Robbery on the High Seas

Chapter 2

Special Agent Rob Ariello stared through the binoculars at the small speedboat jumping the waves just ahead of them. If luck was with him, it would capsize and save him the time and trouble. Unfortunately, luck refused to cooperate. He grabbed the railing a split-second before his craft hit a whitecap, and nearly sent him over the edge and into the drink instead.

“Can’t you get this tug moving any faster?” he angrily yelled back at the man at the wheel.

“Sorry, sir! They have a bigger engine than we do!”

“Of course, they do,” he muttered to himself.

The sound of gunshots rang overhead. The idiots were firing, hoping they’d manage to hit something, but it was no more than a useless gesture in wasting good ammo. With the bay as choppy as it was, they were more likely to hit a seagull or pelican than the boat trying to catch up to them.

Another check through the glasses showed the smaller craft gradually widening the distance between them, as he’d already figured it would. Despite his best effort, this one was going to get away, as well as add another notch in the negative column.

Rob stared at the swells. He could go after the boat himself, and make damn better time. Neither would they be able to get away from him. Not when he was in his other form. But doing so would create more problems, namely giving himself away. Non-statics were already aware that he was one of them. That wasn’t the difficulty. Grimm City was mostly populated with nons. It just wasn’t kosher to ask what they turned into. Not only was it bad manners, but in a lot of cases, against the law. In some instances, it would be the same as asking a human to strip to reveal their gender.

There was also a second problem if he shifted, and that was because his other form wasn’t well-liked or respected. Which explained, in large part, why he’d remained in his human form as he undertook all the trials and went through all the trouble he’d been required to undergo in order to be in the job he was in.

The sea spray drenched his clothing, but he wasn’t bothered by it. He’d specifically made certain to get assigned to any job that entailed being around water, especially the ocean. He felt more at home around the salt and sand. More comfortable, and more assured of himself.

The speedboat disappeared around the tip of the peninsula. By the time his boat got there, he knew the craft would be long gone. Probably hidden within a sheltering cove or inside a dockside bay. Giving the pilot a wave of his hand, Rob made his way back to the stern. “Giving up the chase?” the pilot inquired.

“Unless you have clairvoyance, and can tell me where they went.”

The seaman shook his head and turned their boat around to return to port.

Shaw Uncy was waiting for him when they pulled in. Rob tossed him a rope. “Aren’t you going to ask me if they got away?” he drily inquired as the man tied it around a piling.

“I was waiting for you to confirm it,” his partner replied. “That makes what this week alone?”

“Three,” Rob groused. “Unless we can get speedier boats, it’s only going to get uglier.” Jumping onto the pier, he joined the man, and together they headed toward the building at the end of the dock.

“I don’t know why you went after them in the first place. They already had a huge head start.” Uncy eyed him. “You’re soaked.”

“Fine observation, agent,” Rob quipped. “What else can you tell me?”

“We got a phone call while you were out.”

From the man’s tone, he could guess who from, and raised an eyebrow. “Another job?”

“More like a reassignment,” his partner confirmed.

“Shit.”

“I know,” Uncy replied. “I hear ya.”

“How are we expected to solve anything when they keep heaping more work on us?” It was safe to explode at the man. Uncy knew it wasn’t personal. Chances were, the guy felt the same way he did, only he didn’t make it so verbal. “What is it this time?”

“I dunno. I was ordered for us to go downtown to headquarters around four to meet with the director. He’d give us the details there.”

Rob checked his watch. “It’s just after three. That’ll give me time to run by my place and change into some drier duds.”

Finding their car in the parking lot, they took off for the apartment building. Little was said along the way. When they arrived, Uncy waited in the vehicle while Rob went to change.

Once inside his tiny apartment, the first thing he noticed was the fish bowl sitting on its own little table next to the one easy chair. Going over to it, he bent over to peer at the creatures swimming inside.

“Hey, fellas. How’s it going in there?” He threw them a pinch of food, then headed for the bedroom. “Bet that water feels great, doesn’t it?” he called out to the fish. “You know, I had the urge to throw myself overboard not too long ago. No one would’ve cared. Bay’s a real b***h right now. Perfect for a splash or two.”

He took a quick shower to remove the salty residue, then toweled off and redressed in his only other suit, which was identical to the one he’d been wearing. Laying his socks and tie over the edge of the bathtub to dry, he rolled up his sodden shirt and suit and shoved them into a paper sack. By the time he got back downstairs, the clothing had already soaked through the bottom of the bag.

He glanced at his watch again as he slammed the passenger door shut. “Let’s drop this off at the laundry. It’s on our way.”

Uncy gave a nod, and they took off in the direction of the federal building.

It was a quarter to four when they entered the front lobby and took the stairs up to the second floor where the director’s office was located. Abigail, the secretary, looked up and smiled, showing off her large teeth to the two of them when they came through the door. Looking at the woman’s horizontal pupils, Rob wondered for the fortieth or fiftieth time if she was a goat or centaur in her other form.

“Oh, good. You’re on time. He’s been expecting you. Go on in.”

Rob c****d his head. “Oh, good? That tells me he’s been having the same kind of day we have.”

The pretty brunette winced. “Let’s just say it hasn’t been peachy keen.”

Uncy opened the door to find Director Orsach on the phone. The man said nothing, but waved a hand for them to come in and take a seat.

“Yeah. Yeah, I understand. My men just arrived. I’ll get back with you and let you know after I speak with them. All right. Got it.” Orsach hung up without saying goodbye, which told Rob it had been an internal call. Anticipating a lecture from the man, he chose to go on the offensive.

“Before you say anything, yeah, another boat managed to elude us,” Rob stated. “When are you going to give us rigs that are powerful enough to overtake the ones the bad guys are using? Hell, I could swim faster those men were going!”

swim “I know that,” the director cut in. “But that’s not why I called you in.”

With the exception of Orsach, Uncy, and two other people, no one else in Rob’s private or professional life knew of his other self. Although he kept that part of him very close to the vest, sometimes it felt good to be able to comment about it to those whom he trusted.

“Then this doesn’t have anything to do with the drug smugglers?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” Orsach admitted.

“So why did you call us in?” Uncy inquired.

“This is a bit out of our field, but the state department has specifically requested our assistance.”

Rob sat up a little straighter in his chair, as did his partner. If the state department was in charge, that meant the government was directly involved.

The director opened a folder on his desk. “Are you aware of the fact that there’s been a spate of robberies on board some luxury liners within the past fourteen months?”

“Can’t say I am,” Rob replied. A glance at Uncy shaking his head confirmed the man was just as much in the dark as he was.

“We’re not talking petty thefts here,” Orsach informed them. “We’re talking hauls in the triple digit dollar brackets.”

“No s**t,” Uncy stated.

“It’s been kept out of the news as much as possible.”

“Why? To protect the industry? Or to cover for the rich fat cats who are probably scamming the insurance companies with this scheme?” Uncy’s sarcasm wasn’t subtle. Rob snorted in response. His partner had taken the words right out of his mouth.

“That was my first thought, as well,” the director acknowledged. “And I wouldn’t hesitate to say it’s still a possibility. But our government’s been approached by the country of Edelweiss. They’re asking for our help.”

Rob shook his head. “I’m not getting the connection.”

“In a nutshell, the thefts are occurring only among the wealthiest clientele. And in every instance, each one has occurred when the ship has left our port. Not on a ship coming to Grimm City. From Grimm City. The duke and duchess of Edelweiss are scheduled to board the SS Tritonus, which leaves tomorrow morning. The royal couple is purported to be traveling with at least half a million dollars’ worth of jewelry with them. Their country is a very important ally, and the president is adamant they don’t become another victim.” Orsach pointed to Rob. “We’ve been tasked to find out who’s behind these thefts, and put a stop to them. Although I don’t suspect the duke and duchess are culpable, I still need you to find out if there could be an insurance fraud scheme associated with the other thefts, or if those are the real thing. That’s where you come in.”

to From SS TritonusRob frowned. “Sir?”

“You’re going in undercover. Your new surname is Wilson. There are two first-class passenger tickets waiting for you at Pier Six. Tomorrow morning, eight a.m. sharp, you’re going to be on that ship, headed for Ireland.”

Uncy made a move, but Orsach cut him off before he had the chance to speak. “You’re not going with him. You’re staying here. You’re still assigned to the drug task force.” The man took a deep breath. “It’s because of Ariello’s, umm, unique ability, I decided to put him on this job.”

“But…you said there were two tickets,” Rob reminded him.

two The director answered with a smile. “Yes. Two tickets. One for you, and one for your wife.”

Several seconds passed before Rob let out a bark of laughter. “But I’m not married.”

“Don’t worry about it, Agent Ariello. By Wednesday, you will be.”