The Number File (8 page)

"And all the other boxes are filled with the same," Frank informed Joe, pointing out the other ten or so boxes that were scattered throughout the room. "There wasn't enough time to stamp the load of credit card blanks you found on the Sea Mist earlier. So this is probably the delivery we were supposed to get Dad the information about."

"Well, we're certainly right on top of things." Joe scratched the back of his neck. "If the Sea Mist did come from Puerto Rico, like it showed on the maps I saw, then the boat brings in a load of blanks from there, drops them at Kruger's, and then takes a load of stamped cards wherever we're going now." "Yeah," Frank added. "Wherever." "Any ideas?" Joe asked. "Feels like we're on the open seas, and when I was topside I saw we were headed right into the setting sun, so we're either going due west or southwest." "Are we on the Sea Mist?" Joe asked. "Couldn't tell. The only close-up look I ever got of the Sea Mist was from underwater. I'd guess from the way she rides that she's about a sixty-four-footer."

"We must be headed to the U.S. mainland, though," Joe figured.

"Quite right, boys! ' Mickey had opened the door just in time to catch Joe's remark. "But you won't see the mainland again. We have a scientific project in mind for you. You're going to get a firsthand look at how things—and people — disappear in the Bermuda Triangle!" Mickey let out a sinister laugh as he gave the brothers time to understand what he meant.

Joe hated Croaker, but he liked Mickey even less. He slowly started to move away from Frank. Maybe while Mickey's attention was centered on one of the brothers, the other could somehow overcome him.

A revolver appeared in Mickey's hand. "You keep moving like that," he said to Joe, "and you're never going to hear the end of my story."

Joe froze while Mickey continued. "You've caused us a lot of trouble. We even had to send a diver down to fetch your camera from that MG, in case you happened to get a picture of the boat. And we got a bonus — the life preserver! I didn't even know that was missing."

He grinned at them nastily. "Too bad you didn't hold on to it. You'd find it handy where you're going. Before we rendezvous tomorrow with some friends, we're dumping you overboard. This time we'll know there's no chance you'll show up again. And without any bodies, the police can't be sure of a crime." His laugh echoed off the bare walls. "And the final joke is that we'll buy a couple of thousand dollars' worth of merchandise in your names with your credit cards before anybody even knows you're missing!"

He looked crazed as he backed out of the room and stopped suddenly in the doorway. "I almost forgot. They say bad things happen in threes. Well, tomorrow by this time there'll be three of you sharing an ocean grave."

The sound of the slamming door echoed throughout the room until it was finally muted by the sound of rushing water outside the bulkhead. Joe and Frank looked at each other without speaking. There was one light in the dim room — a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling attached to a long cord plugged into the far wall. There wasn't much they could use to escape and overcome their captors.

Frank was the first to break the silence. "Who do you suppose the other person is?"

Joe's face was tight. "Think about it. Who else do we know who's working on this case?

Montague!"

As if on cue, the door opened again, and someone was shoved into the room. "Company!" a voice yelled out. Frank and Joe watched as the person stumbled into the light.

"Alicia!" they shouted simultaneously. Joe rushed up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. Her eyes were red, her face pale, but she didn't seem to be hurt. "Did they — "

"I'm fine," she interrupted. Her smile assured the brothers that she was okay.

"What happened? How did you get here?" Frank asked.

"After you left, I started wondering about the phone line. At first I thought maybe it had been cut to trap us in the house. Then I wondered if Kruger's plan was to get both of you out of the house.

"You couldn't go very fast on those bikes. I decided to follow you in the car in case you needed to get away quickly. Dad said he'd wait at home in case something happened and we missed one another.

"I practically rammed into that black BMW you had told me about, and then I saw your bikes. But I didn't see either of you. I tried to turn around, but before I could get out of there, the passenger door swung open, and this big guy turned off the ignition key and grabbed me.

"They forced me into their car and asked me a lot of questions. I didn't say anything, so then they took me with them. They questioned me topside, and when I wouldn't tell them anything again, they brought me down here."

"I'm glad to see you, but I'm unhappy that you're here," Joe burst out. "Does that make any sense?"

Alicia grinned. "I understand."

"They didn't try any rough stuff?" Frank asked in a soft, concerned voice.

"No — they didn't even search me." Alicia's grin grew wider as she reached behind her. "I've had this all along." She pulled something out from her baggy jeans.

"The revolver!" Joe stared in amazement.

"Dad said I should take it just in case."

"Fantastic! Let's invite Mickey back in here, threaten him with the gun, and then take over the ship," Joe said.

"Not so fast," Frank cautioned. "If Mickey forces us to use this gun, that would warn the others. Besides, remember what Mickey said about a rendezvous tomorrow. We need to find out where that meeting is."

"But they're going to dispose of us before then."

"Look. There's no way we can reach Florida by tomorrow, so the rendezvous must be at sea."

"We've got to figure out where the rendezvous is, and then find a way out of this mess. It shouldn't be too difficult to pick the lock on this door — the only real problem is how to overcome the crew."

"Are there just the four of them?" Joe asked.

"I only saw two," Frank answered.

"There are three," Alicia confirmed. "The short, fat guy with the funny voice stayed behind."

"Croaker," Joe said. "Did you happen to notice the name of the boat?" he asked excitedly.

"The Sea Mist."

"Great. Then I know how to get to the wheelhouse and the captain's cabin."

"Good," Frank said, feeling more confident now. "Tonight the boat will probably be on automatic pilot, and we'll know the direction of the ship. Picture that as a straight line from Bermuda to someplace on the U.S. mainland — "

"But you said we won't reach the mainland," Joe interrupted.

"That's not the important thing," Frank said. "If one of us can get to the wheelhouse and reset the pilot—heading us off course— we'll be able to find the rendezvous point."

"How?" Joe wanted to know.

Frank drew a line in the dust on the floor with his finger. "Let's say this is the original route." He ran his finger partway along the same line, then turned off at an angle. "Here's where we turn the ship during the night." He extended the line.

"But tomorrow morning they'll discover they're miles off course," Joe said.

Alicia chimed in, understanding Frank's plan, "And they'll have to plot a new direction. And where that course crosses the original course is where the rendezvous is set."

As Alicia spoke, Frank drew a new line that intersected the first. "X marks the spot!"

"It's a big triangle," Joe said.

"That's why it's called the triangulation method. It's really nothing more than geometry."

"Once we know where the meeting place is," Frank added, "we can contact the authorities and head back to Bermuda. Got it?"

"Got it!"

The three were not interrupted again as they sat quietly and discussed their plans. No one had even brought them any food. It was after five when Frank said it was time to move. He picked the lock on the door in about fifteen minutes, using the wire from one of Alicia's barrettes. Joe crept out and found his way up to the wheelhouse. Everyone was asleep, and he wasn't seen. The wheelhouse was empty, and Joe had no trouble setting the automatic pilot for a different course. He then returned to their prison.

"Done," he said when he reentered the room.

"Any problems?" Frank asked.

"The only problem I had was coming back here without going after those hoods. It seems crazy not to take care of them now that we're free."

"We need to know that rendezvous point," Frank emphasized once again. "We're too tired to think clearly now anyway—let's get some sleep. Then we'll figure out a plan in the morning before anyone comes back."

There was nothing to do now except wait. The three captives flattened out some boxes to lie on. Joe took the revolver from Alicia and slipped it under one of the boxes. Then they all huddled together on their hard, makeshift bunks and went to sleep.

The sharp sound of a piercing alarm woke them a couple of hours later. "What's that?" Alicia asked, startled.

"The radar warning system," Frank informed them. "It probably means there's something in the boat's path. It's a warning to the captain to take the boat off automatic pilot and steer a new course."

"Then they'll find out the automatic pilot has been tampered with."

"Let's see — " Frank looked at his watch. "It's almost seven A. M. We've gone far enough off course to calculate the rendezvous point once they set the new course."

The alarm stopped, and the trio could feel the boat turn sharply to port. Then, without warning, the door to the room was unlocked and slammed into the bulkhead.

Mickey burst into the room, gun in hand. "So, somebody was playing captain in the middle of the night, huh? Did you really think that if you set a course for the Carolinas, the boat would reach land before we got up in the morning?"

Joe was searching for the gun he had taken from Alicia a few hours earlier, but it had slipped under one of the box flaps. He started to reach for it.

"You! Tough guy!" Mickey said, looking at Joe. "Stand up!" Joe got slowly to his feet as Gus and Del stalked in.

"Over against that wall. Gus, tie him up. Now you, handsome," he said, nodding at Frank. "Stand up, turn around, and put your hands behind your back. Del, take care of him."

"I'll take care of him, all right."

"Just tie him up—that's all."

"Why don't we just toss them overboard right now?" Gus asked.

"Because we want to wait for local radio contact with the other ship. What if the FBI found out our rendezvous point, and our boys aren't there but the Coast Guard is? We might need some bargaining power."

Frank and Joe were securely tied with rope, then thrown down on the deck like sacks of potatoes. Then, after Gus and Del left, Mickey went over to Alicia, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her toward the door.

"We'll take care of your girlfriend, lover boy. The next time you see her, you'll both be twelve thousand feet underwater!"

"A FINE MESS your plan has gotten us into," Joe grumbled. "I should have nailed them all last night when I had the chance."

"Stop griping and try to get out of your ropes," Frank said, cutting him off. "We haven't got much time."

"They tied me so tight I can't move anything except my fingers."

"Good. Then get your fingers over here and try to loosen my ropes."

Joe rolled across the room, mumbling. "Is — won — irks — mooss."

"What?"

"I said, this only works in the movies."

"It'd better work now," Frank said. "Or we'll never see another movie."

The two brothers rolled and kicked until they were lying back to back. Joe tried to slip his fingers into the knot that secured Frank's hands.

"It's no use," he said, his voice showing as much anger as frustration. "These guys are all seamen. That's a sailor's knot. I can't work it loose."

"Wait a minute," Frank said. "I think Del's the pilot, and Mickey's a sailor, but I don't know about Gus. He's the one who tied you. Let's see if I can loosen your knot."

Frank maneuvered until his fingers could grasp the main knot that bound Joe's hands. "It's just a lot of loops, I think. If I pull on it near the end, I think I can open one loop at a time." Frank struggled to undo Joe's bonds bit by bit.

"There," he exclaimed, his fingers raw, "that should do it. Open your fist and slip your right hand up."

Joe turned and twisted, and the ropes burned into his wrist. "Got it!" he whispered triumphantly as his hand came free. Thirty seconds later he was standing, a coil of rope on the deck beside his feet.

He leaned over and untied the sailor's knots that held Joe. "Even with two hands this knot is hard to undo," he remarked. "There! Now to find the gun."

Joe searched for the gun under the broken boxes while Frank shook himself loose from his ropes.

"It's not here!" Joe shoved the credit card boxes across the deck.

"It's got to be," Frank insisted as he joined in the search. "Where was it?"

"Right here under a box, next to Alicia and me."

"Alicia!" Frank figured that must be the answer. "When Mickey ordered you to stand up, Alicia was still sitting. She probably took the gun."

"Great. Now who's going to rescue who?" Joe muttered. "We've got to get out of here. I hope Alicia doesn't try anything foolish."

"Maybe she can get the drop on them."

"And maybe not." Joe's voice was grim.

Frank hurried over to the door and tried the handle. "It's open!" He peered out, then stuck his head back in and closed the door. "There's no place to hide between here and the upper deck. If we get spotted, we're done for. Unless we get a gun."

Joe shook his head. "I'm sure they're not going to send Alicia down here with hers! They didn't bring us anything to eat yesterday, so I doubt they'll come this morning—except to dispose of us."

"Then we have to coax someone down here," Frank suggested. "If we make a commotion — "

"And then one of us hides behind the door and bops them when they come in? I don't think so. That's a good way to get shot. No one's going to open that door more than an inch until they see us still tied up on the other side of the room."