Ladyfish

by Andrea Bramhall

  “I still say it’s too much.”

  Oz took a deep breath ready to begin on the next prepared speech until Finn put her hand to her lips.

  “But we’ll argue about that later. Thank you. This is the most wonderful, thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me.” The tears rolled down her cheeks. “Now take me to the Everglades. I need to take pictures so we never forget today.” She sat back in her seat, slowly pulling open the boxes and examining their contents.

  “I’ll never forget.” Nor will I forget the look on your face right now. She cast her eyes upward as she turned on the ignition. Please don’t let me screw this up.

  *

  By the time they had reached Cape Sable, Finn had her camera encased in the housing and was taking shots to get used to the controls. Oz found a parking space close to the water to make it easier to launch the kayak.

  “So what’s the plan, Captain?”

  “Well, me hearty.” Oz assumed an exaggerated pirate-type gravelly voice but started coughing and ruined the effect, making Finn giggle. “Thanks for the sympathy.”

  Finn shrugged, still laughing.

  “Care to give me a hand getting the kayak down?”

  “Sure.” They worked together and quickly had the boat floating at the edge of the water. Oz held it steady as Finn climbed in.

  “I figured we could find a good quiet place and go snorkeling for a while. Give that new housing a try. How does that sound?”

  “Can we go swimming here? What about crocodiles and stuff?”

  “I’m not planning on getting near any crocs. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.”

  “I didn’t bring my stuff.”

  Oz pointed to a bag in the bottom of the craft. “I took the liberty of packing madame’s swimsuit and snorkeling apparel. I hope you don’t mind. They were at the dive center so I grabbed them.”

  “You are so sweet.”

  Oz put a finger in front of her lips. “Shush, don’t go telling anyone. It’s a very closely guarded secret.”

  Finn kissed her tenderly on the lips. “Your secret is safe with me. Besides, if other women found out, they’d want you too much. I don’t think I want the competition.”

  Oz wrapped her arms around Finn’s waist. “There wouldn’t be a competition. You’d win hands down.”

  “See what I’m talking about? Sweet.”

  “I try. Are you ready? I’ll push us off.”

  Finn set her paddle in the water and waited for the kayak to move. They paddled together, letting the quiet envelop them, only occasionally stopping to take pictures, until they came across a manatee cow and her calf.

  Oz couldn’t help but laugh as Finn grabbed her camera and slipped into the water to follow them around, taking picture after picture, even though she was still in her shorts and T-shirt. She kept the boat close by in case Finn needed to get out, but the gentle nature of the heavy beasts made it unlikely. She shuddered at the sight of their scarred backs as they played in the water, the battle wounds of survival in a marine world where man was the only predator, yet professed to be a protector.

  She rubbed at the scar on her stomach subconsciously as her mind wandered. The scent on the wind was no longer the salt water and mangrove trees, but rather the pungent iron of blood congealing on the blade in her hand. The weight of the knife was reassuring as she stalked the corridors of the cargo ship, searching each room systematically as they tried to gain control, and summon help. Shots reverberated around her, and she knew time was running out. For her and for Rudy. Her heart rate picked up as she kicked open the last door and dropped to roll inside, anticipating the gunfire aimed at the open doorway. She took cover behind an overturned table then peeked around the edge to gauge the shooter’s position. One look. Two. And throw the knife on three. Then the crash of a body hitting the floor and the clatter of the gun.

  Splashes in the water startled her back to the present and she watched as the calf swam close enough to Finn for her to stroke it, and she marveled at the instinctive trust the animal felt, his natural wariness gone in the face of Finn’s gentle nature. It shouldn’t be surprising, though. Finn had a sense of tranquility about her that made it easy to trust her. It made her comfortable to be with and terrifying to get close to. Finn grinned up at her as the hulking gray bodies finally disappeared and Oz helped her back into the boat. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Oz couldn’t keep from smiling, the shadows of her past fading in the wake of Finn’s happiness. “Did you get me a picture?”

  “Perhaps. One or two thousand.”

  “See? My investment has paid off already.”

  “Are they endangered?”

  “Yes. In two thousand and three, there were only around three thousand left. After Katrina destroyed so much of their habitat, followed by the BP oil spill, I dread to think what the numbers are like now.”

  “That’s such a shame. They’re so beautiful. And gentle.”

  Her excitement was catching, and Oz’s grin widened at the wicked thoughts running through her mind as she passed Finn a towel and watched as she tucked it around her and secured it under her arm.

  “Do you want me to hold that towel up so you can change?”

  “Can you be trusted?”

  Oz cocked an eyebrow and shook her head. “Probably not.”

  “Well, I suppose you’ve been very well-behaved so far. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.” One corner of her mouth lifted as Finn scrunched her lips together to weigh her options.

  “You don’t know the kind of things I’ve been thinking about you.”

  “Back at ya, hot stuff.” She stood and reached under her towel, managing to remove her panties and put on the bikini bottoms Oz had passed her without putting herself on display.

  “Very impressive.” Oz reached into the bag and pulled out the matching top. “A little disappointing, but impressive. Now. What are you going to do with this one?”

  Finn reached for the garment and let the towel fall. Oz’s eyes widened as they fixed on the perfect, full, firm breasts before her. It was only seconds before they were covered again and Finn was smirking at the wide-eyed look of shock and desire Oz was sure was firmly planted on her face. Her arms stretched up her back as she tied the string securely.

  “Oz?” She waved her hand in front of Oz’s face. “Hello, earth to Oz, anyone there?”

  “You’re trying to kill me aren’t you?”

  Finn knelt in front of her and placed a hand on either side of the narrow craft for balance. “No, darling, I definitely don’t want to do that. Should I say I’m sorry?”

  “For what?” Oz grinned and kissed her soundly. “That little peep show should keep me going for at least, I don’t know, maybe the rest of the day.” She kissed her again, deep and long. “Just be glad I’m not the one with the picture taking fetish!”

  Finn laughed as she picked up her paddle again.

  “You told me you’d tell me more about you today.”

  Oz grimaced and looked around, hoping to find a distraction. But there wasn’t one. “What do you want to know?”

  “Tell me about the navy. What did you do?”

  Oz closed her eyes, wishing the topic was one she could avoid but knowing that, eventually, Finn would need to know. If they stood any chance at making this work, she needed to find the strength to share some of her deepest fears. “I was a navy diver. It was pretty varied from day to day. It might be working with explosives or mines, repairs, rescues. Pretty much anything you can think of.”

  “Rescues? I bet that was pretty exciting.”

  “No, not really. Sometimes it was pretty scary.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you want to tell me?”

  “Yeah. But not today. Today I want to enjoy the Everglades with you and not think about all that other crap.” Oz hoped Finn would drop the subject. She wasn’t sure how long she could speak without lying to her. She didn’t want to adm
it to the blood on her hands.

  “Thank you for today, Oz. I’m really glad you brought me here.”

  Oz didn’t know if it was intuition or something else that made Finn see her need for the subject change, but whatever it was, she was grateful and more than happy to let it drop. She wondered why a woman as wonderful as Finn was even interested in spending time with her, let alone interested in anything more.

  They paddled for a while longer, sticking to safer topics, for which Oz was grateful. The shadows weighing on her shoulders were lightened by Finn’s smile, her laugh, her beauty. Oz sighed inwardly, careful to keep her smile in place so Finn wouldn’t know just how much it hurt to be so close to something so perfect but know she could never have it.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  The knock at the door woke him. Pete glanced at the clock as he made his way through the flat, a persistent fist announcing its owner’s presence again.

  “Yeah, okay, I’m coming.” He pulled open the door and found himself knocked back into his own flat as William Sterling strode into the room. He was a short man with balding hair and a protruding stomach. His well-tailored suit hid the protrusion, but even lifts in his shoes could do little to affect his height.

  “Good evening, Peter. Are you well?” He didn’t wait for an answer before he continued. “Where is my daughter?” He began wandering from room to room. “Daniela? Come and say hello to your father.”

  “She isn’t here, Mr. Sterling.” Pete looked again at Sterling and marveled at Finn’s resilience and the courage she showed in escaping from him.

  “Then where is she? I’ve already been to her house and she isn’t there.”

  “She’s still in Florida.”

  “I see. And why are you here, then?”

  “I had some matters to attend to here at home. Daniela was enjoying herself. She’s made some new friends and so we thought she could stay there a while longer.”

  “And when is she returning?”

  “We haven’t really set a date. I may decide to return there for a while first. It depends on what happens here.”

  “With John Pritchard and his team?”

  Pete stared at him. Fuck.

  “Yes, they’ve approached me about a position on their team.”

  “I will double your current salary and give you a promotion. As soon as you and Daniela marry, of course. That should make you very comfortable and ensure you have no need to be speaking to Pritchard and his cronies.”

  Pete took a deep breath and steadied himself. “That’s a very generous offer, Mr. Sterling, but it isn’t about money at all. After Mr. Pritchard approached me, I decided to talk to him to see what I could find out from him. That way I could give the information to you, of course.” Pete knew his only chance was to convince Sterling he wasn’t a traitor. The small smile that twitched at the corner of Sterling’s lips set Pete’s mind at rest.

  “How very enterprising of you, Peter. I must say, I was surprised when I heard you were meeting with Pritchard about the position. This makes much more sense. Why didn’t you tell me about it sooner?”

  “I wanted to, Mr. Sterling.”

  “William, please.”

  Pete inclined his head. “William. As I was saying, I wanted to. However, I suspect that Mr. Pritchard is watching me. Coming to you straight away would have roused his suspicions against me and cost us the opportunity to find out what he knows. I was counting on how well you know me to convince you that my intentions in this matter are only to better assist you.”

  “Very good, Peter.” Sterling headed for the door. “I trust you’ll keep me informed now? Discreetly, of course. We don’t want this blowing up in our faces.”

  “And your daughter is fine,” Pete said to the closed door. “I’ll let her know you asked after her, you selfish old prick.” Fuck!

  Pete picked up the phone and hit the speed dial. He paced the room as he waited for her to answer.

  “Hey, Pete. How was the flight?”

  “Not bad at all. The reception here wasn’t great though. Your dad was just here.”

  “He called me last night.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, at four in the morning. It took me an age to get back to sleep.”

  “So he already knew you weren’t here?” Double fuck.

  “Pete? Are you still there?”

  “Yeah, I’m here. He knows about my meeting with Pritchard. I tried to convince him that I was going to the meeting to see what Pritchard was up to and make sure it wasn’t going to cause any problems for your dad. He went for it pretty easily.” Too easily.

  “So when is the meeting with Pritchard?”

  “Monday at ten. My body clock’s all screwed up. That’s tomorrow, right?”

  “Last time I checked.”

  “Good, I’ll let you know how it goes. How’s everything at your end?”

  “It’s really great actually. Oz took me out on the Everglades today in a kayak and I went swimming with a manatee.”

  “What’s a manatee?”

  “It’s like a huge seal. They’re also called sea cows. They’re really gentle and amazing, and there was a cow and a calf, and the calf let me touch him. It was incredible. I’ll e-mail you one of the photos if you like?”

  “You took your camera in the water?”

  “Yeah. Oz got me a waterproof housing for it.” She fell silent.

  “I can hear you thinking, Finn. Spit it out.”

  “I went on a date.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Oh my God! When? With who? Where did you go? So many questions.”

  “Saturday night at Pearl’s Patio, a lesbian bar, and there was a great singer with a lovely voice.”

  “Finn, honey, tell me who.”

  “Oz. Are you still there? You didn’t faint did you?”

  “Yeah, I’m here. I thought you said you weren’t sleeping with her—”

  “I’m not sleeping with her.” Finn’s voice hardened and he froze. “We had our first date last night, and she kissed me good night at my door and then left me. Nothing inappropriate.”

  “I’m sorry, Finn. I didn’t mean it like that. I guess I’m just surprised. Is she there?”

  “Yeah, she’s here.”

  “Can I speak to her?” He heard the rustling as she covered the microphone and spoke to Oz.

  “Hi, Pete, how are you?”

  “Yeah, Oz, I’m good. I’m a little surprised I guess.”

  “I know. So am I, to be honest. It wasn’t something either of us planned.”

  “She might not tell you this, but she’s not exactly worldly.”

  “She already told me, Pete.”

  “She did?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And you’re okay with that?”

  Oz laughed, but he could hear the edge in it. “I’m terrified. I’m eight years older than her, and I can barely remember being on a date. I understand what you’re trying to do here, Pete, and I think you’re a great guy for trying to protect her. She hasn’t had enough of that. But I promise I’m not trying to take advantage of her. I have no intention of hurting her.”

  “I’ll fly back over there and kick your ass if you do, Oz.”

  “She did tell you that I was in the navy, didn’t she?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I realize I might break a nail doing it, but hell. She’s worth it.”

  “I agree, Pete. I’ll make you a deal. If I do anything that causes her a moment’s pain, I’ll come to you. Save you the airfare. No need to add insult to injury.”

  “Well, that would make things easier. Seriously, though, I’m worried about her. I don’t know if she’s told you much about her dad, but—”

  “Pete, can you hear that?”

  “Hear what?”

  “That echo on the line.”

  “Yeah, I noticed that before. Probably a dodgy line. It is an international call, after all.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” She
paused while she composed herself and thought. “Listen can you do something for me?”

  “What?”

  “Get out of your place and find a pay phone. Use your cell phone and text the number to Finn. I’ll call you on it.”

  “I don’t get it—”

  “Please, Pete.” Something in her voice added to his own uneasiness and made him listen to her.

  “Okay. I’m going now.”

  Five minutes later, he was waiting in a call box around the corner from his house as the handset began to ring.

  “That echo means your phone has been tapped and someone was listening in.”

  “Fuck.”

  “Tell me what I need to know, Pete. Is this her dad?”

  “Is she there?”

  “I asked her to make me a sandwich. We have a few minutes.”

  “Her father is a very powerful man with a lot of nasty friends. Well-armed friends. He’s involved with people all over the Middle East and North Africa. I know for certain that he’s using the company to launder money. I can prove that. What I’m not sure about is where the money is coming from. His legitimate business dealings cover his travel itinerary, but not even close to the wealth he has. There are rumors that he’s using the bio labs to develop biological weapons, but I can’t prove that. The guy I’m going to meet is MI6.”

  “How dirty are his hands?”

  “At the moment, the police would have a hard time charging him with anything. Suspicions are all well and good, but they won’t stop him.”

  “What do you know about Finn’s mom?”

  “Again, there are rumors, suspicions. I’ve read police reports about her disappearance, witness statements, and the coroner’s verdict of suicide. I hacked a few government systems I shouldn’t have, a bank or two, and found a bank statement for the coroner who ruled it suicide. He was definitely paid off. But I can’t trace it back to her dad.”