Part 29 (1/2)

”Tell them that.”

”G'wan, jump! She won't shoot you! All talk!” the man on the stern yelled. ”Hurry!”

Dar felt her heart lurch as the man on the bow prepared to leap.

She trained the barrel of the shotgun on him and swallowed hard, not sure she was either willing or able to pull the trigger.

”Dar.” Kerry's voice was tense.

I have to protect her. Dar's inner voice spoke quietly. ”Stay back,” she called over her shoulder, and then faced forward. The*173 man tossed a rope over to the deck and climbed up onto the railing.

Dar steeled herself, and pulled the trigger. The gun bucked powerfully, jerking against her shoulder. Yells erupted. Then she pulled it again. Splinters of white erupted all over the water as both shots blew through the hull of the pirate's boat near the waterline.

She pumped the shotgun and loaded two more sh.e.l.ls into the chamber.

”Crazy b.i.t.c.h!”

”Shoot her a.s.s!”

”Look out!”

”Get the f.u.c.k back! Get back! Holy s.h.i.+t!”

”Next one's gonna put chum in the water,” Dar bellowed, ”instead of f.u.c.king fibergla.s.s!” She swung the shotgun toward the stern, since the two men on the bow had dived into the water for cover. One of the men facing her brought his gun up and sighted down it, and their eyes met across their gun sights.

And in that moment, with her life on the line, Dar felt her fear drop away as the predator inside her woke. Her eyes narrowed and a smile etched itself across her face, and she knew way down deep that she not only could pull that trigger...she would. Her finger tightened on the trigger.

”Get the f.u.c.k outta here, man! We're f.u.c.king sinking!” One of the men from the bow had climbed over into the stern and grabbed the wheel.

”Coast Guard, Coast Guard, mayday, mayday.” Kerry's voice came from behind her. ”This is Dixieland Yankee, a US registered vessel being attacked just north of AVI B21.”

”f.u.c.k! They're calling the Coast Guard! Get moving!” The man pointing the gun at Dar dropped his muzzle and ducked behind the cabin. ”Move! Move!”

The fis.h.i.+ng boat wallowed in the water, then its engines cut in and the bow turned away from them. They gunned the motor and the bow lifted, two holes now visible against its white curve. As they left, one of the men on the stern lifted his rifle to his shoulder and pointed it at them.

”s.h.i.+t.” Dar jerked back through the doorway, trying to get the door closed.

One of the man's companions knocked the muzzle up, then cuffed the man in the back of the head. The gun carrier angrily smacked his crewmate with the b.u.t.t of the rifle. They struggled, shoving each other as the boat retreated, curving widely toward the southern sh.o.r.e of the island just north of Charlie's.

”We better get out of here,” Dar uttered tensely. ”In case they come back.” She turned to find Kerry watching her with a pale face and widened eyes. ”You okay?”

Kerry set down the microphone, leaned against the cabin wall, 174*

and exhaled. ”Yeah.” Her voice held a rough note. ”But heading back to some place where I can just...” she took a breath, ”take a nap would be very cool.”

Dar guided her over to the couch and sat her down, then put away the shotgun. ”Curl up here, sweetheart. I'm pulling up the anchor and we'll dock over by Charlie and Bud's,” she said. ”Bud's a medic.”

”Bet his bedside manner's a peach,” Kerry muttered as she lay down on the couch. She watched Dar's face as she closed the shotgun case, seeing the tension etched across it and the restless s.h.i.+ft of her jaw muscles. ”Hey, Dar?”

”Yeah?” Dar didn't look up.

Kerry reached out to stroke Dar's leg. ”That was really impressive,” she said.

Dar's hands paused in their work. The dark head turned and their eyes met. Dar closed the bench seat and sat down next to Kerry, resting her forearms on her knees. ”Was it?” she answered softly. ”It just sounded like a bunch of pompous yelling to me.”

Kerry smiled. ”It worked,” she said. ”That was a great idea to put a hole in their boat.”

Dar gazed at the floor between her bare feet. Her mind drifted back to the feeling she'd had when the gun had centered on the man on the bow. There had been no fear, no confusion in her. She'd centered the sights on his chest. Why hadn't she pulled the trigger?

What had sent the muzzle lower, to target the boat instead?

”Dar?”

Dar lifted her head and turned. ”Yeah? Um...thanks.” She managed a smile. ”I'm not sure it was all planned, but I'm glad I ended up doing the right thing.” She pushed herself to her feet.

”Call me if you need anything, okay?” She ruffled Kerry's hair, then walked to the door and eased through it.

Kerry felt her brow furrow. Her instincts told her something in Dar's voice...in her manner...just wasn't right. She heard the engines start up, followed by the clank of the anchor retracting, felt the motion as the boat headed toward the island. Later, they'd have time to talk. Kerry put her head down on the arm of the couch and let her eyes drift shut. Then she'd figure it out.

Chapter.

Fifteen.

DAR WAS IN turmoil. The rain had stopped, and a weak splash of sunlight dusted her forearms where they rested on the control console of the boat. Things were just happening too fast, she decided. She was in a place where she was purely reacting instead of driving what was going on, and she wasn't used to that.

”So I react like a freaking nutcase. Nice.” She stared glumly at the controls. ”What the h.e.l.l was that? A gun? Shooting people?

What the h.e.l.l is going on with you, Roberts?” Shaking her head, she turned the wheel a little, arcing the boat toward the end of the island. ”I think I'm losing it.”

”Honey?”

Dar jumped in startlement, and then picked up the microphone.

”Right here. Everything okay?”

”Well...” Kerry's voice crackled through the intercom, ”you've got the mic keyed open, and it's kind of tough for me to listen to you yelling at yourself when I'm not there to kiss you and make it better.”

”Oh.” Dar felt herself blus.h.i.+ng. ”Sorry,” she muttered. ”I'm just a little rattled, I guess.” Her eyes lifted to the horizon and adjusted their course again. ”Be glad to be in port.”

”Me, too,” Kerry replied.

Dar felt a pang of anxiety. ”You feeling worse?” Pure instinct caused her to hit the throttles and increase their speed. On top of everything else, worry about Kerry's physical condition was gnawing at her.

”No,” Kerry replied, a touch of warmth in her tone. ”I just had some more tea, matter of fact. I think the fever's down,”she said. ”I think I just need some processing time.”