MacMillan Wharf

MacMillan Wharf: Chapter Twenty-Seven

MacMillan Wharf: Chapter Twenty-Seven

by Richard Gifford

Angus knew that Annie had spotted him on the whale watch boat. He assumed that she didn’t know his real identity, or the true reason for his visit to Provincetown, but even so, she was able to pick him out of a crowd, and that was a problem.

Since the exchange with the captain, Angus suspected that a crew member was watching him. Maybe I’m being paranoid, he thought for a moment, but experience had taught him better. Angus watched a deck hand change the garbage can liner for the third time in half an hour. Each time, he glanced at Angus as he took the near empty bag away.

As the Explorer approached the inner harbor of Provincetown, Angus stepped onto the deck and noticed a fellow passenger with a pair of binoculars hanging around his neck.

“Mind if I borrow those for a moment?”

“What? Oh, these? Yeah, sure, here you go.”

“Thanks.” Angus scanned the crowd of people waiting on the dock. It was difficult to see clearly since the sun had set, but in the twilight he could see Annie standing next to the police chief.

“Are you looking for someone?” the stranger asked.

“Yes, I’m supposed to meet someone for dinner. They’re there. Thanks.” He handed the binoculars back.

“No problem.”

Actually, big problem, Angus thought. Big, stinking problem. My cover’s been blown. But how? There’s no way Annie could have found out who I am, or my connection to Linda’s death. Maybe those blokes from the bar turned him in, damn it. He felt trapped.

The voice inside Angus’s head was racing. Don’t get ahead of yourself mate, you’ve been in a few tight jams before, you just need to find your way out.

Angus was looking for a way to avoid Annie and the police. In a few minutes time, the boat would be docked. He assumed that he would be arrested as soon as he ascended the gangway. He decided that it was time to abort his mission and get out of town before anything more could go wrong.

He glanced around the harbor for options. At the pier opposite from where the Explorer was docking, lay a fast-looking boat with the name “Wild Thing” emblazoned on its bright yellow hull. Not very subtle, he thought, but it will have to do. He could hear the engine idling as the person whom he presumed was its owner polished the chrome railings.

Angus assessed the situation and realized that his options were slim. Either get that boat and get as far away as possible, or certainly face arrest, and whatever charges came with it.

He felt the Explorer bump against the dock. All of the passengers moved quickly towards the exit ramp en masse. Now was his only chance. Angus quietly made his way to the stern of the ship and, when he was sure no one was looking, slipped over the railing.

Annie waited nervously next to Chief Souza as they watched the passengers disembark.

“Have you seen him yet?”

“No, not yet. There’s still a lot of people to go.

“Something doesn’t feel right. I’m calling Billy.” Chief Souza pulled out his cell phone and pressed Billy’s number on his speed dial.

“Billy, it’s me. Is the guy still on board?”

“I just saw him a minute ago. I’ve kind of lost him in the crowd now. Do you want me to check and see if he’s hiding anywhere?”

“No, don’t do that yet. I don’t want to raise any suspicions. Annie and I have been watching the passengers and we haven’t seen him yet. There’s only one way off the boat. If they all depart and we don’t see him, we’re coming on board. Keep your eyes open. I don’t know who the hell this guy is, but he’s sneaky.”

Angus only dropped about three feet into the water, but the weight of his clothes and his backpack made it hard for him to reach the surface. When his head broke above the surface of the water, he checked to see if anyone had noticed. Satisfied that they hadn’t, Angus moved quietly across the harbor in the gathering darkness.

He approached the stern of the Wild Thing, and called out to the man on board. “Help, help me! I fell overboard!”

When the startled man didn’t see him at first, Angus called out again. “Over here! Help me up!” Angus extended his hand as he approached the swim platform of the boat, which he recognized as a Fountain, a fast vessel indeed.

“Oh, my God. Are you all right?”

“Yes, I’m not hurt. Just help me up.” Angus extended his left hand to the man while he fished his knife out of his right pocket and opened it with a flick of his thumb.

The man reached out his hand and pulled Angus up onto the deck. His facial expression changed from concern to fear as Angus pressed the point of the blade against his abdomen.
“Don’t scream, don’t say a word, or I will kill you. Understand?”

The man nodded silently, his eyes wide open in terror.

“Is this your boat?”

He nodded.

“Is there anyone else on board?”

He shook his head no.

“Good. Let’s go then.”

“Go? Where?”

“I said don’t talk.” He pressed the blade harder into the man’s shirt. “Just untie the boat and get us out of here.”

Angus kept a firm grip on the man’s arm as he untied the dock lines from the cleats. He kneeled down on the deck next to the man as he put the engines into reverse. Angus kept the knife firm against his ribcage.

“Good, now take us out of the harbor, nice and easy.”

The man obliged and pushed the throttles forward. The twin 454 engines rumbled at idle speed. Angus was impressed.

“How much fuel do you have?”

“About 50 gallons.” The man answered nervously.

“Is that enough to get to Boston?”

“Yeah, sure. Is that where you want to go?”

“No questions from you mate. Just drive the damn boat.”

The Wild Thing rumbled past the Explorer into the fading darkness. Chief Souza saw it moving. He raised his binoculars, and could barely see the top of Angus’s head. “That sonofabitch,” he muttered.

“What? What do you see?” Annie asked.

“He’s getting away. He’s hijacked that boat.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” He picked up the microphone to his walkie-talkie. “All units be advised, suspect has commandeered a civilian boat called the Wild Thing. He appears to have a hostage onboard. Dispatch, call the Coast Guard, we’ll need their help to catch this guy. They’re the only ones with a boat fast enough to catch him.”

“Roger that, Chief,” Dispatch Officer Thompson responded.

“They’re not the only ones,” Annie said.

“What do you mean?” He looked down at Annie’s outstretched palm and saw her holding the keys to the Whale Center’s rescue boat. Their eyes met for a moment, then without hesitation Chief Souza said “Let’s go.”

Read it from the beginning:
Table of Contents