Page 88 of The Library on Plum Island
Alex’s heart froze, and he took a step, ignoring Stanley’s hand. “Have you come to finish the job?”
“No, sir,” Stanley shook his head. “I’m here to get you and everyone else off this boat before it explodes. We have reason to believe it’s been rigged with explosives.”
“Why should I trust you?” Alex asked him.
“You have no reason to,” Stanley turned and signaled to the helicopter, and two other men slid down the ladder. “I know this boat is rigged with explosives, and we only have fifteen minutes at best to get you off it.”
Alex turned to see the two figures board the little red boat, and shortly afterward, it turned and sped off back toward Plum Island, letting Alex breathe a sigh of relief. He turned to look at Stanley with mistrust in his eyes.
“You’re going to be a very sorry man if you’re lying to me,” Alex warned Stanley before letting him know they had subdued the mercenaries.
Five minutes later, the Coast Guard boat pulled up alongside the Yacht. To Alex’s relief, Harley was on the Coast Guard boat.
“Geez, Alex, you get yourself in some glorious messes,” Harley exclaimed as the two men hugged it out.
“Is he with you?” Alex pointed to Stanley, who was ordering the men to gather up the mercenaries.
“Yes,” Harley nodded. “It turns out he’s an ex-Air Force officer. He was investigating the Spiers Company for the accident that killed his wife three years ago when he was propositioned by someone to look for Daniella.”
“Oh, speaking of that, I believe Ron…” Alex didn’t get to finish.
“Ron Jackson is dead,” Harley finished. “We know.”
“Who asked Stanley to look for Daniella?” Alex asked.
“He doesn’t know,” Harley told him. “The person always contacted him on different numbers and never kept one long enough to trace. But Stanley knows it wasn’t Ron Jackson as the man had moved on and had married a nurse who was about to take him to court for spousal abuse.”
“Good grief,” Alex hissed. “What a nice man.” Sarcasm dripped from his voice.
“Stanley was trying to find out who had hired him when a friend of his called him,” Harley explained. “The man used to work with Stanley, and he was terrified for his wife and kids and forced to blow up your house and boat with stolen explosives from the Spiers Company.”
“Would you two like to finish this when we’re off this death trap?” Malcolm walked toward them. “I don’t know about you two, but I’m going in the bird.”
“I’ll go back on the boat,” Harley said.
“I’ll go on the boat with Harley.” Alex looked at Harley. “You are going back to Plum Island, right?”
“Yes,” Harley nodded. “I need to ensure that my cousin and Harriet don’t end up in jail for grand theft auto and boat theft.”
“What?” Alex spluttered.
“Let’s go, and I’ll explain on the way,” Harley led Alex off the yacht.
“The boat’s cleared,” one of the members of the Coast Guard told Harley as the man jumped onto the Coast Guard boat, and they pulled off with a roar while the helicopter lifted off and flew away.
They had just got a fair distance away from Alex’s boat when they were rocked by the explosion that tore through the Black Ocean, spewing debris across the ocean’s surface. Alex’s heart sank as he watched his boat go up in flames while they roared away to safety. A lump formed in his throat as the boat crumpled into the sea, along with his memories made on a ship that he’d carefully designed and had watched being built.
“I’m sorry about your house and boat, Alex.” Harley patted Alex on the shoulder. “What an awful loss.”
Alex nodded, watching his boat sink into its watery grave. “Harley, if this wasn’t Ron Jackson, or revenge for Stanley’s wife’s death, then who did this and why?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Harley assured him. “All I can say,” he glanced towards Alex’s yacht, “is that whoever’s doing this has a lot of hate in their heart for you and Daniella.”
As Harley said that, an image of the lipstick warning scribbled on Daniella’s nightstand and flashed through his mind.It’s not a very accessible color. Daniella’s words triggered a memory.
What do you think of my new lipstick?
And another conversation hit him.This isn’t over until I say it is. You don’t get to decide.
