Laura 01 The Jaguar Prophecy

by Anton Swanepoel

  There is the distinct sound of bones breaking when the punch lands, and Victor’s fist sinks deep into the man’s chest. Immediately Victor brings his left hand up, grabbing the man’s right wrist. Pain fills the assassin’s body, overriding any thought patterns, any counter attack.

  Victor’s left hand has now locked around the man’s right wrist, blocking him from bringing the knife up and stabbing Victor. Victor brings his right knee up fast and knees the man in the groin, further disabling him. Now Victor is ready for the final move, bringing his right hand in for support he twists the man’s wrist and brings his arm up simultaneously, pointing the knife at the man’s own throat. There is a sickening sound as the knife cuts into the man’s throat, puncturing his windpipe, allowing air and blood to mix.

  Victor then gives the blade a sharp twist, crushing the man’s windpipe while severing one of the main arteries in his neck. Blood gushes out of the wound and runs down the man’s windpipe towards his lungs, choking him with his own blood. The assassin makes one desperate attempt to choke Victor before he dies, but there is no power in his grip and his hands slide from Victor’s throat as he sinks to the ground. As his knees hit the ground, the man lets out his last breath, a sound like a gurgle due to the blood and knife partially obstructing the path.

  Victor lets go of the man, allowing him to drop backwards onto the ground, and then looks at Laura. She is standing in the doorway with her hands covering her mouth, holding back a scream. Victor slowly looks her up and down, taking in her beauty before walking to the main door and switching on the lights.

  The sudden change in lighting unfreezes Laura, and she suddenly becomes aware that she is totally naked, having dropped her towel to cover her mouth. With lightning speed she dashes back into the bathroom slamming the door closed behind her.

  Victor carefully steps over the body and searches the man, finding a door access card but nothing else except the knife. The man is of African American descent, reasonably fit with short cut black hair. He has no jewelry and is wearing a ship’s room service outfit. Victor is puzzled as to who the man is and what he wanted. Quickly he takes out his cell phone and snaps a picture of the man, planning to send the picture on to his contacts when he gets the chance.

  There is a knock on the bathroom door, and Victor looks up from where he is bending over the body.

  “Yes?” he asks. Laura sticks her head out the door, trying to avoid looking at the dead man as she asks, “Can you please hand me my clothes from the bed?”

  Victor nods and without saying a word takes the clothes from the bed and hands them to Laura. As she closes the door Victor walks to the phone on the study desk. Special Agent Williams is going to have a ball with this one. Victor dials the operator and asks to be put through to Special Agent Williams’ room. Josh is not in his room, so Victor rings the operator back and asks that they urgently announce over the ship’s public address system that Special Agent Williams ring the operator. The operator will then put Josh through to Victor’s room when he calls.

  Ten minutes later, just as Laura has finished dressing and come out of the bathroom, the phone rings. The sound startles Laura and she lets out a cry. Victor just shakes his head while frowning at her and answers the phone. When he hears it is Josh, he asks him to immediately come to his room, refusing to say why when Josh asks.

  Laura sits down at the head of the bed, as far away from the body as possible. The reality of the evening finally catches up with her and she breaks down in tears. Victor walks over to her, then sits down next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. Laura grabs and hugs him, emotions pouring from her.

  Victor strokes her back and tries to comfort her. After a few minutes Laura stops crying but continues to hug him. While Victor is still stroking her back, she suddenly looks up at him and asks, “Are they going to kill me?”

  He can see the fear in her eyes. Victor waits a few seconds before answering, “They want the disc Laura, and until they find it, or it is destroyed, they will not stop.”

  Laura buries her face in her hands and starts to cry again. Sobbing, she says, “I do not know what disc they are referring to. I have nothing worth killing for.”

  A knock on the door startles her and pleadingly she looks at Victor to protect her.

  “Victor, it’s Special Agent Williams, you called me, open the door.”

  On hearing Josh’s voice Laura relaxes a bit. Victor stands up, but first opens the fridge next to the bed and hands Laura a can of Coca Cola before heading to the door.

  “Drink this Laura, the sugar will help for the shock.”

  Laura eagerly takes the can from Victor, but her hands are shaking so much that she cannot open the can. Victor places his hands over hers and looks into her eyes. His gaze is soft and full of compassion, mesmerizing Laura with his brilliant blue eyes. As Laura relaxes, her hands stop shaking and without a word, Victor opens the can for her, then turns and walks to the door.

  Josh barges into the room the moment Victor unlocks the door, while saying “So you found the disc ri….” He stops dead in his tracks with his mouth still open when he sees the body, a knife stuck in its throat, eyes staring at the ceiling.

  Josh looks from the body to Laura, then to Victor and back to the body before speaking. “Ok, what the hell happened here?”

  “Take a seat Josh” Victor says and points to the chair close to the desk while he himself goes to sit down next to Laura. When Josh is seated, Victor tells him how he was attacked as he entered the room and how it came that he managed to get the upper hand and defend himself. Josh takes notes as Victor speaks and again records the conversation on his digital voice recorder. Josh is at no point happy with Victor’s answers and keeps pushing him with questions to try to catch him out. After two hours Josh finally eases off, having learned nothing that Victor had not told him the first time.

  “Do you know the man?” Josh asks and looks at both Laura and Victor. Both shake their heads.

  “And he said nothing, no threats or what he wanted?” Victor shakes his head.

  Josh taps on his teeth with a Parker fountain pen while thinking.

  “Maybe he was looking for the disc the other men mentioned?” Josh notes their expressions as he makes the comment, Laura just shrug her shoulders, while Victor remains motionless.

  “Tell me, who booked this trip for you, Victor?”

  Following Victor’s gaze Josh’s eyes come to rest on the recorder in his left hand.

  “Whether I record it or not, it is still going into the report,” Josh says, yet decides to switch off the recorder.

  “I booked the trip through a travel agency, did it all online, and received my tickets by post, why?”

  Josh slowly puts the pen into his jacket pocket before replying. “I did some checking up on you and her.

  “Laura’s record turns out to be just fine. Yours I have a small problem with, in addition to the fact that the man that made your booking was found dead in his apartment this morning. Shot twice in the chest.”

  Victor only raises an eyebrow as he replies. “Crime is getting out of hand these days, but what’s that got to do with my record?” He holds Josh’s stare without revealing any emotion, until Josh looks down to his notebook.

  “The problem is that there is no record of you, nothing, just a ghost in the system. You have no bank records, parking tickets, school records, nothing. And you know what is even more interesting?”

  Josh stands up, yet Victor makes no comment or movement. “Within three hours of making inquiries about you I had a personal phone call from the Presidents of both South Africa and America.”

  “I did not know the Presidents are friends of yours Josh.”

  “It’s Special Agent Williams, and no, we are not friends. They wanted to know why I am running background checks on you, and told me you have diplomatic immunity and that I have to report to them directly if I want to do anything regarding this case.”

  A smile breaks on Victor’s fa
ce. “How interesting, Josh!” Victor says as he stands up. Josh gives him a cold look, realizing that Victor is not going to address him correctly. He suddenly gets the urge to strangle Victor, but he also gets the idea that he will not get far before being laid neatly on the floor with his hands tied behind his back with his own cuffs.

  “Well, I presume you will have this cleaned up, Josh.” Taking Laura by the hand he continues, “Care for some fresh air?” Laura can only nod but does not stand up, all this is too much for her and all she actually wants to do is run away as far as she can from all of this. Yet she does not want to leave Victor’s side, there is a reassuring calmness about him and she is strongly attracted to him.

  Josh gets the message, and walks to the door, saying nothing until he reaches the door. “I will have the room sealed and the ship’s crew will take your belongings to a new room. Laura, we have finished searching your room. You are free to use it again,” he says as he steps out of the room. He decides not to slam the door on his way out.

  “Dinner?”

  Laura pulls herself from her thoughts. “Sorry, what did you say?”

  “I said dinner, you hungry? I am thinking that we can go down to the main lobby and have dinner.”

  “I would really enjoy that.”

  For a moment their eyes meet. Victor looks softly down into her eyes even after she stopped speaking.

  Slowly she looks away but cannot help looking back three seconds later, just to find Victor still looking at her. He gives a gentle smile and suddenly a jolt of excitement goes through her body. She blushes slightly as she becomes aware of her body’s response.

  “I need to change for dinner.”

  “Ok, meet you in the Blue Diamond dining room, say in an hour? I’ll make reservations for us.”

  Laura smile as she replies, “Looking forward to it.” Just as Laura gets up from the edge of the bed there is a knock at the door.

  “Yes?” Victor is clearly annoyed.

  “Room Service,” comes the reply. Victor finds it odd that another room service person is making the rounds by his room, and wonders if it is the real room service.

  “Hold on,” Victor replies as he walks to the door. Victor puts his left foot just a few inches before the door, and then opens the door, using his left foot as a block. A Russian in his mid 30s with short cut hair and dressed in the same housekeeping uniform as the dead man stands in the hallway.

  “Fresh towels sir, may I come in?” The man is eager to enter. He clearly knows nothing about the dead body in the room.

  “I’ll take it,” Victor replies and holds out his right hand. Reluctantly the man gives the towels over and Victor is about to close the door when he stops. He gets the faint smell of beer and cigarette smoke. Victor notes the man’s name tag, “Scott”. The man turns and starts to walk away.

  “Wait a moment.” Victor knows something is wrong. The man stops dead in his tracks but does not turn around. Slowly his hand slides beneath his jacket.

  “Yes sir?”

  “Where’s Jimbo, he normally serves my room?” Victor asks, lying.

  “Oh, sorry sir, he reported in sick this morning, I’m filling in for him,” another lie.

  “Thanks,” says Victor as he closes the door.

  While walking past Laura to store the towels in the bathroom, Victor runs his hands between the towels. He finds what he is looking for inside the last towel, a listening device. He drops it in the toilet and flushes it away. After storing the towels in the bathroom he walks to the telephone and dials room service.

  “Hello, Room Service, how may we help you?”

  “I would like to know if you have a man in room service called Scott?”

  “No sir, anything wrong?”

  “No thanks, all is ok.”

  Laura gives him a puzzled look but says nothing, she decides to leave and go to her room to get ready for dinner. Just before leaving, she glances back to see Victor admiring her beautiful legs and firm buttocks. Another jolt surges through her body and she makes haste to get to the safety of her room.

  Victor thinks about the man that left the bug. He does not work for the cruise ship, thus he must be another agent or police officer placed on the ship to assist Special Agent Williams. That must be it, for who else would want to bug his room?

  He dials the Blue Diamond dining room and makes reservations for him and Laura. After replacing the receiver he walks over to the closet and briefly scans through his selection of clothes. With a smile he selects an outfit for dinner and moves to the bathroom to get ready.

  Chapter 4

  “George Town Port Security, George Town Port Security, this is cruise ship Blue Diamond, come in, over.” The window wipers are fighting a losing battle against the rain. Captain Duncan Steel peers through the cabin window. Visibility is down to 200 yards. He can just make out the bow lights. Waves crash onto the ship’s bow with an angry fury, shaking her to the last rivet. He watches as yet another wave crosses the bow, washing over the forward deck. If the weather does not calm down overnight, they will not be able to dock in Grand Cayman. Good business as it keeps the passengers and their money on board, gambling and drinking.

  “Blue Diamond, Blue Diamond, this is George Town Port Security, send your message, over.” The voice sounds metallic and distant over the speaker. Captain Steel takes one last pull from the Mills cigarette balanced between his lips, before carelessly crushing it in the ashtray on the chart table. Reaching down he pushes the orange illuminated button labeled “Call” next to the microphone.

  “Port Security, Blue Diamond, Captain Duncan Steel here, can you give me a weather forecast, over.”

  “Blue Diamond, Port Security, stand by.” There is the sound of leather being stretched as Captain Steel shifts in his chair.

  “Blue Diamond, Port Security, severe weather warning. Winds up to tropical storm strength, swells of 10 to 15 feet. Will last for six hours and calm down to four foot swells. Partly cloudy skies expected for tomorrow. The port is currently closed, will re-advise tomorrow before your arrival, over.”

  Even in the soft cabin light the concern is visible on Captain Steel’s face.

  “Port Security, Blue Diamond, understood, out.” He gives one last look at the waves washing over the forward deck before turning to his first officer.

  “Number One, continue current heading and speed.”

  “Aye aye sir.”

  ” Number One, take the bridge, I will be in the main dining room.”

  “Aye sir, Number One has the bridge. Captain leaving the bridge.” First officer Kevin salutes as the captain goes down the stairs. Captain Steel returns the salute and continues down the stairs on his way to the dining room for a rest and a meal.

  Kevin turns on his heels when the captain is out of sight and stares out of the window. They are in for some rough riding. It must be magnificent surfing these waves, riding the tunnel, the ultimate adrenaline rush, tons of water behind you. One mistake and she will crush you to death, wow. A smile breaks on Kevin’s face, unaware of the silent Russian gray killer stalking the cruise ship.

  More than 1000 feet below the surface, men are readying the submarine for action. This is the closest any of them have ever been to American soil, and if they are discovered, it could mean death to them all.

  “Captain, sonar contact! Bearing 216, speed 10 knots, range 4000 yards, two screws in the water. Captain, I think it’s her.” Captain Bladimere gives the radar operator an annoying look.

  “Make certain, how many damn cruise ships can there be at this time in this location?” Then he turns to the KGB officer and says, “I hope your intelligence is correct and that this is the correct ship.” There is no response from the KGB officer.

  “Are you ready Comrade?” Bladimere asks. The KGB officer only slightly nods to confirm his readiness. Bladimere resumes pacing up and down the bridge. This is pure madness. Pulling alongside an ocean liner near US waters and transferring a KGB officer to it undetected
in a raging storm. Pure madness.

  “Captain, sonar contact, range 3000 yards. Positive on target.” The radar operator does not take his eyes off his green computer screen. A white line turns clockwise around on it. Each time around a white blob is illuminated with numbers next to it indicating the range, speed and bearing of the contact.

  “Comrade Russtoff, I suggest you make ready to go on deck.”

  Getting up slowly Russtoff replies, “Would have liked to torpedo her, save me a swim, Comrade Captain.” Russtoff, unknown to all on board, is part of an elite team that deals with situations too extreme even for special KGB agents. Bladimere makes no comment to Russtoff’s remark and turns to his first officer.

  “Go to periscope depth, speed 15 knots.” The first officer repeats the order. Creaks can be heard all over the submarine as pressurized air forces the water out of the ballast tanks. Slowly the submarine starts to rise. The minutes crawl by.

  “Periscope depth, speed 15 knots. Range to target 1500 yards.” The navigator’s voice speaks with years of experience.

  “Up periscope.” Bladimere’s voice has a trace of uncertainty. Walking to the periscope to see if any undetected surface vessels are on the surface and to judge the surface conditions, he scans the bridge and notes that everyone is avoiding his stare. Using the two handles on the sides of the tube he turns the periscope around. The submarine is being thrown around wildly by the waves. Bladimere bumps his head twice against the periscope before he secures his footing. Waves roll over the periscope time after time, submerging it.

  “How is the visibility, Comrade Captain?” There is no fear in Russtoff’s voice.

  Stepping back Bladimere angrily says, “Down periscope. Number One, bring us alongside contact and match speed.”

  “Aye aye sir.” There is only a hint of uncertainty in the first officer’s voice.