Bluewater Drone: The Eleventh Novel in the Caribbean Mystery and Adventure Series (Bluewater Thrillers Book 11)

by Charles Dougherty

  He stopped packing and picked up the phone, scrolling to the display of incoming calls. There was a number for the call from Danilov, but the area code was unfamiliar. "Probably a cellphone, anyway," he muttered. "Numbers mean nothing nowadays." He considered calling back to ask where they were meeting, but thought better of it. He needed this deal; with Danilov's backing, he could make Cassie's Dream. Danilov was his last chance; if he blew this, he'd be washed up. He'd burned too many bridges with his failed productions to go back to acting, at least in films he didn't produce. No other producer would hire him, now.

  He was glad he'd taken the first step to smooth things over with the Berger girl before Danilov called. It was too bad he didn't have some pictures of her to show Danilov. She was perfect; with Danilov's money and her in the role of Cassie, he'd show those bastards in Hollywood how to make a 21st-century blockbuster.

  ****

  "This is a beautiful spot, Dani," Mindy said, gazing out to the west where the sun was dropping behind a line of clouds on the horizon. "Do you and Liz come here often?"

  "You mean Antigua? Or this particular anchorage?"

  "Well, both. But the anchorage is what I was talking about. The view of the sunset is phenomenal."

  "It really is," said Blaine, as he stood braced against the stern rail, camera held to his eye. "Think we'll get a green flash?"

  "We could," Dani said. "And yes, Mindy. This is one of our favorite hangouts when we're between guests. It's a quiet, pretty spot, and it's a convenient place to stock up on groceries. Not to mention the sunsets."

  "I thought you had to have a clear horizon for a green flash," Blaine said.

  "Well, I've heard that, too," Dani said. "Maybe it is clear out beyond the cloud bank. I don't pretend to know how it happens, but sometimes when it's like this, you get a green flash out behind the clouds and they diffuse the light. The whole sky turns green just for a split second. It's way more rare than a normal green flash."

  "I'd say we've got a few more minutes," Blaine said. "Sun's still above the horizon."

  "Good evening, Vengeance," boomed the harbormaster's rich voice as he brought his launch alongside.

  "Hello, George," Dani said. "Meet our guests, Blaine and Mindy Wilkes. George is the harbormaster; he keeps everybody in line around here."

  George grinned and nodded. "Not so much keep 'em in line, but jus' keep 'em happy if I can. Nice to meet you folks. Welcome to Antigua."

  "Thanks," Mindy said.

  "Yes, thanks," Blaine added, still taking photographs of the horizon as the sun dropped into the clouds, infusing them with a pastel pink glow.

  "What brings you out this time of day?" Dani asked.

  "Well, two t'ings. The flower shop asked me to bring this out for you, Dani." He handed up a long, white box with a red ribbon tied around the middle. Dani slipped the card out from under the ribbon as she took the box from him. Flipping the card open, she glanced at it and stuck it in her pocket. "Thanks, George. Can you do something for me?"

  "Sure enough. What do you need?"

  "Can you drop these at the hospital in St. Johns on your way home? Maybe for the women's ward? I have no use for them." She passed the unopened box back to him.

  "No problem. Glad to do that."

  "You said two things."

  "Yes. Liz around?"

  "Sure," Dani said, "She's cooking dinner." Leaning into the companionway, she called, "Liz?"

  "Hi, George," Liz said, stepping onto the companionway ladder and poking her head out. "What's up?"

  "Simon asked me to give you a message. You called him earlier? 'Bout movie people on the island?"

  "I did, yes. I thought if anybody would know about gossip like that, he would."

  George grinned. "You were right. He try to call you but he cellphone battery dead. His cousin, she work at the resort in English Harbour. She say a mon stayin' there from Hollywood, sure enough. In the big suite. Handsome mon, meet wit' the lady from the Prime Minister's office 'bout makin' a movie here. But she don' know he name. Say he look like a movie star, though, an' act like a bigshot."

  "Thanks, George. Pass along my thanks to Simon."

  "No problem. You an' Dani gonna be in the movies?"

  "No. The Wilkeses had heard a rumor, that's all. We just wondered," Dani said.

  "That’s too bad," George said. "You two be good movie stars. Everybody t'ink so."

  "You do have a way with words, George. Thanks, but we've got a boat to sail. No time for that kind of foolishness."

  "Ain't that the truth, foolishness," George said, grinning. "Have a good evenin'." He gave a little wave as he pulled away and headed toward the harbor entrance.

  "Dinner's ready," Liz said. "Would you like to eat in the cockpit?"

  "Sure," Mindy said. "Okay with you, Blaine?"

  "Yep. Looks like I struck out on the green flash, but I still got some great sunset shots."

  "Can we head for English Harbour in the morning?" Mindy asked.

  "Of course," Dani said. "It's a couple of hours, and well worth some time in your video, in my non-artistic opinion."

  "Yeah, I agree. It was on our list, anyway. I'd already researched it." Mindy said. "I'll get some video and Blaine can go snoop on the movie stars."

  Chapter 4

  "So what do you think of them?" Liz asked, in a whisper. She and Dani were in the forward cabin, their guests having already gone to bed.

  Dani rolled to her side, facing Liz across the narrow space between their bunks. "They're okay, I guess. They seem to get along; that's always a good sign."

  "Yes," Liz said. "Did you get the impression that this paparazzi thing might be a bigger deal than they let on?"

  "I don't know; why do you think that?"

  "I'm not sure. Something about the dynamic between them changed when you made your comment about ambushing wild animals."

  "I didn't notice," Dani said. "I sensed that I had offended him, so I was scrambling to cover my tracks."

  "Yes; I saw that. Good for you for picking up on that. He felt patronized at first; I could tell."

  "I really meant what I said. I think that would be fun to do."

  "You would, Dani." Liz chuckled softly. "You really would."

  "They're scum, Liz. Trash, most of them. Famous for nothing more than doing outrageous things and looking like sluts and gangsters."

  "I didn't know you were such a celebrity-worshipper. Did some box-office idol break your heart when you were a teen?"

  "You know how I spent my teens. They didn't break my heart, but some of them on those charters did try to get in my pants. Jerks. And the women were worse; they encouraged that kind of thing. I was only twelve that first summer."

  "You've mentioned that before. I'm still surprised you never told J.-P. I'm sure he would have put a stop to that."

  "Papa? He would have expected me to handle it; it's part of learning to live in the world, he would have said."

  "That just seems unlike him to me," Liz said.

  "Well, he brought me up to fend for myself among the bad guys. He wasn't worried about whether I'd knuckle under to some jerk riding on his looks."

  "Oh, yeah," Liz said. "Speaking of riding on his looks, were the flowers from the guy you met the other night?"

  "Yes. The note was another apology and an invitation for me to call his cellphone anytime. He'd like a chance to make things right. He understood that you and I might be busy with guests right now, but whenever I could spare a moment, he'd love to see me. That kind of mushy stuff."

  "Are you going to call him?"

  "No! Why would I do that?"

  "Practice," Liz said.

  Dani was quiet for a moment. "Practice?"

  "Yes. It's low-risk, given how you feel about him. You wouldn't be emotionally involved, so you could hone your technique — try out different things and see how he reacts. Since you don't care about him, you'd stand to learn a lot more than if you were with someone you cared about."

&n
bsp; "Liz! I can't believe you're suggesting that."

  "Shh! Keep your voice down. Why not?"

  "It's so cold; it seems unlike you."

  "It's not me we're talking about here, Dani. I'm just trying to help you develop your flirting skills. Think of it as learning emotional hand-to-hand combat. Remember what you told me when I was worried about hurting someone when you were teaching me krav maga? 'Do unto others before they do unto you?'"

  "Yes, but it's not the same."

  "How is it not the same? At least I'm not suggesting you break his bones. Or do you really like him, deep down inside?"

  "Watch it, woman. I still have a few moves I haven't shown you."

  "I'm sure you do. You can show me another time, though. Just think about what I said; he'd make a good-looking guinea pig. Now let's go to sleep. We have to stalk movie stars tomorrow."

  ****

  "I like, Kevin. This is good, this story. Cassie's Dream. We will make money with this." Danilov put a large chunk of rare filet in his mouth and chewed while he was talking, the juice running from the corners of his mouth.

  "You're very perceptive, Andrei. It takes a shrewd man to see these things."

  "Shrewd? Maybe. I always make money. I make the hard bargains; I am the best at this."

  "You know how this movie business works?" Strong asked. "The percentages, I mean. The structure of the deal? It's complicated. Want me to explain — "

  "You? Explain? To me?"

  "I'm the producer; it's my job. I understand all these — "

  "No, Kevin. You are confused, I think. Business is business. You are going to make the movie. That is producing. You don't worry about percentages. Percentages are business. This is what I do. Business." Danilov chewed, the juice running down his chin as he glared at Strong.

  "But I'll have to sell this to a studio, Andrei. We'll need — "

  "I take care of this. You make movie; I handle the studio. Don't worry so much. This is business, what I do."

  "But you have to understand how the money gets divided in this business."

  "Divided? First, you make movie. When I make money, I give you some. Okay?"

  "But how much?"

  "How much you want?"

  "I'm accustomed to working on a percentage of the profit; so are most of the — "

  "This is why you go broke on your other movies, Kevin. Percentage can be nothing, if movie don't sell."

  "That's the risk, Andrei."

  "I don't do business for risk. Business is for make money. Risk is for gamble. We are not gamblers, you and me. No?"

  "Well, making a movie is always a gamble, Andrei."

  "Not this one. You want gamble, okay. Gamble is fun. I get some girls; we go to St. Martin, to casino, you want gamble. For this movie, we are not gamble. We will make money. Big money. I give you some, don't worry. More than you think. This is how I work. Nobody work for me and go hungry. This is secret to success. Everybody get rich, yes?"

  "That sounds good, but — "

  "Good. When you start? This making movie?"

  "I'll have to hire some people. I need — "

  "You are producer. You don't tell me these things. You need people, you hire, okay?"

  "Okay. How do I pay them?"

  "Is not a problem. I tell Angelika is okay and you tell her who to pay. Is simple, yes?"

  "Sounds like it. Who is Angelika?"

  "You meet, tomorrow. She is on ship with us. She takes care of money. No problem. Whatever you need, you tell her. You get. Anything else you want to ask?"

  "What about routine help?"

  "Like what, routine help. Give example."

  "Well, I found the perfect woman to play Cassie, but she won't talk to me right now. I need — "

  "Grigori. Grigori Vadimovich Baklanov. We call him Greg. He is fixer. You need help, you talk to Greg. He is expert; he get whatever you want. Tomorrow, you meet. You tell Greg to help you talk to this actress. He will do. You have trouble with someone? Police? Government permits? Anything. Greg can fix, okay?"

  "Okay, Andrei."

  "Good. Tomorrow, you start making movie. Now, we have the vodka and some fun. You like girl?"

  "Girl?"

  "We have on ship. You like blonde? Redhead? Chinese? African? Maybe very young? We got. What kind girl you like? Maybe two girl? Sisters?"

  ****

  "I think I could live like this," Mindy said. "How about you?"

  "Not for long," Blaine said. "Too quiet. I'd go nuts."

  "But it's so beautiful," Mindy said. "I envy Dani and Liz. What a way to make a living."

  "Ah, come on, Mindy. You'd go stir crazy in a few weeks, just like me. I mean, we've got stuff to do right now, but imagine what it's like for them. Every day, the same old thing. What's that saying?"

  "Same shit, different day?" Mindy asked.

  "No, but that's the idea ... uh ... another rotten day in paradise. That's the T-shirt I was thinking of."

  "Yeah, okay," Mindy said. "What do you think of Dani and Liz, now that you've seen them in the flesh? Think they'll come across well in the video?"

  "Yeah, I think. They're both good-looking. Easygoing, too. They should be fine, especially once they get used to us taping all the time. You know — give 'em a little time to let their guard down." Blaine was silent for a moment, then he continued. "They're okay. Liz is a hell of an artist. Not a bad cook, either."

  "No, that was quite a meal. How about Dani?"

  "I'm still not sure if she was patronizing me," Blaine said.

  "I don't think so. But there's something pretty cold about her."

  "Cold?" Blaine asked.

  "That's not quite the right word," Mindy said. "She sends mixed signals. One minute, she seems supremely confident, and the next, she's a social dork."

  "I got the confidence part, all right," Blaine said. "But I'm not sure what you mean by a social dork."

  "There's something a little off about her sometimes. Like when she described stalking celebrities as ambushing wild animals. That's an odd simile for a woman, don't you think? Celebrities and wild animals? Where'd she get that? And the look in her eyes when she said 'ambush.' She gave me goose bumps for a second, there, Blaine."

  Blaine shrugged. "I don't know. I figured she was just trying to backpedal; I could tell she thought she'd offended me."

  "Intense," Mindy said. "She was fired up by the idea of ambushing celebrities. And the way she looked when she was carrying on about how they 'deserved it.' She made me a little nervous. If she decides to go with you to look for the movie people tomorrow, make some excuse, okay?"

  "You think she might try to come with me?"

  "I guess it wouldn't surprise me. It was like she had some axe to grind with celebrities."

  "You know I always work alone, Mindy."

  "Keep it that way. I think she might cause a problem if your target got confrontational."

  "Really? Why?"

  "Woman's intuition. Let's go to sleep. I'm beat."

  Chapter 5

  "You made a good impression on Andrei," Greg Baklanov said, as he and Strong waited for the steward to bring the breakfasts they had ordered.

  "It's a relief to hear that," Strong said. "I was pretty rattled last night when you called my cabin."

  Baklanov chuckled, smiling. "Andrei can have that effect on people."

  "He's not at all what I expected."

  Baklanov laughed aloud at that. "Okay, Kev. I like you; I thought I would, but I wasn't sure until you said that."

  "That Andrei wasn't what I expected?"

  "Well, it was the look on your face as much as what you said. Andrei is a complex person, to put it mildly. Which persona did you encounter?"

  "I don't understand your question, Greg." Strong fidgeted with his silverware.

  Baklanov grinned. "Of course you don't. Forgive me. Did you get the parody of the Russian mobster? Broken English, pushy, vaguely threatening? Or the urbane, cultured, multinational businessman?"


  "I mean no disrespect, but he came across more as the mobster."

  "I thought so. That's his shtick, these days."

  "His shtick? It seemed pretty genuine, to me."

  "Well, make no mistake, there's some of that in his makeup, but it's not his nature. He does like to play with people, though."

  "Oh," said Strong, a dubious look on his face.

  "Now, ve drink zee votka," Baklanov said. "You like girl? What color girl you vant tonight? Or maybe boy? Ve got, if you like zee fags."

  "Were you listening behind a curtain, or something?"

  "No. But I've known him a long time. What did you choose?"

  "I chose a nightcap and early to bed; I told him I was exhausted."

  "Good for you; that's probably why he likes you so much."

  "Because I behaved myself?"

  "No. He's not judgmental like that. He doesn't care what people do to amuse themselves. Because you went your own way instead of choosing one of his offers."

  "I don't mind telling you; he put me off, Greg. I did my best to hide it, but ... When you called, I half expected that I was going to be given the bum's rush."

  "Nah. You're solid. Don't worry. He may keep up that front, or not. It's hard to say. Part of it depends on his mood. Just roll with it. He's an okay guy, as long as you're on his side."

  "I'll do my best."

  "You'll learn your way around him. All he really cares about is making money."

  "That, I can understand."

  "Good. Let's talk business for a bit, unless you have more questions."

  "Only one, if I may?"

  "Sure. Ask whatever you like."

  "You don't sound like I thought a guy named Grigori Vadimovich Baklanov would sound. Are you an American?"

  Baklanov responded with a deep, rolling belly laugh. He calmed himself and said, "I'm sorry, Kev. I'm not laughing at you; it's just the irony that tickled me. It's a fair question, and I'm flattered that you asked. The short answer is no. I was an orphan, and I was raised in Russia in a fake American town by a couple of American defectors. There were a number of others like me, brought up as small-town American kids in the heart of the old U.S.S.R. I'm a product of a now-defunct KGB program. If it hadn't been for the end of the cold war, I would have been a spy in your country by now."