Chapter 1: Happy New Year

“Happy New Year!” Isabella exclaimed as she perched on the edge of the berth in what was usually her cabin. On a sailing catamaran, the staterooms are all located down inside the twin hulls, with the common areas located on the two decks above the twin hulls.

“I’m sorry to have to wake you, but Captain Alfred and Reggie would like to see you on the flying bridge,” Isabella informed me.

I groaned as my eyes struggled to become accustomed to the sunlight streaming through the large window. Large stateroom windows were a trademark on most Sunreef yachts and someone had forgotten to close the window shades last night.

The last few days had been packed with both excitement and fear. First was the confrontation with The US Naval Task Force; then being escorted by the French Navy to the French Naval Base on Martinique. There, we were greeted by officials who wanted to arrest everyone on the yacht. And just when everything began to go to hell-in-a-handbasket, there came a visit from the base commander, who happened to be an old friend of Captain Alfred’s.

But it wasn’t until Reggie showed up a few hours later that I had my greatest surprise. Rappeneau’s is one of the largest banks in the world. Headquartered in Zurich, it was founded by Baron Rappeneau and his two brothers in 1804. It is privately owned, and they fund a couple of charities, but the major one is the Rappeneau Foundation.”

The Foundation, as everyone refers to it, was set up to provide for and protect the Rappeneau family, which it has done for over two hundred years. One very small part of this foundation is the RSF or Rappeneau Security Force. It is staffed and manned by over a two dozen highly trained security people with a combined five hundred years of security experience. The Board of Directors appoints one of its members to oversee the RSF. That board member happens to be Roland’s mother. Reginald (Reggie) De’bushe is in charge of the Security Force. He’s also Carina’s older brother.

I discovered that with the new year, I had become an employee of the Foundation with both Swiss and French diplomatic security passports. I’d have to get my attorney, Cynthiana, to explain that one to me later.

Finally, I closed my eyes and thought back to last night and the young girl that was still sleeping beside me...

“Alex, since we’re staying on the boat one more night, I was wondering ... that is, if you haven’t got other plans, if maybe we might finish what we were talking about the other day?” Maryann had asked shyly.

Maryann Farmer and her cousin, Victoria Strobel had been sailing the Bahama’s with Victoria’s father (Maryann’s uncle) when they were stopped and boarded by pirates. While the two girls hid out in the hold, the pirates ransacked their rented yacht and beat up Victoria’s father. He subsequently suffered a stroke and we happened to came along in time to rescue them and arrange for Victoria’s father to be flown to a hospital. Because the girls had lost their passports in the pirate debacle, the two cousins decided to stay with us and tomorrow, the Consulate in Martinique was going to get them replacement papers and a flight back to Syracuse.

I knew what Maryann was asking. She had slept beside me a couple of nights ago, but that’s all we did. Sleep. I knew that she was younger than me, maybe fifteen or sixteen-years-old and I knew that she was still a virgin. I also knew that she was probably going to be flying back to Syracuse tomorrow. And I knew she wanted to lose her V-card. So I just took her hand and headed for the fantail to find us a private place to bed down for the night.

But before we could get settled, Reggie was standing there over us.

“I’m sorry, Alex. But you cannot sleep out here in the open tonight. It’s too risky. Why don’t you two try Isabella’s cabin. I’ll find somewhere else for them to sleep.” Isabella worked for Reggie at the foundation and she was also Roland’s half-sister.

So that’s how we ended up in Isabella’s cabin. I had no idea where she and my mom slept last night.

“You are a hard guy to get alone,” Maryann told me as we settled into the berth. “I’ve been waiting for the chance to be with you for two days!” she exclaimed. “But now, it’s too late. I started my period this morning.”