“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
Kiley let the computer bag and the canvas overnight satchel fall to the ground. Without even changing her clothes, she removed her shoes, and crawled into bed, completely exhausted. Then she remembered she still had the burner on her possession. Pulling herself out of bed, she slid the case open, removed the SIM card, and flushed it down the toilet.
Crawling back to bed, she fell asleep with the sounds of the ocean transporting her back to happier days bursting with unlimited potential and endless golden sunsets.
Chapter 17
Damon and Jason stared at each other, tasked with monitoring any traffic coming from or going to the rooms down the hall. Kyle sent Coop to join several other guys at the bridge. Jason worked hard to keep up with Kyle as he scurried up the carpeted grand stairway to the eleventh floor where Damon stood waiting. He was about to turn left, toward the bow of the ship, but Jason corrected him and sent him right.
“They’re on both sides, here and here,” he told Kyle.
“Stay here for a second,” Kyle said and disappeared.
“What the fuck’s going on?” asked Damon.
Jason had no idea. Their LPO returned and was on his sat phone.
“Yes, I can confirm four.” He walked past them through the lobby area and disappeared around the corner for a private conversation. When he returned, his eyes were smiling but his lips were slammed shut in a straight line.
“You’re not gonna tell us, are you?” Jason said, his voice barely audible. Damon’s puzzled expression only deepened.
They followed Kyle down the other side hallway.
Kyle turned halfway to address him. “That’s right. You’ll see. I wasn’t sure it was going to work, but we’re gonna give it a go. You guys find something in there you can use, hang out in the lobby, and keep an eye on whomever comes and goes, okay?”
“Roger that,” Damon whispered, shaking his head.
The service closet he’d pointed to was easy to jimmy open with Damon’s handy multitool, which didn’t even leave a dent or mark to let on someone had tampered with it. Best of all, Damon didn’t make a sound doing it.
Inside, the small space had metal storage shelves containing cleaning supplies, soap and paper products on top, with a row of buckets and rags on the bottom shelf. Smack in the middle of the area was a rubber two-tier wheeled cart stacked with trays of dirty dishes.
Jason could see that there was a pulley system that apparently brought supplies from the kitchen and took dirty dishes, utensils, and trays back down to be cleaned. A large red button to the right of the plexiglass chute cover appeared to operate the system with an easy up or down arrow. He noted the opening was large enough to accept a child or small man, perhaps a woman inside. If the down arrow was pushed, it could give someone an escape hatch to the fourth floor and the kitchen area below.
But it would never accommodate Jason’s large frame. Probably was too small for Damon even.
“I saw waiters riding one of these down from the dining room when a bunch of us took a San Diego to Mexico cruise last year.”
“Seriously?” Damon whispered; his forehead wrinkled.
“Yup. He even balanced a tray over his head, held on with the other hand. But these are little guys.”
“No wasted space.”
“I’ll bet there’s a maze all over this ship the passengers never see.”
Damon whistled.
“Come on, let’s quickly transfer the dishes and get this cart out to the lobby like Kyle asked.” As Damon began the transfer, Jason checked the hallway in both directions to make sure no one was coming. He could hear the guards just around the bend, their voices bouncing off the slick metal-paneled surfaces of the narrow hallway. He guessed their accent was either Dutch or German.
With a bucket and several rags, along with some rolls of toilet paper, they wheeled the cart to the marble-floored lobby area and began to wipe down handrails, spraying cleaner while they worked. Jason covered the stairway to the half floor while Damon worked the lobby elevator doors and beyond where a glass railing overlooked the interior lobby cathedral.
Uniformed staff passed by and didn’t say a word. Several young waitresses took the elevators down, speaking in some Oriental tongue. There were no passengers coming through, so Jason guessed they were all housed in the bow where he noted the larger suites were located adjacent to the pool and private access to the gym and spa areas.
He joined Damon, looking over the glass balcony at an empty interior. Only the sounds of bottles being stacked, and glasses being stored interrupted the happy music piped in from everywhere that was giving him a headache.
Several floors down, they watched Kyle talking to a ship’s officer, along with three other uniformed personnel. One of them appeared to be the captain. The two smiled warmly and shook hands then separated. Fredo and Cooper headed off with the handsome officer, while Kyle disappeared in the opposite direction, his phone to his ear.
They continued their mock cleaning until Jason felt the rumble of the ship’s engines cranking up. There were sounds of shouting as something was developing at one of the lower levels. Jason ran to the side, the sliding glass doors opening to the outside deck. As they glanced down, they saw the ship actually pushing away from the pier, without the gangway and umbrella covering being removed first. Several armed guards appeared, running down the pier, until they ran into a group of Civil Guards, who had taken a reddish-haired, pink-skinned gentleman in a white suit prisoner and were leading him to a waiting police vehicle just beyond the gates.
The security detail stood down immediately and watched as the man was escorted by them in handcuffs.
“Holy shit, he’s right,” said Jason.
“Is that who I think it is?” asked Damon.
“Fuckin’ Jens Vandershoot.”
“We better get back to the hallways,” barked Damon as they turned to go back to their positions. Just before they left the deck, Jason saw the gangway twisted like soft aluminum and fall into the sea.
“Did you know about this?” asked Damon.
“Fuck no. But he said something about going for a cruise today. Do you suppose everyone got on board? Now what do we do?”
“We each take a hall and don’t let anyone pass,” said Damon.
The two guards on Jason’s side were still there, but they were rapidly speaking into a device that crackled and gave back no instructions. Doors were opening on the floor. Jason could see young women poking their heads out and being ordered to return their rooms. But panic was beginning to take over, and a small crowd had developed behind them.
Jason knew the guards were about to abandon their post and got ready to detain them. He hoped the women stayed out of his way. He surprised the first guard and quickly held his knife to the man’s throat. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye as Fredo, T.J., and several others came barreling down the hallway, giving the assist, tossing the man to his knees and securing his hands with zip ties next to his encumbered teammate. Danny and Trace reassured the girls that they were safe and escorted them back to their rooms.
Jason’s pulse was racing as he leaned against the wall, fumbling for the pocket to stow his knife. T.J. walked up to him and placed his hand on his shoulder, and squeezed until it hurt.
“Are we having fun yet?” T.J. said, his eyes sparkling.
Jason licked his parched lips and discovered he’d been holding his breath, so let it out and took in another. “Mother of God. Did we just steal a cruise ship, T.J.? Is that what we did?”
“Nah, we just borrowed it for a bit. We got a little rendezvous all scheduled with the U.S.S. St. Louis in about three hours. All is well. You did good, kid.”
Chapter 18
Andy was not happy with Kiley’s decision to return to Oregon without Jason.
“You’re being short-sighted, Kiley. I’d go to the sheriff here.”
“And get arrested? Sent back there in handcuffs?”
&
nbsp; “But, Kiley, the more you try to do on your own, the worse it’s going to look for you,” he added.
She was getting angry. “Andy, I don’t think you understand. I have no options. I have to go back.”
“You’re relying on a couple of phone calls. These are not people I know or would put any trust or faith in. They may be good people, but, Kiley, we’re talking about a murder investigation, and the possibility that you may be a huge target. It’s like just walking in and saying, ‘Here, take me.’ That isn’t smart. You’re giving up.”
“I am not giving up!” She stood, pushing back from the table laid out with her breakfast Aimee so lovingly arranged. A breakfast her stomach wouldn’t let her touch. “Are you saying you won’t take me to the airport? Because I’m going. I’ll take an Uber if I have to.”
“I’d rather take you to the sheriff’s department, Kiley. That’s where you need to be right now. You have nothing to hide. What could be the harm?”
“Because after they’re done with me, maybe they won’t let me leave—”
“Yeah, for good reason,” Aimee inserted.
“It’s for your own good,” pleaded Andy.
“But what about the women I exposed? I won’t get there in time to help find them. Carmen? Should I just turn my back on everyone? The paper?”
“You’re not thinking straight, Kiley,” whispered Aimee. She came around the table to give her a hug.
“Don’t!”
Aimee backed up, her palms stretched outward. “Okay, do it your way, Kiley. We just want to make sure you stay safe. Jason would want that too. You know he would,” she continued. “Christy said—”
“So my conversation’s been bantered all about then. The personal things I said to her were revealed to you.”
Andy stood, yelling, “Stop it. You’re only thinking about yourself and your own guilt. What about us, Kiley? Have you even thought about what all this could do to us? You staying here has involved us, and I’m not allowed to get involved. I’d like to pass this off to the proper authorities, but you won’t let me. And just like your friends back in Portland, you’re going to go streaking out on your own with no consideration for anyone but yourself. You lied to them. You lied to us. Worst of all, you lied to Jason. He believed you when you told him you’d wait for him to return. Doesn’t that count for anything?”
“I don’t want him risking his career to help me. I got myself into this mess; I’ll get myself out of it.” Then she addressed Aimee. “And, my feelings don’t have anything to do with it. I’m sorry I ever embroiled any of you in this.”
Aimee hung her head, silver tears coursing down her cheeks. Andy placed his arm around her, sat beside her, and gave her a hug. Finally, he looked up, and asked, “At least can I make some phone calls? We’ve got contacts in Portland. Maybe they can help you.”
“What do you mean?” Kiley asked, returning to her chair.
“One of my buddies, Tyler, he’s over there with Jason right now, is from Portland. We have another Team guy, Trace, his brother-in-law, who married Tyler’s sister. She still lives in Portland. Tyler’s parents are still there. And…”
Andy waited until Aimee looked up at him. “Should I get him involved?” he asked her.
“Better he than putting this on the Grays or Gretchen’s family.”
“Through another one of our guys, there is a man there who might be of some help. He’s a billionaire whose daughter we rescued his daughter last year, from pirates doing the same thing you’ve run into. Who knows, maybe they’re all connected. Jason spoke to me about this even. I’m assuming he’s talked to Kyle. But I think if it’s protection you need, this Colin Riley could be of help. He’d like nothing better than to help you get these people. But at least he’d know how to keep you safe.”
“What makes you think I can trust him? Some of these organized crime guys have money too. And they’re connected.”
Andy leaned forward on the table, reaching for Kiley’s hands. He squeezed them. “He’s been trying to recruit several of us from the Team to form a kind of Posse Comitatus.”
“Now who’s talking illegal, Andy?”
“I’m not doing it. Some are considering it. That’s probably not the right term, but what I mean to say is he wants to create a force for good. If it can be done, he’ll do it the right way.” He sat back, removing his hands. “You know what they say…the enemy of my enemy is my friend? He hates those guys with a passion. He’d like nothing more than to help others now that he’s got his daughter back.”
Finally, Aimee agreed.
Andy placed the call to Brandy, Tucker’s wife. She gave him Riley’s contact information and the number for a former San Diego policeman who was starting to train to work for Riley, Bryce Tanner. Andy said that Brandy was very reluctant to give out this information.
“But she trusts me. I said it was a matter of life or death, and that you were in love with one of our guys. That was what she cared about the most, just for your information.”
“Sounds like someone I should meet, if I get the chance,” said Kiley.
Aimee stepped into the conversation. “You put any of this in a newspaper when all this blows over, I’ll be coming for you as well.” The stare she gave Kiley scorched her toes.
The three of them headed for Tampa airport in plenty of time to catch the plane. It had been arranged that Colin Riley would send a driver and a car to pick her up at the airport. She said her good-byes and promised to pick up a burner phone in one of the airport shops and give them an update when she landed.
At last, seated by herself in the only open seat she could get, a first-class ticket that cost as much as most people’s mortgage payments, she relaxed and fell asleep.
It was raining when she touched down, which she’d totally expected. It matched the way her insides were feeling. She turned on her cell and left a voice message that she had landed and was headed to the exit outside baggage claim, which was the arranged pickup location. She asked that they forward her new number to Jason and to Mr. Riley and his team.
She decided not to call her editor until she’d had a chance to discuss her situation with Riley. She was one of the first passengers to exit. She traveled down the gangway, approaching the concourse, her computer bag and case strapped over her shoulder. It gave her no joy to be home. It really didn’t feel like home.
A crowd was waiting to board the next flight. There was an airplane representative waiting just outside the entrance.
“Miss Worthington?” the attendant said. Her accent was Russian.
“Yes.”
“Hi, I’m Amanda,” she said, extending her hand. As they shook, the woman continued. “We’ve made some special arrangements for you to exit the terminal with private security for your own safety. Do you have other luggage?”
“No, this is it.”
“Great. Now, if you will follow me.”
Kiley started to walk behind the young woman, and then asked, “This was arranged by Mr. Riley, is that correct?”
Amanda turned and gave a nod. “Yes, ma’am. He wanted to be sure you were kept safe. It’s all been arranged.”
“But what happened to the driver I was to meet down by baggage claim?”
“Oh, we’re working on the approach. The drivers and pickup areas have had to be moved due to the construction. We didn’t want you to have to walk to the other terminal, so he’ll meet you downstairs instead. Much safer.” She wrinkled her nose.
Kiley was surprised Mr. Riley had agreed to come himself.
They walked through a security door and down a stairwell to a private parking lot designated for personal jet travel. Several expensive vehicles were waiting, some attended to by uniformed drivers. She appreciated not having to walk in the rain.
“Can I carry any of your luggage?” Amanda asked.
“No. Thanks. I’m fine.” Kiley clutched her computer bag tight against her body and continued.
“Here we are.”
&nb
sp; A black Bentley with blackened windows sat with its motor running. Waiting to open the passenger door was the driver in uniform, including a hat and black leather gloves. He tipped his hat and reached down to take her bags.
“No thanks, I’m good.”
The door was opened. She ducked to step inside the darkened interior. Before her eyes could adjust to the darkness someone had a hand over her mouth, and she smelled some sort of pine tar substance, which made her dizzy. Her legs and arms stiffened, and she collapsed on her knees inside the cab, falling on her computer bag.
No one helped her up. The door was closed behind her.
And then she passed out as the car motor revved up.
Chapter 19
The U.S.S. St. Louis was a fast ship, especially for its size, spanning over the length of a football field. It was outfitted with new equipment being used by the Navy for the first time, enabling them to track and monitor shipping lanes increasingly at risk in the Mediterranean and the north coast of Africa. The Team Guys were fascinated with the grand tour they received. But one of the things the St. Louis could not do was show up at the harbor in Las Palmas, since there was no agreement between the Navy and the local autonomous government on Gran Canaria.
The incident with the Dutch ship had already created a stir. Kyle was told all would be arrested if it returned to port, so the Vanderdam Orca was already headed back to a friendly port at Gibraltar. This meant the SEAL Team was to be transported by a small fleet of fishing boats conscripted for the mission, where they could be dropped off at various locations on the island, regrouping later.
Jason couldn’t wait to let Kiley know he would be home sooner than originally thought. He was still shaking his head how quickly the mission came to a conclusion. They’d rescued thirty-seven women, most of them from Eastern Europe and Africa. They’d seized a cruise ship worth more than the entire GDP of the Canary Islands. It would be converted to conservation and humanitarian aid, possibly returned as a desperately needed hospital ship. But the whole incident would be years in the paperwork filing alone, not to mention the diplomatic issues it raised.
Escape To Sunset: One Night Stand Romance-Hiding From The Mob (Sunset SEALs Book 4) Page 16