Emerald Fire. Monica McCabe

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СКАЧАТЬ the city and entering the hills, Castries’ version of suburbia. Downtown buildings were a mix of old and new, but on the outskirts the architecture looked reminiscent of the New Orleans French Quarter. The streets were narrow and lined by a menagerie of colorful townhouses sporting ornate wrought iron balconies, a riot of flowers, and the same flirtatious atmosphere of indulgence and romance.

      She wasn’t interested in any of it. The only thing she wanted from her reluctant, albeit gorgeous, partner was help in finding the Fire.

      And to find her Uncle Jon alive and well. His fate worried her to no end. The only solace came from the fact that her uncle was a streetwise and savvy businessman. He could outsmart the best-laid plans, always find the angle. For him to fall prey to pirates was unimaginable. He knew the sea and its dangers. He’d find a way to escape harm.

      He had to be out there, somewhere.

      They crested a ridge, and Finn turned onto another tiny street before squeezing into a parking spot in front of a quaint café on the edge of the hillside.

      Minutes later, they were seated out back on a large deck, their table next to the rail. Sunshine surrounded them, along with palm trees and pink bougainvillea. From under the shade of a deep green umbrella, Chloe glanced down the steep mountainside, then outward to a panoramic rivaling any postcard she’d ever seen.

      Castries spread out below them. A bustling capital city nestled between high volcanic mountain peaks and wrapped around a deep elongated horseshoe bay of vivid blue. In the center of the bay, a mammoth cruise ship commanded the harbor, while small office buildings and multi-floor hotels spread from the airport on the right to Morne Fortune, a hilltop colonial battleground on the left. It was all lush greenery, sparkling water, and sun-drenched tropics. The kind of place tailor-made for honeymoons and romantic getaways, not a rally point for pirates and gold-digging wives bent on murder.

      After they ordered lunch, Finn opened his laptop and began tapping the keys. She leaned over to watch. When Google Earth filled the screen, he typed in SafeSail’s GPS numbers. The globe shifted to the Caribbean and honed in near an island just north of them.

      She caught her breath on a hopeful flare of expectation. “Where is it?”

      “The southern coast of Guadeloupe. But that was hours ago. Doesn’t mean that’s her current location.”

      She stared at the map, at the countless little islands dotting the screen. “Still, it doesn’t look like the pirates are taking the Emerald Fire out to sea.”

      “No,” he agreed. “Probably headed for a chop shop.”

      “So we have time, right?”

      “Maybe.” He didn’t sound encouraging, but as chances went, she’d take slim over none any day. Sometimes that was all you needed.

      He studied the map intently, jotted down a few notes, then flipped to another website. She took a sip of lemonade and watched the Coast Guard site load. “Now what are you looking for?”

      “Maritime reports on crime activity in the area.”

      “You’ll find it listed with the Coast Guard?”

      “That and the International Maritime Organization, the Caribbean NET News, and the U.S. State Department. They all provide current data on missing vessels, petty crime, and piracy.”

      Luck might be on her side with Finnegan Kane. Boston Marine would only employ the best with ten million dollars on the line. While he continued to punch computer keys and scribble on the notepad, she watched the activity in the harbor and contemplated her next course of action.

      Despite all the precautions she’d taken, the journal, the most important piece in her research, got ripped away by a money-hungry schemer. Lisa Banks may have manipulated Uncle Jon into marrying her, but Chloe had seen through the fake affection and red-lipped smile. What she didn’t understand was Lisa’s connection to her miserable cousin Owen. Some key factor was missing that she couldn’t nail down.

      Lately, Owen had become a constant shadow. He’d even turned nice. A sure sign of trouble because Owen was more the sulky, rebellious type who used friendly as a way to manipulate. His latest effort had landed her in this mess. Her job frequently required travel, and when a sudden flight to Warsaw, Poland came up, she’d hidden the journal on the Fire. But then Uncle Jon sailed a week early, and now here she was, desperate in St. Lucia and dependent on a bounty hunter’s ability to do his job.

      God, she hoped he was every bit as good as he claimed. Her family legacy depended on it. If the Emerald Fire fell prey to pirates, then all was lost. The very thought made her ill.

      Lunch arrived and, despite her near overwhelming worry, Chloe’s stomach growled at the mouth-watering plate of blackened jackfish and Cajun fries set in front her. She’d had nothing since airport coffee and a stale donut early this morning, and the spicy aroma pulled her in. She grabbed a seasoned fry and stuffed it in her mouth.

      Finn pushed his laptop to the side but continued his scrolling while he ate. He plowed through his plate of food and sat back, looking over his notes. “I doubt Guadeloupe is their destination. It’s fairly clean as far as piracy reports go. The heavy hitters are Haiti, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.”

      “Surely the bad guys wouldn’t travel that far north,” she replied.

      “Pirates, Chloe. There’s no other word for them.” He snagged one of her fries.

      Her enthusiasm for the remaining jackfish suddenly waned, and she sat back in her canvas chair. It was time for a hard and fast decision. In for a penny, in for a pound her uncle had always said. Besides, she really had no other choice. She had to trust Finnegan Kane, whether she wanted to or not. But she’d do it in baby steps.

      She leaned forward, elbows on the table. “What if I said I had another chance to zero in on the Fire?”

      He frowned. “I’d say why the hell haven’t you mentioned it by now?”

      “And I’d say because you haven’t agreed to team up with me.”

      He put a hand to the back of his neck and rolled his head. He didn’t want a partner, she knew that, but she also knew he wouldn’t pass on a chance to make that astronomical bounty either. He’d already lost this battle.

      “How about you tell me what you’ve got, and I’ll tell you if it’s worth taking on a persistent pain like you.”

      “How sweet.” She pointed to his laptop. “Pull up SafeSail’s website.”

      He popped another of her fries into in his mouth and tapped on the keyboard. The home page for the security company filled the screen.

      “Go to the page marked GPS hybrid systems.”

      Once displayed on the screen, she pointed to the system her uncle had recently installed. “This is on the Fire.”

      Finn scanned the page. “State of the art GPS…yada…yada…hidden back-up that can be activated via satellite transmission despite the main system being disabled by thieves.” His eyes shot to hers.

      God love modern technology. She just got a partner.

      Chapter СКАЧАТЬ