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

by Charles Dougherty

  Dani raised her hands, draping her arms over the other woman's shoulders, and leaned on her. Angelika shoved her away, and Dani fell back against the ropes, her right fist closing around Angelika's left ear. As Dani's hips hit the ropes behind her, she jerked her right fist down and toward her, tearing the other woman's ear loose from her head.

  Gripping the ear, which was still attached by a strip of skin, Dani lurched forward, head-butting Angelika's nose. The woman staggered back, stunned, and Dani pulled on the loose ear, tearing a strip of flesh from her opponent's cheek. Raising her right foot, Dani brought it down on Angelika's left kneecap, following through with all her weight. Angelika fell to the mat, screaming, as she clutched the side of her head. Dani, moving easily now, kicked her on the other side of her head, stunning her to silence.

  Angelika's ear still in her right hand, Dani crouched and ducked through the ropes, moving toward Danilov, who still held the pistol. He watched her warily. She grinned at him.

  "For you, my love. Like in a bull fight, you get the ear," she said, blowing him a kiss and tossing it to him from a couple of feet away. He batted at the bloody ear instinctively, and she was on him in a flash. Her right hand, fingers stiff and spread wide, drove toward his eyes while her left gripped the top of the pistol, forcing the slide back. She felt the unfired round coming from the ejection port lodge against her palm and knew that the pistol's action was jammed.

  Danilov backed up, releasing his hold on the pistol as he grabbed her right wrist in both hands to keep her from clawing his eyes. She kneed him in the groin and he released her right wrist. Her left hand still held the pistol by the slide. She took its grip in her right hand and whirled away from Danilov, simultaneously working the pistol's slide with her left hand to clear the jam. The round that had blocked the action dropped to the floor as the slide snapped forward, stripping a fresh round from the magazine and chambering it.

  By this time, Greg Baklanov was two steps from her and coming fast. She drew an imaginary triangle with his eyes and nose at the corners and fired, the bullet striking the center of the triangle. Before Baklanov hit the floor, she turned back to Danilov and shot him in the head as well. As she moved toward the door, she saw movement in the boxing ring. She turned just as Angelika Ivanova got to her feet. "Time for your nap, grandma," she said, putting two rounds in the woman's midsection, knocking her back to the mat. "Sorry, but I don't trust myself with a head shot at this distance. You won't suffer for long."

  She dashed to the elevator and took it down to the corridor that connected to her stateroom. As she ran to the end of the corridor where it opened onto the side deck, she pulled a fire alarm, breaking the glass rod and sounding klaxons all over the ship. She looked down at the pistol in her hand, recognizing it as a Glock 19. Pausing for a second, she counted the shots that had been fired. Ten rounds left, she thought. Might as well hang on to it, just in case. She shoved the pistol into the waistband of her shorts.

  Stepping out onto the side deck, she climbed onto the railing and jumped, thrusting against the railing to push herself as far from the ship as she could. She hit the water feet first and plummeted several body lengths below the surface. As she started rising, she worked the PLB out of her pocket.

  By the time she surfaced, she had the device fastened to her left upper arm with its Velcro band. She extended the antenna and tripped the switch to activate it, watching as the strobe light began to flash. She turned back to face Platinum Odyssey while she waited for her ride home, watching as several bodies launched themselves from the pool deck 50 or so yards farther forward. She began to do a slow breast stroke toward where the others were landing, careful not to lose the pistol in case some of the crew followed the escaping captives into the water.

  ****

  "So, now we wait," Marie said.

  "I don't know how long I can stand it," Liz said.

  "I think it will not be so long, Liz." Marie smiled. "Dani is not a patient person. She has had to behave herself for, what? Over 24 hours, now. Something will happen soon."

  "Should I make us coffee?" Liz asked.

  "Coffee?" Marie asked. "You are not already anxious enough?"

  "I have decaf," Liz said, going below.

  She emerged from the companionway a couple of minutes later with two steaming mugs.

  "That was quick," Marie remarked.

  "It's instant," Liz said.

  Marie laughed again.

  "What?" Liz asked.

  "You. And I thought Dani was the impatient one."

  "How will your men sink Platinum Odyssey?"

  "Torpedoes."

  "From the boat you came in?"

  "Yes."

  "How many can it carry?"

  "Enough. They will use four, set to detonate under the keel."

  "What about the survivors?"

  "There will be no survivors."

  "The torpedoes are that powerful?"

  "Perhaps. If not ... well, there will be no survivors."

  "Vengeance, Lightning Bolt. You copy?"

  Liz picked up the handheld encrypted UHF radio that Sharktooth had left with them.

  "This is Vengeance. Copy, over."

  "We're all out of the water and on our way to Jolly Harbour," Dani's voice piped from the radio. "Blaine and Mindy have made some arrangements there for the ladies. We'll drop them off and join you. Sharktooth and Rosa and I will be alongside Vengeance in about 40 minutes."

  Marie took the transceiver from Liz. "Copy that, Lightning Bolt. What about the vessel you left? Over."

  "The owner and his two sidekicks are dead, but the ship is still under command, awaiting your attention. Over."

  "Copy that. What's your current distance from the vessel in question? Over."

  "Two miles, and opening fast. We're well clear of them. Over."

  "Copy that. See you in 40 minutes. Vengeance clear with Lightning Bolt. Out."

  "Lightning Bolt out."

  "Who is Rosa?" Liz asked.

  "The missing agent," Marie said. "Excuse me; I must call my men." She changed the channel on the encrypted UHF transceiver and pressed the transmit button.

  "Barracuda, Barracuda, this is Mama. Come in."

  "Mama, Barracuda. Copy. Over."

  "Barracuda, Mama. Weapons free. Over."

  "Mama, Barracuda. Acknowledge weapons free. Barracuda clear. Out."

  "Mama?" Liz said.

  "An inside joke. You had to — "

  There was an earsplitting roar and the sky to the southwest glowed red for several seconds, the flash fading slowly to black.

  "Mama, Mama, Barracuda. Come in."

  Marie keyed the transceiver. "Mama. Copy, Barracuda."

  "Mama, Barracuda. Target one destroyed. Checking for survivors. Stand by."

  "So she's alive," Liz said.

  "Apparently so, thanks to Dani, no doubt," Marie said. "I suppose they will have some stories to tell us, soon."

  "Mama, Barracuda. No survivors. Over."

  "Copy, Barracuda. Come to Mama. Out."

  "Are you leaving us?" Liz asked.

  "I don't think so. If it's all right with you and Dani, I'll stay for a day or two. I tell them to come because I want them to take Rosa Delgado back to Martinique tonight. Clarence will want to get the medics to check her out. Plus, he'll want to debrief her as soon as he can."

  "You're welcome for as long as you want to stay. I thought you would want to avoid Blaine and Mindy."

  "I think they will be busy for a day or two, yes?"

  "Yes, Liz said. "I'm sure you're right. Dani will probably know more about their plans."

  Epilogue

  The morning after ...

  " ... and before we sign off, the latest on the mysterious explosion that lit up the western sky a couple of hours after sunset last night. Antigua and Barbuda Search and Rescue reports finding wreckage and a large debris field, including an oil slick, about halfway between Antigua and Montserrat. There are no survivors, and nothing
as yet to identify the vessel in question. Mariners transiting the area are advised to use caution. Anyone who witnessed the explosion or has any information as to vessels that were in the vicinity of the wreckage last night is requested to contact A.B.S.A.R. or your local police station. That's the latest news from English Harbour. Have a good day and stay safe out there."

  "Cooking gas ver' dangerous," Sharktooth said, raising his coffee mug to his lips and taking a cautious sip as Dani switched off the radio.

  Marie and Liz laughed.

  "Cooking gas, my eye," Liz said.

  "I'm pretty sure," Sharktooth said. "Is what I told Blaine and Mindy; they believe me. You t'ink somethin' else?"

  Dani smiled. "Don't encourage him; I can't stand to laugh. My ribs are too sore from the beating I took before I got my shot at that woman."

  "Rosa said she was a monster," Marie said.

  "How is Rosa?" Dani asked.

  "She'll be all right, thanks to you. We'd given her up for dead. She's going to get dental implants in Martinique before she decides whether to go back to Europe or stay down here with us," Marie said. "Any word from Blaine and Mindy on the other women?"

  "Yes," Liz said. "Mindy called a little while ago. They're putting them on a chartered flight to Miami this morning; they'll get medical attention and counseling, courtesy of that outfit Blaine and Mindy work for. Then there's the question of where they came from, and where they end up, but that's secondary at the moment."

  "What about Blaine and Mindy?" Dani asked. "Their stuff's still in the stateroom."

  "They'll be back, probably tomorrow," Liz said. "They're going to hold me to that extra week I offered. Somebody convinced them that they need to spend most of it in Dominica."

  "Who could that have been?" Dani asked, punching Sharktooth on his massive shoulder.

  "I can't imagine. Probably Marie," Liz said. "They've still got time to make the deadline for their next show, and that's a fine place for them to spend it."

  "That reminds me," Sharktooth said. "Blaine say tell you to order that drone, but have it ship to Vengeance as a yacht in transit care of Maureen's gallery in Portsmouth. He say you know what I mean. I hope so, 'cause I don' know 'bout drones, 'cept the ones the U.S. government won't talk about."

  Dani said, "That's close, but Blaine's talking about a bluewater drone."

  ****

  Click here to subscribe to my email list for notice of new releases and special sales or giveaways. I'll email a link to you for a free download of my short story, The Lost Tourist Franchise, when you sign up. I promise not to use the list for anything else; I dislike spam as much as you do.

  A Note to the Reader

  Thank you for reading Bluewater Drone, the eleventh book in the Bluewater Thriller series. I hope you enjoyed it. If so, please leave a brief review on Amazon. Reviews are of great benefit to independent authors like me; they help me more than you can imagine. They are a primary means to help new readers find my work. A few sentences can help others find the pleasure that I hope you found in this book, as well as keeping my spirits up as I work on the next one. If you would like to be notified by email when I release a new book or have a sale or giveaway, please click here to subscribe to my email list. I promise not to use the list for anything else; I dislike spam as much as you do.

  If you haven't read the other Bluewater Thrillers, please take a look at them. If you enjoyed this book, you'll enjoy them as well. I write another series of sailing thrillers: The Connie Barrera Thrillers. Connie had a key role in Deception in Savannah, my first book. I enjoyed writing about her so much that I wrote her into the Bluewater Thrillers. She plays prominent parts in both Bluewater Ice and Bluewater Betrayal. The Connie Barrera Thrillers are a spin-off from the Bluewater Thrillers, and feature some of the same characters. Dani and Liz taught Connie to sail, and they introduced her to Paul Russo, her first mate and soon-to-be husband.

  In December 2016, I released Bluewater Revolution, the twelfth book in the Bluewater Thrillers series. Now I've turned my attention back to Connie and Paul in their seventh Connie Barrera Thrillers adventure. You'll find progress reports and more information on my web page at www.clrdougherty.com. Be sure to click on the link to my blog posts; it's in the column on the right side of the web page. Dani has begun to blog about what's on her mind, and Liz and Connie are demanding equal time, so you can see what they're up to while I'm writing.

  A list of my other books is on the last page; just click on a title or go to my website for more information. If you’d like to know when my next book is released, visit my author’s page on Amazon and click the "Stay Up to Date" link near the upper left-hand corner. I welcome email correspondence about books, boats and sailing. My address is clrd@clrdougherty.com. If you'd like personal updates, drop me a line at that address and let me know. Thanks again for your support.

  About C.L.R. Dougherty

  Charles Dougherty wrote quite a bit of fiction before publishing Deception in Savannah, his first novel. Most of his earlier fiction works took the form of business plans, written to secure funding for projects and startup ventures during his corporate and consulting work, but he put all that behind him when he wrote Deception in Savannah, a tongue-in-cheek crime novel.

  Since Deception in Savannah was published, he has written a number of other books. The Bluewater Thrillers are set in the yachting world of the Caribbean and chronicle the adventures of two young women running a luxury charter yacht in a rough-and-tumble environment. The Connie Barrera Thrillers are also set in the Caribbean and feature some of the same characters from a slightly more romantic perspective. Besides the Bluewater Thrillers and the Connie Barrera Thrillers, he wrote The Redemption of Becky Jones, a psycho-thriller, and The Lost Tourist Franchise, a short story about one of the characters from Deception in Savannah.

  He has also written two non-fiction books. Life's a Ditch is the story of how he and his wife moved aboard their sailboat, Play Actor, and their adventures along the east coast of the U.S. Dungda de Islan' relates their experiences while cruising the Caribbean.

  He resides with his wife aboard Play Actor, sailing wherever their fancy and the trade winds take them.

  Other Books by C.L.R. Dougherty

  Fiction:

  Bluewater Killer

  Bluewater Vengeance

  Bluewater Voodoo

  Bluewater Ice

  Bluewater Betrayal

  Bluewater Stalker

  Bluewater Bullion

  Bluewater Rendezvous

  Bluewater Ganja

  Bluewater Jailbird

  Bluewater Drone

  Bluewater Revolution

  Bluewater Thrillers Boxed Set; Books 1-3

  Love for Sail - a Connie Barrera Thriller

  Sailor's Delight – a Connie Barrera Thriller

  A Blast to Sail – a Connie Barrera Thriller

  Storm Sail - a Connie Barrera Thriller

  Running Under Sail - a Connie Barrera Thriller

  Sails Job - a Connie Barrera Thriller

  From Deception to Betrayal - an Introduction to Connie Barrera: a boxed set

  Deception in Savannah

  The Redemption of Becky Jones

  Short Story:

  The Lost Tourist Franchise

  Non-fiction:

  Dungda de Islan'

  Life’s a Ditch

  For more information, please visit:

  http://www.clrdougherty.com/

  or

  http://amazon.com/author/clrdougherty

  Read the first three chapters of Bluewater Revolution, the twelfth book in the Bluewater Thrillers series --

  Chapter 1

  "Dani, what are we doing here?" Liz Chirac asked, starting to rise to her knees.

  "Shh!" Dani Berger clapped a muddy hand over Liz's mouth. She glared at her friend until Liz nodded and lay back down in the mud. Liz watched as Dani parted the undergrowth that blocked their view of the beach. Dani moved the leaves in tiny, imperceptible incr
ements.

  She turned her head until she faced Liz. Raising her eyebrows, she gestured toward the beach with her head. Liz nodded, indicating that she could see. Dani reached back with her free hand, patting the mud until she found a fist-sized rock. She picked it up and placed it where it would keep the scrub from springing back to cut off their view.

  Noticing the look on Liz's face, Dani raised a finger to her lips and shook her head, pointing at the beach with her other hand. Liz frowned and looked back out at the moonlit sand. In a few minutes, she sensed movement in the shadows to their left. A man was walking down the steps from the boardwalk under which the two of them were concealed. Liz stole a glance at Dani. Her friend followed the man's movements with a cold stare.

  He stopped about halfway to the water's edge, waiting, staring out at the small waves that rolled in. Even at night, there were people on the beach. Couples lay entwined on blankets, dark splotches on the silver sand that stretched from the boardwalk down to the waves that broke with a soft hissing sound every few seconds.

  After a minute or two, a shadowy form approached the man and paused, greeting him. A woman, Liz realized, when the shadow stood on tiptoes and embraced the man, kissing him on each cheek. A friend, she guessed, as opposed to a lover. Liz was relieved for Dani's sake.

  The man and woman stood chatting in quiet tones for perhaps thirty seconds. Then they turned and strolled to the north along the hard sand exposed by the receding tide. They continued to converse softly.

  "Bastard," Dani hissed.

  "What happened?" Liz asked. "From the bar, it looked like you two were getting along nicely until he took that phone call."

  "I thought I was going to get lucky, finally," Dani said, nodding. "Did you get a good look at him?"

  "Yummy, wasn't he?" Liz asked.