Bunny Elder Adventure Series: Four Complete Novels: Hollow, Vain Pursuits, Seadrift, ...and Something Blue

by J. B. Hawker

  “Thank you so much!” Marki breathed. “I don’t know your name, but I am very grateful.”

  “I’m Virginia, and you’re Marki, aren’t you? How old are you, dear?”

  “I’m twenty-two.”

  “What an exciting age. How wonderful for you to work on a cruise ship. Where are you from, if you aren’t too tired and don’t mind my nosiness?”

  “Oh, I don’t mind talking about normal things. It helps me forget…well, you know.”

  “Of course.”

  “I’m originally from Houston, Texas, but I left there when I was young. I’ve been living in Miami for a couple of years, now. That’s how I got connected to the cruise ship entertainment industry.”

  “And what brought you to this particular cruise line?”

  “A guy, isn’t that always the way? My boyfriend booked this cruise for us and then bailed when he got a better offer. Never count on a man, Virginia!”

  “Now, isn’t that funny. That’s just what it says in my Bible.”

  “Your Bible? Are you a preacher?”

  “Not exactly, although Strother says I do tend to get a bit preachy sometimes. My husband and I are just a couple of old retired folks, now. We spent many years in Africa as Baptist missionaries, though.”

  “Does the Bible really say you can’t depend on men? You’re joking, right?”

  “Not at all…the Bible tells us very clearly not to depend on any man, but to put our trust in God alone.”

  “Oh, that’s what you meant.”

  Marki seemed disappointed.

  “I’ll let you rest, now, dear. We can talk more, later, if you feel up to it. And, try not to worry. God is in control, you know, and everything is going to be just fine.”

  “If you say so,” Marki murmured under her breath as Virginia moved away.

  Too bad the old woman was a Bible thumper. She’d seemed really nice and kept that nosy lesbian away, too.

  When Virginia returned to her husband’s side, he looked up with a quizzical expression as though he could sense that she had something to say.

  “Strother,” she began, “I’m troubled.”

  “Yes?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing, really. It’s just the homosexual women.”

  “What about them?”

  “They seem so prickly. It makes me uncomfortable.”

  “Uncomfortable because they are lesbians? That doesn’t sound like you.”

  “No, it’s not that. As a world-class sinner myself, I can rub shoulders with all manner of fellows. But they are so eager to take offense, before any is offered. It makes me defensive and I don’t like that.”

  “Oh, I see what you are saying. But you do understand how it is when we humans are insecure and feel we are being judged. Our first response is often an aggressive posture. Homosexuality is the hot button sin of the moment. Just ignore the flare ups. These two are in a new situation, apparently, and seeing offenses where none are intended. I’m sure they’ll settle down, eventually. Most of us either work out our sins or decide they are actually assets, and embrace them.”

  “You’re right, of course. I just hate to see people so unhappy. I don’t understand what causes men to turn in passion to other men, but I suspect that for women it is mostly fear that makes them draw away from men. They are afraid of rejection and emotional pain, or else they are afraid of physical abuse and physical pain. Women naturally turn to other women for comfort and affection, so that next step isn’t such a leap.”

  Half a dozen burly pirates approached the ship’s skiffs just then and with much shouting and pushing began lowering one to the water.

  “What are they doing, now?” Franz wondered aloud. “Could they be abandoning the ship?”

  Warren stood and looked out to sea past the men. He spied a sail on the horizon.

  “There’s a boat out there, Franz. I’m afraid this bunch is intent on adding to their collection of captives.”

  “Is there no way to warn the boat off?” Franz asked. “Or to let them know we need help?”

  “I doubt it. Even if we made a sign or waved a flag at them, they couldn’t know what we meant.”

  Overhearing, Virginia offered, “We can all pray for those people on the boat. That’s what I am going to do.”

  “If you’ve been praying for our rescue, maybe that dinky little boat is all God had to offer,” Marki quipped.

  “I’m glad to see you are feeling better, Marki,” Warren responded. “Are you in much pain?”

  “Not too much, thanks. What do you think is going to happen to us next?”

  Warren wanted to reassure the girl, and the others that were listening, but he was at a loss. These pirates were unpredictable and like nothing he ever encountered. However, panic would only make their situation more dangerous, so perhaps a small lie wouldn’t hurt.

  “We are going to get out of this, just fine, Marki. All of us.”

  “How can you say that, after everything they’ve done?” the lottery winner, Tricia Winston, challenged from a few yards away. “I think they are going to kill us all.”

  “After ravishing us!” Celine piped up.

  “Calm down, now,” Warren urged. “These guys have been savage up to now, but their captain, or whatever he is, seems to have them more under control, lately. I’m sure they are just going to hold us until the shipping line pays our ransom. After that, they will go away and leave us alone to be rescued. All we need to do is put up with these conditions for a few more hours or days. If we keep our wits about us and don’t panic we should be fine.”

  “We can only hope you are right, my friend,” Franz responded.

  

  Bunny was thinking about taking a dip in her private pool, but didn’t feel comfortable about being overlooked by that passing cruise liner. Standing next to the railing she looked up at the ship and noticed a launch headed their way.

  “Max! I think we have company,” she called out.

  “Where?” Max asked as he popped up from the cabin. Seeing the motor boat approaching he grabbed his binoculars for a closer look, then paled.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Bunny asked.

  “There are four armed men on that boat. This looks bad, Hun.”

  “What are we going to do? Can we outrun them?”

  “Not a chance…are you still wearing your sailor’s utility knife clipped on the inside of your waistband like I showed you?”

  “Yes…but..”

  “Look, we can’t overpower these guys, so I think we are going to have to give them whatever they want. But, if we are going to have to fight for our lives, we need to have the element of surprise on our side. So make yourself look as old and feeble as you can. Mess up your hair and put on that ratty sunhat I hate.”

  Bunny tried to ignore the erratic pounding in her chest and did as Max instructed, then grabbed her paperback book and went to the far side of the boat and stretched out on the deck chair, trying to appear absorbed in her reading.

  Meantime, Max dashed below, grabbed the single bottle of rum they’d brought with them, took a swig and splashed most of the rest on his shirt and pants. Coming back on deck, he gave Bunny a swift kiss and whispered, “Pray that we haven’t forgotten what we learned in our high school acting classes, Buns.”

  Swinging the nearly empty bottle jauntily, he weaved to the side of the boat just as their unwelcome visitors pulled up in the motor launch.

  “Ahoy, there! Company, at last! Come on board and have a drink with us, mates!” he slurred.

  Three of the pirates, led by Jama, climbed aboard, leaving their compatriot on the skiff.

  Jama prodded Max with his AK47 and Max responded in character, “Say, careful with the guns! No need for that, now. Didn’t I just invite you to join us?”

  “How many on this boat?” Jama demanded.

  “Just the missus and me. Plenty of room for you boys. Here, have a drink!.”

  Max thrust the rum bottle at Jama who batted it fr
om his hand, sending it into the water.

  The other two men were searching the boat, one had gone below and the other was approaching Bunny.

  “Who are you?” she asked in her most feeble and elderly voice. “Max,” she wailed, “what’s going on?”

  The pirate who’d gone below emerged, drinking a soda from the little galley refrigerator. He growled something to Jama then joined him in training his gun on Max, while Bunny doddered arthritically along the deck. Prodded roughly from behind, she let herself stumble and fall, moaning pitifully.

  The pirates shoved their captives into the launch, not even bothering to search them, and then roared across the water to the cruise ship, leaving Pristine Promise bobbing on the water, sails furled and the sea anchor deployed.

  Chapter Ten

  …a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young.─ Deuteronomy 28:50

  Max helped Bunny to her feet after Jama and his crew had shoved them down onto the cruise ship’s deck amid a cluster of passengers.

  “Are you okay, Hun? You did a great job.”

  “I’m not hurt, Sweetie. How about you?” Bunny inquired.

  “Not a scratch on me. I do reek of rum. It seemed to do the trick, though, so it’s worth it.”

  Looking around, Bunny noticed their unceremonious arrival was attracting attention. All the captives were looking at them, expectantly.

  “Howdy, y’all. Sorry to crash your party, uninvited and all. I’m Max and this is my wife, Bunny.”

  “I’m Warren. We’re sorry you had to wander into the path of our captors, but it is fortunate they decided to bring you aboard, rather than kill you.”

  “What exactly is going on here?” Max asked.

  The other passengers pressed around the newcomers and began telling their stories, all at the same time.

  “Whoa, we can’t understand y’all at once.”

  Strother Ambrose stepped up and introduced himself.

  “We were on a pleasure cruise, just minding our own business, like you and your wife, when these pirates attacked. We believe the members of the crew are either incarcerated below decks, or they’ve been killed. We haven’t seen any of them since the attack.”

  “We do know they killed my dear wife, and some male dancers,” Franz offered.

  “…and they’ve been raping the younger females!” Celine interjected.

  “At least, there haven’t been any deaths since they began giving us food and water,” Warren added.

  “You call that food?!” Sammy complained.

  “At any rate, things have calmed down a bit. We’re hoping the ransom negotiations are proceeding and we will soon be free.”

  “I’d pay the damned ransom, myself, if they’d give me a chance,” Floyd said. “But, I can’t speak their friggin’ language.”

  Virginia Ambrose edged closer to Bunny, whispering, “Are you all right, dear? You must have had a terrible fright.”

  Her solicitous manner seemed odd until Bunny remembered she was impersonating a much older woman.

  “Oh, I’m fine, thanks. We’ve been putting on a little show for the kidnappers. Max thought it might be to our advantage if the pirates underestimated us. So, we’ve been acting old and feeble…Max even gave a pretty good impression of a drunken sailor.”

  “I thought I smelled strong spirits...well, I’m glad the two of you weren’t harmed. It was a very clever ruse.”

  Max walked aside with Warren and Strother, since the others seemed to look up to them. Franz joined their little group and the men began to explain their situation to Max in greater detail.

  “We’ve counted a dozen armed men, but we have no way of knowing if there are others in different areas of the ship. We understand they have been keeping the young women in several staterooms, each with armed guards, but we think they may be rotating with the guards on deck, so those might already be among the twelve we’ve counted. The leader is a fierce, wiry bald-headed little man. We only see him occasionally.”

  “They don’t seem to speak English, at least not to us,” Franz offered. “It’s frightening not to know what they plan to do. They are so very volatile. My precious Analise only asked for a drink of water and they threw her into the sea.”

  His voice broke as he spoke this last.

  “I’m sorry about your loss,” Max murmured before turning to Warren. “What’s your plan?”

  “What do you mean?” Warren said.

  “You look like a man who knows how to get things done. What’s the plan to get us all off this ship, safe and sound?”

  “As Warren told you earlier, we feel certain the pirates will let us go as soon as they receive their ransom,” Strother interjected.

  “That has been the usual outcome of these things,” Warren agreed.

  “Well, I hope you are right, but seems to me you’ve got to have a Plan B, just in case these guys have other ideas. I you did say they’re unpredictable.”

  Shimbir was storming around the bridge deck, throwing things and screaming at his men.

  “Why has there been no reply to my demands? Don’t the idiots in charge realize I am going to start killing passengers if I don’t get what I want?”

  His men merely shrugged and continued to try to keep the ship headed toward Darsa. They were accustomed to Shimbir’s outbursts.

  “Jama! Tell me how many passengers are left. I will send another message with the number we will kill when each deadline passes. That will get a response.”

  Bunny noticed Marco and his mother sitting away from the others and wandered over to them.

  “Hi! I’m Bunny Eld...uh, Banks, Bunny Banks. This is some great boat ride, huh?”

  “Hello. I am Marcella DiBortoli. My son is Marco. How do you do?”

  “Do you mind if I join you?”

  Marcella nodded for Bunny to sit with them.

  “So, where are you two from?” Bunny asked.

  “Verona is our home.”

  “Oh, I’ve been there! My sister and I took a trip to Italy a few years ago. We visited the coliseum in Verona and the Casa de Giullieta. We even rubbed the Juliet statue’s bosom – it’s supposed to bring true love – and it worked for me! Max and I are on our honeymoon.”

  “That is nice for you. I know of this statue. Of course, Romeo and Juliet were not real people, so this house was not her home.”

  “Oh sure, we knew that. But that place was supposed to have been Shakespeare’s inspiration or something. Anyway, it was fun. I threw coins into the fountain in Rome, but I’ve never been back, so I guess that particular juju didn’t work. At least, not yet.”

  When Marcella offered no response, Bunny continued, “Why did you and your son come on this cruise? Are you on vacation?”

  “I have been ill. The doctors said an ocean voyage might help. My cousin, Emil, works on this ship, in the housekeeping crew. He arranged our passage.”

  “That was kind of him. You must be close. Is he here? I’d like to meet him.”

  “I have not seen Emil since the pirates attacked. It is thought all the crew members are either being kept on the lower decks, or perhaps they have been killed. No one knows.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

  When Marcella once more grew silent, Bunny turned to the boy, “What do you like to study in school, Marco?”

  “History,” slipped out through barely open lips.

  “Oh, yes? I like history, too. What is your favorite historical period?” Bunny prompted.

  Just when she was about to give up on this taciturn pair, the boy responded, “I like the Chinese era of the Three Kingdoms.”

  Not having any knowledge of ancient China, Bunny asked, “What is it about that time that interests you most?”

  “The battles and warriors, especially Lui Bei and Cao Cao. They were so fierce!”

  Marco was suddenly animated. Bunny feigned a fascination she did not feel in order to keep the boy talking. Being held captive mu
st have been incredibly hard on the child. As long as he was talking about his Chinese soldiers it would give him a bit of a break.

  Marcella recognized what Bunny was doing and gave her a look of gratitude.

  After Marco talked himself out, he got a drink of water from the barrel and wandered over to where the men were conferring, leaving his mother and Bunny alone.

  “Grazie, Mrs. Bunny. You are kind. You must have been a wonderful mother. Your children were lucky. Marco is not so lucky, I fear.”

  “Oh, you have to be a much better mother than I...I have no children.”

  “You did not want them?”

  “I wanted them very much. When I was young I hoped to have a houseful. It wasn’t to be, though.”

  “You did not marry until too late?”

  “Not exactly. I married too young, I fear. I was pregnant four times in the few short years of my first marriage. The babies died before they could be born. Each lived a little longer than the last before leaving me. Every time I thought, maybe this time...but it never was.”

  “I am so sorry to have asked and caused you painful memories.”

  “That’s okay. It hurt a lot, at the time. You know, when you have a miscarriage people don’t treat you the way they would if you lost an older child. But, a woman who miscarries loses her potentially perfect child. That is a tremendous loss. However, I came to terms with it when I remembered that I will be with all four of those precious children in Heaven, one day. I will know them and they will know me and I will never lose them, again.”

  “You really believe this?”

  “Oh, yes! I must. If I couldn’t believe in Heaven, how could I endure this life on Earth?”

  “Many people do. I, myself, have many doubts. Would the God of Heaven allow us to be here, with these terrible men, now?”

  “Oh, doubts! Everyone has doubts. I certainly do. I can’t pretend to know why God allows our most painful experiences. I decided to trust him, anyway. It makes my life so much more pleasant to put myself in his hands. I can’t change the world, but I can change my attitude. So, that’s what I’ve chosen to do.”