Chapter 14
The next evening Dane had them all meet at the Lucky Parrot again, ahead of the meeting with Beaumont.
“Nice staging point for the mission,” Acer said.
“Beats the basement of an abandoned building like the time—”
“Let’s get to it,” Shana cut him off. A surgeon’s scalpel wasn’t as edgy as she was tonight. Dane made a mental note to be careful. He was loose and he was sharp. He was like a finely tuned Ferrari with its motor humming in neutral waiting to take off.
“I arranged to get on board the boat in the next slip from Beaumont’s boat,” Cap said. “That’s as close as possible. I promise you I’ll get on board The Winner—that’s the name of Beaumont’s yacht—the second I see the lines released from the dock.”
“Who else do you have?” Dane asked.
“I’ll have three undercover men in place in the area, including one in a small fishing boat in the harbor. They all have their binoculars ready as we speak.”
“They’d better not be conspicuous because Del is smart. One of the sharpest we’ve come up against. He’ll sense it if something’s off. He’ll plan for it because he doesn’t trust me. Hell, he’s probably even watching you.”
“I have someone following Del.” Cap raised his hand when Dane would have let out a nasty cuss.
“It’s someone Del would never suspect. The kid from the Shark’s Table. Ronnie Ryan.”
“You’re shitting me.”
“No. He’s come a long way. He’s good at getting people to underestimate him.”
“Smart talent to have.”
“You would never know. You have the opposite talent,” Shana said.
“I’m choosing to interpret that as a vote of confidence,” he said.
She shook her head and smiled, but he noticed it was a worried smile. He ought to have her call on Penny and babysit her while they were on board, but before he had a chance to air the thought, his phone buzzed.
It was the kid. Ronnie Ryan.
“What the hell?” Cap’s brows creased in uncharacteristic annoyance. “I set him up. He’s supposed to be reporting to me.”
Dane answered the call.
“What is it, Wonder Boy?” The kid laughed.
Cap didn’t understand that he had a bond with the kid.
Dane had given him his first break. Plus, the kid thought of Dane as more exciting than James Bond.
Dane did nothing to dispel the image. But it was getting tough to live up to.
Shana may have had a point about his talent.
“I saw Del just leave the Gables’ house.”
“Right on time.”
“But I thought you ought to know.” There was a pause and it sounded like the kid was chewing something.
“Spit it out kid.”
“Del didn’t leave alone. He has Mr. Gable and a woman who looks like your description of Penny with him.”
Shit.
“Thanks, kid. I owe you.”
“Nah. Captain Lynch put me on the payroll this time.”
“Then why didn’t you call him?”
“Short cut. I figured he was reporting to you anyway.”
Dane ended the call before Cap got any more aggravated.
“This is swell,” Shana said.
“We should abort,” Cap said.
“No f—cking way.”
He called Acer. “Get eyes on Delbert as soon as you can. He’s en-route and he has two passengers. Cause an accident. A minor one.”
“Got it, boss. It’s been a while since I performed a diversion. It’ll be my pleasure.”
“Be careful. Gable and Penny are aboard and I have no doubt Delbert is heavily armed.” Dane signed off.
Shana said, “So you’re buying us some time. What do we do with it?”
“I was hoping you could tell me. I can’t always be the one with the ideas.” He grinned and she did roll her eyes this time.
“Let’s get over there. Now.”
“I still don’t like it. What the hell is Acer going to do?”
“Not much. He’ll hit them from behind or pull in front of them and make Del hit him if he can maneuver it. But I didn’t give him enough time to plan for that one. I made him promise never to try the head-on collision again.”
They all strode at a half run toward the back door. As he moved, Dane reached for his phone and hit his speed dial button for Captain Vendi of the Coast Guard.
“We’re on our way.”
Vendi asked no questions. He knew from previous experience to trust Dane and Shana. They ended the call.
Dane drove with Shana to the marina. Neither of them spoke.
*****
Beaumont’s yacht, The Winner, was located at the end of a long pier. They could see it from the street in the moonlight. Once Dane parked the Jeep, he walked with Shana toward the gate where a light had been extinguished and a man waited for them in the shadows.
Under her breath, Shana said, “I thought Cap was supposed to take care of the security detail?”
Once they got close enough, Dane could see that Cap had taken care of security.
“Hello Jim, everything quiet?” He spoke in a hushed voice.
“It is now. I had to take a young fella down. Stowed him out of sight. The police will have to take care of him later.”
“Jim? From the deli counter at the supermarket?” Shana looked closely.
Jim nodded and resumed his tough-man stance.
“Let’s go.” Dane led Shana through the gate onto the long wooden dock lined with about a dozen varying sized boats, some with lights on, some covered up.
They walked past the boat where he knew Cap waited and watched, without looking directly at it, but he noted the dim light and a shadow in the cabin.
When they reached The Winner they were met with Beaumont’s official greeting delegation.
“Who the hell are you?” one of the two men said.
“I’m an invited guest.”
“Let’s see some ID.” The taller, smarter of the two held out his hand.
Dane made to get his wallet and the short, stupid man reached for him.
“Not so fast.”
Shana intervened on his behalf. In one smooth move, she had Shorty’s arm twisted around his back and his gun in her hand. She aimed it at the smart guy, who had reached for his gun.
If it weren’t for the salty sea air, Dane would have thought they were in the middle of a scene from Gunsmoke. But this wasn’t Dodge City. He disarmed the tall man without a fuss from him.
“I could tell you were smart,” Dane said. Then he showed the guy his ID. “Your boss is expecting us. As you know.”
Shorty said, “We’re supposed to check you for weapons.” He sounded worried.
“That failure will be our little secret.”
Dane put his wallet back in his pocket and held his gun on them. Shana shoved Shorty away from her, keeping the man’s gun. She shoved it into her bag where it could keep company with her baby Glock.
Dane climbed aboard the yacht onto the main deck with Shana following. He whispered to test the audio connection with Cap.
“You sure there’s no one else aboard?”
“Del and Pratt are below with Gable and Penny. Beau is in the salon, according to our man in the fishing boat.”
“Roger that. We’re going in.” Dane nodded to Shana. She knew what to do.
Dane slipped his gun back into his inside pocket.
No shoulder holster since it would be too visible.
Then he walked around the corner of the cabin to find the wide-open sliding glass door of the salon.
The room was lit up and music played in the background.
The only occupant sat back in a white leather chair.
Dane and Shana stepped through the door onto the plush carpet inside.
Beau stood. He was a tall, slim, and handsome young man who looked more suited to playing a gigolo than a drug or arms dealer. But Dane knew he was dealing in arms. He also knew Beau was only the front man for Delbert Parrish.
What Dane didn’t know was what Pratt’s role in their operation was.
Scanning the spacious cabin for windows and exits, he wished to hell he could get them all in the same room now.
“You must be Dane Blaise and Shana George. I’ve heard all about you and yet I don’t know a thing about who you really are.”
It was a good opening line. Dane didn’t jump in to answer right away. In the corner of his eye, he watched Shana gravitate back toward the opening to the galley.
“I’m ex-Scotland Yard,” Shana said. “That’s all you need to know. I’m going to the head. Boats make me queasy.”
“No, you’re not.” Beau took a step away from his chair toward her.
She put her hands up. “Your men already relieved me of my weapon. Unless you have a gun hidden in the head, you’ll let me go or I’ll end up puking on your carpet.” She bent forward slightly and held her stomach. The boat rolled over another small swell to help her cause.
Beau waved her off. She ducked through the door to the galley and kept going until she was out of sight.
“I’m a soldier for hire,” Dane said. “Have been half my life. Since I got out of special ops. I know all about arms dealing. Bought my share of shady weapons myself”
“So?”
“So I think you need a new partner. Your guy is undercover.”
Dane took out the picture of Beau and Del on the yacht to emphasize what was at stake and why Beau had agreed to meet him.
“Another ATF agent took this picture. You’re being watched constantly. Del plans to blow your operation wide open at the next delivery. You have a deal in the works now?”
The man didn’t look completely disinterested. Dane knew arms dealers were a paranoid lot.
Del entered the room then with his gun drawn.
“Are you crazy?” Beau changed from calm and cool to a bundle of nerves as fast as a change in New England weather.
“Relax.” Del spat the word.
“There’s enough heat with one murder.” Beau had not relaxed.
“I’ll take care of the heat.” He stared the man down. “I always do.”
“So you are the man in charge,” Dane said.
“Lucky thing you’re not wired.” Del smiled.
Dane smiled back. Lucky thing Del didn’t know Acer and his work. The man’s homework fell short. Dane heard Cap in the miniscule earbud.
“It’s time, we’re coming in.”
“Which one of you killed Harvey?” Dane asked, for Acer and Cap’s listening pleasure.
Del approached him with the gun.
“Where’s your partner?”
Beau answered. “She’s in the head.”
Del swung back. “You fool.”
Shana came into the cabin wielding two guns, one aimed at Del’s head.
“That’s right. He’s a fool to be working with you.”
She tossed one gun to Dane, but Del was quick. He swung around and knocked the gun from Shana’s hand and aimed his gun dead center at her forehead, holding her with an arm around her neck and gripping her hair.
“Don’t just stand there—get his gun!” Del yelled at his man.
Dane knew that the security detail outside was being taken care of by Cap and his men now. As soon as Shana re-entered the cabin, that was their signal to move. Once Cap and his men took care of them, Dane knew they’d be arriving any moment.
But he needed to make a move before they got here, before Del did anything crazy, before Pratt came charging up the ladder from below. And before Del got scared into pulling the trigger of that gun being held to his girl’s head. Her precious head.
These were his thoughts as his veins transformed into glaciers, slowing the emotions from overwhelming him, giving his thinking mind the edge on his reptile brain.
He calculated the distance between him and Del and him and Beau. He knew Del was quick, but he could be distracted. Dane was counting on it.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Del.” He added for Cap’s benefit, “You have us in a tough predicament.” Dane raised his hand, keeping his gun.
“I don’t need to do a thing. Pratt is with me. He has a couple of insurance policies with him down below.”
“Gable I can understand using as a hostage. But your own sister, Del?”
Surprise overwhelmed Del’s calm confidence, but not for long.
“Shut up.” He pressed his gun closer to Shana’s temple. “Beau, take this gentleman’s gun and then take him and the lady down below. They can wait there while we arrange for an accident at sea.”
As Del instructed, Beau came toward Dane. When he was about to put his hands-on Dane, Dane struck, spinning and hitting the man with the butt of the Glock he still held. Beau went down. That was the distraction they’d needed.
As Dane had predicted, Del moved the gun from where he’d been aiming at Shana’s temple and pointed it at him. Dane rolled on the floor and dove for cover behind an ottoman, but Del got off two shots before Shana stopped him. The first one hit Beau, who had been half on top of him.
Del’s second shot must have hit him. That was his last thought. A blood red haze filled his eyes and then the world blackened as a mind-numbing buzz filled his ears.
*****
Wrenching from Del’s grasp the instant Dane made his move, Shana had scrambled to get her gun from the floor. She’d reached it and aimed from the crouch where she was, squeezed the trigger, and hit Del’s gun hand dead on. But she’d been a fraction too late to stop him from getting off some shots.
She turned and saw Dane inert on the floor. When she saw a pool of blood seeping from him, she wished to hell she’d shot Del in the head.
“Dane!” She crawled to him in an instant while all hell broke loose around her. Cap and his men stormed the cabin.
She reached Dane and scanned for the wound.
Her heart pumped madly in her throat, each beat like a small explosion, threatening to shut down her shallow breathing.
Her chest tightened with the strain. Her hands shook as she touched him.
Overcoming her near paralyzing fear, with fingers wobbling wildly and tears streaming down her face, she brazenly touched his neck, moving her fingertips to the pulse point there.
And prayed she’d find his pulse strong.