Found at Sea

by Anne Marie Duquette

  Marisol had begged that she take the whole family across the border. “It is always the women and children who must wait,” she’d said. “It is our duty to our men. And your man is a good one. He will forgive you for allowing us to come along.”

  Aurora started at those words. “I don’t need his forgiveness or his permission. And he’s not my man.” The look that passed between daughter and mother infuriated Aurora. “Just because I saved his life once doesn’t mean—”

  “You saved his life?” Marisol echoed. “And you’re not his woman?” Another look passed between her and Yadira, then both shrugged their disbelief.

  Aurora refused to let them upset her any more than she already was. “So what if I’m without a man?” she said, unconsciously switching to English. “I can make my own decisions. I let you two talk me into becoming passengers—and bringing the dog. I didn’t need to consult with Jordan. I don’t know how he got mixed up with this mess in the first place. It just sort of...snowballed.”

  Yadira, who obviously understood more English than her mother, made kissing sounds with her lips. Her mother immediately shushed her.

  “It’s not like that,” Aurora said. “This all started out as a simple business partnership. I’m a salvager, and he’s a salvager. We planned on doing a salvage operation together. But then Tanya screwed up, and Dorian got sick, and I had information Jordan wanted, and then these men tried to kill him, and... Where are they?”

  Mother and daughter sat cross-legged aboard the cold wooden deck of the boat, settled the dog and Alfonso more comfortably in their laps, and were silent again.

  I was never good at waiting, Aurora thought. But this time, I have no choice. Come on, Jordan, hurry.

  * * *

  “THERE’S TANYA,” Jordan said. “Park over there.”

  Roberto boldly pulled the flatbed next to the laundry in the prison parking lot. His nose wasn’t ordinarily squeamish—too many years as a fisherman had seen to that—but the smell offended even him.

  “Phew,” he complained. “I don’t know if I can stand that smell all the way out of here—let alone loading this filth onto the truck.”

  “If this plan is to work, we load it,” Jordan said.

  Roberto parked the truck. The two men exited and met Tanya, who smelled as bad as the laundry.

  “Mom’s out cold, but she’s in this basket. I just checked on her,” Tanya said with a breathless greeting. “The guards are changing shifts now, like I said.”

  “Out of sight while we’re loading these carts. Get inside a basket,” Jordan ordered. “Now.”

  Tanya immediately climbed in. Jordan helped cover her up as Roberto lowered the ramp on the old flatbed, then pushed Dorian in first, snug against the back of the cab.

  “I’ll get Tanya’s next,” he said to Roberto. “Then we load the rest of the baskets. All of them.”

  Roberto started to argue, but Jordan silenced him with a single look.

  And just in time, Jordan thought. A guard in a prison vehicle drove by. Roberto casually blocked the visible rear license plate. Jordan lifted his head, nodded at the guard and went back to loading the carts. The guard rolled up the window of his car against the stench and continued on his patrol.

  “That was close,” Roberto hissed.

  “Shut up and finish. Then we’re out of here.”

  A few minutes later, they secured the rest of the laundry, shut the loading ramp and were off. This time, Jordan climbed into the driver’s side without any protest from the nervous Roberto.

  “Now what do we do?” the younger man asked as they drove away.

  “We head toward the harbor. Before we get there, tell me a good place to dump the laundry.”

  “Dump?”

  “Yes. It’s slowing us down, and I don’t want the friend who lent you this truck to get caught. An empty flatbed will make it more difficult for the police to find the truck.”

  “But...”

  Jordan momentarily took his eyes off the road. “What?”

  “I never agreed to destroy government property,” Roberto said with horror. “Taking care of family, yes. That is my duty. But this—destroying prison sheets—is criminal. I am no criminal.”

  Jordan actually smiled. “Let me teach you the Spanish equivalent of ‘in for a penny, in for a pound.’”

  Mexican Harbor

  After sunset

  AURORA HURRIED TO the controls as the flatbed pulled up to the harbor. A limp Dorian in his arms, Jordan boarded the boat, with Tanya behind him. Roberto gave the truck keys to his waiting friend, the truck’s owner, and then joined them.

  Aurora flipped on the blower and bilge, pumped out gas fumes and any excess water, and started the dual engines—first the port, then the starboard. The Silver Dollar roared to life, the motors conspicuously noisy in the night air. She barely restrained herself from vacating the controls and rushing to follow when Jordan carried Dorian belowdecks.

  “She’s breathing fine,” Jordan said in passing. “You and Roberto get us out of here.”

  Roberto threw off the lines as Aurora made her preparations. To save time, she hadn’t bothered with the anchor. At the ship’s wheel, she kept her eyes on the water. Maneuvering in a familiar harbor in the daytime was no easy feat; maneuvering at night in strange waters and a crowded harbor was a chore that required all her concentration. Since boats had no brakes, piloting was like riding a sled heading downhill. The person aboard could steer, but couldn’t easily stop once momentum was achieved. Reversing the propellers—another cumbersome fight against momentum—was akin to throwing a leg off the sled to drag in the snow. It might help slow things down, but not by much.

  Why hasn’t Tanya come up? Aurora wondered. I need to know how Dorian is.

  Standing her post, the borrowed Silver Dollar’s new captain commanded her ship. Fifteen minutes later she was finally free of the harbor. Aurora set a northwest setting and passed the controls to Roberto.

  “I want us at least twenty miles offshore. Keep us headed north-northwest. And whatever you do, keep the running lights off until we’re clear of the shore. Call me if there’s even a hint of a problem.”

  “Sí, mi capitán.”

  She flipped on the binnacle light for the compass. “These are the coordinates.” She pointed. “I need to check on Dorian and Tanya.” At that, Aurora raced belowdecks, just as Jordan came topside.

  “I was about to relieve you so you could check on your sister. I’m assuming command.”

  “Great,” she said without argument. “And thanks. We wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”

  Aurora dared to think of the future, her future, one with Jordan around not only to help shoulder her load, but to share her happiness. As strong as she was, Aurora felt even stronger with her equal, Jordan, at her side. She placed her hand on his shoulder, her action less an acknowledgment of his taking command than of her growing feelings toward him. “Roberto has the coordinates.”

  Jordan nodded and left Aurora with the four other women. She sat down on the side of the berth next to Dorian, who looked even worse than Aurora would have believed possible. “Dori?” she asked, gently stroking her sister’s hair.

  Still in her prison clothes, Tanya said, “She passed out back at the prison. She’s been out ever since.”

  Aurora lifted Dorian’s arm. A bloodstained pillowcase was tied to the inside of her elbow. “Where’s her IV?”

  “I had to pull it before we climbed through the chute. It was almost empty anyway,” Tanya said.

  “Can you find me the first-aid kit? I don’t know where it is on the ship.”

  Tanya got to her feet immediately, and Aurora’s gaze followed her. “You okay, Tanya?” she asked as she stroked Dorian’s thinning hair.

  “Yes... What took you so long?” Tanya asked, retrieving the kit from the head. “I thought you’d never show up.”

  Aurora opened the plastic case. She used a wet alcohol pad to swab her sister’s arm an
d put a fresh bandage on it. Yadira immediately picked up the debris before Aurora could.

  “Who are the stowaways? And a dog? Kind of hard up for crew, aren’t you, Rory?” Tanya said. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out some bottled water for herself. “How much longer before we get home?”

  Aurora turned away from her sister and switched back to Spanish. “Tanya, I want you stripped and changed. Marisol, please help Tanya strip Dorian and change her, as well. Tanya, bundle up all the prison clothing, weight it with some fishing leads and toss it overboard. Dori’s sheet, too,” she added. “I don’t want any evidence if we’re boarded.”

  “What can I do, señorita?” Yadira shyly asked, the terrier still in her arms.

  “You can fix us some coffee. Food, too, if anyone’s hungry. Tanya, these are Roberto’s mother and sister.”

  “Where’s the coffee? Any news on who sank Bride?”

  Aurora shook her head. “You and Yadira figure out the galley once you’re finished with everything else,” she said. “Jordan and I want all of you below until we say otherwise.”

  “I need to shower before I go mucking about in the galley,” Tanya said.

  “Fine, but use the saltwater tanks.”

  “It’ll ruin my hair,” Tanya moaned.

  “Sorry, I can’t spare the fresh water. I’ve got to go topside,” Aurora told her. “Señora, please keep an eye on Dorian. Tanya, help out where you can, okay?”

  “Whatever,” Tanya drawled, taking another sip of bottled water.

  * * *

  AS SOON AS AURORA was topside, Tanya headed for the ship’s head and reached for the freshwater knob inside the shower. Before she’d even touched it, someone grabbed her by the arm and yanked her away.

  “You will obey your tía,” Marisol ordered in Spanish. “Such disrespect from a child to an elder is disgraceful.”

  “You don’t own me, wetback.”

  “You will call me señora. My son helped you—a drug user—escape, and you will respect me for that reason if for no other.” Marisol snatched the water bottle away from Tanya. “You offer your mother and elders water before serving yourself.”

  Tanya snatched the bottle back and reached for the freshwater knob again. She saw the disgust on the older woman’s face, the shock on the face of her young daughter. The old Tanya would have ignored both. This Tanya did not. She slowly set the bottle down with one hand and lowered the other.

  “Please excuse my bad manners, señora,” she said. “I—I haven’t been myself lately.” Her eyes filled with tears. She quickly turned back to the saltwater tap to hide her weakness.

  Marisol lifted her chin in grudging acceptance. “My daughter will make coffee while I nurse your mother. Do not take long,” she warned. “You must get rid of all the prison clothes, and quickly.”

  Tanya almost nodded, then decided to say, “Yes, señora,” instead.

  When Marisol left, Tanya stripped and stepped into the cold spray. As she soaped the prison smell off her shivering flesh, the salty shower water mingled with her tears. Please don’t let my mother die.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Silver Dollar, Mexican waters

  5:40 a.m.

  FROM THE FLYING BRIDGE, Jordan heard Aurora’s footsteps. He watched her climb the ladder to the main deck, then up the main-deck ladder to join him.

  “Chow’s on below. You’re relieved, Roberto,” she said wearily. She took Roberto’s vacant chair and wearily sat. Jordan remained standing.

  “What about your breakfast?” Jordan asked. He’d already eaten the burritos fixed by the Mexican women: eggs, beans and cheese wrapped in heated tortillas and washed down with plenty of strong coffee. “You need to have something. Or at least catch a few winks.”

  Other than Dorian, no one except the young girl and her little dog had slept during the long night.

  “I couldn’t sleep, but I was forced to choke down a few bites.”

  Jordan nodded. “Marisol is quite the Mexican madre, isn’t she?”

  “No, it was Tanya who made me eat.” Jordan clearly heard the surprise in Aurora’s voice. “I never thought my niece would surprise me with anything except new ways of getting into trouble. She’s doing the dishes, putting away the rest of the food, and even fed the dog and fixed him a bed in the corner.”

  “No wonder I haven’t seen her topside once tonight. I didn’t think she’d actually do what she was told.”

  “She’s also watching Dorian. She won’t leave her side—insists on caring for her.”

  “How is your sister?”

  “Not good. She came to once while I was below, and Tanya was able to get some water into her. But Dori didn’t talk. Her fever’s spiking again. I’m worried...” Aurora’s voice broke.

  Jordan took one hand off the wheel to pull her close. Despite the jacket she wore against the cool night air, he could feel her shivering.

  “We’ll be in San Diego a few hours after sunrise, and then we’ll get her into a hospital. Think of the bright side. No immigration or police boats from Mexico have come near us. No problems during the prison break. It’s been smooth sailing all the way.”

  “That’s something.” Aurora placed her arm around his waist. As capable, as strong as she was, it felt good to lean on someone right now. Someone as strong as she was... “Thanks to Roberto, we’ve kept to the chartered and professional fishing areas. Since this loaner’s a woody, we shouldn’t provoke suspicion. We’re nothing like those high-powered fiberglass drug runners.”

  Jordan enjoyed her closeness. She smelled of coffee and salt water and a trace of citrus. “If the Mexican marine patrols didn’t find us suspicious, I doubt the California patrols will. We’re almost in U.S. waters. We’re home free,” he predicted.

  “I hope so. I hope the doctors can help my sister. And the authorities let Gerald go. And Mexico doesn’t try to have Dorian or Tanya extradited... Jordan, I’m so glad you’re here.”

  That was all Jordan needed to tighten his hold on Aurora and kiss her cheek. She let her arms creep around his neck. Then, despite the breach of marine etiquette, despite the boat under his feet and the ship’s wheel beneath his hands, he kissed her. The very best part was...she kissed him back.

  When they finally drew apart, Aurora was breathless. “I’m impressed,” she managed to say, her arms still around his neck. “You didn’t let go of the wheel once.” Then she started a second kiss, and it was his turn to feel breathless. In fact, he almost released the wheel. But there was no way he would release Aurora—until he heard the sound of another boat, its engines running hard, its speed causing it to plane high on the water.

  Immediately his sailor’s instincts took over. Aurora reached for the night binoculars, and she focused on the approaching craft. “It seems to be coming toward us from the north.”

  “Coast Guard or Mexican?”

  “Neither. They aren’t using their nighttime running lights, and that bothers me.” She dropped the binoculars.

  “I’ve got the controls,” Jordan said. “Get below and warn the others, and get Roberto back up here. Maybe he’ll recognize this boat. He can help me lose them—he knows these waters and currents better than either of us.”

  Aurora moved aside to take the binoculars again. “You wouldn’t happen to carry a gun, would you?” he asked.

  “No—this isn’t my boat. And I don’t carry a gun anyway.”

  “You’re a salvager. Salvagers always need protection.”

  “I saw a harpoon below. It’s stowed aft and port side.”

  “Get it, and get back here. On the double,” he ordered.

  * * *

  JORDAN INCREASED THE Silver Dollar’s speed a full half and hoped the radar and sonar held true. Bad enough he had to navigate by instrument this far away from the coast in the dark and in an unfamiliar vessel, but to have to evade someone, as well...

  Aurora hurried back topside without the harpoon in hand.

  “Roberto’s loading i
t,” she explained. “I knew this was too good to be true. Easy jailbreak, smooth sailing—now Davy Jones’s locker.”

  “Not necessarily,” Jordan said. Aurora let him remain as captain. For the first time in her life she felt too nervous, too upset to be in charge.

  “Please don’t let us run into drug smugglers, Jordan. We don’t have the speed or the firepower to evade them—or anything for them to happily steal. I need to get Dori to the hospital.”

  The dark night air blew cold against her face, drying her lips and bringing fear to her heart. “Turn up the radio,” Jordan said. “Time to find out who’s there. I’m not going to fight officials from either side of the border. Drug runners—that’s another story.”

  Jordan pushed the speed up another quarter, the three- and four-foot swells slapping against the hull. “How are the others?” he asked.

  “Everyone’s set below. Roberto will be up in a minute, when he’s got the harpoon ready.” Aurora lifted the night binoculars just as the radio crackled. She started, once again relieved to have let Jordan take command.

  “Coast Guard to Silver Dollar. Coast Guard to Silver Dollar. Prepare to be boarded.”

  Aurora met Jordan’s gaze.

  “Coast Guard to Silver Dollar’s captain. Respond, please. Over.”

  “They don’t sound like Coast Guard,” Aurora said in a low voice. “I don’t recognize the accent, but it isn’t from around here.”

  “Can you get any ID on them, Aurora? Any nationality?”

  Aurora played with the fine controls of the night scopes. “No, but we’re talking pure fiberglass speed. Far too shallow for an official craft. We’ll never outrun them.”

  Jordan’s hands clenched tighter on the wheel. “It gets worse,” he added. “I recognize that accent.”

  “From Boston? Or Florida?”

  “Neither. Try Spanish. I’ve got a feeling that whoever’s out there wants what we have—and has his own agenda to get it. Starting with baseball bats on my head at the pier.”

  Jordan increased the boat speed to full.