Electrifying pain flashed through his body.
Opening his mouth wide in a desperate attempt to gasp for air, his muscles constricted, immediately stopping his ability to breathe. He wanted to scream, but the intense pain and the shock of surprise delivered the instant knowledge that he had just drawn his last breath. His strength evaporated rapidly as wide eyes rolled upward to see white clouds fade into a darkening blue sky.
Excruciating pain shot through him again, even in the darkness, as the four and a half inch steel blade thrust into his back moved. The sharp, acute point on the recurved blade of the folding Kopis knife tilted upward, tearing into the man’s heart. Death enveloped him, and his body crumpled to the deck.
Pulling the knife free as the boat captain fell, Rana Saleem laughed. “These new style lifejackets are so thin, they offer no resistance.” He kicked the lifeless body. “My blade pierced the jacket like it was made of tea.” He bent over and wiped the blood from the knife blade on the captain’s expensive, white European life vest.
“Here, Rana, I will help you.” Kamran Khan had been in the first mate’s chair to the right of the captain when Saleem, standing beside the boat’s driver, thrust the knife into the captain’s back. “Remove the lifejacket. We want no chance of anyone identifying him.”
Freeing the dead captain’s arms from the vest, Khan instructed, “Lift his shoulders. I’ll get his feet. There is not much strength in my left arm. It hurts when I use it, but I will help. Let’s get him over the side. If there are any sharks within two miles, they will smell the blood and devour the evidence of our crime.”
Originally slowed by the captain to obtain an accurate GPS reading, the forty-five foot motor yacht from Cuba, chartered with the captain, glided smoothly across the calm water. The body made only a small splash as it dropped into the water six miles from the southeastern coastline of the United States.
“You do know how to run this boat, do you not?”
“Yes, Rana. I do.” Khan smiled as he slipped into the driver’s chair. “The captain was extremely proud of this boat, and of his own skills. He showed me many things and demonstrated how to use the controls. I am ready.”
“Good. There is still a long way to go.”
“Do not worry, my friend. I know what to do.”
“I hope you have many more good ideas, Kamran, like the one for the Coast Guard.”
“Yes, I know the American Coast Guard watches their shoreline and checks incoming vessels. We looked like tourists having fun, with Leena sunbathing in her bikini and the rest of us in shorts with fishing poles. Waving at the helicopter told them we didn’t have anything to hide.”
“They waved back and took off. We won’t see them again, will we?”
“I hope not, Rana.”
Scanning the horizon, the only other boats visible were those in the distance toward the shore. Khan checked his watch. “I wonder what’s keeping Saboor. He and Leena went to their cabins to change some time ago.”
“Saboor’s probably having a drink,” Saleem answered. “He wants to be more like the Americans.”
Khan replied wearily, “I wanted to review our plans in more detail, now that the captain is no longer with us.”
“Kamran.” Saleem appeared hopeful, smiling, “With our plan, we will get a real chance, won’t we? It will be truly something to kill the President of the United States. We will be famous.”
“Yes, Rana. We will have our chance.” Khan thought for a moment before answering. “It will be more than an opportunity, it will work!”
Excited, Saleem smiled broadly as he danced around the yacht’s bridge, humming his favorite tune.
Exhaling a deep breath, Khan stood. “Rana, take the wheel. Steer toward those boats straight ahead of us there in the distance.” He pointed toward the horizon. “All those boats gathered over there. Head for them. I’m going below for a minute.”
Cruisers Yachts made the 4550 Express Motoryacht impressive by any standard. Unlike most yachts this size, the cockpit and bridge deck features a crossover design, with fluid integration of the bridge and plush seating areas that merge into one large entertainment area. To the rear of this area is the helm station, with seating for the captain and first mate. Two ultra-plush sofa seats are aft, with a plush recliner on each side. The entertainment area features a standard wet bar, ice maker, refrigerator, 20 inch LCD television, DVD player and a top quality sound system as well.
While the 4550 is well laid out above decks, she’s just as attractively arranged below. The space here, which is accented throughout with standard cherrywood, is, unlike many express boats, voluminous, with headroom averaging six foot five. The Master Stateroom features a catty-corner queen-size berth, spacious cabinets and vanity, and a full size bathtub. There is also a queen-size bed in the VIP Stateroom. The Third Stateroom features two standard beds. Each stateroom has a private head and its own private shower.
Nearing the bottom of the steps below deck, Khan heard scuffling and a muted scream coming from the Master Stateroom where Leena stayed. Quickly opening the door, Khan saw Leena Wateeb, minus her bikini, on the bed with a scared look of terror on her face. She struggled with Saboor Rajput on top of her. He had forced her legs apart and showed a big grin as he thrust in and out.
Khan ran to the bed, grabbed Rajput by the shoulders from behind and twisted, spinning Rajput off Wateeb and flipping him to the floor. “Saboor, what do you think you are doing?”
Surprised and somewhat dazed, Rajput made no attempt to stand. “It is all her fault, Kamran. She was teasing all of us.” He stopped to get his breath. “She wore that ...” he pointed, “bathing suit. No good Muslim woman would wear a bikini like that in front of other men who are not her husband.”
Leena Wateeb turned on her side, away from the two men, and began crying. Straight black hair drifted down over her shoulders and spread onto the bed. If she had been standing, the long hair would have provided a sexy, peek-a-boo curtain, partially covering her breasts. Deeply tanned, flawless skin displayed the backside of a high-priced swimsuit model from Sports Illustrated.
Wiping tears from her face, she hollered, “We are supposed to be like American tourists. I tried.”
“She asked for it,” Rajput said, “showing her body that way.” He put his head down.
She turned her head around to look at Rajput. “You leave me and my family with no honor.”
He became angry. “Nothing will happen.” He looked at Khan. “She cannot prove anything. Sharia requires three male witnesses.” He sucked air in short, quick breaths. “Come on, Kamran. We can both enjoy a good time with her.”
“Enough!” Khan said forcefully. “We are supposed to be a team here, working together. We have to ... to make this thing work.” Pausing for a breath, he continued. “Saboor, take your clothes, go to your room and get dressed. I will see you on deck.”
As Rajput left the room, Khan’s voice softened. “Leena, this should not have happened this way. I apologize for Saboor. For the rest of our team, too. We all enjoyed looking at you too much. You will not have to do this again. Get dressed. Give yourself a few minutes, then come up on deck with the rest of us.” After pausing, he spoke very tenderly. “It will be all right, Leena.”
Back on deck, Khan took over the captain’s chair, confirmed his heading, and pushed the single lever electronic speed control all the way forward. The twin 480-hp Volvo Penta 75P diesel inboards reacted, increasing the forty-five foot yacht’s speed to its maximum of 32 mph.
After some time they neared the U.S. mainland. Khan checked the GPS and killed the engines. The yacht bounced in the water a few hundred yards off the coast of South Carolina as the entire crew waited and watched. They got the signal just before sunset.
As the yacht moved slowly toward the spot of the signal, just south of Sand Island, a hidden inlet revealed itself. Khan maneuvered the boat through narrow twists and turns as they travelled up the inlet for over a quarter mile. Rounding a corner, they entered a huge opening over a hundred yards wide. Surrounded by trees, large bushes and thick underbrush, it appeared like it was in the middle of a jungle.
Khan slowed the boat even more. At the middle of the opening, he turned the wheel toward the only manmade item there, a small wooden dock on the northwest side of the water. He killed the engines and let the yacht drift silently.
As they reached the dock, a dark-haired young woman wearing a khaki shirt, blue jeans and sandals emerged from the bushes. She had the appearance of a Playboy Girl of the Month. As she bounced toward them on the dock, she smiled broadly at the boat crew and announced, “I am Umara.”
While the woman grabbed the boat’s railing to stop it, Khan took the lead and jumped off the boat to the dock. “Umara, it is good to see you.” He moved to the woman for a quick embrace, then turned to the others. “Umara is one of our advance team. She is here to meet us and take us to Baltimore.”
As the others began disembarking, Khan put their fears to rest. “Umara and Tariq were sent here early to help prepare for us. They flew from Havana to Mexico City more than three months ago. Once in Mexico, it was easy for them to obtain false papers stating they were Mr. and Mrs. Tariq Gorshani. They obtained a fake tourist visa to the U.S., travelled to Baltimore and found a house to serve as home base for our team during the operation.”
“Hurry,” she said. “I have a car near here, and we don’t want to be seen.”
“Follow Umara to the car,” Khan instructed. “Saboor, help me with boat, then we can join the others.”
“Khan, the car is about 100 meters straight back and to the left,” Umara said. “It’s an old, gray Chevy. It’s getting dark, so you might have to look a bit to find it.”
“An old Chevrolet?” An alarm went off in Khan’s mind. “How old?”
“Tariq thought it was a 1958 or ‘59 model. Why?”
“Umara, when did you get the car?”
“Two days ago. It was parked overnight at a gas station. No one was there when we took it. Everything should be all right.”
“Umara, an older car will stand out and people will notice it. That’s not good. We don’t want people’s attention. Here in the U.S., people drive newer automobiles.”
“Okay.” Umara shrugged. “It’s night time. We’ll head down the road and steal another. One that won’t be so noticeable.”
Khan shook his head. “Umara, I think you fit into the American way of life too well.” He changed his voice to mimic hers. “Okay, we’ll just head down the road and steal another one.” He exhaled loudly, then smiled. “Well, I guess we’d better get a different one. We don’t need trouble with the police so soon.”
Saboor Rajput and Kamran Khan climbed back onto the boat as the others moved off through the brush and out of sight. Rajput asked, “What are we going to do?”
“Sink the boat,” replied Khan. “Follow me.”
Below deck in the galley, they found and opened the water cocks. “Let’s check the Master Suite first, then the others.”
As Rajput entered the larger suite, Khan followed and closed the door behind him. “There are no water cocks in this room, Saboor.”
Rajput turned to Khan. “What do you mean? Then why are we here?”
“Saboor, this is where you raped Leena.” He glared at Rajput. “I needed you to be part of the team, but you couldn’t do it.” He reached under his shirt and pulled out a Kahr PM45.
Easy to conceal, the black polymer frame .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol weighs just over a pound, at 17.3 ounces, with a barrel length of 3.24 inches and an overall length of 5.79 inches. The textured black polymer grips provide an easy hold around the five-round magazine. The matte blackened stainless slide has an ultra hard, super thin coating, which has been used successfully in the knife industry to protect blades from corrosion and scratches.
The pistol uses a striker pin and is double-action only. Khan carried a sixth round in the chamber, making it easy to shoot. He didn’t have to work the slide or even cock a hammer. All he had to do was point the gun at Rajput and pull the trigger.
“No! Kamran!”
Khan raised the pistol, and the Kahr PM45 spit its messengers of death three times.
Catapulted backward, Rajput’s body slammed against the wall, twisted sideways, and slid to the floor, painting the polished wood paneling with blood.
After making certain Rajput was dead, Khan left the boat and hurried through the brush to where the others waited with the car.
“Kamran, over here.” Umara spoke in a low, soft voice, not wanting to be overheard if strangers were anywhere near. She blinked her flashlight.
Khan saw the flashing light through the thick brush and moved to her. “I am here, Umara.”
“Good. I saved you a place in the front seat. You can see where we are going.”
Turning her head and glancing around, she asked, “Where’s Saboor?”
Khan motioned with his hand. “Let’s go to the car. Have you seen anyone else around here?”
“No. No one,” she replied. “Fishermen will come, but I am not sure how soon. We will be gone. It should be safe for us. No one will find the boat very soon.”
Reaching the car, Umara got into the driver’s seat and Khan entered from the other side and sat on the front seat beside her. “Let’s go.”
The two people in the back seat, Saleem and Wateeb, glanced questioningly at each other. Saleem asked, “What about Saboor?”
“He’s not coming.” Khan turned around and stared back at Leena, into her dark eyes. “He could not work as part of a team.”