Page 36 of Player
“Yes,” she replies, hesitant as all hell.
“Can you drive a boat?”
Her eyes go wide. “A boat? Or a ship?”
I laugh. “A boat.”
“Yes.”
Before she can question me, I tug her arm. “Let’s do this then.”
I hurry off with her in tow, thinking about how I’m going to pull this off. I’m good with electronics, engines, guns, knives, and explosives. But I can’t recollect hot-wiring a boat before. With everyone occupied with tearing apart Cap’s cabin and celebrating the unexpected loot and newfound wealth, it’s now or never.
We hit the deck at a full sprint.
I find the rope ladder with little problem.
“Wait. We’re stealing their boat?” she whispers loudly, but for my ears only.
“You plan on swimming?” I release her arm and peer down at the two boats. “No one is home. So, get your sweet arse moving, will you?”
She listens. No argument. No refusing to obey. But the look she gives me says I’m as mad as a box of frogs.
And the lass is just figuring this out now?
It takes less than a minute to descend, unfetter both speedboats, and push free of the cargo ship.
I hurry into the cabin, knowing the tide could send us back into the large vessel or the mob could rain bullets down on us. Hoping I haven’t lost my mechanic’s touch.
When I spy the keys in the ignition, I whistle a fine tune. Jaysus, too feckin’ easy. Next, a handful of cruise line employees will appear out of bleedin’ nowhere to take my drink order.
“See if the keys are in the other boat, will you?”
Wide-eyed, she does what I ask, scrambling to and from boats and returning with keys in hand.
I take them from her then toss them over my shoulder and into the deep, blue waters, before turning my attention to the task at hand.
“Two things you need to know,” I warn her.
Her lips part in surprise, as she fears the worst.
“One, you best take cover. It’s going to be a shit-show of bullets once this engine starts.”
I turn the key. True to form, the engine starts with a roar.
“What’s two?” she hollers over her shoulder, already heeding my first warning.
“You’re on your own if the boat sinks.”
I shrug at her disappointed expression then laugh. Though the truth is anything but funny considering the amount of time I’ve been off land. Or the fact I just pulled off the biggest lie imaginable. For Christ’s sake, a seaman?
“Can’t swim, colleen. I can’t bleedin’ swim.”
