Thief

by C. L. Stone

  “They’ll do what they’re supposed to.”

  I frowned. The sight of the water left me unsettled. There was something I was missing, something not right.

  If I were like Coaltar, and I had to get drugs out of the city, and I knew someone was watching my house and waiting for me to leave, what would I do?

  First, there was the delivery. I’d have to divert that so maybe if anyone was watching, they wouldn’t see the drugs being brought onto the yacht.

  And if I knew people were watching City Marina, I’d probably want to steer clear of it completely.

  “What if he stops the delivery to City Marina?” I asked.

  Marc sighed, shrugging. “He might. He may have the guy hold on to the shipment. He may cancel the deal altogether.”

  “It didn’t seem like he wanted to.”

  “There’s really little we can do,” he said. “The police can’t stop the purchase. The product isn’t illegal. At least not yet. Even then, they’d have to get search warrants and by then, this distributer could get rid of everything on his own if Coaltar asked him. That batch was just the last one, but not the only one. He could have told them to dump it into the river, he just didn’t want it distributed.”

  “Can’t we get to the batches he has?”

  “They’re probably all on his boat.”

  I tapped my fingers against the wrought iron arm. “So he could get away with this?”

  “He could,” he said, though his eyes diverted from me, glaring at the rooftop.

  “What is it?” I asked. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  He traced a fingertip on the table, grinding tiny dust particles into the top. “The truth is, there’s nothing we can do.”

  “What do you mean?” I sat up sharply. “You’re ... the Academy. You do things.”

  He blew out a heavy breath. “That’s just it. We’re not the police. We’re not the FBI. We monitor the city. We fix what problems we can ourselves. When someone breaks the law in a way we can’t manage, we inform the proper people and let them handle it. Even if we see him taking drugs to the boat, even if we know what they are and he’s taking them out of the city, there’s really nothing we can do but monitor. If we tried to stop him directly, it’s exposing ourselves in ways we don’t want and risking the lives of everyone involved. The best we can do is warn the town he might be going to. That might be up to Corey to figure it out. We’d have to find them. We may not have any Academy folks there.” He dusted off his fingers and wiped them along his jeans. “He’s not really doing anything against the law, at least not yet. And the only crime he could be committing would be in a completely different country. Different laws. Out of our hands. And telling the police this stuff might poison people, well, there’s a hundred different batches of these synthetics they’re trying to deal with. They’re not going to take the time to stop someone taking a non-illegal substance out of the country.”

  I stood up, clutching the table and leaning on it as I focused on him. “How can we just sit here and let him poison an entire village? There’s probably innocent people there. They shouldn’t have to suffer. Coaltar shouldn’t get away with this.”

  “We might be able to detain him under suspicious motives, but intent is hard to prove. We’d have to expose ourselves to do it. And you’re our only witness.”

  “So?”

  “So if you think he’s chasing you now, he’ll really hunt you down if he thinks you could be someone who could put him in jail. Last I checked, thugs don’t really like it when you rat them out.”

  I made fists and pressed them to my eyes. “We can’t just sit here.”

  “Sometimes we have to,” he said quietly. It was his stillness that captured my attention. The command was gone from his voice, stripped until all that was left was Marc, who once was a thug himself, and now was something completely different. “I hate it, too, sometimes. We protect our families. That’s how the Academy works. We protect ourselves and where we can, we help those around us. We start with home and work outward. If we tried to solve every problem out there, we’d wear ourselves out. We can’t do it all. There’s a point where we have to draw the line and take ourselves out, for our own safety.”

  “So we just sit here and do nothing?”

  “The threat is trying to leave,” he said. “If he’s more interested in getting out of town with these drugs, and lost interest in you, then I think we’ve won.” He stood, the chair sliding across the grit of the roof behind him. “If we can warn the town in time, they can avoid drinking from the well. They could probably stop him before he tried, protect it somehow. We just have to trust that we can do the best we can and hope he’ll make a mistake somewhere else and someone will stop him.” He shook his head. “As far as the Academy is concerned, we’re just making sure the drugs leave our town. Our goal now is to stop this cycle. The drug war is DEA territory, but maybe we can find a way to stop these synthetic productions. It may take some time. Getting the dangerous one out of circulation is most important. We’ve got our hands tied now.”

  My eyes narrowed on him and then suddenly I was distracted by the water of the bay. Sunlight sparked up the surface. With the clouds starting to part, it was really a beautiful sight. It reminded me of the day I spent with Coaltar on the water, and how he would let the boat drift with the wind, gliding around in circles. I remembered driving the boat, and how I’d felt free.

  And then I was angry. I’d trusted him and he flat out lied to my face to tell me he was a good guy. I let him kiss me, when all along he was planning to poison an entire village. I couldn’t stop my heart from tightening like a ball in my chest. This wasn’t right.

  “You might have your hands tied,” I said. I turned zeroing in on the door to the elevator. “But I don’t.”

  “Wait,” Marc snatched my arm with a firm grip. “You’re staying here.”

  “No, I’m not,” I said. I punched at his arm but he didn’t release me.

  “You’re not going out there with him looking for you.”

  “What is he going to do?” I asked, squinting against the rising wind and stared him down. “Is he going to kill me? Set me on fire? Break me?”

  “Maybe,” he said. “He’s already in with criminals and he’s very good at hiding what he’s doing. I really don’t want to find out how far he’s willing to go.”

  “Well, it isn’t your choice, is it?”

  He pulled me around, nearly shaking me. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Kayli?”

  “I’m going to go see Coaltar,” I said, as plainly as I could.

  “You’re crazy.”

  “I’m going to go talk to him,” I said. “So maybe there’s nothing we can do. Maybe there’s nothing anyone can do to get him to back off. Or maybe there is. Maybe I’ll just talk to him. Maybe he’ll change his mind. And I don’t think he’ll kill me. He’s ... I mean he’s interested in keeping himself out of jail, right? Or else I don’t think he’d touch this.”

  Marc’s mouth set. He stared at me, as if trying to figure this out.

  “Let me go talk to him,” I said. “Have Kevin stay with Wil. I’ll go talk to Coaltar and see if I can’t at least talk him into doing something else. Maybe he didn’t think it through.”

  “And what if you can’t?” he asked. “What if he’s just waiting for you to come back so he can do whatever he wants? He could get rid of you if he wanted.”

  “Then you’ll have a good reason to bust in with the cops and take him down.” I don’t know what drew me to want to take such a risk. I didn’t know the people in whatever village he was after. All I knew was, someone could die. One kid could drink from that well if no one stopped him, and if I didn’t even try, it would be my fault. I couldn’t live knowing I might have been able to do something.

  Marc shook his head. “You can’t do this.”

  “You can’t stop me. Last I checked, it wasn’t illegal to go talk to someone.”

  “We can’t.”r />
  I turned on him, planting a palm on his chest and shoving. “You can’t,” I barked at him. I pushed again and he released me, looking angry and gritting his teeth but simply stared at me. That set me off worse than ever. “You can’t do a thing because you’re tied to some mysterious weirdo group that won’t let you think for yourself.”

  “You don’t understand,” he said.

  I shoved again. Each shove did absolutely nothing as he stood firm and didn’t shift but I felt better doing it. “I don’t care. All I know is that every moment I stay here, he’s one step closer to doing this horrible thing and if I’ve got the opportunity to stop him, I will.” I turned, heading for the door. My heart was pounding. My brain wouldn’t stop working out my plan. I’d tell Coaltar I was scared he’d kill kids. That ought to work, right? If he was reasonable? Maybe there was another way. I could convince him...

  My train of thought stopped as I stared out into the water. One of the biggest yachts I’d ever seen was making the trek out from the marina on the Ashley River out into the bay. There were three decks, and the second deck was painted blue. The whole thing screamed opulence.

  My brain flew into orbit. That was him. I knew it. I don’t know how I knew, but I could tell. Coaltar was leaving. I’d run out of time.

  Or had I? A plan formulated, a crazy one.

  “We have to go.” I turned, running for the elevator.

  “Kayli!”

  I didn’t stop, I was running full speed. When I got to the elevator, I had to wait for it to get to the top and for the doors to open.

  “Wait,” Marc said.

  “That’s him. That’s his boat.”

  “Then Raven is probably on to him. We need to step back.”

  “You step back. I’m going to stop him.”

  Marc reached for me. “Don’t.”

  I smacked his hand away. “I’m going,” I said. “You can stay behind if you want. I don’t care. I’m not going to wait.”

  He groaned, shifted on his feet, looking out into the water.

  “Marc,” I barked at him. I pointed out at the river. “I know that’s him. He’s getting away. We have to hurry.” The doors opened, and I lunged inside.

  Marc hesitated only a moment, gazing in after me. He waited until the doors almost closed on him before he wedged himself through and we descended.

  “You’re not going to stop me,” I said. “If you try, I’ll scream bloody murder until...”

  He grunted. He turned, facing the mirrored doors and stared them down. “I may not be able to stop him. I’m not allowed,” he said. “But there’s nothing to stop me from watching over a crazy girl while she does one of the stupidest stunts ever.”

  It took all the strength inside me not to beam with happiness. I’d convinced him. I blinked hard not to let the threat of happy tears ruin this moment.

  The wriggly sparks invaded every part of my body.

  He shifted on his feet as he stared at the elevator doors, rubbing at the back of his head. “What are we doing, anyway?”

  I was piecing it together as we moved. “Ever been sailing?” I asked.

  PIRATES

  We took the black truck to City Marina. I sat on the edge of the seat, clutching the middle console and the suicide handle, as if I could will the car to go faster. I bit my tongue to stop myself from barking at the windshield when someone in front of us dared to go only ten miles over the speed limit and slowed us down. Coaltar was already well ahead of us, and I was scared to death of losing him, losing our chance.

  Marc drove with the phone attached to his ear. He called Raven first to warn him we were coming, and then Kevin to make sure he stayed with Wil.

  The moment he stopped the car, I jumped out and slammed the door. I ran ahead of Marc past the boating house.

  Raven and Axel stood shoulder to shoulder on the dock. They waited with their arms crossed. Axel’s face was grim.

  Raven’s was completely unreadable.

  “Where’s Silas?” Marc asked.

  “Had to get home,” Axel said. “Family emergency.”

  I started forward. I wasn’t going to wait. I knew what I wanted.

  Axel held out a hand to stop me as I approached. “This isn’t a good idea,” he said.

  “Tell me about it,” Marc said. “You try to stop her.”

  “Kayli,” Axel said, turning to me. He used that quiet power of his eyes on me. Every syllable he spoke was severe, threatening to bend me at the knees to do what he ordered. “We need to stop and think. You don’t know what you’re doing.”

  “What I know,” I said in a cool voice, drawing up every ounce of strength I had left to fight him off, “is that, that boat,” I pointed out to the water and the last place I spotted the yacht, “has lots of drugs on it that could kill people. He is intentionally going to dump them in into a well somewhere, where who knows how many people, maybe kids, could die. Do you really want to stand in front of me right now?”

  Axel flinched. He grunted, looking troubled. Slowly, he lowered his hand, turning his head and staring out at the water, as if trying to figure out his next move.

  I took the chance and I side-stepped around him. They could all stay. I’d do it all myself. I’d driven Blake’s boat. I could figure it out and get myself out there.

  Raven angled himself to stand in my way, arms crossed, shoulders pulled back. I imagined the fierce bear on his back was snarling. He glared down at me with that stony expression.

  “Don’t,” I told him. I drew my hand back, ready to strike. Not that I thought I could knock him out, but I’d at least distract him while I kicked him in the groin. That would at least give me a running start.

  He shook his head as if reading my mind and silently telling me that wouldn’t work on him. “Which boat is his?” he asked.

  I squared off my shoulders at him.

  “Don’t waste time, little thief. Which one? I need to know.”

  I pointed to the sailboat. He followed my finger, picking out the one.

  “Not that one,” he said.

  “Why not?” I asked, slowly realizing he wasn’t trying to stop me.

  “It’s too slow. You’ll never make it.” He looked around, pointing to a motorized speed boat at the very end of one of the docks. “Let’s take that one.”

  “We can’t steal a boat,” Axel said.

  “Who’s we?” I asked. I headed toward the motorboat. “I’ll do it.”

  Axel grunted.

  “We’ll bring it back,” Raven said, starting off beside me, matching my pace. Axel and Marc followed behind us. “We take it now and we’ll bring it back when we’re done. Fill it with gas. Leave them nice flowers. Pay off their docking fees. They’ll thank us after. It’ll be the best boat theft they’ve ever experienced.”

  I glowered at Raven, but he ignored my gaze. I wanted to tell him I’d do it all myself, but I stopped before I let pride ruin this. Raven was willing to break a few rules to make sure the right thing was done. Maybe he understood.

  He rushed with me toward the boat, hopping into the back, taking over steering. He glanced over the controls, and then tapped at the ignition switch. I had a moment of panic, realizing the engine wouldn’t start without a key.

  I was about to suggest we should go back to the sailboat when Raven reached into his pocket and pulled out a bump key and a pocket knife. He jammed it into the ignition, and then slammed it with the broad side of the pocket knife, at the same time, turning, starting up the engine. I was thoroughly impressed.

  Axel and Marc climbed aboard. My heart pounded in my chest, buzzing to life every fiber of nerves inside of me. It was the craziest thing we were doing, but I’d never felt more alive, never so sure.

  “What’s your brilliant plan?” Axel asked me as Marc and Raven figured out how to untie the boat from the dock. Axel eased himself until he was standing next to me, looking out at the water. “Are you going to shout at him from this little dingy? That’s a two-ton yacht we’re
chasing.”

  I gazed out, hoping, crossing my fingers the motorboat had some gas and we weren’t going to be sitting ducks. “I’m going to get on that two-ton thing and I’m going to talk him out of this.”

  “And what if he doesn’t listen?”

  I stared at him, and then glanced at Raven, asking him if he’d help me. He caught my gaze. He seemed to understand. He nodded and I returned to Axel with more confidence. “I’ll distract him while Raven gets the drugs and dumps it all overboard.”

  “And then he calls the Coast Guard,” Axel said. “We’ll all be arrested.”

  “Stay behind if you’re going to complain,” Raven said.

  I caught Raven’s glance this time, and we shared a secret grin.

  Marc rolled his eyes. “We’re all crazy.” He dropped the tie-off rope into the boat and nudged Raven toward the helm. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Raven rolled the boat right out of the dock. No one stopped us. We had to pass the Coast Guard station at the end of the peninsula before we headed out to the open bay, but even then, no one seemed to care. My heart was in my throat, worried we’d see helicopters chasing us, but no one stopped us.

  I wanted to do something, but there was nothing to do but wait until we caught up to Coaltar’s yacht. Raven drove and I stared off at the distance, willing for us to catch up. I shifted from foot to foot, bracing myself for what I was going to say to Coaltar when I saw him again.

  Before, I wanted to stop Coaltar, and maybe I didn’t have a prayer of doing it, but I didn’t want to back down, no matter how impossible it seemed. Now, with the boys beside me, I felt like we stood a slim chance. I hoped it was enough.

  Axel sat down next to me and then tugged my arm to get me to sit with him. He gazed out into the water. The motor was pretty loud. For a long time, we sat in silence next to each other. Our last little talk hadn’t gone so well. I don’t know what he was thinking, but I still felt the guilt over running off when he’d asked me to stay.

  His mouth twitched after a while. “What if we don’t catch him?” he asked.

  “We should.”