Distant Thunder

52

They ate lunch pretty much in silence. When they had finished, Dino said, “Why are you so quiet, Stone?”

“I’m figuring out who’s going to try to kill us next.”

“Valery Majorov,” Dino said. “Who’s left?”

“Okay, it’s Majorov. How’s he going to try to do it?”

“Well, the bomb is tucked away somewhere below,” Dino said. “In the maid’s closet in the hallway.”

“Means of attempt on us: sniper?”

“From where? We’ve got pretty much a 360-degree view from the yacht, and I can’t see a sniper’s perch from where I’m sitting.”

“You see my dilemma,” Stone said.

“How about an air attack?” Dino said.

“The only airplane hereabouts is the tourists’ seaplane from Key West, and I don’t think that’s equipped for strafing or bombing.”

As if on cue, there was a buzzing from the sky. Stone grabbed a handheld radio and raised Captain Todd. “You’ve got some rifles aboard, haven’t you?”

“Yep, two of them.”

“Load them and bring them on deck, will you.”

“Yes, sir. You want the shotguns we use for skeet?”

“If you’ve got any buckshot.”

“I’ll check.”

Stone got up and peered out from under the deck awning toward the east. “It’s coming.”

The skipper arrived on deck with an armful of long guns and some boxes of ammo.

“Dino,” Stone said, “get the ladies to loading and you go below and bring up our handguns.”

“Mine, too,” Vanessa said. “It’s in my ready bag.”

“Stone,” Dino said, “even if we get lucky, I don’t know if we can get away with shooting down a planeload of tourists.”

“Just get the handguns. If they know we’re armed, that might hold them off.”

Dino went below.

The airplane lined up into the wind, set down in the lagoon, and taxied to the dock at the fort.

Dino came up from below and deposited three handguns on the dining table.

Passengers began to leave the airplane and walk to the fort. Soon it was empty.

“Well,” Viv said, “that was a pretty good drill.”

“The next one might not be a drill,” Stone said.

“Well, we’ve got an hour or two before it comes back with another load. Time to build a fort on the upper deck.” She and Vanessa laughed a lot.

“I’m happy to have weapons at hand, anyway,” Dino said. “There’s something comforting about live ammo.”

“Let’s go upstairs and have a look around.” Stone grabbed two rifles and handed Dino one. The women took the remaining shotguns. “There’s no buckshot,” Viv said, “but we can make noise, I guess.”

Stone’s phone rang. “Yes?”

“It’s Lance.”

“You miserable son of a bitch!” Stone shouted into the instrument. “You poisoned my lime!”

“Nonsense,” Lance replied. “You were all worked up, and I thought you might do something crazy, so I gave you a little sedative.”

“You think I was worked up then, you should see me now, when I’m armed!”

“There’s nothing to shoot at out there except the tourist seaplane. Now, don’t you go taking potshots at that thing!”

“If you show up here again, I’ll be shooting at you!” Stone shouted, then hung up.

“I don’t think Lance is accustomed to being shouted at,” Vanessa said, “let alone to being shot at.”

“Well, he’d better get used to it,” Stone said.

“Stone,” Viv said. “Can I get you a gin and tonic?”

“That’s not funny!”

“Yes, it is,” Dino said, shaking with laughter.

“If you’re going to shake, put down that weapon!” Stone said.

Dino set his rifle on the table with the other weapons. “Sure thing, pal. I wouldn’t want you to shoot me.”

The phone rang again and Stone answered it. “You again?”

“I had hoped you might have cooled down a bit by now,” Lance said.

“Well, you can hope.” Stone hung up again.

Dino opened the upper-deck bar cabinet. “How about a Knob Creek. With no lime?” He put some ice in a glass and poured one.

“Sold,” Stone said, reaching for the drink.