Fallen Honor: A Jesse McDermitt Novel (Caribbean Adventure Series Book 7) (25 page)

“Thanks, Deuce. I’ll explain everything when I see you. Are y’all coming down any time soon?”

There was silence for a moment. Finally he said, “No time real soon, brother. Maybe in a week or two, I can get away.”

We said goodbye and I stood there in the cockpit for a moment. A slight breeze had picked up, but did nothing to quell what had become a historic heat wave. Through the gently rustling palm fronds, I could just make out someone sitting on the balcony I’d already determined to belong to the room GT Bradley was in. Though he had a good view of the whole dock area and most of the boat, the palm obscured any direct view of the cockpit.

Chance favors the prepared mind
, I thought, looking toward the sun, now halfway down to the horizon. I went back into the salon.

“Get Chyrel back,” I said to Travis. “I have a small change in our plans.”

“What’s up?” Travis asked as he opened the laptop.

“We’re going to pull a switch,” I said, nodding to Michal and Coral on the couch.

Travis glanced at them and I could see he knew right away what I was talking about. “We have two couriers coming?”

“Germ and Scott,” I said. “Should be here in an hour, just before sunset.”

A moment later, Travis had Chyrel on the video feed and I asked if Germ and Scott had left yet.

“No, in fact they’re right here, just about to leave.”

Jeremiah “Germ” Simpson and Scott Grayson had both been Marine Recon dive instructors, before being approached by Deuce to work with the Caribbean Counterterrorism Command. Germ was a sergeant and Scott a staff sergeant. Over the past two years, the team had been cross-training, teaching one another new skills. All the team members were now accomplished scuba divers, among the many other skills each had taught to the others.

The two men joined Chyrel behind the monitor and I laid out my plan to them and to Michal and Coral at the same time. When we finished, Scott said that he had his doubts they could pull it off, but would give it a shot.

Travis ended the video connection as Coral stepped up to the settee. “And where are we supposed to go?”

“Don’t worry,” I said, taking out my phone and typing in a message to send to two people. “You’ll like it there.”

L
eaning forward in his chair, GT watched as the lone figure came out the door to the boat’s cabin. All he could see was the guy’s feet, so he couldn’t be sure if it was Buchannan himself or his bodyguard. GT quickly moved to the balcony’s rail and went to the far end, but it didn’t afford any better view. The guy stood on the back of the boat for a few minutes and then disappeared back inside. At least the rest of the dock area was visible, so nobody could come or go without being seen.

For the next hour nothing else happened on the boat. Then GT heard the hotel room door close and looked inside. It was Byers, returning already.

“Find out anything?” GT asked as the little man stopped in the open balcony doorway.

“The guy working the bar was tight-lipped. Wouldn’t even look at your money. After I left, another guy came out of the bar, said he’d overheard and knew who the girl is. I gave him forty bucks and he told me that she’s the usual day bartender there. Name’s Coral, but he didn’t know her last name. Guy’s a tourist and she shot him down when he hit on her yesterday. Said she took a cab home after work, so didn’t live very close by.”

“Coral, huh?” GT said, standing up. “Keep watch on the boat.”

Without waiting for more, GT went inside and sat down in the deep recliner to think. Knowing who she was and where she worked was a help. When she and Grabowski left the boat, they’d be able to follow more discreetly, at least, knowing where she’d be the next day. If they couldn’t get Grabowski and the girl tonight, he’d have a couple of Brown’s guys waiting when she went to work tomorrow, figuring that not many bars gave bartenders two days off in a row.

A few minutes later, Erik returned. “Struck out both places, boss. The sign on the photography store said they don’t close until six, but they must’ve closed early. It was locked up. Just as I got to the fortuneteller’s place, she was getting into the same black taxi. I asked around about the taxi driver at a couple of places, but nobody I talked to would tell me anything about him, besides his name. Lawrence Lovett.”

“These locals are tight,” GT said. “Byers found out who the girl is. Name’s Coral something and she works days at
Irish Kevin’s
bar.”

Erik glanced out the open glass door to where Byers was sitting, watching the boat. “Be dark soon. Brown’ll probably be here in about an hour. What do you wanna do then?”

“Whatever it takes,” GT growled. “Maybe we can make up the loss of the product with the girl. I know some people that’ll pay top dollar for her.”

“Something’s going on down there,” Byers said from out on the balcony.

Rising quickly, GT and Erik joined him. Below, another boat had pulled up alongside Buchannan’s yacht. There were three people on it, but it was hard to distinguish any features because of the palm tree.

“You see what they look like?” GT asked.

“Yeah, the guy at the wheel is tall and skinny, light brown hair almost to his shoulders. The other two had their backs turned, but they’re both dressed in black pants and shirts and carrying black bags.”

“Sounds like a buy,” Erik offered.

They watched as someone came out of the cabin on Buchannan’s boat and the three people on the smaller boat climbed over the rail and joined him. All four disappeared into the cabin.

“Sure looks like it,” GT rumbled. “A buyer and a couple of hired muscle, carrying cash for my stuff.”

Plopping down in another chair, GT leaned on his elbows. “I’m gonna cut Grabowski a whole bunch of times. Real slow. But first, he’s gonna watch me screw that little girlfriend of his.”

A few minutes later, the door to the cabin opened again. And just like before, the palm tree, coupled with the glare from the setting sun, prevented them from making out anything more than the legs of four people as they came out onto the back of the boat.

A moment later, the smaller boat pulled away and started out of the little marina. All three men on board had their backs turned, so it was impossible to see much more than what Byers had described earlier.

“They left the two black bags,” Byers noted.

“That means there’s probably enough cash on that boat now to cover what Grabowski took,” GT surmised, looking at his watch. “Erik, call Brown and find out how long till they get here. We can wrap this up as soon as they arrive. Those turd fondlers don’t have any idea we know where they are.”

Erik disappeared into the hotel room to make the call. A moment later, he stepped back out onto the balcony. “They’ll be here in less than an hour, boss. Brown said they were on the Seven Mile Bridge. That must be that really long bridge before the island with all the deer and cops.”

“Good,” GT said quietly. “We can move in on them after it gets dark. There aren’t any other boats down there and I’ve only seen a handful of people walk by. I want Buchannan and that bodyguard of his dead. But I want to kill Grabowski myself.”

Returning to the air-conditioned comfort of the room, GT said, “Why don’t you call down and see about getting some food sent up here? And call Brown back and tell him to park in the side lot and call when they get here. You can meet them down there at the side door. We’ll wait until it gets good and dark.”

O
nce away from the little marina and moving north in Key West Bight Channel, Doc Talbot brought his small skiff up on plane and circled around to the east, heading back to the Coast Guard station where he’d picked up Scott and Germ. The three hadn’t had much time to catch up before arriving at Jesse’s boat just beyond the bight.

“We’re out of sight now,” Doc told his passengers. “Jesse said to drop you two off at the chopper and it’ll take you up to his island.”

Shrugging out of the oversized black sweatshirt and sweatpants, Coral neatly folded them and set them on the seat next to Doc. “Thanks, Bob. I don’t know if it’s possible that those guys would mistake me and Michal for those two you came in with. They’re pretty big guys. Michal, meet my good friend, Bob Talbot.”

The two shook hands, and Michal quickly shed the sweat clothes Jesse had given them both as the boat slowed down, entering the dock area of the Coast Guard station. “Mister McDermitt kept calling you Doc,” Michal said.

“Nickname,” Doc answered. “I used to be a Navy Corpsman.”

“And the two men you brought out?”

Doc glanced at Michal, then looked at Coral and shook his head. “Probably best that you don’t know who they are. And forget that I was here, too.”

“Where’s this place we’re going?” Coral asked.

“Jesse’s little oasis. It’s an island about thirty miles northeast of here. Nobody around for miles, except the island’s caretaker and his family. You remember Carl Trent, he owns the shrimp trawler I run? He and Charlie and the kids live up there.”

“I’d wondered where they moved to. I see Charlie now and then, but never bothered to ask.”

“You’ll like it up there,” Doc said as he brought the little skiff up alongside the northernmost pier, where a ladder extended up from the waterline to the top. He nodded to a small black helicopter sitting at the foot of the pier. “That’s your ride. Just tell him who you are and he’ll have you there in ten minutes. Don’t bother asking him any questions, though. Likely he knows less than I already told you.”

Once tied off, Doc opened the storage box under his seat and took out a small briefcase, which he handed to Michal. “This is for you,” he said. “I’m told it holds your future.”

Michal looked at the small case, then reached out and took it. “What about my belongings at the motel?”

“I don’t know anything about that,” Doc answered. Then to Coral he said, “Nikki’s gonna stop by your place and grab a few things for you. She can go to the motel and get his stuff too, if you like. We’ll all be up at the island tomorrow for a big shindig Jesse’s putting on. Can you manage until then?”

“Oh, sure,” Coral replied. “Charlie and I are about the same size and Carl might have something for Michal. Thanks, again, Bob.”

Coral turned and started climbing up the ladder as Michal and Doc shook hands. “I’m at a loss as to why all these people are doing so much,” he said.

“Simple,” Doc replied with a shrug. “Jesse asked. Now get going. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Coral was nearly to the top of the short ladder as Michal waited to hand the briefcase up. He saw that she once more hadn’t worn anything under the loose-fitting green dress. Coral turned around at the top and reached down, taking the briefcase as Michal quickly climbed up to stand beside her.

“Do you ever wear panties?” he whispered.

“Don’t own any,” she said with a smile.

Below, Doc untied the single line and shoved off. As the little outboard sputtered away from the pier, he turned and waved. The two of them waved back and then turned toward the waiting helicopter.

As they approached, the pilot climbed out and opened the rear door for them. Moments later, they were settled into the backseat, and the pilot started the engine. They were soon airborne, flying out over the water and turning slightly away from the setting sun. They leaned toward the window on the left side, watching as the last of the sun disappeared below the horizon.