Chapter 7

There was a low rumble and the floor began to vibrate as the 34 foot sloop began to pulled away. On the dock behind them, the man in the Hawaiian shirt sat up slowly and clutched his broken arm. The two others were still down.

"At times like this I wish I had a speedboat. We'll be an easy target for a few minutes, so keep an eye on them," she said.

Arthur nodded.

Lisa stood behind the polished aluminum wheel in the rear of the cockpit. Arthur sat beside her on the starboard bench seat, watching the dock as they slowly moved away.

"How fast are we going?" Arthur said.

"Less than ten knots, but we have a full tank of diesel and as soon as we get out of this harbor, we'll raise the sails and let the wind take us out of here. Hopefully, they don't have a boat waiting to chase us down."

"I think they're in any shape to do that. They're going to need a ambulance," Arthur said. "I'm impressed with the way you handled those guys."

"I didn't even see you get the third guy," she said.

Arthur shrugged.

She frowned, but continued to stare at the red buoy they were approaching. Arthur looked back at the docks, but their perspective had changed and other docked boats were blocking his view to the side dock where the fight had taken place. Lisa turned the wheel as they rounded the buoy and headed out of the cove into the center of Naples Bay on a course to the Gulf of Mexico.

"Can you pull up the fenders and lay them on the deck beside the cleats?"she asked.

He nodded.

"And I guess I should tell you now - while we're on this boat, I'm the skipper. I'm in charge," Lisa said. "I hope your male ego can handle that."

Arthur smirked and nodded slightly. He stepped up onto the bench seat then up onto the narrow strip of deck that ran between side of the cabin and the 18 inch high rail that ran along the perimeter of the boat. Arthur pulled up two of the cylindrical white vinyl cushions onto the deck and wedged each between side of the cabin and the cleat to which it was tied. He climbed back down into the cockpit and sat back down on the starboard side bench.

They were in the middle of Naples Bay with a clear view of the various small marinas, and multi-million dollar concrete mansions. But it was Lisa who commanded his attention. She seemed as stunning as she had ever been, standing behind the wheel with the wind blowing her hair back.

Arthur gaze dropped down to his wet khaki cargo shorts and bare feet. He tried to remember when he had lost his sandals.

"I don't suppose you have any men's clothes on board, do you?"

"I might have a t-shirt that'll fit you. Sometimes I sleep in big t-shirts," she said. "And I think there might be a men's bathing suit somewhere below. When we get to the Keys, we'll get you some clothes and toiletries and whatever else you need."

"Is that where we're going, the Keys?"

She nodded. She turned the wheel as they rounded another buoy and headed down a narrow channel that spilled out into the Gulf.

"I'm not supposed to arrive for a few more days, so we might go slow, spend a few nights off the Southwestern tip of Florida. I know a few deserted islands where we're not likely to be found."

After a pause she gestured toward the port side and said, "Looks like we picked up an escort."

Arthur looked over and saw a dolphin pop up for air, then continue to swim beside the boat, remaining near the surface.

Arthur smiled.

"I've been in Florida for years, but I still love seeing dolphins," she said.

"Me too."

They exchanged a glance then she returned her attention to the water. As they approached the Gulf, the water grew rougher and the wind picked up. The boat rocked and lurched as they traveled through the small swells.

"Why don't you tell me more about these men," Arthur said.

She didn't immediately respond, just continued to gaze ahead.

"I have an apartment down by South Beach," she said, finally. "I've been living there for a few years and got to know some of the crowd. You know, models and artists, a few celebrities."

"I've heard about that crowd."

"At a party one night, I met Anthony Cruz Junior, who ran a trendy nightclub right on the main strip. He seemed...I don't know...suave, I guess. We went out a few times. One Sunday afternoon, as we were heading to a party, we stopped off at the club because he wanted to pick up something he had left there the night before. The place was closed, but he's the boss, he had a key. I went in with him and when we got to the office out in back, there were a three guys, two big goons and an older man standing in front of these two other guys that were tied to chairs. They were all bloody and swollen and the older man was holding a bloody hammer."

"So," she continued. "We walk in and all eyes are on us. The old man turned to me and gave me the coldest look I'd ever seen. Chilled my blood. Then he turned to Anthony, 'What'd I tell you about bringing people back here.' Anthony got nervous and started explaining how I was alright and that I wouldn't be a problem, but the father didn't say anything else, just pointed to the door.

"We took off without saying a word, but I got a bad feeling from Anthony. I could tell he was scared. When I asked him about it later, he said not to worry and that I should just keep my mouth shut. He said that he'd take care of everything."

"Two days later, I saw on the news that an undercover cop had been found on a beach, beaten to death. He was thirty-eight years old, had a wife, two kids. They showed a snapshot of him and I recognized him, I was sure it was one of the men I saw tied up in the backroom of the nightclub."

"And you went to the police?"

She nodded. "It wasn't as noble as it sounds. I knew I was in danger too and I couldn't be sure Anthony junior was going to be able to stop them from coming after me."

"Still..."

"The police already had a lot on Anthony senior, but my testimony was supposed to be the final nail in is coffin. They went ahead and arrested a bunch of guys and put me in touch with the FBI."

She shook her head.

"But this is what I should have done from the beginning. Hide out on my own."

The passed between a red and green buoy and Arthur realized that they were out into the open waters of the Gulf.

"I admire what you're doing," Arthur said.

"Yeah, but I think you'd be better off in that condo of yours, sitting on the veranda and watching the sun glisten off the waves."

"I've done enough of that," Arthur mumbled.

The boat rocked slowly from front to back and they rode over the long swells of the open sea. The breeze was steady and Lisa watched a fluttering ribbon that tied to one of the metal wires that supported the mast.

"Do you mind uncovering the main sail?" Lisa asked.

She gestured to the blue canvas that covered the boom, the horizontal beam that connected to the mast and extended back over the cockpit about five feet above the floor. Arthur stood and began to undo the snaps of the blue canvas cover, exposing a large white sail that had been neatly folded over the top of the boom. When he finished removing the blue canvas cover, he folded it and placed it on the bench.

Lisa directed him to a rope that ran along side of the mast and had him raise the main sail. From the cockpit, she pulled in on a rope that was connected to the end of the boom and the sail filled with air and became taut.

When they unfurled the large genoa jib sail at the front of the boat, Lisa turned off the engine and coached Arthur through setting the sails while she steered. The boat leaned slightly to the starboard side.

"We're going to keep going west until we're out of sight of land and any small boats," Lisa said. "The wind seems to be coming out of the south, which is the direction we should be heading."

"How close can you get to heading into the wind?"

"We can do about 45 degrees off the wind on either side. If we tack back and forth we can make progress to the south, but I was thinking we'd spend the night behind a small island a little south of Marco Island. It's not that far from Naples really, but it will take a while, since I want to get far away from land before we start on a southeast heading to this island."

Lisa sat on the port side bench seat, keeping one hand on the wheel. Arthur came back and sat beside her.

"Then we're going to the Keys?"

"Eventually."

"What's there?" Arthur said.

"How much do you know about my family?"

"Just a little of what I read on the internet. I never saw any of the documentaries about your father's life."

"After he passed away, I lived my Uncle Lenny. My father's cousin, actually. Uncle Lenny teaches a version of Modern Tiger Kung fu in California and also works as a fight choreographer in movies and television."

"I think I read something about that,"Arthur said.

"Well, Lenny has a hideaway in the Keys. It's on a small, otherwise uninhabited island south of the Keys, near Cuba actually. There are no utilities on the island, so the house has to have its own generator and water purification plant. I would have gone there a week ago, but I couldn't get in touch with Lenny and I need his help with getting the generators and things running there. That's why I've been trying to pass time in various places around South Florida. Once Lenny arrives, I should be safe in his little island fortress."

"Sounds nice, actually."

"They're not going to be happy about me bringing you there, but I don't care," she said. "If you can help me get there in one piece, you're welcome to stay as long as you can. I don't know what your schedule is like."

"I start the next phase of my research in a couple of weeks. Until then, I'm free."

She nodded, then looked around.

"Looks like we lost our escort."

Arthur pointed off the stern of the boat. Lisa turned just in time to see two dolphins pop up for air, then continue to follow the boat.

"Two of them, now? It's kinda surreal, but I like it," she said.

Lisa stood and said. "Can you take the wheel for a minute? I'm going to run below. Just make small adjustments to keep us on our current heading."

She pointed to the compass mounted on the post that supported the wheel.

Arthur stood and took the helm. They rocked from side to side as they passed through swells. They were heeled over to the starboard side a bit, but not enough to knock things off shelves. As Lisa descended the companionway into the cabin, she turned back and said, "Can I get you anything? A soda or something to eat?"

Remembering that he had left his canteen in his car, he said, "Do you have bottled water?"

"Sure."

A couple of minutes passed before Lisa came back up the small stairway and out into the cockpit. She was wearing sunglasses and holding an open can of diet Pepsi in one hand, a bottle of spring water in the other. She gave him the water, then reached into her pocket and pulled out another pair of sunglasses. She smiled and handed them to Arthur.

"Thanks," he said. He put on the glasses and placed the bottle in a cupholder beside the compass. When she went back to the cabin, he would empty the bottle and refill it with sea water.

"Do you want me to take over?" Lisa asked.

"No," Arthur said. "I can handle it for now."

She sat farther up on the bench, facing aft with her back against the cabin bulkhead. Her glasses were hid her eyes, but she may have been watching Arthur.

"I kinda feel guilty," she said in a low voice. "I know I'm putting your life in danger, but...I'm glad you're here."

Arthur stepped to the left, keeping his right hand on the wheel, and reached down to caress her foot.

"You told me that you grew up on a coast guard base?" she said, changing subjects. "You must be familiar with boats then."

"A little," Arthur said. "I went out on the cutter a few times with my father, but mostly we stayed on base. But I love being out on the sea."

She nodded.

"You haven't mentioned your mother, did she live with you on the base?"

"There's not much to tell," Arthur lied. "She passed away years ago."

"I'm sorry, that's tough."

Arthur remembered reading that her mother had perished in the plane crash.

"Our parents made us what we are today," Arthur said, the statement meaning more than she could know.

She nodded and said, "Mine turned me into a kung fu practitioner. Whatever that's worth."

"Seemed impressive this morning."

"Uncle Lenny took over and was pretty tough on me growing up. He thought it was important that I fully understand my father's approach to martial arts. I guess some Chinese are still old fashioned that way, you know, inheriting the family's fighting style."

"If we have time, could you show me some of the basics?" Arthur asked. "I know how to throw my weight around, but I don't really know much about strategy or fancy moves."

"I could show you a few things. We're going to be spending the next couple of nights anchored behind some deserted islands. We can go ashore for a while and practice a little."

Once out of sight of land, they continued west for awhile before turning to an east southeast heading. It was early in the evening when they dropped the sails and motored up behind a small crecent-shaped island. The island was maybe three hundred yards from tip to tip and was overgorwn with mangroves. The odd-looking trees were not too tall, had waxy green leaves and grew tightly together, making a nearly impenitrible barrier around the island. The trees appeared to grow beyond the limits of the island, rooting in the water and leaving no ground visible from the boat. The narrow trunks of the trees split into roots about a foot above the water, giving the impression that the trees were on some sort of stilts.

Lisa had the helm and Arthur stood on the front deck with the anchor in his hand. Lisa told him when and where to throw it. A moment after it sank below the surface, Lisa left the motor idling and joined Arthur on the front deck. She watched the boat drift slowly away from the island for a few seconds, then she dropped to her knees and tied off the anchor line to one of the cleats near the bow of the boat. When she was satisfied that it was holding, she scooted back to the helm and turned off the motor. Arthur joined her in the cockpit.

The island blocked the wind and waves leaving the water clear and calm. Puffy clouds along the horizon glowed orange in the late day sun.

"We'll spend the night here, then go another 5 or 6 hours tomorrow to another little island I know about."

A rope clanged rhythmically against the aluminum mast as the breeze gusted. Arthur gazed off toward the eastern horizon off the stern and thought that he might be seeing land. Lisa turned to see what he was watching.

"Is that the mainland?" he asked.

"Yes, we're close to where the glades meet the sea," she said. "It's pretty much uninhabited. We had better hope that this breeze doesn't die down, because the mosquitos can get pretty bad here. The wind keeps 'em away."

Lisa shuffled past Arthur and down into the cabin. When she returned, she was carrying a small rectangular camping grill and a plastic grocery bag of food.

"It's getting late, we should start dinner. We have burgers and hot dogs and there's some chips in the cabinet below. Maybe you could get the grill going while I microwave some veggies."

Arthur nodded and stepped to the back of the boat beside the grill. Lisa looked into his eyes as she squeezed by him heading for the cabin. Arthur turned and watched her backside as she descended the stairs.

An hour later, they placed their dirty plastic plates on the bench across from where they sat very close to each other on the port-side bench, facing the small island.

"How are you liking your new duties as the crew of The Tiger's Daughter?" Lisa asked him.

"It's all right," he said. "But you had better be careful, I think the crew may be considering mutiny."

"The crew is considering mutiny?"

"Yeah, I think they want to take over the ship and tie you up," Arthur said, maintaining the guise of a serious conversation.

She smiled and leaned closer. "Oh no, then what would they do."

"They're animals," Arthur said. "They'd do things to you...unspeakable things."

She moved to within inches of his face.

"Unspeakable things? That sounds awful," she said in a low voice. "Will you protect me?"

"And give up the mutiny? Give up my chance to do unspeakable things?"

She shrugged and whispered, "Well, maybe you could still do a few unspeakable things."

She leaned forward until their lips met. It developed rather slowly into a long, deep kiss...