Catching Kate (Scenic Route to Paradise)

by Andrea Aarons

  “Father, I surrender. I’m sorry. I don’t know what You have for me but I chose to trust you... Amen,” Kate whispered. The stars were coming out and across the water she saw the flickering of lights. They were near shore! The lights were a city... a small city.

  Chapter 16 Middleman Mischief

  Myla sat at the motel room window overlooking Redford Bay. Namibia was known for its diamonds. Myla loved diamonds. Still, she found the coastal town of Luderitz, Namibia too dull for her taste. This morning was especially boring as she had been instructed to wait in the motel room until further instructions. The American woman, Kate was supposed to be in the room with her and that would have been better, as Kate liked to talk. Turning the television on, Myla sat down on the bed with the remote in one hand and a delicate silver heart shaped locket in the other.

  Kate had been so docile until this morning when she tried to escape. It would have been comical if Myla had been watching a British or American sitcom. Instead, Myla was suppose to be watching the American woman as she was dressed for the meeting and ready to be transported from the town’s quay to the motel. Myla clucked disapprovingly as she recalled the unfortunate scene. The young woman would have ruined her expensive outfit, her hair and makeup if she would have climbed much further up the utility pole. Kate had looked like a circus performer in the billowing pink and pale green chiffon fabric and the gemstone tiara fastened upon her head.

  Didn’t the silly girl know that Yosef’s men were sailors? They climbed about ships, smaller vessels and yachts like baboons in a park. She was relieved that Yosef had gone ahead to secure the conference and motel rooms, not being present to witness Kate’s misbehavior and her own neglect of duty.

  Myla looked at the locket. She hadn’t been able to open it but it appeared quite expensive. As a last resort, Kate had given it to Myla as a bribe. Myla took it of course but Kate still paid dearly for her defiance.

  The middleman arrived the night before. He was not staying at the Redford Rest motel overlooking the bay but he knew it well. Although neither man had met before, each recognized the other at once. Both wore black shiny suits, white shirts, silk ties and both carried expensive briefcases. The middleman went by the name of Anwar. He was in his early fifties with his thinning hair and goatee predominantly gray where they had been black in his youth. Yosef had heard a rumor that Anwar was from northern Africa; assuming he was from Morocco.

  After Anwar followed Yosef to an intimate conference room overlooking the courtyard pool, two tourists checked in at the front desk. They had reservations.

  Once in the elevator, Roger - one of the tourists, popped open a cell-phone looking device. After a brief pause but before the elevator opened unto the second floor, he said, “Tommie, third floor!” Tommie at the ready pushed the button and the elevator continued after a momentary stop at the second floor. The doors opened and the hallway was empty.

  “Room service,” Roger called through the doorway after knocking on number 317. A woman’s voice replied through the door after the television was turned down.

  “I didn’t order room service!” Myla said.

  Roger had prepared for such a reply. He said, “Yes, the captain called from the front desk. I will let him know you did not want it, Madame.” Roger had been isolated away on St Helena for so long that he wasn’t much of an actor but his impersonation of a motel employee worked. Myla opened the door and Tommie rushed in.

  Myla was genuinely surprised. Before she could scream out, Tommie placed his hand roughly over her face, covering her mouth. Roger sped past Myla and Tommie with a pistol drawn. The rooms had no other occupants.

  “Where is she?” Roger growled. He had thought that perhaps his gift was in the hands of someone else but in coordinating with the Namibian authorities, it appeared that Kate was still in possession of the high tech treasure. The signal emitted from this very room. Initially, when he had seen the silver heart in the jeweler’s case during a European business trip some months before, Roger perceived the locket charming and perhaps a pleasant gift for a future, special gal. The manager of the shop explained the qualities of the silver locket including the GPS characteristic. On a whim, Roger bought the necklace but hadn’t thought of it again until... until he had thought to give it to Kate the night of the Bar-B-Que.

  Tommie had rarely seen his usual jaunty boss look murderous. Roger snapped again, “Where?” Tommie had loosened his grip and Myla gasped for air.

  “She tried to escape. She is... she is... Let me show you,” Myla was terrified as she tried to speak and only a hoarse whisper carried her words. Her knees shook. Roger’s heart sank as the black woman turned to the picture window. The only view from the window was Redford Bay. Tommie stood at the room door while Roger followed Myla to the window.

  Myla pointed. Roger looked. Below, three stories down was a circular drive to the north of the motel. It was the service entrance for the restaurant, motel linen deliveries and such.

  “That van. We had to contain her. She is very rebellious,” Myla told him matter-of-factly.

  Roger’s mind calculated his remaining time. The special police team that he was working with had given him about 15 minutes. Pulling Myla around, Roger said, “Come on. You will help us.” Then he added as he nodded toward his gun, “This has a silencer. If you cry out or struggle, no one will know why you supposedly fainted. If you cooperate, you will be left unharmed after we get Kate.” Tommie bent over and picked up the locket attached to the chain that lay before him on the carpet.

  Stepping forward, Roger said, “Let me see that.” He handed Myla over to Tommie. He shoved the trinket into his khaki pocket.

  Roger walked with Myla before him around to the north side of the building. He had left Tommie at the front with another of his St Helena men who sat in the driver’s seat of the white sedan Roger rented the day before. “Give us a few minutes and then drive around and pick us up,” Roger instructed Tommie.

  After convincing the van driver that he meant business, the man got out and opened the double doors for Roger at the rear of the vehicle.

  Roger’s eyes went wide when he saw Kate sitting with her head between her knees. She was dressed like the genie that lived in a bottle from the old American television show. She picked her head up, displaying a very pale face and uncomprehending eyes. The heavy eye make-up was smudged and the lipstick all but gone.

  “Pull her out gently,” Roger ordered Myla and the driver, as he took his jacket off. Roger turned hearing a car. It was Tommie and his driver. Tommie jumped out and took Roger’s pistol as the car rolled to a stop.

  Myla and the van driver were inside next to Kate; one on either side of her. As they lifted her toward Roger, he wrapped his jacket about her, carrying her to the car. Roger’s driver flung open the backseat door.

  “We got to go! Leave those two in the van... Shut those doors,” Roger called to Tommie. Tommie shut the doors, locking Myla and the van driver inside

  Kate was curled in a fetal position as Roger climbed in next to her. He put her feet on his lap to give her more room and tucked his jacket about her ankles.

  As their sedan came around the front of the motel, Roger saw the special agent impersonating the middleman coming out of the lobby doors. The gig was up and the agent had Yosef secured between two policemen.

  “Pull up! Pull up,” yelled Roger at his driver as they past the emerging men. “Kate, look up,” he ordered. Kate pushed herself up and looked at Roger. He wondered if she even recognized him. Roger pointed past her and asked firmly, “Kate is that the man? Is that him?” Two police cars with sirens and lights came careening up the street. Kate was momentarily distracted but then she swiveled, looking out the rear window.

  “Captain Yosef!” she said in an awed whisper.

  Roger opened his door and said to Tommie and the driver, “I’ll be right back. Then we need to get out of here fast before the driveway gets blocked.”

  Kate had propped her head on the rear da
sh with eyes half closed. To her it seemed Roger ran in slow motion toward Yosef who walked between two other men.

  Roger said hello to the agent, impersonating the middleman. The agent grinned at Roger, giving him a thumbs up. From the car Kate, Tommie and the driver saw Roger shake his head and then as he seemed to turn heading back to the car, his fist flew forth making contact with Yosef’s jaw. The pirate captain staggered under the blow coming within inches of the pavement but was upheld by the police officer to his left. Then Roger signaled his own thumbs up to the surprised undercover agent. Jogging to the sedan, Roger pulled the rear door opened saying to the driver as he hopped in next to Kate, “Get going.”

  Kate looked over at Roger dully but there was a triumphant smile playing about her lips. Roger wasn’t sure if she recognized him but he was quite sure Kate recognized, Yosef getting smacked.

  Roger’s boat was small compared to the Serendipity; half the length but 10x’s the speed. Sporadically, he had business several times a month on the mainland but typically he was in Cape Town or Luderitz, Namibia only once a month. There is no public airport on St Helena. In the early days out of necessity, Roger had gotten into the habit of boating to the mainland to do business or sometimes for pleasure and so, even when a small private airport was built on St Helena’s and he was offered its use, he continued by water.

  Kate was secured in one of the two cabins on the speed boat. Falling asleep in the backseat of the sedan, Kate didn’t awake until several hours later, at sea. Not only was she hungry but Kate needed the bathroom. Throwing back the down comforter, Kate immediately replaced the coverlet over her body. She was wearing a skimpy see-through pajama outfit! Kate looked around. Where was she? What had happened? This wasn’t the filthy dump of a boat she had been on when she fell asleep! Her hand seemingly of its own accord clutched at her neck... Roger’s locket was missing. That was the last straw! Now she was mad!

  The cabin was gloomy dark with simply a small rectangular window allowing the afternoon light in. Kate didn’t recognize the tiny room although it was clean and modern. Pulling the blanket up to her chin against the chill, she wondered if Yosef had sold her. Besides the water and motor, Kate heard thumping sounds resembling footfalls above decks. Someone was coming!

  Kate sat up. Her head was aching and her thoughts seemed to jump from one theme to another. Pulling the duvet off the berth, Kate wrapped herself in it. She needed the bathroom and no harem keeper could stop her. Opening the cabin door, there was a compact salon and a shiny stainless galley before her. The companionway going above decks was at the far end. She stepped out and seeing the head to the right, Kate made for it.

  Washing her hands, Kate was shocked by her mirrored appearance. Her face and hair were mannequin looking... So much makeup and hairspray! Above the motoring sounds, she could hear someone’s vibrant whistling coming from the salon. Kate checked the door... she had locked it. A pair of Levi’s and a black long-sleeved T-shirt hung next to a bath towel on the back of the door. She smelled the sleeve of the shirt and there wasn’t a hint of odor. Deciding they were clean, Kate plucked the jeans from their hook and held them up. Something bulged in the rear pockets and she found a white sock stuffed in each one. Kate would shower and put these things on... Although certainly men’s clothing, and the items were huge, she wasn’t going to exit the head in the pink and green chiffon pj’s she was wearing.

  Some ten minutes later after showering, Kate found a toothbrush still in its package and a travel toothpaste stowed under the sink. There was no hairbrush but a comb, so she finished her toiletries although she felt no better about facing her foe whistling the day away on the other side of the door.

  As she steeled herself with trembling hand on the door latch, Kate mused, Well, won’t he be surprised when I come out dressed in his clothing. Just as she opened the door a picture of her climbing the utility pole with Myla and the guards yelling, flashed across her mental screen. She remembered! In spite of the situation, she let out a muffled giggle as she flung the door open. And there he was...

  “Roger!” In all her wildest imaginations of the last half hour of who might own the boat she was traveling on and who her captor would be, Roger Cowels had never been a candidate. His sad smile had flitted across her mind with regret when she discovered the locket missing but she dismissed him as she had tried to concentrate on the problems at hand.

  Roger was putting plates on the galley table when Kate burst from the head. Hearing her chuckle and seeing her radiant face after the pale drugged look from the morning, his heart skipped a bit. He realized quickly that she hadn’t known he was on board. He laughed nervously.

  “Yes... just me. Who were you expecting?” he asked. Roger had hoped Tommie’s shirt and bluejeans would fit Kate as he felt as uncomfortable about her genie outfit as she did. The long sleeves were pushed up to her forearm and the jeans were cuffed at the ankle and tied serviceably with a green scarf from her previous costume. She looked beautiful.

  As for Kate, she continued to clutch the door handle. Her vision was tunneled so that only Roger’s face was focused. Her tummy did flip-flops. She couldn’t seem to blink. Snapshots of the morning events began to play across her mind and then she woke up on the salon settee.

  “Roger!” Kate repeated. This time he smiled without the surprise that she had noted on his face a few minutes before. And she added quickly, “I’m not a fainter... I don’t know what came over me.”

  Roger laughed out loud. He took her hand and patted it gently. “Everyone is allowed to faint after being kidnapped and drugged and rescued, all on an empty stomach, I’m sure,” he said standing over her. “Come. See if you can sit up and have something to drink. There is hot tea... What do you say?”

  Kate was wrapped in another down comforter, sipping smoky tasting tea on the settee as Roger finished preparing dinner. Tea was what she wanted. She hadn’t known it but now she realized, black tea with a daub of honey was just the thing.

  Roger was whistling again as he cooked while Kate watched. Her head was clearing; she remembered distinctly Roger punching Yosef. Kate knew she must hear the entire story at least once from Roger’s viewpoint.

  Roger wanted to make light conversation but he was at a loss as he replayed in his mind the events of the last week. He had been totally depressed when Mac sailed away with Kate on the Serendipity. He had wanted to go and say farewell to Mac, Merry and the others but he was afraid he would play the fool in front of Kate and so he had stayed away the morning of their departure. Taking a long walk instead that morning before the sun could make a stroll uncomfortably hot, Roger prayed. He had sensed God’s peace and reassurance as he gave over to God his own hopeful plans and his future. Roger knew God had a wife for him and should the Lord tarry, a mother for his future children somewhere on the planet. Roger had asked Him for Kate but the request seemed an impossible one to fulfill, even for God. Now he smiled at that thought... Nothing is impossible with God! At this Roger looked through the galley to Kate in the salon. She was watching him and responded with a slight grin to his smile.

  “I won’t burn the rice,” he said jokingly. “How are you feeling? Is your head clearing yet?” he asked.

  “My head is clearing and I am remembering in bits and pieces of what happened this morning. I cannot get over you being my... my...” Kate was trying to think of the correct wording. Captor kept coming to mind and no other word could fill the spot. She didn’t finish.

  Roger intercepted. “Yes. I saw that you were shocked to see me out here,” he said glancing toward the head. “I must admit, you seemed ready for your imagined fate.” He leaned against the galley counter, folding his arms as he looked at her quizzically.

  Kate pulled legs out from under the comforter. Placing her white socked feet on the ground, she pushed herself off the settee and stood. “I continued to look for an escape. I thought it better to face my captor...” There was that word again. She restated, “I thought it better to face my future
on my terms rather than be pulled screaming from the head dressed in Turkish pajamas!” As she said this, the thought that Roger and his crew surely had seen her in the gauzy outfit made her blush. As she was about to avert her look from him, she saw Roger was going red as well.

  Roger coughed. Rubbing his hands together, he said, “Dinner is ready. I’ll take a plate up to Tommie and the other two can come below with us.”

  Kate glanced out the port window above the settee. The sun was setting and the sea was rippled with grey wave mounds moving east. The boat seemed to be traveling at full throttle, much faster than Mac’s sloop traveling under motor power. Much noisier, too.

  Roger introduced his men, Friedrich and Lutsu. Kate was hungry but she couldn’t help noticing how very young the crew members were. They seemed to be mere teens and she remembered Tommie was not much older.

  Roger talked but the other two were quiet and shy. The meal was fabulous, Kate decided. Roger made a mean rice and lamb stir fry. Friedrich and Lutsu joined Tommie above decks as soon as their meal was finished and their plates washed. Kate volunteered to wash the remaining dishes if Roger would dry and so they did Lutsu’s work for him as Kate did not know and Roger liked doing anything with Kate - even dishes.

  Sometime later, after Roger and Kate drank steaming coffee and partook of South African biscuits for dessert, Tommie and Lutsu came below to retire for the evening.

  Roger said, “Here Kate, use my coat - you wore it all morning anyway, and we’ll go up top to see what the night is doing.” Kate looked at the others as she took Roger’s jacket. Both men seemed indifferent about his statement and so Kate concluded, Roger mentioning the coat she wore over the immodest outfit was for her own emotional well-being. His words were comforting, she realized.