by Linda Ladd
It took nine hours, but the small isle was deserted, and he moved into the leeward side and secured the Sarah as he’d done countless times before. He usually sailed alone, so he needed no help and got her settled at berth, double-checking the riggings and lines. After all was secure for the night, Novak descended to the main cabin. Frank was standing at the galley counter making tuna fish salad sandwiches and pouring Lay’s potato chips onto three paper plates. He uncapped a beer for himself and Novak. Novak had settled Lori in a fore cabin. He could see her door from the galley. It was shut with no sounds inside. The painkillers he’d given her when he’d carried her down to the boat had kicked in.
The two men sat down and ate dinner at the dining table. Frank had gotten control of his emotions now, probably better off for getting all his concerns and worries off his chest. Maybe not the debilitating anger eating him alive inside his gut, but he could use that to fuel his determination. Now he looked ready to fight, his eyes intense, his features set in hard lines.
Not long after they finished eating, Lori came out and joined them in the main cabin. She appeared to be in a lot of pain, but was trying to hide it. She sat down between the two men and nibbled at a sandwich. She didn’t look so hot. Her face was drawn, her movements weak, and her arm cradled protectively. She would be no help, if and when they met the enemy. For a moment, he contemplated dropping her off at an island clinic where she could recuperate from the gunshot wound in a nice safe haven. He suggested the idea to her but did not receive a receptive audience.
“No way in hell are you dropping me off anywhere,” she told him. Her narrowed eyes dared him to insist. Novak didn’t touch that argument.
“I’m with Lori on this,” Frank agreed. “She’s got a bone to pick with those guys now. And she can help us, Novak. She’s well trained and a good shot. She’s also a miracle worker when it comes to the internet. Anything you need via computer, she can pull it off. Give her a chance. You’ll see.”
“Yeah, I know, but training only goes so far when you can’t move one arm.”
“Hey, I know, Novak, why don’t you just back the hell off? You can’t order me around. You’ve got concerns, granted, I understand them, but I’ll be fine as soon as I sleep off all those damn pills you’ve been forcing on me.” She pushed her plate away. “Maybe you think I’m a liability, but I’m not. After what those men did to me, I think I deserve to get my revenge. Don’t even think about leaving me behind.”
All that was true, but so was the fact that she was a definite liability in the kind of fight they faced. “You’re not up to par. You could get yourself killed. You could get all of us killed.”
Frank was not having it, either. “Like I said before, Novak. You don’t know her that well yet. Just wait and see. She’ll show you what she’s made of.” He grinned at Lori for about two seconds before he remembered Lucy and the look faded. Nothing was going to help him until Lucy was in his arms, safe and sound.
“How bad is your arm? Did the nurse give you any word about how long a recovery you had?” Novak watched the way she was massaging her upper arm. She did that a lot. She was wearing the sling because she couldn’t raise her arm.
“Not anything definite. I’m not a hundred percent, but so what. I don’t need both hands to shoot a weapon. What? You have some kind of problem with a woman coming along?”
Novak studied her face a moment. “I don’t have a problem with you or any other woman. I have a problem with hotshots who think they’re invincible even when they’re seriously wounded. You came to me for help. How about shaking off the attitude?”
Unabashed, Lori gave him a dead-eye stare. Frank frowned, not liking the friction. Novak’s two companions were not thinking rationally because they both harbored personal grudges and had loved ones in serious jeopardy. They were in way too deep, mentally and emotionally. That could get them killed.
Novak’s bottle of painkillers was sitting on the table. Novak picked it up and read the label. Then he slid it over to her. “It’s not going to do you any good to sit there and hurt like hell while we’re at sea. It’s unlikely we’ll be boarded out here or they even have boats. These guys are urban dwellers and street scum. I picked a safe place to anchor. Take enough of those to do the trick while you still can. You need to sleep and hold that arm immobile and let Frank and I take care of things until you’re up to task.”
“Taking a bunch of drugs won’t cut it if they do show up out here.”
Novak was done arguing with her. It was her pain, her decision, and none of his business. He was pretty sure she could hold her own if need be, whether she had taken painkillers or not. She was an adult, albeit a young one, and could make her own decisions. He wasn’t her daddy, for God’s sake. Frank seemed to trust her abilities, and he had always displayed good judgment. Well, almost always.
After she finished nibbling at her food, she downed a couple of pain pills and chased it with some bottled water. Then she looked at him. “Know what I’d really go for, Novak? A nice hot shower.”
“There’s a head right next to your cabin. You need help?”
She gave him a look. So did Frank. “Thanks, but I think I can handle it.”
“I’m not coming on to you.”
“Good thing.”
Novak was amused. “You’re still a wee shaky. Wouldn’t want you to fall down.”
“Thanks, but I’m good. The sleep helped. All I need is to get cleaned up and put on some clean clothes. This stupid hospital gown is nasty. You got anything on board that I could wear?”
“Yeah, I’ve got some women’s stuff that you could probably make do with. It’s all in the drawers under your bunk.”
“Thanks.” She stood up, paused there, and looked at him. “I mean it, Novak. Thanks for what you’re doing for us. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
Novak acknowledged the apology with a nod, glad she’d dropped some of her weird slang. He watched her move across the cabin. She was definitely not up to snuff. She would go down in any fight in this condition. He hoped she wasn’t forced into anything she couldn’t handle.
“You got a girlfriend, Novak? That why you got women’s clothes?” Frank asked him.
“Nope. Worse than that. I fished a young woman out of the sea a few months back, one who put me in the direct sights of a serial killer. She left some of her stuff aboard. Okay, let’s get down to business now and figure out what we need to do once we land at your place.”
“Let’s talk up top so we can keep an eye out, just in case we get incoming.”
“We’re safe here, but whatever makes you feel better. Grab us some more beer and take it on up. I’ve got to do something. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Novak cleared the table, stowed food in the fridge, and threw away the paper plates. About the time he was done wiping the counter, Lori Garner showed up again. She looked a hell of a lot better now. Her blond hair was still wet and looked darker. She had it combed straight back off her forehead. It accentuated her high cheekbones and made her look even younger, almost like a kid. He wondered how old she was. Her face was scrubbed clean and flushed pink from the hot water. She was definitely a good-looking woman under all that makeup and bravado. She had on a short pink nightgown now that reached mid-thigh. He couldn’t remember ever seeing the garment before. It was made of fine silk and showed a lot of bare skin. Her legs were long and tanned. He could see the bruises there, too, but no cigarette burns. He was glad he couldn’t see that. Just thinking about what they’d done to her started a ripple of rage inside him. She was barefoot and sans the sling this time, but she cradled her bum arm close to her side. Despite the ordeal she’d suffered, she looked fine.
“Where’s Frank?”
“Up top having a beer.”
Uncomfortable at being left alone together, they just stared wordlessly at one another for a moment. They were caught up in a bad
situation. Literally, they were two strangers passing in the night and forced to believe in each other. There were no second choices. Good thing Frank had showed up earlier to help break the ice. “Want to come up and join us?” he offered.
Lori looked straight into his eyes without answering. He was finding that she was the bold type and didn’t mind offending someone when need be. This time, it was not so much that. “I didn’t mean to come at you earlier. You helped me when I needed somebody to step in. I appreciate that and everything you’ve done for me.”
“No problem. You already apologized, no need to say anything else. I was just telling you the way it is. No offense meant. You’ve been through a lot. It’s going to take some time to get over it.”
She gave a slight nod. “Frank was right about you. You’re up for the job. But so am I. You’ll find that out.”
“Good.” More awkward silence followed, in which Novak avoided looking at her. “We’ll get your friend out, and we’ll find Lucy. We won’t stop until we do.”
“I hope you’re right, Novak. But you don’t know these people, not the way we do.”
She didn’t wait for him to answer, just turned and walked back to her cabin, went inside, and slid the door closed. The painkillers must have kicked in. She clearly felt better and looked better, but she would conk out any minute. He climbed to the stern and did a quick 360-degree search of the horizon with high-powered binoculars. Nothing in sight. Sea was nice and calm. The moon was rising high and full and bright and white, dangling above them in the night sky. It looked like a perfect round diamond on rich black velvet. Billions of stars were visible and beautiful and shining the way they only could be seen so far out at sea. Waves, calm and gentle, just barely rocked the boat at anchor. The wind felt soft against his face. Nothing in sight, and Novak could see for miles in every direction. He took a cold Dixie longneck from Frank and sprawled out on the couch across from him. He was tired.
“When Lori contacted me to help her get Judith away from her father, I didn’t know it was gonna go south like this. It was just another case for me. Lori was a good MP when we worked together in Iraq. She’s young and eager and computer savvy and definitely has a knack for law enforcement. I thought we could wrest Judith away from the judge with a little persuasion and persistence but without serious complications. I never expected him to go after Lucy; the possibility never even entered my mind. Good God, Novak, when I think about her, wonder where she is, I can’t bear it. They could be hurting her right now while I’m out here doing nothing.” His voice broke, and he dropped his face into his palms.
Novak said nothing. Nothing would comfort him. Frank had to learn to deal with it until they found her. It got quiet; the only sound was waves breaking against the hull on their way to shore. Frank didn’t move, didn’t speak again. Maybe he did need to talk about it instead of suffering in silence.
“You can’t know that she’s being mistreated, Frank. If she’s their ace in the hole meant to stop us from helping Judith Locke, and that’s why they took her, right? If they’re holding her to control you from going at them, they’re going to take good care of her. You did get proof of life?”
“Of course.” Frank sat up and sighed. “They put her on FaceTime and let me talk to her but only for a few minutes. She looked okay, but I could tell she was scared to death but trying to be brave. She’s like that, Novak. She wants to be brave and make me proud. That’s the only way I’m surviving this thing because I think they’re leaving her alone. Now, after the way they treated Lori, I’m not sure anymore. That scares the hell out of me.”
“But she was okay when you saw her. We need to believe she still is. We’re on our way to get her, and we will get her, Frank. You just gotta hold on. You’ve got to stay focused on the mission.”
Novak wasn’t at all sure his friend could manage any kind of calm acceptance, but Frank needed to believe. Novak was going to give it to him. Frank had been there for him on 9/11 and been Novak’s rock when he was mired so deep in despair he couldn’t function. He owed the guy in every way.
“You’ll be fine, Frank, and so will Lucy. You know what you’re doing, and instinct always kicks in when the going gets tough. Lori Garner? She’s the unknown quantity.”
“I told you that Lori’s okay. You don’t have to worry about her. She’ll do her part, and she’ll back off when she can’t pull it off.”
“So how good is she?”
“I trained her. She’s a genius working comms and a whiz at all that social media crap that I don’t have a clue about. She’s good at tactical decisions, and the best shot in our company, hands down.”
“Better than you?”
Frank gave a little grin. “Hell no, but she’s not far off me.”
“What exactly is her connection to this judge’s family? She said the Locke girl was her best friend. That true?”
“Yeah, they were college roommates at Tulane, up until Lori enlisted and Judith got married to some guy named Poole. She knows the Locke family as well as anyone can. She can map out the locations and floorplans in both their homes or hack into the architect’s blueprints or pull out the family legal documents. She knows their habits and personal relationships. If they’ve got Judith and Lucy inside either one of those houses, that alone makes her invaluable. She persuaded me to come aboard on this case. I wish I hadn’t, but I didn’t know then how serious this would get.”
“You’re under a lot of emotional stress, Frank. You’re trying to get a grip on things, and that’s good. It’s not gonna be easy, but you’re going to have to do it or we won’t get them back. These are heavy odds against us.”
Even in the pale light of the moon, Novak saw Frank’s expression change, saw the angry tilt of his jaw and tension in his body. “I want revenge, Novak. That’s what I want. I want to mow them down, cut them to ribbons. That’s the only thing that’s keeping me going. I want Lucy back safe and unhurt, and then I’m going to kill anybody who took her or laid a hand on her.”
“I understand. I feel the same way, and I suspect Lori does, too, since she got you into this. We will find Lucy, and we’ll make them sorry for taking her. Just like we always have. We’re a good team. We can do this. Trust me, Frank. What we need is a good plan before we dock in Galveston.”
Frank took a swig of beer and leaned back, propping his foot on his opposite knee. “What did they do to Lori? She wouldn’t tell me.”
“You saw her face. They punched her around some. Gunshot to the arm that did some damage to her shoulder. It happened at my place, but the wound wasn’t as bad as I first thought. Surgery went well, and the doctor said she should recuperate well enough if she takes it easy for the first few weeks, which she isn’t doing. I tried to make her take care of herself, but she isn’t hearing me. So I’m going to let you handle her. She’s waiting for me to prove myself before she fully trusts me, and I’m pretty much doing the same thing with her.”
Frank was silent for a moment, and then he said, “Did they rape her?”
Novak shook his head. “I don’t think so, but they put out cigarettes on her skin. Doc said there was bruising but no conclusive evidence of sexual assault. I’m pretty sure they were going to get their jollies before they killed her. They came after her hard once she could identify them and tie them to Judge Locke. She knows too much now for them to let her go. Kidnapping, forced imprisonment, torture. It’s a damn good thing she got away and showed up at my apartment when she did, or she wouldn’t have made it.”
“They tried to get me, too, but put me out of commission with that warrant. You’re in their sights now, too, Novak. They’ve got a lot of dirt under their fingernails.”
Novak wasn’t sure any of them would end up in one piece. These men had been out to kill Lori because she knew too much. Lucy could identify her captors, too. They had to kill her if she could finger them. That meant they had to find her fast. “
All right, Frank. You need to tell me your part of the story. I need to know everything I can about this judge and his operation.”
“Okay, but first, tell me how many men were there in New Orleans? Do you know?”
“Lori said four, but there could be more that she didn’t see. Two guys attacked us inside my apartment, and we put them both down. Another guy showed up at the hospital after she came out of surgery. You saw him. He’s not going to be a problem for a long time. You’re ankle-deep in some serious shit, Frank. These guys aren’t gonna let up until they find us.”
“I know. I’m sorry I involved you. I didn’t know where else to turn. I tried to call you, but your number’s changed. So I made the mistake of sending Lori. I sure as hell didn’t think they’d follow her all the way to New Orleans. I didn’t expect that at all. I should’ve gone myself but couldn’t bear to stop looking for Lucy. When I realized Lori was in trouble, I had to come.”
“So where are we going once we get to Texas? They’re looking for both of you. You got a safe house somewhere?”
“We’re both holed up at my fish camp. You know how isolated the cabin is out there. My wife inherited the place when her father died, and it’s still in his name. We never got around to changing it. They can’t find us there.”
“It’s isolated and off the beaten path, so I’d say there’s little chance of it.”
“Look, Calvin Locke is a terrible man. He and his son are both batshit crazy. Worse, they’ve pretty much got Galveston locked up under their control. Lori said she told you the cops were paid off, and he’s got some city judges, too. He’s got enforcers out of Houston for the rough stuff. There’s no one in that city that I feel I can go to without it getting back to him. I can’t and don’t trust anybody. That’s another reason I sent Lori to you. I wanted to get her out of town. These guys don’t stop, even with women and children, they take down anybody who gets in their way. Thank God you’re going to help me. I hate like hell that I brought all this down on you, but I’m glad to have you on my six.”
