Blue Velvet

'You'd be surprised how often she comes through with flying colors though,' Julio said with a grin. 'Jeffrey has always said she's a natural.'

There was no doubt that Kate was that. Naturally bright, naturally honest, naturally loving. The most beautifully straightforward person he'd ever known and certainly the most maddeningly infuriating one. 'I won't go to the inn,' he decided reluctantly. 'I'll take a chance on Kate getting them away and see what I can do about the ship. Two guards, you say?'

Julio nodded. 'That's what I heard.'

'Let's hope you heard right. I wouldn't like to receive any unpleasant surprises.' He looked ruefully down at the brilliantly flowered shirt he was wearing. 'It's going to be hard enough trying to play Errol Flynn in this iridescent garb you've provided me with.'

'Manuel likes color,' Julio said absently. 'God, I wish I could go with you!'

'Someone has to fly the plane and I don't think Kate would appreciate it if you kamikazed the Cessna.'

'I guess not,' Julio said as he opened the door of the tree house. 'Ill be right with you. I promised to get something for Kate.'

'The carousel?'

'It was the only thing she wanted.'

'It means a lot to her,' Beau said. 'You go ahead, I'll bring it.'

Julio hesitated a moment, his gaze on Beau's face before nodding slowly. 'All right. I'll wait down below for you.'

It was already dusk in the little room but Beau made his way with instinctive sureness to the rattan chest. A stray wavering ray of sunlight streamed into the dimness, lighting the music box with an elusive radiance. The proud arch of the unicorn's neck, the valiant boldness of the mythical centaur, the perky cheerfulness of the small spotted pony. There was so much of Kate embodied in the whimsical little music box. So much beauty, so much courage, so much…

He bent to pick up the music box with painstaking care, feeling his throat tighten painfully. The only treasure she'd wanted to take with her, Julio had said. Well, he wasn't about to let her take this particular treasure and leave him behind. She'd have to learn that wherever she went from now on he'd be beside her. To hell with being fair. He couldn't risk her putting herself into danger like this again. It was going to tear him apart to stand and wait for her to come to the Searcher. He'd give her until midnight but no later before he went to the inn. Then he'd be damned if he'd ever let her out of his sight again.

He tucked the music box beneath his arm and moved swiftly toward the door.

Eight

'All right, now tell me how you managed to get rid of the guards,' Daniel demanded as he caught up with Kate's hurrying figure at the corner a block from the inn. 'I was happy as hell to see you when you unlocked that hotel room door, but I admit I'm curious.'

Kate glanced over her shoulder with an anxious frown. The captain had told the six crew members to split up in twos and follow at half-block intervals to avoid looking suspicious. Yes, there they were.

'Oh, that was my friend Consuello's doing,' she said with a grin. 'She still had some sedatives from her late husband's medicine chest. We slipped them into a bottle of wine and sent it to the guards with Despard's compliments.' She made a face. 'I wasn't even sure they'd still be potent enough. They were over two years old.'

'Obviously they were.' Daniel's teeth flashed white in his bearded face. 'They were sleeping like newborn babies when I dragged them into the hotel room.' His grin suddenly faded. 'But if your little mickey was that old, it might not last long. We'd better hope we have the Searcher well away from Castellano by the time they come to and give the alarm.'

'We're only a block away from the pier where the ship is docked,' Kate said. They were moving swiftly now and were once more in the shadows. 'Do you think it's safe to take off my disguise now?'

'Is that what it is?' An amused smile tugged at Daniel's lips as his gaze traveled over Kate's figure, from her shiny scarlet visored helmet to the oversized white linen jacket that came almost to her knees. 'I thought it looked a little bizarre. You look a cross between a Martian invader and a Colonel Sanders commercial.'

'Colonel Sanders?' A puzzled frown knitted her brow for a moment before she shrugged dismissingly. 'I may look rather weird but no one can tell who I am. Who would suspect someone dressed like this of any serious shenanigans?'

'You have a point,' Daniel said amusedly. 'No one could accuse you of keeping a low profile.' He suddenly started to chuckle. 'Lord, I wish Clancy Donahue could see you. You've got to be the strangest undercover operator on record.' 'He wouldn't approve?'

'I didn't say that,' Daniel said. 'He admires effectiveness no matter how it's cloaked and you were certainly that.'

'I was lucky,' Kate said soberly. 'Yes, you were,' Daniel agreed. 'You seem to be very well endowed in that way. So is Beau for that matter. I've seen him pull off some pretty outrageous stunts.' He stared at her. 'Where is Beau?' She glanced away hurriedly. 'On his way to Santa Isabella,' she said lightly. 'It was my fault you were captured and my responsibility to set you free. I decided not to involve him.'

Daniel gave a low whistle. 'Do I take it you're doing this without Beau's knowledge? I thought it a little odd he wasn't hovering over you like a protective dragon.' He shook his head incredulously. 'I can't believe he flew off into the wild blue yonder and left you to your own devices.'

'There isn't any reason why he shouldn't.' She still wasn't looking at him. 'After all, he hasn't any commitment to me.'

'Perhaps I would have believed that if I hadn't seen the man jump overboard and swim after you like a guardian dolphin.' He suddenly grinned. 'He was mad as hell but it didn't stop him from taking the plunge. I'd say an action like that from Beau demonstrates the ultimate in commitment.'

'Does it?' she asked huskily. 'I really wouldn't know. He's almost a stranger to me.' It was true, she assured herself determinedly. Beau was a stranger. You could turn and walk away from strangers. This crazy feeling of being joined to him in mind and body in the most intimate of possession was only a mirage that surely would fade away in time. Oh, dear heaven, it had to. 'Tell that to Beau.' Daniel's brow lifted skeptically. 'I don't think he sees your relationship in quite the same way.' His hand suddenly closed on her arm. 'The ship is just ahead.' He pulled her over into the shadows of the prefab warehouse they were passing. 'I hope Julio was right that there are only two guards.'

'What do we do?' Kate asked, her eyes on the ship a hundred yards or so ahead. It was a deserted ghost ship in the moonlit darkness. Its usually billowing graceful sails were folded like the wings of a sleeping sea gull. 'There doesn't seem to be anyone around.' 'What the hell!'

Her eyes flew to Daniel's grim face.

'There's someone on board all right. The auxiliary engines have been started.'

'But why would the guards do that?'

'They shouldn't, unless they're so bombed out of their minds they've decided to take it out for a little spin. It wouldn't really surprise me. Those guards back at the hotel were guzzling rum as if it were water.'

'Most people do in Castellano,' Kate said absently. 'Liquor is sometimes a good deal cheaper in the Caribbean.'

'Well, they can just keep their damn hands off my ship.'