Four Pirates and a…Little Lady?

by Technomad

Chapter 11

"Look at this," said Dutch. He held up the Roanapur English-language paper, the Roanapur Weekly Report. Screaming headlines dominated the front page:

North Koreans Foiled!

Heroic Police Chief Leads Raid!

Counterfeiters, Kidnappers, Taken Into Custody!

South Korean Consul Rescued!

Below the headlines, a huge picture of Chief Watsup of the Roanapur Police filled much of the rest of the page, with him grinning like he'd just won the lottery.

"I read the story," Benny drawled. "In the immortal words of – someone – I may vomit." He mimed doing so. "To read that, you'd think that Watsup was like a combination of Judge Dredd, Sir Lancelot and Audie Murphy."

"Instead of the scumbag with his hand always out that we all know and – tolerate." Revy grinned. "Hey, he can make those reporters' lives miserable; they probably have to write what he says."

"Sergeant Borisov says that the Thai-language papers are even worse," Dutch rumbled. He reflexively reached for a cigarette, then remembered where they were.

Rachel's room at the Roanapur hospital was the place where they were all gathered. She had been in a very bad way when they had gotten her to shore, despite the best efforts of Balalaika's medics, and had lost a great deal of blood; the North Korean's knife had cut open her liver.

Balalaika had an ambulance waiting, but it had been touch-and-go for some time. Now she was out of danger, but slept a lot, like right then. Her room was a sea of flowers and "Get Well!" cards, mostly courtesy of the Vysotniki. Chang had sent her a box of candy, which Revy had appropriated, "to see if they're fit for my little sister to eat." Right then, she was about halfway through. "After all," she had pointed out, when Rock asked her why she kept eating them, "just because one's all right doesn't mean they all are."

Rock gave Revy a sardonic look. Rock was nearly ready to leave the hospital, and was fully ambulatory, so when he'd heard that Rachel was also a patient, he had come around regularly to see how she was getting along. Revy had been very pleased to see him making sure she got the best care.

"Well, with the Cheonji gone, things here are probably going to return to nearly-normal," Dutch rumbled. "I've heard that the local talent's rallied, and the Koreans that weren't aboard when we hit that ship have mostly either disappeared or been taken on by Chang, Balalaika or one of the other local outfits. They're talented, and Chang told me that the ones he got were mainly just glad to get free of that nuthouse and the 'Dear Leader.'"

Just then, Rachel opened her eyes, and looked around. "Hi," she whispered. At that, all other conversation was dropped, as the Black Lagoon crew crowded around to greet her. At first, she didn't seem to be focussing, but then her expression cleared as she saw what was around her bed. Her big black eyes opened wide. "Who sent all these flowers? And where am I?"

"You're in hospital in Roanapur," Rock answered her, taking one of her hands. "You were stabbed aboard the Cheonji, so we brought you here. Chief Watsup's taking all the credit for the raid."

"Let him." Rachel was sounding more like herself every minute. "Credit doesn't put money in my pocket, gin in my bottle, or ammunition in my magazine, does it? Now, cash, cash and a good line of credit, those are useful."

Dutch looked at Revy. "She sounds so like you it's scary sometimes."

Revy looked innocent. "Considering how we grew up, it's not surprising. And, after all, shouldn't a little sister look up to and admire her big sister?"

"Does that apply to letting the big sister hog the little sister's candy?" Benny asked.

"What?" squawked Rachel. She saw the nearly-empty candy box that Revy was suddenly trying to hide behind herself. "Was that for me? Give me it, you big meanie!" When Revy passed her little sister the box, Rachel looked inside, and her eyes went wide. "You pig, you gobbled almost all the candy! I bet you didn't even share with the rest of the crew!"

"Big sister's privilege," Revy drawled, as the rest of the Lagoon crew gave her hard looks. "Part of being the big sis is getting all the good stuff. Along with getting to go out with guys earlier, getting to use things like makeup earlier…"

"And getting cellulite on the thighs earlier," put in Rachel, with a fiendish grin. "I don't like to talk about these things in front of guys, Rebecca, but you look like you're putting on some weight. And is that a gray hair or two I see?"

Revy paled, as Rock, Benny and Dutch all laughed. "Rachel, when you're up and out of that bed, you are going to get the biggest thrashing of your life!" Rachel's outstuck tongue told everybody what she thought of Revy and her threats alike.

"So nice to see you feeling better, Miss Rachel," commented Balalaika, who had come into the room unnoticed while everybody else was preoccupied with the sisterly byplay. "At this rate you'll be up and around and stirring up trouble in no time!"

"Oh! Hello, Miss Balalaika!" At the sight of Balalaika, Rachel visibly put on her best manners. Revy had been very clear about just how dangerous Balalaika could be, after the incident with the "sub-aquatic investment acreage," and as a result, Balalaika had warmed to Rachel considerably. "Please, make yourself at home. I'd offer you a place to sit, but these men – and my sister – have hogged all the chairs, it looks like." With that reminder, all the Lagoon crew leaped to their feet, and Balalaika selected a chair and sat down, crossing one elegant leg over the other. Every male eye was riveted, and she smiled.

Rachel whispered enviously to Revy: "I wish I was pretty like her."

Balalaika overheard; little ever got past her. "Do not say such things, little Rachel. You're pretty like Rachel, and that's all you'll ever need. In any case, I dropped by to tell you that I've covered the hospital bills, both for you and for Mister Yaponski."

"You didn't have to do that, Miss Balalaika," Dutch spoke up. "The Black Lagoon Company does have hospitalization insurance. However, it's a very nice gesture, and I do thank you for it." At his pointed look, both Rock and Rachel added their thanks, and Balalaika gave them a smile.

"I also wanted to see that your recovery was progressing, and I can see that it is. I was wondering if you'd be willing to take some training from my men?" At this, Rachel's eyes went very wide and she let out a squeal of delight. "I take it that means 'yes, I'd love to do that, thank you.' Very well. When you are out of the hospital, please come 'round to Bougainvilla Trading and we shall arrange things. I will be happy to work around the schedule of your present employers, of course."

"That's very nice of you." Rachel finally managed to get out a coherent sentence.

"Oh, not necessarily. I have plans, and some of them could well involve you. Once you've turned eighteen, and your juvenile records are sealed, having someone nearby with real, authentic, unfaked American travel documents could be very useful. Just as Mister Yaponski was on our trip to Japan…remember?"

Revy and Rock both turned very pale. They remembered that trip, vividly. Revy looked like she was about to say something, then visibly changed her mind. Balalaika got up to go. "Dosvidanya, little Rachel. Get well soon. My men were all asking how you were doing, and I shall tell them that you'll be back soon." With that she was gone, and only a whiff of very expensive French perfume was left to remind them of her presence. Her high-heeled shoes tapped on down the tile-floored hall until the elevator door opened and shut, and she was gone.

Revy let out one long shuddering breath. "That woman…I respect her, I respect her a lot…but she's got a mind like a shark with a genius IQ."

"I couldn't have said it better," Benny said. "She's so Machiavellian sometimes, I think she even sleeps to further some plan or other."

"Hey, why worry?" Rachel piped up. "That'd be five years from now, and a lot could happen in that time. I could die, Balalaika could die, or something could come up that made her forget all about whatever she's scheming." Rachel reached for her nightstand and found a deck of cards. "I wonder if any of the nurses or orderlies here play cards?" Her expression was very predatory for a second, before going so innocent that anybody who knew her would have known instantly she was scheming something. "Even without her picking up the tab, I could probably win enough to cover it!"

The adults in the Lagoon company looked at each other, and they all shrugged helplessly.

THE END