"That's better," Dani said. "Cut his pants off."
The man's eyes went wide as a 12-inch filet knife materialized in Sharktooth's right hand.
"I'll tell you anyt'ing you want to know," the man said, twisting like a fish suspended on a line.
"Not just yet, but hold that thought," Dani said. "Sharktooth?"
With two deft movements of his right hand, Sharktooth rendered the man naked from the waist down.
Dani studied him for a moment, laughing and shaking her head. "You let that little thing get you into this mess?"
As he wriggled in Sharktooth's grasp, she said, "Maybe you'd be better off without it; it hardly seems worth the trouble it's already caused you."
"No, please," the man whined.
"What do you think, ladies?" she asked, addressing the women huddled in the corner. When they didn't answer, Dani realized they were in shock, or drugged. "I'll take their silence as agreement," Dani said to the man. "Go ahead, Sharktooth."
"Wait!" the man wailed. "I'll tell you where the girl is."
Dani put a hand on Sharktooth's wrist. "Girl? What girl?"
"Young white girl, the one from your yacht."
Dani laughed. "My yacht? What do you know about it?"
"I know you run that yacht wit' the other lady. I don' hurt the girl."
"You think this is about her?"
"I kept her safe," he said.
"She scratch her name in the paint in a cabin by the engine room," Sharktooth said. "Wit' the dates."
"You had her on this boat," Dani said.
"Yes, ma'am. We keep, until he come for her."
"Who came for her?"
"The Dragon Lady's midget. He the one do this. He bring her to us to keep safe."
"Who's the Dragon Lady?"
"Madame Chen the Dragon Lady. Li Wong her dwarf. We don' hurt the girl. Tha's de trut', I swear it. Tha's all I know."
"I cut him anyway." Sharktooth said, pulling his hand free from Dani's grasp. "He don't tell us nothin' we don' know."
"I'll tell you where she is," the man squeaked, his eyes locked on the gleaming knife that hovered below his waist.
"Okay," Dani said. "But if you're lying, we'll be back."
"No lie. The midget, he take her to Dragon Lady boat in Bequia, jus' now."
"How long ago?"
"Jus' 'bout sunset, he come, with the man got he arm cut."
"Liz?" Dani said.
The man hanging from Sharktooth's fist looked confused.
"Are they here yet?"
Sharktooth, listening to Liz's reply on their earpiece radios, looked at Dani. She nodded, and he reversed the filet knife in his fist. He brought it up and used the butt of the grip to knock his victim senseless. He dropped the man in a heap.
"We go now?"
"Yes. The people Mario sent will handle it from here," Dani said.
****
"Who are these people," Liz asked in a soft voice, watching the black-clad figures scaling the side of Lion of Judah as Dani and Sharktooth settled into the seats next to her.
Dani shook her head. After they were a hundred meters away from Lion of Judah, she said, "I'm not sure. Mario was sharing information with some covert federal agency — DEA, DHS — who knows?"
"What are they going to do with the ship and the crew?" Liz asked.
"The deal was, they didn't care if we got Cynthia out as long as we left this bunch alive for them," Dani said. "They're going to 'find' Lion of Judah in international waters, acting on an anonymous tip from a reliable source. They'll claim they're smuggling drugs and people into the U.S. and take them back to the States. They plan to connect them to some mobster named Gregorio."
As Liz steered Lightning Bolt toward West Cay at the western tip of Bequia, they saw Lion of Judah getting underway, heading west. Dani said, "My bet is they'll leave her chugging away to the west and disappear into thin air just before a Coast Guard boarding party shows up."
"What if there are no drugs aboard?" Liz asked. "Or if those women are willing participants?"
Dani rolled her eyes. "I'm sure they have a contingency plan for that; they're the government. They manufacture evidence all the time."
As they rounded West Cay and came abreast of Ship's Stern Point, they saw the lights of a large motor yacht moving out of Admiralty Bay on a westerly heading. Dani picked up a pair of night vision binoculars and announced, "Perfect. That's Lotus Blossom. Let's just follow them. If we can let them get out of sight of land before we board, so much the better."
Chapter 31
Liz matched their speed to that of Lotus Blossom, trailing the motor yacht at a distance of a couple of miles. They were able to make out the motor yacht's stern light, flickering as the waves sometimes blocked their view. Lightning Bolt was running dark, invisible to their quarry.
"Think they'll spot us on radar?" Dani asked.
"Not at this distance. Too much scatter from the waves," Sharktooth said. "How we board them?"
"They're running at about eight knots," Liz said. "You'll have to jump; it'll be a trick in this sea, unless we're running in their wake."
"There's a swim platform across the stern," Dani said. "If you take us in close, I'll jump from the bow. If I take a messenger line, we could rig a towing bridle. Think they'd notice the drag, Sharktooth?"
"Prob'ly not. Water's pretty rough, an' they going slow. Lightning Bolt not ver' heavy, slip through the water easy. Only problem be if they got a lookout aft."
"We'll chance it," Dani said. "You pay out the bridle and I'll make it fast. Liz, once I jump, match their speed and stay back maybe half a boat-length until Sharktooth's rigged the towline, then ease back gradually until the bridle takes the load."
"Got it. You want me to stay here, then?"
"You're our reserve; if we hit a snag, we'll call you on the UHF headset radio. Think you can manage to close the gap and get aboard without getting the towline caught in our props?"
"Yes. Rig a light line from where the bridle attaches to the towline back to the console here; I can retrieve the bridle and towline as I close in. If I have to join you, I'll probably tie Lightning Bolt up short — a few feet from the platform."
"Okay. There's no access to their swim platform except by stairs from the aft deck, so once you join me on the platform, Sharktooth, I'll leave you and Liz to rig the bridle while I secure the aft deck."
"Okay," Sharktooth said. "Then what?"
"Same drill as before. Meet me on the aft deck. I'll go starboard; you go port. There's a transverse corridor amidships with watertight doors onto the side decks. We'll open the doors if they're closed and meet in the corridor; let's say 45 seconds to get to the doors, 30 seconds to open them."
"Okay."
"There's another watertight door on the aft bulkhead of the corridor that will take you below. I'll clear the superstructure up to Chen's stateroom and meet you there once you clear the spaces below deck. Crew's three men, counting the captain, and a stewardess who looks like a pit-bull. We need to take them all down, then we can deal with Chen and Wong."
"What about the bridge?"
"There's bridge access from her stateroom. We'll leave the person on the bridge for last, once everybody else is out of action."
****
Cynthia came awake with a jerk; she peered around, wild-eyed. She knew this place; she was in Madame Chen's stateroom on Lotus Blossom. Her vision blurred for a moment; she blinked and tried to rub her eyes, but she couldn't move her arms. Looking down, she saw that her wrists were secured to the arms of a chair with duct tape. She tried to move her legs, but they were immobilized as well. She felt nauseated and tried to lean forward to throw up, but there was a restraint around her chest.
She couldn't help it; she heaved, vomit running over her chin and down her chest. She heard a soft chuckle from behind her. Someone was back there, watching her. She thought at first that she was naked; but she tipped her head far enough to see that she still wore the bikini.
"S
he's awake," a man's voice said, from behind her.
She thought it was Wong; but she wasn't sure until he stepped in front of her. His face was at the same level as hers as he grinned at her. He extended a hand toward her face; she flinched as he rested his fingertips on her forehead. He raised her right eyelid with his thumb and shined a penlight in her eye, moving it up and down and from side to side. He turned off the light and dropped his hand, backing away.
"She's ready, I think," Wong said. "She's going to be groggy from the shot, but we can probably go ahead."
"Is she able to feel pain?" a woman asked.
"Should be," Wong said.
"Show me," the woman said, "but no marks, remember."
Wong brandished a two-inch long sewing needle. Cynthia watched, feeling doped-up, as he lifted her right thumb and gripped it in his left hand. Without warning or haste, he pushed the needle under her thumbnail. She heard herself scream and realized that she was arching her back, helpless as he manipulated the needle, extracting repeated shrieks from her until he pulled the needle out and released her hand.
Patting her on the cheek as she whimpered, he asked "What do you think?"
"She'll do," the woman said. "Go ahead and start the camera; we can edit what we don't need."
Cynthia could hear her moving closer. As Wong stepped out of her field of view, he was replaced by an Oriental woman in a black leotard.
"Hello, Cynthia. I'm Marissa Chen; we haven't met yet — at least not while you were conscious." She paused for a moment. When Cynthia didn't speak, Chen picked up the girl's throbbing thumb and studied it briefly before she squeezed the tip between her own thumb and forefinger.
After Cynthia's scream subsided to a sob, Chen said, "You're an ill-mannered young woman. You will acknowledge my introduction."
"Y-yes, ma'am. I'm sorry."
Chen nodded. "What do you say when you meet someone, Cynthia?"
"P-pleased to m-meet you, ma'am."
"I'm sure you are. We're going to get much better acquainted over the next few minutes. I need your assistance in persuading your father to co-operate with me. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good. We're going to make a video, you and Wong and I. You will be the star. We will be doing things that cause you a great deal of pain; feel free to scream as you wish, but do not under any circumstances refer to us by name. If you do that, we'll be forced to erase the video and start over from the beginning. Do you understand?"
"Yes, but ... "
"But what?"
"Why must you hurt me?"
Chen smiled at her for a moment. "Two reasons. The first is that we enjoy it, Wong and I. The second is so that your father will know we are not making idle threats. If he had followed instructions this might not have been necessary, though we might have done it anyway. Oh, and I'm sure you're a vain young woman; you're certainly beautiful." Chen paused, an expectant look on her face.
"Th-thank you, ma'am."
"You're welcome. I don't want you to worry that we might do something to spoil your looks. Wong is an expert at causing intolerable pain without leaving any visible marks. You are quite valuable to us, and we'll get a good price for you once we're finished with your father, so rest assured that you will be as lovely after this as you are now."
"Th-th-thank you, ma'am."
"Oh, you're most welcome, my dear. Wong?"
"Yes, Madame?"
"Are you ready?"
"Yes, Madame."
"Start the sound recording, then, and let's begin."
****
Dani crouched in the dim, walnut paneled corridor outside Chen's stateroom. Sharktooth was taking much longer than she expected, and she had been unable to raise him on the UHF radio. She tried again, speaking without opening her mouth. The microphone that was fastened against her larynx picked up the vibrations as if she had spoken aloud. There was no answer.
She had seen no sign of the crew members as she had searched the vessel from the main deck up to the level of this corridor. At least one person must be standing watch on the bridge; it was possible that the other three were there as well, but she didn't want to chance that.
The sound of a ringing telephone came from within Chen's suite; it stopped abruptly, as if someone had answered it. Dani pressed an ear to the door, but the voices were too muffled for her to understand. She was considering backtracking to look for Sharktooth when she heard a scream from within Chen's stateroom.
Silenced pistol at the ready, she turned the latch on the door and burst into the stateroom. She saw Chen standing next to Cynthia, who was seated. Chen smiled at Dani as Cynthia moaned. Dani leveled her pistol at Chen, but before she could fire, she felt her arm twisted behind her with a force that she thought would wrench her shoulder from its socket. She caught a glimpse of the dwarf as he snatched the pistol from her numb fingers with his left hand. Without releasing the pressure on her right arm, he pressed the pistol to the side of her head.
"Good evening, Ms. Berger," Chen said, still smiling. "I thought we might have the pleasure of your company. Riley just called to tell me that your Rasta friend was below decks. Unfortunately, he can't join us; he's sleeping off the effects of a tranquilizer dart. That seemed the most humane way to deal with such a brute."
Dani glared at Chen for a moment and then shifted her gaze to Cynthia. "Hang in there, Cynthia. We'll have you free in no time," she said.
Chen laughed. "The girl's not stupid, Ms. Berger. She knows an empty promise when she hears one."
"I heard her scream; you pieces of shit are going to pay for that."
Chen laughed again. "Big talk, Ms. Berger. You have no way to make good on a threat like that. It's best if you behave. Just ask our young friend, here."
"Are you such a sorry excuse for a woman that the best you can do is this midget?" Dani asked. "Too old to handle a real man, I guess. This little rat turd has to use a gun to keep me from kicking his ass."
"May I prove her wrong, Madame?" Wong asked, speaking for the first time.
"As you wish, Wong. We can warm up with Ms. Berger and let little Cynthia watch, so she'll have a better idea of what to expect."
Dani felt the pressure of the gun's muzzle ease. As she readied herself to strike, Chen said, "Wong?"
He pressed the muzzle firmly against her head again, still twisting her right arm painfully.
"Yes, Madame?"
"You may cut her, if you wish, but only for pain. She's salable merchandise; don't spoil her looks. After we've had our fun with her, we'll call Abdullah. Go ahead; Cynthia and I are waiting for the show."
"Of course, Madame. Thank you."
In a blur of motion, Wong tossed the pistol across the room and released Dani's arm. Before she could move, he flung her into the adjacent bulkhead with enough force to knock the wind from her lungs.
Dazed, Dani spun and shoved off the bulkhead, launching herself at the man. Wong, a little over half her height when he stood erect, bent at the waist and took her charge by driving a shoulder into her belly. His arms swept her feet out behind her and he snapped himself to an erect position, his arms guiding Dani's flight. She sailed over his head, landing on her shoulder in the middle of the floor, winded.
Before she could recover, Wong was on her, his feet flying as he kicked at her head and chest. Stunned, Dani rolled onto her side and curled into a fetal position, protecting herself as best she could. After several brutal kicks to her lower back, he danced around, kicking her shins and hips on his way to work on her forearms.
As he drew back his right leg for a last kick at her bottom, her legs shot out. Her left leg extended behind his supporting leg and her right leg swung out in front of his. With a swift, scissor-like motion, her right ankle struck his left knee as her left leg trapped his foot. His knee gave way, bending the wrong way with a loud snap. He grunted and fell backward.
Dani rolled, his lower leg still trapped between hers. He screamed in pain as she bent his broken knee e
ven farther. As she released her scissor hold and continued to roll toward him, she saw the straight razor appear in his right hand. Ignoring the threat of being cut, she cupped his chin in her right hand and forced her folded right knee between his shoulder and the deck. She wrapped her left forearm around his head and gave a mighty twist as he flailed at her with the razor.
There was a pop as her twisting motion met momentary resistance, and then she felt his neck give way and his arms fell, limp. She put all of her strength into a final heave, twisting his head almost to the point where he faced the floor. Satisfied that he was finished, she swept up the razor with her right hand and went for Chen.
Chapter 32
Liz, sitting on the berth in the cabin under Lightning Bolt's foredeck, looked at her watch for the third time in the last minute. Dani and Sharktooth had been aboard Lotus Blossom for almost ten minutes. She hadn't been able to reach either of them on the radio after she heard Dani call Sharktooth two minutes ago.
She knew something had gone wrong; they should have taken the bridge by this time, but Lotus Blossom maintained her course and speed. If Dani and Sharktooth had been discovered, the crew would have seen Lightning Bolt by now. She moved to the companionway and used a small hand mirror to keep her head out of sight as she looked across the foredeck toward Lotus Blossom.
There were three people, standing shoulder to shoulder at Lotus Blossom's stern rail, watching Lightning Bolt bobbing in their wake. That left one on the bridge, plus Chen and Wong. Liz picked up the AK-47 with the suppressor that she had loaded earlier and flipped the selector to full auto. She was already wearing a Kevlar vest with inserts, two extra magazines in the pouches on the front.
She crawled through the companionway and rose to a crouch, steadying her left forearm on the edge of the hatch. One of the three people raised an arm, pointing in her direction, and she squeezed the trigger, raking them with one burst across their chests and a second at the height of their knees. She didn't think the suppressed weapon would have been heard aboard Lotus Blossom, but she watched for a few seconds to be sure no one else was moving on deck.
Seeing no movement, she put in a fresh magazine and moved to the helm. She started one engine and eased the throttle forward, taking in the towline as she closed the gap between the two boats. When it appeared that the bow of Lightning Bolt was about to hit the stern platform of the motor yacht, she backed off the throttle enough to hold her position. She scrambled onto the foredeck and cleated the towline, checking to be sure she could make the jump without any trouble.
Bluewater Ganja: The Ninth Novel in the Caribbean Mystery and Adventure Series (Bluewater Thrillers Book 9) Page 19
