“Where is Ivorie, Eugenia? I believe that’s her bracelet you’re wearing.”
“Oh, I ran into her at the market. She gave me the bracelet and said she was returning to New York, that the job on the ship wasn’t working out for her. She asked me to give you her apologies and to say she’d be tendering her resignation and probably wouldn’t be seeing you again.”
Drew was astounded. Did this lunatic actually think he would believe that load of bullshit? He took a deep breath to help him keep his temper under control. “Eugenia, I think it would be in your best interests to tell me exactly what is going on and where Ivorie is. Right. Fucking. Now. I’m fast losing my patience. Don’t forget where you are. This might not end well for you.”
“Drew, I just want us to work out our problems and get back on course. I love you. Don’t throw away everything we had. Ivorie is standing in the way of our happiness.”
“No, Eugenia. She isn’t standing in the way of our happiness. She is the sum total of my happiness. You and I don’t have a relationship and have not had a relationship for weeks before I left New York for this cruise. I would strongly advise you to start cooperating before the captain contacts the Brazilian authorities and reports Ivorie’s abduction. They will not be sympathetic to your cause. Believe me. The people here very much depend on the tourist dollars spent on these Amazon cruises. They would not look kindly on any scheme that might damage the tourism trade in this area.” He hardened his tone. “Eugenia, I don’t think you’ll enjoy a Brazilian prison in the Amazon Jungle. Start talking.”
Con turned to Alex on cue. “Alex, radio the Brazilian authorities and ask them to send the police to the dock to take Ms.—what’s her name, Drew?—into custody.”
“Eugenia Cartwright. My former fiancée. I have to say she has some strange ideas.”
“No, no. Wait. She’s with my friend, Frank. He was taking her upriver to a villa we rented on the river until you and I worked out our problems and the ship left port. Then he was going to let her return to the States. I swear we weren’t going to hurt her.”
“You weren’t going to hurt her? Are you completely out of your mind? Just imagine how terrified she is right now. If anything happens to Ivorie, I swear I will put my considerable resources behind seeing that you spend many years in prison, either here or back home. That is a promise.”
“Drew, please…”
Greg skewered Eugenia with a hard look and peppered her with more questions. “How many people are involved? Where is the villa? Are there any other people living in the area?”
“No, the villa is very isolated and sort of overgrown. There’s only Frank, and maybe our driver, but I don’t think he realized what we were doing. We certainly never discussed it in front of him.”
Drew turned toward Con. “I want to go with Greg’s team.”
“Drew, I’d rather you waited here. It could be dangerous, and I don’t want to put a passenger in danger.”
“Con, that’s not an option. I’m going. I presume Greg’s team will be well armed. I don’t need to carry a weapon, but I want to be there when you find her.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Somewhere on the Amazon River, Brazil, October 15, 2013—Tuesday, Midmorning
Ivorie was terrified. The man had pushed her down into the bottom of the boat. She had hit her head on one of the benches, and for a moment she saw stars. After she had been knocked silly for a moment, he had then tied her hands and ankles. If she tried to go overboard, she’d drown. She’d have to wait for a better opportunity. The boat was a small, old motor launch with the console area covered by a canvas tarp. It had a fairly large outboard motor that sputtered occasionally and belched black smoke. They were flying over the water at a brisk speed away from Santarém and the Dolphin. Oh, please God. Please let them find me. She knew that the crew of the Dolphin and Drew would realize something was wrong as soon as Eugenia got on board—if she managed to get aboard and talk to Drew. Oh, God, if they just turned her away, Ivorie would be in trouble.
The foliage along the shore, which she could just see from her position in the bottom of the boat, was very green and dense. There were a lot of green treetops covered in vines. She could hear the sounds of some other river traffic and the cries of the jungle wildlife over the outboard motor, but they didn’t sound like they were close. She could smell the verdant greenery and the damp smell of the river.
Ivorie tried to remain calm. After what seemed like an eternity but was probably only about a half hour or so, they pulled into a dock on the river’s edge, and the man tied the boat up. He untied her ankles and jerked her up to her feet. He helped her over the side of the boat and onto the rickety dock. When she was on her feet, Ivorie took a good look around. She wanted to know her options in case she got a chance to run. There was a small bungalow surrounded by overgrown vegetation located well back from the river’s edge. It had a screened porch and looked to be in reasonable repair, although far from luxurious.
She dragged her feet as he shoved her toward the bungalow. She knew that once she was inside, her chances would be even slimmer.
“Where am I? Your name is Frank, right?” The guy didn’t seem to be as delusional as Eugenia. He looked like a New York hood. Make that a minor hood. He didn’t have the polish the “Big Guys” had. Maybe she could talk some sense into him. It was worth a try.
“You don’t need to know my name. You would be better off to forget it. I’m not planning to hurt you unless you make me. Just cooperate, and hopefully I’ll be able to release you soon.”
“I can’t believe any sane person would fall for Eugenia’s plan. You should release me now, while you still can, and get the heck out of here before bad things happen.”
He kept moving her toward the bungalow. “Well, it didn’t sound so insane when we started. I really didn’t think anything would actually come of it. I thought I’d get a Caribbean vacation, and some cash, and that would be it.”
“Well, the best-laid plans…You need to cut your losses and run before she gets you into even more trouble—trouble that you can’t get out of.”
“Just be quiet and let me do what I’ve gotta do.”
He finally managed to wrestle her through the door and push her down into a straight-backed chair. He tied her arms and legs to the chair while she continued to struggle. “Knock it off. You’re only making this harder on both of us. I really don’t want to hurt you.”
Ivorie finally gave up struggling when she realized her limbs were now securely tied to the chair. “Can I please have a drink of water?” she asked, trying to sound pitiful and scared, which wasn’t hard because she really was. She wanted to try to connect with this guy if she could—make herself seem more human. Maybe then he would act more human himself. “I’m hungry, and I have to go to the bathroom,” she sniffed. Maybe she could get a look around the bungalow.
“Just settle down. I’ll get you a drink. Maybe I’ll hear from Eugenia soon, and this will be over for both of us.”
Ivorie looked around the interior of the front room. She tried to commit all of the details to memory as she continued to pray for the crew and Drew to find her.
Chapter Thirty
The Golden Dolphin Crew’s Lounge—Port of Santarém, Brazil in the Amazon River Basin, October 15, 2013—Tuesday, Midmorning
Greg gathered his security team in the crew’s lounge below decks. “We have a situation. One of the passengers has been abducted from the market in Santarém. She had the presence of mind to keep her GPS bracelet and give the red rubber bracelet to her abductor who tried to use it to get aboard. Sam recognized her as the woman who caused the scene at the dock in St. Bart’s and notified the bridge immediately. We have her in custody and under guard.”
He looked at his men. “We know where Ms. James is thanks to the GPS bracelet. She’s heading up river away from Santarém. I’m going to take three of you and the Riva up river and get her back. The rest of you will remain with the ship and on guar
d. Drew Blessingame will accompany us, but he will not be armed. We’ll all carry 9mm Glocks, and the heavier armament will be stashed in the compartment below deck just in case it’s needed. Let’s hope we can accomplish our objective without gunfire. We will make every attempt to retrieve Ms. James without firing any shots. Hand-to-hand should be sufficient. From what we understand from the prisoner, there is only one man holding Ms. James, but he could be dangerous. We don’t know if he is armed. There is the possibility of a second man, a local tour guide, but the prisoner says she doesn’t think he knows what’s going on. As you all know, the sound of automatic weapons fire would carry for miles through the jungle. We would rather the Brazilian authorities did not know this vessel is armed. This is what we’ve been training for. Let’s do it. Any questions?”
The men all looked at Greg, and one of them said, “I’ll start loading the Riva.”
“Rick, Sam, and Tommy, report to the Riva’s garage. Change out of those blinding white uniforms. We’ll deploy in fifteen minutes.”
Greg turned to Drew. “If you’re coming, go change your clothes. Dark T-shirt and Dockers or jeans, sturdy shoes.”
Drew was almost out of the door before Greg finished speaking.
* * * *
When they were finally all aboard the Riva and heading upriver after Ivorie, Drew settled back against the bench seat on the port side and looked at the men around him. He knew from his discussions with Jamie Devereau and also with Con that the ship had a top notch security team headed by Greg Dempsey, an ex-SEAL, and that the special crew members were all ex-military and very well trained. He never thought he would be so happy to be in the company of well-armed men who knew what to do with a weapon. Con had also told him that they all had martial arts black belts of one discipline or another. While Drew was an excellent shot with a handgun or a hunting rifle, he was certainly not in a paramilitary class. He was happy to leave the actual rescue to them, but he wanted to be there for Ivorie when they found her. There was no way he could have waited passively on the ship while this drama unfolded without him.
The team double-checked their weapons. When they were satisfied, the automatic rifles were secured in the weapons locker below deck, and the Glocks were holstered on their persons under their T-shirts. While the men appeared to be relaxing as the boat followed the river, they all looked extremely competent and ready for the mission ahead.
Greg stood at the front of the boat. “Okay, men. It appears from the monitor that she has stopped moving. When we get close to her location, we’ll anchor the Riva, recon the area, and make a plan once we see what the situation is. Maintain silence once we land. Sound travels.”
The superior speed of the Riva had them within half a mile of Ivorie in less than a half hour after leaving the Dolphin. They looked for a secluded spot to tie up the boat.
When they were all on shore, Greg motioned for Drew to stay with him while the others split up to check out the area. They were to meet back at the boat within fifteen minutes or less, if possible.
Drew and Greg remained at the boat to monitor Ivorie’s GPS signal and to be a gathering point for intel from the men. Rick, Sam, and Tommy reported back to Greg that they had located the overgrown bungalow about a hundred yards in from the shore.
“We approached quietly, heard voices but no screaming. It appears that only Ms. James and one man are inside,” Sam reported.
Rick continued, “It’s a shotgun style bungalow, only four rooms, one in front, one in the rear, and one on each side in the middle with a long straight hallway from front to back.”
Greg said, “Rick and Sam, cover the rear entrance. Tommy, come with me and Drew. Tommy, you and I will break down the front door. You go in high, and I’ll go in low. Drew, you stay back and out of the way. Get Ivorie out of the building as quickly as possible when the scene has been secured. Draw your guns, but remember, no shooting unless there is no alternative.”
The team waited quietly while Greg and Drew moved quietly into position. Greg motioned for Tommy to kick in the door. The door flew in, the old wood splintering in all directions. Greg and Tommy stormed into the front room as planned. Ivorie was sitting tied to a chair in the middle of the nearly empty room, her eyes wide with surprise.
Frank, terror written all over his face, turned to run out the back but was stopped short by Sam and Rick entering from the rear. He obviously could see that he was outnumbered by heavily armed men, and he put his hands up in surrender. It was over in seconds without a shot being fired. Frank was facedown on the floor, hands secured behind his back.
Drew rushed in to Ivorie, untied her hands and ankles, and pulled her into his arms for a fierce hug. He just held her against his chest and breathed in her scent. He was so relieved his legs were weak. He sat down in the straight-back chair and held Ivorie in his lap. “Oh, baby. You must have been so scared. I know I was terrified that we wouldn’t find you in time.”
Ivorie nuzzled into his chest and tucked her head under his chin. “I knew you would find me, but I was afraid it might be too late.” Tears of relief were running down her cheeks now that the danger was past. She had held herself together during the ordeal, but she was a mess now that it was over. He was just grateful she was safe. Drew was so proud of her. What a woman. Cool and collected when it counted, and a puddle of mush now that it’s all over.
“Are you okay, babe?”
“Yes, just take me back to the ship. I just want to get back to the ship and as far away from this place as possible as quickly as possible.”
Greg and his men hustled Frank out the door, through the undergrowth, and back to the riverbank and the Riva. They loaded him none too gently on to the boat, and before everyone was even seated, were pulling away from the rickety dock and out into the channel. They were back at the port and tied up to the Golden Dolphin within a half hour.
Chapter Thirty-One
The Golden Dolphin—Port of Santarém, Brazil in the Amazon River Basin, October 15, 2013—Tuesday, Late Morning
Drew picked Ivorie up in his arms and started up the stairs to the top deck. “Put me down. I can walk,” she said stubbornly. “You can’t carry me up all these stairs.”
“Watch me.” He headed up the central staircase toward the Master Suite. Jenni heard them coming and opened the door for Drew, who walked through and gently placed Ivorie on the chaise in the sitting room. He tenderly covered her with a soft throw and then went to the sideboard to pour her a short snifter of brandy.
She gingerly sipped the strong brandy, and as the warmth seeped through her weary body, she finally seemed to relax. After a few minutes, she asked, “What happened here? Where is Eugenia? Is she in custody?”
Drew sat down next to her on the wide chaise and filled her in on the details. “Eugenia is under guard in one of the extra cabins on the crew deck. I guess Frank is in there with her by now.”
“What’s going to happen to them?”
“We’ll have a meeting with Con and his men and talk about it. They might be turned over to the Brazilian authorities or possibly taken back to the States. I don’t know.”
Ivorie looked worried. He could imagine that she did not look forward to confronting the delusional and very dangerous Eugenia again.
“You did great, babe. Giving Eugenia the red bracelet instead of the blue one was the best thing you could have done. Greg and his team knew exactly where you were the whole time, and we were able to follow immediately.” She was something else—tough and focused during the danger, and warm and soft now in his arms. He smiled to himself, kissed her cheek, and hugged her tight again. “I was so fucking scared. I shudder to think what we would have done if you were out there in the jungle without the bracelet. We would have had no idea where to look for you.”
Jenni sat down on the edge of the chaise and put her arms around Ivorie. “I was so scared when I couldn’t find you in the market. I couldn’t imagine what had happened to you. My first thought was not that you had been kidna
pped! How bizarre is that! Thank God you’re okay. You are okay, aren’t you? Did they hurt you?”
“No. I’m fine, just exhausted from fear. Frank kept saying he didn’t want to hurt me. I think he was pulled into the scheme by Eugenia’s craziness.”
Just then Con appeared at the door to the Master Suite with Saltydawg at his heels. “We have them both secured below. We’ll talk about it later after you’ve had a chance to rest and calm down. Ivorie, I think you should just take it easy for a while—maybe take a nap or something. Do you want me to bring a doctor on board to examine you? We do have a couple of doctors on board as passengers, but one is a Ph.D. and the other is a dentist. Not much help there.” Con laughed with relief.
Saltydawg ran into the suite, jumped up on Ivorie’s lap, and immediately began to whine and lick her face.
“Oh, Saltydawg, it’s so good to see you.” She hugged the portly little bulldog tightly in her arms. “Thank you, Captain Cortelis. I’m okay. I don’t need medical attention. Doggy kisses will do it. The sloppier the better.” She laughed as the exuberant dog continued to lick her.
“Thank God for that. And call me Con.” He bowed to her and turned to leave. He snapped his fingers, and Saltydawg bounded off the chaise and to his side. “Let’s let Ivorie rest, Salty.”
Ivorie's Surprise [Golden Dolphin] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 12
