“They could be bluffing,” Detective Shaw said.
“It’s a chance we’ll have to take.” Chief Burton bit his lip. “Shaw, find me a stand-in. Officer Perez is small and thin. We could use him.” He put a hand on Noah’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll put a waterproof transmitter in a pair of swim trunks so we can keep track of the stand-in. We’re going to get everything set up and I’ll come by here later today.” He turned to Anthony. “You can pilot the Explorer. You and the officer will drive from here, just in case anyone’s watching.”
“Okay,” Anthony said.
“You do exactly like they said. We’ll have the officer deliver the spyglass. Once they have that, they should release your parents.”
“Are you sure?” Noah asked, worry in his voice.
“Yes,” Chief Burton smiled at him hopefully. “They want the map, not your parents.”
Noah forced a smile in return, but he was scared that things would go wrong.
***
“That’s not going to work,” Anthony said after Chief Burton left. “A stand-in isn’t going to fool the kidnappers.”
Noah lip trembled. “I don’t want anything to happen to my parents. I don’t care what Chief Burton said, I have to deliver the map.”
“It is too dangerous for you,” Juan Carlo said.
“No, it’s not,” Noah said. He turned to Anthony. “We can take the Explorer out there. Dad has some transmitters that we can put in my swim trunks, so you can track me. I’ll deliver the spyglass and they’ll let Mom and Dad go. Then we’ll call Chief Burton and let them know what happened.”
“I don’t know,” Anthony hesitated.
“Come on!” Noah said. “You know we can do this. You take me out there, I’ll give them the map, and then you can call Chief Burton. It’s the only way!”
“I don’t know.” Anthony rubbed his jaw. “Juan Carlo’s right. It’s too dangerous. If something happened to you, I could never face your parents.”
“I can do this,” Noah pleaded. “If the police are spotted, who knows what’ll happen. We have to do this ourselves.”
Anthony nodded slowly. “Okay, let’s do it.”
“But –” Juan Carlo said.
“Noah’s right. Trying to use a stand-in won’t fool the kidnappers,” Anthony interrupted him. “This is the only way to get Noah’s parents back safely.”
Juan Carlo muttered in Spanish. “Sí. But if anything happens to you or Noah, I don’t think I can forgive myself.”
“We’ll be fine,” Anthony said.
Noah thought about those words later, when things did go awry.
***
At ten o’clock, Noah and Anthony drove to the marina. Chief Burton had called that afternoon and said that Officer Perez, the stand-in for Noah, would come by at eleven and go with Anthony to the marina. By leaving earlier, Noah and Anthony avoided Chief Burton, who would surely put a stop to their plans.
Phil Harris was not happy about having someone interrupt his night watch. But Chief Burton had obviously cleared things, because Phil gave them little trouble, other than a snide comment about them showing up earlier than he expected.
Anthony and Noah untied the Explorer in silence. Anthony turned on the boat’s lights and guided it past other vessels out into the open water. Noah stared at the dark water as they cruised toward the Marquesas Keys.
After a while, Anthony cut the engine. “We’ll wait here.”
“What do you think Chief Burton will do when he finds out we left earlier?” Noah asked.
“He’s going to be angry,” Anthony shuddered. “But I doubt Chief Burton will send a police cruiser out here because he’ll know that’ll put you and your parents at risk. He’s going to have to sit tight until he hears from us.”
Noah paced nervously, pausing every few moments to gaze out into the darkness.
Anthony said nothing, but kept looking at his watch. “It’s midnight,” he finally announced.
“I’ll be seeing my parents soon,” Noah said, trying to think positively. They went aft, where Noah could dive into the water.
“Make sure the transmitter is on,” Anthony said. He had showed Noah how to work it earlier in the day.
Noah felt in a tiny pocket inside his new swim trunks. “It’s on.” He slipped into the water. He couldn’t see more than a couple feet below him.
“Kind of spooky,” he said. The moon flitted in and out of silvery clouds.
“It’s okay. Good luck,” Anthony said. “Just swim out that way. I’ll be watching with the binoculars.”
“Okay.” Noah struck out, using a front crawl stroke. He was a strong swimmer, but he had difficulty in the choppy waters. Carrying the box made swimming harder, too. He swam until his arms and shoulders ached. Noah paused and treaded water with one arm. He glanced behind him. He was a hundred yards from the Explorer. Noah couldn’t see anything around him. His breathing raced, both from exertion and fear. He swam farther and stopped. What if this was just a wild goose chase? He could end up drowning before anyone rescued him.
Then he heard a speedboat nearing. A spotlight swept the water, coming to rest on him. He squinted at the bright light. It suddenly went off and he blinked, his eyes adjusting to the abrupt darkness. The boat engine died. Noah jerked as its hull suddenly came by him. Powerful hands snatched him under the shoulders and roughly hauled him into the boat.
“Stay down,” a menacing voice ordered him. He felt a gun poke into his back.
Noah huddled in the bottom of the boat, shaking. He turned his head cautiously. Three men stood over him. One was short and stocky, with a shaved head. He wore a swimsuit and no shirt. His chest was as wide as a barrel. The second man was taller, with a flat face and crooked nose. Noah tipped his head to the side. The third man, holding the gun to his back, had spiked blond hair – Dave ‘The Wrench’ Dixon. He and the man with the flat face had diving gear on.
“Let me see it.” The man with the flat face nudged Noah with his foot. Noah handed him the box with the spyglass in it.
“This is the map?” Noah didn’t say anything. Dave hit him on the back of the head. “Is this it?”
“Yes,” Noah said. His scalp hurt where Dave had struck him.
“Good. Scheff can make the Winters figure it out.”
They didn’t intend to release his parents! Noah coughed, his mind in a whirl. What do I do now? he thought.
“That assistant kid’s bringing the Explorer this way,” the man with the flat face said.
“Stand up.” Dave yanked Noah’s hair.
Noah struggled to his feet, swaying with the motion of the boat. “Put these on.” The man with the flat face held a pair of swim trunks. “Just in case you tried to pull something, like putting a transmitter in your trunks.”
Noah felt his heart cave in. His captors were taking no chances. He changed into the trunks, almost losing his balance. He set his swim trunks in the bottom of the boat. There was no way to transfer the transmitter into his new trunks.
“Now this,” the bald man said. He helped Noah into a diving tank. Once it was on, he stuck the regulator in Noah’s mouth.
“Gimme your hands,” the man with the flat face growled at Noah.
Noah put his hands in front of him. The man with the flat face locked a pair of handcuffs on him.
“Turn around.”
Noah did as he was told.
The bald man wrapped rope around Noah’s arms and legs, trussing him up like a mummy. He held Noah as the others put on their masks.
“There’s the Scubacraft,” Dave said. He gestured over the side of the boat.
Noah looked where Dave was pointing. Below the water’s surface, Noah saw the dull glow of an underwater Scubacraft. He had heard about this new type of craft. It was powered by twin engines and could scoot over the water at fifty miles-per-hour. And it could also run underwater. The Scubacraft cost over a hundred thousand dollars.
“You take the boat back toward Marquesa
s,” Dave said to the bald man. “Pete will be there. Scuttle the boat.”
Where are we going? Noah thought.
Dave set his gun down and snatched up a large wrench. He stuck it in the waistband of his diving suit.
“You give me any problems, you’ll get a smack with this,” he snarled. He turned on Noah’s air and checked the regulator. “Start breathing.”
Noah sucked in a breath. The next second, Dave picked him up and threw him overboard. Noah struck the water with a resounding splatter. He fought panic as he sank down. He could breath, but with his hands and legs tied, he was as helpless. He twisted around, seeing the Scubacraft’s light. A man was driving it, but Noah could barely see him. Then hands grabbed him.
Dave and the man with the flat face pulled him along as they swam to the Scubacraft. They tied Noah to the Scubacraft and hung on to the rails. The Scubacraft whirred through the water, away from the boat, even farther away from the Explorer. Noah didn’t have a mask on, and the rushing water hurt his eyes. He closed them, feeling completely blind and powerless.
Anthony will think I’m still in the boat, Noah thought. He couldn’t have seen them throw me over the side.
He counted in order to keep himself calm. His body jiggled back and forth as the Scubacraft gained speed. Noah kept counting. After reaching a hundred, he started over. Minutes passed by, and the Scubacraft finally slowed to a stop. Noah opened his eyes. He saw the white underside of what looked like a large luxury yacht.
“How far had they gone from the Explorer?” Noah wondered. He prayed that Anthony had contacted Chief Burton and they were searching for him now.
Dave and the man with the flat face untied him. The Scubacraft drove off, disappearing in the darkness. Dave pulled Noah to the surface. The man with the flat face emerged beside them.
“Untie him,” Dave said, holding Noah up.
The man with the flat face slit the ropes and Noah kicked with his feet to stay afloat.
“Climb up the ladder.” Noah saw an aluminum ladder to climb aboard the yacht. He reached for a rung, then swung his handcuffed hands at Dave, striking him on the cheek. Noah sank below the surface. Dave yanked him by the hair.
“Let me go!” Noah sputtered at him.
Dave pulled out the wrench and swiped it across Noah’s face. “You pull a stunt like that again, I’ll do more than hit you. Now get up that ladder.” He shoved Noah hard at the ladder.
Noah crashed against the ladder, his breath knocked away. He could feel a bump growing on his cheek where Dave hit him. He gasped as he awkwardly climbed up. A man with a Glock semi-automatic pistol stood waiting on deck. He dragged Noah up the last couple of feet. Noah stood in his swim trunks, dripping wet. Dave and the man with the flat face came on board.
“Any problems?” the man with the Glock asked.
“Everything’s fine,” Dave answered. “Take him below.”
The man with the Glock prodded Noah with it, indicating he should walk ahead of him. Noah’s eyes darted around, trying to memorize his surroundings. They walked along a narrow corridor with windows to rooms, but Noah couldn’t see inside them. They came to stairs and went down.
“In here.” The man with the Glock opened a door and stepped aside. Noah entered a large stateroom. It had a big bed, folding doors which he assumed opened to a closet, and a small bathroom.
“Lie down on the bed.”
Noah’s mouth went dry. What were they going to do? He got on the bed and lay down on his back. Dave and the man with the flat face entered the room. Dave had something in his hand.
“Hold him,” Dave told the others.
The man with the flat face and the man with the Glock grabbed Noah. Noah twisted and kicked, but the men were too strong. Dave stood beside him. Now Noah saw what he held: a syringe.
“Nighty-night,” Dave said in a sing-song voice. He bent down and twisted Noah’s arm. He found a vein in the arm and plunged the needle in.
“Let me go,” Noah struggled.
The room suddenly spun. Dizziness passed over him. Then darkness.
CHAPTER NINE
CHANG AND A KNIFE
Noah awoke with a start. He was lying on a king-sized four-poster bed in another large room. Hazy light filtered in through the blinds of a large bay window. Noah blinked a couple of times and moaned. He felt groggy, and his headed pounded from a headache. He raised his arms to rub his eyes, but they jerked to a stop after about a foot. He looked over at one hand. It was tied with rope to the bedpost. He glanced at his other arm. It was tied as well. His feet were also lashed with rope to the posts at the end of the bed.
He flopped his head back on the pillow. “Ouch,” Noah muttered as his head throbbed. He lay quietly for a few minutes until the thudding stopped. Then he assessed his situation. He couldn’t hear the yacht’s engine, or the motion of the sea. Conclusion: he was no longer on a boat. But if he was on land, where was he?
Someone had dressed him as well. He had on khaki shorts, a blue tee shirt, and tennis shoes. He pulled at the ropes, but could not free his hands. As he worked to untie his hands, he noticed that the handcuffs had left bruises on his wrists.
Noah studied the room more closely. Across from him, an expensive painting hung on the wall. The furniture looked expensive, too. Someone with money had furnished this room. But who?
The answer strolled through the door a half hour later.
“Ah, I see you’re awake.” A man turned on the overhead light. Noah squinted at two men who entered the room.
An Asian man with broad shoulders and thick arms guarded the door. He held a Smith & Wesson pistol, and a knife in a leather holster hung on his belt. Sweat glistened from his bald head.
The other man stood at the end of the bed. He was dressed in white shorts and a silk shirt. He was tall, well over six feet, and thin and pale as a piece of white paper. He had unusually long fingers, Noah noticed, and shoulder-length gray hair pulled into a ponytail. Noah had seen his picture before, in the society section of the Key West Citizen, the local paper.
“You’re Isaiah Wright!”
“I see you know me.” Wright tapped his long fingers together as he talked. His voice was high-pitched and reedy.
“Why am I here?” Noah asked. “I gave you the spyglass. You have what you want.”
“Not entirely.” Tap, tap, went Wright’s fingers. “I still need to know how to interpret the map. That’s where you come in.”
“I won’t help you,” Noah spat.
“Ah, but you will,” Wright smiled slightly. “I assure you, you will.”
“Is the emerald worth this?” Noah asked. “You’ll be charged with kidnapping. You’ll go to jail.”
“Ha, ha.” Wright leaned forward, laughing. “My dear boy, your courage is admirable, however misguided.” His eyes narrowed. “You’re out of your league. I suggest you cooperate, and I will let you go unharmed.”
“What about my parents?”
“We’ll get to that.” Wright turned to the Asian man. “Chang, untie him.”
Chang marched to the bed and used the knife to slice effortlessly through the ropes. He gestured with the knife and Noah swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. His legs tingled with numbness and Noah put a hand back on the bed to steady himself. Then Chang grabbed him by the shoulder and pinched him hard.
“Ow!” Noah yelped.
“Chang can do much more than that,” Wright said. “Don’t give him any trouble.”
They marched out of the room and down a long hallway.
“You asked me if the emerald was worth all this,” Wright said, pausing in front of a heavy wooden door. “If you’ll indulge me for a moment.”
Wright opened the door and showed Noah into a room filled with glass cases and paintings on the walls.
“The items in this room are priceless,” he said, waving a hand around. “It’s a collection of art and jewels worthy of a king.”
Noah couldn’t help gawking. Each case
displayed countless amazing items: swords and shields, necklaces and rings, all sparkled in the soft light. Huge rare-cut gems sat on velvet pillows. Noah saw diamonds, rubies, and other precious stones.
Wright pointed at a sword.
“This once belonged to the Crown Prince of Austria.” Wright gazed lovingly at the sword. “Isn’t it spectacular?”
“That was stolen from a museum in Austria a year ago,” Noah said.
“Stolen!” Wright sniffed. “Such a vulgar word. I merely appropriated it for better use.”
“What do you mean?”
“Can you imagine all those people visiting the museum and passing by this priceless treasure as if it’s nothing? Such a fine piece doesn’t impress them at all.” Wright shook his head in disgust. “I brought it here and now display it for my friends. Only a rare few like us can truly appreciate the beauty that is collected in this room.”
Noah stared at Wright. Only a madman would harm people to get what he wanted. Isaiah Wright belonged in prison, not on his own privately owned island.
“You’re crazy,” Noah said.
Wright tapped his fingers together. “Someday you’ll understand what I mean.” He flicked a finger at Noah. “Come now.”
They exited the room and turned right. They walked to the end of the hall, coming to a stairway. They climbed up, Noah between Wright and Chang. At the top were four doorways. Wright went to the third, opened it, and gestured for Noah to go in.
Noah stepped into the room. It was empty except for a small wooden table and one wooden chair. A small television and a video camera sat at one end of the table. The walls were padded with heavy tarps.
“The room is soundproofed,” Wright said. “You can scream all you want, but no one will hear you.”
Chang guided Noah to the chair and thrust him down. Noah grimaced. Chang extracted some cord from his pocket. He tied Noah’s legs to separate chair legs, then tied his arms to each side of the chair back.
“Excellent,” Wright said. “Now it’s time for you to help me.”
The Emerald Quest Page 7