by Heather Hart
"Here." She heard the quick tread of sneakered feet as Robert skipped down the steps to be with her. "I'm here, love."
She pushed herself up. "Thank God. I feel a lot better. Did you give me something?"
"Maybe a little something."
"Good. What time is it now?"
"Nine. You slept a few hours, that's all."
She pushed her legs over the end of the bed and shook the cobwebs out of her head. "I'm sorry. I messed things up again, didn't I?"
He shook his head. "No, Kassie, how could you possibly think that? We know about the warehouse now. That's something we didn't know before."
"Like that'll help. They'll think we'd have called the cops. They'll have cleared the hell out of that place."
"Maybe, maybe not."
"What about the two who snatched us?"
Robert ran his hand gently through her hair, and she leaned into his palm, grateful for his touch. "They won't be troubling us anymore."
"They're dead?"
"They've certainly looked better."
She noticed he was carrying something in his hand. "What's that?" she asked.
"Your iPhone. It was on the deck where you dropped it. Did you send a message to Alex before they came?"
"No."
Robert ran his fingers through his hair and stared blankly at the face of it. She knew what he was thinking without his saying a word.
"You know, this doesn't change a thing. I mean, we half expected them to take me, didn't we? That's why we had those shoes fitted out."
"Not much good if you're not wearing them."
"We couldn't have foreseen they'd have come so soon, and less still that they'd sail right up here to the boat. I mean, really, who would have expected that?"
Robert shook his head. "Kassie, we're professionals. We should have seen this coming. We should expect anything and everything. If you want, I can turn this boat to sea. We need never see that bastard or his whore again. Baby, just say the word, and it's over. We can sail straight to Annapolis."
In spite of his words, she knew he was conflicted. If not, why bring the phone to her? She got up and went to the bathroom. While she peed, she studied the welts on her feet and ankles. That bitch had been severe. But she'd been lucky. Robert had rescued her, and she was free. Not every girl who entered that hellhole could boast the same.
"I want to carry on," she said. "I know you don't like it, but I don't have to remind you how important this is. We've gotta bring him down. All those lives he ruins. And we can do something about it, so I think we have to. Robert, I am yours. If you say no to me, I'll understand your motives and I won't fight you. But it's important to me. I want to do this. I want to bring them to justice."
Robert dropped the phone on the bed and looked through the open door. "You know we can't save the people he's already snatched. Those are gone, baby. It's already over for them."
"I know."
His shoulders slumped in deference. "If it's what you want, baby, I won't ask you to stand down."
"I'll be safe. You'll protect me."
He laughed an ironic laugh. "You should know from last night there's a world of difference between safe and protected. Short of locking you in a box and hiding you somewhere secret, there's always the chance they could snatch you again. I can't watch over you twenty-four seven, even if I wanted to. Don't be fooled into thinking I'm infallible. If we do this, we've got to be a lot more careful. We've got to expect the worst every single moment."
She managed a weak smile and picked the phone up from the bed. She punched some letters and dropped the phone back on the bed.
"What did you say?"
"Well, in the circumstances he's hardly gonna expect me to be peppy. And you said he liked me because I resisted him. So I told him I'd think about it."
"And nothing else?"
"Nothing else. He knows we were snatched, but he doesn't know we know he knows. So we can pick up where we left off."
"Clever girl."
He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled into her neck. Even though she was in poor shape, she welcomed his touch on her skin.
"I do love you, Robert."
"And I love you. When you're feeling better, I think I want to tie you up and torture you in the most unimaginable ways. And perhaps a spanking is in order."
She turned to brush her cheek against his chin. "Oh. What have I done wrong?"
"Made me love you. True pain doesn't come from attacks on the flesh. It's all about the heart—and you're killing me. I'm going to spank you for that."
"That's not a reason." She smiled.
"It is if I say it is."
"Yes, sir."
"Good girl."
Ping! There was a new message alert on the iPhone. Reluctantly Kassie stepped out of Robert's arms and picked up the phone again.
"It's from him. He says he'll wait as long as it takes."
"Say yes. He won't make a move on you if he thinks there's a chance to fuck you anyway. Set something up. I want to get over to the shipyard and take a snoop about on his yacht. You can make sure he's out of the way while I'm over there."
"Okay."
She sighed and typed the following message.
Is tomorrow too soon?
Ping!
Dinner at 6.00. I'll text a location later.
"It's done." She told him the time and walked back into the bathroom. She leaned close to the mirror and looked hard at her own reflection. "God, I look like shit."
Something would have to be done about that. She would have to look her best if they were going to bring Alex down. She poured herself a glass of water and rinsed her mouth out. It was going to take a lot of work to look on top of her game again. Might as well get started now. She slipped out of her robe and turned on the jets in the shower.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The Euphoria
All was quiet at the Ebb and Flow Yacht Company. It was late in the afternoon, and there were still a few employees tinkering about in the yard, though he sensed they were getting ready to leave for the day. Perfect timing. Robert walked into the main office, bold as brass, and sat down in the waiting area where he flipped through a copy of a magazine called Yachter's Envy.
After a while a ginger-haired man with a red face wearing snug fitting jeans came entered the office and saw him.
"Oh, hello. I hope you haven't been waiting long."
Robert smiled his best salesman smile and rose to shake the other man's hand. "Hello. I've come to get a job priced. I'm moored in the harbor, and would like the repairs done there, if I can."
The other man looked him up and down, sizing him up. "Small job is it?"
"Yes. There's a minor problem with the on-board navigation system. It might have to be replaced. And I need some paint work on the deck, but nothing major. "
The man swung his head from side to side as if weighing up possibilities. "We could do it there, though it's always better if you can get it here. Saves a lot of hassle, and we offer a low-cost hauling service if she's disabled."
"I'm sure, but my fiancée and I are sleeping there, and if the repairs take more than one night it'll become inconvenient."
"I'm Barry Button, owner of the yard, by the way. What's the name of the boat? Perhaps I can take a look."
"The Laughing Hyena."
Barry raised an amused eyebrow. "Well, it's kinda late tonight. I was about to head out, and I'm a bit short on hands today. Maybe first thing in the morning. I'll see what we can do then."
"Sure." Robert picked up a business card and wrote down a fake name and contact number. The two men walked out and fell in step together. "So, how long have you been in the boating business?"
"Twenty years or so. Took the place over from my uncle."
"You have a boat of your own?"
"Course."
"What's it like?"
He looked around the yard at the various yachts, pretending he hadn't noticed them before. His eyes fell on Alex's Eup
horia, which was the largest yacht moored at the dock. "Anything as impressive as that one? Christ, that thing's enormous."
Barry laughed. "No, nothing quite as fancy as that, but she's pretty big, that's for sure."
"I've often wondered what it would be like to be on one of the larger ones."
"Well, I'd give you a guided tour, but it's all locked up at the moment. The keys are in my office, and if you don't mind, it's getting late."
Pity. "Perhaps tomorrow?"
"Sure. Just not that one. All the repairs are done, and the owner contacted me just a few minutes ago. She'll be setting sail first thing in the morning, come rain or shine."
Robert shrugged and paused to shake Barry's hand. "No problem. Can you give me a call before you come tomorrow? I'll need to make sure the lady of the boat is nice and decent."
"Can do."
Barry slipped into his convertible Audi A4, and waved as he pulled out of the yard. Robert stretched his back and looked around. The remaining employees were grabbing their things, and Robert walked out of the yard so they could close and lock the gates. He began walking back to the main harbor, or that's what he wanted them to think. As soon as he came to the side of an out building, he slipped behind it and waited for the all clear. If Alex were leaving tomorrow, this would probably be his one and only chance to snoop around. He had to get on that boat.
He didn't have to wait for very long. The men cleared out quickly. It was the weekend, and everyone had someplace to be. Good. He wanted in and out fast. In a little while, Kassie would be meeting with Alex, and in spite of what he led her to believe, there was no fucking way he'd let her out of his sight. Not for a second. Even being here now, without her, was agony. Not knowing. Unable to see. Helpless.
He checked his iPhone. No messages. But there was no reason to suppose she wasn't safely on board, making herself beautiful. She didn't need to do much; she was born in grace. He put his phone back in his pocket. Time to get on with it.
Slipping over a padlocked fence and breaking into an alarmed office was a cinch for a spy of his caliber. In less than three minutes, he was inside Barry's office, looking for the key box. And there it was. A few seconds later he had the keys to give him full access to Alex's boat. He closed everything he had opened and slipped out faster than he got in.
Then he walked over to the yacht. There were still plenty of people about on the water, but that was okay. As long as he didn't act strangely, he'd just blend in. A well-dressed man stepping onto a multi-million dollar vessel was no big event, at least not in this neck of the woods. He climbed on deck and fumbled through the keys looking for the one that opened Alex's suite. After trying a few, the door slid open and he let himself in.
As with most large luxury yachts, the owner's suite boasted a full-blown study. He opened drawer after drawer of Alex's desk, seeking something, anything that would tie him to all the trafficking. Knowing he did it was one thing, but to get a conviction and put him away there had to be hard proof. The bottom and largest drawer to his desk was locked. Robert pulled a Swiss Army knife from his pocket and selected a utility knife. A second later the drawer was open and in the bottom of it was a large ledger. No one kept these anymore; these days everything was put directly into the computer. That is, unless you wanted to keep your transactions off the grid.
He pulled it out and started flipping through the pages. Jackpot! Dates, names, amounts, it was all there, just as he hoped it would be. He closed and locked the drawer and slipped back onto the main deck. The ledger would go a good way towards incriminating Alex, but he needed more. After all, he couldn't tie Alex directly to the book, and that would be a problem. He thought what he wanted was most likely to be found on the lower decks.
As he skipped quickly down he pulled out his iPhone again. There was still no message from Kassie, and that bugged him. No doubt everything was okay, but given everything that happened, he needed reassurance. And Alex was leaving. If he had any plans to snatch Kassie then it would have to be tonight, and that put the pressure on. The best way to safeguard her, or anyone else for that matter, would be to get Alex behind bars, and the sooner the better. No more pussyfooting around on the edge of his underworld. He had to nail him, and nail him fast.
Down on the lower deck were the smaller guest cabins and the crew quarters. One by one he searched these rooms, looking for something, anything that would incriminate Alex further. The last room he came to was the smallest of them all, with just a couple of bunks. They stood out from the others because all the other cabins were tastefully decorated. All the crew rooms, though not as fancy, were filled with personal items owned and used by the crew, and consistent with rooms of that sort. But this cabin boasted nothing of the kind; it was cold, impersonal, and lifeless. And there was an odd odor of sweat and urine, entirely out of keeping with the luxurious feel of the rest of the boat. His gut old him this was the room he was looking for.
He stepped farther inside and looked under the first bunk. Under this was a strong box, so he pulled it out and went to lift the lid but found it was also locked. Once again he pulled out the knife, and quickly broke into it.
Inside were ropes, manacles, rags, and needles. Presumably the rags were to gag them, and he knew what the needles were for. So this was the prison cabin. Sick. He took pictures of the contents. They were nothing in themselves. Given Alex's sexual preferences they could easily be explained away, but they helped paint the bigger picture. He relocked the lid and returned the box to where he found it. If he could only catch him in the act, that would seal the deal. But it had to be him, there had to be a direct link to his involvement, and that was going to be hard. The ledger and the photos alone weren't nearly enough.
Kassie. She was the key. That was one lock he didn't want to open, but he had to. He closed the door behind him and slipped quietly off the boat. He had a set of keys to return and a mission to accomplish. And the sooner this god-awful business was far behind them, the better, in his opinion.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Priceless
Although she'd woken up feeling much better physically, she was tired of being on the boat, tired of Baltimore and, most especially, she was tired of this mission. They had been through so much in a short space of time, and what did they have to show for it? Zip, that's what. And it was mostly her fault; she was the one who insisted they accept this job, she was the one who kept screwing up, and she was the one who put Robert's life in jeopardy. And yet still she had to see it through. What they were doing mattered, regardless the personal cost to their health and sanity. But right this minute, she had to get off this boat.
Robert had been gone for some time, and as yet Alex hadn't told her anything other than the time of their meet. She glanced at her watch. Four-thirty. She was all dressed and ready, with nothing to do but twiddle her thumbs until she heard from him. And it was a beautiful day—too beautiful to be cooped up in this hellhole of a boat. She grabbed her purse, checked that her wallet and phone were in it, then climbed down into the dinghy. She had to be on solid ground for a bit or she would go mad.
How delightfully clever her mind was. For a while she thought she was wandering aimlessly, but then she realized she was heading over to Gay Street where the jewelers shop was located. She had almost forgotten about it, with everything that had happened to her. And her instincts told her the shop was somehow connected to this whole nasty business. She glanced at her watch. She had plenty of time, so why not?
With a renewed sense of purpose, she increased her step to a brisk pace and soon found herself back at Graystone and Goldman. Even as she walked down the steps to the shop, she could smell the money. It oozed out of the very brickwork, and sang from the windows and doorframe. Old money did that somehow. But then, this was an old business.
The tiny bell jingled over the door as she opened it. The only member of staff present was Harvey, who for a second seemed confused seeing her there, but then his smile lit up like a lighthouse and he walked bo
ldly over to shake her hand.
"Well, hello again, Miss Shannon. How lovely to see you back here so soon."
He remembered her name, which was odd in itself. Or maybe he was just especially good at his job, who knew?
"Hello, Harvey. Yes, I couldn't resist the opportunity. I've been thinking about nothing but your lovely shop for days. It's enchanting."
"Excellent. That's what we like to hear. Was there anything you saw the other day of particular interest?"
"Perhaps."
Her smile was coquettish, and she winked and began walking slowly along the glass cases, checking out the estate pieces. They were all unique and exquisite, and her attention was drawn to a very nice emerald and diamond ring she'd noticed before. Unlike some of the other pieces, it looked fairly new. The setting was still in fashion, and she loved the smoothness of the platinum band, reminiscent of the quality of a piece from Tiffany's. There was no price tag. That alone scared the crap out of her.
"Could I take a closer look at this one?"
She pointed down through the glass, and Harvey followed her gaze to the ring in question.
"A most excellent choice. Those emeralds are a superior quality stone. You have a good eye, I think."
She beamed. Flattery could be fun at times. "So, Harvey, do you just work here, or is this your business?"
"It's my father's. We're a family business. My sister is usually here, but today is her day off, and my mother comes in from time to time, though not so much these days as she's quite old now and has pretty bad arthritis."
"You must love what you do."
"Oh, very much."
"And you have some beautiful pieces."
"Yes. We specialize in buying estate pieces, but, as you see, we have some newer pieces to suit younger tastes." He put the ring down on a piece of velvet in front of her. "And we do a lot of resetting. Many of our clients buy the stones, then have them reset to match their own individual style. If this style isn't right for you, I'd be happy to work with you on a design."
"Young people are so fickle. I don't think anything would tempt me to part with something so absolutely beautiful."