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Chapter 49
"Why are you doing this?" Mary asked quietly as Chester removed her blindfold. They'd traveled by plane and then by car before being loaded onto a boat. Looking around warily as her eyes adjusted to the morning sunlight, all Mary could see was water. She wasn't quite sure where they were, but based on the time they'd spent traveling she knew that they must be somewhere off the Coast of California.
"Why not," her captor replied flippantly, tossing her a windbreaker when he noticed her shivering in the cold sea air.
At Mary's incredulous look, he decided to elaborate, "Look, everything would have been fine if that husband of yours had just minded his own business. He got you back–only slightly worse for wear I might add--and we got our money. Everybody should have been happy, but he just couldn't let it go. He had to keep pushing and pushing–taking out my men one by one."
"You took out your own men you sick son of a bitch," Mary spat back at him, her eyes still scanning the boat for any sign of Danny. She made note of the location of the second of her three kidnappers before looking back at Chester who now had an amused smirk on his face.
"You've gotten a bit more feisty since the last time we met…I kinda like that."
Mary rolled her eyes and turned her gaze back to the ocean, hoping that she could catch a glimpse of land and wondering how long they could survive in the water if that's what it came to.
"So, where was I? Oh yes…your husband's discovery of the identities of my men made it necessary for them to be eliminated. And now, I'm going to eliminate the two of you. Payback's a bitch, Mary."
She looked up at him then, stunned. Deep down she knew that he hadn't gone to all this trouble just to give them a warning, but hearing him actually say the words chilled her to the bone and her breathing became labored as her body shook almost uncontrollably.
"Please…whatever you're going to do. Please don't hurt my baby."
"Oh, my dear Mary," he responded, reaching out to caress her cheek. "I have no intention of hurting your baby. In fact, that's the one thing that's keeping you alive right now. Do you know how much babies are worth on the black market these days? I've got a buyer lined up who's going to pay $2 million for that little girl of yours. It's the least you and Danny can do for destroying what I spent years putting together."
"You're crazy," she screamed, anger overcoming her as she struck him hard across the face, but he didn't even flinch.
"Maybe…"
"What about Danny? Where is he? Is he dead?" She'd been blindfolded and separated from him as soon as they left the house, but she knew he'd been close by. The thought that he was still with her--that they hadn't left him at the house gave her hope that he was still alive, but now she wasn't so sure.
"Oh, he's alive--just a fun little dose of a neuromuscular blocker. He can see and hear, but he's pretty much paralyzed."
"Omigod," Mary gasped, realizing how terrifying that experience must be for her husband.
"Pretty cool, huh? I figured when we get about halfway to Baja, we'll give him another shot of the stuff and then throw him overboard."
"NO!" Mary shouted.
"Sorry…he's caused too many problems for me. I'm not inclined to give him any more chances."
Unable to control herself anymore, Mary broke down–her sobs overtaking her. Chester tried to ignore her, but it was no use, "Jesus, how does Danny live with all this blubbering?"
Chester's callous question was met with more crying and he finally relented, "Look, if I let you see him-- will you shut the hell up?"
Mary looked at him then, but still unable to battle her despair she only managed a nod. Chester grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward the cabin.
"Don't say I never did anything for you," he commented as Mary slowly made her way down the steps to the cabin, her head just clearing the opening before the hatch was slammed shut behind her.
Noticing her husband propped up on the small bed, she rushed to him, "Danny…Danny, can you hear me?"
He didn't move, but his eyes met hers and she knew he was fully aware of everything that was happening around them. She wanted to tell him what was going on–what Chester's plans were–but she didn't want to cause him anymore anguish. It had to be killing him that there was nothing he could do to protect them. They needed a plan, but the middle of the ocean didn't leave many opportunities for escape and Mary wasn't sure there was any way she could overpower three men. Fear and despair finally threatened to overtake her again and she laid her head against Danny's chest, pulling his hand up until it rested on their child.
"I love you, Danny. I love you so much."
She felt something wet drop onto her hand and she looked up to see more tears running down his face. Witnessing her husband in such agony only served to strengthen her resolve. Reaching up she gently wiped the moisture away before framing his face in both of her hands.
"We're going to get out of this. I'm going to figure something out…I swear…," she covered his face in kisses, repeating over and over again, "I swear."
Awkwardly pulling herself from the bed, she searched the cabin for anything she could use as a weapon, but came up empty. She finally noticed the fire extinguisher attached to the wall and pulled it free, tucking it behind the cushions next to Danny. As she dug through the last cabinet, she felt a tightening in her belly that suddenly turned painful. Grabbing her middle, she doubled over–taking deep breaths until the feeling passed. She'd been having false contractions off and on for about a week, but somehow this felt different.
"No, no, no," she thought to herself. "Not now, baby…please don't do this now."
She looked back at Danny and the wild, panicked look in his eyes told her that he had noticed her wince and knew what was happening.
"I'm okay," she whispered to him, both of them glancing up suddenly as they heard footsteps above them. Mary decided that the third guy must be piloting the boat somewhere above them. She'd have to figure out a way to separate the three of them. With a lot of luck and a good dose of divine intervention Mary might be able to use the element of surprise to take them out one at a time, but if they all came at her at once she was doomed to fail.
"Stop playing with that thing!" She heard Chester yell just seconds before a whistling, whizzing sound filled the boat, followed by a loud pop somewhere high above them. It sounded like a firecracker and Mary couldn't quite figure out what was going on, but she pulled herself up the steps and put her ear to the hatch, straining to hear the conversation from on deck.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, RAY?" She heard someone else shout.
"I was just messing around, man. I didn't know it was going to go off."
"You idiot," Chester said. "You'll have every ship in a fifty mile radius thinking we're in distress and heading our way."
"Sorry…I didn't think of that."
"Yeah, you didn't think…." Suddenly, a gunshot sounded and Mary nearly fell back down the steps in her haste to get away from the door.
"Jesus, Chester. What did you do that for?"
"Because he was stupid, Grant, and obviously a liability. Besides…we don't need him anymore. Get McCoy up here and let's get him in the water before we have any unwanted company."
Mary heard them coming and ran back to Danny, wrapping her arms tightly around him. She knew their time was up and she had yet to come up with a plan to save them. "I'm so sorry, Danny. I don't know what to do."
Mary buried her face in his chest and cried quietly as she heard someone enter the small cabin. Turning her head to the side, she watched the man place a small pouch on the counter just as a feather light touch on her elbow caused her to shift her gaze down. She couldn't hide her surprise as she noticed Danny's thumb moving back and forth across her skin and tears filled her eyes when she saw how hard he was trying to fight his way back from the drugs in his system. She just needed to buy them a little more time.
"Please don't do this. Please, I'm begging you," she said, turning back to the man in the cabin.
"Just settle down. You're safe as long as you're still carrying that kid," he told her.
"But my husband. You can't just throw him overboard like this. He can't move–he'll drown."
"Yeah , that's the point."
"What's he paying you? We'll double it if you help us get out of here."
"Do you think I'm really that stupid, lady."
"I'm serious. Danny can get you however much you want if you just help us."
"Before or after he kills me."
"You're making a huge mistake by doing this. The whole world is going to know Chester's face after this and you'll be guilty by association."
"After tomorrow he won't have a face to know. You'd be surprised what money can buy-- now shut the hell up!" He grabbed her hard, ripping her from Danny and tossing her to the other side of the cabin. Mary moved to try to stop him, but another pain clamped down on her stomach and she fell back to the floor, waiting for it to pass.
She watched, helpless as the man hefted Danny over his shoulder and carried him back on deck.
"Put him down right here. I want to give him another dose before he goes in the water," Chester ordered. "Wouldn't want that stuff wearing off."
"It's in my bag…I'll be right back."
Grant's last statement caught Mary's attention and she struggled to her feet, tearing open the pouch and dumping its contents into the tiny sink. She found what she needed just as the hatch opened and the man dropped back down into the cabin.
"Hey, what are you doing!" he screamed, just as Mary pulled off the cap and plunged the needle into his jugular. He managed to grab hold of her before both of them fell to the floor in a tangled heap, Grant motionless while Mary struggled beneath him.
"Grant? What the hell's going on?"
Using all her strength, Mary pushed him off of her and began searching for the needle again. She must have dropped it in the scuffle and she needed to get it filled again before Chester came down. Tossing one of the cushions that had fallen on the floor Mary saw the needle and reached for it, her progress suddenly stopped by a violent pull to her hair.
"You bitch!"
She screamed as Chester pulled her to her feet–too far away from the needle for her to reach. Spinning her around he hit her hard across the face, sending her sprawling across the small bed.
"I've had it with all of this. I thought you wanted to save your baby, but now you're all going to die."
"NO!" Mary screamed. Turning to face him as he advanced on her she doused his face with foam from the extinguisher she'd hidden earlier. While Chester flailed around, trying to clear his eyes, Mary pushed past him out onto the deck, but it only took a moment for him to catch up. He grabbed her ankle, pulling her legs out from under her as she tried to get away. Dropping to his knees, Chester flipped Mary onto her back and she met his dark eyes briefly as he loomed over her preparing to deliver another blow.
"Hey, Chester!"
The sound of Danny's voice caused him to look up and that was all the time that was needed as he was sent flying back into the cabin in a hail of fire and sparks--a flare shot right through his heart.
Mary lay there for a few moments, her breathing ragged as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. Finally, rolling onto her side she looked behind her to see her husband, still lying like a rag doll propped against the back railing of the boat, his right arm out to the side and still gripping the flare gun.
"Danny?" she whispered in disbelief. A nod of his head sent Mary scrambling on her hands and knees towards her husband, sobs already racking her body again. Finally reaching him she laid her head against his chest as she felt his arms, obviously still weak, make their way around her.
"Shhh, it's okay. It's over, baby…" he breathlessly tried to soothe her, but his words were cut off by a small explosion from below. They both turned to see flames shooting up from the cabin and engulfing the controls.
"Danny?" Mary questioned, terrified.
"We've gotta get off this boat."
