“What?”
She knew how ridiculous it sounded, but she had to get it out. “The President is here in San Diego, and he’s going on a VIP cruise on a nuclear submarine… and these men are planning to torpedo it.”
“That’s the craziest thing I’ve —”
“Why would I feed you a bunch of lies, Aaron? I heard them! This is for real!” Tears welled in her eyes.
An icy chill ran down Aaron’s spine as suddenly he recalled that crazy night when he, Jason, and Brandy got drunk together in that nightclub down in Cabo San Lucas. He had assumed that all of the memories of that night had been lost to a severe tequila hangover. But he’d been wrong.
“Did they say when they’re planning to do this?” he said firmly.
“I-I don’t know,” Katya said. “I left before they —.”
“Did you see their faces?”
“No. The door was closed. But I’m positive one of the men was Jason Beckham.”
Aaron ran his hand through his hair. How could this be? Katya’s wild story was the same story Jason himself had told him and Brandy that night in the Cabo Wabo Cantina!
“We have to tell someone,” he said. “We have to let someone know, and quickly.”
He checked his cell phone, but there was no service. “Wait here,” he said. “I need to see if we can get off this boat without attracting attention.”
Katya looked at him doubtfully. “What if someone decides to load a torpedo or something?”
“You’re right,” he said.
He took Katya’s hand and led her out of the Forward Torpedo Room and back into the Captain’s Cabin.
Katya sat on the small bunk, looking up at Aaron with fear in her eyes.
“Keep the door locked until I return,” Aaron said. “I won’t be long.”
“Hurry, okay?”
“Like the wind,” he said then stepped out and closed the door behind him.
Jason had sent Brandy to the galley for fresh cocktails and had followed Katya into Compartment Two.
He hid in the Ward Room and waited until she and Aaron came out of the Forward Torpedo Room, and then, as soon as Aaron left, he stepped out and walked slowly down the narrow corridor toward the Captain’s Cabin.
Chapter 45
Katya waited alone on the bunk in the Captain’s Cabin, nervously pushing one of the playing cards around with her toe. She heard a click, and saw the door handle slowly turn, but instinctively she knew it wasn’t Aaron, and her heart leaped up into her throat.
She had forgotten to lock it!
She jumped up and tried to shut the door, but the man jammed it with his foot, peering in at her with one eye through the narrow opening.
It was Jason.
“Hello, Katya,” he said calmly. “May I come in?”
“W-what are you doing here?” Katya said. “The party’s somewhere else.”
“I’m here to remind you that Aaron is just a boy,” he said, “and that what you really need is a man.”
Katya found that unbearably insulting on many levels. Aaron Quinn was definitely not a boy. But she knew it would be best to be friendly and try to calmly discourage Jason. Keep it cool, Katya. For the love of God, keep it cool.
“You’re right,” she said, struggling to hide the tremble in her voice. “I like real men way more than boys. But we can’t be fooling around here on this silly submarine, can we? Someone might see us. Why don’t we meet somewhere more private?” It sounded fake and patronizing and Katya knew she hadn’t done herself any favors.
Jason agreed.
He forced his way in and grabbed her left arm, spinning her around with her back to him, holding her close to his chest. She tried to pull away, but he tightened his grip, cupping his free hand firmly over her right breast.
“Why are you fighting me?” he said, teeth clenched. “You know you want it.”
Jason had a death grip on her arm. “Please,” she said. “You’re hurting me… Please don’t do this.”
Jason’s hand moved from her breast and slid down between her legs. The hot breath on her neck that would normally have turned her on only made her nauseous. Oh, my God, she thought. This can’t be happening. Do something Katya. Don’t give in to him. THINK girl. THINK!
She steeled herself and decided to give the asshole one last thing to consider. “I’ll scream, Jason,” she said. “This cabin door is thin, and I swear to God if you do this I’ll scream so fucking loud your eardrums will bleed and this entire submarine will split in two and sink to the bottom of San Diego fucking Bay.”
Jason smiled and flipped open the blade of a long, very sharp knife, holding it flat against her cheekbone. “You do and I’ll kill you,” he said calmly. “Right here — right now. Is that really what you want?”
If that’s what it will take to make you stop, Katya thought,then yes! That’s exactly what I want!
Brandy Fine had entered Compartment Two looking for Jason. She had already downed the last two cocktails she had made and had a fresh one in each hand. She was feeling the alcohol and was anxious to get the party started.
She walked down the narrow corridor checking each room, and when she neared the Captain’s Cabin she heard a scream.
She threw the drinks to one side and tried the door, and to her surprise it opened, and what she saw inside tore through her heart like flying shrapneclass="underline" Jason Beckham was sprawled across a struggling, terrified girl named Ekatarina.
“HEY!” Brandy shouted. “What the hell are you DOING?”
Jason started, easing his hold on Katya, and then he stood and folded his knife into his pocket. Katya jumped up and ran to Brandy, tears flowing down her face.
“You lousy son-of-a-bitch,” Brandy said, holding Katya tightly in her arms. She wanted to tear Jason’s lungs out and feed them to him with a fork.
Jason just stood there looking smug.
Brandy straightened Katy’s dress and took her by the hand. “Come, sweetie,” she said. “Let’s get you far away from this psychotic sicko.”
She led Katya out of the Captain’s Cabin and headed for the nearest watertight hatch: Compartment One, the Forward Torpedo Room.
Brandy swung the heavy hatch cover closed, and then turned to Katya, taking her gently by the shoulders. “Let me look at you,” she said, looking her up and down. “Did he hurt you? What did he do to you?”
Katya was trembling, tears and mascara streaming down her cheeks. Brandy could see that an angry bruise was forming on her upper arm. She gave Katya a gentle, swaying hug. Katya hugged her back gratefully.
“H-he had a knife,” Katya said, sobbing. “He said he would —”
“Damn him!” Brandy cried. “I’ll kill that fucking asshole.” She picked up a heavy piece of iron pipe. “If Jason Beckham is stupid enough to show his ugly face in here, I’ll crack his fucking skull.”