Chapter Three
Kate carefully steered the rented boat closer to the strange vessel. She kept the speed down low which, when combined with the rubber engine housing, reduced the amount of noise the motor made. While tracing figure eight patterns for a while to give the impression of somebody trying out a new or unfamiliar boat, Kate noticed somebody bought on board unwillingly. After much of the crew had left, she decided to investigate more thoroughly.
The detective tied her boat alongside Grail and crept aboard. She looked around for not just for a signs of life, but anything she would not want to make contact with bare feet. The main deck was clear so she crept below. As she did, a woman emerged from a cabin, the same who had supervised the binding, and still attired in the same way. The woman was doubly surprised not only at the intruder but at the fact she recognized the intruder. "You!" the woman exclaimed before Kate knocked her unconscious.
Kate picked up the woman, carried her into the cabin, and set her down on the double bed. She pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of her shorts and stuffed into the woman's mouth. A quick inventory of the cabin turned up two bathrobes (his and hers) and a scarf. The belts of the two robes were used to restrain the woman's wrists and ankles and the scarf served to hold the balled-up hankie in place. With that chore out of the way, Kate proceeded to look for Carrie.
Denise and Ashley searched through the archives for any evidence of an eighteenth century governor who owned a private residence on the island. It was a futile gesture. For the most part, colonial governors were appointed by the Crown, and either returned to England or went on to another post as soon as their terms were up. "There was a waste of time," Ashley said as they left the archives.
"Perhaps," Denise said. "We could try to find out who has a collection of letters or diaries from the period. They might tell us something."
As they walked along, Ashley and Denise noticed three men coming from the other direction. One of them looked familiar. It wasn't until they passed when an idea struck Ashley. "One of those men looked familiar," she said.
"You're right," Denise said. "Percival Slayton."
"What do you think he's here for?" Ashley wondered aloud.
"Well, if it's the same thing we are, he's looking for it in the wrong place."
"Her name is Blanca Slayton," Kate explained. "She's Spanish by birth, but married to an Englishman, Percival Slayton."
"You've met them before," Carrie observed. Like Kate, she had to raise her voice somewhat. Once she had found Carrie, Kate released her partner with ease, but they decided to put as much distance between themselves and Grail as they could.
Kate told of the story of the Scrolls of Ramses adventure and the Slaytons involvement in it. The couple were paid one million dollars by the actress Jennifer Bently to stop the search for the scrolls. "I heard they were working the Caribbean, and this is close enough for them to be interested in a look."
"A bit on the shady side?" Carrie wondered.
"Well, I don't think she was being kinky when she had you tied up."
After a while, Kate slowed down and said "It's somewhat appropriate, the name of that boat."
"What do you mean?"
"Sir Percival was one of the King Arthur's knights of the round table. In fact, he was the one who found the Holy Grail and returned it to the it's rightful home."
The library staff was courteous and helpful. Letters and diaries from the first three months of 1776 did exist. While Denise and Ashley couldn't take them from the library, they could make photocopies of the documents, which the two archaeologists took back to their hotel room. "When people ask me what I did in the Bahamas," Ashley said, "I don't see myself saying 'I stayed in my hotel room reading photocopies.'"
"You've gone scuba diving and have been bound and gagged," Denise said. "Isn't that enough adventure for one trip?"
Ashley remembered the bondage and said, "I suppose there are worse things that could happen."
Later that evening, they met Kate and Carrie for dinner. During the inevitable discussion of the day's events, the Slaytons were mentioned. "Do you think they might be here for the same thing we are?" Denise wondered aloud.
I doubt they're here for the recreational facilities," Kate said. "That boat of theirs is not some pleasure yacht. It's a functional boat capable of supporting extended diving operations."
"I don't think what you are looking for is underwater, so they could be looking for something else," Carrie offered.
"True, but that doesn't explain why we saw Percival heading for a building we just left," Ashley said.
"They could be using the Grail as a base," Kate said. "It certainly gives them a home-like atmosphere, and they probably have a very loyal crew."
"Purchased loyalty?" Carrie wondered.
"Possibly," Denise said. "There's another good reason to think they aren't looking for something underwater. Recreational diving has been popular in these waters for over fifty years. Anything sunken in shallow water would have been found by now."
Blanca Slayton was furious. Even hours after she her husband and two of the crew found her, and in the privacy of their personal cabin, her anger was obvious.
"Only a momentary piece of embarrassment, my dear," Percival said. "it's clear to me she's on to us, even if she is here for a different reason than we are."
"I suppose so," she said softening a bit. "You said you saw Doctor Staurt, though."
"Yes, she was leaving the library as I was coming in."
"They no doubt heard the same thing you did about the treasure. And reached the same conclusion."
"Yes. Unfortunately."
"Not exactly unfortunate."
"What do you mean by that."
Although they made an appreciable about of money from their schemes, the Slaytons were at heart amateurs when it came to archeology, that is they lacked the training and know how to search sources that may not be the more obvious ones. Blanca was more understanding of this fact than Percival. "Doctor Stuart and her young friend would certainly know the less obvious sources of information," Blanca said. "I'm sure if the right persuasion could be applied, they might be forthcoming in leading us to the treasure."
Denise and Ashley spend most of the next morning in their hotel room poring over the copied documents. The sliding doors to the balcony were open allowing a refreshing breeze to enter the room. Late in the morning, they heard a knock on the door. Denise was suspicious and asked who it was without opening the door. "Room service," was the replied.
Denise' suspicions rose. "We didn't order any."
"Compliments of the house."
"Okay."
Denise started to open the door, only to have it. Pushed open and get knocked down. Ashley rushed over to help Denise but was seized by a second intruder. She was confused at first then recalled the open door. The bogus room service was a distraction. Both Denise and Ashley were held by powerfully built men. Huge hands were clamped over the women's mouths. A third intruder, a woman, wheeled a large laundry basket into the room. She picked up two strips of cloth, both cut from one of the hotel's towels and knotted in the center. She quickly gagged the two captives and produced rope.
Denise was led to the nearest chair where her wrists were tied behind her back and her ankles bound. Ashley's wrists were secured behind her back and her ankles bound as well. A longer bit of rope went around her waist and arms. Another strip of towel, wider than the two used as gags and folded over, was used to blindfold Ashley. Finally, she was lifted from her feet and set down in the basket, where another length of rope went around her knees.
A cover was thrown over the basket and it was wheeled out of the room. After she was sure the three intruders would not return, Denise began to struggle against the ropes. To her surprise, they didn't seem very tight. Indeed, with a little extra effort, the ropes around her wrists began to give way. Just as she managed to slip the rope off her wrists, the telephone rang. Denise hastily untied her ankles and walked over to the phone, which kept ringing. Just before picking up, she pulled down the gag to answer.
"It took you a bit longer to get free than I anticipated, Doctor Stuart," came a male voice from the other end. It had a British inflection to it.
"Percival Slayton," she said.
"That's right. We need to discuss your young friend."
"I haven't found any treasure, so if that's what you want…"
"I'm well aware you haven't found any treasure, but you have found possible clues to the location to a treasure."
"You want that in exchange for Ashley."
"Precisely."
"I remember the Contessa de Caesarini tried and failed to do the same thing."
"Your detective friend had something to do with that, and I know she's here."
"I believe you have a point to make. Please do so."
"Of course. You are to hand over to us all documents pertaining to the any treasure left in hiding during the 1776 raid."
"Where am I to deliver these documents?"
"The same place we met the other day. In two hours."
With that, Percival hung up the phone. Two hours didn't give her enough time to contact Kate, which was probably the Slaytons' plan. She had just enough time to run off the copies. She would have to stop at an ATM machine to get enough cash to copy the approximately fifty documents. One thing Percival had overlooked was that notes she his hired help could have just as easily picked up the copies in the hotel room. From the looks of things, they had been low-level crooks recruited locally.
Denise had to think all of this on the run. She got the cash from the ATM in the hotel lobby then rushed to get two Manila filing folders. With that put of the way, she was able to separate the two sets of documents. The second set, though copies of copies were still legible, would stay at the hotel.
All the while, Denise looked at her watch whenever she could. She still had time. However, she could not feel relaxed. Ashley was still in danger, and there would be no telling what else the Slaytons had in store. All she could do, she thought as she drove the Jeep to the assigned point was wait and hope.
As promised, the Slaytons were there. Ashley stood off to one side with wrists bound behind her back, still gagged and blindfolded. Two of the intruders stood next to her, one on each side.
"Do you have the what we want?" Percival asked.
"In here," Denise said, indicating her over sized purse. "Let Ashley loose."
"Sorry, we'll have to leave you two here," Blanca said. "Not for long, just enough so you don't follow us."
"Over there," Percival said as he pointed toward Ashley. Denise walked over to where her colleague stood. The blindfold was removed and Ashley squinted at the newly found light. One of the help started to bind Denise's wrists.
"You must get that stuff wholesale," Denise quipped, just before the bandanna that had recently been over Ashley's eyes was secured about her mouth.
"It doesn't matter, you won't be tied up very long," Blanca said with a straight face. "Like I said before, we only need you out of the way long enough to avoid being followed."
"You slipped out of the rope easy enough in the hotel room," Percival said. "Just as we planned it."
Denise and Ashley were now seated side by side. Their ankles were bound. With those minor details out of the way, the Slaytons and their minions left for their vehicle.
Bahama Drama
Chapter Four
Bahama Drama
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