Cruise, page 20
Wink, an inexperienced diver, was nevertheless terrified once the hood was closed on her wet suit. Her arms and legs, already bound with nylon straps, were stuffed into the suit’s sheaths, pressing the limbs together even more and making her immediately more uncomfortable than when she was in her cell in the habitat. The mouthpiece they inserted into her small mouth was really too big and fit badly, forcing her lips and teeth apart and making breathing more difficult. Having been gagged for so long anyway, the mouthpiece just added to her overall anxiety. But she knew that she had to keep it in her mouth, no matter what and locked her jaws onto the fitted biteplate as she was loaded into the airlock and it was quickly flooded. The twin sounds of air rushing out of the airlock and water coming in were terrifying for the bound and blind woman. The cold saltwater quickly covered her and the others and then the outside doors opened with a hiss of compressed air and they were each dragged outside and placed in their assigned positions on the sea floor. The harnesses were hooked up and the Sea Sled took off, jerking the towline hard and dragging the six bound and suited bodies along the sandy bottom until forward speed and altitude finally lifted them higher as they twirled along behind the sled. This was no joy ride for any of the women. Nothing any of them had ever experienced compared to the multiple sensations they were experiencing. Speeding along through the sea, occasionally bumping into each other or projections from the bottom, they often coursed up and down or in twirling circles as the sled navigated through the shallows offshore and then plunged into deeper water. They headed for the rendezvous with the freighter moored at an off shore buoy used by ships awaiting clearance to enter the port.
Wink tried to accustom herself to the experience. Twice she was dragged along the bottom and she felt the impact of small stone and shells on her breasts and chest which were the most forward and exposed body portions in the suit. The sand and stones moving hard and quickly over her front were, she realized suddenly, not altogether a bad sensation. The 3 mil thickness of the suit both insulated and accentuated the stimulation of the rough bottom as she was dragged along, bounding up and down through the water and sand. At one point, a rock nearly dislodged her mask and Wink fought to clear the flood of incoming water and somehow reseat the mask on her partly exposed face. The other girls fared somewhat better, although this was merely a matter of chance because they were nearer to the sled and thus the arcs that they swung in behind the vehicle were not as wide as those suffered by Wink.
Approaching the freighter, the sled slowed, but the water was so deep here that the towed packages simply hung lower in the water, but did not contact the bottom. Entry to the freighter was through an underwater ramp that was lowered from the amidships portion of the hull. The ramp descended low enough for the sled to slip in and ground out inside the flooded hull. The towed bodies followed and slid along the ramp’s surface until the sled stopped and all towed bodies were inside the enclosed hull. Then the ramp retracted and the water was pumped out of the landing area.
Handlers from the Carlos Andiamo entered the area, unfastened the towlines and harnesses from the six inert bodies, removing the mouthpieces and the tank harness as well. Then the bodies were loaded on wheeled carts, two to a cart, and taken inside the ship. As soon as the area was cleared, it was again flooded, the sled departed and returned to the habitat. The wet suited captives were stowed in a clearing section until they could be unsuited and placed in their shipping containers, which were really little more than large coffins with all of the necessary accessories to keep the contents alive and well during the journey. Although the girls had been told that they would travel in much the same way as they had been kept in the habitat, they didn’t know that while enroute to their new homes, they would be getting additional training and some body modifications, including special jewelry.
Lying on the cool steel deck of the ship with only her mouth and nose exposed, Wink wondered what would happen next.
Chapter Twenty Six
Finding Jean
Following the leads they got from Naomi and Joan, Bibi and her shore team went to the old fort but found nothing indicating that the Norquists and Johnsons had ever been there. Exasperated by not being able to reach the yacht after multiple radio calls, they decided go back to Altuna, regroup and perhaps search for the freighter. They left the two turncoat women in the safe house for the time being.
Once they reached the yacht, it was clear that something was very wrong. To begin with, there was no one on deck. No watch keepers on the bridge and no evidence of anyone on board. The team began their search at once.
What saved Groff was Bibi’s unrelenting search of the yacht’s many unidentified spaces. Purely by chance, Bibi investigated aft of the turbine room and, seeking to find some place a bit cooler, opened a watertight door that was usually locked. No one saw her slip into the darkened passageway and when she closed the door, it was totally black.
Bibi waited for her eyes to adjust, hoping that perhaps some light source might become evident. Lacking that, she turned on the tiny finger LED that she had in her pocket and surveyed the passageway. It was short and headed aft where she found another watertight door and this one too was unlocked, the securing lever left just slightly off center and thus keeping the lock from setting. She opened the door slowly and was greeted by a dimly lit tunnel with circular two-foot wide portholes along both sides. Putting her light away and moving quietly in her usual bare feet, Bibi slid along the bulkhead, peering into the glass ports and trying to figure out what was being stored there. Further along, she noticed that one port emitted a dim light. Stopping at the side of this one, Bibi eased around the edge, just enough to peer through the glass and into the dimly lit interior.
She couldn’t believe what she saw. It was Jean Groff, chained down to the floor of a large tank. She was gagged and held close to the deck by a short chain connected to a steel collar and additional chains on her arms and feet. Even more shocking was the woman standing over Groff with her back to the port, as she slowly beat Groff’s already bruised and scarred ass with what looked like a small version of a cat-o-nine-tails. Bibi shifted her position slightly, made sure she knew which tank she was looking at and then searched for a ladder or hatchway that would take her up one deck to the top of the tanks where she assumed there must be some sort of hatch. She found the ladder at the end of the gallery, climbed silently and peered over the edge of the open hatch. This was the intermediate deck, a sort of mezzanine that held the top hatches of the tanks. Bibi climbed onto the grated steel deck and eased herself down the narrow aisle until she was at the third tank top, which, not surprisingly, was slightly open and through which she heard the woman below talking to Jean. The whipping stopped and the woman was saying something about going to the Andiamo. Gagged, Jean made no comment. Turning to her left, the woman, who was, based on her uniform, a low ranking member of the yacht’s crew, but one that Bibi had never seen before, dropped her whip and turned to the ladder. She climbed it slowly, continuing to berate Groff with a stream of invective and insults. As she reached the top and was about to lift the hatch, it suddenly raised itself and then came down fast on her head and one hand that was on the lip of the hatch way. The woman screamed and let go of the edge, plunging back down into the tank. Bibi was into the hatch and down the ladder right behind her. The woman lay motionless on the steel flooring. Bibi poked her with a toe and then turned to Groff.
“Does she have the keys?” Bibi asked Jean, who was watching the scene with a mixture of surprise and relief. She nodded and mumbled something Bibi didn’t understand. Bibi bent over the unconscious body of the woman and went through her pockets, quickly finding the key set and turning to unlock the multiple cuffs and collars on Groff.
As soon as the gag was out of her mouth and her feet were free, Groff turned to her tormentor, kicked her hard in the ribs, and asked, “Is she dead?” The woman didn’t make a sound or move.
“Sure looks that way,” Bibi said, busy with the rest of the cuffs and locks.
“That makes one less I’ll have to deal with,” Jean said with venom in her voice.
“We need to get you out of here and cleaned up,” said Bibi, helping Jean up the ladder and looking with concern at the multiple layers of scars and wounds all over her friend’s slim body.
“Screw that,” said Groff, reaching the top of the ladder. “As soon as I get some clothes, I’m going topside and put a nine millimeter hole in Anna’s thick skull.”
“Did she put you here?” Bibi asked as they moved slowly along the grating of the deck, headed for their cabins.
“No question about it. She apparently leads the gangs on board and is working to help someone connected with your buddy, Brillcart, to take over the ship, just as soon as all of the guests and crew are either eliminated or taken to the slave camp on the island.”
“From the looks of things, everyone else is already gone,” said Bibi.
“Shit,” spat Groff, still rubbing her sore wrists. “How long have I been down here?”
“Long enough for things to get totally fucked up,” replied Bibi. “And did you say something about Anna and Brillcart?”
“None other,” said Groff with an uncharacteristic hiss in her voice. They were now in the corridor leading to Groff’s cabin and were being extremely cautious. They knew that as soon as they entered the private cabin space, the entry key code could be monitored to show someone in the room and that would give them little time to prepare to the likely hostile response.
“Is the captain in on this too?” asked Bibi. “Cause she’s gone as well.”
“I don’t think so. In fact, it was my impression that Ingram, Norquist and the loyal team are locked up like I was.”
“You open the gun safe and then get some clothes on. I want a couple of items from there and then we go to my cabin and further arm ourselves,” Bibi said, checking the peephole in the door and double locking it while Groff opened her room safe, quickly washed face and upper body and slipped into a black jumpsuit and rubber-soled boots. She stopped for a moment, once she was dressed and helped Bibi rummage around for knives and the two automatic pistols in the safe. She took three clips of ammunition, shoving it into the jump suit’s pockets and giving the rest to Bibi. In less than five minutes since they arrived at the cabin, they were armed. Ready to leave and head for the bridge, they heard a telltale sound in the hallway, the sound of something metal hitting the steel, water tight door. Both women froze and then silently moved to either side of the doorway. Bibi reached over and released the door lock. Then they waited.
It was a short wait. The door was suddenly slammed open and Anna Flores and two other crew women charged into the cabin. All three had black guns, semi automatic rifles, and this proved to be their undoing. The rifles were aimed forward and the invaders were unable to bring the muzzles of their weapons to bear before the defenders attacked. Bibi moved first and cut Flores down with a single forceful karate chop with the edge of her right hand to Anna’s neck, sending the tall woman sprawling on the deck. Groff drove her knee into the side of one accomplice, making her drop the rifle and try to turn to face Groff, who put the automatic pistol to the back of the other one’s head. Bibi swung her pistol at the second woman, connecting with her cheek and opening a deep and immediately bloody cut. In a few seconds, the three attackers had been disarmed and hurt badly enough to disable them.
Bibi shut the door after a quick check of the empty corridor. Checking all three for any other weapons, Bibi and Groff quickly bound and gagged them with nylon hose, duct tape and a variety of clothing from the duffels and drawers in the cabin. When they finished, the three attackers sat in the two wicker side chairs and the desk chair, shaking their heads and trying to figure out where they went wrong.
At that moment, there was a light knock on the door and six more of the rescue team appeared. Bibi and Groff briefed them and then turned back to Anna.
“Anna,” Groff said with a decided lack of friendliness in her voice. “I am in a very, very bad mood and want to repay you for your recent additions to my complexion, but there is no time, so I’ll just ask once and if you don’t give me the answers I want, I will shoot you in each major joint until you do. Knees first, Honey, so you won’t be skateboarding any time soon. Get it?”
Anna, who had been watching Bibi, not Groff, turned her head and nodded slightly. Bibi took out the scarf that held a dirty pair of panties in Anna’s mouth and then backed away, knowing that if she stayed too close, her adrenalin-fueled anger would overcome her good judgment and she would beat the shit out of the ship’s third officer before she told them what they needed to know.
“Okay,” said Groff. “What’s going on here? Do you know where Mrs. Norquist and the four girls are?”
Anna shook her head and then uttered a quiet “No.”
“Who do you work for?” Groff pressed. “And don’t tell me Norquist or the Captain.”
“My orders come from Amsterdam. They are coded and look like ordinary e-mails. I was assigned to plan and orchestrate this operation to put an end to Norquist’s meddling in foreign matters that are none of his business. Kidnapping his wife and daughters simply turned out to be the most expedient way to do this.”
“So why lock me up and have me beaten?”
“Two reasons,” said Anna, smiling slightly. “One, you are fun to play with and we needed a toy. Two, we figured your partner would follow you and then we’d have you both out of the way. There are parties in Europe who have indicated a willingness to pay well for you both.”
“Such as?’ Bibi interjected.
“I don’t know who. They just make the requests. They pay me in a Swiss account. You two took the wrong contract and it just happened that the purposes of my masters and your pursuers crossed somewhere, making this all very convenient. By the way,” Flores added, smiling more now. “You aren’t going to get out of here, no matter what do you to me.”
“Oh,” said Bibi, jumping into the interrogation that she thought was going too slowly. “You think that you are in a position to stop us?”
“No. Not me. But your little friend, Karine, is already undergoing some intense sex slave training and I don’t think she’ll survive it much longer unless you turn yourself in.”
“What did you say?” Bibi spat, lowering her face within an inch of Ann’s.
“Brillcart has her,” Anna said quietly. “He’s enjoying it. The only way she will survive is if we take you to him.”
“What’s Brillcart want with me,” Bibi said, trying hard to control herself.
“There is a little debt. You interfered with another operation in Prague and one of his agents died and a lot of others were arrested and are now in prison. He’s pissed.”
“How do you know this? Prove it,” said Bibi, waving her pistol under Anna’s nose.
“Fuck you. I don’t have to prove anything to you.”
“Why is that?” Groff asked, staring intently at Anna and glancing for a moment at the other two silent and bound attackers who were listening and watching the questioning carefully.
“This yacht is under our control,” said Anna with a grim smile. “We have over twenty of our people here and they are already setting charges which will go off soon, even if I don’t show up at the rally point.”
“What time is that set for?” Groff asked, moving closer and suddenly swinging the pistol, butt first, into Anna’s left ear. The sound of the gun butt colliding with flesh seemed to snap everyone in the room out of the trancelike state. Anna’s head snapped sideways and blood began seeping from her ear.
“It won’t matter,” Flores said, trying to recover her control and shaking her head slightly.
“Maybe not,” said Bibi, taking aim at Anna’s left knee and firing the pistol through a small pillow taken from the couch. Anna screamed as the bullet skinned her thigh, just above the knee.
“You sure you don’t want to fill us in on the rest of this,” spat Bibi, taking aim at Anna’s other knee. “You’ve got three more chances…”
“No. Nooooo,” Anna screamed. “Okay. Okay. The captain, Norquist and loyal crew alive and well are in the helicopter hanger. Everyone else is on my side, including a gang that came aboard yesterday during the shift charges. They boarded…oh God, my leg; can you get me a shot for the pain? I’ll tell you everything, I swear.”
“No deal,” said Bibi. “I want to know where Karine is, how much time we have and where the charges are. NOW!” she shouted, taking careful aim with the Walther at Anna’s other leg.
“No. No wait,” shouted Anna, grinding her teeth in pain. “If nothing changes, my people will off load in the next thirty minutes. The charges are set and timed to go off at twenty-two hundred hours. There are six of them. Locations are on a notebook computer that Dharbo, one of the men who came aboard yesterday, has in his backpack. It’s synched to the ship’s computer system, so he can detonate the charges remotely at any time. I think there’s a copy on a smart phone that one of his men has as a backup. That’s all I know.”
The other two bound and gagged women were yelling into their gags and struggling to free themselves, partly out of fear that their legs were about to look like Anna’s and also because they were not as sanguine as she was about being blown up. They made continuous noises behind their gags and Groff decided that they might have something to add in exchange for being let go before the yacht exploded into a billion small pieces.
