Sisters By Choice

by Lillian Duncan

  He pressed his thumb and forefinger into her arm until it became painful.

  Tears sprang to her eyes.

  “It’s no bother at all. I was going that way, anyway.”

  Patti abandoned all sense of politeness. “Let go of me, Raymond.” Her voice was rising. “Or I’ll start screaming and ruin all your little plans.”

  Heads turned.

  “I don’t think so, Patti. Oh, I’m sorry, I mean Jamie.” His eyes grew dark and rage shone in them. “No, I think I was right the first time, Patti. I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I suggest you come along quietly unless you want me to kill Jamie.”

  Hope leapt up in Patti.

  Jamie was alive.

  “Where is she? Is she here?”

  Fanatical rage shone in his eyes. “All in good time. If you would like to see her, come with me. If you don’t, you are free to go, but then I kill her. Your choice, Patti.” His whispered words sounded like a snake hissing just before striking its prey.

  She didn’t dare make a scene.

  Raymond would do as he’d threatened.

  Nodding, she continued to walk with him.

  The first glimmer of hope she’d had in days sparked in her heart.

  Jamie was alive.

  Raymond led her to a door. As he closed it the noise from the crowd and the sunlight dimmed.

  A chill went down her spine. She was alone with this terrorist. Her feet slowed as he forced her down the steps.

  At the bottom of the steps was a hallway with several doors.

  He stopped at the second door and turned to Patti. “Inside.” He opened the door.

  Don’t do it. Patti could almost hear Jamie yelling the words.

  Patti took a step as if to enter the room, but instead she turned and pushed Raymond as hard as she could.

  He fell back and without a moment’s hesitation, she ran. Had to get back up on deck with people.

  Patti pushed down the panic bubbling up and sprinted towards the exit. Almost there. The steps were in front of her. Just a few more feet.

  A pair of hands grabbed her by the hair and dragged her backwards away from the steps.

  She turned to fight, but Raymond pinned her arms and spun her around. He held her neck with one arm and her arms with the other as he dragged her backwards.

  She screamed as loud as she could, but the hall was empty. Refusing to give up, she continued to struggle, turning in his clutches as she tried to lash out.

  Raymond slapped her.

  She sagged and saw stars. Blood trickled from her lip.

  “Shut up.”

  As he pushed her into the room, she toppled to the floor.

  The lurch of the ship announced the beginning of its journey to the open ocean.

  ****

  With Marcus driving like a maniac, they made it to the marina.

  Carter couldn’t believe the madhouse in front of them.

  Limos lined both sides of the streets. Throngs of people were walking on the sidewalks and overflowed into the streets, making it almost impossible to drive. The media trucks and cameras only added to the confusion.

  They’d never find Patti in this mess.

  Marcus parked illegally, and they jumped out of the car. Searching the crowd, Carter spied a man with a Port Authority uniform. He nudged Marcus.

  They walked up to him.

  “FBI.” Marcus announced and held out his badge.

  The man examined it and looked back up at Marcus. “What can I do for you?”

  “We’re looking for the Children’s Fund benefit. It’s on some yacht around here.”

  The man nodded. “It was.” He pointed at a speck far out in the harbor. “That’s probably it. If you were supposed to help out with security, you missed the boat.” The man laughed at his own joke.

  Carter wanted to put his fist through something. This was bad news.

  Patti was out on the ocean with terrorists who wanted her dead.

  His stomach churned. Please, God, don’t let this happen.

  “Where’s the harbormaster? We need to see him now,” Marcus barked.

  The man came to attention and stood straighter. “Sure, sure. No problem. Come with me.”

  The harbormaster’s office was a brick building located near the water.

  The three men walked in, but were stopped by his assistant. A placard sitting on her desk identified her as Evelyn. She informed them her boss would be back soon and they could sit over there to wait for him to return.

  “That’s not acceptable. We’ve got a life and death situation on the yacht with the Children’s Fund benefit party on it. We’ve got to get that boat back to the dock,” Carter told the woman. “You find your boss now.”

  She arched a well-groomed eyebrow at him. “I’m sure that’s an exaggeration and even if it’s not, there isn’t anything he can do. That’s a private yacht. We can’t make them come back in.”

  “Are you telling me, Evelyn, if you received information there was a bomb on that boat, you couldn’t make them come back in?” Carter fired back.

  She glared at Carter. “That’s what I’m telling you.”

  “What if I told you there was terrorist activity going on?”

  Evelyn looked at Carter as if he might be nuts. “I suppose we could suggest they come back in, but…” She gave an exaggerated shrug.

  A short red-headed man walked in the room.

  The secretary stood and looked at her boss. “These men want to talk with you. Apparently, they think—”

  “That’s OK.” Carter interrupted, “We’ll tell him what we think.”

  Marcus identified himself as FBI.

  “We’ve got a serious situation on the Children’s Fund benefit yacht out there. We need to get the yacht back to port. Do you have the authority? If not, you need to call—” Carter asked before Marcus could talk.

  “I have the authority.” The man nodded. “As long as they haven’t made it out to international waters yet, I can.”

  “And what if they’re in international waters?” Carter asked.

  “Then, we’ve got a problem.”

  31

  Patti tumbled to the floor and looked around frantically. Just as she suspected, no Jamie.

  But Joseph Hamed sat on the couch with his head hung low, staring at his shoes.

  Raymond waved his hands in an expansive welcoming motion. “Welcome to the Ronald Reagan State Room. It is so named because the former president once stayed in this very room as a guest of Kathryn’s parents. And now you’re the honored guest.” He laughed. “Isn’t America a wonderful place?”

  He kicked her in the side.

  Gasping, she held her side and stayed on the floor.

  Along with Joseph, two men in security uniforms stood at attention near the bar, as if waiting for orders.

  Patti had no doubt what their orders would be.

  Joseph got up from the sofa and stepped forward, his tanned face mottled with anger. He spit out his next words. “Did you think you could fool me, Patti? Did you suppose I wouldn’t know the difference?”

  “I just wanted to find Jamie. How can you let him hurt me?” Patti cried. “If you loved Jamie, you would help me find out what happened to her.”

  A look of pain crossed Joseph’s face, but only for a moment. His next words were as angry as his eyes. “Jamie betrayed me. She didn’t love me. She was using me to get information for your corrupt government. If I had known, I would have killed her myself and enjoyed it.”

  “I thought you loved her,” she yelled at him.

  Something flickered in his eyes, but it died out with Joseph’s next words. “I loved nothing about her. She was a weak, despicable woman. I am glad my brother did what he did.” He sneered at her.

  Raymond smirked, but his black eyes were void of any emotion. “Of course, I would have enjoyed doing it myself but from what I heard, she suffered greatly before she died.”

  Her heart shattered. Jumping
up, she rushed at Raymond, slapping at him.

  Raymond pushed her back, laughing as he did.

  One of the officers stepped forward and before she knew what was happening, the man threw her to the floor.

  The other officer descended on Patti, carrying duct tape. As he reached for Patti’s feet, she kicked him as hard as she could in his face.

  Blood gushed from his nose as he crumpled to the floor with a moan.

  The other guard wasted no time, grabbing her hands to tape them, and then covering her mouth with more tape.

  Raymond Hammond came toward Patti with a fire in his eyes that warned of danger.

  She cowered.

  The look on his face said he might kill her right then. Grabbing her by the hair, he lifted her up in one swift movement.

  She moaned through the duct tape.

  He pulled back his fist and hit her.

  She felt the pain, saw sparks of light, and then darkness.

  ****

  Patti heard voices and fought her way back to consciousness. Her hands and feet were bound, and the tape was still on her mouth so she couldn’t scream for help. Lying on the sofa, her hands had been pushed through the slats of the mission style sofa and then taped again. No way was she getting away from these mad men.

  God, be with me. Patti repeated the mantra again and again. Strength and calmness poured into her spirit. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen, but God loved her.

  The Lord had her back.

  She opened her eyes.

  Only Joseph and Raymond remained. Their backs were turned to her as they leaned up against the bar.

  Raymond clasped his brother by the shoulder. “Things are going as planned, Joseph. It won’t be long now. Everything is in place.”

  “Everything?”

  Raymond paced the room. “The formula arrived and is locked in my basement. We will begin distribution over the next few weeks and on the specified date, it will happen the way we’ve planned.”

  “That is good. It will destroy this country’s economic system.” Joseph nodded, a joyful glee in his eyes. “And destroy their peace of mind as well. These Americans are arrogant. They believe nothing can destroy their country, their excessive lifestyle, their precious freedom. But they will soon discover how wrong they are.”

  “Soon I will have avenged my wife and my child.”

  Joseph’s head whipped around towards his brother. His face was a combination of concern and surprise. “Rahmed, this is not revenge. This is—”

  Rahmed made a dismissive gesture. “I know, Joseph, but you can’t understand. You never loved a woman the way I loved my wife. The soldiers killed her and our unborn child. This country must pay. You cannot understand such things.”

  Joseph faced his brother, his face flushed and his fists curled in a ball.

  A surge of hope grew in Patti. If the two men had a falling out, it could be the break she needed.

  Joseph walked closer to his brother, his fists by his sides.

  Hit him, hit him.

  His voice was low and angry. “I do understand such things. This was the kind of love I had for Jamie, but you killed her. I accept it was necessary, but do not tell me I have not loved in such a way.”

  Raymond took a step back and patted Joseph’s arm. “Of course, brother. I meant no disrespect. I was merely pointing out personal revenge is sweet, indeed. Especially when it furthers our cause.”

  Joseph nodded.

  Her heart sank.

  “What now?” Joseph asked his brother.

  Raymond looked towards Patti.

  She willed herself to not move.

  “No one knows she is here. We will simply throw her overboard. She’ll disappear into the ocean, never to be a problem for me or for you again.” As he talked, he pointed to a glass door leading to a small balcony.

  “As long as no one sees us.”

  “It should not be a problem. It is a private balcony. That is my plan for Maria as well. I can be the grieving widower and keep my cover in place. And as mourners stop by to express their condolences, they will leave with a bit more than what they arrived with. It will be the perfect way to deliver the virus formula. It will work out well.”

  Rahmed was planning on killing his own wife to further his cause. A heartless monster.

  Joseph nodded. “It might work, but what if the FBI knows more than we believe?”

  She saw a chance and she took it. She struggled until the men noticed her.

  Both men gaped at her as if they’d forgotten she was there.

  “Take the tape off her mouth,” Raymond told Joseph. He showed her the gun in his hand. “If you scream, I will shoot you. It has a silencer, so no one will be the wiser. No one is going to come rescue you.”

  Patti nodded.

  Joseph tore the tape off her mouth.

  She winced as it tore delicate skin, but refused to give Raymond or Joseph the satisfaction of showing it hurt.

  Raymond sneered at Patti as if he hoped she would scream. He wanted an excuse to shoot her. “Do you have something you want to say to me?”

  “Do you really think I’m dumb enough to come by myself? Of course, the FBI knows I’m here. They’re on the ship, too.”

  Raymond Hammond stepped closer, his eyes narrowed as he watched her. “Is this the truth?”

  She had to make him believe it. “Of course, it’s the truth. They wanted to know your name and now they do, Raymond Hammond. You made a mistake when you took Jamie.” She willed herself to meet his eyes. If she could convince him, she might still have a chance.

  His face darkened with anger. “Where are these imaginary agents?” He motioned around the room. “I don’t see them. I don’t hear them barging down the hall to rescue you.” Raymond sat down on the chair beside her and looked into her eyes for several long moments. “You are a very brave woman, but your eyes tell me you are lying.” He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled.

  It brought tears to her eyes. She bit her lip to keep from yelling out.

  “I do not like people to lie to me.”

  Patti stared hard at the despicable man. “Do my eyes also tell you that you are about to be arrested? Just let me go and I will help you turn yourself in so no one gets hurt.”

  Raymond chuckled. “That sounds like a line from one of your bad American movies.” He continued to laugh.

  Patti’s face felt hot and she knew it was bright red. “Think what you want. They will be along any moment,” she said, trying to sound as if she weren’t worried.

  “I shall.” He pulled her hair again.

  She moaned in spite of herself.

  He looked at Joseph. “I think she is lying. No one knows she is here. We will throw them both overboard. The authorities will find a suicide note at home explaining everything.” He laughed.

  Patti had to make Raymond believe she wasn’t alone of the ship. “Really? Joseph? Didn’t you tell your brother we were stopped by the police on the way here? What do you think it was all about?”

  Raymond jerked his head towards Joseph.

  Neither man was laughing any longer.

  “Is this true?”

  Joseph spoke slowly. “Yes, we were stopped, but it was a routine traffic stop.”

  “Are you sure about that?” she blurted out.

  “I am sure,” Joseph said. “She did not talk to anyone. There would have been no point in stopping us. That would have made me suspicious.”

  Raymond looked back at Patti. He shrugged. “Oh, well. Good try. We should go up and make our presence known. The next time I come in the room, it will be time for you to die like your sister.”

  His eyes glittered with hatred. Raymond placed the duct tape back on her mouth.

  Patti glared at him.

  “Is this what you came here for? To find your sister’s killer? You have found him and what did it get you? I was willing to let her child live, but that wasn’t enough for you. You will die as your sister did, and for
no good reason.”

  Joseph looked at his brother, surprise etched on his face. “A child? Jamie had a child?”

  A strange expression crossed Raymond’s face and then it was gone. “Yes, the traitor had a child.”

  “I did not know this.”

  Rahmed turned to his brother, his voice disgusted. “There was much you didn’t know about this woman. You did not know she had a twin sister. You did not know she worked for the FBI. That is why she had to die. She tricked you into giving her information that could hurt me. Hurt the movement.”

  “Who is the child’s father?” Joseph asked.

  A look of distaste was on Raymond’s face. “Who knows? These American women are so promiscuous. Be assured, you are not the father, Joseph. You have only known her for several months and the child is much older.”

  “That is not true. I never told you, but I knew Jamie before, Rahmed, when I was in New York City.”

  Raymond’s face turned hard and angry. “Forget about this woman and her child. They are nothing to us. I did what I had to do.”

  “Of course, I believe you.” Joseph showed no hesitation and Patti’s heart sank.

  He wouldn’t help her.

  Patti tried to jump off the couch, but couldn’t.

  Raymond sneered at her and put a hand on Joseph’s shoulder. “We must go on deck and mingle and be seen. No need to worry. I will bring Maria here and we can take care of both of these problems for good.”

  He killed Jamie and he meant to kill her, and then his own wife.

  He was a monster. He needed to be stopped.

  32

  Carter paced up and down the pier. The yacht was nowhere in sight, but the harbormaster assured them it would be back to port soon.

  In the meantime, Patti’s life wouldn’t be worth two cents if the terrorists figured out she wasn’t Jamie.

  Marcus walked up to him with cell phone in hand. “They’re on their way back. Forty-five minutes. An hour at the most.”

  “No way. We can’t wait that long. We’ve got to get on that ship before that.”

  “Don’t worry. There are more agents on the way. We aren’t going to let these guys get away from us. We’re going to nail them.”

  Marcus was more interested in arresting the terrorists than Patti’s safety.