Storm ran the blade in the thin space between the white-painted door and the bulkhead. The door was such a tight fit that the blade caught on bumps and rough spots in the wood. About two inches above the brass door handle, the blade came to a solid stop.
Neither Keiko nor Stella could remember a lock, and the only part of this cabin with which they had any familiarity was the head. Stella had been out on the boat twice, Keiko once.
Keiko, who had taken up a post at the land-side window, reminded Storm and Stella that she wasn’t confident in the water. She was doing all right with the motion of the cabin, though. Better than Storm, who was beginning to feel the headachy lethargy that preceded seasickness. She was no stranger to motion sickness. Headache and lassitude were the first stage; the next would be weakness and nausea. After that, she’d be on her knees at the porcelain bowl. At that point, she’d welcome Obake throwing her into the ocean, no matter how far out they were.
They needed to get out of there. Storm went to the porthole, gasped at the fresh air, and went back to the blade she’d left sticking in the crack of the door. She’d checked the latch in the tiny head, which was a metal hook that slipped into a little round eye. It would a blessing if that were the kind of obstacle that held them in the cabin.
It was doubtful; when she tried to push up on the device, it didn’t budge. The barrier felt solid from above and below, and the blade encountered it with a soft metallic click. There were probably many kinds of locks that she didn’t know about, but the only other one she could think of was a bar that slid into a pocket or bracket.
So she carved away tiny slivers of paint to give the blade more lateral play. Meanwhile, the close, hot work made her dizzier and more nauseated.
“You don’t look so good,” Keiko said. “Let me work on it.”
Storm lurched to the window, where she let the light breeze ruffle her hair. Then she lay down. Just for a minute.
Next thing she knew, Stella was at her side, tugging on her arm and whispering, “Wake up.”
The cabin had cooled, as the sun no longer blasted through the porthole. It was late in the afternoon, still light, but the sun was setting. Storm sat up.
“You got the door open?” she asked softly.
Keiko nodded. “I’m holding it closed. I thought we’d better have a plan.”
Storm felt the lowered timbre of the engines. “We’ve slowed.”
Stella handed her a half-empty water bottle. “It’s the last one. We saved it for you.”
Storm took it gratefully and drank it in one go. She was thirstier than she’d thought. Drugs, heat, seasickness. This sucked. She went to the porthole. “We’re a lot closer to land.” She peered out the window on the other side. “Looks like a bay.”
She looked at Keiko. “Boats are required by law to carry life jackets. If we had to swim, could you do it with a jacket?”
Storm would find it an impediment, but she’d grown up around the water. She watched Keiko’s tentative nod.
They’d have to stay together. It would not be a fast or secretive getaway. Last resort, Storm thought. How many alternatives would they have?
“Let’s make a plan.”
The other two women nodded and gazed at her with expectation in their alert and hopeful eyes.
Shit, thought Storm, and took a deep breath. “There’s only one way out of here, so we’ve got to go together, as quietly as we can.” The other two nodded again.
She pointed at the fire extinguisher. “Keiko, you take that. If you discharge it, do it right in his face. Don’t hesitate to clobber someone with it. Hard.”
Keiko winced, but nodded again. They were starting to remind Storm of windshield hula dancers, the kind with their heads on springs. For a moment, she wished that her only responsibility was herself. Three people meant three times the challenge of staying organized, three times the chance of a fuckup. Three times the likelihood of capture, and not one of the women would leave anyone behind. Which could be good or bad.
“Stella, you take the knife blade. Keep it hidden, if you can.”
Stella had a set to her jaw and a glint in her eye, and Storm remembered Keiko cutting the electrical wire to Pauline’s house. She’d been blasted off her perch with a shock that could have killed her. Still, she’d scraped herself off the ground looking for a fight. This team was going to have to be good enough.
“Is there a galley?” Storm asked.
“No stove, but there’s a sink and a small refrigerator,” Stella said.
“How about a salon, or seating area?”
“It’s one space. There’s a helm there, too, under the canopy.”
“Is that where the captain will be?” Storm asked.
“Not necessarily. There’s a flying bridge. It’s a nice, calm day, so he’ll probably be up there. The view is better.”
“Is it covered?”
“It has a canvas cover that can be folded up, kind of like a convertible top.”
“And a ladder from the salon?”
“Yes, the ladder is about a four-foot climb.” Stella frowned. “It’ll be hard to sneak up on him.”
Storm thought a moment. “How many people surprised you in your apartment?”
“At least two,” Keiko said.
Stella agreed. “The person who threw the bag over my head was big and strong. I think he was hiding in the bathroom.”
“A man got me, too,” Keiko added. “Right after Stella.”
“Then there was someone waiting in the van,” Stella said.
“And someone was in the back with us,” Keiko said.
“You think there are three or four people?” Storm asked.
“I haven’t heard any voices other than Lara’s,” Stella said. “It seems like four people would make some noise.”
“Unless they were told to be quiet,” Keiko said. “Obake’s guys don’t talk much.”
“Was Lara in the back of the van with you?”
“I don’t know,” Stella said, and neither did Keiko. “They kept stuff between us.”
“What kind of stuff?”
“Tarpaulins, maybe.” Stella said. “I smelled paint.”
“Does Damon have a van?” Storm asked. “I’ve only seen him drive a pickup.”
“No, but a couple of the workers have vans,” Keiko said.
“We need the element of surprise,” Stella said.
“Once we’re out of here and through the salon, we need to split up,” Storm said. “If they capture one of us, at least two more are free.”
“If one of us gets captured, sit tight. We’ll come back to get you,” Keiko said.
“Good idea,” said Storm.
The three of them stood for a long moment. Keiko held the door closed.
“I’ll go first,” said Storm.