Chapter 15
Rick studied the outside of Captain’s Quarters and tried to keep his heart from racing.
He’d received the message from Jace only a short time ago, and he’d hurried over as soon as possible.
For a moment, he’d considered notifying the police instead of doing anything himself.
They were the professionals, weren’t they?
But he couldn’t just leave it up to them, not when there was so much at stake.
Rick needed to see them for himself, to know that these were the same men described in those accounts in The Recorder.
He’d still have time to contact the authorities after that if need be.
As he stepped inside, the hostess moved to greet him. “How many in your party?” she asked.
Hart and Ross must have been busy in the kitchen, which was just as well. He didn’t want to explain anything to them and waste time. His eyes scanned the room, and Jace signaled him from the back corner. “I’m joining some friends, actually.”
“Someone will be right over to take your drink order,” the hostess promised.
Rick would prefer that any of the waitstaff keep their distance, but saying anything would only get everyone worked up.
He nodded politely and headed to the table.
He didn’t have to get all the way there before he knew these were the same men he’d seen before.
Now, he just had to determine if they were the ones Lorelei had described.
“Good to see you, Rick.” Jace stood to shake his hand. “I’m glad you could join us. I’d like to introduce you to two new friends of mine, Eric and Hawkins. This is Rick Westbrook. He’s with the fire department.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Eric’s shaven head had a slight glisten to it as he reached out to shake Rick’s hand. Heavy earrings weighed down each of his lobes, and several tattoos traced their way up under his shirtsleeves.
“A fireman, eh?” Hawkins more than made up for Eric’s lack of hair. His thick gray locks were brushed back and fell to his neck. The matching beard made him look like he belonged on the front of a package of fish sticks. “That’s a very respectable career, and a dangerous one.”
“What about the two of you?” Rick asked carefully, evaluating them.
They certainly fit Lorelei’s description to a tee.
Seeing them up close confirmed his suspicions that he’d seen them before.
He was likely sitting down to lunch with a couple of would-be murderers.
Considering the missing persons cases outlined in that article, what they’d done to Lorelei wasn’t their first offense.
The only comfort Rick had at the moment was knowing if they were right there in front of him, they couldn’t be out hurting anyone else.
“We’re sailors,” Eric answered. His skin was the color of tanned leather from years out on the deck, and deep crow’s feet creased either side of his eyes.
“Have been for most of our lives. I grew up on my father’s boat before I set out on my own, and I don’t remember a time when I lived on land for more than a week or two. ”
“That’s impressive,” Rick allowed.
Hawkins shrugged and took a sip of his whiskey. “It’s in the blood. You probably don’t think much about the fact that you live on land. Others see it as an unusual life, but it’s not that way for us.”
“I take it you fish for a living?” Rick asked politely. They had to be the men in the description, but Rick’s wolf sensed no danger from them. Something didn’t add up.
Eric glanced at Hawkins and then back at Rick. “In a manner of speaking. We’ve fished for a living plenty, yes, but sometimes, other jobs come along as well.”
“I see. Is it your work that brought you here? I’ve only been in the Cape Cod area a short while myself, being originally from the West Coast.” He continued to study their faces, looking for some hint that they weren’t the simple sailors they claimed to be.
Hawkins stroked his beard. “Yes, although we’re not sure if it will work out. We just arrived in town a couple of days ago, so we’re still figuring things out.”
“You should see their rig, Rick,” Jace chimed in. “Absolutely beautiful. I’ve run quite a few boats in my lifetime, and I can’t say that I don’t love the ones I have, but that schooner you have is gorgeous. Cliché or not, they just don’t make them like that anymore.”
“I feel pretty lucky to be on her myself, considering the first boat I had.” Eric chuckled, took a long sip of his drink, and launched into a story about a sloop that sprung a new leak every day.
Rick was barely listening. He was too busy getting angry. His wolf was roused within him now, knowing just as much as he did that Hawkins had lied to him. And why lie unless he had something to hide? He didn’t know Rick from anyone else.
“I think it’s about time you told the truth,” he interrupted.
Hawkins, Eric, and Jace all turned to look at him.
“You’ve been in town a lot longer than that,” Rick asserted. “Closing in on two weeks, at least. There’s a young woman here in Truro who spotted you, and she gave a pretty thorough description.”
One of Eric’s dark brows tweaked upwards. “A young lady?” he asked calmly. “Maybe you’d be kind enough to tell us what she looks like.”
“Why would I do that?” Rick demanded. His voice was beginning to rise, and he fought to keep it down.
He knew these were the two men who’d attacked Lorelei, but he didn’t need to cause a stir in the restaurant.
“There’s no telling how many people you’ve harassed already here in town, not to mention all the other coastal towns further south.
What the two of you have done is just sick! ”
Hawkins turned, and he and his partner exchanged a long glance.
No words were uttered, but apparently, they didn’t need to be.
After a moment, he leaned his elbows on the table and held Rick’s gaze.
“I’m going to guess that this girl has blonde hair, blue eyes, and a singing voice like you’ve never heard before.
She’s enchanting and charming, and most people who talk to her are willing to bend over backward to help her in some way. ”
Rick’s features twisted in anger. “If you know her that well, why did you try to burn her like a witch at the stake?”
Eric shook his head. “It’s the other way around, but she’s good at painting the picture she wants everyone else to see. She’s got you thinking the police are looking for us, but if you want to know the truth, we’re looking for her.”
“She’s not just a pretty young face,” Hawkins intoned. “She’s a siren.”
“You mean…like a…” Rick hesitated. What kind of a crazy story was that?
“Yep, like that,” Hawkins replied, and the small gold hoop in his ear winked through his silver hair.
“She started further out at sea, taking down sailors, fishermen, and whoever else she could get her hands on. I hate to say there were a few tourists who never made it back to port. Something for you to watch out for, Jace.”
Jace had paled a shade or two, but he nodded his acknowledgment.
“Some of the men she got were our good friends, and we’ve been after her ever since,” Eric picked up the tale. “She’s not an easy one to find, not when she can disguise herself as such an attractive young girl. Then there’s the charm.”
Rick’s throat was dry. Just a moment ago, he’d been hell-bent on calling these men out for what they’d done. What they were telling him now, though, was hard to hear. “Charm?”
“Oh, yeah.” Hawkins polished off his whiskey without a flinch.
“Everyone knows the sirens of mythology and how they could use their angelic voices to draw sailors in. It goes much further than that, though. She can put the charm on almost anyone and make them do whatever she wants. From what we can tell, some folks are more susceptible to it than others.”
“This is unbelievable,” Rick whispered. So was the fire. So was the way that everyone who met Lorelei bent over backwards to make her happy.
“Yes,” Eric admitted, “but I’ll swear to my dying day that it’s true.
I’ve had a glimpse of her in her natural form, and it’s not one you want to see.
She’s a horrid creature, preying on men because she can’t have one of her own.
Anyone in her path could be in danger if she decides to turn on them. ”
Rick’s wolf surged under his skin and he stood, his chair pushing back so quickly that it fell to the floor. “Then I need to go. Now.”
“You know where she is?” Eric was on his feet, and his hand went to the sheath on his belt. “It’s a good thing we stay armed and ready at all times.”
“I do,” Rick confirmed.
“Then we’re coming with you.” Hawkins was on his heels.
Jace grabbed Rick’s elbow but didn’t stop him. He walked next to him as they rushed to the door. “I’m going to let the rest of the clan know in case this goes sideways and you need help. If this is true, we can’t risk letting Lorelei get away.”
“Right.” Rick rushed to his vehicle, cursing the long walk to the parking lot. Lorelei had already been there for a while, and she’d been living and working alongside Carol, but every second that passed sent a new shiver of terror through him.
Hawkins jumped in the passenger seat and Eric in the back. “Best step on it. If she’s got wind that we’re around, she’ll be gone in an instant. We’ve been close before, but she’s a quick one.”
Rick hurtled the car through the narrow city streets, ignoring speed limit signs.
He’d take all the speeding tickets in the world if it meant that Carol was safe.
He glanced at the clock on the dash and cursed it.
Not yet closing time. That meant Carol wasn’t safely at home, sipping a glass of wine with Barney at her side. She was at work with Lorelei.
He looked over as Hawkins was sticking something in his ear. “Earplugs,” the sailor explained. “It was a bit of an experiment at first after reading The Odyssey, but it does seem to make a difference. We’ve managed not to fall under her spell so far.”