"We've been over that, Ed," Liz said. "A knee-jerk reaction won't help Cynthia."
"But they said they'd sell her to the Arabs if I didn't pay the ransom, remember? It all fits. I want to — "
"Get a grip, Ed, and listen for a minute," Dani said. "Do you have any idea how ruthless human traffickers are?"
"Well, I read the news. What's your point?"
"You could get Cynthia killed. The news doesn't report what happens unless the good guys win."
"I don't understand. They stop ships like that and free the people. I — "
"How many reports have you seen where they stopped a ship on solid information and didn't find any captives?" Dani asked.
"I ... can't remember," he said, "but ... "
"But that's what happens most of the time," Sharktooth said.
"Then their information was bad," Ed said.
"Probably not," Dani said.
"Then why didn't they find the captives aboard?"
"Same reason they don't find drugs when they get a tip. The people on the ship get warned by some crooked cop, and they ditch the evidence."
"Drugs, sure. But people? Some of them would be found; they'd talk."
"But they don't," Liz said. "They're on the bottom of the ocean."
"It's as easy to ditch a person as it is to ditch drugs, or anything else," Dani said. "It takes four cable ties, a concrete block, and a couple of feet of rope per person."
Ed looked at her for a moment, frowning. "You rattled that off like most women spout off recipes."
Dani glared at him, but before she could speak, the satellite phone that was stored at the nav station rang. Liz leapt to her feet and scurried down the companionway to retrieve it. Ed was right behind her. Liz answered the call, listened for a moment, and put her hand over the mouthpiece as she handed the phone to Ed. "It's them," she said. "Repeat the instructions and I'll write them down."
Ed took the phone as she opened a drawer and took out a legal pad and a pencil. "This is Ed Savage," he said, and then listened, his face growing progressively more pale.
"What's going on?" Liz asked, a minute or two later as Ed disconnected the call and handed her the phone. "Didn't they tell you where to send the money?"
He shook his head, a faraway look on his face.
****
"I have to get back to the States," Ed said, picking at the skin on the back of his hand as he sat at the cockpit table. Dani was still at the helm, and Liz was below preparing lunch. Dani had ended the conversation with Sharktooth while Liz and Ed were on the phone with the kidnappers.
"Tell us what they said," Liz called from below, as she made sandwiches at the galley counter.
"It's complicated," Ed said, shaking his head in dismay.
"All the more reason for you to talk it over," Dani said. "Explaining it to us may help you see your way through what's going on."
"I'm not sure how to start," he said. "I'm involved in this case, see, and they ... "
"Maybe you should just start by telling us what they said," Liz said. "I handed you the phone, and you said, 'This is Ed Savage.' Then what?"
"That electronic voice said that they knew I had the money; that I was doing well, but I had to do something else first."
"First?" Liz asked. "Before you send the money?"
"Before they tell me where to send it."
"So what do they want you to do?"
"I don't know; they didn't tell me yet. They said they'd be back in touch, but that I wouldn't be able to help Cynthia if I stayed here."
"Did they say where you should go?" Dani asked.
"They want me back in my office. I'm supposed to review the Tequesta file while I wait for their instructions."
"Any word on Cynthia?"
"Those men in the video still have her, but they said ... "
"What did they say?" Liz asked, in a soft tone.
"They have buyers coming soon to look at the 'merchandise.' My bid of $10 million might not be enough."
"They want more money?"
"That's what I asked. They laughed, and told me to get back to my office and review the Tequesta file."
"That's it? They didn't say anything else?" Dani asked.
"No. Just that the next call would be to my office, and that I'd better be there."
"What's this Tequesta file?" Liz asked.
"Tequesta Recycling is the defendant in a class action suit that I filed on behalf of about 10,000 plaintiffs."
"Tequesta Recycling? What kind of business is that?" Liz asked.
"Tequesta's a garbage collection company, basically. They've got a bunch of dumps and landfills all over the southeast. They're privately held, but their revenues are estimated at around $3 billion per year."
"That's a lot of garbage. They only work in the southeastern U.S.?" Liz asked.
"No. That's where most of their disposal sites are."
"What's the basis of the suit?" Dani asked.
"Ground water pollution from the landfill sites. The plaintiffs have suffered all sorts of bizarre medical problems as a result."
"Who owns Tequesta Recycling? You said it was privately held."
"We haven't been able to get to the bottom of that, yet. We keep running into all kinds of blind alleys — closely held offshore corporations in places that keep secrets for a fee to the government officials."
"Do you think they want you to drop the suit?" Liz asked.
Ed shrugged. "I don't know. I hope it's not that. I mean, these things take on a life of their own. I can't just drop it at this stage. I'm the lead, but there are a bunch of other lawyers with skin in the game, now. Not to mention the syndicate."
"Syndicate? You mean like the mob?" Liz asked.
"No, not that kind of syndicate. Suits like this are expensive; there's all kinds of research. Soil analysis, water analysis, geological studies, you name it. Not to mention all the medical analysis and expert testimony."
"Who pays for all of that? I thought it came out of the damage award," Dani said.
"Well, yeah, it does, if the plaintiffs prevail. But all those expenses have to be paid long before these things even get to court. It's a big gamble for the lead attorneys."
"You mean you've paid — "
"Around $35 million and counting. I don't have that kind of liquidity, so I put together a syndicate of people to fund it. They share the risk and the reward with me."
"So what kind of damages are you seeking?" Liz asked.
"A billion dollars, give or take. Maybe more. It'll gut Tequesta Recycling — no question about that."
"What else could they want?" Dani asked.
"Who knows? Inside information? A piece of the action? When there's a billion dollars in play, it could be anything."
"Have you booked flights back to the states yet?" Liz asked.
"Well, kind of. You said we'd get to Bequia a little after lunch. I've booked a charter flight to Miami and then on to Atlanta. They'll be waiting for me in St. Vincent. I told them sometime after 4 p.m., just to be safe. That still sound good?"
"Yes. We'll be dropping the anchor around 1:30 or 2:00. Sharktooth's waiting for us. He can take you to St. Vincent in Lightning Bolt. It's only a few minutes' run for him. You should make four o'clock with no problem," Liz said.
"Will you keep looking for Cynthia? I mean, this thing's taken on a different dimension, now. Depending on what they want me to do, I may not have a choice about the authorities, but ... "
"Yes. We'll find her. These people have started asking questions about me and my family; it's personal, now. That scares me. No way I'm backing out, whatever you decide to do. We'll keep you posted, and I trust you'll do the same?"
"If I can do it without jeopardizing Cynthia's chances."
"Believe me, we're her best shot, Ed. We're going to get her back."
"I want whoever's behind this put away."
"Me, too," Dani said. "Permanently. That's a given."
"Then you'll ha
ve to go to the authorities at some point."
"No. The authorities might get Cynthia back, but they can't handle the people behind this."
"And who do you think can, then? We don't even know who these people are, Dani."
"I only need to work my way up the chain one link at a time."
"But what do you do when you find somebody?"
"Don't ask, Ed," Liz said. "Those people have chosen to play by a different set of rules, now. They aren't accustomed to victims who understand their game."
"I don't get it, Liz."
"There are winners and losers from here on," Dani said. "Winners keep playing. Losers die. It's simple. They've made me feel threatened. I won't put up with that, and the authorities have too many limits on what they can do. Threaten my family and somebody dies."
"You're nuts," Ed said, shaking his head.
Dani grinned. "We'll see."
There was a moment of awkward silence, broken when Ed said, "Guess I'd better go pack up."
As he stood and turned to go below, the satellite phone at the helm rang. Liz picked it up, looked at the display, and said, "It's Mario," as she passed the phone to Dani. Ed disappeared down the companionway ladder, shaking his head. Liz slid behind the helm as Dani walked up to sit on the side of the coachroof with the telephone.
****
"Ed thinks you're bluffing," Liz said, when Dani came back.
"You talked to him while I was on the phone? But you were steering. I would have — "
"It wasn't an extended conversation. He just stuck his head up for a second after you went forward, and said you were 'full of shit,' to use his words."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. He's so far out of his depth that there's no point. Poor guy."
"Poor guy, nothing. He's a jerk."
"What did Mario find out?"
"The person who sent the request through to the police in St. Vincent is suspected of being on the payroll of a local hood named Joe DiFiore. Mario says DiFiore runs drugs and prostitution for a guy named Jimmy Gregorio. Cops have been trying to nail them for years, but they've never made anything stick against DiFiore. Gregorio is so well insulated he's considered untouchable, but they're pretty sure he's the top man in the southeastern U.S."
"No thoughts as to why they're asking about J.-P.?"
"No. Mario called him before he called me back."
"J.-P.?"
"Yes. He didn't tell Papa I was involved. He didn't want to worry him unnecessarily, but he thought Papa might recognize one of the names, or have some idea why they were asking about him."
"And did he?"
"No. He didn't have a clue. That means — "
"It almost has to be related to Cynthia's kidnapping," Liz said, finishing Dani's thought.
"Yes. That's where I came out. So did Mario."
"You told him, then?"
"Yes. I didn't tell him when I called earlier; I didn't want to prejudice him with our guesswork, but at this stage, I wanted his thoughts on what could be happening."
"What did he say?"
"Mario doesn't think out loud. He absorbed it all and asked me a couple of questions. He's going to do a little checking and get back to me. I passed along what Ed told us about Tequesta, but he already knew something about that. I mean, nothing Ed didn't tell us, but apparently it's been all over the business news for a good while."
"How are you feeling about Chen, now?" Liz asked.
"Puzzled is the best description, I guess. The coincidence factor is still there. She almost has to be involved, but some things don't make sense."
"Think she might have done this under contract, or something? Or maybe she's behind Tequesta Recycling?" Liz asked.
"Either one's possible, I guess, but there's one big piece that doesn't fit into the puzzle anywhere."
"What's that?"
"The $10-million-dollar ransom demand."
Liz digested that. After 30 seconds, she said, "I see what you mean. Why ask for $10 million if what they really wanted had something to do with the lawsuit?"
"Exactly."
"What do you think?" Liz asked.
"It's making my head hurt. I'll be glad to have Ed out of our hair, though. He's a distraction we don't need."
Liz laughed. Dani looked at her in confusion for a few seconds, and then smiled. "Not that way. Not now; I've got other things on my mind."
"That's my girl," Liz said. "I'm glad he's leaving, too. Sometimes, I was tempted ... "
"Then why'd you keep dodging him? I would have looked the other way."
"I said I'd show you the ropes. I didn't think you needed lessons on how to give in. You seemed like a natural at that when — " Liz bent backward from the waist.
"Ow!" Dani grunted, as Liz slipped the punch Dani had thrown and countered with a sharp, stiff-fingered jab to Dani's kidney.
"I warned you last night, girl. Sucker punches are one to a customer." Liz said as she watched Dani gasp for breath.
"Okay, okay," Dani said, finally. "But that was vicious."
"Sorry, but I wasn't taught compassion in hand-to-hand combat. Vicious is a mild description for the woman I learned from."
Chapter 26
"Did you get him to the airport okay?" Liz asked Sharktooth, as Dani topped off their wineglasses.
Vengeance swung to her anchor off Princess Margaret Beach in Bequia's Admiralty Bay, with Lightning Bolt tied alongside.
"No problem. I took him to Young Island Cut; he took a taxi from the dinghy dock. Only a few minutes to the airport. He was earlier than he planned."
"He had a chartered plane waiting," Liz said. "That took me by surprise. It must have cost him a fortune."
"Mm-hmm. A private jet. Cessna Citation," Sharktooth said.
"He told you that?"
"No. Just that he had a chartered plane. I checked with my frien' at the airport after I dropped him off."
"I wonder why the sudden urgency," Dani said. "He's been stone cold up until now, for the most part. His reaction to the kidnapping has been really offhand, by my reckoning."
"Mebbe he know somethin' he don' tell," Sharktooth said. "How long he talk to them, that las' call?"
"Two minutes at the most," Liz said.
"How much could you overhear?" Dani asked.
"All of it. That warbling voice carries well. He gave us an accurate summary. They told him there was a change in plans — that he should keep the money ready, but they wanted him back in his office ASAP. They ordered him to study his file on Tequesta Recycling and think about what was more important — the suit, or Cynthia. They said the next call would be to his office, and that he shouldn't miss it if he wanted to see her again."
"They didn't give him a deadline to get there?" Dani asked.
"No, they didn't mention anything like that. They did say they had buyers coming to look at the merchandise, implying that Cynthia might be for sale to the highest bidder, I guess."
"Bastards," Dani said. "I wonder if he's in the habit of chartering jets."
"Mebbe. My frien' at the airport said the pilot knew him; greeted him by name, an' say it good to see him again. Pilot tol' my frien' he use the plane to travel roun' an' interview people for some big lawsuit."
"Hmm," Dani said. "But he flew down on a commercial flight. So did Cynthia."
"What are you thinking, Dani?" Liz asked.
"Trying to make sense out of it. If he had a plane at his disposal, you'd think he would have used it to get here, instead of flying all over the place making connections on puddle jumpers, like the hoi-polloi."
"Maybe he didn't want to spend the money?" Liz said.
"Then why spend it now? He hasn't seemed that worried about Cynthia, and he didn't seem any more worried about her after this last phone call, did he?"
"No," Liz said, "You're right. He seemed more worried about this lawsuit."
"Mebbe he don' pay for plane this time," Sharktooth said.
"I don't get your point, Sh
arktooth," Dani said.
"Who he called to arrange the flight?" Sharktooth asked.
"His secretary, I guess," Liz said. "After the call from the kidnappers, he took the phone up forward and made a call. He was only gone a couple of minutes, and then he came back and told us about it while I was fixing lunch."
"Let's check the phone and see who he called," Dani said.
Before Dani stopped talking, Liz was at the chart table. She picked up the satellite phone and scrolled through the call log. "The last call was to a number in the 703 area code," Liz said. "Is that Atlanta?"
"Virginia," Sharktooth said. "Block your caller i.d. an' call the number. We see who answer."
Liz tapped a few buttons, switched the phone to speaker mode, and set it on the bridge deck where they could all hear.
"You have reached the offices of Apex Investment Partners. We are closed for the day. Your call is important to us; please call back during our normal business hours, or leave a message. Our office is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, or you may leave a message at the tone and we'll call you back as soon as possible."
"His broker?" Sharktooth asked.
"No. All his other calls are to the 404 area code; his office and his broker are both there."
"Tha's Atlanta," Sharktooth said.
"He mentioned a syndicate that was funding the lawsuit," Liz said.
"Yes," Dani said, "but I think those are normally other lawyers. They've got a bunch of funny constraints on who can share in that kind of thing."
"Why?" Sharktooth asked.
"Some pretense of ethics, I think. But who knows? They're all a bunch of thieves."
The encrypted satellite phone that Sharktooth had loaned them rang, interrupting their musings.
****
"Good evening, my friends," Mario said, after Dani had switched the satellite phone to speaker mode.
"Hola, Mario. Buenas tardes," Sharktooth said.
"Hello, Sharktooth. I didn't expect to find you there, but it's nice to hear your voice. Are Dani and Liz feeding you well?"
"Siempre. No quiero nada aquí."
"Ah, that is good, then. Dani, I got a call from the people who gave me the information about DiFiore."
"And?" Dani asked.
"There's something happening in the mob. Joe DiFiore's fallen from favor, it seems."
Bluewater Ganja: The Ninth Novel in the Caribbean Mystery and Adventure Series (Bluewater Thrillers Book 9) Page 15
