momentary lapse of chivalry, I will have José untie all of you to enjoy your breakfast." His words were apologetic but his stony gaze held a clear warning that they would be watched closely.
While José loosened their bonds, Victor spoke into the intercom. "Pete." When there was no response after a few minutes, he tried again. "Pete, are you there? Pick up." Still no answer.
Victor slammed his fist against the speaker and barked at José. Aster listened intently to his instructions. Her Spanish lessons hadn't prepared her for their lightning-fast, garbled communication but she deduced that the engineer was an accomplice and José was to find him. A few minutes later, José's gravelly voice babbled excitedly through the intercom.
It was not necessary to understand the language to see that Victor was hearing disturbing news. Aster turned her head and pretended to be fixing her coffee, her ears alerted to the conversation. Victor might reveal something important if he thought no one understood what they were saying.
"Slow down. I cannot understand you. Where is Pete?"
"Dead... cold... needle... arm... What..."
"Stow his body with the other one and get back here. Now I will have to do his job too."
While they ate, Aster told Betty and Cherry as much of the conversation as she had understood and Betty confirmed Dan's death. Apparently, Victor was too macho to think three women could be plotting and allowed them to chat. They knew they might not get out of this alive unless they did something. Overpowering the two remaining hijackers was out of the question as long as they were awake and holding weapons.
A loud splash in the water outside diverted the women's attention. Victor rushed to an open window and leaned out. The others followed his lead.
Aster spotted Harold who had managed to sneak out of the lounge and get a raft into the water. But he apparently landed in the water himself when he tried to jump from the deck. His hands now clawed desperately at the sides of the small craft as he tried to climb in. Just as he managed to heave his upper body over the edge, heavy footsteps pounded along the deck below and Aster saw José. Taking only a split second to get his balance, José extended his machine pistol and released a long series of pops.
Everyone stared in horrified silence as Harold's bullet-riddled body collapsed over the edge of the life raft. Again José fired his weapon and the small rubber boat deflated. The surrounding water took on a murky reddish film as Harold's body sunk into the ocean.
She spotted one pointed fin which was joined by several more as sharks appeared from the deep. Agitated by the bloodied water, they ripped Harold's body to shreds in a frenzy of activity. Only a few scraps of rubber remained floating to attest to the macabre scene.
With both fists raised in the air, Cherry let out an anguished wail and threw herself at Victor. His eyes revealed his momentary panic in the face of a rebellion. He jerked his gun up and caught Cherry's shoulder and upper arm with a three-round blast. She gaped at the wounded limb hanging by her side then slumped to the floor.
Aster rushed to Cherry's side. The sight of blood and splintered bone meshed with mutilated flesh made her gag on the bile rising in her throat but the pain visible in Cherry's eyes brought her to her senses. Aster looked around frantically for something she could use as a tourniquet and settled for the length of rough rope that had previously bound them. As she tightened the knot above the wound, a hard tap on the back of her head made her turn to face Victor's gun. It was so close she felt the heat from its barrel. She should have been terrified into speechlessness but revulsion overcame her fear.
"What kind of animal are you?"
"Watch your mouth, bitch. You can easily be next. Get over there so José can tie you up with the others."
Aster's body vibrated with fury. "I'm not leaving Cherry. If you want me to move, you'll have to
While José loosened their bonds, Victor spoke into the intercom. "Pete." When there was no response after a few minutes, he tried again. "Pete, are you there? Pick up." Still no answer.
Victor slammed his fist against the speaker and barked at José. Aster listened intently to his instructions. Her Spanish lessons hadn't prepared her for their lightning-fast, garbled communication but she deduced that the engineer was an accomplice and José was to find him. A few minutes later, José's gravelly voice babbled excitedly through the intercom.
It was not necessary to understand the language to see that Victor was hearing disturbing news. Aster turned her head and pretended to be fixing her coffee, her ears alerted to the conversation. Victor might reveal something important if he thought no one understood what they were saying.
"Slow down. I cannot understand you. Where is Pete?"
"Dead... cold... needle... arm... What..."
"Stow his body with the other one and get back here. Now I will have to do his job too."
While they ate, Aster told Betty and Cherry as much of the conversation as she had understood and Betty confirmed Dan's death. Apparently, Victor was too macho to think three women could be plotting and allowed them to chat. They knew they might not get out of this alive unless they did something. Overpowering the two remaining hijackers was out of the question as long as they were awake and holding weapons.
A loud splash in the water outside diverted the women's attention. Victor rushed to an open window and leaned out. The others followed his lead.
Aster spotted Harold who had managed to sneak out of the lounge and get a raft into the water. But he apparently landed in the water himself when he tried to jump from the deck. His hands now clawed desperately at the sides of the small craft as he tried to climb in. Just as he managed to heave his upper body over the edge, heavy footsteps pounded along the deck below and Aster saw José. Taking only a split second to get his balance, José extended his machine pistol and released a long series of pops.
Everyone stared in horrified silence as Harold's bullet-riddled body collapsed over the edge of the life raft. Again José fired his weapon and the small rubber boat deflated. The surrounding water took on a murky reddish film as Harold's body sunk into the ocean.
She spotted one pointed fin which was joined by several more as sharks appeared from the deep. Agitated by the bloodied water, they ripped Harold's body to shreds in a frenzy of activity. Only a few scraps of rubber remained floating to attest to the macabre scene.
With both fists raised in the air, Cherry let out an anguished wail and threw herself at Victor. His eyes revealed his momentary panic in the face of a rebellion. He jerked his gun up and caught Cherry's shoulder and upper arm with a three-round blast. She gaped at the wounded limb hanging by her side then slumped to the floor.
Aster rushed to Cherry's side. The sight of blood and splintered bone meshed with mutilated flesh made her gag on the bile rising in her throat but the pain visible in Cherry's eyes brought her to her senses. Aster looked around frantically for something she could use as a tourniquet and settled for the length of rough rope that had previously bound them. As she tightened the knot above the wound, a hard tap on the back of her head made her turn to face Victor's gun. It was so close she felt the heat from its barrel. She should have been terrified into speechlessness but revulsion overcame her fear.
"What kind of animal are you?"
"Watch your mouth, bitch. You can easily be next. Get over there so José can tie you up with the others."
Aster's body vibrated with fury. "I'm not leaving Cherry. If you want me to move, you'll have to
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