CSCI podcast Pt 41 - The mystery crime thriller at sea from Cruise Ship Crime Investigators

welcome to a cruise ship Heist chapter 106 the switch the captain's private office is a room adjacent to his living quarters just along from mine Ronnie and Hunter are there waiting the captain has yet to arrive she's still alive Hunter says passing me his phone the film plays and it is his wife tied and gagged looking very frightened a newspaper is raised up to fill the screen the date is circled but it doesn't need to be the headline is drug gang arrested on cruise ship heading for fun Chow she dies if Maria Isabel is harmed is shouted then the disturbing film ends Hunter must be going through hell but he seems calm I fix him and look demanding he bring me up to speed the three gang members we pulled in Maria agreed to turn Jill and them in in return she thinks we're gonna let her off the ship at midnight and she will reveal where Ali e is after making the deal we let her Escape she's on the Run we think by herself now you think Wow we lost her she went backstage and I can't see her coming out of any door Hunter admits the trunk has been moved and we hope forgotten Ronnie adds pleased with herself that the money is safe she never came out like Ali was never on stage there's a trick a simple trick we're not in the magic circle but I know someone who is I say going for the phone and dialing next door e Maria went backstage and never came out what's the trick I ask putting her on speaker the blonde dancer it's a neoprene painted face mask and a wig Hunter immediately Rings down and asks one of his trusted assistants to go through the security footage again she came out as a blonde wearing a wig and a face mask he turns to me just having figured what my next remark will be that means she knows Ali was on stage the captain enters and all attention turns to him how are you holding up Hunter he asks holding it together sir firstly well done no cruise ship can be used to run drugs the whole industry is looking at our excellent work he shakes Ronnie's hand they're mine before turning back to Hunter the chopper will be overhead at 20 hundred hours tomorrow just as it gets dark we will be just under 200 miles out it's all confirmed exactly as you requested thank you Captain Hunter says now are you sure you're up to this the captain asks all of us I have no idea what he's on about yes sir Ronnie says yes sir I add because I'm one of the team and whatever it is I'm in good luck with that the captain turns and leaves okay what is it I don't know scene 107 the calm fifth C Day the sea is mesmerizing in the early Rising Sun maybe it's the Calm before the storm today I know it will swing from cakes to flambe I missed Georgie last night but I would have been restless and unsettled sleeping the night before a big mission can be tough but last night was impossible my life has become about more than just me this operation has high emotional Stakes for Hunter and that means us I can see that despite his own problems he looked out for my daughter who's now sleeping like a log in the other room for three ex-service people thrown together who never trusted each other we didn't do too badly now we're committed in total trust these bonds last a lifetime sadly some lifetimes are cut short I'm spinning my lucky baseball cap on my finger the one I always wear the day of a mission I check my watch again but the time has not moved much I'm avoiding my phone because it's downloaded a news attachment silver sent and the open button is tormenting me I don't want to see a headline about a dead kid from the bank death follows me and it needs to stop if he was killed for that money Georgie will never get over it I'm not sure I could get over the death of another youngster I flip the phone over top bigquay Property Management Sylvie's estate donates 150 000 US dollars to school is the headline and I breathe freely as I read on found in the back Waters of their office when planting vegetables was a bag of mixed notes all wet and muddy Sylvia Cardinal who runs the renting and sales agents on the island says she called the police immediately and took it to the bank for safe keeping Mitchell Brown the young bank teller there said he had never seen so much money in a mess old notes ranging from one dollar bills to 100 EC dollar bills the young man had to dry them and count the money which amounts to way over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars it has been donated to the Saint Vincent School fund if just a little good comes from this madness then maybe it's been worth it I would love to see the face of that nun in the school who wanted me to have a word with someone Georgie has no idea about our mission no one has except the captain it may be way too early but I leave letting the door slam behind me then I realize I left my baseball cap by the chair I stop old habits and superstitions I open the door and re-enter to see Kristoff trying to rush back to Ali's room naked I grab my hat morning officer bakarov good morning sir I love to myself take my hat and go the show is once again packed the audience is full of questions but what do I know about helicopters flying above ships thank you all for coming today are you all looking forward to funchiao there is a half-hearted cheer they seem to be here for the headlines again I'm sure you'll all be at the side of the ship tomorrow to film the police cars don't forget to charge those phones and make sure you have enough space left in the memory tonight stay away from the decks as advised it will be dark before we get within helicopter range so there will be nothing to see at the back I can see Hunter with his thumb up the plan is on my heart sinks I take a bow they applaud and my ordeal on stage is over my talks and commentaries are finally done the company will be whisking me off to head office with e our future will be entering a publicity machine if I survive unlike Ali I won't even be going as far as Madeira but only three other people know that neither Ali nor Georgie can be told Georgie opens her cabin door half asleep I have woken her her eyes widen and I kiss her I've missed her all night one last entanglement in her sheets is the warmth I needed to know again that I have loved and Been Loved because I have a bad feeling about reaching tomorrow Georgie is trying on every dress and every pair of shoes that have been moved from Maria's cabin the shoes are dope you look amazing in anything can I have these she was a stowaway on a ship she had nothing so I don't know where these came from I say smiling what shall I wear tonight our last night I will never see that but she can't know scene 108. team of three the ship has slowed right down and the Thunder of the helicopter rotors Echoes through the upper stairwell where we wait below us in position are all the ship's crew wearing their yellow baseball hats and life jackets they are stopping passengers from climbing to the upper decks they will have seen helicopters above the ship before taking medical emergencies away this time it is to take away three prisoners but they can't see it is US dressed in black from top to bottom with only our eyes showing through the holes in the balaclavas the lights on the deck go out no one will see the events in any detail the security team walk us out as if we're prisoners I look up and see the chopper is stable three ropes are dropped down we are hooked on and then lifted within seconds We Are Climbing higher the ship looks smaller and smaller and is a shadow in The Distance by the time I'm dragged inside 90 minutes from now the chopper will be back in Madeira this is our magic circle these are our tricks now we are each past a black bag which we dutifully open and check a small automatic weapon plus spare Clips night vision goggles a medical pack and radio units Hunter tosses the commander a pouch and I know it is full of 100 bills any one of us could have put together a small private Mission like this we will keep the local police off your back if they cotton on but they won't two men in the street below you'll see them as you walk in a sniper in the Attic opposite and two cars waiting to extract the Commander in the chopper shouts into the comms unit we all put thumbs up let me do this my wife Michael Hunter shouts and the commander nods we each take the top of our rope and feed it through our speed descenders attached to our front no one needs to be shown each of us takes the Rope leg pouch and wraps it around our ankle where it is velcro tight the ropes are then attached to the rail above the door and we check and double check each other this is the second mission the three of us have worked as a unit this time we know each other we have all gone over the plans of the building an attic above an empty shop that Ronnie discovered that was taken on a short-term let for cash just four weeks ago the attic has been staked out and listened to all day and we know that is our Target Coast Guard confirms high-speed boat is on calls to the ship ETA midnight Hunter and Ronnie give him the thumbs up we must hit the house and get Hunter's wife before the boat arrives as Maria will never be released the chopper starts to dip towards the island five minutes out the commander shouts holding up five outstretched fingers get ready to drop [Music]