Eyes of Fire (27 page)

Her numbness began to fade as the warmth of pity filled her.

This was her mother. This beautiful butterfly who didn't look much older than she was herself. This woman who had apparently made such a pathetic disaster of her life, but now spoke with a strange, sad dignity. Jerry had hurt her, abandoned her. But there were so many things she could see in Jerry now. In her beautiful blue eyes. Remorse. Anguish. And a fear that had apparently lived with her for a long, long time. The fear that she could never, in a thousand years, change things.

“Jerry…” Sam began, but Jerry was staring at Joey Emerson née Shapiro again.

“
I
killed Marcus,” Jerry said. “I killed him when I saw what he had done to Justin. I didn't think about it, I simply reacted. He had meant to kill Justin all along. Your father planned to murder Justin. He slit Justin's throat. I can still remember the blood surging into the water…I—oh, God, Sam, it was quick. I swear it. Justin died quickly. He couldn't have been in any pain, it was so fast. I can't say it enough. I'm sorry. So sorry.”

Sam stood there, heedless of the others around her. “You killed Marcus Shapiro because he murdered my father,” she said evenly. “But why did Marcus kill my father?”

Jerry's head fell, tears silently streaming down her face. “Robert Santino had hired a lot of divers on his treasure searches. When all this happened, he was still negotiating with SeaLink and, through SeaLink, with Justin Carlyle. Other than Justin, most of the divers Santino hired weren't the most reputable men in the world. Santino wanted the rubies. He didn't give a damn about the historical value of the
Beldona.
He just wanted the Eyes of Fire rubies. Well, one of his men, a nasty little drug-smuggling murderer named Chico Garcia—”

“Chico Garcia!” Adam interrupted. “He disappeared a long time ago. You mean, Garcia disappeared because of the
Beldona,
as well?”

“It's quite a story,” Liam Hinnerman said coolly. “Chico wanted a lot more money from Robert Santino than he was getting. He was also fooling around with Santino's previous girlfriend—the woman he had been dating just before Jerry. He went out diving with one of Santino's men, unaware that the guy was ready to break out on his own. Anyway, the best Chico was willing to do was to bring up gems one at a time and see what Santino was willing to pay him for each one. But the guy he was out with intended to keep everything for himself. Chico was actually the first man to find the ship—though he never had a chance to share what he knew about it. After he came up with the rubies, he realized that his buddy intended to shoot him. He must have been mortally wounded, but he went back down to the
Beldona,
stuffed the rubies into the eye sockets of an old skeleton, and died himself. The buddy never managed to follow him, never managed to discover the exact location of the ship.”

“I still don't understand why my father was killed,” Sam said.

“Or mine,” Joey said.

“Your father was a murdering bastard who deserved to die!” Jerry informed Joey passionately.

“Shut up!” Liam Hinnerman suddenly snapped. Taking a step toward Jerry, he swung his palm at her face with a blow that sent her sprawling to the floor.

“Don't you dare do that! Don't you dare!” Sam cried out. Leaping to her feet, she attacked Hinnerman.

“Sam!” Adam started after her, but Hinnerman pulled a gun and pointed it straight at Adam's nose. Jerry struggled to her feet and caught hold of Sam, dragging her down before Liam could strike her, as well.

“Leave him alone, Sam, please.”

“He has no right! He can't do that to you!” Sam insisted angrily. “I won't let him! He can just damned well shoot me—”

“Sam, Sam, please stop. He
will
shoot you.” Jerry stared at her, her blue eyes damp. “Sam, I knew the story. I—I went into shock after your father was killed. I don't know how I survived…except that I was saved by one of Santino's divers.”

“Hinnerman,” Adam guessed.

“Yes, sir!” Liam said quietly, smiling, the gun still pointed at Adam's face.

“Sam, I swear to you, I didn't realize it myself until we were on the island. Liam is—”

“Liam is the bastard who pretended to be working for Robert Santino while he was striking out on his own,” Adam said coolly. “He rescued Jerry and kept in close contact with her while she had to lie low. Justin had been killed, and she had killed a man herself. Liam probably convinced her that she'd get the chair for murder if she whispered a word to anyone. Of course, Liam wanted her to find the ship, but she was terrified of diving, and shock had given her complete amnesia about what she knew about the ship. How am I doing, Hinnerman? Is that about right?”

“In a nutshell,” Liam said. “I've killed before, and I wouldn't mind killing again at all. Of course, I need Sam alive for a while. Sam can find the
Beldona.
And Sam is going to find the
Beldona.
Because if she doesn't, every single one of you is going to die.”

Adam crossed his arms over his chest. “Okay, Hinnerman, you've got a gun. But you're facing six men, not to mention some very inventive ladies. You can't shoot us all at once. And there's a storm coming.”

“I don't need to shoot you all at once. I'll shoot you one by one—you in the knees, first. That should make Sam very amenable to following my orders.”

“And he's not alone, honey,” a sexy voice said wryly from behind Adam.

They all spun around. Sukee had drawn a little pearl-handled revolver from the windbreaker she'd been wearing.

“Sukee?” Jim said incredulously. “But you were working for my father!”

“'Fraid not, honey,” she said sweetly.

Sam stood again, protectively placing herself in front of Jerry. “I just don't believe this,” she said flatly.

“Sorry,” Sukee said with a shrug.

“Why?” Jim demanded, still astounded.

“Well, now, lover, it seems that no one on this island goes by his or her right name. I made up all that Pontre crap. You're all too trusting.”

“I doubt that I will be in the future,” Sam commented.

“If you have a future,” Liam warned.

“Just what
is
your real name?” Adam demanded of Sukee.

She smiled. “Garcia. Chico was my father.”

“This is sick!” Yancy offered. “You're in league with Hinnerman—who killed your father?”

Sukee tossed her short, sassy hair. “Unlike Joey over there, I can see the truth. My father wasn't just a criminal, he was a complete asshole. I don't need anyone to tell me that he deserved to die. But he was the first to find the stinking ship, and I deserve my cut of those rubies. So we're going to get to them. Right now.”

“It's night, and there's a storm brewing,” Adam said.

“It's nearly dawn, and I suggest Sam finds the damn ship before the storm actually gets here,” Sukee said.

“She doesn't know where the ship is,” Adam insisted angrily.

Hinnerman suddenly pressed the nose of his gun against Adam's temple. “Where's your brother?”

“None of your business.”

“He came straight here. To you. To his kid.”

“Well, he isn't here, is he?” Adam backed away from the nose of the gun, staring at Sukee. “Who was keeping him prisoner? A relative of yours?”

Sukee smiled. “I have a brother, too. He met up with Liam soon after poor old Dad met his fate. We spent a very long time planning this. Hank happened to dig his way out of his imprisonment just a little bit too late to be of enough help to do you any good now, huh? A few days earlier, and he could have kept you from the predicament you're now in. But the little bastard is on the island, I'll bet,” Sukee said.

Hinnerman said, “It
is
an island. He's not going anywhere.”

“So you're planning on killing all of us here, then going to Seafire Isle and killing everyone there?” Adam asked.

Hinnerman smiled in reply.

“Sam doesn't know where the ship is,” Adam insisted.

“Sam hasn't wanted to know where the ship is because Sam has known she'd find her old man's body on it,” Liam said flatly. “Now she can find the ship or I can start killing people.”

“You can't just kill everyone,” Adam began.

Hinnerman turned his gun on Joey Emerson. He fired. Sue screamed. Joey fell, clutching his shoulder.

“Want me to keep shooting?” Hinnerman asked Adam politely.

“Jem, get the first-aid kit,” Sam said quickly.

“Sam, if you don't want to see anyone else bleeding and in pain, you'd better start suiting up.”

“Am I supposed to dive alone?” she demanded.

“I'll go with her,” Adam offered.

“Oh, no, not you, he-man!” Sukee said sweetly. “You're just a little bit too dangerous. I'll be going with Sam while Liam and his Magnum keep you all company up here.”

“It's all right, Adam,” Sam said, looking at him. But oddly enough, Adam wasn't looking at her. He was looking beyond her.

Day was just beginning to dawn. Blackness had receded. A crimson sky allowed them to see the foam-tipped waves rising all around them.

What the hell was he looking at? Sam wondered.

And what in God's name was she going to do? She was fairly certain that she actually did know where to find the ship.

Oh, God…

“Miss Carlyle, Jerry has been a real pain in the ass lately. If you don't move quickly, I think I'll shoot her next. Right in the kneecap. Not a lethal shot, but one that will cause her excruciating pain.

“I'll get my suit,” Sam said flatly. She turned to get her equipment.

“Better get suited up yourself,” Hinnerman told Sukee.

“Yeah, all right.” Sukee followed Sam, smiling as she carefully slipped her gun into a pocket of her jacket. She kept her distance from Sam while she shed the jacket. “Don't get any ideas, Sammy. I can see it in your eyes, you'd love to make a grab for my jacket—and my gun. Liam will shoot Jerry if you make one false move. Take my word on that.” She smiled and started toward Liam. He took the jacket, then Sukee walked to Sam to put on a dive suit. “You going to be okay up here?” she called to Liam.

“Yep,” Liam assured her. “I won't mind killing anyone who moves.”

“You'll just have to be fast to do it,” Adam said matter-of-factly.

“What?” Hinnerman demanded.

“Look, look out there! On the water!” Adam said.

Hinnerman spun around, firing blindly and automatically.

And as he did, Adam took his chance.

He leaped on Hinnerman and sent them both catapulting over the port railing and into the water.

Sam didn't dare risk the time to glance overboard.

Sukee's jacket had gone overboard with Liam, she was certain. And without her gun, Sukee was just an obnoxious little half-pint bitch.

Who'd been willing to kill them all.

Sam grabbed her by the shoulder. She'd never really taken a good solid punch at anyone's face in all her life.

The ability to do so now came with amazing ease.

Her right knuckles connected with Sukee's jaw. Sukee screeched, trying to sock Sam in return. She made an ineffectual lunge for Sam's stomach, but Sam didn't feel the blow at all. She clenched her fist again, and this time caught Sukee beneath her jaw. Sukee swore, ranted and tried to strike Sam again. She missed completely. Sam struck her once again.

Sukee screamed wildly, clutching her face, falling to the floor. “You've broken my nose, you bitch. You've broken my nose!”

Sam swung around. Half of the
Sloop Bee
's passengers were staring at her.

The other half were staring over the port side of the boat. “Can you see them?” Sam demanded, ignoring Sukee, who was moaning on the deck.

“No!” Yancy cried to her.

“I'm going after them,” Jem said, diving into the water.

They heard shots coming from the water. Someone still had a gun.

It didn't matter. Jem was already over the side.

Sam swore, zipping up the suit she was already half into. James Jay Astin was reading her mind, standing next to her, ready to help her into her vest and cylinder. Jerry was behind him with her mask and fins. She accepted both, looking at Jerry.

Her mother.

What a night.

Psychologically, of course, she would never get over it.

But she
would
get past it.

And she would help Jerry get past it with her. It was just that right now…