Utah looked at Barett then back to the main salon sitting area behind the bridge. The girls had all gathered there, having scavenged clothes from the various cabins former occupants. They were reliving the harrowing escapes and strangeness of the evening. The brothers knew that this was all part of dealing with combat and the letdown of adrenalin. Somehow your body wanted more of the drug, and retelling the events kept some flowing in your blood, it made the letdown easier. Rick came up from the lower level and gazed at the girls then over to his brothers, smiling at the women he slide into the bridge and closed the door behind him.
"Looks like everyone fared ok, but I am almost dying for lack of good food." Rick joked and nudged Utah who had been eyeing the kitchen since they acquired the yacht.
"Yeah I was thinking of putting something together. I'm sure we could all use a little snack, perhaps a little food would do us good."
Utah nodded to Barett to take the wheel and he headed back into the salon. Barett looked over to Rick and pointed to the signal Jammer he had stolen.
"I think we can use this to hook into the main antennas and get some signal coming in; find out what the latest intel is."
Rick nodded and was soon fast at work pulling out wires and attaching various cables from the high tech media array on the boat to the jammer and radio equipment Barett had brought up. It wasn't long before they found a BBC news broadcast but the program only spoke of more bombs and bad news.
29 comments:
Barett listened intensly to the BBC world broadcast. Five more of the EMP pulse bombs had gone off, London, Zurich, Frankfurt, Mumbai, Tokyo and Hong Kong. All of them had been hit, the entire financial markets of the major players in the banking area devastated in one day. Only New York stood untouched. The reality of what this all meant was just settling on him when Bianca opened the sliding door and smilled at him.
"Care to join us for some Crepes, Deacon is quite the cook...very surprising." She was wearing a white linen, low cut sun dress, and some white sandels. Barett noticed again how attractive she was, and her presence was a needed distraction.
" I'd love to join you, Deacon's food is to die for. Just let me finish hooking the radio up to the sound system and pump in the news to the Salon." He smiled back at her and went to work on the radio.
Rick leaned over to him and slugged him in the shoulder.
"Nice work, your becoming a real player. Now what do you think all this bomb nonsense has to do with the zombies, or does it ?"
Barett shrugged his shoulders.
"What do you think ? "
Rick Shrugs his shoulders back at Barett.
" Look several things don't add up, it felt like they were always one step ahead of us. They out numbered us, and the sniper on the tower and the castle, nice touches, proves that we are dealing with a enemy that has resources, timing and ingenuity. We don't even know who the real enemy is, thats the part the sucks."
Rick sat back in the chair, breathing in deep, then exhaling slowly.
Barett looked over the stolen boat and equipment.
" I agree, those zombies are medically altered, not virus driven. They seem to sense and respond to certain smells and sights, Utah and I think one of our guests is a target for them, I'm guessing its Carla. what do you think ?"
The question was heavy and added to the stress that was almost palpable in the bridge. Carla was his good friend and he felt a sense of responsible for her. She had been the one to call him in the middle of the night in a panic over their Russian friend Monique that started all of this. Before he answered, Rick turned and looked back through the glass wall that divided the salon from the bridge. The door Bianca had pocked her head in had closed and the sound between them was muted as Rick and Barett couldn’t make out what Utah’s “entertaining” of the ladies was. However, the difference in moods between the salon and the bridge was as different as burnt-out oil and fresh water.
It was instantly obvious that Carla was missing but the two couldn’t help but watched Bianca’s hips and buttocks sway hypnotically under the texturized fit-n flare white summer dress as she moved to the back of the salon to join the others. Utah was behind the bar while the princess sat just opposite him in the middle of the three stools. Rick and Barett could clearly see that she was watching Utah closely as he joked, flirted, and surreptitiously showed off his muscles, as he almost without thought, whipped up what looked to be one of his signature “impossibly good” meals.
Maria sat on other side of the princess next to the glass sliding door, donning a green bikini top that was tantalizing exposed through the laced corset-style deep “V” neckline mini dress she had found. She looked up for a second and made eye contact with Rick before her attention returned to Utah, a slow sly smile creeping on her face. Bianca slid onto the open seat next to the princess, engrossed with whatever Utah was saying.
Rick and Barett spotted Carla outside on the dark deck. She was smoking one of her strange cigarette, her back to the cabin. She had changed into a navy blue ribbed halter maxi dress, her bare legs crossed as she leaned against the frame of the yacht. Her frame was a silhouette of grace and thoughtful loneliness.
“You think it’s her?”
“The thing that tipped me off was when she came out to help shoot at the zombies as we were moving out into the bay. The minute she came out onto the deck, the zombies almost all surged forward into the water.”
“But why Carla? What is it about her other than her order that would warrant the extreme type of reaction we saw here tonight? Making thousands of zombies to take out one girl doesn’t make any sense.” Rick countered not to argue but to think things through.
“I think there may be more to Carla than she is letting on.”
“I don’t know. I would bet on Shelia being the double-broker a hundred times before putting it on Carla.” Rick said as he turned and slowed the yacht down and killed the engines. They hadn’t told the others about the bombings yet. It was going to be another massive blow to everyone. And if Barett’s suspicions were correct, they were going to have to do something about it and Rick was sure that even casting mistrust on Carla would be folly.
“I think we need to have a pow wow out here before we jump into any else. I feel like we are walking a little too close to the edge on this one to have a clear perspective of who the enemy really is. We need to think and plan our next few moves carefully. Running back to Split may not be our best option. If we have a mole, I am sure they will be waiting for us.”
“Let’s test her reaction,” Barett said. “Before I switch on the radio and dump the news about the bombing let’s gather them together and tell them first. You tell them and I’m going to watch Carla for her reaction.”
“Right, I think we need to set up a radio scanner to see if there are any transmissions.” But then Ricked paused as he thought about something. “But I doubt that is what we are dealing with. If Carla is the target and they keep finding her, she must have some sort of RFID on . . . or in her. All you would need to pull it off is put a passive tag on her and hit it with a pre-determined radio frequency and voila, you have her.”
The two brothers stared at each other in silence.
“Do you have anything that could detect it?” Barett asked.
“Nothing here, but I could if I can get back to my car I have my radiogoniometer and we could sniff out any RFID.”
Barett looked back out at the party going on in the Main Salon, and Carla out on the deck.
" look, I don't know this Bianca girl at all, the Princess could be a liability or an asset, we just can't tell yet and with Shelia missing in action we are limited on what we can truly know to be correct or safe. I'm not saying Carla is the spy or double agent, but she was just held captive, could have a plant on her, she's not aware of. Perhaps we should be trying to protect her, not condemn her. But like Pappa used to say 'Trust no one'.
I say we tip our hand to no one. The three of us play the happy go lucky hired muscle and see what the others share with us. Find out what Maria and Dave were up to and why Dave abandoned Maria and broke contact with me. If we divide and isolate each one of the girls, that will leave Carla alone. Set up the cameras to watch her and see what she does, if each of us are watching one of the girls and keeping a spare eye on Carla we will soon discover what we are dealing with, I hope."
Rick looked over at Barett, nodded and looked at what little equipment he had to do all this with.
" I can set up only two camera's, they are some security ones built into the ship, black and white but they should let us monitor the Bridge with the radio equipment and the Main Salon. If we suggest that Carla sleeps in the Main Salon we can watch those two area's remotely and see what happens. When we talk about the bombs I will record everyone's reactions so that we can review it later, see if we catch anyone else."
Rick moves over to the security system and connects it to his laptop, busily typing something into the coding.
Barett finishes wiring the radio's up and nods to Rick, who is closing up his laptop and readying himself for some emotional heavyhandedness.
They slide open the door and step in together, the smooth muscled approaches of two cats hunting one prey.
Barett saddles up to Bianca and steals a crepe from her plate popping it in his mouth before she can stop him.
" I don't think we are that familiar Sir." She teasingly says to him.
" Well......we can change that rapidly, beside I just saved your life...I'm entitled to some lienency I think ?" Barett says smoothly.
" I was wondering when that was going to be brought up...what do you think that entitles you to, mister roach ?" She falls into the flirting game with him, seductivly eating some icecream like treat Utah had put out on the table.
" Thats Sir Mister Roach, I'm sure I've been knighted by a queen or someone like that before. I expect no more than any other man who has done the same for you, and how many has that been ?" Barett is getting into the flirting good now, glancing at Rick ocasionally to make sure he doesn't cross the line as he often does.
" Oh a real lady will never divulge such numbers, you do find me to be a Lady don't you, Sir Roach?" Her voice all sweet and laced with sexual inuendo.
Thats when the Princess breaks in, her voice a little to excited.
" I'm a real Princess, and I've never heard of you Sir, nor have I knighted any of you....But perhaps I should...I dub you Sir Roach of the Stolen Coach...yes and You Sir Rooster and You..." She waves her fork at Utah, a big smile coming across her face.
" and You Sir Deacon, I could make you a Prince."
Barett swears he can see Utah blush from the compliment and implied intentions of the princess.
Utah smiles back, waving his spatula in the air.
" What does a man have to do to be King then, My Lady ?" As he bows deeply her direction.
"Ah yes, well that depends on several things, how well he cooks, how well he fights, how well he loves..." She trails off, and stares out at Carla who is coming in from the outside.
Laughter erupts from Maria as she grabbed hold of both Bianca and Princess Rachael’s hands and pulled them to their feet. “You two are players aren’t you! Carla and I are going to have to watch you two closely.” She declared as she spun Princess Rachael who, schooled in dancing performs a ballet pirouette into the center of the room while Bianca stumbled slightly and exaggerated the misstep into a fall into Barett’s unsuspecting arms, the two falling to couch.
“Oh Rick, my hero,” Maria cried out in pretend distress and mocking as Rachael continued to dance in the center of the room. “You saved me from those devastating monsters. My body is yours! Ravage me.” And she fell towards him, her right arm raised, the back of her hand pressed against her forehead as if she were about to faint from the excitement.
Rick, caught off guard, barely got her as he dropped a number of maps he brought out into the room. It looked a lot less enjoyable that the tumble Barett took.
“Hey!” Utah cried out at Maria for stealing Rachael. “I was working here. And I was almost going to be a king! Why did you take her away?”
“We had to do something to protect the poor princess from her abductor you know.” Maria called back from Rick’s arms; who promptly dropped her onto the other couch and sat on her, pinning her down.
“You may resume your escapades, sir Deacon,” Rick said. “I have trapped the fiery rogue from interfering in your affairs.”
“Good, sir. I thank thee.” Utah said, as he removed his apron and stepped up to Rachael, gracefully taking her extended arm. “May I have this dance?”
Princess Rachael raised an eyebrow in question if he could dance and stepped from the ballet move she was performing into a graceful ballroom dancing position. Utah, surprising everyone, took her over hand and began to dance with her. Carla began clapping and laughing as Rick and Maria catcalled and whistled at the two.
With the others distracted, Bianca turned and stole a kiss from Barett who was just as happy to give it to her.
Strange, he thought. He knew everyone was stressed from the horrifying attach they had just undergone. This flirtatious silliness was therapeutic.
Carla smiled and seemed to relax a little in her face and body language.
It was hard for Barett to keep an eye on Carla and not fall for Bianca's moves. She moved fast like Barett, and liked the chase. He could feel her warm body pressed againest him, making contact in sensative areas on purpose. Barett responded in kind, using the couch as a excuse to move and shift, rubbing his body againest hers, until she ended up sitting in his lap sideways, legs straight out on the couch, while they watched Utah and the Princess dance. Barett let this go on for a few seconds then reached back to the radio control panel behind him.
He looked at Rick then flipped the switch.
" Lets get some music in here!"
Barett called out, knowing full well they would only get the BBC broadcast.
Barett was watching Carla's face, and trying to sense any body language signs that Bianca might be giving off, the girl stopped squirming in his lap the minute a body count figure popped up on the radio.
Barett leaned back to pretend to adjust the channel when everyone yelled stop!
For a full two minutes everyone just stopped still and listened.
The female BBC reporter, calmly read the list of reports on the injured or dead from the attacks. The totals were surprisingly high, initial reports indicated that over 5,000 were declared dead in London alone. Hong Kong and Tokyo were in the tens of thousands each, and on she went. Each one of the girls faces showed shock and fear, but Carla's indicated sadness and regret as well, like she knew this would happen eventually, but not so soon. Barett looked at Rick, then to Utah they all had the same thought running through their brains,
' This was a game changer, for Good ".
Every so often someone would chip in with a " I knew someone who lived there. " or a " I've been there just last year."
Soon Barett turned off the radio, and slide Bianca over onto a cushion of her own.
" So, this changes what we think about the long term, but not what we need to do about the short term."
He eyed the crowd, then turned to Utah.
" Deacon, it's your lead...where do you think we should go from here ?"
Utah wandered over to the bar and stood behind it like he was preparing to lecture in some college freshman class. He tapped the counter top, then stopped.
" We need to head back to the island, stop running and figure out what is so important about this place that someone would go to such expense and planning to drop millions of dollars in 'Medically created Zombies'...I can't make all of you go back, so those that need to go else where we can drop off on the coast outside of Split, and the rest of us head straight back to Hvar...to the far port that is not known to be infested."
Utah stared everyone down to make sure they understood what he was asking of them. Rick, Barett and Maria understood the implications, Carla more than most seemed to understand, the others didn't seem to and started acting nervous.
" Ok then, no need to make decisions right now, I'll stay on first watch, the rest of you get some shut eye, in four hours we will head for the shore, at that time make your decisions."
He stepped away from the bar and headed for the Bridge.
The girls just sat there in amazement at what had just changed in a few minutes. The Princess followed Utah into the Pilots bridge, while Bianca just sat on the long couch with Maria and Carla. Barett walked over to the bar and started loading up his plate.
" Dude, I love this boat, this is some fine food. No sense letting it go to waste...even if I didn't like actually buy it"
Barett stated to Rick, hoping to keep things light enough to keep everyone talking.
" I am always starving after killing zombies, I just can't explain it."
Rick cut in.
"When was the last time you were killing zombies ?"
"Just a few hours ago, thats why I'm so hungry...I mean think about it...semi-undead, groaning about...lots of running..it's like the undead Olympics"
Barett stuffed a whole crepe into his mouth and chewed noisely to make his point.
"Look I'm the only one that has done this twice, so like, I totally should be the hungriest...besides Deacon made me run all over town trying to find your sorry ass."
Rick countered, as he stuffed a even larger crepe into his mouth.
Soon Bianca, Maria and Carla got into the action, eating and daring each other to try some of the strange food bottled in the fridge.
The atmosphere turned almost instantly in to some frat party contest. As each hungry contestant tryed to 'one up' the next person, by stuffing strange combinations of food together into their mouths.
Soon they were laughing again and relaxing on the couch together, each one nursing a beverage of their choice.
Barett was snuggled up next to Bianca on the far end of the couch, next to the aft of the boat. She smelt great, and the warmth of her body was intoxicating. She had thrown a leg over his and was leaning her head on his shoulder listening to the banter between Maria and Rick.
" Hey, I totally took out at least a dozen of the Yak guys, that last one in the tower was pissing me off." Rick was defending himself playfully with Maria, about some point Utah had made earlier about kill ratios and tangos knocked down.
" I don't know Rooster, are you sure Deacon didn't get him with that big gun of his." She rolled her r's seductively for effect, and poked at him playfully.
Rick pushed her to the floor, and they started Wrestling, and then making out, it was hard to tell which was which. Barett stood up, and pulled Bianca up with him.
" Ok you two, looks like were not needed here, and I need to check on our other 'unconcious' guests below deck...care to join me Bianca?" Barett winked at her, so everyone else could see, just in case they thought it was a open invitation, for them to join as well.
Bianca paused for a second to toy with him then grabbed his hand again.
" Yes, I could use a tour of the boat as well, perhaps you could point out everyones cabins for me, just in case I need some help later." She pressed her chest againest his shoulder and arm, just in case he didn't catch her meaning.
Barett smiled, a large boyish grin crossing his face. Heading down the spiral stairs they moved to the storage room at the back of the boat Barett had turned into a makeshift infirmary area. Bianca was flirting with him by getting in front of him in the hall and swinging her hips as she walked, then stopping and letting him bump into her, letting their bodies rub slightly before she started off again. Barett was ready to go, and the move was working well on him, but he really did need to check on Zeus and Psy, before anything else happened.
Carla arose and slipped her arm around Rick’s back and leaned up on her tip toes and kissed Rick on the check.
“Bonne nuit mon coq seigneur.” She whispered in French. She knew Rick and Maria were lovers and though she was helplessly attracted to him she wasn’t the type of petty woman to try to force a wedge between them. All three knew she was patient and would wait if the time ever came. “À bientôt Maria," She called to Maria with a raised hand in friendship, and then she too left the salon.
The two were left lone but for Utah and the Princess who were on the other side of the glass wall in the bridge. Rick turned off the lights and took Maria out the back sliding glass to the prow of the yacht, out in the moonless night. Stars shone above as they had for a million billion years, unchanging and aloof to the turmoil raging on the earth.
“Wow Rick,” Maria said, craning her head heavenward. “The stars are radiant and out in mass tonight. It is times like this that make you think. Here we are standing somewhere in the vastness of the sea, dwarfed by what seems to be infinite waters and we seem so small, but then you look up and compare the nothingness of earth to the limitlessness of the heavens, it blows the mind. When having a perspective like this, it’s hard to think how the events of today have any insignificants. ”
“I know.” He said, but Rick’s eyes were upon Maria not the night sky.
She spun around and saw him staring at her.
“The world is tumbling into destruction and ruin and all you can thing about is sex?” She scolded. “Men: eternally predictable like the movement of the stars!”
Rick pulled out a bowl of fruit from behind his back that he had swiped from the bar and gave Maria a sly smile as he began to eat on a strawberry. He moved away from her, over to the round deck table and sat himself on top of the table.
“What? Right here?” she asked, mocking him.
Rick ignored her resistance and kissed his finger tip as he finished the piece of fruit, then he began to recite a Spanish poem for her.
“Todo tu cuerpo tiene
copa o dulzura destinada a mí.
Cuando subo la mano”
Your whole body is: A glass of wine: Or sweetness destined for me.
“Oh, now you are you trying to seduce me?” She answered back, but it clearly working as she moved closer.
“Encuentro en cada sitio una paloma
que me buscaba, como
si te hubieran, amor, hecho de arcilla
para mis propias manos de alfarero.” He continued. When I raise my hand, I find in every place a dove; Seeking for me, As if, my love, You were made of clay; For my very hands of a potter.
“You’re a bad, bad man.” Maria said with a smile as she let her dress slip off her shoulders. She moved forward and in a motion as smooth as silk grabbed a cluster of grapes from the fruit bowl. She used the grapes to trace a path down her bikini top down to the middle of her cleavage and then up with a slow seductive purpose to her mouth.
“Seducing me are you?” She whispered back in a challenge.
Their eyes locked as he continued to let the sensual Spanish poem flow from him like warm honey.
“Tus rodillas, tus senos
tu cintura
faltan en mí como en el hueco,” he continued. Your knees, your breasts, your waist; Disappear in me like in a hollow.
Maria climbed on top of the table and began to unbutton his shirt. Her sapphire blue eyes sparkling like the stars above her.
“de una tierra sedienta
de la que desprendieron
una forma,
y juntos
somos completos como un solo río,
como una sola arena.” He ended the poem is a whisper close to her ear. Of a thirsting earth; Where they lose; A form, And together; We become like a single river, Like a single grain of sand.
And they made sweet love under the view of millions of sparking stars high above, hanging in the night sky.
Below deck, unknown to anyone and alone in a cabin with the door lock, Carla sobbed. Her pillow held fast to her face to muffle the sound.
Utah and the princess relaxed in the bridge on the comfortable captain chairs. The radio droned on its depressing tale of death counts and speculation. Utah reached over and turned it off, fliping the switch over to the CD player. Soothing light jazz music eased out of the speakers, and the princess shot him a glance.
" Are you trying to seduce me Mr. Deacon ?" She playfully questioned him.
"Only if its working. " He casually replied. " So how are you holding up ? I'm sorry about your friends back at the hotel." He shot her a glance as he switched off the running lights and deck lights for Rick and Maria.
" I'm doing good, surprisingly so, I actually didn't know any of them, we were all just in the VIP room together....When we were rushed out of the room by someones body guards. But you rushing in and saving me like that, totally out of some grim brothers fairy tale, its romantic and sureal at the same time. What made you come and get me ?"
Utah knew he couldn't tell her the truth, it would sound creepy, so he lied.
"Top secret, I really can't tell you...but I'm gald I did it. Perhaps later, when things change, we can talk about it."
It was a bad lie, a failed con.
He knew there was no good way out of this, so he leaned over and kissed her, he had to shut her up some how. It worked, she kissed him back. Soon they were making out on the large captains chair, as it spun lazily, while the ship bobbed in the dark ocean waters.
The testosterone was flowing in both their veins now, and soon she had his shirt off, Utah wondered how far she was prepared to go, he didn't need to wonder long. She got up, locked the door and turned off the light. In his mind Utah said 'Game on' and succombed to his carnal nature.
Barett walked past his cabin and to the back of the boat to the storage room where Zeus and Psy were. He had put the prisoner in the cold storage area, and the local he tied up and put in one of the speedboats, mostly to remember to drop him off. Bianca paused in front of Barett's cabin door, but he walked on past her, rubbing his hands across her buttocks as he went. She was waiting for him when he went another 12 feet and stopped at the door to the storage room.
"I do need to check on our injured friends, before anything else, Duty, you understand, must come first." Barett shrugged his shoulders and opened the door stepping in through the bulkhead.
Bianca followed and came in behind him to the small room, jam packed with food, cloths, equipment, two guys on the floor in blankets and piles of contraband porn, and various other unmentionables.
Her eyebrows raised quickly, and she shot Barett a strange look.
"What kind of girl do you think I am, and what did you have planned" She stated in a less than seductive voice, as she stared at a pile of S&M porn magazines.
Barett looked around and realized this was not going to go well for him, it would be hard to talk his way out of this one and still look good.
Later outside on the deck, Rick and Maria sat together; Maria curled up under a blanket resting against Rick’s chest.
“I can’t get this strange feeling out of my head. It is like the world has moved on. What are we going to do?” Maria asked.
“I don’t know yet.” Rick said after a long pause. “A lot of that depends upon how society and its governments are going to react. If there is proof the bombing can be linked directly to the Empire, then I am guessing they will declare war. I don’t think they are going settle for political negotiation and compromise on this one.”
“If they declare war then does that mean the government will be calling us up to fight for them. Hell, we are not even citizens. They don’t even like us because we have been showing then all their weaknesses. What is tying us to go bleed for them?”
“If we don’t draw a line in the sand somewhere and stand up and fight against the Imperial self-righteous human purist dogs, then where will we end up? Who will we fight for?”
Maria turned and looked up directly into Rick’s eyes. “Are you telling me you feel loyal to the UK?”
“Yes and no. They have scratched our proverbial backs and we, theirs. The government though will have to route a course they are going to commit too, not me.”
You think the government can survive a blow like this?” She asked. “I use to think when I was Bolivia, that one big stroke like this could topple the ruling party.”
“I don’t know. This is something new. When we get back to the city we may find it has been locked down under Martial Law. The problem is the EU is that even though everyone is together by treaty, they are all still separate states with their own national language, pride, and priorities. I am sure the governing bodies are in serious talks right now, asking the same questions we are. ‘What are we going to do?’”.
“Rick, we are so deep under cover and working so far under anyone’s radar that we may be totally cut off. How are we going to communicate is anyone? If the military is calling us up, there is no way for them to get a hold of us.”
“I know. It has me worried too. One of the reasons we are even here is because it seems like we have a massive leak in our intelligence and communication system. I don’t even know who we can trust.”
“Have things changed so much that you think we should drop this mission and head back to London? Or does the assignment still stand?”
“We are all going to have to come up with that answer. What I find interesting though is that we haven’t heard anything about a bomb going off anywhere near Russia. Why is that? My guess is that they are still intact which means they are still under primary suspicion. If I was trying to take over the EU, one of the first things I would do was sow suspicion and mistrust between nations, and even make it appear that the military seems to have more whole in it than a chunk of Swiss cheese. Kill moral and you kill your enemy.”
“I think the bombs came from E.H. I doubt if Russia had anything to do with it. If you try to add the two into a single line, it doesn’t work. The events of today will surely mess up Roman’s well planned scheme to host a party on his boat now. Who would even think about showing up at a time like this?”
“So was he aware of this changed his plan by launching a zombie attack on a small insignificant island like Hvar?” Rick asked.
But then he stopped before he said anything more. He had heard something unnatural out in the water. Maria had heard it too. They scanned the darkness, looking for any sign of movement.
Rick and Maria stared at the dark water, their eyes straining to pierce through the night. It was only after staring at the water so intensely and quietly that Rick realized how tired he really was. It had been almost 48 hrs since he slept for more than an hour or so.
The noise ended up being a school of fish surfacing and diving back down. All of them had been up and running hard for too long and if they didn't get some sleep soon they would start making mistakes, probably deadly ones. Normally the fish in the water would not have put him on such a high alert, But sleep depravation would do that to you. Sleep was needed like Utah had stated and Rick knew Utah was right. It was time to get some sleep and see things with clearer eyes in the morning.
" I think its time for Me to sleep, before I start shooting at every thing that moves." Rick picked himself up off the deck and moved to the Salon door.
Meanwhile below deck in the storageroom Barett had a million reponses to Bianca's question about the piles of porn. He realized they should have just jetisoned the stuff when they took the boat yesterday. He never even gave it a second thought that it would be an issue. Barett looked at her and simply said.
" It's not mine."
He turned to Psy and Zeus on the floor and checked their vitals. He had given them both saline IV's with some other meds to help speed up the recovery from the tranqualizers. While he was checking on the guys, Bianca started to rummage through all the strange magazines and Adult novelties on the shelfs lining the room. She pulled out a milder magazine and flipped it open.
" It's amazing, everyones nipples are so different, do these breasts look real to you, I think they are fake ?" She had turned back on the sexy voice.
Barett realized now that she was probably teasing him and he didn't get it. Hehad just surpressed his initial reaction, that would have gone bad.
" They look real enough to me." He smiled back at her.
" The boys look ok, they just need to sleep it off. I think we could all use some down time after the last few hours."
Bianca smiled at him tossing the magazine down and heading towards the door, Barett followed her out.
Rick awoke with start like he had just been hit by a bolt of lightning. Sheets, pillows, and whatever else was on the bed went flying as he jumped straight up out of his sleep. Somehow he missed the bed when gravity took over and he landed with a crash on the floor, tangle in the bed sheets. Maria started laughing so hard she nearly fell over.
Sunlight was streaming in the porthole.
“Whoa!” He groaned as he recovered. “I feel like I’ve been swatted around by several killer whales playing let’s-hit-a-human –as-hard-as-we-can competition.”
“¡Híjole Compa!, you have a nasty bruise on your back.” Maria said as she continued to laugh at the spectacle of Rick getting up.
Rick stood to get an angle view into the mirror. There was a large purple welt under his right shoulder blade were the body armor had fortunately taken the penetrating force of the bullet.
“Oiy! Who’s making all that racket!” A disembodied and cranky voice of Utah boomed through the wall. “We’re trying to sleep here.”
Maria rolled her eyes but gained controlled of her laughing as she put a warning figure to her lips to tell Rick they had better be quiet.
“You’ve been up long?” Rick asked as he tried to poke the purple sore. He didn’t lower his voice in spite of Utah’s angry retort.
“You should avoid waking him anymore like you should avoid unprotected sex with an Ethiopian transvestite.” She whispered as she moved over and began inspecting his wound like a trained doctor. “He already roared at me for making noise earlier. We don’t what him erupting in front of the princess and ruining everything with her now, do we?”
Rick looked at her closely in the mirror as she examined his back. He had to admit, he had missed Maria and he didn’t like the thought of her being around Dave. It was hard to trust anyone around a bomb-shell like Maria, especially Dave. Her curves would drive any man crazy with desire. Rick knew he was lucky to have her and he liked her being this close to him. Obviously she had gotten up earlier, showered and cleaned up as she smelled great and was looking extra sexy in a white stretch knit tank top with the scoop neck and back line and the denim cutoff shorts. As he looked at her he began to swell some and she noticed it.
“Go take a pee, you horny cat.” She said as she gave him a pinch on the arm. “You just had some.”
“Ci, señorita.”
In the small head, Rick studied his face in the mirror after he had showered. He was on keen and slightly on edge again but he knew that the sleep had been much needed. They had been running so long they were down to nothing but mental fumes. The world had turn upside down on them and they all needed their wits about them from here on out.
Coming out of the little room he and Maria had taken, he headed up the spiral stairs to the deck to find Barett happy as a little boy who just won the lottery by seen his first real breast.
“Good morn to you.” Barett said, sounding refreshed. “Maria keep you up all night?”
“You know damn well she did.” Rick smiled back. “It looks like you had a little adventure yourself.”
“Carnal knowledge my brother. Carnal and voluptuous.” He said with a smirk.
Rick looked around. Maria was in the salon looking at maps with Carla. Utah and the princess were missing. “Looks like Utah was getting some of that knowledge too.” Rick said.
Barett looked around, the bright sunlight was sparkling off the water, and the temperature was starting to climb. The protein drink in front of him was mostly gone, as were the fresh fruit and cheese bites.
" I am guessing that you didn't hear them earlier this morning when I relieved him from guard duty. But all that is beside the point, Zeus and Psy are up and doing good, give them a few more hours and they should be good. There is someone we need to talk to this morning, he should be ready for some 'interrorgation'."
Barett pointed down to the back of the boat. Indicating that the prisoner he took last night was still on ice awaiting them.
" But as for Bianca, I played the the total gentleman, and agreed to drop her off this morning. She declined and wanted to stay on with us for awhile...she claimed that she was concerned about getting her car back."
Rick nodded taking all this in, and then stared at his watch. It was already 10am. and he was feeling like he had lost a whole day some how.
"Ok, what are you thinking ?"
Rick was streching out as he poured a large orange juice and picked through the left over fruit and cheese.
Barett smiled and leaned over to Rick.
" I have been listening to the radio all morning and wrote down everything that I can remember about the last 48 hours and think our little friend downstairs is going to fill in some of the gaps and lead us right to Roman. But that is just a guess."
Barett shrugged and popped another piece of cheese in his mouth.
" If we are going back, lets take down the snake why we have free range without Shelia around. The rest of this mess is out of our hands...best to just ride the wave and see where it takes us..but tagging and bagging Roman is my goal. So what do you think ?"
Barett stares straight back at Rick, awaiting his response.
“I agree with you, but I think we need to broaden our objective some. I have been thinking about this and I have come to a conclusion that what we are in despite need is some sort of “escape clause” or a contingency plan if things continue to go south in the EU. This Roman guy may be the ticket we’re looking for.”
“What do you mean,” Barett asked.
“I’m talking long range plans here that I have been kicking around in the back of my head for some time.” Rick continued. “And it would involve some behind the scene, hush-hush operations on our part.”
“Rick, you know your schemes are always overly complex.” Barett chided.
“But hear me out on this one.” Rick continued, excitement creeping into his voice. “This could work. The difficult part will be acquiring a helicopter, I haven’t figured that part out yet, but if we take out Roman and figure out a way to cook some books and make is seem like his yacht, the Christina-O, went down, then the insurance company will just run a claim on his yacht and no one will be the wiser nor would anyone be looking for a sunken boat. We can get out of here Scott free!
“A helicopter? Didn’t we already try that Rick? And we already have a yacht.” Barett said as he gesturing at the lavish surroundings.
“I know what you’re thinking but this yacht only has a range of about 800 miles or so if you are running at a steady 25 knots or so. It’s a day toy; something to get you back and forth from ports and harbors that are close together. But I am talking all the way back to Americorp. There is no way we could get there without undue refueling at every port of harbor from here to South Africa. And that is only half way. We need something with range. Something like the Christina-O that would get us 6000 miles with one fueling. That would get us all the way down to Argentina if we didn’t run it hot.”
“Interesting idea!” Barett said.
“And, if we could talk Bianca into it, we could use her skills as investment auditor and fraud investigator to get it to look like Roman’s boat sunk. She could look into any inheritance issues or tax or creditor leans and clear things for the taking. Insurance money pays whoever in next in line. They are happy, the world is less one bad guy and we have a contingency exit strategy. Think about it. We could pull off the perfect crime and net ourselves a 5.5 million dollar yacht that everyone would think was sitting at the bottom of the ocean. The market place is a shambles as it is anyway. How hard could it be?”
“Rick, you are evil. You know that right?” Barett said. “Evil and I like it.”
“It is a bit diabolical isn’t it? There are a number of other issues to solve here. But we could find a nice, out of the way, port for it; higher a loyal crew to man it and stock up supplies and fuel; commander some big guns for defense and have it set and ready to sail at any given moment for us to bug out when the time comes.”
“And I suppose the helicopter is to ferry us out to it if things get in a pinch and use for a first line of defense during the trip back home?” Barett asked.
“Exactly. And the Christina-O would have enough room to take others with us.” Rick said as he looked back at Maria and Carla. What do you think?”
Barett sat back in his chair and thought about it. This was one of Rick's crazy, complicated plans alright. Barett liked the idea of taking the bigger yacht, and wished he'd thought of it first, it was pure brothers mentality, and a stroke of genius.
" Ok I'm in on it, lets get Deacon up here to agree with us. Perhaps the princess will let us hide the boat in her country till we can find a better place to move it. Granted, it's a hard boat to hide at that size...plus re-fueling it will cost a fortune, its kind of famous..well details to be worked out."
Barett looked around to check for listening ears, before speaking again.
" I think it may be a little while yet before we go back to L.A. or Portland. The E.o.H is not claiming responsiblilty according to the radio this morning. Based on the reports coming in, all airports are on a lock down, so are the borders. The military is on high alert, DEFCON 4, in all practical purposes we are locked out of the E.U. for the time being. We are not going back in with any weapons right now at least. But since we are out of country, I would guess they would keep us out then as soon as they can find us, send us to somewhere they can ship us out to faster. But here is the million dollar question, Where did Shelia go ?"
Barett let this one linger in the salty air.
Rick thought about it to, pouring him a large glass of protein shake from the blender, and chugging down half the glass in one shot.
" She had to leave on her own accord, and not warn Deacon. So she either saw something and went to investigate, or needed to leave us to do something we would interfer with. Or she was really disoriented, step out of the car and wandered off, getting lost. We didn't sit at the port long waiting for her or go back to the hotel. It's a good question."
Barett nodded slowly to himself.
" I've wrote her off as dead, what about you ?"
“I would like to . . . but I’m not sure. She is kind of like acne: a nasty pimple that always pops up at the wrong time, right in the middle of your face, right before you’re meeting someone you want to impress.” Rick said.
“How would you know pretty boy? Like you have ever have problems with acne?” Barett said.
“Whatever. I’m just saying that the minute we assume she is dead, she come bounding right back to make our lives miserable.” Rick said as Bianca, dressed in sexy alabaster color sheer lace sleeveless mini dress the came up the stairs. Following her was Utah who was trying to act the gentleman by not looking up. The princess however remained absent.
“Morning Rick,” she said brightly as she leaned over and gave Barett a soft kiss the nose and then whispered to him. “Morning stud.”
Bianca turned and headed through the doors out into the salon to sit with Maria and Carla.
“What no kisses for me?” Utah asked after a long pause to get Barett’s eyes unglued from Bianca. “The real question I have is does she have a white fetish because her name is Bianca or is her name Bianca because she has a white fetish?”
“And where are they getting all these clothes?” Rick asked. “Maybe we should thank that woman we appropriated this yacht from and all her ladies in waiting she had on call for stocking it with sexy outfits. These girls are having a heyday of playing dress-up.”
“Well, you guys should have seen the issue I had when Bianca walked into that room stocked full of porn last night.” Barett said as the other two laughed at him, imagining all types of scenarios.
“Where’s the princess?” Rick asked Utah.
“She’s trying to sleep, no thanks to you, you noisy cretin.” Utah said as he grabbed Rick’s glass and filled it was some juice which he promptly drained. Then he leaned forward and looked at the low laying landmass in front of them. “So where are we?”
“We are on south of the St. Klement island, the biggest in the Pakleni archipelago. There is a harbor on the other side but I am avoiding it.” Rick said. “The town of Hvar is just twenty minutes away on the other side of the island. But before we do anything else, Barett’s got a cleaver plan to get our friend below to talk so I am looking for a nice secluded rock or natural harbor for him that wouldn’t draw any attention.”
“How about there?” Barett pointed out at a small inlet they had just passed. “That looks about perfect.”
“I’m on it.” Rick said as he pressed a button that opened the double-door moon roof over a teak deck saloon the girls were in, while he spun the yacht around in a tight loop.
“Hang on everyone,” Barett called out through ship’s mike that fed into the PA system, “and enjoy the ride.”
The yacht spun, almost as if it were anchored on a pivot point.
“Wow, this baby is absolutely superb!” Rick told Utah and Barett as he patted the control panel. “I bet this 115’ boat can easily spin in its own length, and can walk sideways with ease.”
“Watch this.” He said with a grin as he opened the throttle.
The yacht’s silent and powerful Hamilton water jets took hold and propelled the boat up to 43-knots within seconds as they sped towards the secluded bay.
Rick kept the boat at full throttle until the last second and then did a full stop, using the reverse on the motors turbines to make the stop even quicker. Dishes flew off the tables and clattered across the floor of the salon. Un-secured deck chairs slammed into the slidding glass doors. Rick smiled big as everyone pulled themselves back up right and glared at him.
'See, stops on a dime, Amazing...incredible really to stop something so heavy so quickly in a liquid. There is a serious amount of engineering in this thing, I can't wait to take it apart and see how it works."
Rick was chattering on, almost completly ignoring the complaints coming from the girls when Utah smacked him in the back of the head.
"Quit your joy-riding, you probably woke the princess. So what is your plan ?"
Rick looked hurt, and then smiled.
"I don't know, it's really Roaches plan,"
Barett had gone down below deck with one of the chairs while Rick was racing along the coast. The boat sat closer than thirty feet from the shallow white sand and pebble rock beach. Rick dropped the anchor and kicked his feet up on the dashboard. The Princess wandered up from below a stunned, but ready for more problems look on her face.
Barett came back out the back hatch with the prisoner duct taped to the deck chair with weights on the legs. Everyone was watching him as he casually walked to the back and tossed the man, chair and weights into the ocean. Immediatly they all ran to the back to see what was going on.
He bobbed in the water, then settled down in a shallow area, his head just above the lapping water. He was screaming something in a language that Barett didn't understand, thrashing about in the chair.
" Look here. " Barett casually stated. " You are going to need to speak a language I understand, or when the tide comes in, you'll drown."
Everyone was on the back deck now, even Psy and Zeus were staring over the railing at the spitting and cussing man in the water. Carla looked at Barett curiously.
" How did you know the depth of the water, so he wouldn't drown."
Barett looked her up and down then back out into the water.
"Yeah, I didn't, he just got lucky." Barett nodded in the guys direction.
The man tied to the chair settled down and started speaking Russian a little slower. Barett shrugged his shoulders.
" Ok, lets leave him here, he's not going to talk."
The girls all looked shocked, especially the princess.
"Are you just going to leave him here to die, are you going to kill him this way?"
barett shrugged his shoulders again. " Look jsut so yu know, for legal purposes its the ocean that will kill him." Then he smiled.
"Rooster, pull up anchor and head out. Lets role out of here, we have places to be."
Rick hit the button for the automatic anchor chain and it smoothly whipped the anchor back up into the boat, as he reversed the boat slowly this time away from the beach. The man in the chairs eyes bugged out as Barett waved at him from the back deck, while the boat spun around and headed out to sea.
Bianca and the Princess seemed the most agitated with the situation. Carla and Maria on the other hand were more willing to role with it, and see what the Brothers were up to. Rick opened up the boat again, letting the motors bring them up to a top speed just over 45 knots. Soon they were just out of view and Barett whistled to Rick and made the kill sign with his hand. Rick slowed the boat down this time and then put it on idle, just out from the shore fifty meters or so.
Bianca and the Princess approached Barett, a look of confusion on the Princess' face, but Bianca was starting to put it all together.
"So, what are you doing with the prisoner ? Your not going to leave him there like that are you ?"
She was polite enough, but seriously concerned about what he was doing.
" Relax your highness, it's all good, just letting him know I'm serious, thats all. But just so you know, this isn't like the movies. These guys were intent on killing all of us, they are not going to just roll over and tell us what we want to know. I don't have time to use less extreme methods. We need information and we need it now, before more people die, thousands of people are at risk. And just so you know, My Orders are to eliminate with EXTREME PREJUDICE any terrorists."
Barett made no apologies for what he was doing, he smiled and then downed a bottle of water.
"Ok, lets gear up, Deacon, Z , Psy and me will head over on the ski boat all battle-ready in about 30 minutes to see how our friend is doing. Rooster and the girls pull all the weapons out from storage and prep us for our return to Hvar, get some maps out and see where some extraction locations are so we can retreat and attack from various points if needed. Is that good for you Deacon."
Utah nodded his approval as Barett had quietly told him his plan just before heading down to retrieve the prisoner.
Utah looked at the crew, and smiled.
" Ok, every crew member a shooter, lets turn this Salon into a weapons locker, find out what kind of goodies we have available. Pick weapons you can shoot, not ones that just look cool. Alright lets roll out. Do it, go go go."
Utah barked like a drill sargent, then turned about and headed down to his cabin, followed by the others.
The girls were busy bringing up arms full of weapons to the salon area, while Rick counted up the ammo. Barett steps onto the back deck in full combat gear with armor and a mask, the all black and dark green outfit contrasting with the white and light green of the boat. Utah comes on deck a few minutes later in the same kind of outfit, then Zeus and Psy in digital camo outfits and scarfs wrapped around their faces. They stand around for a few seconds securing gear and tightening straps and buckles. The bright sunlight reflecting off the water makes the four men in combat gear seem really out of place.
Bianca came out onto the back deck holding a stainless steel barreled 12 gauge shotgun, and wearing a bullet proof vest over the top of her low cut white t-shirt, a pair of baggy combat pants and a wide brimed hat to complete the outfit. She looked less combat ready and more like she was on a photo shoot.
"How do I look ?" She stated to Barett, ignoring the others.
" I think a woman with a gun is Damn sexy...I like it. How do I look ?" Barett did a combat pose for her with the M4 carbine slung across his chest.
" Yeah, its intimidating, a little cliche, but it works." She smiled and ran her hand across his muscled arm, giving him a slight squeeze.
" Ok were ready to go." Barett clicked the radio twice on his vest to confirm it worked. When Rick nodded at him and clicked his twice, Barett got in the small ski boat and pushed it off, heading back towards the abandoned prisoner.
Barett steered the boat with Utah, Zeus and Psy in it. He keep the speed down and the noise low and eased the boat into the bay. The guy in the chair had gotten his blindfold halfway off and was stuggling in the chair when he caught sight of them floating in. Settling down he waited for their approach, but Barett eased off the throttle and just let the ski boat bob in the water 200 meters out.
"How long do we let him wait." Zeus asked from the back seat of the boat, quietly under his breath.
" Oh, at least five minutes, it will feel like eternity to him. then we come in and make our offer. If he is ever going to talk to us, that will be the time otherwise we eliminate the target and move on, using the current information that we have."
Utah said calmly while he scanned the sky and sea with the high power binoculars he'd brought along.
After five minutes of serious talk about zombie threats and ammo counts Barett fired up the engines and headed over to the guy in the chair.
Utah leaned over as they came up next to him and pulled off the blind fold and gave him a swing of bottled water.
" So, look we need you to share some information with us, you know confidentialy,and then we won't have to let the ocean kill you. Sound like a deal ?"
The guy looked less confident now and nodded his head.
"Great, so tell me who do you work for ?" Utah asked in a friendly manner, like they were old buddies.
" I work for Mr. Roman, security." the man replied in a thick Russian accent.
" I know nothing, just not to shoot up his boat or the people that stole his boat, just hold them till he came in. We were to stay out of the town, and not to kill any of his new soldiers they were expensive. Thats all I know, please let me go, I tell you all I know."
Utah sat for a second and thought about it.
" So Mr. Roman is coming to Hvar to find those that stole his boat, and the zombies are his, when is he coming ?"
"Sometime this morning, we were to keep you in Hvar until then, thats all I know, please get me out of the water." The Russian mercinary was starting to move in the water again.
" How many of them are there on the island, and how many of you ?"
Utah realized this was the last bit of information he would probably be able to get out of the man.
the Russian mercinary settled for a little bit and stared at the four armed men on the boat.
" Are you going to kill me now ?"
Utah smiled under his mask, and spoke calmly.
" You have my warriors honor that I will not kill you, so how many ?"
The man hesitated then lowered his head.
" I don't know exactly, 45 to 50 of us, maybe 300 or more of the zombies, I never saw everyone al together."
Utah grabbed the back of the chair and yanked it out of the water, signaling to Barett to come into the shore. When they came close Utah jumped out and placed the man on the beach, gave him some more water and jumped back to the boat.
Still tied to the chair the man stared confused at them, waiting for Utah's next move, waiting to be killed or untied. Utah did neither, instead he pushed the boat back out into the bay while jumping up onto the bow. Barett backed the boat up quickly and turned it around, opening the throttle and letting the ski boat quickly take them back to the Yacht. He knew the Russian was probably yelling at them, but they couldn't hear him over the motor and the quickly increasing distance from the shore.
Back at the yacht Rick and the girls had gotten everything topside, and were surprised at how much ammo and weapons they had. Rick still felt like it was not enough, but it was better than they first thought. When Utah and the others returned with the new information they all knew what needed to be done.
Utah sat at the bridge overlooking the Dalmation coast line waters, sea air rushed through the open windows and doors as he headed to the south end of Hvar Island. He kept the boat at a steady 12 knots, trying not to draw any undo attention. Rick had dropped the local from Hvar off on the same island as the Russian Merc., but with water and signal flare, for now he was safer there.
It was early afternoon now, which meant they would hit the island with plenty of daylight. That should have been comforting, but wasn't. Some things just felt better to be doing in the dark. Barett didn't seem to care either way, as he sat in the chair next to Utah, full combat gear and armor on, nursing a gatoraide like drink, smiling broadly.
" Glad you decided to take my advice and let me shoot Roman, I was begining to think Shelia was never going to let me take a crack at it, then the whole trip would have been a waste of my time."
Barett casually commented between gulps of his drink.
"Don't get to trigger happy out there just yet, despite her behavior she was right about lots of things, and Roman having some possible important intel is one of them. We need to make sure that intel falls into our hands first."
Utah was debating out the final protocal with Barett on this one, he knew that eliminating Roman needed to happen, but timing the when just right was going to be tricking. Barett would shoot on sight, making sure they didn't lose their one chance, but Utah was holding him back, and he knew Barett didn't like it. He was team leader now, and the private breifing with Shelia before the shit hit the fan a day ago was that Roman had some connection with the "Cult of the President" In the E.o.H. It was important to get that intel first, before eliminating him, if possible.
" Ok, I will wait for your call, but we need to do this all quickly, Just killing him is a big deal and worth its own consideration. I doubt he will be as vunerable a target in the future the way things are going. Right now is our best chance for a clean kill and intel grab, if we can get the whole boat the evidence will be there, with him dead or alive."
Barett made his final argument in vain, he knew Utah wasn't going to change his mind, till the situation changed.
The Island came into view after a few minutes of silence and Utah throttled back the motors as everyone pulled out scopes and Binos to watch the shoreline around the fishing village.
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