spearing off in any number of directions. If she rubbed the rope against the branch, she could use it like a knife. Touching the marine life would kill it, and on an average day Ruby took great pains to avoid contact with coral, hating to cause its death. In this case, she’d make an exception. Besides, she hated the prickly buggers. Every time she brushed up against it, she’d have an itchy, irritating rash for a week.

  Making her way to the coral, Ruby located a tough looking branch. With extreme care, she positioned the rope against the staghorn, careful not to touch it with her skin. Rubbing the nylon material back and forth against the coral’s roughness in a seesaw motion, Ruby prayed it would work.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby caught movement, swift and powerful. She halted, held her breath. Her worst fear swam not five yards from her. Then she saw the other. The first shark had a mate. Oh, Shit! Not now.

  Her heart raced, breathing quickened, as she pleaded, no, no, no. This wasn’t happening. She wasn’t going to lose Michael. She had to get out of this mess. Determined to put the scary finned sea creatures out of her mind, Ruby went back to sawing her hands free from their restraints.