China Jewel (25 page)

She said, “They planned this well. The boat is carefully hidden from radar and surveillance. None of the search planes have located it for that reason. This information on the bank account and email will be checked of course but we doubt it will lead to their location.”

The other FBI agent got off his phone and said, “My people think this might not even be a terror group but someone masquerading as one. No one can pinpoint any of it yet.”

He added, “It also might be a pirate group with good connections or being set up by someone with good connections. The Peregrine sailed close to islands where these kinds of predators exist. Some of the freighters in the area have been attacked.”

Cutter, still standing, glaring at the television, said, “Strange they would take on such a public kind of target. They must know every navy in the world is looking for them right now.”

“Strange I agree. So does the FBI. It gives credence to the idea of fanatical terrorists but we’re just not sure.”

Cutter said, “The ship is camouflaged. I would imagine she is close up to some shoreline and covered with brush so she is hard to spot.”

The FBI woman agent said, “The Moros pirates of the Philippines go back centuries. The Spanish fought them. They come from the Islamic Moors who took over Spain in Cordoba in the 700s. It might be that this group comes from that heritage.”

Bill said, “One thing though might help us.”

“What?”

“The Baltimore clipper hull of the Peregrine is a deadrise hull with a sharp keel descending in the stern. She’ll need some deep water. They can’t just take her to any island. It has to be the right one.”

“How much water is required?”

“They would need seven to ten feet to get close to shore where she can be hid. She’d be partly sunk to avoid detection. She draws at least ten feet.”

Bill said, “I remember something else from when we recovered the flying boat wreck. Those islands have about a three meter tide.”

“That’s enough,” said Cutter.

“Figure she was towed to a close-by lagoon where she could be hidden. She’s careened and covered up. She’s invisible from the air unless you can get pretty close.”

“Careen?”

“In the old days drydocks were not around. When the hulls got covered with barnacles and the ship slowed down going through the water, they’d pull the ship up to a shoreline and lean her over. Then they’d clean it.”

“Like you say, they would plan ahead to careen her to avoid radar.”

“Yes, got to get those masts out of the sky so they can’t be spotted.”

“Tip her over? How? She’s a hundred foot long hull and pretty heavy.”

“In the old days they would have sunken hulls nearby, something pretty heavy to hold big capstans for the sailors to pull her down by the masts. I don’t know how they’d careen out on one of those little islands.”

Cutter said, “If you got her on low tide and tipped her over on her side, you might be able to do it with those terrorists pulling on some block and tackle mounted on trees. When the tide came in she’d go over more with the water pushing up on the hull. At the same time they’d shift anything heavy in her to the bottom side to help tip her.”

“All right, so we search for a careening site.”

The terror specialist said, “We need to look at maps.”

Bill said, “Assume she’s being towed at high speed.”

“We’ve worked with the government troops before. They know the ropes.”

“What about the explosives?”

The special agent nodded at his terrorist expert. She said, “I think if they were in this to blow up people, they would have already done it. I am on the side of it being pirates. This is a money maker.”

She took another call, listened, then hung up. “That idea about careening the Peregrine may be right on. The Philippine investigators have been working informants at the major ports. From what they know so far strangers from the south of the country had been asking in one of the ports about how a ship can be turned on its side.”

Cutter said, his fists clenched, “I won’t just sit here.”

Bill asked the agent, “You were also telling us about the payoff. The money will satisfy them, you think?”

She answered him thoughtfully, “From my experience, I think if they get money, they are gone. For one thing the pirate group members will probably fight over the money shares. Any confusion among them will slow them down and give us a chance to get the hostages out.”

Bill added, “Afterward, we’d need to send out a team to get her floating again.”

Cutter had expected Bill to think of his ship first. He answered, with a furious stare at Bill, “The hostages can recognize the kidnappers. They won’t let any of them go. They will kill them all. Right now you can be sure they are torturing the crew.”

Bill said, “What do you want me to do about it?”

Cutter said, “They’ll sure as hell burn that boat.” He was hoping that the loss of the boat would get Bill to act.

“You think I should do more? I know what you want. Your boy’s on that boat. You want to risk your life.”

“I’m not sure it’s in you to go out there against the odds. I know what you think of the people. I remember the million dollars you gave Captain Hall to throw away the lives of his crew.”

Bill looked again at the video of Jamie and Madeline being tortured. He shrugged his shoulders. “On the other hand, we’re going to get hell from the media if we sit around. They’ll call me more of a son of a bitch than I am. God only know what will happen to our stock values.” He said, “All right, we won’t wait for them to agree to take the money. I suspect I’m going to get my ass shot off but we’ll go.” He looked at Cutter. "Jimmy, you and I will get the crew away from those pirates if we can. We’ll coordinate with the Navy and use the flying boat to search for them."

Chapter 21

September 25 10 AM

Wake Island

The Johnson Company jet circled to land on the small Pacific island. A fierce battle had occurred at Wake between Japanese troops and United States Marines only a few decades ago. The atoll was shaped like a horseshoe. Bill Johnson’s restored flying boat, appearing very small from this altitude, was anchored on the lagoon side of the top leg.

Bill looked out the window with Cutter. “You know, Jimmy, since your kid showed up you’re almost a different guy.”

Cutter nodded. “I didn’t even know the kid was coming. He took me by surprise. I had to find out from Jolly that he was even in the crew.” He looked at Bill and said with a smile, “You’ve changed too. You walk a little slower these days. When are you going to stop making all this money?”

Bill stared at him and said, “The kid made you think this way?”

Cutter did not answer.

As the plane made its final approach, Bill said, “We’re coming into what used to be the Pan American terminal. It was pretty fancy for its time. They even had farm animals here to feed the passengers. The Japanese invaders ate and destroyed most of that. The United States took her back after the War and built a new airfield suitable for land-based bombers. Nowadays, the personnel stationed here observe space flights over the Pacific with their instruments. We’ll come in at the military field.”

After landing, they drove fast toward the seaplane ramp. It did not take long. As they came up to the flying boat, Cutter asked about several large tents erected near the mooring.

Bill explained, “The chorus dancers we hired are put up in temporary quarters while they practice.”

He added, “We don’t have time to watch the whole show. I can assure you that the presentation I have planned coming in over Guangzhou harbor is going to be spectacular.”

As they went by, Cutter saw four large fans that blew strong winds at the dancers. They in turn did their routines attached to tall steel frame supports. Engineers rushed from performer to performer adjusting straps holding them to the spars.

Within an hour, Bill and Cutter had joined Willoughby and Jenks at the seaplane. Willoughby took off fast and drove the big plane from Wake towards the archipelago.

“Talk to me,” said Cutter, standing behind the pilots. Jenks had several charts in from of him as they flew.

“All of the search groups have assigned islands. These are our spots. We worked out this pattern,” said Jenks. “Here, you can see.” He held up a carefully marked map showing a red navigation line among small charted islands.

“We analyzed all the possible small land masses in our assignment that the brig could have reached after that last map reading we had on the big computer screen. We guessed at likely tow areas for the pirates. It is our opinion, nothing more. If our first target fails, then we go to the second island we came up with.”

His finger pointed to the pattern. “We’re going to fly near these islands and report what we find to the Philippine army. They won’t move in until we say so.”

“Can the bandits hear this big plane?”

“We will be adjusting the propeller pitch to cut noise. We’ll stay far enough away so they won’t suspect that we have seen them. There are so many islands we can confuse them. They will think we are searching a nearby island until we are right on top of them.”

Cutter had a call on his cell. He recognized the soft Hispanic voice of his former wife.

She asked about Jamie. “I’m concerned. You understand. I can’t get any information. The newspapers are so vicious. You have to tell me if he’s dead,” she said. Her voice barely hid her sobs.

“He’ll be all right, Ree,” he replied, using her family nickname. He felt her sorrow and fear as if her head was still buried in his chest.

“Is he with Madeline?”

“Yes.”

She said, “The television showed the horrible torture. Blessed Mary, I never wanted him to be exposed to that kind of danger. I tried to keep him from joining your crew.”

She hesitated for a long moment, then continued, “You must call me, Jimmy, as soon as you know. Is Billy Johnson working with you?”

A flash of memory went through his mind as he saw them sitting on the sunny patio of their African house. Ree was next to him, the smell of her French perfume around them. Bill had just stopped off on his latest African tour of his oil fields. They enjoyed little Jamie laughing playing with the red wooden toy car Bill had brought him.

“Billy is here with me. We’ll get them back,” he said, disguising his own sob in his throat. He heard the tremor of blame in her voice. Perhaps it was for him, perhaps for herself. Yet, he also knew that the crew of the Peregrine would still have sailed from River Sunday. Jamie would still have volunteered because he wanted to be with his girl. It was as simple as that but she would never understand that it was not somehow Cutter’s fault.

After she rang off, Katy called him to wish him luck. He told her about the conversation with Rosa.

“She’s his mother. She has a right to feel that way. You have the right to disregard her blame.”

He looked at his large hands, rough from Army fighting years ago. He said, in a weakened voice, “I know, but it is hard for me.”

“I love the children too,” she said. She told him about her work at Staten Island and he wished her luck. After her call he wondered what he would say to her if Jamie was lost.

Bill asked from behind him, “You ready, Jimmy? We’re approaching our search sector.”

An albatross flew across the path of the seaplane.

“Goddamn, don’t hit him,” said Jenks to Willoughby. “You want to destroy the last of our luck, man? Albatross is the old man of the sea, for sure.”

Cutter rushed up to the pilot’s area. “An albatross?” he said.

Jenks pointed to the bird. “He’s easing along to starboard now.”

Cutter said, “Not a lot of them flying this far north. Maybe.” He looked at Bill. “You know, that could be our luck changing. I’m wondering if it’s the one from the Peregrine. No reason it would have left the ship. For the hell of it, Willoughby, circle and keep that bird in sight.”

Below them were many small islands, covered with lush growth and with high sides rising above the waves crashing on dark shores. Some had tiny lagoons that went into the trees.

The bird flew in a staggered route, about a thousand feet ahead and below the flying boat. Willoughby said, “He’s looking for something to eat. We’re wasting our time.”

“Got any better ideas? Maybe the pirates have the food he likes.”

Cutter said, staring at the bird, “If it is Pancake, he’ll go right to his perch on the Peregrine.” They passed over the albatross. “Try to circle around and keep an eye on him.”

Jenks said, “Birds get attached to you. Maybe they have been scaring him away. Dumb of them because he’ll be out here as a beacon for us. He’ll keep trying to go back to the crewman that was kind to him.”

The bird moved directly over one of the islands coming into view. It was off to the side of the seaplane and moving behind them. Cutter worked his binoculars. “Wait a minute,” he said and went to the big telescope that Bill had in the office space.

The albatross entered the forest. Cutter’s powerful lens picked up colorful tree fronds that did not appear as green as the others around it.

“I think I have something. That bird went into a patch of faded bushes or palms. Make some small turns over other islands. We might alert them if that is their hideout. Let me focus on those trees some more. Just give me a lateral pass but keep far away, make it appear that we are looking at the island to our left.”

He looked again as they went across the new position. He noted that among the canopy were straight brown tree trunks with vines. “Got them,” he shouted. He knew what they had to be. These were masts and rigging.

“See anything?” asked Willoughby.

Cutter nodded. “We found them,” he said, slapping Willoughby on his shoulder.

They came back carefully after heading in the opposite direction. This time they picked out a small lagoon protected by large hills covered with trees. The hijackers had an ocean-going trawler tied nearby and on board several machine guns protruded in mounts. Some of the pirates moved in and out of a concrete block hut with a large antenna on its roof. The careened brig sat off to the end of the lagoon. Large ropes fitted with tackle and fastened to trees held her on her side. The jungle went up a steep hillside. Far from the ship out on a narrow side of the lagoon was an old style Huey, with painted-over markings that showed it had once been a Philippine Air Force helicopter. Next to it was a small tent with two men eating a meal near a smoking barbecue grill.