Four of Hearts (16 page)

“Could this be any more fucked up?”

“I don’t see how.”

Bree stepped onto the balcony. “We’re almost there. Drew and I will take the Zodiac to the island. Sean and Celeste are waiting for us.”

They accompanied Bree and Drew to the tender launch on Atlantis Deck. As soon as the ship powered down, the Zodiac was released from its moorings above the Odyssey Deck and lowered to the water. A crewmember brought it around to the gangway where Richard and Ryan helped load the diving equipment into the small boat. Drew insisted on handling the arsenal garnered from the ship’s security office himself.

“I hope you don’t have to use any of this, but do anything you have to. I want them back,” Ryan said.

“We’ll bring them back. Don’t worry about that part. Give us a minute to get away from the ship, then call Captain Whittier and tell him to get the hell out of here. In the morning, you two do everything just the way they told you to, unless you here from us sooner.”

Richard nodded. “We will. I wish I was going with you.”

“I know you do, but neither one of you is dive certified, you’d just be a liability.” He turned to Ryan. “Your brother is the best there is. If he says this plan will work, it will work. I’ve never known him to be wrong.” Drew handed Bree a backpack filled with communications equipment, then turned back to the two anxious men. “You have the best team possible at your disposal. Let us do what we do best.”

Bree kissed Ryan on the cheek, then did the same for Richard. “Don’t worry. Drew is right. We’ll bring them back, safe and sound.”

“Godspeed,” Ryan said as the Zodiac disappeared into the night.

They helped the trusted crewmembers stow the gangway and made the call to Captain Whittier. The engines rumbled to life beneath their feet. Richard led the way to the Bridge. Neither one wanted to be alone for the interminable wait for dawn.

* * * * *

Ryan glanced at the clock above the bank of windows that encircled the Bridge. Sweat trickled down his spine as he prowled the confines of the room. Drew and Bree left with communication equipment, but there would be no word from them, not until Candace and Fallon were safe. He understood the need for absolute quiet. They couldn’t take the chance these people, whoever they were, were monitoring for any communication from the ship. It made sense. Someone had known the women would be on the island alone, and Ryan had no clue how they had gotten their hands on the information.

None of that made the wait any easier.

“They should be getting close to the island by now,” Richard said.

Ryan looked at the clock again. Midnight. “I hope so.” He tried not to think of the terror Candace and Fallon must be experiencing. They had to know he and Richard would do everything they could to free them, but he was sure that did nothing to alleviate their fears. Just thinking about Candace or Fallon facing armed thugs stole the breath from his body. He dropped into the nearest chair and let his head fall between his legs. Captain Whittier came to his side.

“Hang in there. They’re going to be okay.”

Ryan nodded, not trusting his voice. Trust. He had to trust his brother and the others. Sean wasn’t the kind to talk about his exploits, but Ryan suspected many of those exploits were the kind the general public never heard about. The kind that only the top echelons of the cloak and dagger world knew about. Since Sean’s retirement six years ago from the DIA, his security company had made a name for itself among the richest of the rich around the world.

Sean had suggested a better security system on the island, but because they liked their privacy, Ryan had insisted they didn’t need to make the changes.

“I’m an idiot,” he mumbled to the floor.

“Yeah, well, there’s nothing we can do about that right now,” Richard said.

“I should have listened to Sean. I should have installed the security system he wanted.”

“No argument there.”

“Do you think they’re at the island yet?”

“Maybe.”

A glass of water appeared in his line of sight. “Here, drink this.” Richard shoved the glass into his hand so he had no choice but to take it. “You may be an idiot, but I’m not sitting this out alone.”

“I’m okay.” He sat up and took a sip of water. “I just had to sit for a minute.”

“When this is over, we’re going to do whatever Sean says. I don’t care if it means bodyguards twenty-four seven.”

“We have to find out who did this. Who would want this ship bad enough to kidnap and threaten our wives?”

“Vernon Cannon.” Richard said the name without hesitation.

“You think so?”

“He’s crazy. This is why he went under the radar, so he could plan this. I wonder where the bastard is.”

“If it is him, we have to get everyone off the ship before we turn it over. He’s nuts. Besides, we’re giving him the ship, not the passengers and crew. He’s on his own for that.”

Captain Whittier spoke. “Just how the hell does he think he’s going to get the
Lothario
out of here? It’s not exactly like driving a ski boat.”

“Good question,” Richard said. The three of them turned their attention to the Bridge crew. “Why don’t we take this to your office, Captain?”

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Ryan asked as soon as they’d closed the office door behind them.

“That one of my crew may be involved with this?” Captain Whittier asked. He walked around his desk and sat in the big leather chair. “I don’t want to agree with you, but you might be onto something.”

“Who? Who would have the knowledge to get the
Lothario
out of here?” Richard asked.

“Several of them, actually. As you both know, we hired the best we could find. Just about any one of them could operate this ship, but it also takes a hell of a lot more people than just someone to captain it.”

“True, but he could pick those people up somewhere else. All he needs to do is get the ship to the port of his choice. That could be somewhere in Mexico, or Central America, or who knows where,” Ryan said.

“This is all speculation, but it would make sense. Someone knew we’d left the women on the island,” Richard added.

“And this person notified the person in charge, and set this in motion. Is that the theory?” Captain Whittier asked.

“It’s the only theory we have right now. So, who might have done this?” Ryan asked.

“I want to say none of my Executive Crew, but I’m not stupid. If we’re right, then they may have already transmitted the news about the rescue attempt.”

“Shit!” Richard exclaimed.

Ryan closed his eyes and tried to focus. This couldn’t be good. Not only were Candace and Fallon in danger, but they might have just sent four other people into a trap, his brother and sister-in-law included. “We need to see every transmission of any kind that has left this ship in the last twenty-four hours.”

Captain Whittier picked up the phone. Ryan listened, the one sided conversation was muffled by the roar of blood in his ears. This morning he hadn’t thought his life could get any worse, but he should have known better. Why hadn’t they considered the possibility of an inside person? If anything happened to his brother, he’d never forgive himself.

“The communications officer said Drew told him this morning to shut off any outgoing communications. His orders were to monitor anything coming to the ship, but everything else is shut down. He says he’s had nothing but complaints since he disabled the satellite connection for the e-mail server. He’s going to send up a printout of all the communications since Friday, and he wanted to know when he could go back online.”

“Not until this is over. So, unless this person has some other way of communicating, we have to assume he hasn’t had a chance to inform the people on the island about our rescue attempt. But what if they take his silence as an indication that something is up?” Richard asked.

“Either way, there isn’t anything we can do about it now. What we can do is try to figure out who this person is. We can get all our answers from them when we do,” Ryan said.

“Where do we start?” Captain Whittier asked.

“Let’s pull the personnel records on the Bridge Crew for starters. Did anyone show a particular interest in our change of course this morning?” Richard asked.

Captain Whittier went through his Executive Crew, recalling everything he could about the morning, beginning when they had come in requesting to see the navigational charts. Richard took notes. Ryan listened while he scanned the personnel files for anything that might be a red flag. He doubted he would find anything useful, but at least he was doing something. It was better than pacing and watching the clock.

An hour later, they had eliminated a few people from the list, and it was time to delve deeper. If they could determine who leaked the information, they might have a chance of finding the mastermind, and bringing that person to justice.

* * * * *

Fallon followed the masked man with her eyes. She had no idea where the rest of the men were, but she wasn’t about to let this one out of her sight. Candace was wide-awake beside her on the sofa, huddled under a light throw against the chill Fallon knew had more to do with fear than the temperature. Fear had a hold on her too, but she wasn’t about to let it get the best of her. If there was a way to escape and make it to the dock, they could make a run for the resort. Sean and Celeste were there. They’d be safe there.

But first, they had to get away. She wished she had some idea where the other six men had gone. It wouldn’t do any good to escape one and run right into the clutches of another one.

So far, this one hadn’t said two words. He paced the room, not really watching them, but Fallon knew if she made the slightest move, he’d see it. She nudged Candace with her toe, and as she suspected, their guard stopped his pacing. Candace tensed. Dark eyes glared from the eye slits in his ski mask.

“My foot was going to sleep,” she said. He resumed his pacing, and Candace visibly relaxed. “Sorry,” Fallon whispered. “Are you okay?”

Candace nodded. “Yeah. Just tired. And hungry.”

“Me too. Is that clock right?” She motioned with her head toward the clock on the fireplace mantle.

Candace shrugged her shoulders before replying in the same hushed tone. “Two o’clock? More or less, I think. I’ve never given it much thought. I usually don’t care what time it is here.”

Fallon smiled at her. “Yeah, I can understand that. The ship runs on such a tight schedule, that I’ve gotten used to operating that way too. It must be nice not to have a schedule to keep.”

“It is. Do you think they’ll make it on time?”

She didn’t have to elaborate. Fallon understood what she was asking. “They’ll be on schedule, even if they have to give the passengers oars.” Candace smiled at her ridiculous comment and she knew her friend was still with her. “Don’t worry. They’ll be here, and this will be over.”

“I know, it’s just I can’t help but worry about Ryan, and Richard too.” She sniffed back a sob and wiped tears from her eyes. “I can’t imagine what this is doing to them.”

“Hang in there. Our guys are strong. They’ll get through this, but we have to be strong enough to get through it too.”

“I’m trying.”

“I know you are. Could you eat? I’ll ask this guy if we can get something from the kitchen.”

“No. I don’t think I could keep anything down.”

“Me either. I’ll eat when this is over.”

“Fallon? I just want you to know, in case. . . in case we don’t. . . ”

“Don’t talk like that. We’re going to get out of this.”

“I know, but still. . . .” Candace took a deep breath and let it out. “I want you to know. I love you. I love Richard, too. I mean, I love you, just like I love Ryan.”

Fallon searched Candace’s face and saw only sincerity, and a hint of uncertainty. “Oh Candy! Sweetheart, I love you too. Were you afraid to tell me you love Richard?”

“Yes.” Fallon had to lean close to hear. “I don’t want you to think badly of me. It’s not something I planned. It just happened.”

“Sweetheart, it’s okay. I understand.”

“Do you? Really? I couldn’t bear to lose you over something like this. I couldn’t bear to lose either one of you. You’re both a part of me now, just like Ryan is. I know it’s stupid, and I’m not supposed to feel this way, but I do. I can’t help it.”