Michael handed Cosette back to Aiden as though she were a baseball card they were trading. As a feminist, a small sliver of her wanted to protest; as a woman worried about sinking in a fiery cruise ship, she counted her blessings. Had she not sat down with these lovely folks, had they not insisted she and Aiden get to know each other, she’d be moving through these halls alone and afraid. Being one of six, stuck like peanut butter sounded a lot better right now.
“No fist fights until we get to the top deck,” Clay instructed, patting Betty’s shoulder. “Let’s see the light of day before we start condemning everyone to hell.”
“Anyone else steps on a child here, and I’m not making any promises.” Betty wasn’t trying to keep her voice low. She wanted to be heard.
“If we evacuate onto Corinti,” Aiden said, keeping his voice low, “we stay on the shoreline. It’ll be brutally hot, people will want to move inland, but we won’t.”
“I’ve got five bottles of water in my backpack,” Michael said. “That’s all I could grab. Anyone have anything else with them?”
Betty patted a small bag over her shoulder. “Snacks. You know I’ve got snacks. Just some chips and such. I think some granola bars. Sun screen. A couple scarfs to keep my hair from blowing around like crazy.”
“I didn’t bring anything,” Cosette said, feeling like a failure. “I wasn’t really thinking straight.”
“It’s fine,” Jules assured. “I didn’t either. Michael is a madman. I was out the door and in the hallway practically before the alarm rang a second time.”
“I think I have a few things in the bag,” Clay said, pondering this. “Betty hardly gives me any room to pack so I have to stick stuff in the little pockets. I think I’ve got some cigars and matches.”
“Clay, I’ve told you a hundred times—” Betty scolded.
“I’m on vacation,” Clay pouted, “and I think a couple of cigars are the least of our worries at this point.”
“Can we stay focused?” Jules demanded as they headed up the last flight of stairs. It was darker than Cosette thought, dawn just breaking as they emerged on the upper deck of the ship. The air was cool and a shiver rolled up her back.
“Smoke,” a woman near them yelled, sending the bodies to their left and right into a frenzy.
“Please stay calm,” a thin polo-clad crew member, who looked more boy than man, announced. He rose to his tiptoes and raised his hands, but they shook too much to hide. “I need everyone to move to their assigned muster stations.”
“I don’t remember mine,” a woman with a small child in her arms cried. “Where should I go?”
“Ladies and Gentlemen,” the captain’s voice boomed loudly from the overhead speaker. “Due to a fire in the engine room we will be evacuating the ship. Our competent crew is working with fire suppression now, but since containment is likely to take some time we feel temporary evacuation is the most suitable course of action. Please remain calm and follow instructions as they’re given by crew members.”
“We can’t get off here,” a man yells, yanking the skinny crewman back. “This is a goddamn war zone. They’ll see Americans, and we’ll be like sitting ducks out there on the beach. You know how many Americans get snatched for ransom here every year? I’m not taking my family down there. Just put out the damn fire.”
“It’s been burning for two hours,” the crewman replied. “Fire suppression isn’t working. The storm rocked us quite a bit. Something came free, broke a fuel line, and sparked a fire. That fuel is keeping it going and the ship is compromised to the point it cannot be inhabited. We have to evacuate.”
“Corinti is more dangerous than a fire in the bottom of this ship. They’ll get it out eventually.” The man’s face was red and the vein in his bald head was throbbing. It made Cosette glad she hadn’t been assigned to his table for dinner.
“It’s not in the bottom of the ship anymore,” the crewman said, stone-faced. “It’s spread to most of the crew cabins and has compromised the hull. We’re taking on water. The captain is aware of the security issues in Corinti and is taking all precautions necessary to keep every passenger safe. The Coast Guard has been notified and is traveling here now. Please, if you want your family to be safe, you’ll follow our instructions.” He moved away from them and stood on the large box that had been emptied of its life jackets. “Folks, we are going to be evacuating via life boats. Because of the storm that just passed through, the waves are very high. Our lifeboats are designed for such a scenario, but we do need to get to land as quickly as possible. As you were instructed at your muster station, I need all women and children to move to the front. I will be going over the instructions for proper life jacket use and how to board the lifeboat.”
“How long until the Coast Guard arrives?” Aiden asked, his voice demanding and impatient, but still far more courteous then the last man who was yelling.
“We do not have an ETA at this time, but they have been alerted to the situation. I’d expect a helicopter to be on site soon to offer some assistance.”
“There are thousands of people here. What is a helicopter going to do?” someone shouted.
“What if we have to stay there overnight?” a woman asked, as she shifted her child to the other hip. “I don’t have any diapers with me.”
Cosette wanted to inform her that from the sound of it, staying on Corinti overnight would be far worse than some diaper rash. That should be the least of their problems.
“We will not be staying overnight. Another cruise ship is already en route,” the crewman explained.
“Large enough to accommodate all these passengers?” Michael asked.
“No,” the man answered solemnly. “There are 3,500 passengers on this ship and 1,500 crew members. The vessel coming to assist is meant to hold 2,000, however because of the situation, it’s been evaluated and we believe with the short distance needed to travel to our initial destination, the ship could take 3,000 people.”
“Who doesn’t get to go?” the woman asked frantically.
“Everyone will go,” the man said, raising his arms to quiet the panic. “Just not all at once. Passengers will disembark in Torrella Bay and the ship will come back for the nonessential crew members and remaining passengers.”
“But how do you decide who gets on?” the angry man from earlier demanded as he reluctantly separated from his wife and children who moved to the front for a seat on a life boat.
“I’m certain we’ll be able to accumulate enough volunteers who would like to ensure their family is accommodated in their place for the first voyage. Now please, if you have not done so, properly fasten your life jacket and come forward when I call your name. When you arrive on land please disembark the lifeboat and wait for further instructions.”
His voice was temporarily drowned out by the sound of a roaring engine as a helicopter buzzed by them. “What is that?” Jules asked, not letting go of Michael, even though she was supposed to be moving to the front. Cosette hadn’t budged either.
“An old military helicopter,” Michael explained, all their eyes drawn to the large metallic gun hanging out of the open door.
“Our military?” Cosette asked hopefully.
“No,” Aiden replied. “It might have been at one point, but it’s the military force here.”
The helicopter disappeared back toward the lush green island and the spokesman began speaking again. Now he had to force calm onto his face, and it wasn’t working. “We will not be here long. Stay together and do not wander past the areas that have been marked off by the crew who have already made their way onto the shore.”
“Aiden,” Cosette whispered as he peeled her hands off his arm and gestured for her to move to the front, “I’m scared.”
He gave a tiny smile and gripped her hand for another moment. “I know we just met,” he began, clearing his throat, “but I think Betty was right. Until this is over, we all stick together.”
Chapter 6
Aiden hated to l
ie to the poor girl. She looked scared out of her mind, and the grip she had on his arm was like a bear trap. Telling her they’d stick together was all he could offer at the moment. Now as they sat huddled on the lifeboat headed for shore he knew at a minimum he should at least inform them of where they were headed. They deserved that much.
“Corinti is a bomb waiting to go off,” he said, the six of them leaning together to hear. The three women hadn’t raced to the front of the line, which meant they all ended up on the same lifeboat. “That guy on the ship was right. Americans who come too close to this half of the island from the Torrella Bay port are often kidnapped for ransom. There was an overthrow of their government eight months ago, and a militant force of men have been running things ever since. They’ve threatened to overtake the Torrella Bay side of the island. Security has been increased and the cruise line shrank the area opened to tourists to basically just the shoreline. This situation we’re in right now could be seen by the Kitu, the militant group who overthrew the president, as a powerful opportunity to make a statement. You’ve got a ship full of wealthy foreigners rowing to their shores. I can’t imagine they’ll let this opportunity pass without doing something.”
“The ship had to have been completely compromised for the captain to make the decision to evacuate here.” Michael rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I heard another crew member say because of the storm that passed, the seas are too rough for us to stay in the lifeboats for an extended amount of time. They’re designed to right themselves but two already capsized. They were able to get everyone to shore.”
The sea was still angry, rocking the small lifeboat, making it tip from side to side, each person having to brace tightly to the seat.
“There’s another ship coming,” Clay reminded them. “You three can get on and we’ll wait for the next run. I’m sure it’ll be a matter of hours at most.”
“We’d just leave you guys here?” Cosette asked, looking at Betty and Jules for their reaction. Aiden had to applaud her attempt to stay fair in a situation that was anything but.
“Girlie,” Betty said seriously. “I’m all for equality and women’s rights. But it doesn’t do our family any good if we all stay and something happens. I don’t want to leave these men behind, but I know damn well they won’t want to take the place of some mother or child just so they will be safe. Clay is right. The three of us should take the first ship out, as much as I hate to say it.” Aiden watched as Clay and Betty laced their hands together and squeezed tightly. Panic was growing around them, yet these people seemed to be keeping it together pretty well.
“And until then we stay close to the shore,” Michael instructed. “Aiden is right. Keep your bags tight to you. I have no clue if they’ll bring food from the ship or fresh water. Just be aware.”
“I just don’t understand,” Cosette said, shaking her head. “How big is this island anyway? How can one side be a vacation destination we couldn’t wait to get to, and on this side they’re living like this? Why would the cruise line keep coming here?”
“The situation has been fluid,” Aiden explained. “There isn’t media here, an up-to-date-every-second way to see what’s going on. Even if the cruise line heard rumors of what was happening, they couldn’t have confirmed it.”
“I’m sure they were too busy cashing our checks,” Betty sniped as another large wave had them rolling to the side.
“Don’t look important,” Aiden instructed. “Jewelry off. Anything expensive, put it away. If they are going to make a grab for some people, they’ll want targets they feel are valuable.”
Everyone began assessing their belongings and tucking them away. Wedding rings were plucked off and put away. “Don’t talk much if you’re around people you don’t know. Americans would be a high priority for them to grab. There’s a chance they’ll be listening to see who is who.”
“Nice knowing you, Betty,” Michael said, stifling a laugh. “If the only way to stay safe is to stay quiet, you don’t stand a chance.” The tiny wrinkles by his eyes grew deep as he smiled wide at her.
Jules dug her elbow into her husband’s ribs. “I’m glad you still have your sense of humor. Let’s hope you have your head at the end of this too.”
Aiden pushed forward with his warnings as though he were rolling a boulder up a hill. No one could get in his way or he’d lose his momentum. This was important. For some reason these five people had been thrust to his team, and he’d do what he could before he had to leave them. “If you are taken,” he began, but Michael cut him off.
“What kind of accountant did you say you were again? Right about now you’re sounding like my commanding officer in the Marines. Did you serve?” His eyes were narrow, two slits just waiting to detect a lie.
“Briefly,” Aiden replied, not planning to elaborate. “If you’re taken,” he continued, “cooperate with every instruction they give. If the Kitu leaders here are trying to make a point and gain leverage to establish themselves as a power, killing a bunch of people won’t do that. The best we can hope for is they understand how to reach their goals. Ransom. Making a point. That’s likely their angle, and if you do what they ask, you’ve got a chance of surviving the kidnapping.
Jules shook her head, looking like she was trying to get something straight in her mind. “I’m not leaving you behind,” she asserted, clinging to Michael. “We’re a team. We always have been. We’re better together. I’m not getting on another boat unless you’re there with me. I don’t care what else Aiden has to say. He doesn’t know us. He doesn’t know what we’ve been through and what we can handle.”
“Trafficking,” Aiden cut in, his voice sharp and unapologetic. “The three of us,” he gestured at Michael and Clay. “We don’t make much sense in the human trafficking world. You do. Corinti is a hot bed for funneling women and girls through slavery rings. The first ship that comes, you get in line and don’t look back. Leaving your husband behind isn’t selfish, it’s good math. Your family deserves all of you back. Increase your odds of that happening.”
Silence fell over them, thick like steam in a sauna. The crashing of the waves thudding and rocking them raged on, but their conversation halted. Reality had changed from some obscure concept to a three dimensional beast sitting in front of them, ready to attack. Danger wasn’t some far off idea now. It was with them. Next to them. Imminent.
“Or maybe nothing could happen,” Cosette said, half question half statement. “Maybe we get off this little boat and then right back on a different big one, and nothing comes of this but some stories we get to tell. The Kitu, or whoever they are, might look at the size of the crowd and think they better not do anything.”
“Right,” Clay said, quick to reassure her. “We could be sitting by the pool on a different ship by this time tomorrow. We’d all be sipping drinks while Betty plans Cosette and Aiden’s wedding. That might be the craziest thing that happens by this time tomorrow.”
Jules and Betty nodded hopefully as Aiden drew in a deep breath. “When the lifeboat hits land be alert. Stay together until we know for sure you three are boarding another ship.”
“The Coast Guard?” Betty asked, nibbling thoughtfully on her lip. “They’d be the ones to help, right? Seeing them would be a good sign?”
“They’ll mobilize from the closest location, but they won’t be able to do much with this amount of people until they can get more ships. It will take them a while to be able to provide security when it comes to the military opposition here. There were rumors of a few thousand well-armed men who’d overthrown the previous president in under an hour. They’re well organized and determined. Seeing the Coast Guard would be a good sign, seeing enough of them would take time.”
The boat lurched to a stop on its forward motion but still rocked heavily from side to side in the waves. “Ready?” Aiden asked, looking down at Cosette’s wide worried eyes. Her face was red as a cherry tomato just plucked from a sun-soaked garden.
Michael was shoulder to shoulder
with him as they stood to debark the boat, still bracing against the wall.
“Accountant?” he asked again, his brow raised nearly to his hairline. His face full of accusation, but the edges rimmed with gratitude.
“For right now,” Aiden whispered, “yes. Accountant.”
“You know a hell of a lot about this place,” Michael pressed. “Like you’ve had a good briefing. I guess we got pretty damn lucky with our random seat choice at dinner. I want to get my family out of here. I hope you can help me do that.”
Aiden nodded noncommittally. “Marine, huh?” he asked.
“Oohrah,” Michael said, the familiar battle cry of the Marines.
“Oohrah,” Aiden answered, showing a piece of himself without having to give more detail than he wanted to. Now Michael knew there was more to him. “Let’s all get out of here safely.”
Chapter 7
The water was bright blue, just as Cosette had imagined it. But nothing else on this side of the island resembled the brochure pictures of the port they were meant to have been visiting right now. The stop in Torrella Bay was advertised as the serene private destination designed for pure relaxation. The sea resembled a sheet of glass, still and placid. But today the storm had it looking more like the spin cycle on a washing machine, rolling sand up in each wave and then pulling it back greedily.
She’d learned now that Torrella Bay was a private port leased by the cruise line. Though they never arrived there, she imagined it dotted with blue beach umbrellas, the sky filled with mile high zip lines and water slides spilling out into the ocean.
Corinti wasn’t anything like the brochure for Torrella Bay, but it was still beautiful. The lush mountains were a pallet of earthy greens and seemingly alive with birds and tropical flora, but the island was otherwise deserted. The shore was only about a hundred feet of sand until it bled straight into thick foliage. The high tide left little room for all these people to gather. Other than sand and trees there was nothing. No buildings, no structures of any kind. The sound of the helicopter rumbled in the distance, but she couldn’t see the green metallic source of fear anywhere. If it was the same Kitu helicopter that had buzzed by the ship earlier, it was out of sight now.
Not Just an Echo (Piper Anderson Legacy Mystery Book 3) Page 3
