The Viking Seal

CHAPTER 28 - Conflicted Goals

Declan replaced the phone and swung his legs off the bed. His well compensated spy had just informed him that the boat was sighted a few miles out and would be entering the marina shortly. With a long sigh, he turned and looked at the partially covered body of the escort he'd hired.

She had proven to be adequate to his needs, and an interesting source of gossip as well. When he'd suggested she contact a source for something to heighten their activities, she had related the tale of the local pusher found stuffed between a couple of buildings, stabbed to death.

Declan pressed her for details and in the end, after a series of calls, he concluded that it had been Moira's handiwork. Gordon was right, she was too loose a canon to leave around. He ran his hand over her hip and then slapped her on the rump.

"Rise and shine, beautiful, I have to go to work."

She stretched and yawned, rolling onto her back. "Ready when you are, skipper."

He walked over to the chair and grabbed his pants. "Not that kind of work, sweetheart; your time is up." He pulled on his pants and slipped a sweatshirt over his head, finger-combing his hair carelessly. "I've got the room 'til four but I won't be back, so it's yours 'til then."

She sat up, letting the sheet fall away. "Sure you don't have any extra time?" She leaned forward and gave a start as Declan saw his gun slip off the chair onto the floor. "Are you a cop?"

He bent down and picked it up, turning it slowly in his hand. "No. Not a cop."

"So, what then?" She drew the sheet up in front of her.

"You weren't supposed to see that."

He moved to the side of the bed and picked up a pillow. The woman's eyes widened and she mouthed a silent scream, tossing the sheet back and jumping from the bed. The muffled thump of the gun was lost in the noise she made slamming into the bedroom wall, a shower of feathers settling on her naked skin and sticking to the puddle spreading from the ragged hole in her back. Declan shook his head and stepped around the bed to check her pulse. He knew she was dead but it was his routine.

Next he wiped down the entire room of prints, dragged her back into the bed and covered her with a sheet as if she was sleeping, then gathered his things and left by the service stairs.

Kenny steered the boat clumsily against the dock and cut the engine while Parker secured the mooring lines. After a heated discussion with Moira, both men returned to their posts and waited impatiently as the afternoon rolled on. In the lounge, Moira stood and stretched her lithe body in front of Gretta, and smiled.

"Home are the happy sailors from the sea. Time to get down to business."

"What now, Moira? You've got everything we had. Wayne should be pleased as punch."

"Be right back." Moira gathered the material and went below, and Gretta whispered to Mel to watch for any opportunity but not to take foolish chances. When she returned she sat at the table and opened one of a handful of envelopes, dumping the contents on the table, separating it with her knife blade.

"Are you going to celebrate?" Gretta asked.

Moira snickered. "Not me, your girlfriend. When they find you both, it will be high as kites and locked together in one of the bunks."

"You're sick." Mel said with disgust.

"You'll love it. Gretta looks more than able to make it a lasting experience."

"This is about me, not her," Gretta said. "Let her go. She can't stop you now. Take your sick revenge on me."

"Oh I'll get that too, don't worry." She folded a small piece of paper and filled it with a scoop of the powder. "Okay, Mel, open wide." Mel clamped her mouth shut and turned her head away. "Good! That's good. I like a challenge."

"Me too, Moira." Everyone turned in the direction of the voice, and stayed frozen. "I'm a little disappointed in your methods though."

"Declan." Moira straightened up and faced him. "I'll bet it was Gordon's idea wasn't it?"

"You really should learn to read people a little better." Declan moved to one side and glanced up the steps to the bridge. "Where's Kenny?"

"Like I'd tell you." Moira glanced at the powder she was holding and shrugged. "Waste not want not." She lifted it to her nose and inhaled mightily, blinking and staggering back unbalanced.

Declan cursed and reached for her arm just as she whipped her knife toward him. He yelped and ducked back bringing up the barrel of his gun and firing once. The move cost him his aim, and the bullet smashed into the panelling above the side bench. Moira's move cost her the rest of her balance, and she fell across the table, slipping onto the floor beside Gretta, leaving her knife stuck on the edge of the table.

Before Declan could recover, Kenney bounced down from the bridge and let off two shots, one grazing Declan's cheek and the other catching Parker full in the chest as he burst through from the aft deck. As soon as he saw Parker fall, Kenny paused, and that was his last mistake. Declan shot him in the head and chest and then turned and fired another round into Parker lying in the hatchway.

****

Arny pointed through the windscreen and handed the binoculars to Stone. "It's tied up on the left side of the dock but I don't see anybody."

"We won't be able to take her into the harbour in this condition," Captain Eddie said. "They'll want it over at the yard. You boys can take the motorboat and go on, I'll radio in and get one of the pilots to come out and help."

Stone put a hand on the older man's arm. "I'm really sorry about Arvil. He was a good kid."

"He was. His father and I sailed together for many years before he passed."

"You sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll take care of all this. Get goin' before those ladies get into worse trouble."

"Somebody just went on board," Arny said, still studying the boat. "A guy. Not either of the two we already met."

"Four to two. You up for this, Arny?" Stone opened the pack he'd rescued from their cabin and withdrew a large pistol.

"Not really, but I'm going anyway."

Stone dug around in the bag and offered him a large hunting knife in a scabbard. "I don't have another gun."

"Don't worry," Arny lifted his shirt and showed Stone his own knife. "She gave me this a long time ago but I always stood behind her in situations that required gun play anyway." He gave Stone a crooked smile and then hustled down to the aft deck, and the motorboat.

"See you soon, Captain." Stone patted the man's back and chased after Arny.