Trying to find the right place to get cultural here. The island is cool but you know I wanted to separate Bud and charlie from what the Caribbean is all about.

Five

It was sunset when they pulled back into the dock, and the first thing Tori noticed was that the small tender was gone. She perched on the bow of the Bertram as Jade navigated in, having enjoyed their late afternoon ride.

Rufus was a cute kid. Tori found his enthusiasm over anything nautical adorable, and watching Jade explain the working of the large diesels was a precious moment she wished she had on camera. Rufus obviously adored her partner, and even now he was glued to her side as she edged the big boat into dock.

She was going to be such a great mom.

Tori made a mental note to get Jade to let her bring the craft in sometime, though this tiny dock probably wasn't the best one to start with. Jade had to shift the diesels into reverse twice, and then into idle before they drifted into place. Tori stepped off as they gently hit the bumpers and secured the lines. The setting sun was turning the white beach sand a deep gold and painting the wooden buildings into a tropical watercolor scene. She leaned against a pylon and stuck her hands into her pockets, simply enjoying the view.

"Hey, Tor." Jade jumped off the boat and onto the dock. "See that?"

Tori obligingly peered down Jade's arm. Her eyes widened. "Whoa… what is that?"

A young woman was racing around the waves on what looked like a surfboard, but this surfboard had a handle and apparently an engine. As Tori watched, the girl zoomed around in a big figure eight, effortlessly racing over the surface of the water.

Tori clutched Jade's shoulder. "Ooo." She crooned. "I want." She craned her neck to see better. "That rocks!"

Jade smirked. "I thought you'd say that." She turned and watched Rufus jump off the boat. "Okay, Rufus, tell your friend he's got a customer."

"Cool!" Rufus grinned at both of them. "I'm gonna go tell em. Go see papa Bud, too." He pattered off down the dock, only to turn and race back, throwing his arms around Jade and giving her a hug. "Thanks for the ride!"

"No problem." Jade seemed a little embarrassed, but she returned the hug before she sent him on his way again. "Nice kid."

"Mmhm." Tori agreed. "He's got great taste in heroes to worship."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Don't you start that, Victoria."

Tori snickered. "But it's so cute." She teased, reaching up to tweak Jade's cheek. "C'mon. How about a shower before we go to dinner?"

They turned to go back onto the boat, when heavy footsteps made them look back around. Charlie was limping down the docks towards them, giving them a friendly wave. "Ho, Jade!"

Jade lifted a hand in greeting. "Evening, Charlie."

The big retired serviceman halted as he reached them. "Evening, you two. Listen, got a favor to ask."

"Sure." Jade replied easily.

"Damn fuel delivery's being held up cause of weather down south. We gotta shut down tonight – mind if I bring over a potluck on your pretty boat here?"

"Not at all." Jade said. "We've got a table inside. How about we go out and do it under the stars?"

Charlie beamed. "Sounds great. Bud'll love that. It'll take bout forty five to an hour, see you then?"

"Sure."

Charlie turned and limped up the dock, waving his hand in farewell.

"Well." Tori mused. "That's interesting… I guess they use a generator for power, right?"

"Yep." Jade stepped onto the boat and offered Tori her hand. "So we get to be hosts for the evening. That work for you?"

"Definitely." Tori allowed herself to be pulled on board. Quite unreasonably, she'd developed a wary dislike for Bud, whom she hadn't even met yet and she was glad their first encounter would be brought into their territory.

It wasn't really fair to the guy, she acknowledged. Tori reasoned it was mostly her gut level reaction to someone who professed a dislike for someone she dearly loved and admired, and she was willing to give the unknown Bud a chance when she met him, especially since Jade seemed to be, at least, willing to sit down to dinner with him.

But still. Tori entered the cabin after Jade and cast her eye around it. "Go grab a shower first, I'll straighten up in here."

Jade looked around, and then gave her a wry look. "Oh, right. It's trashed. Thanks, Tor." She teased, referring to the customary neat appearance of their joint living space. But she ambled towards the head anyway, flitching a towel on the way.

Tori drummed her fingers on the galley counter, thinking hard.

Jade brought the pot of coffee to the table and resumed her seat. They'd finished dinner, and the conversation had gotten more casual as the night had gone on. Bud was behaving, and he'd discovered in Tori a camera fan after his own heart. Jade suspected the evening was going well, and she relaxed, sneaking a glance outside at the dark, restless sea.

She'd anchored them near the wreck where they'd dived the prior day, and the moon had cooperated, lighting up the area in a ghostly silver glow. The ocean was picking up a bit, rocking the Bertram lightly but not enough to really bother anyone.

"So, Jade." Charlie's voice caught her attention. "You got any plans for your vacation?"

"Not really." Jade replied. "We've just been picking spots and diving, taking it easy." She said. "It's been a busy year."

"S'what I heard." Bud said. He had a very deep and usually emotionless voice. It matched his dark, somewhat hooded eyes, and the watchful gaze he habitually had. "Scuttlebutt said you folks got to take over all the service gigs."

"That's right." Tori responded, with a smile. "Starting in January we'll be taking over a lot of infrastructure. Should be quite a project."

Bud eyed her. "Careful they don't mess you up. You know the Navy, Jade. If they can point a finger, it's in your eye."

"They're not that different from any other company." Tori told him. "Trust me, when you're the outsourcer, if they can blame you for anything, they will. We have to deal with that all the time."

There was a momentary silence, then Bud cleared his throat and looked at Jade. "Heard about your dad." He rumbled. "That's good stuff, Jade."

Tori neatly retracted her mental claws and took a sip of beer.

"It was…" Jade studied her glass. "One of the most amazing things in my life." She shook her head. "But then, this last year's just been full of things like that for me." Her eyes shifted to Tori, twinkling a little.

"He living out here in the east? Or...?" Charlie asked.

Tori chuckled. "Right now, he and mom are puppy sitting for us out west." She replied. "They usually live on their boat, though."

Bud snorted. "Boats? Puppies? That ain't the same people I remember."

Jade shrugged. "Things change. People change. They went through a lot."

Bud snorted again, and Tori's claws peeked out, just a bit. "I like their boat. I think it was a great choice for them to live on." She replied.

"Yeah, well, if you say so." Bud said. "Musta changed a lot if Ceci West'll park her butt on some fishing dingy."

"Oh, I doubt she'd do that." Tori said. "But…"

Tori paused as a sound of engines came through the half open windows. She looked out, as did the rest of the table, and saw a large, well-lit craft slowly cruising past them. "Hm."

Jade leaned on the back of the banquette and studied it. "That's a big one."

Bud got up and walked behind her, crouching down and resting his elbows on the sill. He squinted, studying the ship's line. "Huh." He pointed. "Got a search light on it. Just hit us."

Charlie was also now peering out the window. "Hey, you know, I think I saw that boat two days ago off the lee side of our island." He said. "Big ugly black thing."

Tori rested her chin on Jade's head. "Jade, that can't be that obnoxious boat that passed us in the straits, can it?"

"Hard to say." Jade murmured. "Let's go check it out."

They got to the door, but as Jade opened it, a loudspeaker suddenly cut the night.

"Dixieland Yankee. Do not pull anchor. Stay where you are, and prepared to be boarded."

Jade blinked, and then abruptly her brain kicked into gear. "Boarded? Who in the hell is that?"

Charlie watched over her shoulder as the boat started coming in at them. "Some very big shot with a ton of money, tell ya that."

Jade headed for the bridge. "Tori, go watch the anchor, will ya?" She shouted down, as she scaled the ladder. "You guys, hang on!"

Bud turned. "That means you, muskrat." He poked Charlie in the chest. "I'm going up top." He turned and followed Jade up to the bridge. Charlie remained in the doorway, holding on and watching the big ship approach.

Jade swung behind the console and hit the switches to retract the boat's anchor, her eyes darting out towards the oncoming ship. "Feel like I'm trapped in a cheap movie of the week." She muttered, glancing up as Bud appeared next to her. "This happen a lot out here?"

Bud didn't answer.

"Anchor's in!" Tori's voice rose up from the bow.

"Get off the topside!" Jade yelled back, as she punched the starter buttons for the diesels. The engines caught at once and rumbled into life.

"Dixieland Yankee, I repeat. Stay where you are. You are trespassing in restricted waters."

"Are we?" Jade asked.

"My ass." Bud muttered. "This thing got legs?"

"Tori!" Jade bellowed.

"I'm down!"

"Hang on." Jade shoved both throttles forward, and heeled the boat over, watching the bow rise as the dual diesels dug into the water. The bigger boat was moving to intercept them, and a searchlight hit her in the eyes. Jade cursed, and kept the wheel turned, just clearing the other boat's bow before she whipped the wheel straight and gave the engines full throttle.

Their conjoined wakes rocked the Bertram, then the boat leveled out and Jade turned her eyes towards the depth meter, checking their draft. Behind them, the bigger boat had turned to follow, and she heard the roar as their engines were let loose in the chase.

"What in the hell is this?" Jade snarled.

Bud chuckled dryly, the first time he'd laughed that night. "Welcome to the Caribbean, Jae Jae. There still be pirates here, ye know."

"Pirates in seventy freaking foot mansion cruisers?" Jade asked, glancing behind them. "Jesus!" The searchlight pinned them, and she could hear the engines getting louder. "Tori! Strap everything down!"

"Already there!" Tori yelled back. 'What the hell is going on?"

"Dixieland Yankee. If you don't reduce speed and go to idle, we will halt you by force. Please obey."

"Kiss my ass." Jade flicked two switches on the console, and nudged the throttles a little further.

Bud was wedged between the seats and the console, as their speed increased and the wind slammed against them. "You ain't much of a rule follower, are you?" He commented.

"I make the rules." Jade replied. "Hang on." She set two final switches, glanced behind them at the boat gaining rapidly on them, and shoved the throttles all the way forward. With a throaty roar, the engine superchargers cut in, and the bow planed up out of the water as their speed doubled.

"Shit." Bud clutched at the railing.

Jade looked back, and felt her heart slow a little as the other boat stopped gaining as quickly. She looked again, swallowing a nervous lump as she frantically tried to figure out what to do next. The compass showed them going south, and the depth finder showed good depth under their keel.

The only question was, where the hell was she going, and what was she going to do when she got there?

Tori exhaled in relief as she saw the big vessel drop behind them a little. "Excuse me." She gently eased past Charlie, who was still in the doorway to the cabin. "This is getting very icky."

"No shit." Charlie eyed the big boat. "What the heck did you girls get yourselves into?"

"I wish I knew." Tori strode into the cabin and went to the storage chest, flipping the seat up and pulling out a long, black case. She set it on the table and undid the catches, lifting the lid and laying it back. Inside, a powerful, blued black shotgun rested, giving off the very distinct scent of gun oil.

"Ah." Charlie was at her shoulder. "Shoulda figured Jade'd have one of these."

Tori pulled the gun out and opened the stock. "It's not Jade's." She murmured, flipping open a door in the case and removing shotgun shells. "It's mine." She glanced up at the surprised man. "I've been shooting since I was eight." She closed the shotgun and pocketed a handful of extra shells, then headed for the door.

She'd never really liked guns. Handguns, in fact, scared the daylights out of her as she'd realized when they'd been faced with one in Chicago. But she'd realized that she hated the feeling of being helpless even more, so she'd gone out and gotten herself a gun she at least had experience with.

Tori was pretty sure her father had never intended his forced familial skeet lessons to have this particular result. She had always found it ironic that of all her cousins and siblings, she was the only one who could hit anything smaller than a VW bus with any regularity. She still remembered those frosty fall days, with reporters in full attendance, watching as adolescents barely able to lift the damn rifles gamely plugged away at skittish, fleeting clay plugs.

She stood next to the door and peered out, holding the shotgun close to her body. If she squinted, she could just see figures moving out onto the bow of the larger vessel, one manning the annoying searchlight and the two others coming to the railing.

Charlie limped up behind her, and shut the light in the cabin, giving them a better view. "No sense prettying up a target." He commented. "Wonder what they're after?"

"I have no idea." Tori inhaled, as she realized the bigger boat was gaining on them again. She made a grab for the doorframe as the Bertram heeled over, then accelerated again in a new direction. "Jesus, Jade."

International waters. There wasn't anyone, really, they could call. They could, Tori realized, get into real trouble out here and it would be weeks before anyone knew about it. "Jade?"

"I know!"

Tori exhaled.

"Tor?"

"Yeah?"

"This could get nasty!"

Tori stepped out onto the stern, and worked the shotgun mechanism. "I'm armed!"

"Great." Jade felt more than a little frazzled. "Here I am playing Captain Kidd and I've got Wyatt Earp on the stern."

Bud leaned over the edge of the console, and regarded Tori's wind buffeted form. "She know how to use that thing?"

Jade grunted with a nod, focusing on her route. Ahead of her, the sky no longer held stars, and as she gazed ahead, lightning fluttered, outlining huge thunderheads. "That the storm you were telling me about?" She pointed.

"It's a storm." Bud stated. "You figgering to head into it?"

"Not exactly." Jade looked behind her. The big boat was definitely gaining on them now. "But it could get a little rough." She plotted a course, and then settled herself, wrapping her legs around the captain's chair. "Tori, stow it! I'm gonna be moving!"

She heard the cabin door slam. "All right, asshole. Let's see if you can stick with me." Jade headed between two tiny, uninhabited islands. The boat raced over the waves, now becoming perceptibly choppier. The searchlight zapped over their heads. Jade felt it's glare on her neck and she pulled the boat into a faint arc, first one way and then the other.

A popping sound brought her head up and around, both she and Bud ducked as a flare seared past their starboard side. Jade spent an unfruitful moment wishing like hell her father was next to her, and then put her attention to threading the boat through the narrow channel.

"Getting shallow." Bud offered.

"I know." Jade kept one eye on the depth meter, and the other on the blinking buoys the marked the route. A roll of thunder rumbled overhead, almost obscuring the sound of the engines. Another flare screeched by, this time on the port side. "Next one coming right up our backs, I guess."

"Inta the engine cowling." The laconic retired sailor stated. "Fastest way to stop you."

"Thanks." Jade's eyes narrowed, and she inched her route slightly to her left. Then without warning, she spun the wheel, sending the boat into rapid curve. She straightened out, and then went right again, daring their pursuer to follow them.

She heard their engines rev as they did, and with that sound, Jade smiled. "Gotcha." She whispered, ramming the throttles home and skimming down a specific line in the sea with a light, precise touch on the controls.

Bud was gripping the console, his eyes wide.

Jade watched the depth meter. "C'mon… c'mon…." It sounded a warning, and she kept her fingertips on the wheel, crossing the rest of her body parts and just wishing. The Bertram threaded a tiny line down the center of the meter, the klaxon blaring louder and louder as the sounds of their pursuit also got louder.

"Jesus Christ!" Bud yelled.

The boat flashed over a section of water, then the klaxon cut off, just as they heard a horrific crunching sound behind them. Jade dared a quick look behind her, to see the big boat heeling off to one side; it's engines dying and panic on the bow. She faced forwards again, into the rain now hitting the shield around the console.

Every nerve in her was alive. Jade could see her own grin reflected in the glass, and she just barely kept herself from letting out a wild yell of triumph. "All right." She was proud of the even tone in her voice. "Now let's get outta here."

Bud unglued his hands from the rail. "Who in hell taught you to drive?" He asked.

Glinting blue eyes reflected back in the mirror. "My dad." Jade replied, savoring the moment. Then she keyed the mic for internal communications. "Tori?"

"Here." Tori's voice sounded a little out of breath. "Holy shit, Jade."

"Yeah." Jade trimmed the engines, which now labored against the rising seas. "Out of the frying pan… I'm gonna circle back around and see if I can get past this storm, and come back into the island from the other side."

"Anything I can do?"

"Monitor the radio. See if you can pick up those bastards calling for help. I want to know who they are."

"Right."

Jade clicked the mic off, and clipped it. "Board me, will you?" She muttered. "I don't think so."

Tori put the mic down, but left her hand on it for a long moment as her nerves steadied. "Okay." She finally said, gathering her composure and pushing away from the wall. "Glad that's over."

"Me, too." Charlie agreed. He was seated securely in one of the chairs bolted to the deck. "Now, what the hell was it?" He got up and peered out the window. "Sumbitches bottomed, huh?"

"Yeah." Tori walked over to the galley and removed a bottle of Gatorade, popping the top and sucking down several mouthfuls. She set the bottle down. "Now all we have to worry about is the weather." She walked back over to the radio and set it to fast scan, turning the volume up a little. The shotgun was already tucked back into its case under the seat, and now that the immediate danger was over, Tori felt her entire body shaking in reaction.

Adrenaline rush, the hard way. With a sigh, Tori sat down in the other bucket chair and let her hands rest on her thighs.

"Ain't' your cupppa brew, is it?" Charlie asked.

Tori gave him a wry look. "I'm a New England Republican with a degree in information technology. What do you think?"

The big man chuckled. "You done pretty good, though." He said. "Where in New England you from?"

"Connecticut." Tori replied. "Darien."

"Been up there a time or two." Charlie said. "Got to do some dry suit work in the lake once upon a time."

Tori was glad of the distraction. "Is there anything to see down there?" She asked curiously. "I always wondered. Other than downed freighters, I mean."

Charlie shrugged. "We weren't sightseeing." He explained, with an apologetic look. "You could ask Big Jimmy, though. He did two tours up there." He paused. "Strange, talking about him real time now."

"I can imagine." Tori leaned back, folding her hands over her belly. "I'll ask him, though." She smiled. "I remember the first time we went diving with him. He's like a fish." She waggled one hand in mid air.

"Always was." Charlie acknowledged. "A real natural. Used to watch him swim, and wonder if he was hiding gills."

Tori nodded. "I know. Jade's the same way."

"Ah." Charlie looked up as the door opened, and Bud came in. "Didn't spect you get a wild hare ride with dinner, didja?" He addressed his partner.

Bud shook his head and snorted. "Crazy assed bastards." He said. "Near as crazy as the nut drivin this thing."

One of Tori's eyebrows rose. "I think Jade did pretty good." She stated. "They're on the rocks. We're not."

"Luck."

"With Jade? Never." Tori got up and paced over to the galley again, recapturing her bottle of Gatorade. "She always knows what she's doing." She sucked a mouthful of the drink. "Now we just have to find out who and why."

"Well, you could go back and ask." Charlie joked wanly.

Tori leaned on the counter. "Is this something that happens often? I know we were reading something in the local Miami papers about modern day piracy, but I didn't think the pirates drove luxury yachts."

Bud and Charlie looked at each other, but didn't answer.

Tori's other eyebrow rose.

"They weren't pirates." Bud finally muttered. "Not the kind we have around here."

Ah. Tori noticed neither of them would meet her eyes. "So it does happen."

"Oh, well, you hear things." Charlie interjected. "You know."

Uh huh. "No, actually I don't." Tori answered. "But then, what were these guys after?"

Bud shrugged. "Maybe they just didn't like Jade's attitude." He suggested. "Inherited trait."

Tori was quite surprised to hear herself produce an almost audible growl. "Excuse me." She said. "Keep an ear on the radio. I'm going topside."

Jade unclipped the plastic water bottle from under the console and gulped its contents, satisfied with her new course at last. They were headed into a little weather, the winds had picked up to about twenty knots, and the seas were up, but the Bertram rode the surf solidly, and she knew she could make the eastward turn around the far side of the island in about ten minutes.

She turned around in her seat and looked behind her, shading her eyes against the rain. She could just see the other boat's running lights far back, bobbing up and down in the surf but coming no closer. The depth would have been shallow enough to rake the bigger boat's hull, and maybe even puncture it depending on how they hit, and though it was a wide sea, and bad weather, Jade had absolutely no compunction about leaving them to their fate.

Jade swiveled around and thought about that for a minute. "Okay." She addressed the controls. "What would dad do?" The dials and gauges peered mutely back at her. Dad would… Jade chuckled dryly. Dad might have stayed and challenged the other boat. But if he'd done what she had, he might have called the Coasties for them – but her mother wouldn't have.

To hell with them. Jade still felt pumped, almost giddy from her successful escape. She'd hoped the high speed run up the center of two parallel reefs, keeping her keel right down the space between them would work, but she'd also known she was counting on luck and her own piloting skills a lot more than she should have.

But. Jade wiggled her fingers, looking at her own strong hands. She'd done it. She chortled privately, clearing her throat and regaining a serious expression as she heard someone coming up the ladder behind her. A peek over her shoulder, however, brought her grin back. "Hey."

Tori had her rain slicker on, and was carrying Jade's. "Hey, yourself." She took the seat next to Jade and handed her the slicker. "I've finished pooping in my pants now. How about you?"

Jade laughed, leaning back and pulling her bright red rain jacket on. "That was something, I gotta tell you. What the hell was up with those people?"

Tori leaned on the console. "I don't know, but we'd better find out, Jade. This is not funny."

"No kidding." Jade finished tying her hood, then glanced at Tori. "You okay?"

Brown eyes blinked at her, in the misty rain. "That was really scary."

Jade laced her fingers through Tori's damp hair. "I know."

"Your old friends are making my nape hairs rigid."

"Sorry." Jade scratched her neck. "Bud's pretty abrasive." She admitted. "I kept in touch mostly because of Charlie. He's a good guy."

Tori sighed, aggravated. "He's married to a jerk."

Jade eyed her. "There're a lot of people who'd say the same about you." She joked. "That you're married to a jerk, I mean." She added.

"Pah." Tori started laughing. "Okay, I'm cranky, I hate being scared, and mysterious black boats who do great pirate imitations really tick me off." She looked up as thunder rolled overhead. "Gee, thanks. That so helps."

Jade reached out and pulled Tori over, into her lap. She hugged her close, as she adjusted the boat's course slightly, and started her turn to the east. "We'll be out of the rain soon, we'll drop these guys off, then we'll head out to St Johns. Once we're there, I'll call in and have that damn boat checked out. Sound like a plan?"

Tori found that not even rain and two layers of plastic could ruin a good Jade hug, and she grunted softly as she returned it. "I like it." She agreed. "We Skipping PR and DR... Do we have reservations on St. Johns?"

"Uh huh, at Caneel Bay." Jade replied.

"Is that the one with the seven beaches?" Tori was intrigued. "And high speed internet in the rooms?"

Jade nodded. "Yup. Got all the essentials covered."

"Be still, my technobeating heart."Tori stated then paused. We're going to circle back right?"

Jade sighed. " those Tourist traps..."

"Jade..."

"they get so crowded... besides Pureto Rico... just had that hurricane..."

"Maria was last year." Tori stated. "What's the deal? Its not like you don't speak the language."

"It's just--."

The mic crackled. "Hey, Jade." Bud's voice came through. "Got a distress call casting down here. 117.9"

"Thanks. I'll tune it in." Jade said. "We're coming in around the eastern side of your island."

"Yeap." The mic clicked off.

Jade frowned, then shook her head and tuned in the marine radio. For a few moments, there wasn't any sound, and she thought she'd gotten the wrong channel. Then a harsh feedback sound erupted, and a voice came through.

"Mayday! Mayday! Help!"

"Oh, that's professional." Tori sniped.

"This is Siren of the Sea… in bad weather… sinking… "

The words cut off. Jade peered at the radio, then looked behind them. "I don't think that's them."

"Help! This is Siren of the Sea… thirty foot sailboat in bad weather. I lost my engine, and snapped the mast lines. Taking on water."

"Oh, that's bad." Tori sat up. "He needs help." She looked at Jade. "I've crewed a thirty footer, Jade. It doesn't stand a chance with no sail control."

Jade keyed the mic. "Siren of the Sea, this is Dixieland Yankee. Do you know your location, over?" She released the mic and waited. There was no response. "Siren of the Sea, do you copy?"

Still no answer. Then finally – "Hello? This is Siren of the Sea to whoever's calling – I think I'm off St Johns… off the western coast!" A break, with static sounded. "Raining like hell! I think the swells are twenty feet!"

Tori got up. "I'll tell our passengers, and get the safety gear out." She kissed Jade on the lips. "Think we can find him?"

Jade flipped on the radar scope, which showed not much of anything. The storm was probably just a thunderstorm but a rare rain during dry season was so indicative of climate change. Given that she was not familiar with the waters, and had no idea what she was really looking it, she didn't want to give Tori false hopes. "Do my best." She replied.

"Done deal, then." Tori blithely answered, before she turned and made her way to the ladder.

Jade shook her head, then plotted a new path, this one recurving back towards the sound of thunder, and the rising wind.