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Part 25
Aboard The Gerrymander Off the NC coast 1758 Local
Mac felt something prod her in the back and shifted irritably. She was gradually becoming more aware of her surroundings. Unfortunately, she was also becoming more aware that she felt like hell. Her left side and back had apparently turned into one huge bruise, her stomach was roiling and her mouth tasted like a thousand dirty feet had walked through. Something nudged her again and she squeezed her eyes more tightly shut, "Stop it."
"Mac?"
"Don't yell." God, this had to be the mother of all hangovers. How had that happened?
"Mac!"
This time something thumped her hard. "Ow, dammit!" She tried to jerk away and then groaned when her wrists flared with pain. The surprise alone forced her eyes open. What the hell... ? There was a table above her and she was wedged against a leg. It took a moment to realize she was on her side and bound hand and foot. There wasn't much she could do about it, most of her muscles seemed to have turned to jello. The floor she was laying on kept pitching up and down. It was doing nothing for her stomach.
"Mac?"
Kate? Memory came flooding back and she inhaled sharply. "Kate?"
"Yeah, you all the way back?" Kate's voice sounded relieved. It seemed to be coming from above and behind her.
"Mostly. I still feel like a rag doll." Another memory fell into place, "Kate? Your leg - are you okay?"
There was a silence long enough to make her worry and then Kate answered quietly, "Hurts but the bleeding's stopped. I don't think I'll be running any races for a while. What the hell happened?"
"Mike outsmarted us." Mac let her eyes drift shut for a moment, "Man, we are in such trouble." Cautiously, she tried to stretch her arms and legs. They moved slightly in a tingly kind of way.
"You think?" Kate's voice was tinged with sarcasm. They were both silent for a few minutes and then Kate asked softly, "Why do you suppose she hasn't killed us yet?"
"Don't know." Mac shrugged and felt the pull from her shoulders, "I imagine she'll be happy to tell us if we ask. Can you move at all?"
"Not much, my hands are tied to a railing. I can just reach you with my feet."
Mac tried moving her arms again and grimaced. Feeling was definitely coming back and she was almost sorry. She raised her head slightly when the tempo of the engines changed, "Kate, we're slowing down."
A slight darkening was all the warning she had and then she heard Mike's voice, "Ladies, I see you're awake. I'm sorry you have to be so uncomfortable but I'd rather be safe than sorry." Mac watched the Congresswoman's legs walk closer and then settle down just out of reach.
Kate spoke up, "What are you planning to do?"
Mike sounded condescending, "I'm planning to kill you, of course. Really, Kate, I would think that's rather obvious."
"Then why haven't you? It would have been simpler while we were both unconscious."
There was a sigh, "That's true but there's been a few extenuating circumstances. Originally, I was going to kill you and dispose of your remains at sea. Then I would merely plead ignorance to your disappearance. Simple and, I'm embarrassed to say, not too well thought out. I've since realized that the search effort for you two would be extensive. It's truly amazing how bodies have a way of being discovered at the most inopportune times. So I've had to rethink my plans to cover that contingency." She smiled at Kate, "Fortunately, I decided to dig into your files. It was extremely educational. Now I'm afraid you'll have to be alive and relatively healthy when you hit the water. You see, you, my dear Agent Todd, have complicated matters." Mike leaned down and smiled at Mac, "No offense, Mac." She sat back up, "What might have slipped by the County Coroner will not get by your Dr. Mallard."
"So now what? You're going to throw us overboard? How are you going to explain? You won't be able to hide the evidence that we were at your place and on board this boat."
"I'm not going to try," Elbert replied calmly. "But I will be devastated to be the only survivor of an ill-fated boat trip." She sighed again and looked around the cabin, absently patting a wall, "I'm going to miss this boat." She looked back at Kate, "The Gerrymander is going to sink, the victim of sabotage. I will have been the target because my investigation apparently hit a nerve somewhere and you two will be the innocent bystanders."
"Don't you think it will be a bit suspicious that you'll be the only one to get off before it goes down?"
"I didn't say I would be. We all jumped off but I hit my head and lost track of you two. I'll be frantic, of course, and insist on an immediate search even though it will be too dark." Mike smiled complacently. "It should play well in the press: 'US Congresswoman Target of Assassins'. You'll be happy to know that I'm quite good at 'strong but vulnerable'. A slight quiver of the chin, a small tremor in the voice and then the determined look that says I will carry on despite the personal tragedy - the public will eat it up. If I play it right, I might be able to drag this out long enough to kick off my re-election campaign."
"So when they find us, we'll be conveniently dead? If you're not planning to kill us outright, how are you going to arrange that?"
"Ahhh, but you see, I don't have to arrange anything. It's a big ocean and they won't find you. At least, not for a day or two or, hopefully, not until you wash up on shore. You're not going to be where they're searching and I seriously doubt either of you will set any records treading water. Stronger men have tried. Mother Nature will take care of the rest and then no matter how painstaking the autopsy, you will still have succumbed to drowning."
Mac finally spoke, "Why?"
Mike leaned down again so she could smile at Mac, "Because I can?" She chuckled and sat back up, "I knew it was inevitable that one of you would bring that up. I've been thinking about it and you know what? That has to be one of the most ridiculous questions in the entire world. Everybody wants to know: Why did this happen? Why did he do that? Why me? Why, why, why? ...Honestly, does it really matter? Consider your position, will knowing help you at all?" She waved a hand, "Oh I know. Neither of you can really, truly grasp that you've only got a few more hours. It's human nature. You think any of those men thought they would die? Even as I pulled the trigger, I could see the disbelief in their eyes. Amazing how the mind will delude itself, don't you think?"
"Why?" Mac persisted stubbornly.
"Why not?" Mike countered. "I've been doing this for years. I enjoy it and I'm really quite good." Her voice took on a bitter tone, "Don't look at me like that, Ms. Todd. You know nothing about it. Mac understands though." She leaned down to look at Mac, "You've been an inspiration, you know. The first time I saw you was on CourtTV and it was a revelation. Not only did you hold the power of life and death but also the power of vengeance. Before I met you, I killed to benefit myself and then you made me realize I could do it for others. It was in your honor that I chose the sergeants. All those little girls freed of the existence that you and I shared. It was... uplifting, exhilarating." Mike shook her head and smiled fondly, "Meeting you was kismet. At the time, I had no idea that Emma Fine knew you. At any rate, the more I learned about you, the more I found out how alike we are. I've been following your career for years. The highs, the lows - although I must say, some of your experiences have scared the hell out of me. That pig, Admiral Jacobs, deserved what he got and more. When you disappeared in the Blue Ridge last year, I was frantic. It's been so hard watching from the sidelines. You didn't know it but I've celebrated and commiserated with you at every turn."
"By killing people?" Kate interjected, appalled and fascinated at the same time.
Mike gave her an irritated look, "I don't know how to bake. Do you mind? I'm talking to Mac." She returned her attention to the Marine, "It took a great deal of effort not to directly interfere in your life. I seriously considered removing Lt. Singer but then Commander Lindsey beat me to it. I took it as a sign that that sort of direct contact would be a mistake." She eyed Kate again, "Although it was definitely a mistake not doing something about you. I could kill you for dragging Mac into this... " Mike tilted her head to one side and then chuckled grimly, "Oh wait..."
She turned serious again, facing Mac, "Unfortunately, the cat's out of the bag now. I know it would be pointless to ask you to forget all this. Your sense of duty exceeds your loyalty to your friends." Mike gave a sad sigh, "It doesn't leave me with many options and it truly pains me that our relationship has to come to an end. I'm going to miss you terribly, but... this is survival of the fittest." She sat back up, looking determined, "I intend to survive. It's what I do best."
Kate stared at the woman warily, keenly aware of Mac's silence. She couldn't even imagine how the Colonel felt - theorizing about a killer's motives was nothing compared to finding out you were correct. She carefully cleared her throat, "Who did you kill before the sergeants?"
Mike looked at the agent for a long moment and then shrugged, "People who deserved it." She rubbed her chin in thought, "Betty June Langdon was my very first. Nasty, mean-tempered girl - made my life miserable in school. We wound up in the same summer sailing program - you've seen those little boats, haven't you? Naturally, I was much better at it than she was. One day we were both a bit away from the main group. It didn't take any time at all to run my boat into hers and capsize us both. I made sure I was only one to come up and then I made several valiant attempts to 'rescue' her." She chuckled to herself and looked at Kate again, "Would you believe they gave me a 'Good Citizen' award for trying so hard to save poor Betty June? Even her parents thanked me. It was an eye-opening experience for a thirteen-year-old. When I was fifteen, Dwight Buckley fell off his bike and cracked his skull on a rock. He died without ever waking up. No one knew I'd been anywhere near. Needless to say, Dwight never attempted to dump another girl just before Homecoming. Instead of being an object of fun and derision, I was the center of attention and the recipient of a sea of sympathy."
Kate couldn't help the slight chill that ran down her spine. Elbert sounded so matter-of-fact, so normal, like she was discussing the weather. She thought of something else, "Your parents... ?"
"Some of my best work. No one suspected I'd left town. You see, there was this nearby truck stop with a motel that catered to the truckers. You could rent rooms by the hour at very reasonable rates. I'd made it a habit to check in there whenever I had a lot of studying to do. It was much too hard to concentrate in the dorm. That night I checked in and then headed home. I told my parents I had a job interview in Morehead the next day - not that they cared. My mother was a walking pill factory, usually drugged into a stupor by 9:00. It didn't take much to get dear old Dad another beer, this time with a little contribution from the medicine cabinet. Once he was out, I positioned the cigarette for best effect and left. I was back on campus by the next morning, in time for that fateful summons to the Dean's office." Mike smiled fondly, "Liberation Day. I was the sole beneficiary and I put the money to good use. I think it was the only time my parents ever truly did anything for me."
She glanced at her watch and stood up, "Well, I must say that this has been absolutely therapeutic but time's a-wasting. Thank you for being so patient. I never get to talk about my work and it was nice to have such an attentive audience." Mike chuckled, "And I know I can count on your discretion. Well, ladies, I'm afraid I need to get to it again. I hope you appreciate my efforts. I'd never realized before how crowded the ocean has become. Fishing trawlers, shrimpboats, sailboats, cabin cruisers, speedboats, yachts, tankers, there was even some guy in a kayak. Everywhere you turn, there's boats and wouldn't you know? Half of them recognize the Gerrymander. It took more time than I thought it would to find an isolated spot between the shipping lanes and the pleasure craft and I still have a few things to get done. Y'all make yourselves at home and I'll be back in a bit." She walked out.
"Good god, that woman's cold." Kate didn't hear anything from Mac, "Mac? Are you all right? Can you hear me?"
"Yeah." Her voice sounded strained.
"Mac? What's wrong?" Kate tried to shift so she could see and hissed softly when she inadvertently flexed her bad leg. It had hurt before when she was poking at Mac and even in this short amount of time it was definitely getting more tender. Not a good sign, it was probably becoming infected. God only knew what kind of crap had been on the end of the tin that had cut her.
"I'm... trying... to... get out of this," Mac relaxed for a second and let her head rest on the floor. Her hands were tingling from renewed circulation. The plastic ties had dug deeply while she tried to contort herself and bring her hands around to the front. While Mike was talking, she'd seen that an edge of metal baseboard was sticking out where the table was attached to the wall. There was no way she could get to it with her hands behind her. If she could get them around front, it might be possible to cut the tie or weaken it enough to break.
In the end, it took 49 minutes. Mac's wrists were bloody but it was worth it when the tie she was carefully sawing finally parted.. Slowly she pulled herself up from the floor, balancing precariously.
"You did it!" Kate smiled in relief and shot another look at the doorway. The only way she'd been able to help was by being the lookout. These last few minutes had been nerve-wracking. She divided her attention between the door and Mac as the brunette quickly rifled through compartments. With a soft exclamation of satisfaction, she came up with a metal nail file. It only took a few moments to free her ankles and then she turned towards the NCIS agent. Kate was laying across a bench seat with her hands above her head, each wrist fastened to a railing across the back. The Marine Colonel freed one hand and leaned across to get to the other. Kate grimaced in sympathy at the blood caked around Mac's wrists. "Hurry," she whispered. Mac's body was blocking her view of the doorway.
A brief glimpse of movement sent a jolt of fear through her. "Mac! Look out!" She heard the thud just before Mac gave a strangled cry and then Kate gave her own groan when the brunette collapsed on top, knocking the breath out of her. She groaned again when Mac's limp body was dragged off, jarring her leg. The Colonel was dropped unceremoniously on the floor. Kate squinted up to see Mike standing there with a box wrench in her hand. Tossing the wrench aside, Elbert reached behind her back and pulled out Kate's pistol, training it on the agent.
Keeping half an eye on Kate, the Congresswoman leaned down and grabbed Mac's arm, hauling her up for closer inspection of her wrists. For the first time, the woman looked thoroughly pissed, "Goddammit, how the hell am I going to explain this? Dammit!" She let go and Kate winced at the thump as Mac hit the floor again. Mike dug into her back pocket and pulled out a small pair of wirecutters. She threw them on the bed and backed up, keeping the pistol pointed at Kate, "Cut yourself loose and then pick up our intrepid Marine. I want you on deck where I can see you."
Kate picked up the cutters and glanced at her leg, "I don't know if I can." It wasn't really that bad just yet but she would play it for all it was worth. Maybe Elbert would drop her guard. She obviously thought Mac was more of a threat.
Mike glared down at unconscious woman and then shot a look at the wrench she'd tossed aside, "Do it or you can watch while I make the Colonel regret ever being born. You have no idea how tempting that is at the moment."
Silently, Kate freed herself and then carefully eased off the bed. Determined not to give Elbert any satisfaction, she kept her jaws clenched against any sound. Limping over, she awkwardly worked her way down to a kneeling position and patted Mac on the cheek, "Mac? C'mon Mac, can you hear me? I need you to wake up."
"Dammit, just get her up!" Mike ordered impatiently.
Kate glared up at her, "I told you, I can't carry her like this. She needs to be awake. If you don't like it, go ahead and shoot us both. We're going to die anyway, right?" With that, she focused her attention on Mac, deliberately ignoring the Congresswoman.
Elbert scowled down at the two, absently brandishing the pistol. Things hadn't gone exactly to plan. Those cuts on Mac's wrists were going to be awkward to explain. Dammit, she'd gotten complacent. Worse, she'd gotten smug, underestimating what MacKenzie was capable of doing. Mike was annoyed with herself. She'd let the ease with which she'd outsmarted these two make her careless. Had she missed anything else? ...Well, she'd just have to adjust. She didn't like doing things on the fly but that didn't mean she couldn't. She thought it over while the NCIS agent tried to coax Mac back to consciousness and came to a decision. This was still the best solution. She would proceed with her plans but with one slight modification. It would accelerate the outcome and, as an added bonus, give herself a modicum of satisfaction. The odds were in her favor that Mother Nature would cover her tracks and also take care of the problem of Mac's wrists.
"Hurry up." Mike growled.
Kate gave the Congresswoman a wordless stare and resumed talking to Mac. She was finally rewarded with a low groan. A few seconds later, the Marine's eyes opened. Kate smiled at her, "'Bout time, Mac." The brunette blinked a couple of times, still looking glassy-eyed. Kate grabbed two handfuls of shirtfront, "C'mon, I need you to sit up." She hauled upwards and pulled Mac into a sitting position. The Marine didn't resist nor did she help and Kate bit off a sigh. She patted Mac's cheek again, "Mac? Wake up, I need your help." "Get her up now," Mike snapped. She was clearly out of patience.
Gingerly, Kate lowered herself down still further and managed to get Mac's arm draped across her shoulders. Standing up again was an exercise of willpower. She could feel the cut on her leg pull open again and the blood begin to trickle down. It was a slow trek up onto the deck and she was halfway surprised to see that the sun was just setting. It seemed much later. The only good news was that Mac seemed to be getting better with each passing minute. She hadn't spoken yet but the weight across Kate's shoulders was decreasing as her footsteps grew firmer.
A sharp gesture from Mike sent them towards the back of the boat. When they reached the stern, the two turned around. Kate was relieved that Mac seemed a lot steadier on her feet. She started to look at Elbert when there was the sharp report of a pistol shot. A split second later, an unseen force sent her reeling. Kate stumbled into edge of the stern, teetered dangerously and then fell headlong into the sea. Mac staggered momentarily both from the shock of seeing Kate shot as well as the loss of support. For a second, she locked eyes with Elbert and then turned and dove over the side.
Kate flailed one-handed to the surface for a brief moment as she gasped and choked. The pain of being shot had intensified when saltwater hit the open wound. She sank below the waves again, unable to keep herself afloat. Some small part of her mind was mad as hell at the thought of dying out here, the rest welcomed any sort of reprieve. As everything started to fade, she thought she felt something grab her but then it all ceased to matter.
Part 25
Aboard The Gerrymander Off the NC coast 1758 Local
Mac felt something prod her in the back and shifted irritably. She was gradually becoming more aware of her surroundings. Unfortunately, she was also becoming more aware that she felt like hell. Her left side and back had apparently turned into one huge bruise, her stomach was roiling and her mouth tasted like a thousand dirty feet had walked through. Something nudged her again and she squeezed her eyes more tightly shut, "Stop it."
"Mac?"
"Don't yell." God, this had to be the mother of all hangovers. How had that happened?
"Mac!"
This time something thumped her hard. "Ow, dammit!" She tried to jerk away and then groaned when her wrists flared with pain. The surprise alone forced her eyes open. What the hell... ? There was a table above her and she was wedged against a leg. It took a moment to realize she was on her side and bound hand and foot. There wasn't much she could do about it, most of her muscles seemed to have turned to jello. The floor she was laying on kept pitching up and down. It was doing nothing for her stomach.
"Mac?"
Kate? Memory came flooding back and she inhaled sharply. "Kate?"
"Yeah, you all the way back?" Kate's voice sounded relieved. It seemed to be coming from above and behind her.
"Mostly. I still feel like a rag doll." Another memory fell into place, "Kate? Your leg - are you okay?"
There was a silence long enough to make her worry and then Kate answered quietly, "Hurts but the bleeding's stopped. I don't think I'll be running any races for a while. What the hell happened?"
"Mike outsmarted us." Mac let her eyes drift shut for a moment, "Man, we are in such trouble." Cautiously, she tried to stretch her arms and legs. They moved slightly in a tingly kind of way.
"You think?" Kate's voice was tinged with sarcasm. They were both silent for a few minutes and then Kate asked softly, "Why do you suppose she hasn't killed us yet?"
"Don't know." Mac shrugged and felt the pull from her shoulders, "I imagine she'll be happy to tell us if we ask. Can you move at all?"
"Not much, my hands are tied to a railing. I can just reach you with my feet."
Mac tried moving her arms again and grimaced. Feeling was definitely coming back and she was almost sorry. She raised her head slightly when the tempo of the engines changed, "Kate, we're slowing down."
A slight darkening was all the warning she had and then she heard Mike's voice, "Ladies, I see you're awake. I'm sorry you have to be so uncomfortable but I'd rather be safe than sorry." Mac watched the Congresswoman's legs walk closer and then settle down just out of reach.
Kate spoke up, "What are you planning to do?"
Mike sounded condescending, "I'm planning to kill you, of course. Really, Kate, I would think that's rather obvious."
"Then why haven't you? It would have been simpler while we were both unconscious."
There was a sigh, "That's true but there's been a few extenuating circumstances. Originally, I was going to kill you and dispose of your remains at sea. Then I would merely plead ignorance to your disappearance. Simple and, I'm embarrassed to say, not too well thought out. I've since realized that the search effort for you two would be extensive. It's truly amazing how bodies have a way of being discovered at the most inopportune times. So I've had to rethink my plans to cover that contingency." She smiled at Kate, "Fortunately, I decided to dig into your files. It was extremely educational. Now I'm afraid you'll have to be alive and relatively healthy when you hit the water. You see, you, my dear Agent Todd, have complicated matters." Mike leaned down and smiled at Mac, "No offense, Mac." She sat back up, "What might have slipped by the County Coroner will not get by your Dr. Mallard."
"So now what? You're going to throw us overboard? How are you going to explain? You won't be able to hide the evidence that we were at your place and on board this boat."
"I'm not going to try," Elbert replied calmly. "But I will be devastated to be the only survivor of an ill-fated boat trip." She sighed again and looked around the cabin, absently patting a wall, "I'm going to miss this boat." She looked back at Kate, "The Gerrymander is going to sink, the victim of sabotage. I will have been the target because my investigation apparently hit a nerve somewhere and you two will be the innocent bystanders."
"Don't you think it will be a bit suspicious that you'll be the only one to get off before it goes down?"
"I didn't say I would be. We all jumped off but I hit my head and lost track of you two. I'll be frantic, of course, and insist on an immediate search even though it will be too dark." Mike smiled complacently. "It should play well in the press: 'US Congresswoman Target of Assassins'. You'll be happy to know that I'm quite good at 'strong but vulnerable'. A slight quiver of the chin, a small tremor in the voice and then the determined look that says I will carry on despite the personal tragedy - the public will eat it up. If I play it right, I might be able to drag this out long enough to kick off my re-election campaign."
"So when they find us, we'll be conveniently dead? If you're not planning to kill us outright, how are you going to arrange that?"
"Ahhh, but you see, I don't have to arrange anything. It's a big ocean and they won't find you. At least, not for a day or two or, hopefully, not until you wash up on shore. You're not going to be where they're searching and I seriously doubt either of you will set any records treading water. Stronger men have tried. Mother Nature will take care of the rest and then no matter how painstaking the autopsy, you will still have succumbed to drowning."
Mac finally spoke, "Why?"
Mike leaned down again so she could smile at Mac, "Because I can?" She chuckled and sat back up, "I knew it was inevitable that one of you would bring that up. I've been thinking about it and you know what? That has to be one of the most ridiculous questions in the entire world. Everybody wants to know: Why did this happen? Why did he do that? Why me? Why, why, why? ...Honestly, does it really matter? Consider your position, will knowing help you at all?" She waved a hand, "Oh I know. Neither of you can really, truly grasp that you've only got a few more hours. It's human nature. You think any of those men thought they would die? Even as I pulled the trigger, I could see the disbelief in their eyes. Amazing how the mind will delude itself, don't you think?"
"Why?" Mac persisted stubbornly.
"Why not?" Mike countered. "I've been doing this for years. I enjoy it and I'm really quite good." Her voice took on a bitter tone, "Don't look at me like that, Ms. Todd. You know nothing about it. Mac understands though." She leaned down to look at Mac, "You've been an inspiration, you know. The first time I saw you was on CourtTV and it was a revelation. Not only did you hold the power of life and death but also the power of vengeance. Before I met you, I killed to benefit myself and then you made me realize I could do it for others. It was in your honor that I chose the sergeants. All those little girls freed of the existence that you and I shared. It was... uplifting, exhilarating." Mike shook her head and smiled fondly, "Meeting you was kismet. At the time, I had no idea that Emma Fine knew you. At any rate, the more I learned about you, the more I found out how alike we are. I've been following your career for years. The highs, the lows - although I must say, some of your experiences have scared the hell out of me. That pig, Admiral Jacobs, deserved what he got and more. When you disappeared in the Blue Ridge last year, I was frantic. It's been so hard watching from the sidelines. You didn't know it but I've celebrated and commiserated with you at every turn."
"By killing people?" Kate interjected, appalled and fascinated at the same time.
Mike gave her an irritated look, "I don't know how to bake. Do you mind? I'm talking to Mac." She returned her attention to the Marine, "It took a great deal of effort not to directly interfere in your life. I seriously considered removing Lt. Singer but then Commander Lindsey beat me to it. I took it as a sign that that sort of direct contact would be a mistake." She eyed Kate again, "Although it was definitely a mistake not doing something about you. I could kill you for dragging Mac into this... " Mike tilted her head to one side and then chuckled grimly, "Oh wait..."
She turned serious again, facing Mac, "Unfortunately, the cat's out of the bag now. I know it would be pointless to ask you to forget all this. Your sense of duty exceeds your loyalty to your friends." Mike gave a sad sigh, "It doesn't leave me with many options and it truly pains me that our relationship has to come to an end. I'm going to miss you terribly, but... this is survival of the fittest." She sat back up, looking determined, "I intend to survive. It's what I do best."
Kate stared at the woman warily, keenly aware of Mac's silence. She couldn't even imagine how the Colonel felt - theorizing about a killer's motives was nothing compared to finding out you were correct. She carefully cleared her throat, "Who did you kill before the sergeants?"
Mike looked at the agent for a long moment and then shrugged, "People who deserved it." She rubbed her chin in thought, "Betty June Langdon was my very first. Nasty, mean-tempered girl - made my life miserable in school. We wound up in the same summer sailing program - you've seen those little boats, haven't you? Naturally, I was much better at it than she was. One day we were both a bit away from the main group. It didn't take any time at all to run my boat into hers and capsize us both. I made sure I was only one to come up and then I made several valiant attempts to 'rescue' her." She chuckled to herself and looked at Kate again, "Would you believe they gave me a 'Good Citizen' award for trying so hard to save poor Betty June? Even her parents thanked me. It was an eye-opening experience for a thirteen-year-old. When I was fifteen, Dwight Buckley fell off his bike and cracked his skull on a rock. He died without ever waking up. No one knew I'd been anywhere near. Needless to say, Dwight never attempted to dump another girl just before Homecoming. Instead of being an object of fun and derision, I was the center of attention and the recipient of a sea of sympathy."
Kate couldn't help the slight chill that ran down her spine. Elbert sounded so matter-of-fact, so normal, like she was discussing the weather. She thought of something else, "Your parents... ?"
"Some of my best work. No one suspected I'd left town. You see, there was this nearby truck stop with a motel that catered to the truckers. You could rent rooms by the hour at very reasonable rates. I'd made it a habit to check in there whenever I had a lot of studying to do. It was much too hard to concentrate in the dorm. That night I checked in and then headed home. I told my parents I had a job interview in Morehead the next day - not that they cared. My mother was a walking pill factory, usually drugged into a stupor by 9:00. It didn't take much to get dear old Dad another beer, this time with a little contribution from the medicine cabinet. Once he was out, I positioned the cigarette for best effect and left. I was back on campus by the next morning, in time for that fateful summons to the Dean's office." Mike smiled fondly, "Liberation Day. I was the sole beneficiary and I put the money to good use. I think it was the only time my parents ever truly did anything for me."
She glanced at her watch and stood up, "Well, I must say that this has been absolutely therapeutic but time's a-wasting. Thank you for being so patient. I never get to talk about my work and it was nice to have such an attentive audience." Mike chuckled, "And I know I can count on your discretion. Well, ladies, I'm afraid I need to get to it again. I hope you appreciate my efforts. I'd never realized before how crowded the ocean has become. Fishing trawlers, shrimpboats, sailboats, cabin cruisers, speedboats, yachts, tankers, there was even some guy in a kayak. Everywhere you turn, there's boats and wouldn't you know? Half of them recognize the Gerrymander. It took more time than I thought it would to find an isolated spot between the shipping lanes and the pleasure craft and I still have a few things to get done. Y'all make yourselves at home and I'll be back in a bit." She walked out.
"Good god, that woman's cold." Kate didn't hear anything from Mac, "Mac? Are you all right? Can you hear me?"
"Yeah." Her voice sounded strained.
"Mac? What's wrong?" Kate tried to shift so she could see and hissed softly when she inadvertently flexed her bad leg. It had hurt before when she was poking at Mac and even in this short amount of time it was definitely getting more tender. Not a good sign, it was probably becoming infected. God only knew what kind of crap had been on the end of the tin that had cut her.
"I'm... trying... to... get out of this," Mac relaxed for a second and let her head rest on the floor. Her hands were tingling from renewed circulation. The plastic ties had dug deeply while she tried to contort herself and bring her hands around to the front. While Mike was talking, she'd seen that an edge of metal baseboard was sticking out where the table was attached to the wall. There was no way she could get to it with her hands behind her. If she could get them around front, it might be possible to cut the tie or weaken it enough to break.
In the end, it took 49 minutes. Mac's wrists were bloody but it was worth it when the tie she was carefully sawing finally parted.. Slowly she pulled herself up from the floor, balancing precariously.
"You did it!" Kate smiled in relief and shot another look at the doorway. The only way she'd been able to help was by being the lookout. These last few minutes had been nerve-wracking. She divided her attention between the door and Mac as the brunette quickly rifled through compartments. With a soft exclamation of satisfaction, she came up with a metal nail file. It only took a few moments to free her ankles and then she turned towards the NCIS agent. Kate was laying across a bench seat with her hands above her head, each wrist fastened to a railing across the back. The Marine Colonel freed one hand and leaned across to get to the other. Kate grimaced in sympathy at the blood caked around Mac's wrists. "Hurry," she whispered. Mac's body was blocking her view of the doorway.
A brief glimpse of movement sent a jolt of fear through her. "Mac! Look out!" She heard the thud just before Mac gave a strangled cry and then Kate gave her own groan when the brunette collapsed on top, knocking the breath out of her. She groaned again when Mac's limp body was dragged off, jarring her leg. The Colonel was dropped unceremoniously on the floor. Kate squinted up to see Mike standing there with a box wrench in her hand. Tossing the wrench aside, Elbert reached behind her back and pulled out Kate's pistol, training it on the agent.
Keeping half an eye on Kate, the Congresswoman leaned down and grabbed Mac's arm, hauling her up for closer inspection of her wrists. For the first time, the woman looked thoroughly pissed, "Goddammit, how the hell am I going to explain this? Dammit!" She let go and Kate winced at the thump as Mac hit the floor again. Mike dug into her back pocket and pulled out a small pair of wirecutters. She threw them on the bed and backed up, keeping the pistol pointed at Kate, "Cut yourself loose and then pick up our intrepid Marine. I want you on deck where I can see you."
Kate picked up the cutters and glanced at her leg, "I don't know if I can." It wasn't really that bad just yet but she would play it for all it was worth. Maybe Elbert would drop her guard. She obviously thought Mac was more of a threat.
Mike glared down at unconscious woman and then shot a look at the wrench she'd tossed aside, "Do it or you can watch while I make the Colonel regret ever being born. You have no idea how tempting that is at the moment."
Silently, Kate freed herself and then carefully eased off the bed. Determined not to give Elbert any satisfaction, she kept her jaws clenched against any sound. Limping over, she awkwardly worked her way down to a kneeling position and patted Mac on the cheek, "Mac? C'mon Mac, can you hear me? I need you to wake up."
"Dammit, just get her up!" Mike ordered impatiently.
Kate glared up at her, "I told you, I can't carry her like this. She needs to be awake. If you don't like it, go ahead and shoot us both. We're going to die anyway, right?" With that, she focused her attention on Mac, deliberately ignoring the Congresswoman.
Elbert scowled down at the two, absently brandishing the pistol. Things hadn't gone exactly to plan. Those cuts on Mac's wrists were going to be awkward to explain. Dammit, she'd gotten complacent. Worse, she'd gotten smug, underestimating what MacKenzie was capable of doing. Mike was annoyed with herself. She'd let the ease with which she'd outsmarted these two make her careless. Had she missed anything else? ...Well, she'd just have to adjust. She didn't like doing things on the fly but that didn't mean she couldn't. She thought it over while the NCIS agent tried to coax Mac back to consciousness and came to a decision. This was still the best solution. She would proceed with her plans but with one slight modification. It would accelerate the outcome and, as an added bonus, give herself a modicum of satisfaction. The odds were in her favor that Mother Nature would cover her tracks and also take care of the problem of Mac's wrists.
"Hurry up." Mike growled.
Kate gave the Congresswoman a wordless stare and resumed talking to Mac. She was finally rewarded with a low groan. A few seconds later, the Marine's eyes opened. Kate smiled at her, "'Bout time, Mac." The brunette blinked a couple of times, still looking glassy-eyed. Kate grabbed two handfuls of shirtfront, "C'mon, I need you to sit up." She hauled upwards and pulled Mac into a sitting position. The Marine didn't resist nor did she help and Kate bit off a sigh. She patted Mac's cheek again, "Mac? Wake up, I need your help." "Get her up now," Mike snapped. She was clearly out of patience.
Gingerly, Kate lowered herself down still further and managed to get Mac's arm draped across her shoulders. Standing up again was an exercise of willpower. She could feel the cut on her leg pull open again and the blood begin to trickle down. It was a slow trek up onto the deck and she was halfway surprised to see that the sun was just setting. It seemed much later. The only good news was that Mac seemed to be getting better with each passing minute. She hadn't spoken yet but the weight across Kate's shoulders was decreasing as her footsteps grew firmer.
A sharp gesture from Mike sent them towards the back of the boat. When they reached the stern, the two turned around. Kate was relieved that Mac seemed a lot steadier on her feet. She started to look at Elbert when there was the sharp report of a pistol shot. A split second later, an unseen force sent her reeling. Kate stumbled into edge of the stern, teetered dangerously and then fell headlong into the sea. Mac staggered momentarily both from the shock of seeing Kate shot as well as the loss of support. For a second, she locked eyes with Elbert and then turned and dove over the side.
Kate flailed one-handed to the surface for a brief moment as she gasped and choked. The pain of being shot had intensified when saltwater hit the open wound. She sank below the waves again, unable to keep herself afloat. Some small part of her mind was mad as hell at the thought of dying out here, the rest welcomed any sort of reprieve. As everything started to fade, she thought she felt something grab her but then it all ceased to matter.
