The Pirate Read Free

Somalia.”
    â€œI’m looking forward to that. And doing work for people who need us. I haven’t done this since I was in my first-year residency.”
    Bob smiled at her. “We are so glad you decided to join us this summer. What made you change your mind?”
    She shrugged. She didn’t want to talk about her personal life with Bob or Franny. “The timing seemed right. Can I ask you both about the Captain?”
    â€œSure, what’s up?”
    â€œWhen I was on deck we heard an engine approaching and he told me to come downstairs. I did but waited to see if he would need help, and…”
    She wasn’t sure if she should say any more. What could Franny or Bob do to help the situation?
    â€œDid he?”
    â€œNo. He knew the men who came on board. But he was speaking to them quietly and…they were all armed.”
    Bob stood up. “I’ll go up there and see what’s going on. Daphne, you go with Franny back to our quarters. Make sure all of our group is awake. If there is a situation I want everyone ready to move.”
    â€œMove? Move where?” she asked.
    â€œOut of harm’s way,” Bob said.
    Franny led the way out of the galley. “Do you want me to come with you, Bob?”
    He shook his head.
    â€œNo, stay with the others. I think that if there are too many of us—”
    â€œMy husband—ex-husband—is a Senator. I’m pretty good in tense situations.”
    â€œI know that, Daphne. But in this part of the world sometimes just the fact that you are a woman will work against you.”
    She nodded. There was a lot of truth to what Bob was saying. She followed Franny down the lit hallway to the bunks where the rest of their team was. Rudy was already waiting for them. When she entered they were all awake and waiting.
    â€œWhat’s going on? I heard a speedboat approaching on the port side.” Rudy asked.
    Rudy was a nurse with their group who had been working for the last few years in South America. He said he was ready for a change of locale and had signed up to go to Africa with this group after rebels in the South American jungle had killed his girlfriend of eight years.
    â€œI don’t like this,” he said.
    â€œNo one does. Do we have any weapons with us?” Jerry asked.
    â€œBob always carries a handgun in his med bag,” Franny said.
    She left them to go and retrieve it.
    â€œWhere is Bob?”
    â€œI…was up on deck and overheard the captain talking to some men. Bob went to investigate.”
    â€œFucking hell,” Jerry said. “I was hoping for a little adventure on this trip but not this much.”
    She shook her head. Jerry was her age and from California. He was fit and tan and according to Franny was on wife number four. Daphne knew Jerry by reputation only. He was an excellent surgeon, but she’d heard he was a bit of an asshole when he wasn’t in the operating room.
    Bob reentered the room. “There was no one on deck when I got up there, but I did walk the deck and saw a boat moored off the stern.”
    â€œOne of the rescue craft for this tanker?” Jerry asked.
    â€œNo. A speedboat. The captain was on the bridge talking with two men. But to be honest, at that distance I couldn’t make out if they were crew members or not.”
    â€œDid you confront the captain?” Franny asked as she rejoined them. She handed the weapon she had to Bob. He took it and then squeezed her shoulder as if to reassure her.
    â€œNo. Listen, folks, I’m not sure what’s going on up there, but I think we need to stay alert,” Bob said.
    â€œI agree,” Jerry said.
    â€œMe too,” Daphne said. “But we’re not armed nor are we trained to take on pirates. I think we need a backup plan.”
    â€œI agree,” Franny said. “We need to send a message to the DAW home office in Manhattan. They will contact the UN and send forces to