The Ship Finder Page 22

  "Where are the bombs on the ship?" he whispered almost inaudibly. He considered, can someone who believes in nonviolence set off an explosion to kill most of a ship's crew? Then again, she had been on the verge of killing Rachel at Pali Lookout.

  "There are bombs in the ship's armory," Lena whispered. She leaned closer to him. "I have to slip into the armory and activate them. I'll need you to watch to make sure no one approaches while I'm in there."

  Lena didn't know most of the new crew, but Wilson had spent time with them. He didn't want the crewmembers killed. By definition they were now his enemies, but paradoxically many were also his new friends.

  "How will you get in?" he asked.

  "I have a key," she said. "I made a wax impression of the master key I got from Raven when he slept after he got dead drunk one night. The rebels made a copy, and I tested it before they jailed me."

  "So, why didn't they find it after they arrested you?"

  "I hid it in my cabin under the wallpaper. I glued it down and disguised it with wallpaper paste," she said. "I hope it's still there, but if it isn't, I have a computerized copy on my flash drive. I could print a new key on the ship's 3D printer."

  "I hope the key is there," Wilson said. "Then you won't have to take the chance of someone seeing you while you print a new one."

  "There's a 95 percent chance the key is still there," she said. "If for some reason I can't print a replacement, we'll just have to ad lib. We can break the weapons vault lock, set the bomb timers, and flee the ship, for example."

  "We need a back-up strategy," Wilson whispered. "We should plan one today."

  "I have a second plan," Lena said quietly. "Even if we don't blow up the ship, I can still use the computer program that I've uploaded to the ship's computer to instruct The Ghost Liner to uncloak from between dimensions. The program includes a computer virus that will prevent the crew from re-cloaking the ship. We would slip away from The Ghost Liner, and I'd contact the rebels. They would attack the ship before Raven could leave to destroy the water supply and half of the city of Emor."

  "That sounds okay," he said. "But the rebels could lose a lot of men in an attack on the ship."

  "That's why an explosion's better."

  "All right, the primary plan to destroy the ship is good," Wilson agreed. "But how will we get away from Raven's raiding party? And I don't want to kill Raven and Yarnell."

  "Our preference is to capture them," she said. "Black has a counter assault team ready to stop the raid. Before Black's soldiers attack us, I'll use the radio control to set off the bombs on the ship. Raven won't know that I was the one who blew up his ship, and he won't be able to get away because the ship will be gone. We'll escape from Raven's team when we see a good opportunity."

  "So, the rebels will attack and capture Raven's team before Raven has a chance to take out the water supply and destroys half of the city?"

  "Yes," Lena said. "We need to interrogate Raven and his team. Raven must have secret information about the inside workings of the government's military and its plans."

  "I guess we'll do the best we can," Wilson said. "It'll be a fluid situation."

  "That's about it," Lena said, as she picked up another magazine. Wilson was uneasy. He had a feeling something might go wrong.

  Tanya came out of her office.

  "It's time to check behind your ear," she said.

  Lena tilted her head forward and pulled her hair away from her ear. "How does it look?" Lena asked.

  "Remarkable! I can't believe it," Tanya replied as her eyes widened. "You're right. That medicine you took must have healed the wound. Where can I get some?"

  "The next time I come around, I'll give you a small bottle of it," Lena lied.

  "Thank you," Tanya said. "Maybe when your twin returns to get her tattoo changed, she can bring it?"

  "I'll ask her," said Lena.

  "Please go to the examination table and lie on your stomach," said Tanya. Lena stood, walked to the leather covered table and lay face down. Tanya rummaged through a cabinet drawer in the tattoo station for ink.

  Tired of sitting, Wilson stood and moved the curtain aside that separated the tattoo stations from the front of the shop. Through the front window he saw two Honolulu police cars parked across the street while two policemen talked near the squad cars.

  Looks like something is about to happen, he thought. He had a visceral feeling the police were on the lookout for him and Lena because of the stand-off with the hooligans near the Green Dragon Hotel, or maybe it was because of Rachel and the diamond handoff failure.

  "How long do you think the next step will take?" Wilson asked. He let go of the curtain, and it flapped closed.

  "It's easy. A couple of numbers isn't artwork. It'll take about ten or fifteen minutes tops," Tanya said. "Why? Are you in a hurry?"

  "We have an appointment soon," Wilson said. Tanya leaned over Lena with her back to him. Lena could see Wilson because her right ear was flat on the table.

  He mouthed the word, "police," and pointed outside.

  It only took Tanya five minutes to finish.

  "That was quick," Lena said, and Tanya held a mirror behind Lena to show her the new tattoo, the number 214993. "Good work."

  Lena swung her shapely legs off the table and lightly hopped to the floor. She picked up her designer purse, took out four crisp $1,000 bills, fanned them, and held them out to Tanya.

  Tanya's eyes gleamed. "Thank you," she said, as she examined the money.

  There were loud bangs on the front door that rattled its glass and startled Tanya. "Police, open up," a deep voice said.

  With a dark look, Tanya glanced at Wilson and Lena and then peeked around the curtain so as not to be seen by the police.

  "Tanya, you better hide that cash," Wilson said. "Don't say anything about us. We need to get out of here fast."

  "What've you done? Are you drug dealers or something?"

  "Nothing that serious," Wilson said. "But the less you know, the better. Is there a safe way out of here? There must be a cop at the back door, too."

  "I sometimes go out on the roof to smoke weed at night," she said. "I've got a tall step ladder that you can use to climb up through the trap door. There's a short wall around the edges of the roof, and the buildings are really close together, so you could hop to the next roof without being seen."

  There was louder banging at the front door. "Tanya, we know you're in there! I'm Inspector Wong, and I need to talk to you!"

  "Just a minute, officer," Tanya yelled, still not opening the curtain. "I'm getting dressed."

  "Where's the ladder?" Wilson asked. Tanya pointed to it, propped against her office wall.

  "Okay," Tanya whispered. "I'll turn on the shower in the back and get my hair wet. I'll move the ladder away after you're up."

  "Great," Wilson said.

  "Your secret's safe with me," she said, as she rushed to the shower. Tanya turned it on full blast and splashed water on her hair.

  "Don't forget anything," Wilson said to Lena as he grabbed his backpack. She got her pack and slung it over her shoulder as he unfolded the ladder.

  He scrambled up first and pushed the trapdoor open with a soft thud. Some dirt fell on the floor. I hope the police don't notice it, he thought. He tossed his backpack onto the roof and pulled himself up through the opening onto the tarpaper above.

  Lena climbed up, and Wilson grabbed her backpack. He pulled her onto the roof and closed the trapdoor. A four foot brick wall surrounded the roof's edges.

  Wilson crouched and scampered towards the next roof. He kept low as he peeked over the wall and the two-foot space between the two brick buildings. Next he turned to glance down at the street and then towards the alley to see if the police could see him move to the next roof. After he observed that the police were chatting to each other, and not paying much attention to anything at rooftop level, he felt sure that they wouldn't detect him.

  He vaulted sideways to the next roof. Lena gl
anced over the top of the tattoo parlor building wall towards him with a questioning look. He nodded, "yes," and she leaped across the gap. They scampered towards the third building's roof. Because all of the buildings on the block were similar, Wilson and Lena found their way across six rooftops in a few minutes.

  They got to the last building, which faced another street, and Wilson looked over the alley side of the roof. "There's a fire escape we could go down," he whispered. "But there are a couple of cops behind the tattoo place. We should wait here until they go."

  "What if they check Tanya's roof?" Lena asked.

  "Then we'll have to get down that fire escape and head for the Chinese market down the street. There are lots of tourists on the sidewalk, and we can blend in."

  "I'll keep an eye peeled on the tattoo building's roof," said Lena.

  "Okay," Wilson said softly. "I'll check the alley every few minutes to see if the police have gone away."

  They waited five minutes. "Nothing yet on the tattoo roof," Lena whispered.

  Wilson peered down the alleyway. "The two cops have left the alley," he said. "I'd better look over the front to see if the squad cars have gone."

  He stooped and crawled the last few feet to the front wall along the roof's edge. A few bricks were gone near the top of the wall. He looked through the gap in time to see the two squad cars pull away.

  "The police left. Let's go."

  "We should still be careful," Lena said. "They must have gotten our description from those thugs near the hotel, but why would they have reported us?"

  "Maybe one of them is a snitch," Wilson said. "A firearm was discharged, and we did bind one of them. That's at least assault and battery, if the police hear just the men's side of the story."

  "Yeah, well, we better leave Chinatown as soon as we can get a cab," Lena said.

  "There are a few taxis by the Chinese market down the street." He took another look in the alley but saw nobody.

  The two went down a metal ladder from the roof and onto the fire escape. They descended to the alley, which smelled of stale garbage. There were dumpsters near the buildings, and cans, bottles, and discarded newspapers littered the area. Scraps of paper blew along the length of the alley, which acted like a wind tunnel.

  Wilson spied heavy foot traffic on the street from his vantage point in the alleyway. Throngs of tourists walked towards the Chinese market.

  "I see a couple of cops about a block down on the right," he said. "I don't think they'll see us in this crowd."

  "We should change what we look like in case they got surveillance video of us from near the hotel," Lena said.

  "Good idea," Wilson said. "Let's walk to the market and merge with the foot traffic. Maybe we'll see a clothing shop."

  Chapter 30 – Maunakea Market

  After Wilson and Lena climbed down from a Chinatown roof and evaded the police, the duo walked along the crowded sidewalk and mixed in with tourists. Wilson saw a sign, "Maunakea Market." An arrow pointed to the shopping area.

  "We're almost there," he said. "But with a crowd like this, there could be at least one policeman on foot looking for shoplifters and pickpockets."

  "I see lots of security cameras everywhere. The cops must have pictures of us from near the hotel," said Lena.

  He looked up and saw a sign painted in black letters on a light purple background, "Costume Shop."

  "Look," Wilson said. "Just what we need." He steered Lena left to the shop's doorway and pulled its door open. A bell jingled as they entered.

  "May I help you?" said a thin, young Caucasian woman with dark brown hair. She was striking in a delicate way.

  "Yes, we have to attend a costume party next week, and we just happened upon your shop," Wilson said.

  "I thought you might be actors," said the young woman.

  "That's flattering," Wilson said. "I wondered the same thing about you."

  She smiled. "You are perceptive," she said. "I have a small part in a drama that's playing at the Hawaii Theater Center. I had to take this job to earn a bit of money."

  "Does this place cater to actors?" Lena asked, in her Scandinavian accent.

  "Yes, lots of actors come here," the young actress said, "amateurs as well as professionals. Sometimes Hollywood studios shoot in the Hawaiian Islands."

  "Oahu is such a beautiful island," said Lena.

  "Are you from Sweden?" asked the young woman.

  "Yes, but it's been a long time since I've been there," Lena lied. She shifted on her feet and pointed to a rack of wigs. "Could I see the long black wig on the second shelf up?"

  "Of course." The young lady handed the black wig to Lena. "There's a mirror by the changing room," she added, as she pointed to the rear of the shop.

  "What wig do you think would change my appearance a lot, but still look natural?" Wilson asked.

  "The dishwater blond one would be excellent – the one with hair a little longer than yours." She reached for it. "You can even add a small pony tail."

  Wilson put the hairpiece on, tucking his hair under the wig's edges. "How much is it?" he asked as he removed it.

  "These are very good wigs, so I hope you aren't shocked when I say this one costs $495, whereas her wig is $350."

  "I'll take this one," Wilson said. "Lena, do you like the one you have?"

  "Yes, dear," Lena said as she walked towards Wilson and the sales lady. "I saw some cute fake mustaches in the back that you might want to look at, too."

  Wilson observed, Lena lies like a pro.

  "I'll take a look," Wilson said. He wandered towards the mustache display, and the actress followed, carrying his wig. He picked a blond King Lear style mustache and goatee set. "How do you attach it?" he asked.

  "With spirit gum," she said. "We also sell a small bottle of remover. The mustache and goatee set is eighty dollars. The spirit gum and remover are a few dollars more."

  "I'll take them. Could you help me try them on?" he asked the sales girl.

  "Sure, I've helped put on mustaches before," she replied. She opened the spirit gum package and stuck the mustache and goatee to his face.

  "It would be fun to scare your mother, wouldn't it, dear?" Wilson asked.

  "To surprise her would be great," she replied, and she turned to the young saleswoman. "My mother is just down the street shopping! Let's put these wigs on right now." Lena smiled, and her hazel green eyes twinkled.

  "My mustache and beard make me look like somebody else. You did a great job putting these on so they look natural, Miss," Wilson said as he peered in the mirror. He paid for their purchases in cash, and added, "Here's an extra five dollars for your help with the mustache."

  "Thanks. We actors struggle and can always use a little more cash," the young woman said. "I hope you'll surprise your mother-in-law."

  "If this doesn't do the trick, I don't know what will," he said as he put on his wig, and Lena put on hers.

  "Let's find Mama," she said. "Bye, Miss. Thank you."

  "Goodbye," the young saleslady said. She waved as they left the shop to re-join the swarm of tourists.

  A few buildings away from the costume shop, Wilson and Lena came across a midsize department store that had both men's and women's clothing.

  "Let's split up," he said. "I'll buy a set of clothes while you go to the women's department. You could tell the clerk that you want to wear your new clothes out of the store because the airline lost our suitcases, and we need to change."

  "Good idea," said Lena. She strolled to a rack of ladies' clothes.

  She's not as mad at me as she was at Pali Lookout, he observed, feeling better. On the way to the men's clothing section, near the far wall of the store, he noticed a backpack display. He chose two new packs, one light green and another light pink. I should throw away the black backpacks, he told himself.

  Wilson also picked two light jackets, one maroon and light blue for him, and a pink one for Lena. I'll get rid of our black jackets, too, he decided.

  He b
ought underwear, socks, handkerchiefs, a pair of blue jeans, and a green Hawaiian shirt that included a red-flower pattern. He paid at the cash register in the men's department and asked the clerk to remove the labels.

  Lena returned as the clerk was cutting the labels from Wilson's purchases. She wore a light green pair of jeans and a white blouse, and she carried a shopping bag that contained her old clothes.

  "Are you almost finished?" she asked.

  "Yes, I'll dress in the changing room," Wilson answered. "I bought a couple of backpacks to carry the clothes until the airline delivers our suitcases to the hotel. Backpacks are cheaper than new luggage."

  "Good," Lena said. She turned to the clerk and asked, "Where are the washrooms?"

  "On the opposite wall near the elevators," he said.

  Wilson changed his clothes, and then he and Lena walked towards the restrooms. They took a few steps, and Lena said, "We can throw the old backpacks in the trash after we put our old stuff in them."

  "Maybe we shouldn't," Wilson said. He stopped. "A store detective might notice. They look for shoplifters, who might ditch their old clothes and wear new clothes when they walk out."

  "You're right," Lena said.

  "We should stop here in sight of the clerk and put the old packs into our shopping bags. If a store detective sees us, the clerk can vouch for us."

  They left the store without a problem, though Wilson saw a man look at them as they left. Just outside the store, they stepped into an alley and threw their shopping bags and old clothes into a dumpster. After they left the alley, Wilson felt self-assured. They had almost reached the Maunakea Market when they went into a shop where Asian women were crafting leis – beautiful flower necklaces. Lena bought two, which were made of maroon and white blooms.

  "Bill, stand still," she said, and she dropped a ring of flowers around his neck. "Your disguise is better now." She put her garland on, too.

  "You look great, Lena," he said.