David Dun - Overfall

“Yeah, well, let’s just relax about that,” Sam said.

“Mum’s the word.” She sat Sam down at the table and in twenty minutes the wounds were covered with antibiotics and Sam had two dollar-sized bandages on his right arm and three on his left. After saying thank you and exchanging a few more pleasantries, Sam and Anna excused themselves to the washroom.

They tried acting as if they were strolling Fifth Avenue in jeans and Armani. They weren’t completely successful, drawing wide-eyed stares from a pair of bird-watchers. The washroom was also the laundry room and was on a large float behind the docks. They made their way out the gangplank.

“I’m taking a shower. Despite the hunger pangs,” she said. Then she leaned close. “When are they going to show up?”

“When they feel like it. You figure maybe they’ll use a rocket launcher on the shower?”

“It’s not funny. When are we going to make this plan?”

“It’ll come. Relax. I need you to be on vacation.”

“With a rocket up my you know what?”

“The Mounties are all over this place. It’ll be fine. And if they use a rocket on you, you won’t know what hit you.”

“Well, that makes me feel better.”

She went into the stall, stripped off her dirty clothes, and got under the hot water.

He came back with towels.

She interrupted the warm comfort of the shower, picked up her filthy shirt, and held it in front of her. Unlatching the door, she stuck out an arm. At that moment a shower of icy-cold water came over the door. She screamed. “How could you do that?” Then in came Sam’s hand around the door with two fluffy dry towels, one of them with a big picture of a smiley face. The hand returned with a pair of wool trousers and a fresh shirt. Even a bra and underpants along with a blow-dryer.

“I borrowed them from Betty,” he said.

“Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“Can’t you pretend to like me just a little?”

He sighed. “Sorry, it’s a tribal custom. We had a victory. You do this with people you like. Especially when you’re on vacation.”

The shower stall slammed shut.

Chellis waited impatiently for the phone to ring. Finally it did.

“They got to Echo Bay,” Roberto said.

Chellis listened to the story for as long as he could, then cut Roberto off. “I want you out of this. You will do nothing more. Absolutely nothing. It’s screwed up. If they’re smart and we’re lucky, they’ll say nothing because the rocket launch would be pinned on Jason. I’m sending someone to handle this. You get a picture of the man with Anna, but do nothing else. Do you understand?”

“Tell me exactly what happened,” Anna said, knowing that whatever Sam had said or done could make the press.

“While you were in the shower and on the phone, I went and talked to the Mounties. I’ll tell you over lunch.” When they went back inside, Betty gave them a bit of a funny look.

“Come on.” Betty nodded toward the back. On a small table there were fried potatoes, a small steak, scrambled eggs, tofu, two apples, two oranges, two apricots, a large pile of lox, bagels, and cream cheese.

“My God,” Anna said. “It looks good.”

They sat down and Anna filled her plate with half the eggs and a pile of potatoes.

Betty came in, closed the door, and waited as if she had an announcement.

“There is a man named Roberto out here that wants to see Anna.”

“Tell him we’ll be right out,” Sam said.

Betty nodded. “Take your time. I’m sure they can wait a minute while you eat.”

“What did you tell the Mounties and what happened with Roberto?” Anna asked Sam.

“Roberto’s buddy tried to take my picture. Seems the guy with the Minolta fell in the water and ruined his camera.”

“You got in a fight?”

“I don’t think I would call throwing a guy off a dock a fight. I told the Mounties our boat sank and we hiked.”

“All this while I was drying my hair?”

They took a few more bites, concentrating on their food.

“Let’s go see what the slug wants. For once you can be an asshole and I won’t mind,” Anna said.

“You bring your broom and I won’t have to be.”

“I need some shades,” Sam said to Betty. She produced a pair still with tags, along with a new hat. “Now, that is service.”

Before they could step outside, Roberto opened the door. “Anna, we were so worried about you. I need to talk to you about Jason.”

Coolly, Anna said, “I’d like you to meet Sam. It was Sam’s boat. And I think you’re responsible.”

Sam stared at Roberto. Nervously she put a hand on Sam’s arm.

“We already met,” Sam said. “And his buddy Ansel Adams.”

“Let’s go outside.” Roberto was trying to look friendly.

Sam grabbed the hat and glasses; Anna took his arm as if he were escorting her for a walk, and they went out the door.

“Listen, Jason got carried away. I’m really sorry. Fortunately no one was hurt. That’s a miracle. We came after you and couldn’t find you. We thought after the boat thing that Jason was safe at the lodge, you know, calmed down. But he slipped out, got the rocket launcher again, and blew up the cabin as well. We had no idea until we caught up with him. We could tell the Mounties, but they don’t even allow Mace in the country, for God’s sake.”

“Why then does my brother have a rocket launcher, for God’s sake? It’s insane. You’re crazier than he is.”

“It’s gone. Destroyed. I agree it was crazy. But it’s what Jason wanted. Now he wants another one.”

“Can’t you tell him no?”

“Of course. We have. But the question of the moment is whether we tell the Mounties that your brother blew up the boat and the cabin or we just buy the cabin and be done with it.”

“The company will pay for the cabin?”

“Of course.”

“The boat too? It’s a million and a half dollars.”

“Of course the boat too.”

Anna looked at Sam.

“Anna, I need to speak with you alone about confidential company business,” Roberto said.

Anna kept looking at Sam.

“Over there by the ramp to the docks,” Sam suggested. It was visible from every direction including the Mounties’ boat.

“Okay,” Anna said, walking with Roberto.

“Jason lost a CD-ROM. It’s his work, but it belongs to the company.”

“I don’t know anything about it,” Anna told Roberto.

“You’re sure.” He scrutinized her, as intense as she’d ever seen him.

“I’m sure.”

Perhaps it was her imagination, but she was certain that he was looking at the fanny pack, actually located on her stomach, and that he was suspicious.

“We’re going to take Jason to see Dr. Galbraith in Seattle.”

“Well, I guess I don’t have a lot to say about it,” Anna said, “but I appreciate your telling me.” She walked back to Sam, feeling safer with every step she took away from Roberto.

“Let’s talk.” She led Sam back toward the forest.

“What did he want?”

“They want to take Jason to his doctor and they want to pin me down about whether we would press charges against Jason or anybody else for the boat. I told him no.”

“You don’t believe him about Jason and the rocket launcher, do you?” Sam said.

“It’s possible,” she said. “Jason could do anything. What I really wonder is, how can I possibly get control of my brother without years in court in France or Canada? The minute I start up, they’ll hit me with a smear campaign-with the videos they have of my brother explaining our estrangement. Oh, and to top it all, his daughter is completely out of control and hates me even more.”

“Grady, I think you said.”