Dark Destiny

Chapter 11 - A New Plan of Attack

CHAPTER 11—A NEW PLAN OF ATTACK

A small sightseeing boat sails through the BenoaHarbor under cover of darkness, traveling east of the island of Bali for a small, unnamed island to the south and east of that island. This small body of land appears slowly in the distance, even as the inhabitants of the small passenger boat—Jeremiah, Althea, Ace, Joshua, Sammy, Isaac, and Tom—stand at near each other, and close to the outer railing of the boat, discussing what happened a short time ago, when they were in Bali. The men are all dressed as if they were prepared to go swimming. They are all wearing swimming trunks and thin shirts. Isaac wears a sleeveless shirt, while Joshua sports a designer golf shirt. Another man, at the helm of the boat, controls the small engine, which hums lightly in the otherwise quiet night. Althea, the only woman aboard the quiet vessel, wears a one-piece bathing suit and a thin shirt covering, as well as a sarong that drapes from her mid-section to her upper thigh.

The full moon illuminates the water, casting a vertical glow across their path, as if guiding them forward to the waiting island, even as the moon rises over the trees in the distance. Althea stands along the side of the boat, holding onto the railing, even as the sarong covering the bottom part of her one-piece bathing suit blows in the slight, cooling breeze. The breeze is welcome, cutting through the humidity and intense heat that had marked the day.

"This is a beautiful area, Jeremiah," she offers, her eyes gliding along the dark water, and the sight of the moonlight cast upon it, and moving forward to the small island in the distance.

"Yes," Jeremiah looks over to Althea's shapely body, silhouetted against the moonlight, casting a glow against her skin and the bathing suit she is wearing. He notes the way her long, dark hair falls over her lithe shoulders, and the profile of her face, showcasing her high cheek bones, as strands of her hair blow in the light breeze. She occasionally moves her fingers up to pull the hair away from her eyes. "I've never seen such a beautiful sight."

Althea looks back over her shoulder, smiling over at Jeremiah, who meets her eyes for a moment. "It's about time you noticed," she comments, flashing a smile in his direction. Jeremiah walks towards her, their eyes not leaving each other.

"We are nearing the island," the dark-skinned inhabitant of the boat comments, looking over to Jeremiah, who looks away from his lovely companion for the moment, their time together suddenly brought to an unwelcomed end. Despite himself, Jeremiah momentarily shows the frustration at the untimely, though necessary, interruption. But, the struggle lasts only a moment, and he quickly returns to his professional demeanor. Like the others, the man who called to Jeremiah is wearing a pair of swimming trunks, but his shirt is traditional for the area, with bright colors. Understanding the need for stealth, he and his crew are dressed as if they were taking any other group of tourists onto the water near the big island. Jeremiah turns away from Althea, making his way to the back of the boat.

"Did you have time to alert the others?" Jeremiah asks, even as the man looks away from the engine for a moment, nodding his head.

"Yes," he responds, looking back at the controls of the boat, easing off the throttle to slow the boat down for their arrival. "Everything should be ready when we get there."

"I have to say," Ace remarks, looking back towards Jeremiah, then looking around at the water surrounding the island, "you really went a long way to make sure that no one noticed your way out of here."

"It's more than that, Ace," Sammy comments, leaning back against the side of the boat, as he looks over at the pilot. "The last thing we need right now is more sabotage. I mean, you're about the best pilot I've ever met," he adds, with a complimentary smile, "but even you'd have problems flying a plane that was being blown to bits in mid-air."