Basseterre
Carrick's plan to get very drunk and entertain himself with one of the local ladies was turning out to be a real success… at least as far as he was concerned. The storm was still several days off, and he was in a merry mood. He had found a very willing woman to spend time with him. She wasn't as young as he had originally thought, but she was quite friendly, and enthralled by all his stories. She hung on his every word, and gave wonderful massages, to boot.
She also didn't seem to mind his ranting about the deplorable way he had been treated over at the Settlement. She gave him a completely sympathetic ear, and hung on his every word. She assured him that she understood how he felt and that she didn't blame him a bit for his feelings. Apparently she had had her own run-ins with Templeton Peck a time or two, and was not a fan. Therefore, Carrick relaxed completely, and realized he was having the time of his life with the girl he knew only as Zia.
In the Triangle
Murdock had no clue what to do next, so he and Billy simply sat and waited in the silence. It was a bit unnerving, but there was really nothing they could do. Whatever was holding them in that bit of nothingness would free them, or it wouldn't.
Suddenly, Murdock giggled. Billy eyed his friend warily. "What are you laughing about?"
Murdock grinned. "Let's play a game to pass the time. We've got nothing else to do."
Billy shrugged. "Okay, what do you have in mind?"
The pilot grinned ferociously. "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with the letter… W!"
Billy groaned. "Man, you are one sick puppy, no pun intended!"
That remark only made Murdock laugh harder. "Come on, now, guess!"
"Okay, okay, next you'll wanna play Blind Man's Bluff!"
"That's a good one, too, but not now, come on… guess!"
Billy sighed and looked around. "Uhhh, water bottle?"
"Nope, try again!"
At the Settlement
A sense of panic had set in amongst Murdock's friends. He had been gone for hours and other than the fact that he had been seen leaving with Carrick early that morning, there were no other clues.
The tension ratcheted up when Face made a really disturbing discovery a few hours after he had talked with James. They had fanned out searching for Murdock, and he was looking through a few of the huts, with the owner's permission, just in case Murdock had gotten turned around. He knocked on Carrick's door, though he knew he wasn't there. He didn't feel a bit bad about searching it without permission, but what he discovered sent him looking for Hannibal in a hurry.
Face was out of breath by the time he caught up with his C. O. on the other side of the island talking with a few of the villagers. They hadn't seen Murdock, but had agreed to keep their eyes open. Hannibal was just heading back to the settlement when Face found him. Hannibal frowned at the panicked expression as Face fought to calm his breathing.
"What is it, Face?"
"It's Carrick. Bad news. I think he must have done something to Murdock. All his stuff is gone. His hooch is empty. Totally cleared out."
Hannibal frowned. They hurried back to the Settlement. It was definite now. Murdock was in big trouble. And they had no idea where the hell he was. He turned to Face. "Look, we need to find out if they're even still on the island. If Carrick has done something stupid, he isn't going to stick around. How about you head over to the airstrip and find out if they flew out of here." He turned to B. A. "You go talk to Dink. Have him call Mac. See if anybody's been down at the docks, or taken any passengers out today. They know Murdock down there. See if anyone's seen him."
Face and B. A. both nodded, and headed off as chewed the stub of his cigar in frustration. His gut was telling him the pilot was in trouble and he hated not knowing where he was, not being able to help him. If he got his hands on Carrick, there wouldn't be enough left to bury, let alone identify… Hannibal felt the cold fury building up inside him. He hadn't felt this kind of anger in a very long time, and he had hoped never to feel it again, but Alexander Carrick had brought it on himself. He had no idea what sort of men he was messing with. Nobody was going to hurt one of Hannibal's boys and simply walk away. Nobody.
Basseterre
Zia sighed in relief. She glanced over at the bare back of the man snoring next to her. She had ~begun to think he would never pass out. She had been tempted to mickey his rum more than once. However, she had realized his constant chattering had begun to slow down, and his words were slurring. She knew it wouldn't be long before he fell asleep, and she could escape the room for at least an hour or so. It wasn't that he was rough with her or anything. In fact, he really wasn't a bad sort, for a moron and a criminal. He was no worse in fact, than many of the other men who passed through the island and spent time in her company. Except for one major difference. He had bragged about abandoning the man she loved. And she was going to make sure he paid for it.
Zia wasn't proud of what she was, but there weren't a lot of options for a girl in her position either. She just didn't allow herself to think about it very often. She was a barmaid and a hooker. She had made herself a life here. She smiled sadly when she thought about the fact that there was one man in all the world who loved her dearly. The problem was, he was way too old for her, and they both knew it. He had never slept with her, because he wouldn't do that to their friendship. But he loved her just the same. And that was why she quickly dressed, and crept out the door, and made sure to lock it. Because she had a call to make…
In the Triangle
They had no idea how much time had passed. They had played a couple of games, but eventually gotten bored and dozed off. Billy noticed Murdock was beginning to shake slightly, and he was sweating. There was a familiar jitteriness in his mannerisms. Anxiety practically oozed from his pores, and Billy realized what was happening to his friend. They had been stuck for hours, and Murdock had missed at least two doses of his medications today.. This would normally not have been a problem, but Billy knew his friend had been having a lot of problems with several of the meds and had been playing games with them. Now was not a good time for him to be having a reaction, but it looked like that's what was happening.
Billy glanced at his buddy. "You okay, muchacho?"
"Course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be okay?" Murdock snapped.
Billy sighed. "No reason, I was just making conversation."
Murdock's eyes narrowed. "Yeah? Well, don't worry about me. I'm fine." With that he lapsed into a sullen silence, and Billy carefully avoided looking too closely at the pilot.
He realized if they didn't get out of there soon, they weren't going to get out at all.
~TBC~
