Last night, the captain asked me to keep the loads of supplies small and make as many trips as possible to be ready to pick him up right away when he returned. He said they would take the Mystic while everyone was ashore. Now that plan was ruined, because Cave insisted on leaving Josh and Bett on the ship. He should just let me get rid of him.
*
Bartram waited until everyone but Harrison, Joshua, and Bett climbed into the motorboat, and once everyone was seated, he started the engine and backed away from the stern. After a slow, short ride, he maneuvered the boat against the floating dock and everyone climbed out.
He stayed with the boat and waited for the first load of supplies being wheeled down the dock by a man with a hand dolly. The other thing that bothers me. Why did the captain hire Harrison? Does he think I can’t do my job? Harrison is just a mercenary. He just works for money, not friendship and loyalty, like me. Can’t the captain see that? I bet Harrison has never even killed anybody. Too bad the police killed Ryack in the Netherlands. He was loyal to the captain, and we made a good team. And why did the captain use his real name on the forged papers? That was pretty stupid, if you ask me. If somebody tries to get in my way, I’ll just kill them and the problem’s gone.
He stood, grabbed the boxes of supplies from the man with the hand dolly, and began stacking them between the bench seats in the motorboat.
*
Mike led the way, and the six of them walked along the street, past the various stores selling items for the tourists. The ladies wanted to stop at each one, but Mike insisted they purchase the new winter clothing first. Mike entered a store with winter sports equipment on display in the window, and they followed him inside and to the racks of winter clothing.
Okana noticed Dieter didn’t follow them into the store, and touched Alex on the shoulder. “I’m going to follow Dieter. You know my size.”
“Okay. Meet you back at the ship.”
When Okana looked out the doorway, Dieter was already nearly a block away. He glanced in the opposite direction to make sure no one was watching, and then walked out to follow him.
*
Dieter was nervous about his unscheduled meetings. Since Cave joined the crew, he had to change all his carefully laid plans for the Mystic. He thought maybe he was being paranoid, but he had a feeling someone was watching him. As a precaution, he suddenly turned right onto a side street and stopped to look back around the corner. He waited several moments, but did not see any unusual activity, continued down the side street, and stopped at the store advertising nautical equipment.
He rang the green brass bell hanging from a black wrought iron bracket and a moment later, the door was opened by a short bald man, looking through bifocal glasses. The man stepped out of the way, and Dieter walked inside and waited for the man to close the door.
“Here’s the package you wanted, Captain Dieter.”
Dieter opened the thick envelope and saw the bundles of $100 bills, and tucked the envelope into his inside coat pocket. “Did you contact Blacktooth?” The man handed him a small scrap of paper.
“Yes. He’ll meet you at this address. It’s a warehouse up the street. Go right when you step outside.”
“All right.”
“He’s not happy with this sudden change in plans.”
“Neither was I.” He turned and walked out of the store.
*
Okana had followed Dieter around the corner and down to the nautical store, and then waited in a recessed doorway until he had gone inside. When the door closed, he hurried down the street and looked through the window. He saw Dieter looking into a thick white envelope before putting it into his pocket. When Dieter suddenly turned and walked out the door, he barely had time to duck around the corner of the building.
He thought Dieter would return to the ship, but instead he turned right and continued up the narrow street. Fortunately, there were several openings between the buildings on both sides, and he had no trouble staying out of sight. He followed Dieter four more blocks until he entered a small warehouse.
The only window was a small opening in the front door, so he glanced around once more, and then looked inside. Dieter was talking to a big, rough looking man. They appeared to be arguing, until Dieter held up the envelope. The man exchanged it for what appeared to be a plastic CD case, and Dieter slipped it into his coat pocket.
Okana ducked back behind the corner of the building when Dieter turned to leave, and waited until Dieter was a good distance away before walking back out onto the street to follow him. Dieter turned the corner at the nautical supply store, so he knew he was returning to the ship and did not try to keep up. He wondered what was in the case worth an envelope of money. Suddenly he felt an object press against the back of his spine between his shoulder blades.
“Stop!”
Okana stopped and raised his arms.
“Why you follow Dieter?”
Okana did not try to turn around and disarm the person. Information was a weapon, and he wanted to know what this man’s interest was with Dieter. “We had a deal and he backed out.”
“Turn around.”
Okana recognized the Russian accent and slowly turned around. It was the big man from inside the warehouse, and he could tell the man was a brawler by his physical size and facial scars. The black 9mm semi-automatic in his hand showed that he meant business.
The stranger grinned, exposing his black teeth. “That because I already have deal.”
Okana noticed the man’s expression suddenly become serious and kept quiet.
“I never know Dieter to back out of a deal. Why did he not take yours?”
“I have no idea. That’s why I followed him.”
“My deal is not over ‘til I get rest of my money. I am Blacktooth. You ask round. They tell you not get in my way.”
Naturally, Okana thought and tried not to grin as he slowly nodded his head. “Not a problem.”
“What is your name?”
“Jamison.”
The stranger laughed and put away the pistol. “Like the whiskey.”
Okana laughed with him, hoping for more information. He stopped smiling and stared at Blacktooth. “I wish you good luck with Dieter.” Blacktooth’s expression became serious, just as he hoped.
“Why you say that?”
Okana shrugged. “He backed out of a deal with me. What makes you think he will keep your deal?”
“Because I know that ship he is on does not have weapons. Only scientists. He would be fool to cross me.”
Okana decided not to take any chances by pushing harder. “He’s your problem now. I’m going to get some whiskey. Care to join me?”
“No.”
Blacktooth turned and walked away, and Okana continued down the street. Dieter must have information about his long lost relative, he thought. Somehow, he had to get a look at what was in that plastic case.
When he reached the main street, he continued down to the clothing store, and looked through the window, but there was no sign of Dieter. He could see the end of the floating dock a few blocks farther down the street, and Dieter was standing on the end, next to a stack of supplies, and would have to wait for the next ride back to the ship.
Okana walked into the store and realized everyone had found what they wanted to wear. Alex handed him a dark blue winter coat and pants.
“Try these on. They should be close.”
Okana quickly looked around. “Thanks. I just had a conversation with an acquaintance of Dieter’s named Blacktooth. I think Dieter’s after the stash from the U-boat. I was on the way back when Blacktooth shoved a 9mm against my back. He knows the Mystic is unarmed, Alex.”
Alex grinned. “Blacktooth? Really?”
“Yeah, I know, but it’s true.”
“Okay, but why the Mystic?”
“It takes a submarine to find one. The Mystic’s perfect for the job, and only has a small crew and untrained scientists on board. At least, that was the original p
lan-until you showed up.”
“I had a talk with Bett in the helicopter. I think Bartram and Harrison are with Dieter.”
“I suspected as much. I think he’s going to hijack the Mystic from Mike and use it to find the U-boat. What did you bring for a weapon?”
“A thirty-eight caliber feather weight pistol.”
“Good. I have my forty-five and two shotguns stashed on the ship. I had Bett pick them up before she came back. She’s an Army Vet, Alex. She flew helicopters in Afghanistan.”
“I should have guessed. Does that mean she and Josh are on our side if Dieter tries to take over the ship?”
“I think their loyalty is with Mike.”
“Good. I think Dieter had this planned from the beginning. He was not happy that I came back to the ship. How do you feel about Rita?”
“I can’t tell if she knows about Dieter’s plans.” He quickly looked around again. “It looks like the women are ready to leave. I’d better go try these on.”
Ten minutes later, they all walked out of the store and down the street to the pier, and then down the ramp to join Dieter at the end of the dock. A moment later, the motorboat pulled alongside, and they handed their packages to Bartram. Mike and Dieter climbed in for the ride back to the Mystic, but Alex and Okana were hijacked by Lisa and Rita, who wanted to walk around town before returning to the Mystic. Bartram told them they had another load of supplies on the way, so they had some time before leaving the harbor.
After walking out of the third store, Okana demanded they stop for iced coffee at a rustic dockside restaurant next door, and they found a table near the front window. It must have been a popular drink, because it only took a few moments for the waiter to return with their order.
Alex paid, and raised his mug to the group, casually watching Rita’s reaction. “To fair winds and following seas, and the treasure at the end of a successful quest.” After smiles and a round of toasts, she remained impassive about the mention of a treasure.
Okana tapped Alex’s foot under the table, and tried to hide his face as he nodded to the window.
Alex casually looked at the large man standing outside. When the man turned and walked through the doorway, Alex stood to block the man’s view of Okana. Once he passed by, Okana stood and left the restaurant.
“Where’s he going?” Rita asked.
Alex sat down. “He forgot something for the trip.”
He kept an eye on the big man, now standing at the end of the bar. He was talking with a short man wearing a dirty white boat skipper’s hat with something embroidered on the front, but he could not read the words from this distance.
Suddenly, the two men decided to leave, and Alex stood just in time to bump into the skipper and smile at him. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t see you.”
The skipper ignored him and followed the big man out of the tavern, and Alex sat down. The embroidered name on the hat was CONDOR.
Lisa gave him a concerned expression. “Is something wrong, Alex?”
“No. What makes you think something’s wrong?”
“That’s the second time you jumped out of your chair. You tell me.”
“I’m just anxious to get underway, I guess.”
Lisa smiled at him. “I know. Me too. My life is so boring most of the time, but since you joined us, I finally have some excitement in my life.”
“I’m ready to go.” Rita told them.
They stood, walked out of the tavern and down to the dock, and found Okana sitting behind the steering wheel of the boat, with Harrison in the passenger seat.
Okana looked up at the group. “Last run of the day, folks.”
Alex helped the women into the boat, and a moment later, they were cruising smoothly across the water to the Mystic.
*
Alex hung his new white cold weather clothing in the small closet with the other clothes he unpacked last night, and silently cursed that there was no lock on the door as he left his cabin and climbed the stairs to the main deck.
There was no one in the lounge, but he heard the hoist growling through the open doors at the end of the walkway and walked out to the stern to watch the activity. Harrison was controlling the hoist using a small remote control pad, while Bartram was guiding the motorboat onto the storage brackets.
The hoist suddenly shut down, and Alex heard voices behind him and turned to look up behind the bridge. Okana was leaning back against the railing talking with Mike, Joshua, and the three women, and he noticed Lisa holding a tall glass of champaign and laughing. Poor Lisa, he thought. This may become more exciting than she could possibly imagine.
*
Dieter and Mike were on the bridge leaning over a chart of the Aleutian Islands, discussing the various routes into the Bering Sea. Dieter pointed to a narrow gap between two large islands “We will save time if we detour through this area.”
“Are you sure? It appears to be very shallow according to the chart.”
“I checked the tides for our estimated time of arrival, and we will have plenty of water.”
“All right. You’re the Captain.”
Dieter waited until Mike walked down the stairs, then grabbed the satellite phone and entered a number. “We will be at the designated pass in five hours. Be ready.”
He grinned and set the phone back into its bracket, then leaned back in the chair. Last night he received a call from his source of information at the Pentagon. His source was related to a member of the Russian Mafia, and now he knew Cave’s history with the CIA and his relationship with the Director of National Security. Your Director Donner will not be able to help you this time, Professor.
* * *
Chapter 20
THE CABIN:
Wesley stared at the television, but it might as well have been off. After the call from Jamie last night, he knew the incident at the campground was a warning that things could get much worse. He heard a beep from his computer and walked to his desk as the printer shoved out four large colored photographs of his mountain into a tray. He smiled and grabbed them from the tray. “Thanks, Alex.”
He spread them out on the desktop, matching two sides on each to form one large image of his mountain. Someone had circled two large orange areas, indicating significant heat. “Oh, crap.” he said softly.
He grabbed his personal map of the mountain and matched the locations of the heat blooms in the photographs. He was familiar with one area and knew he could use his modified Humvee to get there without disturbing the ecological system. The eighteen-inch-wide tires were gentle on the vegetation and the high-rise suspension allowed him to travel over small trees with little damage to the foliage.
He grabbed his map and the photographs, went into the kitchen to put on his hiking boots, then walked out the door and climbed into his Hummer. The engine roared to life, and he backed up to the front of the barn and climbed out.
He opened the padlock between the two large doors, ignoring the complaining squeal of the overhead rollers as he shoved one side open. He entered the barn and went over to the metal shelving attached to the wall.
He had worked for the Hughes Corporation as an electronic engineer, designing specialized seismic sensors for twenty years. He just happened to have acquired a few test models before retiring. Each custom made sensor was twenty-inches square by eight-inches thick, with a flip up antenna on the side. Each unit was capable of sensing motion and temperature and transmitting the information to his receivers in the barn. He hefted a pair of them. The thirty-pound weight in each hand attested to the large capacity of the self-contained batteries.
He carried two units over to the Hummer and set them in back behind the rear seats. After closing the barn door, he climbed into the cab and drove away, following an old logging road behind his cabin up the side of Mount Baker. Twenty minutes later, he followed another abandoned dirt logging road for another half hour before turning off the road and continuing through virgin forest.
Fifteen minutes late
r, he recognized the exposed thirty-foot area of flat granite protruding from the ground, but something was wrong. Wisps of yellow vapor swirled across the grey granite surface before vanishing into the air.
He shut off the engine and climbed down from the Hummer, walking over for a closer look. A yellow liquid substance was boiling up through a fresh fracture in the granite and he knew it was a new fumarole; a place where magma was close to the surface. “Oh, crap.”
He pulled a pocketknife from his front pocket and knelt down beside the fracture, and the stench of rotten eggs assaulted his nostrils. He scrapped the thick yellow sulfur from the granite and saw it had not yet begun to harden, which meant the fracture was only a day old.
He stood and looked around for more fumaroles, but the rest of the area was clear, so he walked to the Hummer, grabbed one of the sensors, and returned to the fracture. He placed it on a level area of bare granite and flipped up the antenna. When he turned it on, a small flashing red light indicated it was working. “One down.”
He returned to the Hummer and studied the photograph and his map. The next location would be too steep for his Hummer and he would have to carry the other sensor for nearly three-miles through steep terrain. He tossed the maps inside the Hummer and climbed in, then drove onto the bare granite to turn around before retracing his route back down the dirt road. Even in extreme circumstances, he was careful not to disturb natural vegetation any more than necessary, and he was not about to change old habits.
*
MOUNT BAKER STATE PARK:
Jamie recognized the little boy standing outside the restrooms as she drove into the last campground to complete the morning inspections. She parked the SUV and climbed out, and he ran up to her, tears streaming down his cheeks.
The Alex Cave Series. Books 1, 2, & 3.: Box set Page 42