"I would call Charles, but I"m sure he"s busy," Myra said.
"Myra, you do realize, don"t you, that we would not be here if all this wasn"t about to go down? Ironic, isn"t it? Seeing that article in the paper, getting to the farm and your agreeing to take part in the rally with me. We might have been bored if we were just partic.i.p.ants. You know what they say, everything happens for a reason. Listen, I could call Fish and blast him for something. You know, ask him where he is, that kind of thing. No, better to leave sleeping dogs lie," Annie said, deciding against her own suggestion.
Myra agreed. "The only thing that is bothering me...well, actually several things are bothering me. One, Charles probably can"t jam the airwaves or whatever so Hank gets a chance to call the police, and one getaway boat. I"m not boo-hooing, Annie, but I think I"d like to know more about the safeguards he has in place. You know Murphy"s Law, what can go wrong, will go wrong."
"What bothers me, Myra, is we don"t know why we"re doing this. I mean why...oh, h.e.l.l, you know what I mean," Annie fretted.
Myra played with her pearls. "Well, I"m sure once we"re inside, we"ll manage to get the details out of him. Do you think he"s going to put up much of a fight?"
"Oh, yeah," Annie drawled. "So will Fish and Stu Franklin. Three baddies is how we have to look at it."
"You"re dealing with this very well, Annie. I hope you feel the same way when Fish is no longer on your radar screen."
Annie started to laugh. "There are more fish in the stream, Myra, no pun intended." Myra burst out laughing. "That whole relationship thing...that didn"t work for me. I totally understand Kathryn"s refusing to get married to Bert even though she says she loves him. Alan was her one true love, her true soul mate. That"s how I feel about my husband. That doesn"t mean you can"t love someone else, or care about him a great deal. You can. For me it would be betrayal, disloyal to marry again. I didn"t make a promise because I didn"t have time. Kathryn made a promise to her husband and, to her credit, she"s honoring her promise. I applaud the dear girl for that. That"s something you would do, Myra."
Myra thought about it for a moment, then said, "Yes, Annie, that is something I would do. I think that would be cla.s.sified as old-school or something like that. I applaud you, too, Annie. I love that you have honor, and yet you"re a free spirit. I know that some days you hurt inside so badly with the memories, but you never let it get you down. I wish I was more like you."
"Oh, Myra, no, you don"t. I don"t ever want you to change. If you ever lost those d.a.m.n pearls, I"d cry a river for you."
The girls turned around when Annie and Myra went into peals of laughter."
"They"re up to something," Nikki whispered to Yoko.
"I know. Isn"t it great? Our little team would be nothing without those two. Oh, Nikki, this is what I missed so much. All of you are the family I never had. As much as I love Harry, he can"t be all of you."
Nikki squeezed Yoko"s hand. "I know-boy, do I know."
It was eleven o"clock when Kathryn appeared. She looked tired but exhilarated. "Jet Skis are docked. My truckers are parked a mile down the road. I hitched a ride here. The Whale Harbor Inn does not allow eighteen-wheelers in their parking lot. You"ll have to drop me off in the morning. I"m going to hit the sack. When"s our wake-up call?"
"Five o"clock," Alexis said. "I"m with you. One more of these silly umbrella drinks, and I"m going to fall over. Just for the record, I checked the wet suits-all our gear is set to go, so all we have to do is roll out of bed and hit the road. I sure hope we have good weather."
Myra yawned. "Weren"t you paying attention when the weather came on, dear?" She pointed to a wide-screen TV perched over the tiki bar. "Typical August weather, sweltering hot, high humidity, and eighty-degree waters. I think we"re good to go."
"Then let"s all say good night. It"s automatic checkout, so we don"t have to worry about that," Nikki said, stifling a yawn. "I just checked with Jack, and they"re turning in, too. He said two of Snowden"s men did a walk through the neighborhood with a stray dog they found. And yes, they"re keeping the dog. He said there are lights on in the house, and it"s b.u.t.toned up tight.
"Sweet dreams, everyone."
Annie and Myra continued to sit by the pool. There were no other guests to be seen, and the tiki bar had just lowered its shutters and called it a night.
"I"m not the least bit sleepy, Myra. I hate hotel rooms. I think I"ll sit out here for a while, but if you want to go to bed, don"t worry about me."
"I"m not tired, either. I"ll keep you company. We can talk."
"Talking is for old people. Let"s just b.i.t.c.h and moan and groan."
"But, Annie, we really don"t have anything to b.i.t.c.h, moan, and groan about. We have wonderful lives compared to others. We are so blessed, it would be sinful to complain. Annie, I want the truth now; how upset are you that Fish is part of whatever it is that"s going on?"
Annie sniffed. "Well now that you ask, Myra...not one little bit," she replied, laughing. "What upsets me is how obsessed he is with Hank Jellicoe. It borders on...way beyond unhealthy. Isabelle said she feels the same way about Stu. She also said it was over between the two of them some time ago, but she just couldn"t get out of it. That"s pretty much how I felt, too. Does that answer your question?"
"It does. There"s no kick to this ginger ale, Annie."
"What was your first clue, Myra?" Annie chuckled.
The two old friends continued to talk and laugh as they rehashed old memories and their newest memories, until Annie pointed to a large clock hanging from the thatched roof of the tiki bar. "In thirty minutes it will be five o"clock. Are you as excited as I am, Myra?"
"I am. This will be the first time we"ve gone on a mission not knowing the why of it. I hope it doesn"t work against us. What do we do if we can"t beat it out of Jellicoe? Does that mean we should have agreed to stand down until we figured out the reason for it all?"
"We"ll get it out of him, Myra, one way or the other. Depends on how much he can stand. Fish and Stu are altogether different now. I"m thinking if Hank stays b.u.t.toned up, one or the other of them will spill what they know. We"re pretty good at winging it, don"t you think?"
Myra"s phone chirped. Startled, she looked at Annie, who appeared just as startled. "You need to answer that, Myra."
Myra flipped the cell phone and brought it to her ear. "Charles! Do you know what time it is?"
"Of course I know what time it is. I"m looking at the clock as I speak with you. My question to you would be, why aren"t you sleeping? You need to be in top form for your ride down the Intercoastal, my dear. I am a.s.suming you are sitting poolside with Annie."
"You a.s.sume right, Charles. Why are you calling other than to wish us luck?"
"Because I know the WHY of it all."
Myra"s jaw dropped as Annie huddled closer to better hear what was being said. "Are you going to tell me, or are you going to make me guess?"
"Neither, my dear. Go inside to the office and wait for my fax, which will be coming through in about seven minutes. I also want to apologize to you, Annie, and the others for my misguided loyalty."
"Where did you come by this information, Charles?" Myra asked as she scooted along behind Annie. She didn"t know why she even bothered to ask the question, knowing what the answer would be.
"That, my dear, is something you do not want to know. Not now, not ever. It is completely on the up-and-up, though, as you will see when the fax comes through."
"This is what is called taking it right down to the wire. Annie and I were just discussing what we were going to do if Hank refused to give it up. Do you mind telling me why it took so long to come by this information?"
"Because it was under seal. My informant"s only condition aside from a boatload of money, which is seriously going to deplete Annie"s coffers, was that he and his family had to be relocated and given immunity. That has now happened. Lizzie just put the deal to bed a short while ago. Good luck. Watch those gators."
"You had to say that, didn"t you, Charles?" Myra heard his chuckle as the connection went silent.
The pimply, spiked-hair desk clerk playing solitaire behind the counter looked up as Myra and Annie approached. "We"re here to wait for a fax. It should come through any minute now."
"There"s a five-dollar charge for a fax and a dollar for each page," he said, just as the fax machine came to life. "It says six pages are coming through. That"s eleven dollars. Plus tax."
"Just charge it to Room two-one-six," Annie snapped, just as the first page rolled out of the machine.
If the clerk thought it strange that two old ladies were getting a fax at almost five in the morning, it didn"t show. He tapped the charge into the computer, handed over the faxed pages, and went back to his game.
Annie and Myra literally ran to a far corner of the lobby, where there was a grouping of chairs and better light. They sat down together and read the pages. Neither said a word until Myra folded the pages into a tight square and stuck it in her pocket. She looked up at Annie, a wicked smile on her face. "I think this takes us out of the obsolete category, don"t you? I say we keep it to ourselves and spring it on everyone when they least expect it. What say you, Annie?"
"It works for me. I have to tell you, Myra, that never would have occurred to me. You?"
"Never."
"I think we should keep Charles on our payroll. It takes a good person to man up when all the chips are gone. Plus, he is your husband, and you"re stuck with him."
"There is that," Myra agreed. "Come along, Annie, let"s wake the girls. Suddenly I cannot wait to reach 123 Dolphin Drive."
Chapter 27.
Fifteen minutes later, the girls were in the Handyman Mike van and headed for John U. Lloyd Park. They dropped Kathryn off and waited until she picked up Murphy from one of her trucker friends who had elected to sleep in the back of his cab. Satisfied that all was well in that arena, Nikki drove off just as Avery Snowden and his posse of cyclists stood at attention.
"If no one has any questions, it"s time to ride!"
The roar was that of a supersonic jet breaking the sound barrier as all seventeen Harleys came to life. There was a drill-like precision to their exit that even Harry marveled at. They were back at the Seash.e.l.l Motel at 6:20 as scheduled.
"Good work, men!" Snowden said smartly. "Okay, Emery, you"re up. You guys head down to the park and join the girls. Don"t worry about the bikes. I have it covered. You"ll see us when you see us."
"Aren"t you supposed to say, "G.o.dspeed, boys, over and out"?" Jack said, straddling his Harley.
"No, this is where I say, "Your a.s.s is mine if you screw up.""
Jack made kissing motions with his lips and yelled to be heard over the roar of the Harley, "I just love it when you sweet-talk me, Snowden. Over and out, you a.s.shole!"
With little to no traffic at that hour of the morning, the boys rode two across, with Espinosa bringing up the rear. They pa.s.sed the four-truck convoy. Even over the roar of the cycles, they could hear Murphy"s joyous bark. When Kathryn blasted the air horn, the others sounded off in sequence. Jack waved and forged ahead.
They arrived at the park just as the girls were pushing the Jet Skis away from where they were tethered. The boys parked the Harleys, tossed their helmets down, and leaped on the skis the girls were holding for them.
"Who"s got the time?" Nikki shouted.
"I do. We"re on schedule. Move, move! That means you, too, Harry!"
Harry moved. Not for the world would he admit he"d never been on a Jet Ski. Nor would he admit he was scared s.h.i.tless of water because he couldn"t swim. How hard could it be?
Sensing his distress, Jack brought his Jet Ski as close to Harry"s as he could, and said, "Just do what I do. Turn the d.a.m.n key, ease out, and stay right behind me. If you fall off, it shuts off. Just get back on. Don"t worry, she thinks you"re a pro. Besides, she"s up front and won"t see you making an a.s.s of yourself. Don"t let the gators get you. Look, it"s a straight run. By the time we get there, you"re gonna want to do this every weekend."
Nikki and Alexis were in the lead, the others close behind. Eight minutes ahead of schedule, Nikki pushed in the throttle and roared past the dock at 123 Dolphin Drive. Four minutes later, she swung the machine around and headed back to the dock, the others so close she could smell them. She throttled back just as Bert slid off, dove underwater, and jammed a drill bit through the fibergla.s.s bottom of the boat. He did the same thing three more times before he surfaced.
There were Jet Skis everywhere, bobbing in the furious wake that hadn"t died down. One by one, their riders were hauling themselves up onto the dock. Jack had his arm braced under Harry as he boosted him up. "You owe me for this one, big-time."
They heard the crash, then they saw the cab of Kathryn"s rig sticking outside the back door of 123 Dolphin Drive. Then they saw Kathryn and Murphy streaking inside the wide gap the eighteen-wheeler had left. They followed, Myra and Annie in the lead.
"Surprise! Surprise!" Annie said, elation ringing in her voice.
"If either one of them moves, Murphy, bite his d.i.c.k off!" Kathryn ordered as she raced to what remained of the steel front door. She waved, grinning from ear to ear to her trucker friends. When they waved back, she sprinted back to what remained of the kitchen.
"Grab those phones. See if they called anyone," Nikki said.
Isabelle s.n.a.t.c.hed them up, clicked and clicked. "They tried, but they didn"t get through. Yay, Charles. Well, h.e.l.loooo there, Stu! Imagine meeting you here." In the blink of an eye, her knee shot upward and made contact with Franklin"s crotch. He doubled over just as Isabelle"s foot lashed out to strike him in the neck. He fell backward to land next to the pa.s.senger-side wheel of Kathryn"s rig. No one rushed to his aid. Gasping for breath, Stu struggled to talk.
"I can"t be sure, but it certainly sounds like he thinks you crushed his larynx," Myra said.
"Thinks! He thinks I did that. I know I crushed it," Isabelle said, giving his p.r.o.ne body one more vicious kick in the side. "Now I cracked your ribs. You won"t have to think about it." The Sisters clapped their hands in approval.
"Guard, Murphy. If he twitches, you know what to do. Doesn"t matter whose d.i.c.k you bite off. Show him those beautiful teeth, big guy." Murphy let out a happy bark and planted his two front paws on Franklin"s chest, his fangs bared.
"Weapons? Where are they?" Annie asked as she went nose to nose with Fish. "Don"t even think about lying to me and my friends. You lie to me and I"ll peel the skin right off your face."
The group watched Fish"s eyes narrow to slits as he tried to figure out whether or not Annie was serious. He saw something in her eyes that didn"t sit well with his sense of self-preservation. "They"re in every room in the house."
Annie"s arm whipped backward, and a second later Fish was looking down the barrel of the gun in her hand. "I know that. Be precise. Like in as when we find them, then we find one you forgot to mention, I start peeling." To prove she meant business she stepped back, aimed, and fired, first at his right foot, then his left. "So much for those snakeskin boots you love and adore so much."
Fish crumpled to the floor as he stared at the blood oozing from his favorite boots. He cursed loudly and often as he started to rattle off the places where the guns were. The boys moved like greased lightning as they gathered the a.r.s.enal of weapons and tossed them into Kathryn"s rig.
"Annie, dear, I hesitate to mention this, but perhaps you should have aimed a little higher," Myra said.
"Do ya think, Myra?"
"I do, dear. He can still crawl around. We simply cannot have that."
"You are so right, Myra. What was I thinking?" To everyone"s delight, Annie did a little jig, then lifted her leg, her arm, and gun straight out. Two rapid shots could be heard.
"You took his ear right off. Excellent shooting, Annie!" Alexis said.
"I do believe you shattered his left shoulder. That"s really a lot of blood, dear!" Myra said.
"f.u.c.king b.i.t.c.h!" Fish bellowed.
"You were ahead, Fish. You should have stayed there. Now I"m going to have to tell everyone gathered here for this soiree that you"re addicted to v.i.a.g.r.a. One more peep out of you, and I will peel the skin off your face."
Bert"s face was white as he stared at his beloved, who returned his look with steely-eyed amus.e.m.e.nt. Jack leaned against the front of Kathryn"s rig as he waited for round two to get under way.
Espinosa was dizzy with delight as he snapped and snapped, then uploaded the pictures he was taking to Maggie Spritzer. Ted was so busy texting Maggie that he had trouble keeping up with what was going on. Harry went silent, his eyes on his wife. He smiled.
All eyes turned to Henry, call me Hank, Jellicoe. He looked just the same as he"d looked on the plane-the dreadlocks were in place, his skin was still dyed an outrageous shade of burnt umber, and he was in his boxer shorts and tee shirt. His feet were bare. And he was in the clutches of Yoko, unable to move.
"Well, h.e.l.lo there, Mr. Henry, call me Hank, Jellicoe. Or should I say Andy Graverson. Fancy finding you in John and Gertrude Solomon"s home. How kind of them to let you borrow it."
"You"re good, I"ll give you that!"
"Tell us something we don"t know. Your turn, you piece of c.r.a.p. We saved you till last because we"ve been fighting among ourselves. Each of us wants a piece of you. Guess who won the lottery?" Nikki said.
"You!" Jellicoe said.
"I wish. Nope," Nikki said. "The little china doll holding you captive won the honors," she said, pointing to Yoko. Yoko, embarra.s.sed, bowed. Harry smiled.
"Whenever you"re ready, dear," Myra said.