by Rick Potter
Sam remained focused on massaging his knee. It was the same rant he'd heard many times before. She leaped from the bed in a panic. "The children, we gotta get the children." Then she tried the door handle. "It's locked. They locked us in."
She rushed to the bathroom and checked the door leading to the cabin. "We're locked in, what are we gonna do? I can't believe this is happening to us."
Sam perched on the edge of the bed and peered out the porthole. "Let's keep our voices down and think of a way out of this."
Her lips tightened and her body tensed. She was lava breaking through the earth, ready to explode into a fiery explosion. "Sam, you never... ," she started to say.
Sounds of dishes clinging together and muffled voices coming from the cabin, interrupted her train of thought.
Sam hushed her. "Listen," then they pressed their ears to the door.
"W-What d-do they have?" they heard Carlos ask.
"How about a couple ham and cheese sandwiches?"
"I l-like ham and ch-cheese."
"Okay, I'll make them for you if you. Go ahead and sit down."
"They're eating our food," Maddie said.
"Listen."
"D, I'm s-so happy you're b-back home. F-Four months seemed l-like for-forever. I r-really m-missed you."
"I know, I missed you too. I thought about you everyday."
Maddie pulled on Sam's sleeve. "I remember her now. She's the woman who escaped from prison," she whispered. "It all adds up. I saw her face on the TV. She's a killer, Sam. They're going to kill us."
"Are you sure it's the same woman?"
"I only caught a quick glance at her, but I'm almost positive. Other than the short hair, she looks the same. Plus, she's been away for four months, exactly the time they said on the news," she whispered, then paused a moment. "I should have noticed her right away. How stupid can I be?"
Sam and Maddie kept their ears pealed to the door, as Carlos spoke over the rustling in the kitchen.
"W-Will you b-be going on another b-business t-trip, again?"
"Not if I can help it."
"See? I knew it. Her business was killing all those people to getaway," Maddie whispered.
"W-What will hap-happen to th-them?"
"To who?"
"Our n-new f-friends."
"Have you forgot? When we get to the Península de Yucatán, they'll be sold like the others," she answered. "They'll have new owners soon, and make lots of people very happy."
"Th-Then we c-can have our b-business?"
"As soon as we get paid. I promise."
"Sold?" Maddie said, flying back in a frenzy. "We can't let this happen. What are we gonna do?"
"We're going to the Yucatan," Sam mumbled, then hushed her, again. "Listen."
"C-Can we t-take Jake w-with us? He's m-my f-favorite friend."
"Carlos, they're not your friends. They're very bad people who want to hurt you. All we want to do is help them be happy. You must remember that this time, okay? You don't want me to have to go on vacation again, do you?"
"B-But Jake d-doesn't want t-to hurt me."
"He's worth a lot of money. If we don't let them have him, we won't be able to start our business," she tried to convince him. "Remember, if they try and hurt you, you protect yourself. But try not to leave marks on them. Do you understand?"
"I underst-stand."
"Good, now let's get back out there and get us home."
Then the sound of the cabin door slammed shut.
"I can't believe this," she said. "We gotta get the kids, we can't let this happen. What are we gonna do? Think of something. Think."
She grabbed the door handle again, and pulled with all her strength. When nothing happened, she leaped on the bed and opened the roof hatch. It stopped half-way opened. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Don't just sit there. Help me find a way out of here." Maddie was in a frenzy. "Come on, Sam. Help me."
Still seated, Sam surveyed the room. "Don't worry, we'll think of something. The important thing right now is that we remain calm," he said, in a consoling tone.
Still standing on the bed, Maddie looked down at Sam. "Keep calm? You want me to keep calm?" Lava had broken through the earth's crust. "Were we just listening to the same conversation? Don't you realize what's going on here? They're pirates. Even worse, they're human traffickers. They're gonna sell us like cattle! Make people happy? Can you guess exactly how we're gonna make people happy? Do you want me and your daughter under some sweaty fat man? What about you? What do you think they're gonna do with you? They'll probably kill you, and use Jake to please some perverted old man. For God's sake, think about it."
Maddie caught her breath, then added, "Sam. Get your head out of your ass, in the game, and for once in your life, man up!"
Maddie's purgatorial state of rage and sorrow was a crashing typhoon, inundating him with floods of anguish. Sam thought about his self-defense classes as a teenager, but had never used the techniques on a real person. The practice gym dummies didn't fight back, and he knew he didn't have the heart to harm other people. After a long hesitation and an expression of a beaten dog, he reached to pull her down beside him, but the unlatching of the door and twist of the handle diverted their attention.
"Hi S-Sam, hi M-Maddie, you're aw-wake."
Maddie rocketed from the bed. "You sick bastards," pummeling her fists into Carlos.
Carlos grabbed her arms and shoved her back to Sam, but she bounced back in rage. Carlos whipped her around, and held her tight from behind. "P-Please d-don't d-do this."
"You're crushing me!" Maddie screamed.
"Let her go!" Sam ordered, leaping from the bed.
Carlos shoved Maddie into Sam. "W-Why are you d-doing this?"
Sam charged again, but Carlos's fist stopped him. He rocked back, blood pouring from this nose.
"Stop it!" Carlos bellowed, in anger. "I d-don't w-want to hurt you. P-Please, stop."
"Then let us go," Maddie demanded, then attacked again.
Carlos gripped her, detaining her motionless.
"If it's money you want we'll give it to you. Just let us go."
"I c-can't do that. M-My sis-sister w-won't l-let me."
"Get your filthy hands off me. I can't breathe," Maddie said, gasping for air.
Sam searched for something to hit him with, but couldn't see anything. Maddie relaxed, hoping Carlos would feel her surrender.
"Carlos, please let her go. You're hurting her."
Carlos's grip loosened enough for Maddie to retreat into Sam's arms.
"I-I'm s-sorry," Carlos said, with sincerity in his voice.
Sam peered up at him. He knew Carlos didn't want to hurt them, he was only protecting himself, doing as his sister instructed. They had to prove they meant no harm, and try and convince him his sister would be proud of him. It was only her who had control over him.
"We don't want to fight with you, Carlos. We only want you to get your business and be happy. Isn't that what you want?" Sam asked.
Carlos sensed Sam's sincere tone.
"Yes, b-but why are you t-trying to hurt m-me?"
Maddie knew what Sam was trying to do. "We don't want to hurt you. We just want to see our children," she said.
"I have t-to go n-now."
"When will you come back?" Sam asked.
"Where are my children?" Maddie asked, again.
Carlos left the room without answering, locking the door behind him.
"Emily and Jake are safe," Sam said.
"We gotta find a way out of this room," she suggested, glancing around the quaint quarters. "There's gotta be something in here we can use."
"You know? He's basically a child. I'm sure we can outwit him," he said, sounding like he had a plan.
"Yeah, a child that can break your neck with the snap of his fingers. If he would have squeezed me any harder, he would have broken my back. I hope you have a good idea."
###
Emily and Jake awoke
and propped themselves up when they heard the sound of the creaking door.
"Hi Carlos," Jake said, surprised to see him.
"Hi Jake, did you sleep good?" He was still comfortable with his new friend, the only real friend he'd known.
Jake nodded. "Yeah, how long have I been sleeping?"
"Just since last night."
"What time is it?" Jake asked, again.
"I'm not sure, but you've been sleeping for most of the day. Maybe it's almost dinner time."
Jake shuffled to the edge of the bed. "Carlos? What are you doing here? Where's my mom and dad?"
"They're resting in the other room."
Emily listened under the blanket in a fetal position with one leg stretched and exposed. It was long and unblemished, and Carlos grew nervous at the sight of it. Jake could see he avoided eye contact with her leg, and found it a bit humorous. "What are you doing here?" Jake asked, again.
"Your folks are taking me and my sister home."
Jake rose and tried to step around Carlos who was blocking the door. Carlos stood disquieted. "Can I see them?" Jake asked.
"I'm not supposed to let you leave the room right now."
"Why not?"
"I don't know, it's what my sister said."
Emily peeled the blanket away, exposing both legs. Her shorts were low cut with various fruits imprinted on them, and revealed her strawberry tattoo just below her waistline. Her sheer tank top rode up above her abdomen, revealing a shadow of mature nipples. Carlos fidgeted. He was just feet away, close enough to reach out. He recalled his sister warding him off women, warning, "They'll only make you weak."
The truth was, she feared he might harm a woman if he became too excited. Things were difficult enough without having to escape a potential lynch mob.
He diverted his attention, glancing around the room and through the porthole.
"What do you mean she won't let us out of the room?" she asked. "That's crazy," then she climbed from the bed.
Carlos's large body blocked the door, preventing her from advancing. "Move out of my way," she told him.
The three stood by the door with Carlos's heal against it. "Let us out," she demanded.
Carlos responded in a calm tone, "I can't. I told you my sister said... ,"
"I don't care what your fucking sister said, let us out now." Emily tried shoving him aside.
Carlos felt her firm round breast against him. Other than his sister hugging him, it was the first time another female had pressed herself against him like that. He placed his arms around her and lowered his head, pressing his nose against her jasmine scented hair and sniffing. "Let go of me, you pervert," she demanded, while attempting break away from his grasp.
The smell and touch of a female aroused him, and she could feel it. The more she struggled, the tighter his grip became. "You're hurting me. Let me go," she yelled.
"Carlos, let her go. You don't want to hurt her. She's my sister." Jake hoped Carlos would respond to kindness.
"Okay, Jake," then withdrew his grip.
Emily sprang from his arms, retreating back to the bed. "Thank you, Carlos," Jake said. "Now please open the door so we can see our parents, okay?"
Emily remained silent, watching Jake work his magic.
"I can't do that, I'll get in trouble."
"You can do that. We're friends, right?"
"Yes, but my sister will be angry at me."
"If you don't let us out, I'll get angry at you," Emily shouted.
Carlos hesitated, then replied, "B-But you're not my sister. You d-don't take c-care of me."
Emily couldn't hold her temper back. She slid off the bed, and reached around him for the door. Carlos whipped her around and threw her back. "You hurt me," she snapped.
"I-I d-don't want t-to."
Jake inspected her red wrists. "You left marks on my sister." Jake held her arm up. "See?"
"Be nice to him," Jake whispered to Emily.
"Carlos? Will you sit beside us?" Jake asked.
"Do you mean it?" Carlos asked.
Jake patted the bed beside him. "Come on, have a seat."
He trusted, Jake. "Okay."
Emily shifted against the wall, unable to figure out what was going on.
"Isn't that better?" Jake asked.
"Yeah."
"Now, why can't we see our parents?"
"Because you're not supposed to."
"When can we see them?"
"When we get there."
"When will we get there?" Jake's interrogation was calm.
"In a couple of days."
"You mean, we can't see our parents for a couple days?"
"I don't know."
Jake inched off the bed and stood in front of him. Carlos remained still, his hands resting on the bed beside him, unaware he was touching Emily's foot.
"Where are we going?" Emily asked, also in a calm voice.
"Mexico."
"Mexico?" Emily said. "What's in Mexico?"
"It's where we live. It's a big house with lots of people."
Jake shuffled back while Emily distracted Carlos with more questions.
"Do my parents know about this?"
When Carlos turned his head toward Emily, Jake felt for the door handle behind him. "I don't know," Carlos answered.
"Why are there lots of people at your house?" she continued.
Carlos was becoming agitated. To avoid suspicion, Jake withdrew his hand from the handle, displaying it in plain sight for Carlos. Emily shifted on the bed, placing her foot on Carlos's hand. Carlos looked down at Emily's foot. Jake spun toward the door, but before he could take a step out, Carlos reached out for him. Jake's arm was a twig in his grasp. Jake howled in pain.
"W-Why d-did you do th-that?" His stammer had returned. "You t-tried to t-trick me. D-Do you w-want me t-to get in t-trouble?"
Jake's eyes swelled with tears. "Let him go!" Emily demanded, then clung to his back with her arm around his neck. Carlos threw his free elbow around, smashing her in the face. She tumbled off and cracked into the wall. "You're a bad man," Jake said, sobbing.
"I'm s-sorry E-Emilly. I d-didn't mean t-to hurt you."
Carlos rose and set Jake next to Emily. "I-I th-thought y-you were m-my f-friend," he said, then opened the door and exited, locking it behind him.
###
Andrea piloted Madeline, keeping watch on the dark clouds ahead. Light rain had begun to fall, and seas were becoming choppy. Carlos rejoined her, breathing heavier than normal and still fidgeting. She knew something had gone wrong. "Everything okay down there?"
"Yeah, everything is f-fine." She could always sense when he was trying to hide something.
"Listen to me, Carlos. You only need to peek in on them from time to time. If you go inside their rooms, they'll try and hurt you, okay?"
Carlos understood his sister, and nodded. "Okay. C-can I steer?"
"Why don't you get the raincoats for us first?" She pointed to a compartment under the stern bench.
Carlos loved to steer. He'd ascend over the wheel like a captain of a large cruise ship. It was the only time he felt truly in charge. "How my d-doing?" he asked, with a proud tone. It was as though he had forgotten everything that just happened.
"You're the best, Captain" she said, taking a seat in front of him.
Carlos flashed a proud grin and glanced over the surface of the ocean. "L-Looks like a storm c-coming. We b-better button d-down the hatches."
Chapter Eight
Mango Bay Marina bustled with joggers and people strolling under the afternoon sun, while boats motored in and out of the harbor. From the sounds of boaters, it was a successful day of basking in the sun, or fishing for trophy limits. Those departing at that hour wouldn't be seen for several days, or perhaps never again, heading toward their next destination on their itineraries.
Captain Kent exchanged greetings to passing people as he idled through the busy marina. Noted for his amiable disposition, he was more than ha
ppy to go out of his way to accommodate his guests, even just stopping for small talk. His charismatic personality and good looks captivated others from first sight. He had become the marina's concierge.
"Hey, Captain Kent, we still on for tonight?" called out a gray bearded gent holding a bag of clanging bottles. Beside him, a sporty dressed lady smiled and waved, like she'd just strolled off Wimbledon in a victorious defeat.
Two months ago, while docked in Panama, Tom Morrison and his wife Sadie, learned that a man named, Captain Kent could help with their daughter's kidney transplant. Captain Kent arranged everything, and the operation was a success. They arrived at Mango Bay Marina a week ago to personally thank him.
The golf cart slowed to a stop. "Aye! Me hearty and his buxom beauty, sounds like echoes of grog," Captain Kent greeted, in his best pirate voice.
Everyone enjoyed it when he spoke like a pirate, it seemed befitting for the sailing environment. It was something he picked up from his father, who claimed to be a decedent of Blackbeard, but never could prove it. Kent would ask him when Blackbeard ever visited Denmark, but he received a different answer each time, depending on how much his father had to drink.
Tom and Sadie laughed. "You do that so well. All you need is a patch over one eye and a parrot on your shoulder. You'll have everyone fooled," she said.
"I could never fool you, my dear."
Tom pulled a bottle from the bag. "We got your favorite, Cap't Morgan, right?"
"Aye, thar be me treasure," he answered, with a wink and a nod.
"Remember, we're setting off tomorrow morning, and Kimberly and her friends will be here soon. She really wants to thank you personally for saving her life," Sadie said. "The kidney is working like a charm."
"Good to hear it, always like to help out a girl in need," he said. "And no, I haven't forgotten about tonight either. I'm looking forward to meeting her."
"We can't thank you enough for everything you've done for us," Tom added. "God really has answered our prayers when he brought you to us."
"Too bad she wasn't a little older, you're the type of guy who we'd love to have as a son-in-law," Sadie said, giving him a hug of appreciation.
"Okay, we'll see you later then," Tom said, unlocking the gate to their dock.
Captain Kent resumed down the road, when a soccer ball crossed his path and rested against the fence. "Hey, Captain Kent, can you get our ball for us?" a young boy yelled.
