Page 16 of Taming Her Bears

The harbor master’s face was starting to grow as grey and grim as his hair. His eyes narrowed into cold, blue slits and his lips turned under as he spoke. “Has something happened to McCarthy?”

Josh stood up impatiently and walked briskly toward the door, waiting for an answer from Pete, then wheeled back around and placed his hands flatly on the table. “We think he’s dead.”

The poor man had to know the words were coming, but his face still blanched. “The ornery old cuss. What did he get himself into?”

Josh continued to brace himself against the table. “I don’t think it’s a matter of what he got himself into as it is what someone got him into. We have reason to believe he was murdered.”

I didn’t think the man’s face could grow any whiter, but it did. He whispered in an awful voice, “And his mates?” He noticed us giving quick glances to each other and cleared his throat. “There were three of ‘em went out to Ketchikan: the captain, his commander, and his first lieutenant. Isn’t none of them been back.”

Three top-ranking Coast Guard officers from the cream of the fleet. If we didn’t put out the fuse quick, this could turn into an international incident. Pete’s smart, hard-heeled officer shoes rang over the steel-reinforced floor. “The Coast Guard left no instructions for Lieutenant Rawlings to take out cutter #374. The boat has gone AWOL. Uh, they request that you pursue, sir.”

For once, making himself useful, Lee was jumping around, refilling the coffee cups. I sipped at mine cautiously. Piping hot and bitter black, just the way I liked it. The harbor master was trying to regain his composure. He sat erect as a soldier; his hands clasped in front of him. “What can I do to help, Captain?”

Josh, however, had already wandered from the room, probably to speak to the admiral himself. I sighed and shoved a clipboard in front of him. “Start by giving us the exact coordinates to McCarthy’s lodge and a detailed description of the land layout.”

While he was drawing out his maps, Josh returned with two zip-lock bags and set them on the table. “We’re tracking a ruthless killer who abducts village girls and sells them on the black market. This is the evidence we have on them to date. This key belongs to a member of a fake motorcycle gang who lured young women into the back woods. This silver bracelet belongs to one of the victims.”

He gasped when he saw the bauble, meant for a slender, feminine wrist. Tears rolled down the harbor master’s face. “I have young daughters. I’d kill the man who hurt one. I want you to get those bastards. Our babies…” His voice broke and he added savagely, “I want you to get them for McCarthy, and mostly, for those little girls. How did you find out? About McCarthy, I mean?”

I patted him on the back consolingly, giving him a grim, ironic smile. “A remarkable stroke of luck. We were on an island when we ran into two of the slave traders. They had been mauled by bears, but they made a confession before they died. Karma can be remarkable.”

The harbor master grunted and wiped at his eyes. “With a little luck, they’ll all get mauled by bears. Tell me who to look out for. I can put together a citizen’s patrol in an instant.”

“No, harbor master,” said Josh gently. “This is as far as it goes. Keep your daughters close to home. Be on the lookout for strangers traveling in groups of three or four, young men with strong builds and an attitude. They’ve been working the mainland coast, but if they’ve dropped down, they might hit some of the island villages. Don’t engage them, but notify the Coast Guard Admiralty. Nobody else.”

“I can tell the others to be on the lookout?”

“Yes. You can let them know there are slave traders on the coast. Tell them what I told you. They might be posing as members of a motorcycle gang or as oil workers. They will probably be dressed in dark clothing.”

“That would be half the fellas that come through here.”

“I know. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more than that.”

“And about McCarthy? What do I say?”

Josh was having a hard time looking the harbor master in the eye. Protocol placed him on a suspect’s list, but common sense said this man was aching for the loss of his best friend. He mumbled without looking up, “Don’t say anything until it’s official. If we find McCarthy, you’ll be the first to know.”

The harbor master fumbled with his cap, then placed it on his head, turning to the captain in a half-salute. “I’m glad he didn’t have a wife. The others did. They were going to meet with them in Seattle.”

“We still don’t know anything yet, Harbor Master.”

“Yes, sir.” He stood at the exit door hesitantly. “I don’t have a good feeling about this, though. A Coast Guard cutter, those don’t just vanish.”

“No, they don’t.”

After he left, I sighed and leaned back. “Can Natalia come out now? She’s been hanging out in the control room, listening, the entire time.”

She flounced in without anyone’s permission and flung herself into a chair, pouting. “Thanks for making me a part of the discussion.”

Josh groaned. “C’mere. C’mere.” He made her sit on his lap a minute while he kissed her and stroked her head like he was petting a bird. “We weren’t shutting you out. Darkhorse, explain it to her.”

I took her hands. “You’re off the mainland, now. If these island people learn the man behind the abductions is a Russian, they’ll rip apart every Russian that comes into port. What do you think will happen then?”

“Bad relations on top of already bad relations?”

I sniffed. “Alotof bad relations. The traders will appeal to Canada for asylum. The islands line up with the Canadian border. Same thing if they get wind we’ve got a witness and some cutlery that just might provide some hot little fingerprints. They’ll just slip into Canada. Then, what are we going to do?”

“If they do that, we’ll never get Denisovich. He wasn’t with the others. He stayed on the ship, and I was never on that ship.”

---