Part 48 (2/2)

”Where's the signal?”

”Here.” Charlie pointed to the radar. Amid the clutter of the storm, a small, pulsing green blip emerged some distance away from them. ”Could just be a false. Not getting much closer in the last bit.”

”Not with our luck.” Dar studied the dot. It didn't seem to be moving quickly, just meandering after them, keeping about an even distance from the Dixie. ”You think it's DeSalliers?”

Charlie shook his head. ”Too little.”

”Pirates?” Kerry suggested ”Not in this weather. They ain't that stupid.”

Kerry leaned in next to Dar. ”Maybe they changed their minds about helping you out.”

Charlie snorted. ”Anyhoo, we got three more hours of this before we get to the meet point. Weather's getting worse. You want to pull in somewhere 'til it clears a little?”

Dar lifted her eyes and peered off into the darkness. The wind whipped her hair back, and a crack of far off lightning illuminated a bank of heavy clouds ahead of them. ”You think it'll clear?”

The big man shrugged. ”Depends. Might just be a squall,” he said.

”Or an outer band,” Dar replied dryly. ”How far are we from the spot?”

”Hour,” Charlie said. ”Got a small atoll five, ten minutes from here we could anchor by. Give our snoopy friend a chance to get out of our hair.”

”All right,” Dar said. ”Once we're anch.o.r.ed, you can go take a look at what we found out. See if it makes any sense to you.”

Charlie nodded and turned the boat into the wind, nudging the throttles forward as the waves rocked them from side to side.

KERRY WASN'T A happy person. She leaned her elbows on the counter and studied her hands, regarding the tiny lines on the back of her thumbs as she tried not to chuck up her guts. It isn't fair, she moaned silently. What is it about the Caribbean that brings on seasickness in me? She'd sailed in the Great Lakes in waves higher*287 than these and it hadn't bothered her a bit.

”You okay?”

Kerry turned her head to find Dar standing next to her. ”Um.”

She held her breath as the boat rolled in the surf. ”Sorta.”

”Sweetheart,” Dar affectionately ran her fingers through Kerry's hair, ”you're greener than your eyes. Want something for that?”

”Do you have something?” Kerry asked hopefully. ”It wasn't so bad when we were moving.” They'd been at anchor for twenty minutes. Charlie was studying the clues they'd found, and Bob had retreated to the chair near the door.

”No, it wouldn't be.” Dar fished up in the cabinet over the refrigerator. She retrieved a small box, then leaned against the wall for balance as she ripped it open. ”It's the wallowing.”

Kerry closed her eyes. ”Don't say that word again.”

Dar popped open the foil on two of the tablets and set the box down, turning to retrieve a cup and fill it with water. ”Here.” She handed Kerry the pills. ”Dramamine.”

Kerry took the pills and the water and made quick work of swallowing them. She set down the cup and sighed. ”Got anything else? Any old folk remedies you want to try?”

Dar c.o.c.ked her head to one side, then with a tiny smirk, she leaned over and captured Kerry's earlobe between her teeth and nibbled at it gently.

”Orf...bu...Dar!” Kerry squeaked very softly, her eyes widening as she lurched up toward their guests. The attention was causing tiny, interesting jolts to travel down her body, however, warring effectively against the panic.

”Yeees?” Dar murmured.

Kerry wondered if it was the Dramamine working that fast. Her nausea eased and she felt her shoulders relax, despite the continued roll of the boat. ”Wow. That works,” she whispered.

”Mmhm,” Dar agreed. ”A little tough to do to yourself, though.” She put her arms around Kerry and pulled her back against her body. Kerry clasped her hands around Dar's and exhaled, seemingly very content.

As the meeting time got closer, Dar was getting more and more worried about it. The knowledge that Bud's safety was resting on her shoulders weighed on her, and she knew they only had the slimmest number of facts on their side.

”Dar?”

Dar rested her chin against Kerry's hair. ”Hm?”

”I'm going in there with you, to meet with DeSalliers,” Kerry stated. ”Just in case you were thinking about asking me not to.”

Was I thinking that? Dar could feel Kerry's breathing under her hands, a slow and steady motion. ”To be honest, I hadn't really 288*

thought about it, Ker. Does it make sense to risk both of us, though?”

Kerry didn't answer for a few minutes. Her hands stroked Dar's, a gently comforting sensation. ”I just want to be with you,”

she finally said. ”I want to be there.”

It seemed right, somehow, if not logical. ”Okay,” Dar said. ”I'm gonna need all the help I can get, and you're the best help I could hope for.” She couldn't see the grin on Kerry's face, but she knew it was there from the change in her voice.

”Thanks.” Kerry rested her head against Dar's collarbone. ”So, what's the plan?”

Very good question. ”I figure we'll meet with him,” Dar said.

”Try to set some ground rules. I want to get the money straight first, because if he doesn't go for that, we've got a real problem.”

She kept her voice down, out of Charlie's hearing range.

”Mm.”

”Get him to show us Bud, to make sure he's on the boat,” Dar went on. ”Then, I guess we let out what we know a bit at a time, see what happens.”

”We don't know much.”

”I know,” Dar said. ”Hey, let's see if we can get that box open.”

They walked across to the console and leaned over the box as Bob watched them curiously. Dar picked up a pocketknife and opened it, starting to pry gently at the barnacles covering the box as Kerry held it.

”You think anything's in there?” Bob asked.

”Probably not,” Kerry admitted. ”I think Dar and I are just antsy and bored, and we want the time to pa.s.s faster.”

Dar glanced at her, a trifle startled at having her inner thoughts expressed with such clarity. ”Hey,” she pried off a bit of sea life, ”that's pretty good, Madame Fifi.”

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