Blue Velvet (15 page)

Julio flinched. “What do you think?” he asked fiercely. “I’ve known her far longer than you and we’ve been through more than you could ever dream. She probably saved my life in El Salvador. I told you why I let her go alone.”

“Debts, bargains, all of this nobility crap,” Beau said wearily. “Between us we’ll be lucky if we don’t get her killed. It’s time we forgot everything but getting her off this damn island in one piece.”

Julio’s brow creased in a troubled frown. “But I promised—”

“But I didn’t,” Beau interrupted harshly. “And if you think I’m meekly going to let you fly me out of here and leave her in Mariba alone, you’re as crazy as she is.”

“I didn’t think you would.” There was a touch of complacent satisfaction in Julio’s smile. “And
I was careful to promise her only that I’d fly the plane to Santa Isabella, not you.”

“Very wise, since you wouldn’t have been able to keep that particular promise anyway,” Beau said crisply. He rose lithely to his feet. “Now what do you say we make tracks for the Cessna?”

“We’re going to wait there for her to radio us?”

“Hell, no. As soon as it gets dark you’re going to fly me in as close to Mariba harbor as you can manage.” His lips twisted. “I hope you’re as good a pilot as Kate claims. I don’t want you cracking up trying to get low enough for me to jump.”

“You’re going to jump into the sea and swim to shore?” Julio asked, his eyes widening.

“Unless you have a better idea. Believe me, I’d welcome any other suggestion. I’ve been in the water so much lately I’m starting to feel as if I’m growing gills.”

Julio shook his head. “It’s certainly the fastest way to get to Mariba. Probably the only one if you’re going to get there in time to do Kate any good.” He frowned. “But she’s right, you know.
If you go to the inn now, you could blunder in and upset any plan she might have for getting the crew away.”

“If she has any plan,” Beau said grimly. “In my experience of Kate, she operates ninety percent of the time on impulse power.”

“You’d be surprised how often she comes through with flying colors though,” Julio said with a grin. “Jeffrey has always said she’s a natural.”

There was no doubt that Kate was that. Naturally bright, naturally honest, naturally loving. The most beautifully straightforward person he’d ever known and certainly the most maddeningly infuriating one. “I won’t go to the inn,” he decided reluctantly. “I’ll take a chance on Kate getting them away and see what I can do about the ship. Two guards, you say?”

Julio nodded. “That’s what I heard.”

“Let’s hope you heard right. I wouldn’t like to receive any unpleasant surprises.” He looked ruefully down at the brilliantly flowered shirt he was wearing. “It’s going to be hard enough trying to play Errol Flynn in this iridescent garb you’ve provided me with.”

“Manuel likes color,” Julio said absently. “God, I wish I could go with you!”

“Someone has to fly the plane and I don’t think Kate would appreciate it if you kamikazed the Cessna.”

“I guess not,” Julio said as he opened the door of the tree house. “I’ll be right with you. I promised to get something for Kate.”

“The carousel?”

“It was the only thing she wanted.”

“It means a lot to her,” Beau said. “You go ahead, I’ll bring it.”

Julio hesitated a moment, his gaze on Beau’s face before nodding slowly. “All right. I’ll wait down below for you.”

It was already dusk in the little room but Beau made his way with instinctive sureness to the rattan chest. A stray wavering ray of sunlight streamed into the dimness, lighting the music box with an elusive radiance. The proud arch of the unicorn’s neck, the valiant boldness of the mythical centaur, the perky cheerfulness of the small spotted pony. There was so much of Kate embodied in the whimsical little music box. So much beauty, so much courage, so much …

He bent to pick up the music box with painstaking care, feeling his throat tighten painfully. The only treasure she’d wanted to take with her, Julio had said. Well, he wasn’t about to let her take this particular treasure and leave him behind. She’d have to learn that wherever she went from now on he’d be beside her. To hell with being fair. He couldn’t risk her putting herself into danger like this again. It was going to tear him apart to stand and wait for her to come to the
Searcher
. He’d give her until midnight but no later before he went to the inn. Then he’d be damned if he’d ever let her out of his sight again.

He tucked the music box beneath his arm and moved swiftly toward the door.

“A
LL RIGHT, NOW
tell me how you managed to get rid of the guards,” Daniel demanded as he caught up with Kate’s hurrying figure at the corner a block from the inn. “I was happy as hell to see you when you unlocked that hotel room door, but I admit I’m curious.”

Kate glanced over her shoulder with an anxious frown. The captain had told the six crew members to split up in twos and follow at halfblock intervals to avoid looking suspicious. Yes, there they were.

“Oh, that was my friend Consuello’s doing,” she said with a grin. “She still had some sedatives
from her late husband’s medicine chest. We slipped them into a bottle of wine and sent it to the guards with Despard’s compliments.” She made a face. “I wasn’t even sure they’d still be potent enough. They were over two years old.”

“Obviously they were.” Daniel’s teeth flashed white in his bearded face. “They were sleeping like newborn babies when I dragged them into the hotel room.” His grin suddenly faded. “But if your little mickey was that old, it might not last long. We’d better hope we have the
Searcher
well away from Castellano by the time they come to and give the alarm.”

“We’re only a block away from the pier where the ship is docked,” Kate said. They were moving swiftly now and were once more in the shadows. “Do you think it’s safe to take off my disguise now?”

“Is that what it is?” An amused smile tugged at Daniel’s lips as his gaze traveled over Kate’s figure, from her shiny scarlet visored helmet to the oversized white linen jacket that came almost to her knees. “I thought it looked a little bizarre. You look a cross between a Martian invader and a Colonel Sanders commercial.”

“Colonel Sanders?” A puzzled frown knitted her brow for a moment before she shrugged dismissively. “I may look rather weird but no one can tell who I am. Who would suspect someone dressed like this of any serious shenanigans?”

“You have a point,” Daniel said amusedly. “No one could accuse you of keeping a low profile.” He suddenly started to chuckle. “Lord, I wish Clancy Donahue could see you. You’ve got to be the strangest undercover operator on record.”

“He wouldn’t approve?”

“I didn’t say that,” Daniel said. “He admires effectiveness no matter how it’s cloaked and you were certainly that.”

“I was lucky,” Kate said soberly.

“Yes, you were,” Daniel agreed. “You seem to be very well endowed in that way. So is Beau for that matter. I’ve seen him pull off some pretty outrageous stunts.” He stared at her. “Where
is
Beau?”

She glanced away hurriedly. “On his way to Santa Isabella,” she said lightly. “It was my fault you were captured and my responsibility to set you free. I decided not to involve him.”

Daniel gave a low whistle. “Do I take it you’re doing this without Beau’s knowledge? I thought it a little odd he wasn’t hovering over you like a protective dragon.” He shook his head incredulously. “I can’t believe he flew off into the wild blue yonder and left you to your own devices.”

“There isn’t any reason why he shouldn’t.” She still wasn’t looking at him. “After all, he hasn’t any commitment to me.”

“Perhaps I would have believed that if I hadn’t seen the man jump overboard and swim after you like a guardian dolphin.” He suddenly grinned. “He was mad as hell but it didn’t stop him from taking the plunge. I’d say an action like that from Beau demonstrates the ultimate in commitment.”

“Does it?” she asked huskily. “I really wouldn’t know. He’s almost a stranger to me.” It was true, she assured herself determinedly. Beau
was
a stranger. You could turn and walk away from strangers. This crazy feeling of being joined to him in mind and body in the most intimate of possession was only a mirage that surely would fade away in time. Oh, dear heaven, it had to.

“Tell that to Beau.” Daniel’s brow lifted skeptically.
“I don’t think he sees your relationship in quite the same way.” His hand suddenly closed on her arm. “The ship is just ahead.” He pulled her over into the shadows of the prefab warehouse they were passing. “I hope Julio was right that there are only two guards.”

“What do we do?” Kate asked, her eyes on the ship a hundred yards or so ahead. It was a deserted ghost ship in the moonlit darkness. Its usually billowing graceful sails were folded like the wings of a sleeping sea gull. “There doesn’t seem to be anyone around.”

“What the hell!”

Her eyes flew to Daniel’s grim face.

“There’s someone on board all right. The auxiliary engines have been started.”

“But why would the guards do that?”

“They shouldn’t, unless they’re so bombed out of their minds they’ve decided to take it out for a little spin. It wouldn’t really surprise me. Those guards back at the hotel were guzzling rum as if it were water.”

“Most people do in Castellano,” Kate said absently. “Liquor is sometimes a good deal cheaper in the Caribbean.”

“Well, they can just keep their damn hands off
my
ship.” He stepped back into the street and waved imperiously at the crewmen a short distance away. “Stay here,” he said to Kate. “We’ve got to get on board before they try to maneuver away from the dock and crash into something. I hoped to be a little more subtle and not just charge up the gangplank like the Light Brigade.” He shrugged. “Oh well, sometimes there’s an element of surprise in the direct approach.”

“I’m not going to stay here,” Kate said indignantly. “I want to be—”

But Daniel was no longer listening. He and the other crewmen who had joined him were moving almost at a run toward the ship. What did Daniel think he was doing leaving her standing there while he took command? Didn’t he realize that getting them out of Mariba was her responsibility? Then she was flying after them and caught up with Daniel just as he was barreling up the gangplank.

He cast her a distinctly annoyed glance. “Get out of here,” he hissed. “You’ve done your part. Luck like yours can’t last forever. Beau will
strangle me with his bare hands if I let anything happen to you.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Beau’s tone was grim as he stepped out of the shadows of the tall mast near the gangplank. “At the moment I’m more inclined to strangle our sweet Kate myself.”

The assault force came to a screeching halt.

“Beau!” Kate said incredulously. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

Daniel started to chuckle. “I didn’t think you’d stay out of the action for long. Where are the guards?”

“Trussed up below in the crew quarters,” drawled Beau. “I’d suggest you have them taken ashore and dumped in the nearest alley. We don’t want to be accused of kidnapping as well as piracy. Incidentally, I dispatched them with considerably more style than you were displaying. I swam up to the anchor line and climbed it hand over hand à la Errol Flynn. While you, on the other hand, charged up that gangplank with all the tactical finesse of the marines at the Bay of Pigs.” Beau shook his head disparagingly. “For an ex-mercenary you looked regrettably unprofessional.”

“You’re supposed to be with Julio.” Kate stepped forward to stand before him. “Damn it, why aren’t you, Beau?”

“Be quiet, Kate.” There was a thread of steel beneath the softness of Beau’s drawl. “You might say I’m a bit upset with you at the moment. I didn’t at all appreciate being left behind. I found my jump into the sea from the Cessna less than enjoyable.” He ran his hand through his still damp hair. “I’m beginning to feel practically amphibian since you came into my life.” His lips tightened. “And I most particularly disliked waiting here wondering what trouble you were getting yourself into at the inn. I’ve been close to mayhem for the past hour.”

“All that was hardly my fault,” she said defiantly. “You were supposed to fly to Santa Isabella with Julio.”

“So he told me,” he grated through his teeth. “I don’t take orders as well as your friend Julio. In fact, I don’t take orders at all. It’s time you learned that, Kate.”

She drew a deep shaky breath. She should be used to having him angry with her by now.
There was no reason for the abrasive pain she was feeling at his biting anger.

“If you’ll excuse the interruption”—Daniel’s tone was laden with irony—“do you suppose it would be all right if we postponed all these recriminations and got under way? I gather you started the engines, Beau?”

Beau nodded, his gaze still on Kate’s visored face. “I thought I’d have everything ready to go when you showed up.” His brow knitted in a frown. “What the hell are you doing in that crazy getup? You look like a Hell’s Angel reject.”

“Daniel said it was more Colonel Sanders,” she said. “Who was—”

“It’s a disguise,” Daniel broke in with exasperation. “Now that we have that settled, may we please sail?”

Beau’s brows lifted. “Who’s stopping you?” he drawled, a little smile tugging at his lips. “You can’t expect me to do absolutely everything. After all, you’re the captain, Daniel.”

Daniel grimaced before he turned away with a flurry of terse orders that sent his men at a dead run to their stations. “I’ll try to contribute my little effort to the cause,” he said over his
shoulder. “Providing the two of you will get the devil out of my way!” He strode swiftly away, rattling more commands with machine-gun forcefulness.

Beau’s gesture had a mocking panache. “You heard the man. I suggest we go to my cabin and let Daniel get on with his work. I have a few words I want to say to you. Very choice words.”

She took off her helmet and ruffled her hair wearily. “I’m sure I’ve heard them before. I think we should help Daniel and the men get the
Searcher
out to sea. I don’t want to ruin everything now that we’ve gotten this far.”