by Tony Lavely
Beckie, Sam and Ben drove out to Spring Valley to rent an RV while setting Elena the task of reserving a suitable spot for it. Winter rates had come into effect on Labor Day, so that assignment was met with success; there were a few spots open this October weekend.
Ben drove the RV back; Beckie followed in the rental car.
Once things had been arranged with Campland, Beckie took Lisa, Elena and Sam back to the hotel, where she dropped the women. With Sam, she continued to the marina, where he spent the afternoon teaching her how to drive the Sea Ray. For her final exam, she dropped him at Campland to meet Ben and Gillian and brought the Sea Ray back to the marina, only needing assistance when docking as she threw a line to the helpful dock hand.
While she’d been off on the ocean, Jean-Luc had landed and ferried Millie, her nurse and her kit to the hotel; she was talking with Elena and Lisa when Beckie opened the door and lurched through, ready for a long shower and a non-pizza meal.
“Sam’s taking the watch over the night,” she told the others. “He, Ben and Gillian will split the duty in case something happens at the mystery boat. I asked if I or Elena could fit into the schedule and he pushed me into the bay.” She laughed. “That and his single finger salute gave me to understand they had it under control. If you want to take the chance, Elena…”
The woman laughed. “If he needed help, he’d have told you. Get some sleep; be ready for tomorrow.”
After a quick call to the van—Sue was watching the altimeter carefully, since they were in Montana, beginning the traverse of the Rockies—Beckie took Elena’s advice.
Sunday was quiet, dawning clear and crisp, though promising mid-seventies by afternoon. Leaving Millie to check out her kit and decide what she’d forgotten, Beckie grabbed Lisa; they took the Sea Ray back to Campland to talk with Sam.
“About 0300, a smaller boat came alongside the Merri Soo and four men, Gillian thought they were men, at least, transferred to the larger boat. The small one took off again. You can fire me… If you’d been here with that…” He pointed at the Sea Ray. “… we could have seen where they headed.”
Beckie handed him a coffee. “Here, drink your severance and get back to work. What did the four guys do?”
“Nothing. Maybe played cards, but they had no lights on. So, maybe took a kip.” He drank from the foam cup. “Thanks. Ben’s watching now; Lena, you know where if you want to carry him a coffee, too.”
She picked up a large cup and headed out the camper’s door. Lisa watched, but stayed inside.
“My guess is nothing will happen today, either,” Sam said. “Unless of course, one of them gets so upset he decides to shoot up the RV’s parked here. Since we don’t know where their base is—”
“Likely on their ship, right?”
“Yeah, and while it’s certainly within a day’s sail of here… Which direction?”
“What’s a day’s sail?”
Sam looked at his watch. “If they’re to do something in San Diego Harbor at six or seven tomorrow morning… I’ll guess eighteen knots, so max of three hundred-sixty nautical miles. But I’d bet no more than forty or fifty.” He opened his laptop computer, and typed. As he was working, Elena returned. She nodded an assurance then queried Beckie with her head tipped toward Sam.
Beckie was saved from admitting ignorance by Sam pointing at the screen. “I might bet that she’s within or just out of San Pedro… the Port of Los Angeles. It’s about a hundred miles up the coast.” He gave Beckie a look that matched the one she’d gotten from Elena. “Does their keeper know the name, or route or anything about the ship?”
“Nothing she was willing to share at the time. But…” She dragged her phone from her pocket and laid it on the table. “Let’s see if that’s changed. And if she’s made any plans for the… apocalypse slash shooting match tomorrow morning.”
Chelsie answered her phone on the third ring, but begged Beckie’s forbearance until she could get out of church and call back. With a grim chuckle, Beckie laid the phone back down to wait.
When it rang, she enabled the speaker function and answered.
“Sorry,” Chelsie said, She sounded breathless.
“No problem.” Beckie decided not to make any snide comments about the woman’s going to church. “Has anything new come up at your end?”
“Not here. What have you got?” It’ll be one of those conversations, then. Like talking to Ian; he never gave anything away!
She described their conjectures about the steamer, and the man on the powerboat. “Should we eliminate them now?”
“No! God, no. That would make all this moot, wouldn’t it? We have to arrest them with it in their possession, even if we can’t do it as they attack the… you know.”
Sam tapped on his computer and faced it to Beckie. “She’s scared!” he’d written.
Beckie nodded. “Okay. If we have to. How about some backup?”
“A team will come in later. They will not contact your people, and will only facilitate your departure. Our agents will also be on-site, to handle the clean-up and liaise with the local authorities. Be very careful about civilian casualties; they will be difficult to…”
“Yeah, I get it,” Beckie said.
“We will hold the local authorities away from the scene until you can depart. Our contact suggests they’d avoid a boat headed up the coast, toward, say, Oceanside. Of course, this is a concern only if there is shooting. Otherwise, you’ll be able to drive right away in either a car or a boat.”
“Assuming the thing doesn’t go Fwoosh in a big fireball.”
Chelsie gasped and broke the connection.
“And that’s that, I guess,” Beckie said. “I’m going to have one of those coffees, then we’ll talk.”
She heated the now cold drink in the microwave and sat back down. “What are our best chances for getting clear after the delivery?”
An hour of heated discussion later, a firm knock on the camper’s door brought their heads up. Beckie nodded to Sam; he gave the outside a glance before opening the door.
A slender man, six feet tall, less than thirty years of age, Beckie estimated, with short light brown hair and hazel eyes stepped up at Sam’s invitation. He wore a San Diego Padres tee shirt and khaki cargo shorts with boat shoes.
“Morning,” he said. “While you can call me Raptor Five, it’s only to say I was never here.”
Sam held up a hand. “Gillian, I think Ben ought to hear Mr. Five, too.”
In three minutes, the two were finding places to sit while Five had heated the last coffee and tasted a few sips.
“Like I said, you don’t know me and I don’t know you. But someone thought it’d be a good idea for you to have this.” He placed a cell phone on the table. Beckie reached for it. “The single number in it is for another one-time phone, which will be crushed tomorrow no matter what else happens. Before it’s crushed, however, I will be listening for you to tell me: one, the operation is a success and you’re clear; two, the operation can be made good, or three, you need major assistance to make the operation successful. I will assume three in the event that significant exchanges of gunfire occur, or there is a bright flash incinerating lots of San Diego…which would suck for me, since I live here.”
Beckie nodded. “For us too, even though we don’t live here, most of us.” She slid the phone over to Sam. “Hold on to it for now, Sam. Anything else you’d like to say while you’re not here, Mr. Five?”
He stood and glanced around Beckie’s group once more. “Only, say Hi to Wendy for me, Lisa.” He turned to Beckie. “Good luck.”
“Go carefully.”
Lisa’s small voice filled the cabin: “Do not go gentle into that good night…”
Five’s voice was just as still: “Rage, rage against the dying of the light…”
Five stepped out and hurried away from the camper.
Beckie felt her breath catch as she looked at Lisa. The girl’s eyes were full to overflowing. I’m not going t
o say a thing. Lisa knuckled tears out but not away. “Eric,” she said. Damn. I hate when I guess right. “Is he… going… going to… die?”
Not if I have anything to say about it, since—
“That’s what we’re doing here, Lisa,” Elena said. “Making sure that Eric, and everyone else here—”
“Including us,” Gillian said, softly but firmly.
“Including us, lives to have the rest of their lives.”
Good work, Lena. “Thanks.” Beckie reached for Lisa’s hand. “Want to talk?”
She raised her gaze to meet Beckie’s. “He was in our church… the youth director. He… Together, we… Wendy and I… read that poem—Dylan Thomas, you know—to Dad’s parents before they died, three years ago. He helped us. Fuck! I don’t want him to die!”
“Let’s do our job, then,” Gillian said, “so no one does.”
Sam stood. “Okay. We know what we’re working for. We have some slight backup… Ben, back on watch. I’ll relieve you in…” He glanced at his watch. “… an hour. They’ll be hoping for the delivery in less than two hours, so keep that in mind. Especially if they begin to get antsy.” He tossed empty cups in the trash. “What’s her name knows where the package is, right? Has she been advising these guys of the delay?”
“You know, guys,” Gillian said, “this seems like a funny project all the way around. I’m confused.”
“Welcome aboard,” Beckie said. “But what specific thing bothers you? By the way, Sam, I don’t know. That was on my list for after she hung up.”
“Well,” Gillian said, “she says the goal is to arrest these guys with the weapon. But then she sets it up so we’re bringing it, and it’s going to miss their must-have date. We think that’ll precipitate a response, probably armed. I think if it does, we’ll kill all of them, so who’s she going to arrest? We don’t get the guys on the ship… We do believe there’s a ship right? We don’t get them unless something else can happen to lead her or Five or us to that ship, but is that where the leader would be?”
Beckie got out of her chair and walked behind Gillian to hug her from the back, arms around the woman’s shoulders. “No matter what I said back in September, I love you! You’ve put your finger on one of the things I didn’t know bothered me. It’s… I don’t know why Ian ever agreed to it. I’m gonna try Freddie again, and then maybe Maurice.”
Neither Freddie nor Boynton had any additional insight; Beckie called the group together. “Gillian, I’ve been thinking about your question, and my opinion is that Chelsie never expected there’d be an engagement here until I told her that I thought the customers would retaliate when we showed up late. Her plan all along was that we’d deliver and drive away, and the customer would take the package and get arrested by her guys as they moved. So, to make this work the only way Ian would have supported it is… We can’t kill them here. They have to survive being caught to make the point that people who attempt this kind of thing are not only captured, but dealt with under the rule of law.”
Sam shot up—an impressive sight: the six foot two, two hundred thirty pound man springing out of his chair—silent, he went to the door and stepped out. Fraught, Beckie followed him. The others didn’t move, that she could see. He headed toward the beach away from the powerboat and, she guessed, Ben’s hidey-hole.
He stopped and allowed her to catch up. “You need some practice being quiet, Mrs. Jamse.”
I can guess what his being formal right now means. “You can’t seriously think I’d want to surprise you right now.”
“No, I guess not.” He stopped short of the water and faced her. “You’re not stupid, Beckie. You know the disadvantage that puts us at. I don’t know if I can accept that order, if you make it one. We have four people here, plus us. I don’t know about Lisa yet, but three of them I’d trust with my life anywhere. You’re asking us to give away a… a major advantage.”
Beckie dropped to sit on the beach; she patted the sand beside her. When Sam had seated himself, she said, “What is the advantage we give up?” She lifted her hand, as if to count, but then let it go. “The only thing it could be it’s easier to go for the kill shot than aiming to disable. Same with a knife.” She paused, sifting sand through her fingers. “Maybe I should state it the way I heard it in my head.”
“That’s always a good idea,” he said, and she saw the wry twist to his lips.
“Goal is to leave the targets alive, with the package. That’s conditioned on protecting the team first, and securing the package from being lost.
“Gillian’s right. We could go over right now and slit their throats with no hue and cry, most likely. And in Syria, that might be the right way to handle it, since it’s what they’d do. But like she said, Chelsie has nothing then. As long as she doesn’t lose the package, at least. And that’s making the assumption she can’t find their steamer.” She threw a handful of sand into the water. “I don’t know, Sam. I just can’t see Ian agreeing just to kill four soldiers with no other gain.”
“Yeah, you’re right, Beckie. That doesn’t mean I like it, but I’ll follow that order.”
Both their heads snapped around at a distant scrape of boots on asphalt. Ben and Lisa were approaching.
“Didn’ want ta leave Lisa in the RV alone, an Lena went with Gillian ta watch. One o’clock came an went, an one a the guys on the boat went a little crazy, shouting in Arabic, I think, though I wasn’t close enough ta be sure. I wanted ta let you know so she an Lena took over.”
They were back at the RV when Lisa said, “I’m going to take one of the Waverunners and cruise a little.”
Beckie debated telling her no, but instead said, “Stay at least fifty yards away. We don’t want to give our interest away.” She grabbed the girl’s arm and pulled her face-to-face. “Understand?” She held her stare until Lisa responded affirmatively. “If you wear that set of fabric scraps you call a swimsuit again, put lotion on under and no shirt. If they’re Muslim, and true believers, they might be taken aback by so much skin that they don’t worry about why you’re there. But keep your distance!”
When Lisa came back wearing the ‘scraps of fabric,’ Beckie looked her over, then said, “No radio. Ben went to let Gillian know you’re going out. He thought Elena might come with you, but whether or not, she’ll know. And keep an eye on the dock; I’ll stand there if it’s time to come in.”
Lisa went through the door; a Waverunner shot past a minute later, spewing a thin rooster tail. Its exhaust faded into the sounds of the others plying the bay for fun and frivolity.
“She’s trying,” Sam said.
“Yeah. It’s one thing Beth and Amy have to watch out for. Lisa is almost obsessed with being part of the group. Add to that her fear for Eric, and…”
He nodded. They took Beckie’s phone and talked to Sue and Rich for more than half an hour, planning the approach and delivery. “Within the limits of not knowing what the hell will happen when you do get there,” Beckie said. “The four guys who we think are waiting for the package haven’t pulled their anchor yet.” She paused a second. “Before I forget, Stacy and the Chief are waiting at the Elkhorn rest area, just near the Sacramento airport. They’ll give the rental car to the kids who can take it back. And they’ve got more equipment for you.”
While she and Sam talked more, they had nothing new to discuss; the conversation rapidly lost content. About three, Elena came in to tell them more news had apparently arrived aboard the powerboat; the man who’d been upset earlier was now positively livid. “I guess they’ve just found out the money has been returned, so the delivery will be late.”
“Could be. They started the engines, but didn’t cast off, and after a couple minutes idling, they shut them down again.”
“Your opinion: were they just making sure the engines would start, or were they thinking of leaving?”
“For me, just making sure they’d start. Gillian agreed.”
“Okay. How about you put on your swimsuit and relieve Lisa,
who ought to be ready to try out for Lobster of the Year. Stay at least fifty yards off, but be ready if they do ship out. I don’t think Waverunners are rated for open water, so come back and tell the others.”
When Lisa returned, Beckie took one look and laughed. “Sam, give her a shirt, please. I’ll take her back so Millie can work her healing magic.”
“It’s not that bad, really,” Lisa protested.
“I’ll believe that if at ten tonight, I can touch either of your breasts without you screaming. Sam, stop laughing and work Elena into your watch schedule. Call me if anything changes; I’m going to dock the boat at the hotel marina. We’ll be back about five tomorrow morning with coffee and donuts… and an inflatable with weapons.” She rose and helped Lisa pull the shirt over her arms. “I’m planning to get clear of the Navy Yard before the Vinson casts off, so we don’t get caught in any security measures they might be taking.”
Delivery
Monday morning was again clear at four AM, when Beckie’s alarm went off. She roused Lisa, whose sunburn was better than Beckie had expected, though worse than Lisa proclaimed. Millie had a magic potion which she’d applied liberally before sending Lisa off to rest. Now, the girl was almost nude, sitting on the edge of the sofa bed gently rubbing more of the lotion on her red skin.
Millie came by to make sure all was as she expected, then went to collect the coffee they’d ordered the night before.
The Sea Ray ran well, even admitting she had nothing to compare it to. However, she had no difficulty. Near the Navy Yard, patrols were obvious by their blue flashing lights, but she was headed the other direction. As she came out the mouth of the harbor and turned north toward the Bay, she asked Lisa to stand as high as she could and look for the suspected cargo ship, but she saw nothing.