"What?" Paul looked confused. "I don't know what you're ... "
"Julia doesn't have time for us to sort out your philandering right now. I'm going; get over it and let's get moving."
"My philandering? Connie, I don't understand."
"Of course not. Just go along with me. Pretend I've got aftermarket breasts and an invisible bathing suit."
"You were the one who said we didn't have time for that discussion." Paul was shaking his head like a punch-drunk fighter trying to regain his feet as his opponent danced around the ring.
"Good. That got through to you, anyway. Now let's go call Phillip and get this under way."
"But this is dangerous."
"So am I. Remember what I did to those idiots who tried to use Diamantista in their drug-smuggling scheme when you were tied up on your last case?"
"Yes, but you didn't choose to go into that battle."
"That's right, I didn't. And I still killed one of them and handed you and your boys the others, ready to lock up. I know what's coming this time. I won't be taken by surprise. I know what I'm doing, Paul."
"I hope so. I can tell I'm not going to win this one. I love you, Connie. Remember that, whatever happens."
"Does this mean you're on board? I don't want any half-assed support from you; you're either in, or you stay out of it."
"I'm in. I just hope you know the risk you're taking."
"Good. That's more like it. Let's get Sharktooth back and call Phillip."
"One thing before we do that," Paul said, as she reached for the phone.
She froze. "What?" she snarled, whirling to face him, her face red beneath her tan again.
"About Karen, I ... "
"Jesus, Paul! Now isn't the time. You just have to live with that little dalliance until we get Julia back." She picked up the telephone and scrolled through the directory until she came to Sharktooth's number.
"Okay, Phillip," Paul said. "I guess we're ready down here. Connie and Sharktooth are with me."
"What about the Regans?" Phillip's voice came from the speakerphone.
"They still at the beach," Sharktooth said.
"Okay, so what's up?" Phillip asked.
"I'm going to take Marie's place," Connie said.
"Um ... Paul?"
"Yes?"
"You okay with that?"
"I don't answer for Connie. She's committed, and I'm behind her a hundred percent." Paul looked at Connie, and she nodded her thanks, giving him a little smile.
"Okay. I think we need to move fast on this. Unless somebody says otherwise, I'll drop off and call Clarence. He can get his guy to set things in motion while we work out some details."
"Good," Connie said. "If we can, set it up for Sharktooth to make the handoff. Paul looks too much like a cop. No offense, either of you."
Both men nodded an acknowledgement.
"Okay. Makes sense. I'll call right back," Phillip said, and there was a click as he disconnected the call.
"So I look like a cop?" Paul asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Well, you do."
"An' me?" Sharktooth asked, his face without expression. "I look like a pimp?"
"I said ... " Connie looked flustered as Sharktooth erupted into laughter.
"Jus' teasin' you. But don' tell Maureen, okay?"
"No way. Don't worry about that. I'm scared of her," Connie said, straight-faced.
"Wha'? Scared of my wife?"
"I've seen her put the fear of God into you; I'm not getting crossways with her," Connie said, smiling.
The phone rang, and Paul put Phillip on the speakerphone again.
"All right," Phillip said. "That's in motion. If he can, he'll set the pickup for late this afternoon, assuming they tell him the drop will be at Chateaubelair. If not, he'll do the best he can. Clarence will email me."
"Good," Connie said. "Let's talk about how we're going to play this."
"I figured you had some ideas," Phillip said. "Tell us."
"I'm hoping you've got some of those small GPS satellite trackers," Connie said.
"No problem," Sharktooth said. "Got some on Lightning Bolt from the las' time I made a shipment. The little ones."
"The ones about the size of a quarter?" Connie asked.
"Tha's right."
"Okay. I'm thinking we hide them in my clothes. One of them turned on for you to track; the other one I'll trigger when it's time for you to come pick us up."
"Good," Phillip said. "Nice and simple. We'll use Lightning Bolt for the attack, since it's already down there, if that's okay with you, Sharktooth. If not, Clarence can ... "
"That's fine," Sharktooth said. "She got a low radar profile." He grinned.
"How far do you think?" Phillip asked.
"Twelve miles — fifteen to be safe. That puts us just a few minutes out from when you call for pickup," Sharktooth said, looking at Connie.
She nodded. "Sounds good."
"I'll catch a ride down on one of Clarence's choppers as soon as we hang up," Phillip said. "How're you fixed for weapons and equipment, Sharktooth?"
"I'm going with you," Paul interrupted. "I'll need some gear."
"Of course," Phillip agreed.
"I got everyt'ing," Sharktooth said.
"Sure I don't need to bring anything, then?" Phillip asked.
"Well," Sharktooth said, "since you ask, bring another bucket of that fried chicken. Might be hungry work, trailin' Connie. We don' know how long we gonna be."
"You got it. Unless there's something else, I'm on my way. See you shortly."
21
"Where the hell do you think you're going, Helga?" Derek Simmons was irate, the veins in his neck bulging and his hands clenched into painful fists. "I told you, you cannot take the RIB now."
Helga laughed at him. "You want to hit me, but you are too scared," she taunted. She had her brawny left arm wrapped around Julia, supporting most of the semi-conscious girl's weight. "Come on, Captain Derek Simmons. Be a man; take a swing at me. Maybe you are lucky."
"I might hit the girl," he said, his face flushed.
"Do not worry so. She would not feel it, nor remember it. Besides, you could not land the punch, as you Americans like to say. Get out of my way, now. I must go. The RIB is waiting."
"The RIB? You can't take the damn RIB. We've got a pick-up in an hour."
"A pick-up? Oh, the one the new man calls you about, yes?"
"Yes. He says she is a real beauty."
"He is a pimp. What does he know about real beauty? Get out of my way, you shithead, or I break your skinny little arm. With one hand, I do this; I promise you. Then you will not be able to play your sick games with this new one you are so eager about."
"We need to — "
"We need to get this one to the house, so that Ludwika can get her straightened out and off the drug before Yuri comes," Helga interrupted him.
"But he's not coming until the day after tomorrow," he protested.
"Yes. That is correct. It takes that long for her to metabolize the drug. Yuri will not be happy if his virgin is a zombie. He likes them alert and frightened. Now move. You waste my time."
"As you were, Ms. Wertz. I remind you that I am the captain of — "
She folded her right hand into a fist and placed the knuckles against his breastbone. With no apparent effort, she straightened her arm, and Simmons smashed into the bulkhead behind him, his head cracking solidly against the paneling. Holding him pinned with her fist, she ground the knuckles into his sternum until tears ran from his eyes.
"You are the chicken's shit," she said, a sneer on her face. "Delay the pick-up until midnight. I will make your pick-up then, sir." She clicked her heels and saluted, laughing as she turned to lead Julia down the corridor.
Sharktooth lazed in Lightning Bolt's cockpit, keeping an eye out for the approach of a small boat from St. Vincent's shoreline. They were drifting, about 10 miles west of Chateaubelair. Connie was out of sight below. Paul and Phillip we
re waiting with the Regans aboard Diamantista, back in Bequia. The two men had discussed coming along for the drop, but Connie had vetoed that.
"Too risky," she had said. "If anything went wrong and they spotted you, it would be all over."
"But we need to be able to follow you after they pick you up," Paul protested.
"We've got the tracker. You can follow that. You have to stay ten or fifteen miles back anyway. Track me from Diamantista. That's only sixteen miles from the drop. Sharktooth can pick you up after they take me, and then you can head straight for the tracker. Nothing's going to happen in the first few minutes anyway. You'll be back in position in plenty of time, and it's good from a cover standpoint if they see Sharktooth take off for Bequia after the drop; for all we know, somebody might be watching the drop location."
"Tough to argue with her logic," Phillip had said.
Paul had nodded grudgingly. Thirty minutes later, Connie and Sharktooth were in position, drifting.
Sharktooth spotted a white speck against the distant shoreline to the east. He watched as it grew larger. After a couple of minutes, he could make out the colored hull of a typical island fishing boat in the midst of the spray that flew as the boat crashed through the chop.
"I t'ink they comin'," he called.
"Okay. When they get here, come get me. Drag me up; I'll struggle enough to make it convincing, so don't be surprised. Use some muscle if it feels right to you," Connie said, peering out through the companionway.
Sharktooth's satellite phone rang. He picked it up and pressed the green button, barking a gruff, "Yeah?" as he keyed the speakerphone.
"You got the stuff?" an equally gruff voice asked.
"Yeah."
"Put it on display when they slow down to idle. I'll call back when I see the pictures."
The connection dropped, and in a moment, a boat with two men and a woman aboard drifted a few yards off Lightning Bolt's starboard side. Sharktooth reached below and grabbed a handful of Connie's shirt, dragging her roughly out into the cockpit. She delivered a vicious slap to his face, and he grabbed her hand, twisting her arm behind her back as he jerked her up on deck. He turned her to face the boat drifting alongside and grabbed a handful of her hair, forcing her to look at the man who was snapping pictures with a camera that had a telephoto lens on it. The man grinned and made a thumbs-up gesture. He handed the camera to the woman. As she sat with the camera and a satellite phone, the man yelled, "Wait!"
Sharktooth nodded and shoved Connie back below decks. In a few minutes, his phone rang.
"Yeah?" he answered.
"$10,000," the same voice from earlier said.
"Okay," Sharktooth said.
"Bring her back there at midnight." The caller disconnected.
Paul and Phillip were waiting on Diamantista's side-deck when Sharktooth brought Lightning Bolt alongside. Their shock at seeing Connie was evident.
"What's wrong?" Paul asked, as the Regans hurried into the cockpit.
"Nothing," Connie said. "They set the exchange for midnight; that's all. They probably don't trust the people running the boat with that kind of cash until the deal's made."
"When we saw the tracker headed this way, we thought something had gone seriously wrong. Like maybe it fell out of your pocket, or something," Luke said.
"It's stitched in the hem of my shirt," Connie said.
"Paul told us," Monica said.
"As long as you're here, I want you tell you again how much we appreciate this, Connie," Luke said. "It's way beyond anything I ... "
"It's okay. I'm fond of Julia, and people like these just really piss me off. They're bad for business, too."
"Let's get Connie out of sight," Phillip cautioned.
When they were seated below, Paul said, "Phillip got a call from Clarence. They managed to trace that call to Sharktooth's sat phone to an exchange in Miami, but they lost it when the guy hung up."
"Miami?" Connie asked. "How were they able to get past the relay, or whatever?"
"We don't know for sure that this wasn't through another relay, but they were set up to trap calls to Sharktooth's phone, not the other way around," Phillip said.
"Hmm," Sharktooth said. "I didn't t'ink the calls came from that boat we saw."
"What did they say?" Paul asked. "You weren't connected very long either time."
Sharktooth repeated the brief instructions he'd been given on the calls.
"$10,000," Connie mused.
"A bargain price," Paul said, patting her on the hand.
She smiled. "Thanks. What're you going to spend the money on, Sharktooth?"
He grinned, thinking for a moment before he turned to the Regans. "You got a college fund for Julia?"
"Yes," Luke answered.
"Then tha's where I t'ink the money should go."
"Good idea," Connie said.
"Since we have a little extra time," Phillip said, "Let's talk about what's going to happen when you call for us to pick you up."
"All right," Connie said, "but we don't have any idea what our situation's going to be."
"We'll deal with the things we can control," Phillip said. "Let's start with you triggering the second tracker."
"Okay," Connie agreed.
"How will you decide to trigger it?" Phillip asked.
"When I've found Julia."
"Suppose they keep you isolated?"
"I hadn't thought of that. I'll find a way to see if she's there."
"That may not be so easy," Paul said. "Run through some options for us."
"Okay. I'll try to strike up some kind of relationship with my captors."
"How?"
"I'll ask for food, or water. Tell 'em I need the bathroom. Fake some kind of illness. Beg for a cigarette."
"Okay, all good ploys," Phillip said. "What's your objective in the relationship?"
"I want to be alone with one guard, not restrained or locked in a cabin."
"Good. Let's say you achieve that. What then?"
"I'll take out the guard."
"How?" Luke asked.
"Depends on what's available in the way of improvised weapons."
"Assume there's nothing you can use. Then what?" Phillip asked.
"Eyes, balls, throat, knees, or elbows. I want him unconscious ASAP, though, so nobody comes running to his rescue. My preference is one blow with something heavy; second choice is shock him with pain and choke him out."
"Okay, he's down," Phillip said. "What next."
"Down isn't enough. Dead, or unconscious and confined," Connie said.
Monica's face had gotten progressively whiter as she listened.
"Where did you ... "
"I grew up in some rough places, and I've had some training," Connie said, "but survival is mostly a matter of attitude and determination. Bullies always underestimate women."
"Good," Phillip said. "What next?"
"I'll find Julia and turn on the second tracker."
"You'll have ten or fifteen minutes, then. You'll need to keep yourself and Julia out of the way of the rest of your captors until we get there."
"Right," Connie agreed.
"When we board, we'll be in stealth mode until we either get spotted or secure the vessel," Phillip said. "If somebody sees us and raises an alarm, we'll toss a flash/bang grenade. If you hear that, hunker down. It'll probably mean a fire-fight, so stay out of the way. Otherwise, we'll find you when we've secured the vessel."
Connie nodded. "Then what?"
"Once we get you and Julia on your way back here, Clarence will send in a cleaning crew."
"A cleaning crew?" Luke asked.
"We aren't going to leave any evidence behind," Phillip said.
"But might there not be some other women? Captives?" Monica asked.
"They'll be taken care of. That's part of what the cleanup detail's tasked with. They're capable of getting any other survivors back where they belong."
"What about the kidnappers?" Luke asked.
>
"They'll fight to the death," Phillip said.
"What if they don't?" Monica asked.
"They don' get that choice," Sharktooth rumbled. "They already made they las' decision when they took Julia, I t'ink."
"I think we're ready," Phillip said, "unless somebody's got another question."
"I'd like a few minutes with Connie," Paul said, stepping into their stateroom.
Connie followed and closed the door behind her.
"It's too late to stop me," Connie said, once they had some privacy.
"I know. That's not what I had in mind."
"No second-guessing me, Paul. I'm committed."
"We're all committed at this point. I just wanted to say I love you, and I think you're incredibly brave."
"Thanks. Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?" Paul locked his eyes on hers.
"Like you think you may not see me again. I'm coming back."
"I'm counting on it, but one of the hard lessons from my days as a cop is that there are no guarantees."
"I'm going to be fine; these people haven't a clue, Paul. They've been picking on children and the downtrodden."
"I know all that. I just don't ... " He paused, and then dropped his gaze.
"You don't what?"
"I know this isn't the right time, Connie, but I can tell something's not right between us."
"Paul, I ... "
"No. I don't want you to try to explain. I just don't want you going off into danger with any unsettled feelings about us. That'll compound your risk; it could get you killed. I've seen it before."
"Okay, but ... " She shook her head. "I don't know what to say."
He took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Look, whatever it is that's come between us, we'll fix it. Know that. Whatever I need to do to fix things, I'll do with no reservations. I know in my heart that you'll do the same. Now forget about us and concentrate on getting yourself and Julia back here. That's all you need to worry about."
She sobbed and fell against his chest, hugging him as hard as she could.
"I love you, Paul. Thanks."
"I know. I love you, too. Now cut out the sentimental stuff and focus on what you have to do. Okay?"
Sailor's Delight_A Connie Barrera Thriller_The 2nd Novel of the Caribbean Mystery and Adventure Series Page 15