Bluewater Stalker: The Sixth Novel in the Caribbean Mystery and Adventure Series (Bluewater Thrillers Book 6)

by Charles Dougherty

  "So what are we …"

  "We can be there before they can. Sharktooth's coming to pick us up in thirty minutes."

  "How are we getting there? Flying?"

  "Almost. He's gone to pick up his other boat. It's as fast as a small plane, and there are other advantages."

  "I didn't even know he had another boat," Liz said.

  "He keeps it out of sight; it's disguised as a parasailing excursion boat, down in Roseau."

  "What is it?"

  "A Cigarette Marauder — three 1,350-horsepower racing engines, top speed is way over 110 knots in open water. The way he's got it tricked out with the parasailing stuff, it doesn't attract much attention unless he opens the throttle. All that paraphernalia helps cover up the ordnance."

  "Ordnance?" Bill asked.

  "We won't need that stuff; don't worry about it, Bill."

  "Let's eat; he'll be here in no time," Liz said putting three plates on the table.

  ****

  "This is an amazing boat," Bill remarked to Sharktooth as they idled through the main anchorage of Bourg de Saintes.

  "My toy," Sharktooth rumbled, grinning.

  "Why'd you name it Lightning Bolt?"

  "You know 'bout Ben Franklin? Mon who fly the kite and discover electricicals?"

  "Sure."

  "Tha's why. I t'ink 'bout flyin' that big kite behind the boat wit' somebody hang on it, get strike by lightnin'."

  "Do you get much parasailing business?"

  "No. Boat not so good for that; jus' good disguise."

  "I see. Kind of like the hat, huh?"

  Sharktooth grinned again. He had tucked his dreadlocks up under a big, floppy crocheted hat with bands of yellow, red, and green. Coupled with the loose fitting clothes, it dramatically altered his appearance. He was still noticeable; there was no way around that, given his size, but he came across as jovial and nonthreatening, almost like an over-sized teddy bear.

  Liz and Dani were sitting on the long foredeck, perched on an upholstered sunbathing pad, checking the names of the Funtime Charters rental boats that were scattered liberally through the anchorage. Bill and Sharktooth eyed the dinghies that were zipping back and forth, Bill keeping a careful watch for David Cardile.

  "This thing's almost as fast as that stealth boat of Clarence's," Liz remarked.

  "Yes, but it's a lot less noticeable in daylight than Midnight Thunder. It just looks like another tourist attraction. I gather Clarence uses it for recon sometimes, from what Sharktooth said this morning."

  "I wonder …"

  The ringing of the satellite phone interrupted Liz.

  Dani looked at the caller i.d. "Phillip. Let's go back to the cockpit," she said, scooting herself in that direction as she answered the phone.

  "I just checked Bill's email," Phillip said. They were drifting in an open part of the protected water enclosed by the Îles des Saintes, Sharktooth having shut off the engines so they could hear the conversation. "The one we're looking for came in a few minutes ago from an anonymous address. The subject is, 'Hide, Jane, hide. See Jane hide.' The body text reads, 'In the midst of the canonized, the Empress and the goats watch over her. Good luck, Bill. I hope you find her quickly; I'm sorry to say I had to leave her in an uncomfortable situation.' He signed it, 'The One called Death'."

  "It's too easy," Dani said. "It's got to be a set up."

  "What do you mean, too easy?" Bill objected. "I don't get it."

  "Because you don't have the references ready to hand," Liz said. "The canonized would be The Saintes."

  "Well, I got that."

  "Right. That's Îlet à Cabrít — Goat Island." Liz pointed at the steep, rocky island a few hundred yards astern. "And the ruins of Napoleon's Fort Josephine, named after the Empress, are on that promontory."

  "That looks like a lot of territory to cover," Bill said.

  "It's uninhabited, except for the goats, and most of it's awfully steep with loose rock. The areas where you'd be likely to hide somebody are in the ruins of the fort, or maybe the ruins of the resort not far away."

  "So what are we waiting for?" Bill asked. "Let's get over there."

  "Easy, Bill," Dani said. "Let's think this through. He's kidnapped your wife. He didn't make any demands for ransom, or try to extort you to do anything. Now he's practically given us a map to find her. If this is Cardile, you know him as well as anybody; certainly you know him better than we do. What do you think his objective could be?"

  "Who knows; he's got to be nuts."

  "He's killed several times that we know of and hasn't left a clue. He's nuts, but he's organized. He plans these things."

  "Okay. What's your point?" Bill was getting exasperated; he had not taken his eyes off the island since Liz pointed it out to him.

  "My point is that if he wanted to draw you in and kill you, this would be a perfect way to do it. He's trying to manipulate us into charging ashore and rambling around a remote, deserted place with a bunch of ruins that will provide him with ideal cover."

  "I don't care. I'm going to get my wife. Now, can we land this boat there?"

  "Yes, but let's figure out how to do this and not get shot."

  "Hello?" Phillip's voice came from the phone.

  "Yes?"

  "I have a couple of thoughts for you."

  "I'm listening, but make it quick," Bill said.

  "Okay. First, Dani's right. Trust us on that; this is a perfect setup for an ambush, and we know he doesn't wish you well. Second, if Jane's there, we'll get her back. There's a big hole in your thinking so far, all of you."

  "What's that?" Dani asked.

  "He sent the email 15 minutes ago. He has to assume you're still on Vengeance, waiting in Portsmouth to hear from him. He has no idea that you're already in the Saintes."

  "Okay. I see that," Bill said. "So what?"

  "So you should use that tracker to make him think you're leaving Portsmouth now. That will lull him into thinking he has three or four hours before you get there, and his guard will be down for a while."

  "That makes sense," Bill said.

  "Sharktooth?"

  "Yes."

  "Can you get somebody to pick up the tracker and run it out toward the Saintes along the kind of course Vengeance would be on, given the wind in the channel?"

  "No problem. I call Alex. He the mon keep my water taxi; he back in Portsmouth by now." Sharktooth took out his cell phone and studied it for a minute. "Got service okay. I call now."

  "Good. Bill?"

  "Yes?"

  "You have any combat training or experience? Ever in the military?"

  "No, why?"

  "Then let Dani and Sharktooth go ashore and scout the area first."

  "Dani?" Bill asked, surprise in his tone.

  "Trust me, please. If you do what I say, we'll get Jane back and nobody will get hurt."

  "Okay."

  "You and Liz stay with the boat until they give you the all clear. Do you have a couple of cell phones that are working, so they can call you once they've checked it out?"

  "I got some t'row 'way phone in the cabin," Sharktooth said.

  "Good. Weapons?"

  "Got 'nuff fo' a small war."

  "Let's hope you don't need them. Bill?"

  "Yes?"

  "I know this is a hard thing to ask, but I think you should wait until that tracker's been in motion for around an hour. Make sure he's had time to see it. I think this is probably why he bothered to plant it on Vengeance, so let's use it against him."

  "Okay."

  "Good. Anybody have anything else?"

  There was a moment of silence.

  "All right," Phillip said. "Let's talk again before you land. I'll wait for you to call."

  ****

  The anchorage at Anse Sous le Vent on the leeward side of Îlet à Cabrít was empty when Sharktooth and Dani anchored Lightning Bolt. Given the calm water and the steep shoreline, they were able to put out a bow anchor and pull the stern in close enough
to shore so that they could jump from the stern platform to the narrow strip of rocky beach. Dani scampered ashore with two lines and made them fast to the stunted trees that were encroaching on the beach. Sharktooth joined her, displaying remarkable agility for a man of his bulk.

  They avoided the rickety dock that was occasionally used by dinghies and fishing boats, melting into the undergrowth as they worked their way up the steep slope that was actually the shoulder of a paved road which started at the dock and ran across the hillside. With a switchback halfway up the hill, the road led to the ruins of Fort Josephine. It had doubtless been built by the French in the early 19th century, although developers of the failed resort from the mid-twentieth century had improved it.

  The uphill side of the road was an almost sheer mountainside, affording no concealment. They kept to the undergrowth on the downhill side, staying a few meters away from the road as they crept from one clump of brush to the next. The geometry of the hillside and the road was such that the road surface was at eye level for them, allowing them to see all the way across to the other side. The going was slow and difficult as they paralleled the road, but both knew that the killer, if he intended an ambush along the road, would be lurking in this undergrowth.

  They moved in silence, alternating roles. One would crouch concealed, pistol at the ready, while the other crept forward about 25 yards, checking every hiding place. They leapfrogged one another in this fashion until, hot and tired after almost an hour, they reached the point where the road ended on a plateau at the ruins of Fort Josephine. They separated, one scouting each side of the clearing until they met at the entrance to the fort. They peered through the wide opening, examining the ruins of what had been a modern kitchen in the 60s, when the resort had opened. One of the large common areas of the fort had served as an al fresco dining area, judging from the remnants of furniture. They moved quickly through the ruins, maintaining enough separation so that if one were attacked, the other could provide covering fire. There was no sign of Jane; the only occupants were some disinterested goats, grazing on the undergrowth that was slowly reclaiming the old structure. After satisfying themselves that they were alone, they huddled in the ruins for a brief conference.

  "If she's here, she must be in the ruins of the resort's sleeping rooms," Dani whispered. They could see the end of the motel-like structure a hundred yards away across a relatively open area.

  Sharktooth nodded in agreement. "Plenny place there to put somebody. Not so good for ambush, though."

  Dani agreed with his assessment. The empty rooms would offer poor concealment for a gunman, although as Sharktooth had said, plenty of places to stash someone.

  "Should we call Liz and Bill? They could come on up the road and wait here while we clear the way to the resort."

  "Yeah, I t'ink so. Bill, he gon' bust if he don' get to move some."

  Dani took the cell phone from her pocket and hit the speed dial number they had programmed while they were waiting for Sharktooth's friend to lay a false trail with the tracker. She had a brief, whispered conversation with Liz and returned the phone to her pocket.

  Sharktooth looked at his watch. "Two hour since we move the tracker. Mon might be comin' now."

  "Maybe, but we'd still be an hour or two away if we were on Vengeance. If he's not here already, he probably won't come for a little while, yet. Figure we've got another hour, anyway. Liz and Bill should be here in ten or 15 minutes, walking up the road."

  "I go back to the firs' clearing, jus' outside the fort. Watch the top of the road. You stay here an' watch the resort?"

  "Okay."

  Sharktooth faded back into the ruins of the fort. Dani kept her eyes in constant motion, sweeping the grassy meadow between her position and the resort, paying particular attention to the undergrowth along the edges. The goats were nibbling at the scrub along most of the perimeter, but there were several stretches that they seemed to avoid; she paid extra attention to those. She heard a soft rustle behind her and whirled, her finger on the trigger, only to relax as a baby goat looked up at her and bleated. Even in this tense situation, that brought a smile to her face. She reached down and stroked the soft fur, eliciting another bleat.

  "Found a friend, huh?" Liz said softly, stepping from the shadows farther back in the fort.

  "Where are the others?"

  "Right behind me. Bill twisted his ankle coming into the fort. Sharktooth's wrapping it."

  As she finished, the two men came out and crouched behind the crumbling wall with Liz and Dani.

  "Cover us, Liz," Dani said.

  Liz nodded and pulled a pistol from the waistband of her shorts. Dani and Sharktooth darted toward opposite sides of the clearing.

  In seconds, they were hidden in the undergrowth along its edges, moving slowly toward the resort buildings.

  "That's incredible," Bill murmured.

  "What?"

  "I can't see him. Or her, but I mean, he's so big, and the brush looks low."

  "Skill," Liz muttered. "Shh!"

  He looked back at her, flinching at the sight of the pistol she held casually at the ready as she raked her eyes over the clearing. Still holding the pistol and not taking her eyes off the scene in front of them, she reached into her pocket and took out the vibrating cell phone. She thumbed the connect button and raised it to her ear, whispering something. She turned her head toward Bill as she put the phone back in her pocket.

  "They see Jane. She's tied up, sitting in the shade on the little entrance porch of one of the rooms about halfway down the building. They're going to stay out of sight and cover us while we go check her out. You okay with that?"

  "Yes, of course."

  "Bill?"

  "Yes?"

  "Do exactly as I say, no matter what. This is the most dangerous part so far. You understand?"

  "Yes."

  "The ankle okay for a jog?"

  "Yes, I'll keep up. Just go."

  Liz took off at a trot, hearing his uneven footfalls behind her. In a few seconds, they were running along the front of the crumbling building, and then she saw Jane, taking in the duct tape over her mouth first, and then noticing that her arms were extended around her knees, her wrists and ankles fastened together with cable ties, forcing her to stay in a sitting position. She was shaking her head, making unintelligible noises behind the duct tape. Bill darted toward her, pulling out and opening a Swiss Army knife and reaching for her wrists as she shook her head more violently.

  "No!" Liz shouted. She kicked Bill's feet out from under him and he crashed to the ground, cursing. She grabbed the knife from him and glanced up to see Jane nodding with relief.

  "Stay down, Bill. You might have killed us all. Just wait, now."

  He looked angry and hurt, but he grumbled, "Okay, okay."

  She turned her attention to Jane. "Is it okay if I take off the gag?"

  Jane nodded vigorously. Liz put her pistol down close at hand and began gently working the duct tape loose. When it was free, Jane said, "there's a bomb taped to my stomach. Don't touch my wrists. He said that's the trigger."

  "Okay. Hang on. We'll get you free in just a second." Liz took out the cell phone and pressed the speed dial button. When Dani answered, she gave a brief explanation. She listened for a moment and disconnected, putting the phone back in her pocket. "They're coming. Sharktooth's good with this kind of thing, not to worry."

  "I'm so glad to see you," Bill said stroking Jane's shoulder.

  "Me, too," she sobbed.

  "Are you okay?"

  "Yes, I'm fine. Just cramped and hungry and thirsty."

  "Was it Cardile?" he asked as Sharktooth and Dani walked up.

  Sharktooth moved Bill gently to the side and knelt in front of Jane, lightly touching her shirt, feeling the irregular bulge over her stomach.

  "I can't say. I was either blindfolded, or he had on one of those rubber Halloween masks that looked like Obama. He used one of those electronic things that garbled his voice."


  "Sorry," Sharktooth said. "Have to cut the shirt, see what we got here." A ten-inch filet knife flashed into view, seeming to materialize in his baseball-glove-sized hand.

  "Okay. Just get me loose, please."

  Sharktooth nodded and cut away the shirt with the precision of a surgeon, the pieces falling away without any apparent motion on his part. Bill's eyes popped at the speed with which the big man's hands moved.

  "Claymore," Sharktooth muttered as he ran his fingers along the wires from the mine to Jane's wrists. "Okay, no problem." He deftly stripped the insulation from the two wires going into the mine and twisted them together, rendering it safe. He then clipped the wires running toward Jane's wrists and cut the tape that held the mine to her torso. It dropped into her lap, and he picked it up and laid it aside. He followed the wires to a small package taped to the inside of her left thigh and removed it.

  "What's that?" she asked.

  "A relay and a battery. The loop of wire 'roun' yo' wris's, it pass a current t'rough the relay coil. Cut the loop an' the relay drop out an' switch the battery to the cap in the mine. Blow up ev'rybody in front of you. You too. Big bomb for this. What they say, overkill, mebbe."

  He clipped the cable ties around her wrists and ankles and stepped back, allowing Bill to help her to her feet and enfold her in a big hug as they both sobbed with relief.

  After a minute or two, they stepped apart, although they were still holding hands. "Thanks, all of you," Bill said.

  "Thanks doesn't begin to convey what I feel," Jane said.

  "We bettah move. We still don' know where the mon is."

  "Before we go, wire up a cell phone trigger for that mine, Sharktooth."

  "What you t'inkin, Dani?"

  "Thinking he'll be expecting an explosion. We should give him one, just to keep him happy for a while."

  "Mm-hmm," Sharktooth said, and bent over to work on the mine. "Don' be push that speed dial fo' my phone, now."

  "I'm not sure I understand," Bill said.

  "Nor do I," Jane added.

  "Once we're safely out of here, we'll call that phone he's working with and set the bomb off. If Cardile's watching, and he probably is, he'll think he's finished you off. It'll buy us some time to track the bastard down."