Pirate's Pleasure
Chapter 3
All Aboard
Gage fumbled for the ringing phone as he looked at the clock on the nightstand. "Hello." He mumbled.
"Good morning Mr. Brentwood! This is your four-thirty a.m. wake-up call!" A very cheerful voice announced.
"Thanks." Gage replied as he hung up the phone. He heard Sydney began to stir next to him. "Hey, we had better get up if we're going to make our 6:00 a.m. boarding." He lightly shook her.
She moaned in response. "What time is it?"
"Four-thirty." He trailed his finger down her arm. "Come on sleepy head. It's time to get up. We've got to get busy on this case."
"OK, OK. I'm getting up." She replied, still not moving.
Gage laughed, knowing that he was responsible for her being so tired this morning. They had stayed up until after 2:00 this morning, wrapped up in each other's arms. He smiled as he thought of how perfect they were together and how no other woman had ever made him feel so complete in every way. He looked at Sydney again, who was still lying in bed. He got up and pulled the comforter from the bed, revealing her naked body. "GAGE!" She yelled.
"Come on, it's time to get up." He stood beside the bed laughing. Sydney quickly turned and in the blink of an eye had Gage pinned on the bed.
"Are you so sure you want to get up so soon?" She asked as she leaned her face close to his and slowly kissed his lips.
Gage breathed heavily, knowing that all he really wanted to do was take her again, right then and there, but instead he kissed her and then gently pushed her up. "Syd, there will be plenty of time for this on the yacht. We really need to get going or we're going to be late."
Sydney smiled. "You're right." She got up and wrapped the comforter around her. "Why don't you call room service for breakfast while I grab a quick shower?"
"OK. What do you want?"
"Eggs, over easy, fruit and a bagel with cream cheese. Oh, and a cup of coffee." She replied from the bathroom.
"Alright." Gage called back as he dialed room service and gave them their orders. "Oh, and could you have a pink rose brought up with that, if it's not too much trouble."
"Yes sir, Mr. Brentwood. You're order should be up in about 20 minutes."
"Thank you."
When Sydney emerged from the bathroom, the order had already been brought up and Gage pulled her chair out for her as she approached the table. After she sat down and he pushed her chair up for her, he presented her with the pink rose. "For you." He said sweetly.
"What's this for?" She asked, smiling at him.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because I've never met anyone quite like you Syd. Or because you make me happier than I ever knew I could be."
Sydney began to blush. "Really?"
Gage sat down and took her hand in his. "Yes, really." He returned the smile and picked up his fork. "Now, eat up, or we really are going to be late."
*******
"Deke, when is that couple supposed to be here?" Cameron asked for the third time.
"Cam, relax! It's not even 5:30 yet. They're not due here until six. Why don't you keep yourself occupied by helping me do a pre-check?"
Cameron climbed up on deck with Deke. "What do you want me to do?"
"Here, take this checklist and call out each item to me. I'll let you know if you can check it off or not."
"OK." Cameron began to call out the list as Deke performed an inspection of the vessel.
Once they were finished, Deke took the clipboard from Cameron. "Good job. Oh and look, here come the happy newlyweds now." He pointed at a young couple coming down the dock towards the yacht.
Deke positioned himself at the entrance plank of the yacht. "Good morning!" He announced as Gage and Sydney drew closer. "You must be the Brentwood's." He extended his hand to Gage and then to Sydney.
"Yes we are. I'm Kyle and this is Leslie." Gage introduced.
"Please, come aboard. We'll get the two of you settled in the honeymoon suite and we'll be on our way." Gage suspiciously eyed Cameron who was acting very nervous as they boarded.
"I thought Leslie and I were going to be the only ones on this cruise." He asked as they started below.
"Oh, that's Cam. He's my new deckhand."
Gage nodded, still suspicious of the small man.
"Here we are." Deke opened the cabin door. "Why don't you two get settled and then if you like, you can come up on deck while we pull out."
"Thank you." Sydney replied sweetly.
Deke nodded in response.
As soon as he set foot on the deck, Cameron pulled him to the side. "They suspect something! The man was eyeing me. I'll be he knows me from somewhere." He whispered loudly.
"What are you talking about Cam. They're newlyweds and God knows if I had a new bride that looked like Leslie, I sure wouldn't be wasting my time trying to figure out if I knew you are not." He pushed Cameron aside and proceeded to release the ropes that held the vessel to the dock.
"What do you want me to do?" Cameron asked, feeling that he needed to look busy to avoid any suspicion.
"Put the ropes in their proper places once I release them. I've got to get the engine going and then I'm heading to the stern. You can join me there when you've put the ropes away."
"Aye Aye Captain." Cameron replied sarcastically.
Deke stopped in his tracks and abruptly turned to Cameron. "Listen! You're the one who wanted to do this, remember? I don't need the sarcasm!"
"Alright, alright, simmer down Deke. I was only kidding."
"Yeah, right." Deke replied turning again to go and start the engines.
******
"So, what do you think?" Sydney asked as they finished unpacking.
"About what?" Gage asked.
"The cabin?"
"It's nice. Real nice." His reply sounding distant.
"Are you ok?"
"Did you notice the guy up top?"
"Small frame, brown hair, mid -forties. Yeah, I noticed him, why?" Sydney replied while she put away her suitcase.
"He doesn't fit in."
"What?" Sydney asked.
"He doesn't look rugged enough to be a seaman, yet Deke said he was his new deckhand."
"So, you think Deke is lying about the man's identity?"
Gage nodded. "I'm just saying that we probably need to keep an eye on him too."
"OK."
"And Syd, be careful." He reached for her hand. "Remember, we don't have any backup out here."
She took his hand in hers and nodded. "That goes double for you."
As Gage started to kiss her, they felt the yacht begin to move. They reluctantly released each other. "We'd better get topside. We wouldn't want to upset the Captain before we get out to see, would we?" Gage asked.
"I'm right behind you Kyle." They climbed up onto the deck and found the perfect spot to stand by the railing. Gage slipped his arm around Sydney as they started out to sea, watching the beautiful sunrise.
Cameron nervously looked over his shoulder at Gage and Sydney. "Hey Cam! I need you up here a minute." Deke called out. Cameron stopped staring at the happy couple and climbed up to meet with Capt. Deke.
"What do you need Deke?" He asked.
"Nothing, but I want you to stop staring at the Brentwoods! Man, this is how I make my living!"
"Alright, I'll lay off, but something about those two just doesn't feel right."
Gage glanced up and saw Capt. Deke and Cameron caring on a very animated discussion about something. He continued to stand behind her and lowered his head to whisper into her ear. "What do you make of that?" He slightly nodded towards the spot where Deke and Cameron stood.
Sydney turned her head to the right, allowing the breeze to flow through her hair. She glanced up and saw the same thing Gage had seen; Deke and Cameron in a very animated conversation. She turned her head back towards the water. "I'm not sure. Something about this guy really doesn't sit well with you, does it?"
He shook his head. "No. He just seems like he's hiding something."
"Tell you what. Once we're out a little further, we'll check them both out." Sydney turned to face Gage. "Of course, I'd rather be checking you out." She smiled as she gently ran her hand down his chest.
Gage lowered his head to watch her hand trace his rock solid abs and then he smiled a sheepish grin. "You'd better stop that, or we're going to have to go back to the cabin right now."
"Why?" She asked.
"Do you really have to ask?" He continued to look down, just past her hand. Sydney's eyes followed his gaze.
"Oh!" She replied and abruptly stopped. "Sorry."
"Don't be." He replied as he placed her hand back on his chest and gently lifted her chin until their lips met in a long, passion-filled kiss.
"Gage." Sydney said between kisses. "Let's go below."
"Um?" He replied, preoccupied.
"Now Gage! Let's go below." Gage took her by the hand and led the way to the cabin where they immediately collapsed onto the bed. He quickly pulled his own shirt over his head and dropped his shorts while Sydney wiggled out of her shirt and shorts. He leaned over her, admiring her black, lacy bra and panties before taking them off of her.
"I want you so bad Syd!" He said breathlessly as he lowered himself down onto her and began kissing her breasts. He allowed his finger to trail down between her breasts to her bellybutton. There his finger circled several times and then continued down to her throbbing clit.
Sydney moaned as Gage touched her in all the right places. She writhed in anticipation as he made her wait until he was ready to fill her with his shaft. "Gage, please!" She begged to be relieved. She desperately needed to feel him inside of her.
"Please what, Syd?" He asked, as his finger continued to move downward to her wetness. He added another finger and then another, gently sliding them in and out of her until she could hardly stand it. "Please what, Syd?" He asked again as he watched her writhe back and forth on the bed; all the while, his shaft growing harder and harder.
"Now Gage! Please! Make love to me, now!" She panted.
He removed his fingers from her and gently lowered himself, barely allowing his manhood to touch her opening, still building the anticipation. Then he slowly filled her, sliding his shaft in and out of her until they both came in triumphant unison.
After he was spent, he laid next to her on the bed, his eyes closed. "That was incredible." Sydney said quietly as she positioned herself in the crook of his arm.
"Yes, it was." He agreed and they soon fell asleep.
*******
"Hey, where did they happy honeymooners go?" Cameron asked as he looked around the deck.
"They're on their honeymoon you moron, where do think they went?" Deke replied.
"Maybe." Cameron replied, still not completely sold on the idea that they were just an innocent honeymoon couple out for a good time.
Deke turned on the radio. "We may not be able to head toward Florida just yet Cam. The Weather Center has issued a hurricane warning for the Gulf and all small seacraft from this area have been advised to stay closer to the Texas shoreline."
Cameron immediately began to shake his head. "You will get me to Florida one way or another!" He demanded.
"Cam, I don't control the weather!" Deke shouted.
Gage and Sydney had dressed and were returning to the deck when Gage suddenly stopped just inside the doorway. "Shh." He turned to Sydney.
"What?" She whispered.
"Listen." They both stopped talking and listened to the conversation between Deke and Cameron.
"You had better find a way to make this work Deke. I have to meet with the buyers in Florida in two days and you need to find a way to make this work! Besides, I would think that you would want to get as far away from Texas as quickly as you could, I mean considering that the Pratt's were murdered aboard your yacht." He turned and stomped off.
Gage nudged Sydney back towards their cabin as he saw the backs of Cameron's legs coming down the steps in front of the door. They made it almost half way down when they heard the door open. They quickly turned around and pretended that they had just closed their cabin door.
"Good afternoon." Sydney sweetly said as they passed Cameron.
"Um." Cameron muttered as they all turned sideways to pass each other.
When Sydney and Gage went out on the deck, Deke was still up one deck higher at the stern, looking through his binoculars at the southeast sky.
"Hey!" Gage shouted. "I thought we were supposed to be heading Northeast."
"I'm keeping a check on the storm system brewing in the South. Hurricane." Deke informed his passengers.
"Should we be worried?" Sydney asked.
Deke put the binoculars down and stared at Sydney for a moment. "It's nothing for you to worry your pretty little head over Mrs. Brentwood."
"Please, call me Leslie." She shouted back up.
"Ok, Leslie." He eyed Gage to try and size up how he felt about his new bride asking another man to call her by her first name. "Why don't you come up here. You can watch the dolphins."
"Dolphins!"
"Come on." Then, as if it were an afterthought he turned back towards Gage. "Oh, you too Kyle."
Gage was fuming. He nodded at Deke and gently placed his hand in the small of Sydney's back as they climbed the second flight of stairs, leading to the Captain's quarters and the stern.
Deke knew he had ruffled Kyle's feathers. As the couple approached the top of the stairs, Deke offered Leslie his hand to help her over the last step, which was slightly higher than the deck. As Kyle stepped out, Deke gave him a sly smile, which was returned with a very angry glare.
"See, there they are, port side." Sydney leaned on the railing and watched as the dolphins raced alongside the yacht.
While she was occupied, watching the dolphins, Gage brushed past Deke. "Keep your hands off of my wife!" He sternly suggested.
"This is my ship Mr. Brentwood. I'm the only one who gives orders on MY ship."
"You had better listen to me Captain. Keep your hands away from my wife, or you'll wish that you had."
"I'll keep that in mind." Deke replied curtly.
"Come on Leslie, let's go back down."
Hours later, after dinner, Sydney and Gage noticed that Cameron was occupied with Deke on the upper deck. "It may be a good time to check out Cameron's cabin." Sydney whispered.
Gage nodded. He picked up a bottle of wine and two glasses and then put his arm around Sydney. "Come on sweetheart, let's go back to the cabin."
"Um, are you in the mood for another round?" She asked.
"You bet." He smiled and they headed for the cabins below deck.
First, they entered their own cabin. "You keep watch and I'll check the room." Gage announced.
"No, you keep watch and I'll check the room." Sydney argued.
"Flip for it?"
"Sure."
Gage held out a quarter. "We're flipping for the cabin." He said before tossing the quarter into the air.
"Heads." She called while the coin flipped.
Gage caught it and showed it to her. "Tails." He showed her the coin. "I get the cabin."
"Be careful." She warned.
"Aren't I always?"
"If you were, I wouldn't have to remind you."
Gage quietly made his way down the hall to Cameron's cabin. He quickly picked the lock and let himself in. Once inside, he pulled out a small flashlight and began looking around the small room.
The standards were in place; a bed, a refrigerator, a sink with a mirror, a small bathroom and a built in dresser. He quickly focused on the dresser, looking through the drawers for anything that didn't appear to belong there. He quickly worked through the top drawer and found nothing until he slid his hand along the underside. There he found a standard size manila envelope. He pulled the envelope from its hiding spot and slid the contents out. At first glance, the documents seemed to be nothing but a maze of numbers and patterns, but as he looked closer, he recognized a couple of them from his days as a Special Operatives agent in the Marines. These were weapons plans and they bared the Symtech Industries logo.
Gage quickly slid the papers back and put the envelope back underneath the drawer. He barely made it back to he and Sydney's cabin before Cameron came barreling down the hall muttering something about Deke.
Gage wiped his sweat-covered brow as he leaned against the door. "That was close."
"Too close." Sydney replied. "Please tell me that you found something worthwhile."
Gage nodded his head. "Weapons plans from Symtech Industries."
"We need to let Walker know." Sydney said as she and Gage sat down on the bed.
"We're supposed to be in port tomorrow, if Deke sticks with the itinerary he sent me. We'll call Walker from there."
"Good."
They both changed into their nightclothes and climbed under the cover, Sydney nestled in Gage's arms.
*******
Sometime in the early morning hours, Gage was awakened to the constant shifting of the yacht. Sydney sat up in bed as she felt Gage get up. "What's going on?" She asked, feeling the odd movement of the yacht.
"I'm not sure, but I'm going topside to take a look." He slipped on a pair of pants and his shoes and quickly made his way to the deck. The wind was howling and the waves were pounding the small yacht. Capt. Deke was already at the helm, fighting to keep the vessel on course. Gage joined him there.
"Brentwood! You scared me to death!" Deke yelled as he turned and found Gage standing behind him.
"Sorry. Some storm, eh?" Gage asked.
"Sure is and it's only going to get worse if we keep this heading. We shouldn't be here." Deke replied.
"What do you mean?" Gage asked. "Where are we?"
"About here." Deke pointed at a spot in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.
"Did we get blown off course?" Gage continued to question as Sydney joined the men.
"Leslie, you shouldn't be here. Get back down below." Deke ordered.
"No way! I'm staying!"
"You're crazy!" Deke replied.
"Captain, back to my question. Did we get blown off course?" Gage yelled over the wind.
"Not exactly." Cameron replied as he came up from behind with a gun pointed at Gage.
"All of you, get back down below! I need to concentrate!" Deke yelled.
"We're all staying right here Deke and you're going to continue on the course that we set." Cameron replied, waving the gun.
"Cam, we can't go to Florida right now, not with this hurricane directly in our path."
"Florida?" Gage questioned. "I thought this was supposed to be a three day cruise near the Northern shore of the Gulf."
"It was, but there's been a slight change of plans." Cameron replied. "Especially since you've gone through my stuff." He stared intensely at Gage. "Rangers."
"What are you talking about?" Sydney asked.
"I'm talking about these." He held out two Texas Ranger badges. "I found them in your room while ago." He motioned for Gage and Sydney both to sit down on the deck.
"So, how much do you know?" Cameron asked.
"About what?" Gage replied, cautious not to tell Cameron what they did know.
"I can only assume that you know that I've stolen weapons plans from Symtech Industries. What else do you know?"
Deke began to freak out. "They know everything Cam. They know that you stole the plans from Symtech and they know that you killed the Pratt's." He said aloud.
Gage and Sydney looked at each other without saying a word.
"Shut up Deke!" Cameron shouted as he turned the gun away from Gage and Sydney and towards Deke.
Deke let go of the stern. "You would really shoot me after all we've been through Cam? We've known each other since college. We're fraternity brothers." He patted Cameron on the back. Cameron lowered the gun and smiled at Deke. Deke reached for the gun he wore on his belt, turned it towards Cameron's chest and fired.
Gage stood and lunged at Deke. Deke threw a punch at Gage, but Gage ducked and retaliated with a punch of his own, hitting Deke in the jaw. The Captain staggered for a moment and then made a run towards Gage, sending both men from the top deck onto the deck below.
Sydney watched in horror as Gage and Deke fell. They hit with a thud, but both quickly regained their senses and continued to fight. Deke caught Gage from behind and wrapped his muscular arms around Gage's neck and began to squeeze. Gage gasped for air. He summoned all of his strength and elbowed Deke in the ribs, causing him to release him.
While this was going on, Sydney reached for the radio and began calling for help. "Mayday, Mayday. This is the "Pirate's Pleasure". Does anyone hear me?"
"This is the U.S. Coast Guard. Where are you and what's the problem?"
"This is Texas Ranger Sydney Cooke. I'm here with my partner Ranger Gage and we were investigating a murder. The Captain has killed a man on board and is currently fighting with my partner."
"What are your coordinates?"
"I don't know." Sydney confessed, looking at the instruments, but not certain as to how to read them.
The Coast Guard Captain took her through the process step-by-step. As she was beginning to give them their coordinates, a bolt of lightening struck the mast and took out the radio antennae.
"Great, what else could go wrong?" At that moment, she heard a gunshot and looked down to the second deck where Gage and Deke's fight had progressed. Deke and Gage were leaning against each other. Sydney held her breath as she watched Deke push Gage away from him and saw Gage slump to the floor. "Oh God, no!" She whispered frantically as she made her way down to the second deck.
She knew that she had to get to Gage, but she also needed to stay out of Deke's sight. As she rounded the corner, she noticed the life boat hanging on the edge of the yacht, secured by ropes. She quickly lowered it into the water. When she turned towards Gage, she saw Deke hoist him over his shoulder and take him to the edge of the railing and throw him over. Without a second thought, she jumped into the water and climbed into the life boat. She quickly maneuvered the boat to the spot where Gage had been thrown overboard and dove into the rough, dark waters, praying that she would be able to find him.
Gage was unconscious when he hit, but the engulfing water quickly brought him around. He struggled to swim to the surface, but the pain in his chest hardly allowed him to lift his left arm. He felt the darkness overtaking him again as he saw an angelic face before him. "Syd?" He thought as he passed out.
Sydney grabbed Gage's shirt and towed him back to the surface. When the broke the water, she pulled him towards the life boat. Thankfully, he had begun to come around again when they reached the boat, otherwise, she would have never been able to have gotten him in.
Once inside, Sydney quickly assessed the damage from the bullet. He had been hit in the chest and the bullet had passed completely through his chest and exited his back. He was bleeding profusely and had passed out again. Sydney tore the bottom edge of her shirt and made makeshift bandages to cover the entrance and exit wounds, she knew this wouldn't hold for very long as the bandages immediately became blood soaked when she put them in place. "Gage?" She called out softly to him. "Gage, please come back. I need you."
END OF CHAPTER 3
All Aboard
Gage fumbled for the ringing phone as he looked at the clock on the nightstand. "Hello." He mumbled.
"Good morning Mr. Brentwood! This is your four-thirty a.m. wake-up call!" A very cheerful voice announced.
"Thanks." Gage replied as he hung up the phone. He heard Sydney began to stir next to him. "Hey, we had better get up if we're going to make our 6:00 a.m. boarding." He lightly shook her.
She moaned in response. "What time is it?"
"Four-thirty." He trailed his finger down her arm. "Come on sleepy head. It's time to get up. We've got to get busy on this case."
"OK, OK. I'm getting up." She replied, still not moving.
Gage laughed, knowing that he was responsible for her being so tired this morning. They had stayed up until after 2:00 this morning, wrapped up in each other's arms. He smiled as he thought of how perfect they were together and how no other woman had ever made him feel so complete in every way. He looked at Sydney again, who was still lying in bed. He got up and pulled the comforter from the bed, revealing her naked body. "GAGE!" She yelled.
"Come on, it's time to get up." He stood beside the bed laughing. Sydney quickly turned and in the blink of an eye had Gage pinned on the bed.
"Are you so sure you want to get up so soon?" She asked as she leaned her face close to his and slowly kissed his lips.
Gage breathed heavily, knowing that all he really wanted to do was take her again, right then and there, but instead he kissed her and then gently pushed her up. "Syd, there will be plenty of time for this on the yacht. We really need to get going or we're going to be late."
Sydney smiled. "You're right." She got up and wrapped the comforter around her. "Why don't you call room service for breakfast while I grab a quick shower?"
"OK. What do you want?"
"Eggs, over easy, fruit and a bagel with cream cheese. Oh, and a cup of coffee." She replied from the bathroom.
"Alright." Gage called back as he dialed room service and gave them their orders. "Oh, and could you have a pink rose brought up with that, if it's not too much trouble."
"Yes sir, Mr. Brentwood. You're order should be up in about 20 minutes."
"Thank you."
When Sydney emerged from the bathroom, the order had already been brought up and Gage pulled her chair out for her as she approached the table. After she sat down and he pushed her chair up for her, he presented her with the pink rose. "For you." He said sweetly.
"What's this for?" She asked, smiling at him.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because I've never met anyone quite like you Syd. Or because you make me happier than I ever knew I could be."
Sydney began to blush. "Really?"
Gage sat down and took her hand in his. "Yes, really." He returned the smile and picked up his fork. "Now, eat up, or we really are going to be late."
*******
"Deke, when is that couple supposed to be here?" Cameron asked for the third time.
"Cam, relax! It's not even 5:30 yet. They're not due here until six. Why don't you keep yourself occupied by helping me do a pre-check?"
Cameron climbed up on deck with Deke. "What do you want me to do?"
"Here, take this checklist and call out each item to me. I'll let you know if you can check it off or not."
"OK." Cameron began to call out the list as Deke performed an inspection of the vessel.
Once they were finished, Deke took the clipboard from Cameron. "Good job. Oh and look, here come the happy newlyweds now." He pointed at a young couple coming down the dock towards the yacht.
Deke positioned himself at the entrance plank of the yacht. "Good morning!" He announced as Gage and Sydney drew closer. "You must be the Brentwood's." He extended his hand to Gage and then to Sydney.
"Yes we are. I'm Kyle and this is Leslie." Gage introduced.
"Please, come aboard. We'll get the two of you settled in the honeymoon suite and we'll be on our way." Gage suspiciously eyed Cameron who was acting very nervous as they boarded.
"I thought Leslie and I were going to be the only ones on this cruise." He asked as they started below.
"Oh, that's Cam. He's my new deckhand."
Gage nodded, still suspicious of the small man.
"Here we are." Deke opened the cabin door. "Why don't you two get settled and then if you like, you can come up on deck while we pull out."
"Thank you." Sydney replied sweetly.
Deke nodded in response.
As soon as he set foot on the deck, Cameron pulled him to the side. "They suspect something! The man was eyeing me. I'll be he knows me from somewhere." He whispered loudly.
"What are you talking about Cam. They're newlyweds and God knows if I had a new bride that looked like Leslie, I sure wouldn't be wasting my time trying to figure out if I knew you are not." He pushed Cameron aside and proceeded to release the ropes that held the vessel to the dock.
"What do you want me to do?" Cameron asked, feeling that he needed to look busy to avoid any suspicion.
"Put the ropes in their proper places once I release them. I've got to get the engine going and then I'm heading to the stern. You can join me there when you've put the ropes away."
"Aye Aye Captain." Cameron replied sarcastically.
Deke stopped in his tracks and abruptly turned to Cameron. "Listen! You're the one who wanted to do this, remember? I don't need the sarcasm!"
"Alright, alright, simmer down Deke. I was only kidding."
"Yeah, right." Deke replied turning again to go and start the engines.
******
"So, what do you think?" Sydney asked as they finished unpacking.
"About what?" Gage asked.
"The cabin?"
"It's nice. Real nice." His reply sounding distant.
"Are you ok?"
"Did you notice the guy up top?"
"Small frame, brown hair, mid -forties. Yeah, I noticed him, why?" Sydney replied while she put away her suitcase.
"He doesn't fit in."
"What?" Sydney asked.
"He doesn't look rugged enough to be a seaman, yet Deke said he was his new deckhand."
"So, you think Deke is lying about the man's identity?"
Gage nodded. "I'm just saying that we probably need to keep an eye on him too."
"OK."
"And Syd, be careful." He reached for her hand. "Remember, we don't have any backup out here."
She took his hand in hers and nodded. "That goes double for you."
As Gage started to kiss her, they felt the yacht begin to move. They reluctantly released each other. "We'd better get topside. We wouldn't want to upset the Captain before we get out to see, would we?" Gage asked.
"I'm right behind you Kyle." They climbed up onto the deck and found the perfect spot to stand by the railing. Gage slipped his arm around Sydney as they started out to sea, watching the beautiful sunrise.
Cameron nervously looked over his shoulder at Gage and Sydney. "Hey Cam! I need you up here a minute." Deke called out. Cameron stopped staring at the happy couple and climbed up to meet with Capt. Deke.
"What do you need Deke?" He asked.
"Nothing, but I want you to stop staring at the Brentwoods! Man, this is how I make my living!"
"Alright, I'll lay off, but something about those two just doesn't feel right."
Gage glanced up and saw Capt. Deke and Cameron caring on a very animated discussion about something. He continued to stand behind her and lowered his head to whisper into her ear. "What do you make of that?" He slightly nodded towards the spot where Deke and Cameron stood.
Sydney turned her head to the right, allowing the breeze to flow through her hair. She glanced up and saw the same thing Gage had seen; Deke and Cameron in a very animated conversation. She turned her head back towards the water. "I'm not sure. Something about this guy really doesn't sit well with you, does it?"
He shook his head. "No. He just seems like he's hiding something."
"Tell you what. Once we're out a little further, we'll check them both out." Sydney turned to face Gage. "Of course, I'd rather be checking you out." She smiled as she gently ran her hand down his chest.
Gage lowered his head to watch her hand trace his rock solid abs and then he smiled a sheepish grin. "You'd better stop that, or we're going to have to go back to the cabin right now."
"Why?" She asked.
"Do you really have to ask?" He continued to look down, just past her hand. Sydney's eyes followed his gaze.
"Oh!" She replied and abruptly stopped. "Sorry."
"Don't be." He replied as he placed her hand back on his chest and gently lifted her chin until their lips met in a long, passion-filled kiss.
"Gage." Sydney said between kisses. "Let's go below."
"Um?" He replied, preoccupied.
"Now Gage! Let's go below." Gage took her by the hand and led the way to the cabin where they immediately collapsed onto the bed. He quickly pulled his own shirt over his head and dropped his shorts while Sydney wiggled out of her shirt and shorts. He leaned over her, admiring her black, lacy bra and panties before taking them off of her.
"I want you so bad Syd!" He said breathlessly as he lowered himself down onto her and began kissing her breasts. He allowed his finger to trail down between her breasts to her bellybutton. There his finger circled several times and then continued down to her throbbing clit.
Sydney moaned as Gage touched her in all the right places. She writhed in anticipation as he made her wait until he was ready to fill her with his shaft. "Gage, please!" She begged to be relieved. She desperately needed to feel him inside of her.
"Please what, Syd?" He asked, as his finger continued to move downward to her wetness. He added another finger and then another, gently sliding them in and out of her until she could hardly stand it. "Please what, Syd?" He asked again as he watched her writhe back and forth on the bed; all the while, his shaft growing harder and harder.
"Now Gage! Please! Make love to me, now!" She panted.
He removed his fingers from her and gently lowered himself, barely allowing his manhood to touch her opening, still building the anticipation. Then he slowly filled her, sliding his shaft in and out of her until they both came in triumphant unison.
After he was spent, he laid next to her on the bed, his eyes closed. "That was incredible." Sydney said quietly as she positioned herself in the crook of his arm.
"Yes, it was." He agreed and they soon fell asleep.
*******
"Hey, where did they happy honeymooners go?" Cameron asked as he looked around the deck.
"They're on their honeymoon you moron, where do think they went?" Deke replied.
"Maybe." Cameron replied, still not completely sold on the idea that they were just an innocent honeymoon couple out for a good time.
Deke turned on the radio. "We may not be able to head toward Florida just yet Cam. The Weather Center has issued a hurricane warning for the Gulf and all small seacraft from this area have been advised to stay closer to the Texas shoreline."
Cameron immediately began to shake his head. "You will get me to Florida one way or another!" He demanded.
"Cam, I don't control the weather!" Deke shouted.
Gage and Sydney had dressed and were returning to the deck when Gage suddenly stopped just inside the doorway. "Shh." He turned to Sydney.
"What?" She whispered.
"Listen." They both stopped talking and listened to the conversation between Deke and Cameron.
"You had better find a way to make this work Deke. I have to meet with the buyers in Florida in two days and you need to find a way to make this work! Besides, I would think that you would want to get as far away from Texas as quickly as you could, I mean considering that the Pratt's were murdered aboard your yacht." He turned and stomped off.
Gage nudged Sydney back towards their cabin as he saw the backs of Cameron's legs coming down the steps in front of the door. They made it almost half way down when they heard the door open. They quickly turned around and pretended that they had just closed their cabin door.
"Good afternoon." Sydney sweetly said as they passed Cameron.
"Um." Cameron muttered as they all turned sideways to pass each other.
When Sydney and Gage went out on the deck, Deke was still up one deck higher at the stern, looking through his binoculars at the southeast sky.
"Hey!" Gage shouted. "I thought we were supposed to be heading Northeast."
"I'm keeping a check on the storm system brewing in the South. Hurricane." Deke informed his passengers.
"Should we be worried?" Sydney asked.
Deke put the binoculars down and stared at Sydney for a moment. "It's nothing for you to worry your pretty little head over Mrs. Brentwood."
"Please, call me Leslie." She shouted back up.
"Ok, Leslie." He eyed Gage to try and size up how he felt about his new bride asking another man to call her by her first name. "Why don't you come up here. You can watch the dolphins."
"Dolphins!"
"Come on." Then, as if it were an afterthought he turned back towards Gage. "Oh, you too Kyle."
Gage was fuming. He nodded at Deke and gently placed his hand in the small of Sydney's back as they climbed the second flight of stairs, leading to the Captain's quarters and the stern.
Deke knew he had ruffled Kyle's feathers. As the couple approached the top of the stairs, Deke offered Leslie his hand to help her over the last step, which was slightly higher than the deck. As Kyle stepped out, Deke gave him a sly smile, which was returned with a very angry glare.
"See, there they are, port side." Sydney leaned on the railing and watched as the dolphins raced alongside the yacht.
While she was occupied, watching the dolphins, Gage brushed past Deke. "Keep your hands off of my wife!" He sternly suggested.
"This is my ship Mr. Brentwood. I'm the only one who gives orders on MY ship."
"You had better listen to me Captain. Keep your hands away from my wife, or you'll wish that you had."
"I'll keep that in mind." Deke replied curtly.
"Come on Leslie, let's go back down."
Hours later, after dinner, Sydney and Gage noticed that Cameron was occupied with Deke on the upper deck. "It may be a good time to check out Cameron's cabin." Sydney whispered.
Gage nodded. He picked up a bottle of wine and two glasses and then put his arm around Sydney. "Come on sweetheart, let's go back to the cabin."
"Um, are you in the mood for another round?" She asked.
"You bet." He smiled and they headed for the cabins below deck.
First, they entered their own cabin. "You keep watch and I'll check the room." Gage announced.
"No, you keep watch and I'll check the room." Sydney argued.
"Flip for it?"
"Sure."
Gage held out a quarter. "We're flipping for the cabin." He said before tossing the quarter into the air.
"Heads." She called while the coin flipped.
Gage caught it and showed it to her. "Tails." He showed her the coin. "I get the cabin."
"Be careful." She warned.
"Aren't I always?"
"If you were, I wouldn't have to remind you."
Gage quietly made his way down the hall to Cameron's cabin. He quickly picked the lock and let himself in. Once inside, he pulled out a small flashlight and began looking around the small room.
The standards were in place; a bed, a refrigerator, a sink with a mirror, a small bathroom and a built in dresser. He quickly focused on the dresser, looking through the drawers for anything that didn't appear to belong there. He quickly worked through the top drawer and found nothing until he slid his hand along the underside. There he found a standard size manila envelope. He pulled the envelope from its hiding spot and slid the contents out. At first glance, the documents seemed to be nothing but a maze of numbers and patterns, but as he looked closer, he recognized a couple of them from his days as a Special Operatives agent in the Marines. These were weapons plans and they bared the Symtech Industries logo.
Gage quickly slid the papers back and put the envelope back underneath the drawer. He barely made it back to he and Sydney's cabin before Cameron came barreling down the hall muttering something about Deke.
Gage wiped his sweat-covered brow as he leaned against the door. "That was close."
"Too close." Sydney replied. "Please tell me that you found something worthwhile."
Gage nodded his head. "Weapons plans from Symtech Industries."
"We need to let Walker know." Sydney said as she and Gage sat down on the bed.
"We're supposed to be in port tomorrow, if Deke sticks with the itinerary he sent me. We'll call Walker from there."
"Good."
They both changed into their nightclothes and climbed under the cover, Sydney nestled in Gage's arms.
*******
Sometime in the early morning hours, Gage was awakened to the constant shifting of the yacht. Sydney sat up in bed as she felt Gage get up. "What's going on?" She asked, feeling the odd movement of the yacht.
"I'm not sure, but I'm going topside to take a look." He slipped on a pair of pants and his shoes and quickly made his way to the deck. The wind was howling and the waves were pounding the small yacht. Capt. Deke was already at the helm, fighting to keep the vessel on course. Gage joined him there.
"Brentwood! You scared me to death!" Deke yelled as he turned and found Gage standing behind him.
"Sorry. Some storm, eh?" Gage asked.
"Sure is and it's only going to get worse if we keep this heading. We shouldn't be here." Deke replied.
"What do you mean?" Gage asked. "Where are we?"
"About here." Deke pointed at a spot in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.
"Did we get blown off course?" Gage continued to question as Sydney joined the men.
"Leslie, you shouldn't be here. Get back down below." Deke ordered.
"No way! I'm staying!"
"You're crazy!" Deke replied.
"Captain, back to my question. Did we get blown off course?" Gage yelled over the wind.
"Not exactly." Cameron replied as he came up from behind with a gun pointed at Gage.
"All of you, get back down below! I need to concentrate!" Deke yelled.
"We're all staying right here Deke and you're going to continue on the course that we set." Cameron replied, waving the gun.
"Cam, we can't go to Florida right now, not with this hurricane directly in our path."
"Florida?" Gage questioned. "I thought this was supposed to be a three day cruise near the Northern shore of the Gulf."
"It was, but there's been a slight change of plans." Cameron replied. "Especially since you've gone through my stuff." He stared intensely at Gage. "Rangers."
"What are you talking about?" Sydney asked.
"I'm talking about these." He held out two Texas Ranger badges. "I found them in your room while ago." He motioned for Gage and Sydney both to sit down on the deck.
"So, how much do you know?" Cameron asked.
"About what?" Gage replied, cautious not to tell Cameron what they did know.
"I can only assume that you know that I've stolen weapons plans from Symtech Industries. What else do you know?"
Deke began to freak out. "They know everything Cam. They know that you stole the plans from Symtech and they know that you killed the Pratt's." He said aloud.
Gage and Sydney looked at each other without saying a word.
"Shut up Deke!" Cameron shouted as he turned the gun away from Gage and Sydney and towards Deke.
Deke let go of the stern. "You would really shoot me after all we've been through Cam? We've known each other since college. We're fraternity brothers." He patted Cameron on the back. Cameron lowered the gun and smiled at Deke. Deke reached for the gun he wore on his belt, turned it towards Cameron's chest and fired.
Gage stood and lunged at Deke. Deke threw a punch at Gage, but Gage ducked and retaliated with a punch of his own, hitting Deke in the jaw. The Captain staggered for a moment and then made a run towards Gage, sending both men from the top deck onto the deck below.
Sydney watched in horror as Gage and Deke fell. They hit with a thud, but both quickly regained their senses and continued to fight. Deke caught Gage from behind and wrapped his muscular arms around Gage's neck and began to squeeze. Gage gasped for air. He summoned all of his strength and elbowed Deke in the ribs, causing him to release him.
While this was going on, Sydney reached for the radio and began calling for help. "Mayday, Mayday. This is the "Pirate's Pleasure". Does anyone hear me?"
"This is the U.S. Coast Guard. Where are you and what's the problem?"
"This is Texas Ranger Sydney Cooke. I'm here with my partner Ranger Gage and we were investigating a murder. The Captain has killed a man on board and is currently fighting with my partner."
"What are your coordinates?"
"I don't know." Sydney confessed, looking at the instruments, but not certain as to how to read them.
The Coast Guard Captain took her through the process step-by-step. As she was beginning to give them their coordinates, a bolt of lightening struck the mast and took out the radio antennae.
"Great, what else could go wrong?" At that moment, she heard a gunshot and looked down to the second deck where Gage and Deke's fight had progressed. Deke and Gage were leaning against each other. Sydney held her breath as she watched Deke push Gage away from him and saw Gage slump to the floor. "Oh God, no!" She whispered frantically as she made her way down to the second deck.
She knew that she had to get to Gage, but she also needed to stay out of Deke's sight. As she rounded the corner, she noticed the life boat hanging on the edge of the yacht, secured by ropes. She quickly lowered it into the water. When she turned towards Gage, she saw Deke hoist him over his shoulder and take him to the edge of the railing and throw him over. Without a second thought, she jumped into the water and climbed into the life boat. She quickly maneuvered the boat to the spot where Gage had been thrown overboard and dove into the rough, dark waters, praying that she would be able to find him.
Gage was unconscious when he hit, but the engulfing water quickly brought him around. He struggled to swim to the surface, but the pain in his chest hardly allowed him to lift his left arm. He felt the darkness overtaking him again as he saw an angelic face before him. "Syd?" He thought as he passed out.
Sydney grabbed Gage's shirt and towed him back to the surface. When the broke the water, she pulled him towards the life boat. Thankfully, he had begun to come around again when they reached the boat, otherwise, she would have never been able to have gotten him in.
Once inside, Sydney quickly assessed the damage from the bullet. He had been hit in the chest and the bullet had passed completely through his chest and exited his back. He was bleeding profusely and had passed out again. Sydney tore the bottom edge of her shirt and made makeshift bandages to cover the entrance and exit wounds, she knew this wouldn't hold for very long as the bandages immediately became blood soaked when she put them in place. "Gage?" She called out softly to him. "Gage, please come back. I need you."
END OF CHAPTER 3
