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“About weapons, yeah. But not much else.”
Randall looked at John, “Your call.”
John looked at Randall, “You want to say hello to the folks down there?”
Randall picked up the other M4 and said, “Let’s.”
Hunter said, “Wait a minute.” She handed Ariel the rifle, then took off her windbreaker and blouse, revealing her bulletproof vest, with the tee shirt underneath. She undid the side straps and pulled the vest over her head. “Here, it won’t fit you, but it’s protection against handguns and better than nothing. Randall’s wearing his, and you need one if you’re going down there.” Before John could object, she said, “Ariel and I have a whole building to hide behind.”
John took it. “If we can get on one of these boats, they probably have a high frequency radio that we can communicate with and call the Coast Guard, get them coming this way.”
Hunter looked at the sea, “I may just wait until the storm passes.”
Randall said, “I’m with Hunter on that one. Too dangerous.”
“Just a thought.” John said, “You ready to go?”
On impulse, Randall kissed Ariel and said
, “For luck.” Then followed John onto the pier.
Hunter told Ariel, “Watch these two, and if either one moves, come get me. I have to go a little further out on the pier.”
She waited for John and Randall to advance further, and looked to see if she could see them. Visibility was twenty yards, and no sign of her friends. She looked to the side and visibility was a hundred yards or so. That would be enough. She stepped into the wind and advanced thirty yards on the pier. When she turned to face north, she saw the two ships and the people and vehicles on the rapidly disappearing beach. The storm was deepening, intensifying. She felt the pier vibrate as a bigger wave slammed the pier supports and the top of the wave was almost as high as the pier. She felt a little flutter of fear, but shook it off.
Hunter dropped to one knee and braced the rifle against the short railing, then lined the sights on the engine area of the farthest boat.
It was difficult to hold on it, with the vessel going up, down, side to side, wallowing. She took her time, breathed, and braced against the wind.
She was ready to start the ball rolling.
Chapter 11
Marc and the others anchored four pulley systems with heavy rope to the pier, and then guided the listing boat closer. Ringo and Young threw the ropes to the men on board, and they worked to stabilize the Malice against the terrible, relentless, pounding of rain and wind.
“What do we do now?” Young asked.
Marc removed a chain with a key on it from his neck and draped it on Young Anson as he said, “Go down to the boat. In the safe are three small boxes with the Duvalier name on them. Bring them to me.”
“Down there? You want me to go down there?”
“Tie a safety line to your waist. We will bring you up when you have them.”
Young looked again at the gray, turbulent sea and the erratic bobbing of the listing boat as it rose almost to the level of the pier, then dropped into a trough almost twenty feet below. “I can’t. Why don’t you toss the key down to them, let them open the safe?”
“And if they miss the key?”
“Tie it to a rope?”
“In this wind?”
Young shook his head, “I can’t.”
Marc asked the others, “Will any of you do this?”
Ringo said, “I will.”
Marc shook his head, “No, you have a broken arm.”
