Ladyfish (28 page)

Jose slumped over the console.

Jack pulled the cable ties from his pocket and secured Jose’s wrists and ankles before pulling him from the console chair and rolling him to the edge of the cockpit. He pulled his phone from his pocket and hit the speed dial.

“Yeah.”

“Set off now. By the time you reach me, I should have them secure.”

“What are the coordinates?”

Jack checked the readout of the GPS console and rattled off the numbers before disconnecting. He went back down the stairs to the dive deck and waited.

Oz and Finn broke the surface of the water and made their way to the boat. When they reached the dive ladder, there was no sign of Carlos to help them from the water.

“Carlos! Are you there?” When he didn’t answer, Oz pulled her flippers from her feet and handed them to Finn. “Will you hold these for me? I’ll get on board and ditch my BCD then I’ll give you all a hand out. Okay?” Finn took hold of the flippers as Oz climbed up the ladder, sat down, and unclipped her BCD. She quickly unfastened the tank and stowed it as she headed back to the ladder for Finn.

“Carlos?” she yelled toward the head. “We could use a hand out here. Hurry it up. Jose, where’s that good-for-nothing boy of yours?” she hollered up the stairs before going to help Finn at the back of the boat, the hairs at the back of her neck standing on end. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

She took her flippers from Finn and waited a minute as Finn took off her own gear and handed it up. She pulled herself up the ladder, and Oz helped her out of her BCD when she got on board.

“Where’s Carlos?”

“Don’t know. I can’t actually hear anyone at all. Something doesn’t feel right.”

Finn’s eyes widened and her focus shifted to the left of Oz.

In the next instant, Oz felt cold metal press against her temple and the clicking metallic ring as a gun was cocked.

“Thank you, Decker. If she does that again, feel free to shoot her. Ms. Zuckerman, I presume.” The British accent was silky smooth. “Daniela, you have caused your father no end of heartache over this woman. He has something of a dilemma to deal with now. Peter is so very upset about all this business.”

“Communing with spirits now, Jack? I thought you were my father’s bodyguard, not a communications expert.”

“So you have heard the unfortunate news. He flicked the gun toward the benches lining the back of the boat. “Take a seat, ladies.”

Oz didn’t move. The blow was quick and hard against the back of her skull. She staggered forward before dropping to one knee. Finn held out her hands to catch her, but Oz shook her head and rose quickly, using the back of her head to connect painfully with the bridge of Jack’s nose. The nauseating crunch of bone and cartilage filled the air, and blood poured down his face. She started to turn, ready to face him, but the blow to the head slowed her reaction time.

“Fucking bitch!” He raised the gun and struck the back of her head again, laughing as she stumbled to the deck.

“Oz, no!” Finn reached forward, but Jack grabbed her and shoved her roughly onto the bench seat.

“I said, take a seat.”

Finn stared defiantly at him as she reached out and helped Oz to the bench next to her. Oz pressed her hand to the back of her head and winced as blood oozed through her fingers.

“What do you want, Jack?”

“Your father sent me to bring you home.” He pointed the gun at her as he moved closer, leaning forward to bring his eyes level with her as he smiled.

“He could have asked me himself. He knows the number.”

“He didn’t feel you would be receptive to the idea. What with new developments.” He waved the gun in Oz’s direction, without taking his eyes off Finn.

“That doesn’t explain what you’re doing here. We’re on a boat, if you hadn’t noticed?”

“You didn’t make it easy to find you, Daniela. Moving from the hotel to that old lady’s house and then to a naval base. I should have remembered how much you liked those aquariums as a child, but I’m here now. That’s all that matters. Quite a good bit of detective work, if I do say so myself.” He sounded proud of himself. His chest puffed out. Just a bit.

“Aren’t we lucky.” Finn didn’t see the blow coming as her head whipped around. Her cheek stung, but she refused to raise her hand despite the uncomfortable heat that grew. “Careful, Jack. Did my dad give you permission to do that?” He blanched and she knew she’d hit a soft spot. “Better be careful. I understand my dad isn’t someone you want to cross.”

“No, he isn’t. You should have thought about that before you decided to desert him.”

“Yeah, but I’m not on his payroll. I can afford a thought of my own.” She knew if she could keep his attention fixed on her, he wouldn’t hurt Oz. It seemed that while her father wanted her unharmed, he didn’t have the same concerns for Oz.

“You don’t have a clue, little girl.”

“Jack, is it?” Oz said. Her voice sounded rough and she spit a bit of blood at his feet.

“Yes.”

“What’s the plan here? You can’t take us back to the marina or the docks since too many people will see you with us.”

The blow was vicious. A thin cut opened on her cheek where the butt of the gun struck her. The blood trickled slowly down her skin before dripping onto the deck. Finn heard her own gasp and tried to move toward Oz, stopping only when she saw Oz shake her head the tiniest bit while looking straight at her.

“That was a little unnecessary wasn’t it? We’re just talking here, Jack.”

“Shut up, you fucking bitch!”

A thrumming noise caught their attention. Finn watched Jack as the motorboat pulled alongside them. The man on board slowed, tossed a line to Decker, and they made short work of securing the rib to the dive boat. He climbed aboard.

“What the fuck happened to you?” The man was tall and wiry with tattoos down his arms and a shock of red hair glinting in the sun.

Jack nodded in Oz’s direction. “Bitch decided to try and be clever.” He tossed a couple of cable ties at him. “Secure her wrists and let’s get out of here.”

They quickly cuffed Oz’s and Finn’s hands behind their backs using more cable ties and then dragged them to their feet. Jack kept his hand tight around Finn’s arm and led her to the back of the boat.

“Get in.” He shoved her toward the edge of the
Eleanor Rose
.

“I can’t. I have no balance with my hands tied behind like this. Unfasten them and I’ll get in.” She screamed as he pushed her roughly and she landed on the harsh wooden deck of the smaller vessel, making her knees take all her body weight. Another set of hands gripped her arms and dragged her to the side of the deck.

“Get the fuck off me.” Oz tried to shrug them off her arms.

Finn watched helplessly as Oz was pushed off the
Eleanor Rose
. She twisted during her fall and landed on her shoulder. The sickening crunch and the odd angle when Oz pulled herself to her feet told her that she had dislocated the joint, but she didn’t make a sound.

Finn heard herself cry out again as a black hood was pulled over her head and her world went dark. She jumped as she felt skin touch her own, but it took only a second to recognize the warm flesh. It was Oz, her arm pressing gently against her own flesh. They didn’t speak as they waited.

Finn could feel the fear rising in her as she sat, blinded by the hood, her cheek throbbing and her head aching. The heavy scent of diesel fumes filled the air as the engine roared back into life and they left the dive boat behind. Every lurch of the boat across the waves stirred corresponding waves of nausea that threatened to overtake her, and she worked hard to quell the bile rising in her throat. She thought she had accepted the truth of the man her father was, but she wasn’t even close. He wanted to talk to her, so he had her kidnapped. What about her friends on the boat? Were they dead because her father wanted to speak to her? Or was it beyond that point now? Was it her death he wanted? She felt Oz move beside her, and her tears started falling inside the hood. Her cheek stung like hell and she didn’t want to think about the pain Oz must be in. She hated that she had let Oz convince her to stay, knowing that if she had left two days ago like she had planned, Oz would have been safe. She cursed her own foolishness for believing she would ever have happiness in her life. Now that foolishness would cost them both. She didn’t want to consider how high that price would be, but images of the gun in Jack’s hand were all she could see.

Oz felt the boat slowing down. The diesel fumes weren’t blowing away like they had before. The thickening air made her stomach turn, and she fought the urge to vomit. A series of bumps and scuffles, followed by the sound of water lapping gently against the side of the boat told her they had docked.

Hands gripped her shoulders roughly and dragged her from her seat. Pain seared through her shoulder, the bones grating against one another, and she tried to keep her feet as she was pushed onto the jetty.

She could hear Finn stumbling and shuffling across the deck of the boat. She heard her whimper and fought back the rage at the thought of one of the men with his hands all over her. She shuffled to her feet, trying to find her footing, but the uneven wooden decking made it impossible and she tripped, falling to one knee.

“For fuck’s sake, stand her up.” Jack’s voice was harsh as he spat the words from his lips. She felt two sets of hands grabbing at her and dragging her to her feet.

“Fuck, have you seen her shoulder?”

“I don’t give a shit if her arm falls off, Decker. Just get them both inside.”

“No. I won’t—”

She heard a sharp slap and then the sound of a body hitting the floor.

“Boss, I don’t think that’s a very good—”

“I’m surprised you think at all, Decker. Now pick her the fuck up and get them both inside.”

She heard Finn groan and assumed one of them had slung her over his shoulder. Then she heard the unmistakable sound of someone throwing up. She was glad the hood hid her smile as she pictured Finn vomiting all over her captor. The hands around her arms loosened and she worked methodically at her cuffs. As painful as it was, the dislocated shoulder allowed her to twist unnaturally and gave her the space she needed to escape her bindings with a little time. She wished she could see, but right now she had to depend on her abilities without vision. With Finn in danger, it was imperative she keep her head.

“That’s fucking disgusting. It’s all down the back of my trousers.”

“Stop being such a girl, Decker. Get her inside.”

The hands on her arms tightened again, forcing her to stop working against her bonds, and urged her forward. She listened intently for anything that would give her a clue as to where they were. The gentle lapping of the ocean against rocks and the wooden jetty made her think they were on a private island in the Keys. She felt the spray of sprinklers against her skin as they flung a never-ceasing stream of water across the lawn. She stumbled up some steps, her dislocated arm jerked upward with the awkward movements. The temperature changed, and air-conditioning chilled her skin as they entered a building. She couldn’t help the groan that left her lips as she was pushed down onto a chair, her arm twisted painfully against the backrest.

“Fuck, Decker, you stink man!”

“Ha, ha. Very funny, you little prick.”

“Decker, go and change.” Jack’s authoritative voice echoed through the room, and the man scurried away.

“She’s here,” Jack said and waited a beat before the louder snap of a phone closing rang out. She heard fabric rustle then the sound of someone sitting on upholstery a few feet away. “He won’t be long now.” He sounded happy. Confident. Cocky.

She felt the tension knotting between her shoulder blades, and sweat trickled down her spine. She managed to get her wrist in a workable position, the movement forcing contact with Finn. Her heart soared to feel her skin touching Finn’s and she took a chance that the hood would muffle almost any soft sound she made. “Finn, baby, I’ve almost got my cuffs off. If you can distract them for a few minutes, I can get us out of this.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

“How?”

“I didn’t dislocate my shoulder by accident. It’s the only way to get out of these damn ties—”

“Stop fucking whispering!”

She heard movement then the light stung her eyes as he ripped the hood off her head. His face was only inches from hers, and the stench of his breath turned her stomach.

“Did you think I couldn’t hear you whispering?” He leaned closer. “Now tell me what you were saying.” He wrapped his fingers around her throat and her arms jerked against the ties.

“Jack, I was the one talking.”

“Saying what?”

“I was telling her I loved her.”

He removed his hand, and she sucked in a deep breath. Her relief was short-lived when he yanked Finn’s hood off and dragged her from the chair.

He laughed as he pulled her tight against him, his face barely an inch from hers. “I watched you.” He put his nose to her hair and inhaled deeply. “For years, he’s had me watch you.” He pulled the hair back off her neck and dragged his tongue across her skin before biting down hard.

Oz wanted to wrap her hands around his neck as she saw Finn’s body jerk, and she knew Finn was fighting back the urge to scream.

“Could you feel me?” He nipped on her earlobe and slid his hands down to her ass, pulling her tight against him. “Could you feel me watching you?” He turned her around so her back was pressed against him and she was facing Oz.

Oz looked straight at Finn, the anger she felt turning to cold, hard rage. The revulsion in Finn’s eyes tore holes in her soul as she tried to control her breathing and focus on the task at hand. There was nothing she could do for Finn until she was out of the cuffs.

“Dear Daddy made me watch you, and all the time he knew.” He grabbed roughly at Finn’s breast, squeezing her hard through her wet suit until she cried out. “Do you know what he knew?”

Oz watched tears roll down Finn’s cheeks. She stared at the wall, her face blank.