"No, thanks, not for me," Monica said.
"Nor me," Luke added. "I just got off the phone with Dr. McRae. She's the psychiatrist that we've been seeing since Julia's mother died."
"Yes," Paul said. "That was probably a good idea."
Luke looked perplexed for a moment, and then shook his head. "I didn't call for me. I wanted to ask how she thought Julia would be taking all of this."
"And what did she say, Luke?" Connie asked in a soft voice. "I've been thinking about that."
Luke thought for a moment, his elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped tightly. "Well, she thinks Julia's a lot stronger than we give her credit for, given all that she put up with living with her mother after we divorced. I mean, she didn't go into detail; I didn't want her to. But I knew Julia had been exposed to quite a bit of unpleasantness. Anne said ... " Luke paused, seeing the questions on Paul's and Connie's faces. "Sorry. Anne is Dr. McRae."
They nodded their understanding.
"Anyway, she said that Ativan might have been a real blessing. It will suppress Julia's anxiety, and her recollection of what's happened, as well. Of course, if they kidnapped her specifically because she's, um ... young and innocent, er ... inexperienced ... "
"Yes," Connie said. "That thought occurred to me as soon as Phillip said that about virgins."
"As long as we find her in time," Luke said, lifting his hands to cradle his face, trying to hide his tears.
Monica put an arm around his heaving shoulders. "It's going to be all right," she murmured.
"Think positive," Paul said. "It's only been a day; odds of getting her back are still high, from a cop's perspective. Statistically, we're way ahead of the curve in terms of speed of response."
"But we don't even know where she is," Luke sobbed.
"We know that only a few hours ago, she was in a small boat headed west from Chateaubelair, not too far from here. That means she was most likely transferred to a big boat, and not too far away. Big boats don't move that fast, and they're hard to hide. We've got the resources to find her. Hang in there, Luke," Paul said.
Luke looked up at Paul, pain on his face, and nodded. "Thanks, Paul. I appreciate what everybody's doing. I just ... "
"I understand. I can't imagine what you're going through, but I know how I felt when Connie was abducted a few months ago. And at that point, she was just my boss."
"You were abducted?" Monica asked.
"Long story. I was delivering Diamantista to the islands, and Paul couldn't come, so I had pick-up crew. Turned out they were drug smugglers, and it went downhill fast."
"So do you mind telling us?" Luke asked. "I mean, you obviously got through it, and it'll help ease my mind, maybe."
"Okay," Connie agreed, "but I think I'd like to change my mind about that coffee, Paul."
18
"So, exactly where is this place, Chateaubelair?" Luke asked. They were sitting around the saloon table, Paul having just read Phillip's email aloud for everyone's benefit.
"It's up the west coast of St. Vincent," Connie said, standing and moving back to the chart table. She lifted the top and pulled out the nautical chart that showed Bequia and St. Vincent, returning to put it on the saloon table where they could all see it.
"Looks to be about halfway up the island," Luke said. "How far is that?"
"A little over 20 miles," Connie replied. "Two and a half hours, maybe three, for us."
"Should we tell the police?" Monica asked.
"There are some downsides to that," Paul said.
"For example, they're going to want to know all about Phillip and Sharktooth — who they are, how they got involved — just think about your experience with them a little while ago," Connie said.
Monica nodded, touching the side of her neck with her right hand. "I see."
"I can imagine how long we'd be tied up with that," Luke said.
"There are some other problems, given what we've learned," Paul said. "There's a history of corruption here that includes just this sort of thing. I know Connie's mentioned Dani Berger and Liz Chirac, right?" Luke and Monica both looked puzzled. "Our friends on Vengeance — they taught Connie to sail."
"Oh, yeah. Right," Luke said.
Monica nodded. "What about them? What do they have to do with this?"
"Both of them were taken by white slavers a few years ago. Dani first, and she was freed by Phillip and Sharktooth. A bit later, after they'd become partners in Vengeance, the same men kidnapped Liz, mistaking her for Dani. Their plan was to get even for the damage that was done in Dani's rescue. In fact, they tried to get Dani's father to pay ransom, not realizing they had the wrong woman. They were even less aware of how dangerous her father could be. The short version of the story is that Dani and the others freed Liz and pretty well wiped out the bad guys. A few of them ended up in jail; even one thug in Miami who was part of the human trafficking ring went to prison," Paul said.
"Um, okay, but ... " Luke stopped when Paul held up his hand.
"There were some senior government officials in St. Vincent on the payroll. Nobody knows for sure who all of them were. I'm suggesting that letting the police know what we've learned might actually endanger Julia further. There are some powerful people who might want to cover their tracks."
"So what do I do, then?" Luke looked angry, his eyes hooded by the deep frown that creased his brow.
"Between Phillip's contacts in the islands and mine with the Homeland Security people in Miami, we've got access to better resources than St. Vincent's police," Paul said.
"But surely they must know the local criminals better than you guys," Luke said. "This 'agent' in Chateaubelair, for example. Wouldn't they be likely to have some info on him?"
"Maybe. Depending on who you deal with in the police force, they might even be working for him."
"Oh," Luke said, a look of despair displacing his angry frown.
"But Mrs. Walker has a lot of reliable local contacts that we can draw on," Connie added.
"Yes, she does," Paul agreed. "She's already gotten us the passport numbers, remember."
"Mrs. Walker?" Luke asked. "You mentioned her name before. Who is she, and why would she help?"
"Her late husband and Phillip Davis were partners with Dani Berger's father and a good friend of mine in Miami for years. They were involved in some politically sensitive business deals with some of the local governments down this way over the last 20-odd years — deals that nobody wants to talk about. Don't be misled, though. Our government sanctioned all the deals, even though they were off the books. Mrs. Walker was a key part of that; she runs a small business that employs a lot of local people directly or indirectly. Many of them are in positions where they hear things. St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a sovereign country, but it's no bigger than a small town in terms of population. The gossip mill is typical — everybody knows everything."
Luke and Monica exchanged looks as they digested what Paul had said. Paul and Connie waited in silence.
After a couple of minutes, Luke said, "So what happens now?"
"We need to figure out who this agent is, and who he's fronting," Paul said.
"Can't we just grab him?" Connie asked.
"Well, maybe, if we can sucker him out into the open," Paul said, "but I don't think ... "
He stopped when the phone rang. Picking it up from the tabletop, he looked at the caller i.d. "Sharktooth," he said, as he lifted the phone to his ear.
"Russo," he answered. "Sure. Everybody's here." He put the phone on the table and touched the hands-free button. "You're on the speaker."
"Mornin'-mornin'," a deep, bass voice rumbled from the tiny speaker in the peculiar, repetitive greeting of the islands.
"Good morning, Sharktooth," Connie said. "Mr. and Mrs. Regan are here."
"Hey, Connie. Mr. and Mrs. Regan, soon come I meet wit' you."
"It's Luke and Monica," Luke said. "And thank you for your help."
"Soon come, Sharktooth?" Paul as
ked. "You on the way here?"
"Yes, mon. Jus' now, I drop Phillip off in Ste. Anne. I be wit' you, mebbe 'roun one hour, one hour and a half."
"Good," Connie said. "What about Phillip?"
"He workin' some contacts. We t'ink he stay in Martinique. Mebbe we need some help from Clarence; he be there, you know."
"Okay, good," Paul said. "We were just starting to talk about next steps."
"Yeah, mon. Okay. Nex' step, I waitin' to hear back from some people 'bout this mon in Chateaubelair. Mus' get off the phone now. Soon they be callin', mebbe."
"See you in an hour, then."
"Okay, mon. Luke, Monica?"
"Yes?" Luke said.
"Don' worry. Ev'y little t'ing gon' be all right."
"Where is Ste. Anne?" Monica asked.
"The south end of Martinique," Connie said. "It's where Phillip and his wife live."
"Martinique? That's gotta be 100 miles from here, right?" Luke asked.
"Give or take. Why?" Connie asked.
"Just curious," Luke said. "Sharktooth said he'd be here in an hour; I figured he must be closer."
"He's got a Cigarette boat, an ocean racer," Paul said. "It's called Lightning Bolt — good for something over a hundred knots, wide open. It makes short work of island hopping."
"So who is this 'Clarence' that he mentioned?" Luke asked.
Paul was busy at the galley stove, making another pot of coffee, so Connie answered.
"He's another one of Dani Berger's father's partners. He has a business that runs helicopter tours out of Martinique, but he also has some other, undercover businesses."
"If you need military grade stuff, he's your guy," Paul said.
"Stuff?" Luke asked. "Like what?"
"Just about anything you can think of, and a few things you probably can't even imagine."
"He's an arms dealer?" Monica asked.
"That's an oversimplification," Paul said. "But you're in the right ballpark. You want to train an army, maybe? Or beef up your Coast Guard with some skills and equipment for a special mission?"
"He's a mercenary, then?" Luke asked.
"I don't think so," Paul said. "Money's certainly part of it, but not just anybody can buy his services."
"You make him sound like those people the government was contracting with for the war in the Middle East."
"Could be. I don't really know much about all that," Paul said. "But I think the U.S. is kind of a newcomer to that game. The French have been at it much longer."
Paul set a big thermal carafe and five mugs on the table and slid into a seat beside Connie. He filled four of the mugs and passed them around, then leaned back and held his coffee under his nose, inhaling deeply.
"Ah," he said. "Am I the only one that wishes it tasted as good as it smells?"
"Paul," Luke said, "did Sharktooth and Phillip blow up Sueño?"
Paul took a sip of coffee and gave Connie a warning glance before he answered.
Misreading the pause, Luke said, "Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't be upset if they had; in fact, I kind of hope they did."
"You'll see a lot of things down in the islands that seem strange, Luke. It's a different world from the States. Some parts are beautiful and good, and some are, well, just plain ugly. I've had a little time to adjust, but I'm still a cop at heart. There were times in my 25 years on the force when I wanted to take matters into my own hands, but I never did. I couldn't have faced myself in the mirror to shave the next morning if I'd done some of the things I felt like doing. I suspect you and I are not too far apart in the way we feel about stuff like that, but I've probably been tested more times than most, and I've learned that it's better to focus on positive results than to wonder about things that I'm not morally equipped to understand. You follow me?"
"I think so. Thanks for taking the time to share that. I just want Julia back."
"Well, that's one thing that all of us will agree on." Paul cocked his head to the side. "Listen," he said, putting his mug down.
"What?" Connie said, as Luke and Monica turned their heads slowly from side to side.
"Hear that dull, high-pitched roar that sounds like a big propeller plane, maybe, far off in the distance?"
"I think so," Luke said.
"I do. What is it?" Monica asked.
"Yes, do tell," Connie said.
"If I don't miss my guess, you're about to meet Sharktooth. That sounds like Lightning Bolt with the exhaust cutouts open. He must have been closer than we thought when he called." As he spoke, the sound died abruptly.
"He just went silent; he's probably a few miles outside the harbor. He'll be here about the time you finish that coffee." Paul stood and walked to the companionway ladder.
After introductions, Connie led everyone below. As they took seats in the saloon, Paul asked, "Hungry, Sharktooth?"
The big man grinned. "Almos'. I had a bucket of fried chicken Sandrine brought me when I dropped Phillip off. Snackin' on that, it spoil my appetite. Mebbe need a little somethin' in an hour or two."
"I've never seen you go that long without eating, Sharktooth," Connie said.
"Busy. Let's find Julia, then Paul cook some pasta, mebbe."
"Any ideas on the next step?" Paul asked.
"I talk to some people while I ridin'. The two men on Sueño, they don't ever meet this agent, see. They talk to him on the phone, tha's all. So I try to find out ... "
"Wait a minute. That's hard to believe," Luke objected.
"Which?" Sharktooth asked.
"That they never met him. I don't see how ... "
"They learn about him from someone else, a mon in the prison wit' them. Only have a phone number."
"That's typical in this sort of thing," Paul said. "They couldn't give away his identity if they didn't know it."
"But how are we ever gonna ... " Luke started to say, but then he stopped and shook his head. "I'm sorry. Go ahead, please, Sharktooth."
"We got the mon's phone number, an' Phillip got they cell phone, so if we call, the mon t'ink it's Goff or Stevens, okay?"
"Yes," Paul said. "So, how did it work? The handoff?"
"Well, these two, they do this befo', but not wit' young girls like Julia. Mos'ly, Stevens, he pick up these lady lookin' fo' some action 'round the resorts. Lady still young, but mebbe 20, 30 years-ol', single, nobody miss for a while. So the agent, he get to trust them some. After t'ree, mebbe fo' women, the agent tell them he got a special order, worth lots of money. Tha's when they find you folks an' Julia."
Sharktooth paused for a sip of coffee. Swallowing, he continued. "So, when they catch one woman, they call this mon, an' he arrange fo' a boat to meet them out 10, mebbe 12 miles wes' of Chateaubelair. Over the horizon, see."
Sharktooth paused and waited until everyone nodded, then he resumed. "So, they go to the place an' heave to. Pretty soon, the boat come. Small boat, like fishin' boat, wit' two men an' a woman. Sometimes different people. The boat stop, mebbe 50 feet away. Goff take the girl up on deck, where people in the boat can see. They have a big camera, telephoto lens. They make pictures and send to agent wit' email. Agent call Goff and Stevens when he get the pictures, an' they make deal. Then boat come to Sueño an' get the girl, leave the money they agree to. Boat take off, headed wes' until it's out of sight, while Sueño get goin' again."
"Damn," Paul said. "That's pretty air-tight. We don't even know where the guy they were dealing with is. He could be anywhere — not even in the country."
"Maureen's brother's wife's cousin live in Chateaubelair," Sharktooth said. "She hear some rumor."
"About the 'agent'?"
"No, 'bout the fishin' boat. See, they have instructions from the mon. They pick up the girl an' take her to this other boat, waitin' out some miles farther."
"Did they get the name of the boat?" Connie asked.
"No name. They meet a big RIB, like from megayacht, but no markings. The men in the RIB, they take the woman, go away out to the wes', again."
/> "So there must have been a big boat, waiting out there," Luke said.
"Could be where the agent was," Connie said.
"Maybe we can find out something about the phone number," Paul said.
"Phillip is doing that," Sharktooth said.
"Have you tried calling it?" Connie asked.
"No!" Paul said. "Bad idea."
"Why?" Connie asked, a flush rising to her cheeks at Paul's rebuff.
"What are you going to say if someone answers?" Paul asked.
"I don't know. Just make something up to keep them on the line? So someone could trace the call," Connie said.
"That will almost certainly result in the number being abandoned," Paul said. "As carefully as the whole thing was orchestrated, these people aren't dumb."
"But we've got Troy's and Linton's phone. They'll recognize the number," Connie protested.
"Yes. And when they find out it's not Troy or Linton calling?"
"So what good is their phone, then?"
"I don't know. It's worth going through it to see who else they've called, whose numbers are in their phonebook, that kind of thing."
"Phillip's having all that done," Sharktooth said.
"That contact telephone number is our best lead right now, but one little slip and it'll be worth nothing. We can't risk being impulsive," Paul said.
"What about going to Chateaubelair?" Connie said. "We could find the fishing boat, and ... "
"The best we'd get out of that is the email where they sent the pictures. The guys on the fishing boat aren't going to know any more than we do. I'll guarantee that none of them has met anybody connected with this. If we go stumbling around like that, Connie, we won't do anything but alert them. They'll disappear, and then what?"
"What about the camera, then?" Luke asked.
"Camera belong to a mon, he make pictures for money. He rent the camera to people," Sharktooth said.
"How'd you find that out?" Monica asked.
"Maureen's brother's wife's cousin, she know this mon."
"Who is Maureen?" Monica asked.
"Maureen is my wife," Sharktooth said.
Monica nodded.
"It seems to me that some of those people must know something," Luke said.
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