She retrieved her weapon from the steering console and shut down the engine. Moments later, she was on Lotus Blossom's aft deck, surveying the damage that she had wrought. Satisfied, she moved up the starboard side deck to the watertight door and stepped into the corridor Dani had described. She saw the door that led below; it was fastened open.
She heard loud, crashing sounds from below decks. Moving to where she could peer through the door, she could see the shiny top of Sharktooth's head as he methodically jerked against the heavy chain that held his wrists to the rail of the ladder.
Leaning over the doorsill, she said, "Hey, sailor. You want to have a little fun?"
Sharktooth grinned up at her. "You got anything to eat?"
"Later. Where's Dani?"
"Don' know, but all three crew are — "
"Taken care of," Liz said. "Pull that chain out straight so I can hit the lock."
Seconds later, they were standing outside Chen's stateroom.
Sharktooth looked from the door to Liz. She nodded, and he raised his leg and kicked the door so hard that it was torn from its hinges. Liz followed the flying splinters into the stateroom as he turned and opened the door onto the bridge.
****
"So you think you're ready for a real match, Ms. Berger?" Chen said, assuming a graceful pose, her arms raised for balance as she stood on her left leg, the right one folded back, ready to strike. "He was, as you said, only a midget."
Chen shifted her position only slightly, barely seeming to move. Her right foot struck Dani in the solar plexus, doubling her over and knocking her off her feet. She rolled to the wall, put her back to it, and slid up to a standing position as Chen pivoted, delivering a roundhouse kick with the fluid movement of a dancer. Her foot struck Dani's shoulder, knocking her sideways toward the corner.
Dani dropped to a crouch, her back in the corner, as Chen pranced into position to strike again. "You dancing or fighting, old woman?" she said, grinning. "Think you can handle me in a clench?"
"Indeed," said Chen delivering a kick to the side of Dani's head and following it immediately with a clawed right hand which landed on Dani's left shoulder. Chen drove a knee into Dani's chest as her hand found the nerve center where Dani's neck met her shoulder. Chen dug her thumb into the bundle of muscles and nerves, paralyzing Dani's left arm.
Dani scrunched her left shoulder up, trapping Chen's hand, and snapped her head to her left, sinking her teeth into the flesh of Chen's inner forearm. Dani clamped her jaws shut, feeling her teeth grinding into the tendons, forcing them against the bone. She visualized her teeth cutting through the tendons and increased the pressure. Chen screamed and dug at Dani's face with her left hand, trying to get her left thumb into Dani's eye socket.
Dani flicked the straight razor open and took a firm grip on it, driving the squared tip into the inside of Chen's right thigh at the groin. Putting her weight behind it, she forced the razor down along the inside of the femur until she reached the knee. The blood pouring from the woman's severed femoral artery caused Dani to lose her grip on the razor as it bit into the cartilage.
She hooked her right hand behind Chen's right knee and thrust up, straightening her own legs and forcing her opponent over on her back. She dragged herself up onto Chen's chest and drove the folded knuckles of her right hand into the other woman's larynx.
Hearing a crash behind her, she glanced over her shoulder to see Liz charge into the stateroom, her AK-47 at the ready. Dani took a quick look at Chen to make sure she was out, and then said, "Nice entrance, Liz. What kept you?"
"I didn't want to spoil your fun," Liz said.
Dani said, "Sharktooth's — "
"Securing the bridge," Liz interrupted.
"The rest of the crew — "
"They lined up along the stern rail for me like tin ducks in a shooting gallery. They're finished." Liz set her weapon down and began cutting the tape that held Cynthia to the chair.
They felt the vessel slowing down gradually, and a minute later, Sharktooth stepped in from the bridge. "You ready to go? I'm hungry, Liz. You said you'd feed me later. It's later."
"We need to deal with the mess," Dani said, testing her battered muscles and joints as she slowly got to her feet.
"Did that already," Sharktooth said. "Jus' finish when that ugly woman look like a pit bull shoot me wit' the dart gun."
"You sure?" Dani said.
"Mm-hmm. Shame to see a nice boat like this 'splode 'cause of gas in the bilge. People should take more care. Gas ver' dangerous." He held up something that resembled a garage door opener. "Let's go. Liz got some cookin' to do."
He watched Cynthia struggle to keep her balance as she pushed herself to her feet. "You mus' be Cynthia."
"Yes," she said, wobbling.
"Call me Sharktooth." He lifted her in his arms like she was an infant. "Prob'ly give you the same stuff they shoot me wit'. It wear off in a few minutes." He carried her to the swim platform as Liz helped Dani negotiate the stairs, and they were soon settled in the cockpit of Lightning Bolt.
Liz dropped the towing bridle as Sharktooth cranked the engines. He maintained a modest speed until they were half a mile from Lotus Blossom. Then he throttled back, turning the boat around so that they could see the motor yacht in the dim light of the false dawn. He pressed the detonator, and the big boat disappeared in a ball of fire.
Epilogue
Two days later ...
"I'm going to live with my Aunt Ellen, at least until this blows over, and we see what happens to my dad," Cynthia said. She sat across the cockpit table from Dani and Liz as Vengeance rocked in the gentle waves that rolled through the anchorage in Bequia's Admiralty Bay.
"How do you feel about that?" Liz asked, pouring herbal tea into the girl's cup.
"I'm excited about it. She was my favorite aunt when I was little. I haven't seen much of her since my mom died."
"She's your mother's sister, then?" Dani asked, taking a sip of the fragrant tea.
"Right. She and my dad aren't close."
"But he's okay with your staying with her?"
"Oh, sure. They don't hate one another or anything; it's not like that. She just kind of started avoiding him while mom was sick."
"I can see where a protracted illness like cancer might cause a rift in a family," Liz said.
Cynthia smiled. "Dani's right, Liz. You do always try to put things in the best possible way."
"You don't think it was your mother's illness that came between them?" Dani asked.
"No. I was just a kid, too oblivious to see it back then, but thinking about it now, I'm sure he was trying to get Ellen in the sack. She's fashion-model pretty — just the type he's always chasing. For all I know, they had a — "
"Cynthia!" Liz said.
"Oh, come off it, Liz. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I know my dad. He can't leave women alone. That's just the way he is. Some guys never grow up. I'm not sure how he got himself into this mess, caught between two mobsters, but I'd be surprised if there's not a gorgeous woman involved."
"There was," Dani said. "Marissa Chen."
"You don't think he was ... "
"No. As far as I know, they never met, but she was definitely involved, and she was gorgeous," Dani said.
"I didn't really get a good look at her the other night; I was too scared of Wong and his razor. I thought we were both goners. You moved so fast I couldn't even see what you did."
"Fear does that," Dani said. "I was so scared I don't even remember what I did to him. I just didn't want to get cut; I'm not scared of knives, but something about a straight razor makes my skin crawl."
"That didn't stop you from using it on Chen," Liz said.
"When it comes to choosing between quick and dead, I'll always choose quick. She was kicking my ass."
"Have you heard anything new from your godfather?" Cynthia asked. "About what exactly was going on. I can't make any sense out of any of it."
"I'm not sure anyb
ody would have figured it out except for the guy who ran Apex Investment Partners."
"They were the ones funding the suit?" Cynthia asked.
"Yes, sort of. The suit had a real basis; your dad was on the up-and-up when he filed it, by the way. Anyhow, Bernie Albertson, the lawyer that was the front man for them, is co-operating with the Federal prosecutor. Once your dad confessed to his part, Albertson was kind of exposed. Your dad gave up Albertson, and Albertson told them that Marissa Chen engineered the whole scheme. She was the one who funded Apex. Her plan was to force a gangster named Gregorio to settle the suit by selling Tequesta to Apex. He owned it; it was a front for money laundering and running drugs. She was aiming to end up with Tequesta Recycling; she would have probably done away with Gregorio at some point."
"Why would she want Tequesta Recycling?" Liz asked.
"Tequesta was moving drugs all over the southeastern U.S. under the cover of hauling trash to their landfill sites. Chen was the source of the drugs, and she wasn't happy with the cut that the mob was taking, so she decided to take it all for herself," Dani said. "She figured to force the settlement, and Apex would have ended up effectively owning what was left of Tequesta after they paid damages to the people in the suit. That would have been mostly trucks and barges and employees, plus maybe some legitimate contracts and the landfill sites."
"How did my kidnapping figure in?" Cynthia asked.
"According to Albertson, Gregorio thought Chen was just a supplier of drugs. Albertson enabled Chen to be invisible; Gregorio had no clue as to the scope of her enterprise. She got Albertson to suggest to your dad that he bring you on a charter down here in Bequia, and she planned to kidnap you. Once she had you, she asked Gregorio to track down some background on your dad, on the pretense that she was trying to figure out how much ransom you were worth. She was betting that once Gregorio discovered who you were, he would want in on the kidnapping so that he could use you for leverage to get your dad to back off on the lawsuit against Tequesta."
"You mean, my buying the grass didn't cause this?" Cynthia asked.
"According to Albertson, they were already planning to use the crooked cop who ran the drug squad to kidnap you before you even got here. Your buy played into their hands, but it didn't make any difference."
"What about the $10-million ransom demand?" Liz asked.
"Part of Chen's smokescreen, according to Albertson. She did that to make Gregorio think she was just a kidnapper. When he wanted in, she even haggled with him about how much more he'd have to pay, over and above the $10 million, if he wanted to use you to manipulate your father."
"What a convoluted mess," Cynthia said. She set her cup down on the table and sat up straight. "You guys saved me from who-knows-what-kind of horrible things. I'll never be able to thank you enough."
"We're just glad you didn't get hurt any worse than you did," Dani said.
Cynthia held Dani's eye for a moment. "Well, if it hadn't been for you, I'm sure I would have. But I need to ask you something."
"Sure," Dani said. "Ask."
"When do you think my dad knew they were going to kidnap me?"
Dani and Liz traded looks. Dani dropped her eyes and Liz spoke.
"The way you asked that makes it sound like you think he was in on your kidnapping," Liz said.
Cynthia smiled. "You sound like a lawyer, Liz, evading my question that way. I don't mean to offend you, but I've been around lawyers all my life. I don't trust any of them. I know you're just trying to spare my feelings, and I appreciate that. But I know my dad ... "
"You're asking us to speculate about your dad's motives, Cynthia," Dani said. "You just pointed out that you know him far better than either of us could. I'm not sure we're equipped to help you through the doubt that's behind your question. What could we say that would make you feel better about your relationship with your father?"
Cynthia thought about that for a moment, and said, "Thanks, Dani." She twisted on the cockpit seat and wrapped her arms around Dani's neck, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Thank you."
"Thanks?" Dani asked. "For what?" She patted the girl on the back.
"For treating me like an adult. You're right. I have to work that out for myself. I'm going to miss you guys."
"We're not going anywhere. Maybe you and your Aunt Ellen can come down for an all-girl charter," Liz said.
"And anyway," Dani said, "you've got four more days. Where do you want to go? Vengeance is yours."
****
Read an excerpt from Bluewater Jailbird, the next Bluewater Thriller
Chapter 1
As Liz Chirac walked down the dock at the marina in Rodney Bay, she swept her eyes over the dinghies tied at the end. There was no sign of the one she and Dani used on Vengeance. Frowning, she unzipped the small duffle bag that hung from her left shoulder. She took out her cellphone and called Dani again, upset when her call went to voicemail.
"Dani? Where are you? I'm worried now! Call me!" Liz touched the disconnect icon and turned around, striding back toward shore as she wondered what to do.
She checked the time on the phone's screen before she slipped it into her pocket. It was about a quarter to five; she'd emailed Dani from the airport in Brussels early this morning with her expected arrival time, and Dani had responded as Liz was boarding her flight. Her email had suggested that Liz meet her at the restaurant at the head of the dock for an early dinner before they went back to the boat.
When Liz didn't get an answer to her call from the taxi a few minutes earlier, she'd thought that Dani was probably in their dinghy and couldn't hear the phone over the noise of the outboard. By the time she'd paid the taxi and gotten her bag from the back, ten minutes had passed since her call. She had expected to see Dani waiting in the restaurant's bar. Not finding her friend there, she'd walked down the dock, thinking she would meet Dani coming up to the restaurant.
She stood at the head of the dock, tapping her foot as she considered what to do. Maybe the outboard had stalled; Dani could be paddling the dinghy in from their anchorage out in Rodney Bay. Her route would have been against the brisk offshore wind, so she would have to kneel in the bow and paddle vigorously to make any progress. Although the RIB had oarlocks, the pudgy little boat didn't row well, especially into the breeze. The notion of her friend's aggravation with their balky outboard brought a wry smile to Liz's lips, but then she remembered the unanswered phone.
Shaking her head and frowning, she walked over to the concrete seawall. Following the walkway along the seawall to the area where water taxis and other local service boats tied up, she spotted the battered little flag-bedecked runabout that belonged to the man who made his living peddling fruit to the people on the yachts out in the anchorage. He was crouched in the boat, sorting his unsold fruit when Liz came within earshot.
"Good afternoon, Timothy," she called.
The man sat up and turned to look over his shoulder, a big grin lighting up his dark, whiskered face when he recognized her.
"Good afternoon, Liz. Is good to see you; welcome back. You jus' now come?"
"Yes, I just got in, but I can't find Dani and she's not answering her phone. I wondered if — "
"I t'ink she on Vengeance when I go by jus' now."
"Did you see her? I thought maybe she had trouble with the outboard. We need to clean the carburetor."
"No, I didn't see her, but the dinghy tied to Vengeance."
"How long ago?"
"Mebbe ten minutes, at mos'. I don' stop, 'cause I know you not there, an' Dani, she don' buy the fruit. I t'ink I would wait for you to be back, 'cause you always out on deck lookin' fo' me. I figured you be back soon."
"I'm a little worried, Timothy. She knew what time I was coming; she was going to meet me up at the restaurant for dinner."
"Well, mebbe she do be comin' an' have some trouble wit' de motor. Come, we go see can we find she."
"You don't mind? I could take a water taxi."
"No need fo' dat, Liz. I ha
ppy to see you back. You come, now. We go see what she up to, that Miss Dani."
****
Dani approached the table that was filled with muttering women, hostile looks on their faces as they watched her. There was one open seat at the end of the bench that was closest to her. She shut out the stench of the highly seasoned, over-cooked swill on her tray and set it on the table in front of the vacant seat.
She put her hands on the table, one on each side of her tray, and swung a leg over the bench. As she sat, she brought her other leg over. Ignoring the sudden silence of her table mates, she stuck her plastic spoon into the sticky yellow mass of whatever comprised the main course.
She resisted the urge to pinch her nostrils shut before she put the spoon in her mouth. She felt a beefy hand clamp down on her left shoulder, and before she could react, she was pushed off the end of the bench and thrown to the rough cement floor.
"You in my place," a huge woman said, her voice deep and harsh. "And tha's my favorite supper, you little white bitch."
Her assailant towered over her, an ugly grin displaying her gapped and broken teeth. Dani hooked her left foot behind the woman's right ankle and drove her right foot into the lower edge of the woman's kneecap with the force of a pile driver. The woman screamed as the ligaments around her knee gave way, her leg bending the wrong way as she collapsed against the table where Dani had been sitting.
Dani scrambled to her feet and snatched her tray from the table, sending the food flying. She twisted at the waist, drawing the tray out to the side, and then whirled, swinging the edge of the aluminum tray into the woman's temple with her weight behind it. The woman's eyes rolled back in her head as blood gushed from the gash left by the tray.
Bluewater Ganja: The Ninth Novel in the Caribbean Mystery and Adventure Series (Bluewater Thrillers Book 9) Page 20
