Scent of Gardenia (Scott Tucker Series) (36 page)

Chapter
89

I had
been listening to the dialogue, expecting to see Melanie at the cell door. She
paused at my door, looked back down the hall, and then waved. Ray was standing
beside her. “Ray, you did very well today.” She pulled him to her and kissed
him. He quickly started working at her bikini, but she broke away from him.
“Okay Ray, I know you’re ready for Holly and you can have her…but first I need
to take Scott for a one-way boat ride. When I get back, you can have the key to
her cell. I’ll be busy elsewhere.”

“Margaret,
please, I’m ready now. I waited a long time for you to come back. Why can’t I
spend some time with her now?”

She
pushed him away from her. “I need you to keep your eyes on the four of them. No
messing around with the new redhead either. She’s definitely more than you can
handle, especially chained to three men. Now, go down there and make sure they
don’t try to work themselves loose.” He hesitated. “
Do it
.” He walked
towards the pile of bodies on the floor, but stopped to stare at Holly. “
Ray
.”
He walked the remaining distance.

Melanie
turned back to look at me.
I heard her words about the ‘one-way’ boat ride
and wasn’t happy about the thoughts of leaving the luxury of my cell.

Mercedes
pleaded, “Leave him alone. If you want to hurt or kill someone, I’m available.
Please Melanie, don’t do anything to hurt him…he doesn’t deserve it.”

“Like I
said before, stop trying to save the world and start thinking about your own
destiny. I’ll make sure you’re the next on my list.” Melanie stopped talking.
“Maybe before I end things for you, I’ll let Ray have you and Holly. Would you
like that Ray?”

“Are you
serious?”

“Sure.
Just make sure they stay where they are until I get back. Then we will put
Mercedes in Scott’s old cell…he won’t need it anymore. Mercedes won’t care
about what happens to her after that.”

Melanie
opened my cell door, coming over beside me. I could see the blood on both parts
of her bikini.

“Well,
Scott I see you’re checking out my bathing suit…have you missed me?”

I didn’t
answer her.
I painfully forgot the rules of the game.

“Scott
I’m worked up enough to enjoy you right here and now, but there’s too much of
an audience. Let’s go to the boat, where only Denny can bother us. He might
already be dead.” She turned quickly, returning a minute later with some new
restraints.

I could
feel her breath on my body as she attached new ankle restraints, and removed
the old ones. Then she attached a new restraint to my right wrist, and detached
the old one. Then she leaned over my body, attaching the new restraint to my
left wrist, and detached the old one. I made my move, twisting the chain around
her neck, pulling as tight as I could. She was unable to yell, but she pushed
against me and kicked the table behind her. Then she pounded her fist
repeatedly between my legs.

The air
went out of my lungs and I felt like I was going to heave. I tried puling on
the chain but my strength was shot. I heard Ray come running into the cell, and
immediately saw his fist headed to my face.

*.*.*

I woke
to find myself chained to the hull of the boat at the seating area. I could see
what must have been Denny lying in a pool of blood in the middle of the floor.
He wasn’t chained, but he wasn’t moving either. The spear was sticking out of
his thigh. The towels tied around his thigh only showed slightly that they were
once white.

As the
boat bounced up and down, I could see it was dark outside the cabin window. The
boat engines were close to redlining from the sound they were making. She was
in a rush to get somewhere. I wasn’t looking for her to get there, because I
knew it would mean my end was even closer.

I closed
my eyes, silently saying the Lord’s Prayer. I wasn’t sure if he could hear a silent
prayer, so I repeated it again out loud. I said it again as it seemed to make
me less concerned about my fate. I added some words praying for Mercedes’
safety and for the others. I committed to being a better person if I was saved.
I committed to telling Mercedes I loved her regardless of the consequences. I
said goodbye to my parents and thanked them again for their sacrifices. I asked
God for my cousin Jackie to be with me when the end comes. I couldn’t hold the
tears back any longer.

The
pitch of the engines changed, and the boat started slowing down. I could hear
the waves splashing against the side of the boat. I could hear Melanie’s bare
feet as she headed down the stairs. My eyes were still closed, but I knew she
was standing next to me.

*.*.*

“Well
now look at you.” She leaned down and licked the tears from my face. “Do you
fear the end?”

I didn’t
answer immediately but I tried to avoid any punishment and responded, “I’ve
made some plans…I’m ready.”

There
was no response from her. “No, you’re not ready at all. Not from the looks of
this.” She touched me, but this time there was no reaction to her touch. “I
didn’t wait all day for this.” She moved her fingers but for once my body was
mine, not hers. She did her usual best to get a response but nothing was
working for her. “Did I hurt you too much earlier?” Nothing was responding.

“Scott,
open your eyes…I said
open your eyes
.” I opened them. She proceeded to
remove her blood soaked bikini. She dragged part of it down my body, but there
was no reaction. “Scott, I have all night…you know I get what I’m after sooner
or later.” She started licking and kissing my body, but my mind was thinking
about the safety of my friends and their rescue. She pounded on my thighs with
both her hands, and then left in a rush. She was back a moment later with the flare
gun.

“Scott,
you will respond to me or I will shoot this flare into Denny here.” She pointed
the gun at him, but he didn’t move.

I looked
at him. He hadn’t moved since I had been here. “I’m not sure if he’s still
alive, but you do what you need to do…I’m going to announce to you and anyone
listening, including God, that I love your sister with all my heart. I’ve made
my peace and now use that on me.
“Do it!”
I yelled.

She
looked at Denny’s lifeless body, then over at me. She was frozen in position.
Then she pointed the gun at my groin. I could see her finger starting to move.
For some reason, she let up on the trigger, putting it down on the table. She came
over with the key, and started removing my shackles.

Two
minutes later, with the chains still locked on my ankles and wrists, she had me
at the open stern of the boat. We were standing there not saying a word. I knew
she was going to shoot me, but she must have been weighing that I wouldn’t be
around any more.

“Melanie,
why are you doing all of this?”

She was
pointing the gun at my head now, but didn’t answer me.

“Melanie,
I asked you a question…answer me…why are you doing all of this?”

Even in
the moonlight I could see her eyes tearing up. “Scott, I really love you. From
the moment we were at the warehouse I realized what love could really be like.”

I didn’t
understand entirely what she was saying, but this was my opportunity. “I know
you do in your own way. You could really be a nice person, given the right
circumstances.”

“Do you
love me?” She waved the gun, like she was a moment away from pulling the
trigger.

“No…but
someone could love you. You need to give up this crazy vendetta against
everyone. You have no chance of anyone loving you when you’re like this.” I
could see the tears running down her face, and her body starting to sob.
“Melanie, do you remember your grandfather and your sister on his boat when you
were growing up?”

Her
expression changed slightly, and she nodded.

“Wasn’t
that a great and wonderful time? Can you remember yachting on his boat; just
the three of you? Wouldn’t he be ashamed at what you’ve done?” I waited for the
words to make any kind of impression. I could hear the whine of boat engines in
the distance. “Why don’t you be a good little girl and put that gun down?
You’re grandfather is telling you to
put the gun down now.
Be that good
little girl he remembered and enjoyed.”

She was
sobbing uncontrollably now. The gun was waving considerably. Her expression
softened, as she wiped at the tears. She bent her head briefly. When she raised
it, I could see what looked like a little-girl smile.

“Grandpa,
please forgive me. I didn’t do these things…
she did.
Scott, I’m so sorry
this has happened to you and the others.” The tears were flowing. I really felt
sorry for her. “This has gone too far. I can’t let her do these things any
more…please tell Mercedes that a part of me loves her and wants her to forgive
me. I hope you have a wonderful life together.”

She
pointed the gun at my face, then smiled and turned it, pulling the trigger.
When I reopened my eyes, she was falling backwards into the ocean with her head
on fire. The emotion of everything was too much for me. I was crying. I watched
her body float away; the glow lighting up the water around her.

The boat
engines I heard in the distance were now close by. I could see a man with a
megaphone standing at the bow of the boat.

Chapter
90

It was Chief-Inspector
Hughes on the boat. They came alongside, tying the two boats together. “Mr.
Tucker, I’m glad we got to you in time.”

One of
the crew gave me a yellow raincoat to put on, and he headed down below.

“It
looked like she was going to shoot you with that flare,” Inspector Hughes said.
“Unfortunately, by the time we secured our boat, her body disappeared into the
depths.”

“What
about Denny?” I asked.

“He’s
lost a lot of blood and is unconscious, but he’s going to be okay. Why did she
shoot herself?” Hughes asked.

I looked
to where I last saw her body floating. “I think she was preventing anything bad
from happening in the future. It’s hard to explain, but I think she was giving
both her grandfather and her sister a present.”

Another
man came onto the boat. “Hello Mr. Tucker, my name is Max Gordon. I’m part of
the FBI team. I’m glad we got to you in time.”

“The
others are being held at her house. You have to get to them.”

He
smiled. “They have already been rescued, and are all safe. The man that was
holding them was found dead.”

I turned
to question what I heard him say.

“He
managed to get into one of the cells, holding your associate. When he tried to
attack her, she managed to strangle him with the chains that were holding her.
Other than providing some of them some clothes, the thing they wanted most was
the toilet facilities upstairs.” He laughed.

Inspector
Hughes came over to me.

“Chief-Inspector
Hughes, can you please tell me what took your people so long to solve who was
kidnapping these men?”

“Well
Ms. Orion covered her tracks very well. It wasn’t until my nephew made the
mistake of kidnapping you, that we learned where she was holding the men. We
followed him this morning to her house, and watched what happened from that
point in time. We had to be careful to make sure there wasn’t anyone else
involved. Max also confirmed from his investigation in the Bahamas that it was indeed Orion who was involved. When we saw her return with Max’s FBI
associates, we knew we had everyone involved in one location. However, before
we could raid her house we saw her take you, and leave in her boat.”

He looked
at the yellow raincoat, and Denny, with his blood soaked leg, being brought up
from down below. “I would say you are a very lucky man.”

I
thought of my prayers and commitment, replying, “Yes, you have
no idea just
how lucky.
”

Chapter
91

After
giving all of our statements to the police, we headed back to the
Bermudiana
Hotel.
Holly had to give a detailed statement about Ray Hughes and what
happened, but that was just a formality. Inspector Hughes apologized for his
nephew’s actions, and the delay in the investigation. However, he also
indicated that the people involved with the theft of the missing yachts have
all been arrested. Unfortunately, the three women and the man who were last
seen on Nils’ yacht have not been seen or heard from.

Jules
and Holly hugged each other when we returned to the hotel, but quickly said a
polite goodbye and left for his boat. From the looks of things, I wasn’t the
only one in love.

Denny
was rushed to the hospital. We received word he would not lose his leg. He has
regained consciousness, but doesn’t remember anything from the time he pulled
his boat alongside Orion’s.

Nils was
taken to the hospital, suffering from an acute case of malnutrition. Mike
called Paddy to let him know to tell Larz Nielsen that his son had been rescued
and would be calling him personally. Mike also called Charlotte Williams to let
her know her brother was rescued and he was doing okay, but was taken to the
hospital. She cried a “thank God.”

Mike said
goodbye and turned to Sam and asked him if he would like a nice dinner, and drinks
on his nickel.

I lost
sight of Mercedes. When I found her, she was seated at a table with Ralph. I
quickly turned to leave them alone.
“Wait!”
Mercedes yelled. I turned to
see Ralph get up and leave, headed to where Max was seated talking with the
inspector.

I went
over to the table. “Don’t you want to sit down?” she asked.

I
remembered my lessons about answering quickly, and also my promise. “No, but I
would like you to join me outside. I have some things I have to confess.”

She
smiled and came over to me. I put my arm around her shoulder, guiding her out to
the veranda. She put her arm around my waist. I could smell the sweet scent of
Gardenia. I was going to make that something I would wake up to every day of my
life. “Have I told you lately, that I’m madly in love with you?”

“Not
with words you haven’t.” She smiled, and added, “Just how mad?”

I
hesitated before answering. “I owe this to your sister… before she almost ended
my life she reverted to her good side. She said ‘she can’t let her
other
do
those things any more…please tell Mercedes that a part of her loves you and
wants you to forgive her. She hopes you have a wonderful life together with me.’
Now to answer your question about how mad, I’m mad enough to ask—will you marry
me?”