Finding Linda

Their pleasure became intense as they explored and ached for more. The heavy-handed thump on the cabin door shot them back to reality.

  “Who is it? I’m ready to take a shower,” shouted Linda.

  “Antarah has asked that you meet him in his cabin.”

  “Tell him I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

  “I will.”

  Linda pulled herself upright and climbed into the shower cubicle. Annoyed, she had a long, cold shower. With a towel wrapped around her, she wandered into her day room. Natalia, wearing only a thong, was crying

  “You’re right. I should have bided my time.”

  Linda held her tight. “We must be careful but I will sleep in the bridge cabin. Antarah’s men do not understand our kind of love. For the moment they need me but you are a woman they would take advantage of in every way imaginable.”

  “Why is it I love the feel of your arms, your touch, your embrace? I get lost in your eyes, but I must breathe. I need your honesty and I deserve the truth.”

  The cabin telephone rang and Linda lifted the handset. “I’m waiting. Where are you?” asked Antarah.

  “I’ll be there when I’m ready.” She slammed the phone into its cradle. “When I kill that bastard he will suffer. That I promise.”

  She dressed in blue jeans and a black T-shirt. To her left ankle, she attached her long bladed knife. From a drawer she produced a small calibre pistol. “Ever handled one of these?”

  Natalia shook her head.

  “Point and pull the trigger. It works every time. Don’t try a fancy shot; shoot the bastard fair and square in the chest.”

  “I’m not sure I can.”

  “If you don’t, you’ll be dead. Keep the door locked.”

  She wrapped her arms around her. Natalia took pleasure from the simple gesture. Her cuddle made the future less bleak.

  Natalia locked the door the moment Linda left. She stood and stared out of the window. Sea gulls drifted on the wind as they searched for food.

  A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. “Who is it?”

  “The boss lady told me to deliver your food.”

  “One minute.” She slipped her dress over her head. On opening the door, two of Antarah’s men rushed inside and grabbed her arms.

  One silenced her with a blow from his clenched fist. She reeled backwards banging her head on the steel bulkhead. Blood trickled through her lips and onto her dress. Her eyes closed as she lost consciousness. One saw a passport and took it with him. They lifted her and assumed she could walk. One screamed abuse and slapped her face but she did not hear. Together they dragged her with her bare feet trailing on the deck.

  ***.

  Antarah sat on the bench settee in his cabin reading his copy of the Koran.

  Linda barged in but noted he was breathing harder than normal. Something was wrong.

  He pointed. “You may sit on the floor.”

  Her eyes flashed around the cabin. “I prefer to stand.” She noted the strange expression on his face.

  “You do not understand us, our thoughts and our dreams.”

  “You’re a bunch of madmen who dream of dominating the world. But because you’re useless, you hired me.”

  Antarah remained calm. “Your whore is an outrage to my God. In my land, women such as her are an abomination. Our laws condemn you both to death by stoning. Let me explain. We dig a hole in which to place the offenders. Once prepared for execution they cannot move. The men from the village gather special stones, large enough to injure but not to kill. The Mullah then prays for the women asking the messenger for his blessing on their actions.”

  Linda yawned. “Hurt her and I’ll promise you’ll die screaming for your God to save you.”

  He beamed confidence. “You told me that not so long ago but I hold all the cards.”

  Linda bent and pulled the knife from its sheath. “If you’ve hurt her I’ll gut you like a pig.”

  He chuckled. “Put that away. If you as much as touch me my men have their orders. Follow me.”

  “Why should I?”

  “Because if you don't, I will have my men service your whore, today, tomorrow and until she is no longer of use. When she is dead, they will dump her into the sea.”

  Linda’s mind raced, this was war and she would not rest until he was dead. She must destroy him because his people murdered Danny. For her, revenge was like a rat gnawing at her soul. She would suffer a grudge until he died or killed her. She tossed the blade onto the bench settee.

  In silence, they strolled along the passage to the crew’s mess. Two men held a naked Natalia, her face bloody, bruised and swollen. Her legs dangled over one end of a mess table.

  Linda clenched her teeth.

  In control, Antarah, his cold eyes filled with hate, seized her arm and pulled her towards him. He needed to confirm the fear in her eyes. “Obey me and your whore lives. Agree and I’ll let her remain as my prisoner in the captain’s cabin.”

  Linda froze as her mind whirled. Her hate multiplied a hundred times. “I will do as you ask.”

  Antarah nodded, and the men released Natalia. Blood dribbled from the corners of her mouth. Frightened, she slid off the end of the table onto her feet. Terror filled her face as they hoisted her upright. “Take her to the captain’s cabin, heave her inside and padlock the door. One of you will remain on guard.” He pushed Linda to one side as Natalia, held by his men, passed.

  “Come, we will discuss the next few days in my cabin.”

  Linda stood facing Antarah as he preached the wonders and power of Isis. He held up a passport. “Ms Linda Webster, an infidel name. I’ll return this when we finish this mission. What I said to you applies to your men. If they go against me, your whore dies. You control this vessel but will not alter speed or course unless I tell you.”

  “I must detail the impending raid, time, place, weapons and who will assist me.”

  He smiled a cold, heartless smile. “The target has changed. We intend to decimate Rome. Until we have the plutonium you will do as you are told.”

  She remained calm. “You have four men who will obey you without question. I have hope and nothing to lose. The odds are in my favour.”

  His eyes flickered as she made eye contact. Her mood changed from ice cold to a controlled anger as she let out a long, slow breath. It was enough to distract him. She lunged, her right hand seizing her knife from the settee. His face-registered surprise as the blade sliced across his throat.

  Her shoulder smashed into the bulkhead as she clutched the blood-soaked knife.

  A rush of air erupted from the slit in his windpipe. Dying, his right hand wrenched her hair hard.

  A force driven by hate and anger drove her. Out of control, she twisted and punched.

  His hands reached for her throat.

  The blade penetrated his chest and found his heart. In death, his eyes burned with hate.

  Blood soaked the corpse and dripped onto the deck.

  His dead eyes stared at her. She stood and leant over him, tapped his pockets until she found his mobile. “You were a fool. I had nothing to lose which made my decision to kill you so much easier.” Satisfied he was dead she grasped her passport. On checking the corridor was empty, she left and locked his cabin door.

  Out of sight, she made her way to her crew’s quarters. Those there were playing cards or sleeping. In Somali she said, “Ready your weapons and find Antarah’s men. When you find them, tie their hands together and drag them to the main deck. If they so much as hesitate, kill them.”

  Cali, their leader, pulled his AK47 from under his mattress and divided the men into three groups.

  When challenged by four armed men, Antarah’s henchmen surrendered. With their hands held high, they faced Linda.

  She sat on the edge of a hatch in her blood-soaked clothes cleaning her fingernails with her knife. In less than ten minutes Antarah’s team stood hands bound in front of her. Linda was a logical woman but had to restrain herself from killi
ng them. They had threatened and humiliated Natalia. She smiled as they shook and stuttered, incapacitated with “There are no good ways to die.” She slashed the arm of one man deep enough for his blood to drip onto the deck. “Two of you are scientists and can build a bomb. I intend for you to finish your work but the other two must die.”

  One man who had held Natalia on the table charged at Linda. Cali smashed him hard across the face with the butt of an AK. He dropped unconscious to the deck.

  “Cali, fasten his ankles with chain from the forward locker. Throw a bucket of water over him until he’s wideawake and fling him over the side. One down, one to go. Anymore volunteers?”

  Cali faced Linda and nodded. “There’s no turning back. Why not kill them and be done with it?”

  She pointed. “These are Isis converts. They believe every time they face towards the Ka’abah in Makkah, that Allah listens to them. If they die fighting the infidel, they are martyrs. They think Allah will welcome them with more virgins than they can service. They die twice. These two have brains and ask questions. To survive they will behave.” She poked a tall, thin man with sunken eyes whose body shook nonstop. “Name?”

  The man cringed. “Aati Abad,” he touched the man by his side. “My brother-inlaw.”

  Linda stroked the side of her cheek. “There are many things you need not know. If you want to live, work.”

  Before she altered her mind, they scurried away.

  She knelt and stroked the face of the man on the deck. “Are you that desperate to fuck a virgin? Cali, the chains.” She sliced his wrists. Blood flowed from the wounds.

  The man screamed. “God is great.”

  “Time you and your God had a chat.” Cali, assisted by another, tossed him over the side.

  “Swab that muck off the deck.” Cali nodded and smiled as Linda made her way to the captain’s cabin.

  When she unlocked the door, it remained fast. “Natalia, it’s me.” She heard shuffling across the deck. Moments later the door inched open. “I killed the bastards. You are free to roam the ship but I recommend you stay in this cabin. You can eat in the officers’ mess.”

  Natalia, with tears in her eyes, flung her arms around her. The warmth of her body soothed her rattled nerves. The dread that had settled inside eased.

  Linda pushed her away and brushed the tears from Natalia’s eyes. “I have things to do but I promise no one will hurt you again.”

  Natalia rested on the bed. Exhausted by fear her eyes closed. Linda draped a blanket over her and shut the door as she left.

  On the bridge, Linda studied the charts. “New course, zero four five. Our destination is the Gulf de St Florent.” She had four days to do something before her time ran out. For the moment she needed all the luck she could get. Her paymasters demanded results and in the eyes of the world, she needed to be dead.

  “On course for St Florent,” said the second officer.

  “Thank you.” Her eyes settled on the ship’s AIS system. She smiled at her thoughts. The unit’s transponder pulsed out an endless repeated identification signal. If damaged the ship’s radar definition reduced to a speck on the screen. At a distance of fifty miles, they ceased to exist. “Helmsman, go to the engine room and come back with a screwdriver to fit these screw heads and a pair of pliers.”

  The man glanced at her and then at the second officer who nodded. Ten minutes later, he gave Linda a set of screwdrivers and a pair of insulated pliers.

  With the six securing screws loosened, she pulled the unit from its housing. With a savage jerk on the length of black cable, it ceased to function. Seconds later, it soared through the air and dropped into the sea.

  The second officer said nothing as she checked the radar screen. “These vessels within twenty miles, have you been monitoring any of them?”

  “I had no reason.”

  “We have altered course. Plot any who alter as we have. I’ve a gut feeling someone might be in pursuit. We must play the cards in our hand but this time we don’t have a full house. When I gamble I love to win. Two hours should prove my theory. If you need me, I’ll be in the captain’s cabin.”

  “I’ll keep track of every vessel within thirty miles.”

  Linda left the bridge. Natalia stirred as the door to her cabin closed. “I’m taking a shower.” They showered, smothering each other’s body with soap lather. As they caressed under the warm jets from the showerhead, the suds disappeared. They rubbed each other with soft white towels.

  Linda dressed at once. “I can’t stay but tonight we will sleep in the same bed.”

  Natalia kissed her full on the lips.

  Sunset had come and gone as Linda made her way to the bridge. The first and second officers were both at the radar screen. “Something interesting?”

  “At first we had one small vessel on the same course as ourselves. I increased the radar range to forty miles and now we have two. One for sure, the other may be a coincidence,” said the first officer.

  “I don’t believe in coincidences. Where are we?” She studied the chart. “Perfect.” She drew a circle around the Balearic Islands. “Plot a course around the islands and track those two vessels.”

  “If they are following, they will pursue,” said the first officer.

  She laughed. “That’s the plan. Any idea where the chief engineer might be?”

  The second officer glanced at the bridge chronometer. “In his bunk, flat on his back.”

  ***

  Khaled altered the range on the radar screen from thirty to ten miles and back again. He shouted for Rono.

  Eric and Rono arrived in seconds.

  “We have a problem,” said Khaled.

  Eric stared at the screen. “Explain.”

  “They have spotted us.”

  “How can that be?”

  “They have reversed course back along their track. What will I do?”

  “Nothing,” said Rono. “In less than an hour we will be two ships passing in the night.”

  “Shouldn’t we tell the Navy?” asked Eric.

  “I recommend radio silence.”

  Anna came onto the bridge. “Our target’s AIS has malfunctioned, or its turned off for a reason.”

  “Is that a problem?” asked Eric.

  “The night sky is a canopy of black. For now, she’s a dot on the radar. If she nears other shipping, it might be difficult for me to distinguish one from another.”

  Rono shook his head. “I hate to think what game she’s playing.”

  “Wait and see,” said Eric. “That is unless someone has a better suggestion.”

  “She’ll pass down our port side in forty three minutes,” said Khaled.

  “Anyone fancy, a mug of coffee?” asked Rono. “This has the makings of a long night.”

  “One for me,” said Anna.

  Khaled shouted. “Mohammed, coffee for everyone and cook one of your famous stews.”

  ***

  On the port bridge wing of the American Queen Linda scanned the sea. “It’s not a merchantman.”

  “It continues on the same course,” said the first officer. “And the other vessel maintains a distance of fifteen miles astern.”

  “Bearing to the nearest?”

  “Two two five degrees.”

  “I have her. Time to see who they are.” She switched off the autopilot, took control of the helm, turned the ship and aimed at the other vessel’s stern.

  ***

  Khaled detected the other vessel’s new course. He switched off the autopilot. “Eric, we have a problem. The American Queen is on track to ram us.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “See for yourself. She’s showing red, green and masthead lights. She’s on an intercept course and our closing speed is twenty four knots.”

  “Recommendation?”

  “You’d better put your life jackets on, just in case I fuck up big time.”

  “You’re joking,” said Eric.

  “If she clobbers us, it’ll b
e like a sharp blade slicing through a sheet of paper. Observe, I alter away, she corrects towards our position. We could escape as we have the advantage of power and speed. I will play their game but to my rules.”

  “I can still see her,” said Rono. “As you said, painted black makes her almost invisible.”

  Khaled’s eyes narrowed as the distance between the two vessels dropped. He could see the phosphorescence of the ship’s bow wave but still he waited. In one thrust, he slammed the throttles hard against their stops and flung the wheel hard to port. Desert Wind heeled far over from the force of the manoeuvre and dashed across the freighter’s bow. When their stern cleared, he turned the wheel to starboard and then amidships. At full power, Desert Wind raced two metres from the American Queens hull.

  “Perfection,” said Eric.

  “Bastards,” said Khaled. The roar of the engines bounced off the steel hull wiping out any other sounds.

  “They may well be but thanks to you they failed. What do we do now?”

  “They’ve turned off their navigation lights. Pray no other vessel is in their way. Better we keep clear?”

  Eric focused his eyes on where the American Queen should be, but saw nothing. “Is that stew ready? After all the excitement I’m hungry.”

  “Mohammed always prepares more than enough.”

  26

  From the port bridge wing, Linda laughed as the white craft vanished under the bow. She watched and waited, seconds later it reappeared to starboard. “An expensive toy but the man at the helm is a seaman.” She spoke to the first officer. “Get the second officer up here. He can keep a radar watch. I’d rather not bump into anything.”

  With the ship placed on autopilot the helmsman left to find him. The bridge chronometer lit by a red light showed ten minutes to ten.

  “I’m changing the plan and landing the crew,” said Linda. “I have need of one bridge officer and an engineer to remain on the ship.”

  The first officer nodded. “At a guess I’d say with three people operating this ship you have forty-eight manhours before we must leave. After that we will have problems.”

  “No cause for worry then,” muttered Linda as she stretched.

  “Why?”