A Dubious Curse (A Colton Banyon Mystery Book 8) Read online

  Seconds later, the loudspeaker came alive again. “We are implementing Plan Erogenous Zone,” they heard Bart announce. No one seemed to be taking any action. They seemed to wander all over the boat. The only thing that was noticeable was Bart slowed the big boat to a crawl.

  “I want Maya, Lisa, and Skye below deck,” Banyon told Eric. “Put them in one of the downstairs bedrooms. There are two guns hidden there, just in case.” Eric quickly grabbed Kim to help explain to Skye. They began collecting the girls.

  “What are we doing?” Loni asked Banyon. She was not privy to this plan, as Banyon and Bart had set it up on the phone call the night before.

  “I’m going to pilot the boat,” Banyon told her. “You, Previne, and Pramilla should go inside to the kitchen. The appliances will protect you from any stray shots. And I think there will be a lot of them. You need to be safe in case we need you to fortify a part of the boat. I’m sure that they intend to board us and capture Lisa.”

  “Fat chance of that happening!” Loni replied. “I put the satchel with our guns in our bedroom. We’ll be ready.” She kissed Banyon and set off to find the Patel sisters. Banyon went to the pilothouse to take over piloting the boat from Bart.

  “Just keep her going in a straight line. I need to go up top for a minute,” Bart told Banyon as he took over the controls. It was a code used to confuse Harold, who they were sure was watching someone on the boat. He believed it was either Lisa or him.

  ‘Plan Erogenous Zone’ was actually very simple. They assumed Harold would be watching the book and not the houseboat, so Bart had time to have his people secretly place guns all over the houseboat. Each person had their assigned position, but they had been instructed to appear scared and overwhelmed by the pending pirate attack. On Bart’s order, they would grab the hidden guns and counterattack the Effort people. The plan, like the other plans, had been setup the night before. Bart had covered the details with his people on the flight over from Chicago.

  hat’s the situation on the houseboat?” Barry asked from the back of the third speedboat. Each boat on both flanks contained three men. His boat had four. His men couldn’t hear him over the roar of the outboard motor, but his father could.

  “They look like they are in a state of confusion,” Harold replied. “I only see three people with guns, and they are all women. They only had three guns when they rescued the little girl from the jet ski, so maybe that is all they have.”

  “So, are you saying they don’t expect us?” Barry asked.

  “Oh, they expect you alright, but I don’t think they have a defined, defensive plan. They are all looking scared and confused and just wandering around the boat looking for cover. You should have no trouble boarding it. Soon the book will be mine.” He maniacally laughed.

  “Where are Lisa and the book?” Barry asked out of concern. Now that the book was available, he knew Harold would want to eliminate her.

  “She is in a bedroom in the bottom of the boat. Once you get inside the cabin you should have no trouble finding her. She is in the last bedroom with two other women.” Harold replied. “The book is with her. You just need to shoot them all to get the book.

  “What is my best option for boarding?” Barry asked.

  “There is no one in the front of the boat. Run one boat on each side of the houseboat and have them board by the front. You should be able to outflank them. Keep your third boat behind the houseboat and fire at anyone who raises their head. Also, Colton Banyon is piloting the boat up front. He is the one who can talk to someone up here. He needs to die,” Harold emphasized in a fanatical voice.

  Barry quickly opened his cellphone and called the two other boats to give them orders for the attack. He told his men there was no need to attack the boat with needless bullets, unless someone attempted to fire at them. He also told them the front was completely open for boarding. Lastly, he told them not to harm Lisa, that he would board the boat and get her himself. He expected the people on board to surrender rather than die in a hail of bullets, but he was wrong.

  s the three speedboats quickly closed on the slow moving houseboat, Barry actually believed they would succeed. He signaled with his arm for the two flanking boats to separate and zip around to the front of the houseboat. He yelled for his driver to slow down and told his men to prepare to shoot anyone they saw stick their head up. His men got into position. He studied the deck, but could see no one.

  “Wolf, have they taken the bait?” Banyon yelled out to the spirit. He was steering the boat straight ahead in the middle of the lake, but he was looking backwards for the speedboats containing Barry’s men.

  “Yes, having you in the pilothouse made the decision easy for Harold. He is so predictable. He wants you dead, so that there will be no one for me to use as a conduit. You’d better get out of there now,” the spirit replied. Banyon suddenly realized he was a chess piece. He was a pawn in a larger game between Harold Bass and Wolf. There were moves and countermoves. He hoped that Wolf was the better player.

  “Bart, I’m coming up,” Banyon yelled as he left the front pilothouse. He climbed the stairs and entered the smaller pilothouse on the top of the houseboat. He then resumed driving the boat. Bart, who was hiding there, quickly left the upper pilothouse and took up his position on the upper deck floor.

  Banyon believed Barry was too distracted to ask for an update from Harold. If he did, Harold could tell him it was a trap. But Barry was new at the game and didn’t think to get an update.

  Harold was indeed watching, and he was beside himself with anger. He cursed at Banyon, and he cursed at his son for not asking for an update. All he could do was anxiously watch the drama unfold.

  “Get ready,” Bart yelled to his people from his position. They were all crouched near the back of the boat. Each person had collected their rifles from the hiding places around the deck. Bart was prone on the top deck with a sniper rifle. He was waiting for the two speedboats to come along side. He didn’t have to wait long.

  The speedboat on the right flank was slightly ahead of the one on the left flank. It quickly pulled even and then it edged slightly ahead of the houseboat. It was about thirty yards away from the lumbering, large boat when it started to turn to attack. Suddenly, a loud crack was heard. A puff of smoke shot from the outboard engine, and it died. The men on the Effort speedboat were now dead in the water. Seconds later, the boat on the left flank faced the same disaster. The houseboat slowly pulled away from the stranded Effort men. Barry watched in horror from the third boat. Bart had shot out both outboards.

  “Now,” Bart roared. The six bodyguards and Eric all stood up and took aim at Barry’s boat with their rifles. Each one took three shots and ducked down. A hail of bullets headed towards Barry with no time for evasive action. The shots were not meant to kill anyone. They were a warning to back off. Two of Barry’s men dove into the water, and the driver shut down the outboard. Barry sat unmoving, stunned by the event, as splashes popped up all around the boat. He realized his attack was over.

  “What the hell happened?” he roared with frustration. He didn’t realize he was giving his father the opportunity to talk to him.

  “You Goddamn idiot,” his father spat into his head. “Why didn’t you ask for an update? I could have told you that it was a trap.”

  “But it was your plan. Didn’t you see they were prepared for us?” Barry shot back at the old man.

  “No plan works once the bullets start flying,” Harold responded. “That’s why it is necessary to keep in constant communications. Something you didn’t do, you moron.”

  “What do we do now?” Barry asked in a defeated voice. The attack had been a complete and total disaster. He had two now-disabled speedboats and two men floating in the water, and the houseboat was heading for a turn in the lake and would soon disappear.

  “You need to regroup and fight another day. I’ll keep track of the book. You get your men out of there,” Harold ordered.

  “But we can’t go back t
o Echo Bay, and I can’t fit all the men on this boat. Tell me what to do now, Father?”

  “Why am I blessed with such an idiot for a son?” Harold ranted. “First, collect your men from the water. Next, tow the other boats to shore—someplace away from the cove. Call someone to pick you up. You have to move quickly, because the police will be searching for you. Good thing the cars at the dock were stolen and untraceable. At least you did something right.”

  “But when the police find the bullet holes in the outboards, won’t they know I’m involved? We did rent the boats using my company credit card.”

  “Sink the damn speedboats when you get to shore. It will take the police some time to discover them. Don’t go home, go to our headquarters, and don’t forget to check with me later,” his father replied.

  “What about the cost of this mess father? I don’t have much money left. I need to go to a bank and get some,” Barry lamented. The entire venture was costing him his life’s savings, and he couldn’t keep spending without running out.

  “Contact me later,” the spirit advised him. “I’ll find a way to get you some more money, even if we have to steal it,” Harold promised his son. “Besides, once we have the book, no one will be able to challenge me. I’ll get you all the money you want.”

  As Barry pulled his two men from the water, he realized his life, as he had known it, was over.

  ell, that went pretty well,” Loni remarked, sliding into the pilothouse where Banyon was steering the boat. She took Banyon’s arm.

  “Yes, it did,” he replied with a smile.

  “It was a good plan, not one shot hit the houseboat,” she remarked. “And no one was killed.”

  “We were lucky,” Banyon replied. “Barry just doesn’t understand how to use his father’s gift yet. But he will learn,” Banyon warned her. “It’s just a matter of time,” he added philosophically.

  “Let someone else steer the boat now,” Loni whined. “You still have on a life vest and all your clothes. You look like a wuss,” she complained. “I want you in a bathing suit, like me. There’s a big hot tub on the main deck,” she added seductively.

  “We’ve been a little busy,” he responded.

  “And I want a place in the hot tub before they are all taken,” Loni announced. “So get moving, Banyon,” she ordered.

  “We still have a lot of planning to do,” Banyon warned her. “The attacks from the Effort may not be over.

  “So? We can plan from inside the hot tub,” Loni replied with a flutter of her big, almond-shaped eyes.

  Banyon nodded and yelled out, “Bart! Who should be driving the boat now? I don’t know where we’re going.”

  Within seconds, Steve appeared in the doorway. “I’ll take it from here,” he told Banyon. He quickly stepped back and admired Loni’s white bathing suit. He shook his fingers like they were hot. Loni knew that he was flirting New York-style.

  “Thanks, Steve,” Loni smiled.

  “Maybe we will have time later to practice some martial arts, Loni,” he offered. He immediately went into several knife-fight moves. Steve and Loni had practiced martial arts together in the past. He particularly liked the wrestling part.

  “Maybe later,” she conceded. Loni dragged Banyon out the door and headed for the bedroom, so he could change. After he changed, Banyon and Loni headed for the back of the boat and the hot tub. Previne, Pramilla, Eric and Maya were already soaking in the warm water. Lisa was milling around outside and appeared deep in thought. Banyon and Loni entered the tub and motioned for Lisa to join them.

  “I’m not really in the mood,” Lisa offered as an excuse to stay out of the water. “This is all too much for me.”

  “Lisa, we have some planning to do. You need to be involved,” Previne chastised her. “You at least need to be sitting on the edge of the hot tub, so you can hear.”

  “Oh, alright,” she yielded with resignation, flapping her arms dismissively as she stepped into the hot tub. “But I’m worried about Barry. This is not the way he has behaved in the past. I think he has lost his mind.”

  “It’s his father,” Loni softly said. “He is the one that is pushing Barry. He is not himself right now.”

  “Yes, I believe you are right,” Lisa agreed with a nod of her head. “This is so unlike him.”

  Banyon was busy studying the other people on the houseboat. He could see Kim and Skye deep in discussions on the upper deck. Kim had also changed into a gold bathing suit. He seemed to be a good listener. Skye was waving her arms and almost bouncing in her seat. While Steve drove, Mandy, Heather, Guido, and Bart patrolled the parameter of the boat, armed with long rifles. They were stationed at the four corners of the lower deck of the boat and moved counterclockwise every fifteen minutes. Heather now stood closest to the hot tub. Even with a large assault rifle, she managed to look stunning in her red-and-white-striped bathing suit. Her hair blew in the breeze, and her eyes searched the horizon. Banyon noticed that Eric was watching her, too.

  Previne continued, “He is under the influence of his late father. Until we stop that influence, he is going to be unpredictable and dangerous.”

  “It sounds like you have some feelings for Barry,” Maya noted. “Do you?”

  “I don’t know,” Lisa replied in a frustrated tone. “I didn’t think I did, but I am suddenly finding myself worrying about him. We have had a long history and he was always my protector.”

  “I had the same feelings about Colt many years ago,” Loni admitted. “He didn’t seem to notice me then, but eventually, we discovered we needed each other.”

  Lisa thought about Loni’s comment. “Well, how long are we going to be stuck out here anyway?” Lisa changed the subject.

  “That is one of the things we need to discuss,” Banyon said. “Now let’s get started. Just to remind everyone, Harold is probably watching us and will hear everything we say. So be careful. Also, we don’t want any of our bodyguards to find out about our gifts. It would only lead to more complications.”

  “I understand,” Lisa acknowledged.

  “So, what is the agenda?” Eric asked, keeping one eye on the silent female warrior stationed right in front of him. She was far enough away not to be able to hear their conversation, especially with the sound coming from the tub’s bubble jets.

  “Okay, here are the things we need to discuss.” Banyon began counting off with his fingers, “First, what do we do with Skye? Second, how do we stop Harold and Barry Bass? Third, what is really in the Vril book? Fourth, how do we stop the Effort from continuing to go after the book? Fifth, how do we do all that and keep Harold from ruining our plans?”

  “You forgot that we need to protect ourselves,” Loni added. “What’s to stop the Effort from attacking us again with a better plan?”

  “Oh, I think Bart has that part all under control. We are actually headed for a secure location. They’ll never get to us there,” Banyon said with confidence.

  “But how long do we need to stay hidden on this houseboat?” Lisa complained as she slid fully into the hot tub with a splash. Banyon’s team formed a circle with only their head about the bubbling water.

  “A couple of days, I imagine,” Banyon told her. “At least until we get everything worked out. Is that a problem?”

  Lisa hesitated for a few seconds before she revealed her true concern. “There are only six bedrooms on the houseboat. There are two couples, so that leaves four beds for ten people. How will we work all that out?”

  “In other words, you don’t want to sleep in a bed with someone else,” Previne cut to the heart of her complaint.

  “I’ve always slept alone,” Lisa admitted. “I wouldn’t know how to act in such an intimate setting,” she said with a level of shame.

  “Then you’ll sleep with Colt and me,” Loni announced with a chuckle. “Don’t worry. I’ll try to keep Colt away from you during the night. He is actually very gentle. In desperate times, we have to do desperate things. We do sleep in the nude though.”
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  A look of horror crossed Lisa’s pretty face. “I hope you are kidding,” she said as her hand went to her throat. No one responded. They just looked at each other like this was no big deal.

  Finally, Banyon put her at ease. “Bart is going to have four of his people always on watch with two sleeping in one bedroom, four hours on and eight hours off around the clock. They have already set up the rotation. So one bed more is occupied. That leaves three beds for Previne, Maya, you and Skye,” Banyon calculated.

  “Previne and I will stay together,” Maya agreed quickly. “That means that you and Skye will have your own rooms.”

  “Unless one of the male bodyguards decides to bunk with you,” Loni teased with a sinister smile.

  “Now, I know that you are kidding,” Lisa shot back. She laughed, her tension was relieved.

  “What issue should we discuss first?” Pramilla inquired.

  “We need to decide what to do with Skye,” Banyon replied. “We know she is not an alien, but where did she come from? How did she become stranded in the middle of a desert almost naked? Why is her skin blue? How much should we trust her, and what should we do with her?” Banyon turned to look at her and Kim up on the deck. Skye was now standing and waving her arms in urgency, and Kim had a look of concern on his face.

  “I vote we leave her to Kim. They seem to get along, and I think he is getting an earful right now,” Previne offered.

  “But what if she is illegally in the country?” Eric countered. “We need to find out who put her here and why.”

  “Kim is a lawyer. Let him figure it out,” Loni responded. “But I think we can trust her. She seems to be more of a victim than anything else.”

  “We’ll know more when Kim fills us in on their discussions,” Maya added. “Why don’t we wait until then? Anybody disagree?” No one did.

  “Let’s move to the subject of the Vril book,” Banyon offered.