Sweet Dreams, Irene

“Did you get rid of that bloodstained blanket the same way?”

“Ah, Miss Kelly, you’ll never know, will you?”

“We’re not that far offshore. Don’t you worry that some passing traffic from Catalina will see us? Or the Coast Guard?”

Ga

“Don’t touch her!” Jack said angrily.

Ga

Dice.

I felt the sound in my thumb, in my shoulder, in five places on my back. It sounded exactly like fear.

He stepped off the ladder and moved toward me menacingly. My knees weakened and I stepped away from him. He took another step toward me, and sheer panic seized me. Trying to step away, I stumbled and fell backward with a bone-jarring thud. It hurt, but for an awful moment, I was too afraid he would shoot me to worry about anything else.

“You son of a bitch!” Jack was shouting.

Ga

From where I lay, I could see my cane, wedged on the side of one of the bunks. I looked back at Ga

“Hold perfectly still,” he said coldly, apparently reading my intent if not my exact plans. He took some rope, and standing over me, laughed again. “I see your previous injuries are going to make this easier.” Gun still in hand, he clumsily tied my good foot to my cast, then set the gun well out of my reach, laying it aside to put his hands beneath my arms. He pulled me to a sitting position. I couldn’t help but yelp at the bolt of pain that sent through my right shoulder.

“Irene!” I heard Jack call, frantic.

“I’m okay, Jack,” I called back shakily.

With an iron grip, Ga

“There, a nice, firm square knot,” Ga

He stood up. “Just in case you manage to free yourself from your bonds, I’m locking you in here. And should you try to crawl up those steps, you should understand that I’ll kill Mr. Fremont the moment I hear you rattle the hatch.”

True to his word, he closed and locked the hatch. The air around me quickly grew stuffy, and once again I had to force myself not to panic. Even though the lights were still on in the Pandora’s cabin, I pictured myself in a small, dark room in the mountains. I could not abide being shut up in a small space. I closed my eyes and forced myself to calm down.

I heard the sounds of the anchor being raised, of someone leaving the Pandora, and then the roar of the powerboat, heading away from us. Before long, the cabin lights dimmed briefly as the diesel engine of the Pandora started as well. We were under way.

I discovered the knot tied on my ankle was a gra

I worked my way to my feet. I opened a porthole, putting my face to it, taking in deep breaths to further calm myself. Only then was I able to notice the disturbing view before me: we were slowly moving farther out to sea. Sailor or no, Ga

Somehow, I had to stop the engine, to at least keep us within range of the traffic between Catalina and the harbors along the coast. Taking my cane as a weapon if needed, I turned to make my way aft. I hooked the cane on the ladder and moved nearer the engine, which still lay uncovered.

The working quarters were tight, and maneuvering within them was made all the more awkward by my casts. But I had learned to be more adept with my left hand by then, so I wasn’t impossibly clumsy. I managed to remove the bilge plate. I found a pair of vise grips in the toolbox, located the fuel line, and pinched it closed. I quickly rummaged through the toolbox again, found the biggest wrench I could handle with one hand, and awkwardly stood up. I stayed behind the ladder, keeping the wrench in hand, the cane nearby.

Some minutes passed, during which I began to doubt my handiwork. Just at the moment I was sure I needed to start loosening every single bolt I could lay the wrench on, the engine choked to a standstill. The sudden silence didn’t last long.

“What the hell did you do?” Ga

“I didn’t do a damned thing, and you know it,” Jack answered angrily. “You’ve been watching me the whole time.”

“Try starting it again,” Ga

Jack dutifully pressed the starter button, to no avail.

“What’s wrong with it?” Ga

“I’ll have to go below to find out. Maybe your man did more damage than you suspected.”

“It’s a trick!” Ga

“I thought you said she was tied to the table. She couldn’t reach the engine from there.”

“Never mind. Go on down the ladder and fix it. Hurry up. I’ve got the gun on you, remember.”

The hatch opened and Jack slowly stepped down the ladder, Ga

“What’s going on?” Ga

“I don’t know – something’s wrong! I can’t wake her up!” Jack shouted, his voice frantic. The man deserved an Academy Award.

Ga

“Irene!” Jack said again.

Ga

“Step away from her!” he said nervously.

Jack shook his head. “She’s hurt.” If Jack moved, Ga

“Step back!” Ga

“Jack!” I cried. Blood was staining his left sleeve.