Severed Threads (19 page)

Actually, it was Chase who had given her an earful…telling her she’d be more effective staying in town, conducting research and waiting for his calls. But she’d already convinced herself that her presence was essential. Whether he wanted to hear it or not, she was determined to come along. It was the only way she could ensure the expedition went according to plan and her brother would be set free.

With a quick nod to Naomi, Rachel boarded
Stargazer
and made her way downstairs. She passed two doors in the companionway before arriving at her final destination. After setting her bags down in the mid-ship cabin, she bent her knees to test the queen-size bed then surveyed her surroundings, re-familiarizing herself every detail. On the port side, the room featured a polished teak wardrobe and small bureau with adequate storage. In the stern, an unlatched door was open, exposing a compact head complete with hanging white towels, a shower stall, stool with flushing bidet, and a tiny functional sink. Her vision traveled to the starboard side where a flat-screen television and DVD/VCR player were mounted. She had to admit, although the yacht’s accommodations were slightly outdated, they were clean and well appointed.

A sudden surge in the ship’s momentum brought Rachel’s attention back to the porthole. She watched the shoreline disappear as
Stargazer
trudged through the harbor and into the gentle swells of the Pacific Ocean. With no assigned duties to perform, she renewed her commitment to stay out from under foot. She unloaded her t-shirts, jeans, jacket, swimsuit and deck shoes and laid them neatly on the wardrobe’s built-in shelves. After placing her toiletries and sleeping pills on the bathroom counter, she reached into her backpack and pulled out Dr. Ying’s mysterious file. She climbed onto the bed and propped herself against the padded headboard. She thumbed through his compiled documents: a stack of aged illegible letters, copies of manifest records, an envelope containing a strange lock and pages torn from a Chinese reference book. Beneath them, the handwritten translations from Dr. Ying’s personal journal captured her attention. She began reading and was instantly transported to another time and place.

In the late 16
^th
century, Father Matteo Ricci, a Jesuit priest from Rome, presented Emperor Wanli with a chiming clock. As a result, he was allowed to present himself at the Imperial Court and was given free access to the Forbidden City. Mai Le, one of the Emperor’s loveliest concubines, possessed an amazing ability to learn languages and was permitted exchanges with Father Ricci, and through this, she often informed the Emperor of unsavory activities in the outer world. During one of his many visits, the priest introduced Mai Le to an Italian sea captain, Vito Brunelli. She instantly took a liking to the handsome stranger and looked forward to his seasonal visits.

Emperor Wanli was known to regularly use opium and morphine and was often preoccupied with Empress Xiaoduan and Empress Xiaojing, his wife and favorite concubine. As a result, Mai Le and Captain Brunelli’s visits would go virtually unnoticed while the Jesuit priest, who conversed fluently in Chinese, focused on converting important officials and members of the Imperial family to Christianity.

After Captain Brunelli’s final visit, Mai Le obtained the assistance of an Imperial eunuch to commission a bronze sculpture encased in a lacquered box under the guise that it would be given to Father Ricci as a goodwill gesture. However, in actuality her gift of affection was intended for Brunelli. With the aid of a talented artist and Chinese shaman, this remarkable creation was designed to encompass the couple’s Chinese horoscope signs – the dragon and snake, bringing them together forever, before the next lunar eclipse. Zao Qing, the new pilot for the Wanli II, assured Mai Le that her prized token would safely reach her beloved captain in Lisbon in four months time following his trade mission to Fusang. However, shortly after Captain Qing’s departure, Father Ricci visited the Forbidden City and informed Mai Le of Brunelli’s death from tuberculosis three weeks earlier. Realizing her fate was now sealed, Mai Le secretly left the walled city clothed in servant’s attire and dove to her death into the China Sea.

Meanwhile, Captain Qing encountered dozens of trade vessels destined for Portugal and Malaysia. One night, his crew spotted lamps from a distressed ship. Twenty of them, lead by Qing, boarded her and discovered half the crew below deck suffering from scurvy. One of the delirious men raved about the gold they were carrying aboard and by night’s end, the ship was ablaze and the Wanli was heading west with full sails and a king’s ransom in gold.

For eight months, the captain and his band of cutthroats exchanged cannon fire, destroying merchant ships and killing thousands to add weight to their bounty. By late November, with their supplies running low, they sailed farther west seeking safe harbor. However, they were also entering a draconic month, which is the average interval between two successive transits of the moon through its ascending node. As a result, Mai Le’s treasured gift had become a curse to everyone on board. Her ghost, languishing at the bottom of the sea, was waiting for an opportunity to invoke revenge. It happened on December 1
^st
. A tremendous storm broke out and reliable rumor confirmed the last sighting of the Wanli II at eight bells, when gale winds hit the coast and the sky went black – 80 nautical miles northwest of Manzanillo, Mexico.

Reliable rumor?
The double entendre made Rachel smile. She closed the file and stood up to stretch. The history lesson had left her hungry for fresh air and an update on the ship’s progress. She left her room and traveled back down the companionway. She climbed the ladder through the open double hatch and entered the main salon. In the helm station, Chase and his sidekick Ian were busy at work – steering and talking boat language over the drone of engines and voice traffic on the VHF marine radio. Nearby, a third man was seated before a display screen and an extensive instrument panel. The port-mounted electrical panel had breaker switches to power a multitude of functions including mounted controls to allow the helmsman the ability to sweep the bank of spotlights on
Stargazer’s
hull from side to side and vertically. Absolutely nothing was lacking in the ship’s treasure-seeking capability.

Rachel was so intrigued by the sonar’s pulsating readings she didn’t hear the sound of a man’s approaching footsteps behind her.

“
Excuse me,” he said, announcing his presence.

“
Oh, sorry.” She moved aside, providing the young crew member access to the bustling room.

The brief interruption pulled Chase’s attention away from Ian. “Welcome aboard,” he called out to her.

“
Didn’t mean to intrude.” She glanced away, avoiding his glassy-eyed stare.

“
No chance of that. This
is
your ship.”

The words ratcheted her tempered anxiety. Although Chase had been led to believe that their expedition was being funded solely by the foundation, the night before their departure, Rachel had called in a favor. To safeguard her brother and Dr. Ying,
Stargazer
and her father’s house had been pledged as security at Merchant’s Trust. Like a bet at a gambler’s table, everything Rachel owned was now at stake.

Ian tightened his grip on the ship’s chrome throttle. “I never thought I’d miss this beauty, but I sure did.”

Chase smiled. “He’s talking about the ship, you know.”

“
Is that right?” Ian said. He tossed a wink at Rachel. “Yer both beauties in me book.”

“
You haven’t changed at all, Mr. Lowe,” she said.

“
Not so, darlin’. Thicker round the middle, thinner on top. Though I still appreciate the company of a fine lady now and then.” He flashed a cheeky grin.

“
So, you all settled in?” Chase asked, detouring the subject. “I don’t mind moving my stuff if you prefer the captain’s quarters.”

“
Not necessary. You’re
Stargazer’s
captain. I’m just along for the ride.”

“
Oh, I see…that’s how it is.” He shoved hair out of his eyes, drawing attention to the gleaming silver bracelet on his wrist.

“
Never noticed that before,” she said.

He glimpsed his arm nonchalantly. “Gift from a friend.” He returned his concentration to the windshield – a cool reminder that he was occupied with more important matters.

Right.
Rachel gave Ian a quick salute before returning to the afterdeck. She climbed the companion ladder on the port side and arrived at the fly bridge. After a quick look around, she sat down on the smooth leather seat and leaned her head back. Closing her eyes, she tasted the salt in the wind. She relished the warm afternoon rays on her face – the sound of the ship plowing through the waves. Why had she shut herself off? Deprived herself of such beauty? Ignored the pleasure that vacationing tourists enjoyed?

In the emerald water ahead of them, dolphins shimmered just beneath the surface, leading the way. She smiled at the sight, having forgotten the rush that came from being on the open sea – the sense of freedom she’d barred from her life.

Ian suddenly cut back
Stargazer’s
engine, jolting Rachel. Within seconds, feet were scurrying in all directions. Marker weights fell, buoys were tossed. Anchors fore and aft hit the ocean floor.

“
All hands inside,” Chase called out.

With the anchor lines secured,
Stargazer's
crew joined their captain in the helm station. Around them, refinished teak gleamed, polished brass shimmered. The aroma of fresh-brewed coffee from the galley below wafted in the warm morning air. They settled on the refurbished white leather sofa, wrapping from the aft port side door to the starboard wing door. Outfitted in low-slung jeans and a gaping green shirt, Chase collected his charts and assumed his directorial position before them.

Rachel leaned a hip against the paneled wall and layered her arms over her starched linen blouse.
Doesn’t he know what a button is?
Her focus shifted from Chase's sun-bronzed chest to the four men seated before him. Varying degrees of apprehension lined their faces. Young, middle-aged, various ethnic descents. They presented an odd disjointed lot brought together by a common goal: stealing cargo from a ship’s four hundred year-old carcass. Yet as reckless and self-serving as they might be, their sins would soon pale in comparison to her own.

"All right," Chase said, "now that we're all here, let's run through our drill one more time. I want to make sure everyone's on the same page before we – " He stopped midstream, apparently mistaking the disquiet on Rachel's face for his lack of decorum. Before she had time to object, he launched into introductions, briefly touching on her qualifications. His blue eyes dropped from her eyes to her lips, hitching the temperature in the room a few degrees. "We're fortunate in having Miss Lyons along.”

Right.
Rachel smiled and glanced around the table, making a full assessment. Blaine McKenzie was a computer whiz kid who had flown in from Seattle. A.J. Hobbs was a dive technician who had studied in Boston. Ian Lowe, the Irish helmsman was her father’s old pro. The fourth member of their crew was a Native American warrior by the name of Wade Hawkins. His coal-black hair reached his shoulder blades and was swept back, exposing a wide forehead, high cheekbones and chiseled, straight nose. Although extremely quiet, he was by far the most Herculean member of their group.

“
Excuse me.” A woman’s lilted voice turned everyone’s head. “Would anyone like more coffee?”

Here was the same Asian beauty Rachel had seen at the Crow’s Nest Bar – the same twentyish waitress who handled her a cup of coffee before rushing out the door. Only now she was standing in the adjacent salon with a sweet smile and dangling pot in her hand. Her short black hair framed her round, petite face and accentuated her large cat-like eyes. Her pink snug-fitting t-shirt and frayed micro shorts left little to the imagination. A quick glance at the grinning men in their company told Rachel the woman’s sex appeal wasn’t missed by any of them.

“
Would love some,” Chase piped up.

Mika hurried to his side and filled his cup to the brim while everyone looked on.