SeaChange (16 page)

“We might want to expedite this part of the conversation,”
Wen reminded them as he bit into a ham sandwich. “The drug runners will be here
in just a few hours.”

By the time the second round of lunch was over, the tensions
had been mostly defused, and they had a plan. Leta and Niko had refused to
leave, but had agreed to shift into dolphin form and be out to sea when the
drug transfer took place. Jake had promised to talk to them more about the
problems facing the merfolk after tonight’s showdown. Steve and Heidi would be
hidden in sniper positions on the boat, while Wen would be…somewhere.

His three divers arrived shortly thereafter and would be
underwater, waiting to board the cigarette boat when it arrived, along with a
Mexican authority from some unnamed government agency in the capitol. Heidi
didn’t even ask what any of the divers were, though one had volunteered that
they’d been teammates in the Navy SEALs. That sixth sense she’d been developing
in the last few days told her that these guys, like everyone else but her on
the boat, were something more than human. They were fitted with rebreathers, so
there wouldn’t even be any bubbles to disrupt the waves. Steve mounted several
cameras around the outside of the
Siren
’s cabin, which would record the
transaction for evidence purposes. The Mexican agent, a middle-aged man named
Miguel, would be hidden in the cabin, monitoring the cameras.

Shortly before sunset, Leta and Niko slipped into the water
and swam away. Then things started to get interesting.

“Not exactly form-fitting, is it?” she asked as Jake
strapped her into a bulletproof vest. Somehow they’d ended up alone in the
master cabin—their first moment of privacy all day.

“If I had my way, you’d be somewhere safe, and not wearing
one at all,” Jake grumbled. “You’re absolutely sure you want to do this?”

“Yep. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” Her heart
clenched at those words. After tonight, this could all be over and she might
very well never see Jake again. “You’re wearing one of these too, right?” At
least she and Steve would be hidden on the deck, one on each side of the
pilothouse.

“Not the same kind. We don’t want to advertise that I’ve got
access to that kind of hardware. I’m just a guy with a boat, remember? Wen
brought me a lighter weight piece that will stop a small-caliber pistol round.
It’s basically a bulletproof T-shirt.”

Heidi didn’t like the idea of him being less protected, but
she understood his reasoning. “Be careful,” she warned him, biting her lip as
she pulled on a black ski mask and stuffed her braided hair up into it. “I want
to find Brad, but I don’t want to get you killed in the process.”

Jake pulled his Hawaiian shirt off over his head, then
pulled on the Kevlar T-shirt. “Believe me, Freya, I don’t intend to get myself
killed.”

“Yeah, tomorrow you’ve got to go see what you can do to help
your family.”

Jake rubbed his jaw and Heidi realized he’d forgotten to
shave. She hadn’t really noticed the five-o’clock shadow before, but it added a
little air of rakishness to Jake’s already sexy features.

“We’ll worry about that tomorrow,” Jake replied. “Heidi,
whatever happens tonight—whether we find Brad or not—I want you to know—”

“Hey, you two ready to rock? We need to get Heidi in
position before dark.” Steve’s voice from the doorway interrupted the moment.
Heidi blinked, forcing herself to look away from Jake’s intense dark gaze.

“Aye, aye, captain,” she said, drawing in a deep breath. She
snapped Steve a mock salute. “Are the divers down?”

“Yep. Everyone’s in position except the three of us.”

“I’m going to use the head, then I’ll meet you topside.
Okay?” She didn’t know how long she was going to have to sit still, and using
the bathroom first sounded like a good idea.

“Sounds good, but be quick. Sun’s setting as we speak.”
Steve turned and left the room.

Jake waited for Heidi, then when she emerged from the
bathroom, he hauled her into his arms for one last, fierce, kiss. “Stay safe,”
he murmured as he stepped away.

“Yeah. You too.” Her lips still tingling, Heidi turned and
ran up the stairs.

She settled into the spot the men had prepared, the sniper
rifle perched on a tackle box and her body mostly concealed by other equipment.
Once she was in place, Steve waved his hands and muttered something. Heidi felt
a weird tingle, but nothing looked or felt different.

“It’s not an invisibility spell,” Steve said. “That takes a
hell of a lot of power. But what it will do is make a casual observer kind of
look away without noticing you. You should be fine, unless you move or do
something else that attracts attention.”

“Thanks.” Wow, it was good to have magic on their side. She
spared a moment to hope the bad guys didn’t as well.

Steve nodded and disappeared, presumably into his own hiding
place, opposite hers. A few minutes later, Jake took up his position in the
pilothouse.

Then they waited.

Heidi kept trying to check her watch, waiting for the ten
p.m. meeting time, then remembered she’d left it off so the reflective dial
wouldn’t draw attention to her hiding place.
Brad
, she reminded herself.
That’s why she was doing this. Deep in her heart, she was sure he wasn’t dead.
She’d dreamed about him again last night, dreamed that he was calling out to
her for help. All she could do now was wait, and hope to hell that this crazy
plan worked.

Finally, after what seemed like hours but was probably only
minutes, she heard a boat. Chills ran down her spine. It was the same cigarette
boat. She’d stake her life on it. These were the same men who had rammed the
Zodiac and left her to drown—along with whatever they’d done to Brad. She
sighted down the barrel of her rifle at the rear swim deck.

Jake stood in the pilothouse, mostly hidden by darkness. The
moon hadn’t risen yet, and all they’d turned on were the running lights. When
the sleek powerboat bumped against the
Siren
’s stern, Jake took one step
out onto the deck and flipped on a floodlight pointed toward the drug dealers.

“You have the goods?” he asked in Spanish.

“
Sí,
” came the response from one of the men on the
boat. “You have rest of the money?”

“Right here.” Jake picked up a small canvas gym bag. “You
want to count it?” He took two steps toward the rear, holding the bag out
before him in one hand, his other in the air.

“Bring it,” said the man at the wheel of the smaller boat. “Jorge,
get up there and check the bag.”

“
Sí.
” One of the four men in the boat looped a rope
around the
Siren
’s rail, while another held a rifle targeted on Jake.
The final man climbed out and onto the swim deck.

Jake stood at the rail overlooking the swim deck. The other
man’s head and shoulders were visible above the rail, and even Heidi could see
the handgun he had trained on Jake. He held out his other hand for the money.

“Let me see the product,” Jake said, holding the bag out of
the other man’s reach.

The fourth man in the boat held up another black bag, only
this one looked like it was weighted down with bricks, instead of filled with
stacks of hundred-dollar bills. “Five kilos,
amigo
. As promised.”

Jake nodded. “Hand it over, then.” He held out the bag
toward the man on the deck.

Wen must have somehow been watching and notified the divers
that it was time. Suddenly all three of them were out of the water. They
climbed into the cigarette boat while Jake leapt down over the rail to tackle
the man on the swim deck. He got off a shot, but Jake’s arm knocked his aside,
deflecting his aim so it went wild, firing off into the open ocean.

The pilot and the man holding the boat were disabled
quickly, but the one with the rifle used the butt of it to knock aside one of
the divers. While the diver regrouped, his target got off a shot.

Heidi fired back instinctively. She almost breathed a sigh
of relief when she saw that the bullet had missed Jake, then cried out in pain
as it slammed into her left forearm, the one bracing her rifle. Even before she
let go of her rifle, she saw the gunman in the boat collapse. Had she shot him?
Or had Steve done it, and she’d just missed the sound due to pain?

“Heidi,” Jake yelled, scrambling toward her at a run.

“We’ve got them,” one of the divers yelled. “One down and
two unconscious. You want to question number four?”

“Bring him onboard,” Wen said calmly, having reappeared on
deck. “Heidi, how badly are you injured?”

“Just a graze,” she answered weakly. She’d set down her
rifle and immediately covered the burning wound with her right hand. Blood
oozed damply between her fingers, but it didn’t feel like it was gushing.

Jake had reached her and pulled her out of her hidey-hole.
He sat on the deck, pulling her down into his lap. “Get me some light over
here.”

Steve stepped around the pilothouse and turned the
searchlight straight down, so the glow pooled on the deck around Heidi and
Jake. Heidi closed her eyes against the glare.

Jake pulled her hand away from the wound. “The bullet didn’t
penetrate,” he said, with a huge sigh. “It really is just a graze.”

“Told you so,” she joked weakly. Truth be told, it hurt like
a bitch, but she didn’t want to look like a wimpy little girl in front of all
these trained warriors.

“Let’s get her inside and clean it up,” Steve suggested. “Wen
and his buddies can do the questioning part out here on the deck.”

“Sounds good,” Heidi agreed. She wasn’t sure what form the
questioning would take, and she really didn’t think she wanted to know.

Jake stood, lifting Heidi effortlessly into his arms.

“I can walk, you know,” she argued with a feeble attempt at
a grin. “My legs weren’t hurt, just my arm.”

“Shut up,” Jake growled fiercely. He strode down the steps
to the salon, swearing under his breath.

Heidi’s head was swimming just a little, so she leaned her
cheek against Jake’s chest and stopped talking.

Miguel had just finished packing up his electronics. He
wished Heidi well as he lifted his laptop bag off the table and moved around
Jake to head up the stairs.

Jake set her down gently on the table in the galley and
grabbed a clean dish towel from the counter. He folded it into a pad and
pressed it down on Heidi’s wound. “Hold that while I get the first-aid kit.”

“No problem.” She was a little muzzy, but she didn’t think
she was going to pass out. She was just glad her minor injury was the worst of
it.

“Right here.” Suddenly Steve was there beside them, holding
the small red tackle box out to Jake. “If you can take it from here, I’ll go
assist with the fun part.” He turned and left the room—this time he even used
the door.

“Gee, too bad none of them can do magical healing,” Heidi
joked as Jake wet another towel and began to carefully clean Heidi’s arm. She
gripped the table with her good hand, trying not to wince too obviously. “That
would come in handy right about now.”

“Yeah. We’ve got a couple of empathic healers in the colony,
but I haven’t met one since I left,” Jake replied.

“Of course you do.” So much for that being a joke. She was
in way over her head here.

“This will probably leave a scar, unfortunately. I don’t
think it needs stitches, though, so you’re in luck there. Though Wen’s much
better at that than I am.” He finished cleaning the shallow, three-inch-long
furrow, then covered it liberally in antibiotic ointment.

“Won’t be my first scar, won’t be my last,” Heidi said. She
held her arm still while Jake wrapped it in gauze and tape. “Hazards of growing
up a tomboy.”

Jake turned to the sink to wash his hands. “Here. Take these
until we can get you something stronger.” He, fished three ibuprofen out of the
kit and handed them to her, then grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

“We found out where
el jefe’s
headquarters are,” Wen
said, moving silently in through the open door from the stairway. “We need to
move soon.”

“I’m ready,” Jake said. “Did you signal for Leta and Niko to
return?”

“Yes. I lit the paper lanterns on the front deck.” Wen
paused, then added, “The minions outside did say their boss had a prisoner—some
rich American he was hoping to ransom—if he survives.”

Brad!
Tears formed in Heidi’s eyes at the news.

“Excellent,” Jake said. “As soon as Leta and Niko get back
here to stay with Heidi, we can leave.”

Heidi swallowed the pills. “I’m going with you.”

“The hell you are,” Jake snarled. “You’ve already been shot
once tonight.”

“I can drive,” she reminded him. “They’ve got my best
friend, in who knows what kind of shape. I’m not sitting here on my ass.”

“You stay with the car until we give the all clear.” Jake
had apparently figured out that he wasn’t going to win this kind of argument.
That was really even sweeter than wanting to protect her.

Heidi took pity on him. “Scout’s honor,” she replied,
tracing a finger in an X across her chest.

Wen raised one eyebrow. “Ah, but were you ever a girl scout,
Dr. Eriksen?”

Both Jake and Heidi laughed.

“Yes, I actually was. For one year. Then they tried to teach
me to knit, and it was all over.” Heidi held out her hand and Jake helped haul
her to her feet. “Okay, boys, let me go put on some clothes that aren’t covered
in blood. I’ll be ready to go in five minutes.”

“Yeah, I probably should too.” Jake looked down at the
Hawaiian shirt he wore over the bulletproof T-shirt, which was streaked with
blood from Heidi’s arm.

“I’ll be waiting on deck,” Wen said. “Two of my men are
using the cigarette boat to take the prisoners into custody. You can take their
spots in their inflatable. It’s probably best not to move the
Siren
in
until afterward.”

“Sounds good,” Jake called over his shoulder as he followed
Heidi into the bedroom.