by S. E. Smith
Her gaze scanned the time. It was after twenty-one hundred hours, almost five hours since they had arrived at the park earlier this afternoon. Folding her hands together, she watched Ren Lu pour a glass of red wine. He picked up the glass and walked back to her.
She stared at him when he held it out before reluctantly reaching for it. Their fingers briefly touched before she pulled the glass toward her. She didn’t take a sip of the wine, afraid he might have drugged it. Her mistrust must have been evident in her expression because his lips curved in wry amusement.
“You don’t like wine?” He asked.
“Not really,” she admitted with a grimace of distaste. “It’s right up there with coffee. Henry tried to get me to drink the stuff when I was a teenager, but I never did like it.”
Ren Lu stepped back and sat in the white leather chair across from her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him when he continued to stare at her in silence. Instead, she placed the glass of wine on the table next to her and sat back on the couch and crossed her arms in front of her. She was perfectly happy to sit and wait in silence to be rescued. She never had been one for idle conversation if it wasn’t necessary.
“Why did you steal the sailboat?” Ren Lu suddenly asked.
Makayla didn’t bother smothering the groan that escaped her. She lifted a hand and brushed the loose strands of hair back from her face before she sat forward. Folding her hands together and resting her elbows on her knees, she thought about how she should answer the question that she had already been asked a million times.
“I don’t know,” she finally whispered, not looking at Ren Lu. “I was sixteen, angry, hurt, and wanted to escape the world. I think that pretty much is the same for most kids that age.”
“Why were you angry?” Ren Lu persisted, not letting her off the hook.
Makayla glanced up at him and scowled. Why did a hired hitmen care why she had stolen a sailboat or been angry? That had been six years ago, after all. Rising up off the couch, Makayla shot Ren Lu a dark look before turning to walk over to the glass doors that looked out over the deck and the water below. She wrapped her arms around her waist inside her jacket and dug her fingers into her side to keep them from trembling.
“I was living with my mom and her loser boyfriend at the time,” Makayla murmured in a distant voice. “He was enabling her addiction to pain pills. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he was an abusive prick as well.” Her hand rose to touch her face when she remembered her mom’s ex hitting her. She didn’t realize that Ren Lu could see her clearly in the reflection of the glass or that his gaze followed the movement. She was too lost in her memories. Her hand slid back down to her waist and she shook her head. “Anyway, there is a saying that you have to hit rock bottom before you can pick yourself up. My mom hit it and I found myself with the option of going to live with a grandfather I didn’t remember or foster care.” A bitter laugh escaped Makayla and she turned to face Ren Lu. “That wasn’t much of choice. You can imagine what living in a state-run system would be like. I spent the summer helping Henry refurbish the Defiance. He taught me to sail and I learned more about my mom.”
“That still does not explain why you would steal the sailboat,” Ren Lu stated, tilting his head and staring intently at her face.
Makayla shrugged. “I thought I would be going home at the end of the summer. I missed my mom and my friends. It was my last year of high school and I wanted to be with them. My mom wasn’t ready for me to come home. I had some trouble adjusting to my new school and Henry and I got into an argument. One thing led to another and I acted on impulse,” she replied in a curt tone.
She lifted her chin when Ren Lu stood up and walked toward her. She didn’t like telling people her life story. What she had told him was plastered all over the Internet, so it wasn’t anything he couldn’t have read already. She forced her body to remain still when he reached up and tenderly touched her cheek.
“What about the boy who was on board with you? The one that stowed away,” Ren Lu asked in a quiet voice.
Makayla’s brow creased into a puzzled frown. “Tyrell?” She shook her head and her lips curved at the memory of Tyrell’s face when he had realized they were out to sea. “He freaked out at first. He didn’t know how to swim and had never been on a boat in his life.”
“You care for this person?” Ren Lu asked with a raised eyebrow.
Makayla’s gaze softened and she tilted her head to stare up at Ren Lu. “You tend to care about someone when your lives depend on it. I saved Tyrell’s life, but he also saved mine…. We’re friends, but it is more than that. I can’t really explain it. There is a connection there that I don’t think happens very often between two people,” she finally admitted after a pause.
“What about Brian?” Ren Lu asked in a deceptively quiet tone. “What are your feelings for him?”
Makayla pressed her lips together. She didn’t miss the slight change in his voice or the look in Ren Lu’s eyes when he mentioned Brian’s name. She stared back at him in silence.
“A shame,” he murmured, his thumb caressing her cheek.
“Why do you say that?” Makayla finally asked, not moving when he slid his hand further down to her neck.
“As I said before, I find you very attractive,” Ren Lu replied in a quiet voice, slowly leaning forward.
“I wouldn’t,” Makayla whispered, pressing her hands against his chest. “I don’t do well when people invade my personal space. If you don’t want me to knee you again, I suggest you stop.”
Ren Lu paused, his gaze locked with Makayla’s serious one. His lips curved upward in a humorous smile before he slid his hand back along her jaw. He straightened and stepped back, allowing his fingers to caress her before he dropped his hand.
“As I said before – a shame,” he replied with a slight bow of his head. “I have work that I must attend to. If you will follow me, I will escort you to a stateroom where you can freshen up and rest.”
Makayla watched the cold, distant expression return to Ren Lu’s face, reminding her again that this was a cold blooded killer who hadn’t thought twice about shooting her in the back. She swallowed, her gaze following him when he turned and began to walk away. She started when he turned to look at her in silence.
“Will you… Are you going to let me go?” Makayla asked, clenching her fists by her side.
Ren Lu returned her steady gaze before he answered. “I’m not sure. Now follow me,” he ordered, turning away from her again.
Makayla glanced at the doors leading out to the upper deck. A part of her wanted to make a dash for it and see if she could make it over the railing and into the dark waters of the bay. The only thing stopping her was knowing that she would need to get to the lower level to make that possible and she seriously doubted she would be fast enough. Reluctantly turning, she strode across the salon and down the stairs on the far side.
Brian will come, she thought with renewed hope, her fingers caressing the watch.
26
Brian motioned for Tyrell to slow down the fourteen foot Zodiac when they neared the cove where the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and Marina was located. They moved through the channel barely causing a wake. They were running dark, so they didn’t have the bow or stern lights turned on.
“Are you sure about this?” Tyrell asked in a quiet voice steering the boat into the slip where the Defiance should have been.
“Yes,” Brian replied, slipping the straps of the waterproof black backpack onto his back.
Together they looped the bow rope around one of the pillars to keep the boat steady. Brian reached down and grabbed the long paddle, and with Tyrell’s help, they slid the paddle board into the water. Brian carefully stepped onto the board, balancing himself by holding onto Tyrell’s arm.
“I’ll let you know when I’m near the yacht. You come up and set up like you are fishing. While you distract them, I’ll climb aboard and find Makayla. Be prepared to come in fast once I do,” Brian inst
ructed.
“How will I know when you find her?” Tyrell asked with a nervous expression.
Brian glanced at him. “Look for the fireworks,” he said before pushing off.
“Good luck, man,” Tyrell whispered, shaking his head and sitting down on the padded seat to wait for Brian’s call.
Brian paddled the board across the gently lapping water. He would have enjoyed the peace and quiet if it wasn’t for the fact that he was on the most important mission of his life. He stayed focused on the yacht gleaming like a pearl against the black water. All around him, the shoreline was lit with colorful lights, washing out the stars that shone above. If he had been just a mile off shore, he would have observed an astronomical display that would have put the lights of Hong Kong to shame.
It didn’t take him long to cover the half mile distance to the yacht. He lowered his body down to the board and lifted the watch on his wrist to his mouth. With a soft murmur, he spoke.
“I’m twenty feet out,” he told Tyrell. “There are three men on the top deck and one moving along the lower deck. There is a helicopter on the top. I don’t see any sign of Makayla or Ren Lu.”
“Affirmative,” Tyrell replied. “I’m on my way.”
“Roger, that,” Brian acknowledged.
Brian shifted the paddle and used it to keep the board just far enough away to be out of reach of the spotlight that he had seen mounted to the top near the bridge. Almost ten minutes later, he heard the soft purr of a motor. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the telltale red and green lights of a small boat coming closer. It was moving slowly and he could make out Tyrell’s huge form in the soft white light of the navigation light attached to the windshield. In his hands was a lightweight fishing rod.
He paused and turned off the four-stroke engine and moved to the front where he could operate the trolling motor with his foot while he sat in a chair near the bow. Brian watched Tyrell skillfully maneuver the boat closer and closer in a non-threatening manner while casting the fishing pole and listening to music he had turned on.
A grudging smile curved Brian’s lips. He had to give it to Tyrell, he wouldn’t suspect the other man of being anything but a fisherman enjoying a night out on the water. He knew Tyrell had crossed the invisible line drawn around the yacht when the spotlight came on and the men patrolling the top and the one on the bottom deck moved toward the stern.
Brian quietly cut through the shadows cast by the bow and moved to the anchor. He clipped the paddle to the board and used the small rope attached to the front of the paddle to tie it to the chain hanging down. Gripping the chain, he stood up on the board. Within seconds, he was climbing up the side.
*.*.*
“What is it?” Ren Lu asked, glancing up when one of his men tapped lightly on the door.
“A man fishing,” the guard replied. “You asked that we notify you immediately if anyone approached the yacht.”
Ren Lu frowned in irritation and rose from the computer. The software was running to try to decipher the code that Harrington had used on it. So far, Jacobs had been telling the truth. Ren Lu picked up the pistol next to the computer, stepped out of his office, and glanced down the hallway. There had been no sound from the room where he had escorted Makayla. She was locked inside, but Ren Lu knew from experience that locks were never a guarantee.
He knew instinctively that Jacobs would try to find Makayla. A sense of unease swept through him. There was no way for Makayla to contact Jacobs or for Jacobs to locate her, at least not this quickly unless she had a way to do so.
Turning, he passed the man waiting for him and climbed the stairs to the main deck. He slid open the door and stepped out into the cool air. Striding to the side, he looked out at the boat. The man sitting on the front was shielding his eyes and yelling for them to quit blinding him with the spotlight.
“Waa gwaan. Come on, man, you gonna scare all the fish away and blind me,” the man said with a distinctive Jamaican accent.
“You need to move away,” one of Ren Lu’s men shouted.
“You rich men think you all own the water, but this Jamaican knows better,” the large black man shouted back. “We’ve fished the waters and not one damn fish has your name on it.”
“We will not warn you again,” the guard replied in a clipped tone.
“One night away from my woman to get out and you go and ruin it. That’s just not right, man. That’s just not right,” the fisherman grumbled, rising and reeling in his fishing pole before turning the trolling motor and steering the boat away from the yacht. “Vacation in Hong Kong. The people are friendly and the waters are clear. Yeah, right.”
Ren Lu watched the boat moving further away. A short time later, the soft sound of a weight hitting the water and the man’s off-key, accented voice singing along with a song could be heard drifting across the water. He turned and glanced at the man beside him.
“Keep an eye on him,” Ren Lu ordered, turning away. “And search the yacht.”
“Yes, sir,” the man said with a nod.
*.*.*
Brian placed another remote charge under the railing when he passed by a section on the far side. A door leading into the salon on the main deck opened on well-greased hinges. He slipped inside and glanced around. An elegant set of stairs led down to the staterooms below.
He glanced down at the small, waterproof GPS in his hand. Makayla was down there. He strode across the salon, his fingers tightening around the grip of the gun in his hand. He paused, listening and scanning the area before proceeding. He calculated he had maybe seven minutes before Tyrell left. Brian had caught a glimpse of Ren Lu through the window out on the deck.
He glanced in each room when he passed by them. The familiar screen of Harrington’s passcode caught his attention when he walked past one door. His fingers itched to place a small explosive under the desk, but that would be too easy. The key next to the computer was another matter, though.
Brian glanced over his shoulder before he stepped into the room and wrapped his fingers around the key. He glanced out the door before stepping back out moving down the hallway. Two doors down, the knob refused to turn. He slipped the key into the lock and turned it.
Pushing it open, his gaze swept over the bed where a figure lay. His breath released when Makayla leaned up on one arm to stare back at him, her expression changing from mutinous to relief and joy. He watched her slide off the bed and rush toward him.
Brian stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. He opened his arms and wrapped them around her, pulling her tight against his body while he buried his face against her shoulder. A shudder ran through his body and he knew he was breathing heavily in an effort to control his emotions.
“You’re okay,” she breathed, drawing back so that she could search his face even while she ran her hands over his chest. “I saw the hole in your shirt.”
“Kevin lent me his Kevlar vest,” Brian said with a rueful smile. “It worked just as good as your grocery-filled bulletproof backpack.”
“Thank goodness for a thick pork roast. I love you, Brian,” she whispered, staring up at him before throwing her arms around his neck. “I never stopped.”
Brian’s throat constricted and his eyes burned. His arms tightened around her until he was afraid he would crush her, but he swore he could never hold her tight enough or long enough. He turned his head and pressed his lips against her temple.
“I love you more, Makayla,” he whispered before reluctantly releasing her. “We need to get out of here.”
Makayla nodded. “Henry?” She asked, staring back at him with a touch of fear.
Brian touched her cheek. “He wanted to come and kick some ass, but Kevin was having the doctor sedate his cantankerous butt,” he murmured. “Wait here.”
Makayla nodded. Brian brushed a hard kiss across her lips before carefully opening the door to the stateroom. He peered down the hall before motioning for her to follow him. Together, they went the opposite way he had
originally come. Instead, he headed for the front salon and sunroom located near the bow.
They were almost to the front staircase when a sense of danger made Brian glance over his shoulder. Ren Lu was striding down the hall toward them. His head jerked up at the same time that Brian turned on the stairs. Brian’s arm holding the gun immediately came up and he fired at the man. Ren Lu dove for the opened door of the office.
“Move!” Brian growled to Makayla, twisting and gripping her hand.
The two of them took the rest of the stairs two at a time. They raced across the front salon to the door leading out to the bow. Makayla bounced back into Brian when the door didn’t open under her hand. She reached out and twisted the lock in exasperation before pushing it open. Once on the deck, she frantically glanced around.
Brian reached into his pocket and pressed the detonator to set off a delayed series of small explosives which he had planted in various areas of the yacht. They would activate with five second intervals between them, causing more confusion than damage. He needed to talk to Kevin about working with real explosives instead of the black powder kind he had been creating from the fireworks he had been buying.
A small cry of warning escaped Makayla when a guard came around the corner. Brian turned and fired at the man. Out of the corner of his eye, Brian saw an expression of determination sweep across Makayla’s face. He turned in time to see Makayla’s body hit the door they had just exited with enough force to knock Ren Lu back a step. The man’s eyes were glued to Makayla’s mutinous face. Deciding he had had enough of this, Brian raised his gun and pulled Makayla back. Ren Lu stared back at Brian with a challenging glare before he raised his hands and stepped away from the door.
