Life in the Danger Zone

by Patricia B Tighe

  “Where’s that other scarf?” Nicky asked.

  “Sorry,” Clio said. “Left it in reception.”

  “Imbecile,” Nicky mumbled as she left the storage area.

  Clio moved close to my ear. “Just so you know, I never wanted to be involved in this,” she whispered.

  “Then help me,” I whispered back, meeting her dark gaze.

  “I can’t. They have my son.”

  Well, crap. Just crap. What could I say to that?

  Nicky came back, twirling a long purple scarf. No scalpel in sight. Could I make a break for it? Right. And how exactly would you open the door quick enough? “I’ve changed my mind,” Nicky said. “Bring her back here. The pedicure chair will work nicely.” She gave me a wicked look. “See? I’m not completely without compassion.”

  I pressed my lips together to hold in the sigh that wanted to escape. They led me back to the pedicure area where Nicky bent to tie my feet together. A lightning flash of desire to knee her in the face made all my muscles tense. But Clio must’ve guessed my thoughts because she pinched my arm, and then shook her head violently, her eyes wide. I shoved air out of my mouth and relaxed my muscles. If there was that much fear, then there was a good chance I was right—Nicky was a nut job.

  They helped me into the chair, placing my legs inside the empty well. Then they used the purple scarf to tie my torso to the chair. Huh. Could I worm my way out of this?

  “Gag her,” Nicky said. “And hurry it up. We need to get out of here.”

  Clio scowled but produced a short floral scarf. Good grief. Had she raided some old lady’s closet? “The time we’re wasting tying her up could have been spent getting our stuff.”

  “Shut up,” Nicky said, no anger in her voice at all.

  And then the freaking scarf was past my teeth and ripping hair as Clio tightened it behind my neck. They stared down at me.

  Nicky grinned suddenly. “It’s been fun. Don’t worry. Your friends will probably find you soon. That is, if they’re not searching the water for you.”

  If I could’ve flipped her off, I would have. All I could do was watch as they left the room, switching off lights as they went. A door thudded, leaving me in silent grayness. The fading light from outside barely illuminated the shapes of shelves, low seating, and the hair-styling station. I relaxed back against my chair, which was almost comfortable. If it weren’t for the fact that I was leaning on my arms and hands. The strain on my shoulders produced a dull ache that radiated down my back. And in the midst of all this, my flip-flops were gone, and my big toe throbbed. A gag-filled laugh came out of me, followed by a grunt of pain. Okay, no laughing.

  The scent of hair dye lingered faintly in the air. That was all I needed, to sit around inhaling fumes. But it was my own fault. How stupid could one person be? Sam and I could’ve gone up on deck to find the others, seen that my grandfather was perfectly fine, and avoided this whole tied-up fun time. But we hadn’t. And there wasn’t a lot I could do about it now.

  Or was there? I wiggled in my seat to see if I could loosen the scarf around my body. But that was a no-go. The scarf, just under my breasts, held me so tightly that I couldn’t take in a full breath.

  What would the detectives in my favorite novels do in a situation like this? Well, first, not get in a situation like this. Second, they would’ve attacked Nicky, ignoring any possible lunacy on her part. But that would’ve gotten them a little cut up by Mr. Scalpel. Or if they’d gotten as far as being tied up, they’d probably have a handy dandy tool that could help cut their bonds. And I was fresh out of handy dandy tools.

  I lifted my legs and twisted to the side, only producing a slicing pain in my wrists. Um, no. Back to the original position. What would Lindsey do? Another laugh bounced against my gag. That was easy. She would’ve thrown a fit and probably gotten hurt in the process. All I would have to deal with was the pitying looks on my friends’ faces when they found me in such a freaking stupid position.

  And Sam. Had he managed to escape? He was going to be so pissed. But even the thought of him angry filled me with a warm, loopy feeling. I didn’t know what would happen after tomorrow, but I was determined to enjoy the time we had left. Just as soon as I got out of here. Damn Nicky. She was going to get away with everything.

  Argh. I made one more half-hearted attempt at wriggling in my chair. But I was stuck. Guess I was going to have to wait to be rescued.

  What a fabulous detective I made.

  Thirty-Three

  Sam

  Alexis and I finished our circuit of one side of the ship, keeping our eyes trained on the dark ocean below us. We waited at the forward deck for Sophie and Jacques, who were searching the port side. Alexis walked back to the railing and looked over. I joined her.

  “I still can’t believe Nick is a woman,” she said.

  “It’s true,” I said for the third time. I’d already told everybody what had happened, and my uncle had gone with Rose’s grandparents to report all of it to the cruise director. I gripped the railing with both hands and peered out toward the town. The lights of Dubrovnik spread a sparkling golden net across the water. But even with that illumination, we hadn’t seen anybody. If Nicky and Clio had actually thrown Rose overboard, she’d swim for shore, wouldn’t she?

  A clawing sensation in my gut almost doubled me over. We needed to take one of the tenders out and search the bay. Thank God our ship was still at anchor. I’d probably be going ballistic if we were sailing away.

  “It’s all so weird,” Alexis said.

  “Yup.”

  “I’m starting to think Nick was yanking your chain.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, only half listening.

  “He, I mean she, seems like a trickster. I bet she never planned to toss Rose in the water. I bet Rose is tied up somewhere.”

  Hope filled the empty cavern in my chest. I faced Alexis. “You think?”

  “Yeah. The question is, where?”

  “There are about a million possibilities,” I said, letting out a frustrated sigh.

  Sophie and Jacques walked up behind us. “Anything?” Alexis asked.

  Jacques shook his head just as Sophie said, “No.”

  “Okay,” Alexis said, “let’s go back to the table to see if there’s any news.”

  We followed her to mid-deck where Cynthia was waiting for us. Alexis shook her head. “No luck.”

  Cynthia started to speak, but Uncle David strode up to the table, snatched his cocktail, and downed what was left of it. Rose’s grandparents trailed a few steps behind. “The cruise director has sent someone to look for your tour guide,” he said. “He was less convinced that a full search for Rose should be conducted right now, trying to pass it off as a teenage girl game.”

  Mrs. Mulligan let out a laugh of disbelief. “He obviously doesn’t know Rose.”

  “And he’s conveniently forgetting that I was tied up,” I said, wishing I could put a fist in the man’s face.

  Uncle David settled a hand on my shoulder. “I think it has more to do with the fact that most of the available staff are busy with this huge buffet dinner. He doesn’t have the manpower for a search, but he’s not willing to admit it.”

  I dropped into a seat at the table but immediately got up again. We were going to have to find her ourselves.

  “Mr. Briggs?” A young man in a white uniform appeared, looking from my uncle to Rose’s grandfather.

  “That would be me,” Uncle David said.

  The guy’s face radiated calm, but he kept clenching and unclenching one fist. “We’ve just learned that the crew member you were asking about is gone. A family emergency. According to the computer records, she and her nephew left the ship ten minutes ago.”

  “A fake nephew,” I said. “He’s a woman.”

  The man looked confused.

  “But how?” Mr. Mulligan asked. “The tenders have already been brought on board.”

 
; “Private transport, I believe,” the young man said.

  Uncle David folded his arms across his chest. “Have you reported this to the cruise director?”

  The crew member nodded. “He went to notify the local port authority that both are wanted for questioning.”

  “That’s something, at least,” Mrs. Mulligan said.

  “We still need to find Rose,” Alexis muttered, but everybody heard.

  “Yes, we do,” Uncle David said. He turned to the crew member. “Is anyone conducting a search?”

  The guy swallowed visibly. “They are in the process of organizing a search.”

  “Which means they aren’t doing anything yet,” Uncle David said.

  “I’m certain, sir, that everything—”

  My uncle held up a palm. “Take me to the cruise director, please.”

  “But—”

  Uncle David gave him a stern look, and the crew member straightened. “Just this way, sir.” They walked to the stairway that led to the lower decks.

  Alexis stuck her hands on her hips in her typical taking charge position. “We’re thinking that the text message about Rose going for a swim was an empty threat. Rose must be locked up somewhere.”

  “I imagine you’re right,” Rose’s grandfather said.

  “She’s probably in the crew-only section,” Sophie said.

  I felt like I was about to burst out of my skin. I clenched my jaw to keep from screaming. “But we can’t get in there.”

  “Then we should find someone who can,” Alexis said.

  A message tone rang out, and everybody checked their phones. Mrs. Mulligan let out a gasp. “I have a voicemail from Rose.”

  How could that be possible? Nicky took Rose’s cell. We waited while Rose’s grandmother held her phone up to her ear. After a few seconds, she frowned and turned it off. “It was a message from earlier saying she was on her way to the infirmary.”

  “Well, blast,” Mr. Mulligan said. “I was hoping that would solve the problem.”

  Me too. I tried to steady my breathing.

  Mrs. Mulligan placed a hand on her husband’s arm. “What about Darl? We can ask him to take us into the crew-only section.”

  “Good idea,” he replied.

  Sophie stepped near them. “Would you like us to come with you?” she asked, indicating Jacques, who was sticking to her like she was his lifeline. For once, I could totally relate. If I had Rose with me, I’d be doing the same thing.

  Rose’s grandfather nodded. “Absolutely.”

  They headed off, and I was about to follow when Alexis grabbed my arm. “Wait, we shouldn’t all go to the same place. Sophie,” she called, “do you have cell service? Mine keeps going in and out.”

  Sophie checked her phone. “No, but Jacques does.”

  “Right,” Alexis said. “If anyone discovers important info, text everybody. That way one of us should get it.”

  The other group left. I didn’t even have a phone anymore. “Where do you want to look?” I asked Alexis.

  She frowned. “Let’s think for a minute. If you were Clio and Nick/Nicky, you would’ve wanted to leave fast, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And it wouldn’t help to be pulling a teenage girl through the hallways until they got to a good hiding place.”

  A thrum built in my chest. “You think they locked her up someplace near the infirmary?”

  “It’s what I would’ve done. You know, if I was embarking on a life of crime.”

  “Don’t joke. So not the time.”

  Alexis took me by the shoulders and gave me a hard shake. “It’s exactly the time. Sam,” she said more softly, “she’s going to be all right.”

  There was no way she could know that for sure. I swallowed hard. “Let’s go.”

  “But where?” Cynthia asked.

  I almost jumped. I’d forgotten she was sitting there. Alexis and I looked at each other but didn’t say anything.

  Cynthia shook her head impatiently, making her hair swing back and forth. “What other public rooms are there by the infirmary? I know there are mostly staterooms on that level, but surely they wouldn’t put her—”

  “The spa!” Alexis said, her face lighting up.

  Cynthia stood. “I saw one of the spa attendants helping out with the buffet earlier. I’ll get her. Or someone else who might have a key.”

  That was smart. “Thanks,” I said and headed for the stairs.

  “We’ll meet you down there,” Alexis called from right behind me.

  Thirty-Four

  Rose

  This was seriously stupid. Good thing I was tied up, or I would’ve kicked myself.

  I arched my back to take the pressure off my hands. I’d acted impulsively, practically storming into the infirmary, and now I was paying for it. Twenty minutes had passed since Clio and Nicky left. Easy to tell, because across the room, a round glass wall clock with no numbers ticked out every excruciating second like two blocks of wood thumping together.

  If I didn’t do something to get out of here, I’d go bonkers. My hands had gone numb, so I stretched my arms to either side to help my circulation. When I reached to the left, though, my fingers met a round cord. I pulled, and it moved a couple of inches and then stopped. I worked my fingers along the length of it, twisting until I reached a palm-sized rectangle. With buttons on it.

  What the? I pushed one button, and then another. A whirring noise started up, and the back of the chair began pulsating. I laughed out loud. A massage chair! How lovely to relax in a massage chair with my hands tied behind my back.

  But wait. As different sections of the seatback moved, the band across my middle loosened and then retightened. Maybe I could wriggle my way out after all. I experimented with different button combinations. It was crazy. The chair kneaded my back, pounded on my back, and rolled throughout the entire length of the cushion. And to think, this was what I’d been missing because I didn’t want anyone touching my feet.

  I kept pushing buttons until the seatback started to recline, and ow, ow, ow, the scarf around my ribs was dragged up across my breasts as I slid down. Yes! I wiggled the rest of my body out from under the scarf until I was sitting on the edge of the seat, almost squatting in the foot well. Woo-hoo! Time to hop on out of here.

  I didn’t waste any time trying to get myself untied. The scarf around my wrists was so tight it would probably cause a permanent gouge, and I couldn’t see any implement I could use to cut the one around my ankles. I swung my legs out of the foot well and stood. This should be easy enough. Just get to the door without falling on my face. I inhaled and exhaled slowly, waiting for the prickling in my legs to stop.

  Finally, I moved my feet and found that I had enough leeway to shuffle an inch at a time across the parquet flooring. Better than hopping.

  My ankles ached. My arms and wrists ached. My breath wheezed around my gag. But none of it mattered. I was getting out of here. Even if it took two days. As it was, it probably took three or four minutes to get across the room and into the foyer. I braced myself against the reception desk and stared at the door as if it were a Bond villain. I’d forgotten that all the doors opened inward. How the heck could I even get my hands on the handle, much less pull the heavy door open?

  I didn’t know, but I had to try. I’d come too far to give up now.

  I shuffled to the door and turned around, wrenching my arms up until I reached the handle. I pushed it down, and shuffled forward a few steps. Success! But then I let go to turn around, and it shut in my face. Nice one, Rose. Way to use the old head.

  A rhythmic thumping sound came from the hall like people running. Crap. I needed to get the door back open so whoever it was might see me as they went by.

  I snatched at the handle, my fingers banging against it and sliding off. I tried again. This time, I held on. Voices sounded outside the room. I shuffled forward, pulling the door open, and a warbling noise came from
my throat. I’m sure I sounded like a weird sea monster, but I didn’t care. I needed those people to hear me.

  “It’s opening,” an excited female voice said, sounding an awful lot like Alexis.

  Tears sprang to my eyes, and then both Alexis and Sam were in front of me, Alexis talking ninety to nothin’. “Oh, thank God. Are you okay? Is she okay? I need to call everyone.” She pulled out her phone. “They’re going to be so relieved. We’ve been so worried. But look at you! You were almost out of here all by yourself.”

  Sam tugged the gag down over my chin and cupped my face in his hands. “First get scissors or something to cut her loose.”

  “Right, right,” Alexis said, and then swept into the spa.

  Sam’s thumbs caressed my cheeks, and his eyes watered. “Don’t cry,” he whispered. “I can’t take much more of this.”

  I nodded because I couldn’t get words past the emotion that welled in my throat. He kissed me softly and then wrapped me in his warmth. Which was a seriously awkward position with my hands still behind my back. “No fair,” I said. “I want to hug you too.”

  He chuckled against my hair but then pulled back and smiled. “Okay, I’ll wait.”

  “I didn’t mean you had to stop.”

  Oh, the look in his eyes. I could spend hours staring at him. If only I could have taken a picture so I’d have it with me always.

  Alexis reappeared with haircutting scissors. “There’s a pedicure chair going crazy in there.”

  “Yeah, I had to get inventive.”

  She snipped at the scarf around my wrists, and as it loosened, tingles rushed in. “Ow,” I said.

  “Did I cut you?” she asked.

  The scarf fell away. “No, the feeling just came back,” I said, shaking out my hands.

  Sam picked up one of my hands and gently rubbed my wrist. “I need to punch Nicky and Clio in the face, but it’s too late.”