Chapter Eight: Circle of Thieves

On board the La Cage Aux Falles, Percival Yorkshire hung up the ship-to-shore line with a positively hateful look on his face. The beach house had burst into flames and now the local police and fire department were all over the scene. There would be questions, many questions that would complicate matters entirely too much. Percival pressed the intercom and summoned two of the ship's company. They were too close to the treasure to let things go astray now.

Doctor Wells stowed her clothing in the cabin she'd been assigned, then made her way topside. She made her way to the foredeck, where she spread out her beach towel, took off her wrap, and began to rub sunscreen on herself. After she'd stretched out on the towel she heard Percival Yorkshire say "I can get somebody to rub that on your back."

"Just as long as you don't." she shot back, “Your wife is acting like we're having an affair.”

“ It's cruel, but sometimes I feel the need to provoke her more, shall we say- territorial instincts, it keeps her focused on young women I don't trust entirely.”

Doctor Wells rolled over and found Mr. Yorkshire was accompanied by two of the ship's well-muscled thugs, both of them carrying lengths of nylon rope with them. She swallowed in a dry throat.

“You came to me, remember?” Doctor Wells said,”You said you wanted a hands-off way to get that treasure, so you could retain that air of respectability. “

“Perhaps. But that was before you began radioing your pirate friends to come and take it , after we had completed the recovery.”

“I...”

“Don't bother to deny it, Doctor Wells your little friends obligingly told me everything. But it didn't change what happened in the least.”

“Where are they?”

“My wife is tending to them. You'll be joining them shortly.” Percival said with a cruel smile. The two thugs closed in on Doctor Wells, ropes in hand.

With the aid of the local police and Bella's authority, the trio were able to ascertain La Cage Aux Falles travel path and her current location. After securing the services of speed boat and some long distance passes with binoculars the girls determined that the yacht had dropped anchor. Bella and Sasha quickly hashed out a plan to board the vessel from underneath through her diving well, hopefully before the salvage operation was fully underway. Bella planned to simply blend in with the staff as she had before, Sasha on the other hand was to find a good hiding spot and call in the police when it was certain the treasure had been brought up. With Corrine at the wheel, Bella and Sasha suited up for the dive. Corrine steered the boat in a properly lazy course before bringing it to a halt. La Cage Aux Falles was an easy swim from their location, which wasn't close enough to rouse any suspicions from anyone on board.

“You're sure about this?” Corrine asked for the fifteenth time from behind the wheel of the speed boat, ”It would be better with three of us.”

“Absolutely. We need you at the wheel. Once we're over the side, drive the boat a distance away . We'll signal if there's trouble.” Sasha replied, adjusting her weight belt. Bella helped her shoulder her oxygen tank properly before the detective turned to do the same for her.

“Good luck.” the actress said with a smile.

Sasha and Bella masked and tipped backward over the side of the boat with a splash. Corrine wet her lips nervously and slowly steered the boat around and drove it a few miles away. She got out binoculars and focused them on the huge looming yacht. Even at considerable distance, the boat seemed gigantic. It seemed like no one was on deck, however.

On board La Cage Aux Falles, the steel door to the decompression chamber was opened and a squirming, mewling bound and gagged Doctor Wells was thrust roughly inside. Ilsa and Sylvia already lay hogtied and gagged on the floor of the small metal chamber. Bianca Yorkshire grabbed Doctor Wells by her hair and shoved the woman down on her knees and then over onto her belly. Doctor Wells grunted angrily.

“Oh do be quiet, Doctor. “ Bianca said sternly, folding the struggling woman's legs up behind her back and then sitting on them. “Rope, please. “she said to the two ship hands accompanying her. A length of nylon rope was quickly passed to her and Bianca began hogtying Doctor Wells. When she had finished, the ropes passing between the captive's arms and ankles were as taut as a bowstring. Doctor Wells moaned painfully. Bianca Yorkshire stood up.

“There, that should keep you ladies out of the way. You know, you really shouldn't have tried to betray us. We would have shared the treasure equitably as agreed. Well, most likely we would have. Anyway. Enjoy your new quarters.”

Bianca steeped out of the decompression chamber and the two deckhands closed the door tightly. Percival as waiting for her with open arms. Smiling, Bianca fell into her husband's embrace and kissed him.

“It would simpler my love, if you simply told me your suspicions about our erstwhile partner in crime, rather than provoking my envy. You know what they say about a woman's scorn .” Bianca said disapprovingly.

“Was there a second when you doubted my love?” he asked Bianca seriously.

“Briefly. But never with that woman.” Bianca replied nodding toward the decompression chamber.

“Indeed?”

Bianca smiled and kissed Percival again but only briefly, ”A woman's scorn, remember?” she said teasingly. Percival chuckled and shook his head.

“Well then, would you like to do the honors, love?” he asked, gesturing grandly toward the chamber's control panel.

“But of course.” Bianca returned with a smile. She reached over and gave the dial on the panel a quarter-turn and pressed a large green button. The pumps yawned and shuddered slowly to life.

“Let's make an end of this.” Percival said, reaching for the intercom microphone, “Attention all hands ! Attention all hands ! Salvage team to the diving chamber at once. All other personnel on over-watch until further notice. That is all.”

Bella for her part nearly got lost twice on the Yorkshires' massive yacht. Their timing in boarding the vessel couldn't have been more perfect. After Percival had issued his orders and he and Bianca had left the diving well, there were so many people moving all over the boat, focused on their duties as the crew prepared to retrieve the sunken treasure that one face tended blend in with every other. Sasha on the other hand peered in on the captive trio squirming uncomfortably inside the decompression chamber. Bianca had set the thing to increase the air pressure on the captive women, which would suffocate them slowly over time. Although it was satisfying to know the criminal alliance had soured so quickly, the detective decided she couldn't let Doctor Wells and her compatriots suffer such a cruel death. Sasha examined the control panel and flipped the switches controlling the safety valve. There was a sharp hiss, but not much louder than the racket the machine was making already so hopefully no one would take notice that the air was escaping as it was being pumped in. She didn't dare let them go, as their release would surely cause the Yorkshires to turn the vessel upside down looking for them. Underneath a canvas cover was a self-propelled recovery rig bristling with armatures, underwater cutting torches and other tools . She replaced the cover quickly. There was also several large boxes in the diving well, but she had no idea what they were for.

“ Good a hiding place as any.” Sasha muttered to herself. Not long after she had curled up behind the crates, six men in diving suits came down. Three of the men uncovered and hooked the recovery rig to an electronic winch, while the other three finished suiting up and fitting each other with oxygen tanks. The recovery rig was raised and moved into position over the diving well. The man passed the control box over to one of suited up compatriots and then he and the other two men finished suiting. The recovery rig was slowly lowered toward the opening and dropped with a gentle splash. Three divers followed after. Then the other three. Sasha peeked out from her hiding spot.

The retrieval effort was underway.