Jack Beale 00 - Dangerous Shoals

arm and handed the disc to Kurt, who let go of Max’s hair and reached out and took it from Jack with his injured hand. The knife remained at her throat all the while. He studied the disc, then tossed it onto the nav station.
    Kurt was silent for a moment. As Jack studied him, it was obvious that the killer was thinking hard about the situation, but through it all, he never eased his grip on Max, and her eyes continued to be fixed on Jack. He looked back at her, hoping that she understood the ruse.
    “Turn around and put your hands on the shelf,” Kurt barked at Jack.
    As Jack slowly turned, he could hear movement behind him. He turned his head and saw that Max was once again on her knees. “I said turn around,” Kurt repeated, and he yanked on Max’s hair, causing her to emit another muffled scream.
    Jack turned back to face the bulkhead. As soon as he did, he felt a crushing pain and the world went black.
    Kurt had let go of Max, grabbed a heavy pot from the stove, and crashed it down on Jack’s head. Now Max looked in horror at Jack’s crumpled figure on the floor. Kurt gave him a kick. Jack didn’t move or moan. Kurt looked down at him, rolled Jack over, bound his hands and feet with duct tape and stripped off Jack’s shirt. A wide piece of tape over Jack’s mouth finished the job.

CHAPTER 98
    AS SOON AS KURT had Jack all trussed up, he turned toward Max and slowly began unbuttoning his shirt. The intensity of the look of panic and fear in her eyes caught him a little off guard and he smiled. “This is going to be even more fun than I had imagined,” he thought. He slipped out of his shirt and put on Jack’s. Then he looked down at her. “Well my dear, here’s what is going to happen. We are going on a little adventure. We are going for a sailboat ride. I know you know how to drive this boat. I’ve been watching you all summer. Try anything and I will kill him, one piece at a time.” He pointed his knife at Jack’s limp body and slashed it back and forth in the air. Max fought back tears, but she nodded her head up and down.
    “Good. Now I’m going to take the tape off your mouth first. No noise or he will lose his first body part.” He ripped the tape off her mouth, reopening the cut on her lip, which began to bleed again. She tasted the blood and fought another wave of nausea. “Why are you doing this?” she pleaded.
    “Quiet. I don’t want to hear a sound from you. Do you want me to start on him?”
    She shook her head from side to side.
    “Good,” said Kurt. “Then keep your mouth shut.” He sat down at the nav station, picked up the disc, and looked at it. Max stared alternately at him and then at Jack. After what seemed like an eternity, Kurt stood and looked down on her. “Now listen carefully. I’m going to cut your legs free, then I’m going to remove the cuffs. After, we are going to go outside and you are going to start this boat. I’ll untie it and you will drive us out of the harbor. Do you understand?”
    Max started to reply, but the look he gave her made her just nod.
    As many times as Max had gone sailing with Jack, he had always been the captain and she the crew. While she knew how to do what Kurt wanted, she had never done it all by herself. Jack had always guided her. It was all she could do to control the fear and panic that was making her feel like throwing up.
    Kurt picked up his knife, bent around her, and with only the slightest movement cut through the tape binding her feet. He pulled her up, and she tottered as the feeling began to return to her legs. He grabbed her arm to steady her, then moved closer and wrapped his arms around her. He could smell her and it was better than he had imagined. He thought back to his visits to the apartment. He paused for a moment.
    Max stiffened while another wave of panic and fear washed over her. As he wrapped his arms around her, she detected the faintest smell of Jack from his shirt, and that sudden connection gave her some hope. But this was quickly replaced by the stench of Kurt’s sweat and rotting flesh, and she was overcome with despair. She didn’t even feel him unlocking the handcuffs. He stepped back. Her arms felt lighter and tingled as they fell to her sides.
    “Are you ready?” Kurt asked. He looked down at Jack’s inert body.
    Max nodded yes.
    “Okay, nice and slow. Do it right. It’s all up to you.”
    Max climbed up the steps and out into the cockpit. The sun was beginning its final descent. She