"Dobbs," I wince. "He's tracking me from the manor." Of which I am sure you are verifying on the surveillance camera right now. As planned, Dobbs will be sitting by Doris until the signal goes dead.
"So, what's the plan?" Jordan asks.
"If the signal dies, or he doesn't hear from me in the next hour and every two hours after that, the information on Jem is released and he contacts the Feds."
Acevedo finally locates the bug. The torture is over. "Just leave it on the floor?" He listens again and nods before handing me the first-aid kit.
"Fix your arm then put on the rest of the clothes," Acevedo says.
As I do--just jeans, gray sweatshirt, and white sneakers--Acevedo places the bug on the floor before swiping the diamonds with the baton. No tracers. He replaces the diamonds in the bag. I slip on my new shoes and tuck my hair under the Galilee Angels cap provided. "Now, follow Mr. Acevedo. And remember: bombs, children, no fleeing." Acevedo yanks on my arm and maneuvers me out of the closet. I activate the fourth tracker in my finger.
We file to the opposite platform to embark the southbound train. After two stops, we switch again, riding three north then switching to westbound for five stops, then south to the end of the line. I suppose it's not really paranoia if they are out to get you. Like a good hostage, I don't struggle or say a word when I'm led from the subway up to a parked car near the docks. Ah the fresh ocean air. May your enjoyment not be ruined by the day's events. "Don't you even want to know where you're going, Joanna?" Jordan asks as I climb into the car.
"Does it matter? Wherever it is, I'm going there anyway."
We don't drive far, only six blocks to a private dock. Once again, I'm manhandled down a wooden landing with half a dozen johnboats, to the small blue speedboat where I'm promptly shoved onto the bench while Acededo fires up the engine. Charon guiding me down the river Styx. No one made it out of that boat ride alive either.
"Guess we're not flying to our final destination," I say to Jordan.
"No shit, Sherlock. Just sussed that one out?" Jordan replies.
Acevedo maneuvers the boat through the busy shipping lines filled with steel cargo boats as long as a city block. My fear, which I was doing a fine job of keeping at bay, spikes and spikes through my defenses the further we zoom out to sea. Thirty seconds in I'm trembling and not just from the cutting wind and splash of the freezing water. There are GFPD Marine boats patrolling the harbor, but it'll take longer than two minutes to get to me. Wonderful.
Just as the city's landmass is about to fade completely from view over the dark blue horizon, Acevedo lowers the throttle to slow us. I'm guessing our destination is the stopped carrier about a hundred yards away and closing. Even from this far I can tell she's no ordinary shipping boat. There are no containers on the deck with only a few tiny people milling around on deck. It's smaller than a typical freighter too but still enormous, easily the length of three football fields and as tall as a three-story house. As we pull up to its rusting side, a rope ladder falls from the deck. Acevedo hands me the diamonds. "Up."
Hades, I have arrived.
I knot the bag's tie around my wrist and climb up the side of the ship. I make it about five rungs before Acevedo guns the engine again and zooms away, back towards land. So much for stealing the boat to escape. Swimming to shore is out too as my arms ache by the time I reach the deck. A minion has to help me up the last step. When I stand fully erect, I spot a familiar face strolling toward us with a huge grin plastered on his stolen face. He's dressed casually for our showdown in beige chinos, loafers, and black fleece sweatshirt with his dark hair slicked back. "Welcome aboard."
I remove the Bluetooth, and start pressing the transmitter to signal Jem. "What the hell is this? Not that I don't love a good sea voyage, but a plane is a hell of a lot quicker. I can't see you wanting to spend more time with me than you have to. So what the fuck is going on? I thought we had a deal."
"All shall be revealed shortly. This way."
The two goons with machine guns flank me as Jordan leads us toward the metal staircase down into the massive, cavernous and almost empty cargo area. Well empty except for the bomb the size of an SUV sitting center ring with a million wires attached to bricks and bricks of explosives. Sitting on top is a wooden platform and tall metal rod with a circular top that was probably attached to a crane to lower it, complete with small ladders on either side.
My mouth dries up at the sight of this weapon of mass destruction. And of course we stop the tour right beside it. Damn it's two times taller than me. If he's attempting to scare me, it is damn sure working. "Nice bomb."