Emerald Fire Read Online Free

of us wins.”
    He stood to lose a big sum of money. For her, it would be a loss of historical proportions. Eight generations to be exact. She never should’ve hid the old journal on board.
    They were leaving the city and entering the hills, Castries’ version of suburbia. Downtown buildings were a mix of old and new, but on the outskirts the architecture looked reminiscent of the New Orleans French Quarter. The streets were narrow and lined by a menagerie of colorful townhouses sporting ornate wrought iron balconies, a riot of flowers, and the same flirtatious atmosphere of indulgence and romance.
    She wasn’t interested in any of it. The only thing she wanted from her reluctant, albeit gorgeous, partner was help in finding the Fire.
    And to find her Uncle Jon alive and well.His fate worried her to no end. The only solace came from the fact that her uncle was a streetwise and savvy businessman. He could outsmart the best-laid plans, always find the angle. For him to fall prey to pirates was unimaginable. He knew the sea and its dangers. He’d find a way to escape harm.
    He had to be out there, somewhere.
    They crested a ridge, and Finn turned onto another tiny street before squeezing into a parking spot in front of a quaint café on the edge of the hillside.
    Minutes later, they were seated out back on a large deck, their table next to the rail. Sunshine surrounded them, along with palm trees and pink bougainvillea. From under the shade of a deep green umbrella, Chloe glanced down the steep mountainside, then outward to a panoramic rivaling any postcard she’d ever seen.
    Castries spread out below them. A bustling capital city nestled between high volcanic mountain peaks and wrapped around a deep elongated horseshoe bay of vivid blue. In the center of the bay, a mammoth cruise ship commanded the harbor, while small office buildings and multi-floor hotels spread from the airport on the right to Morne Fortune, a hilltop colonial battleground on the left. It was all lush greenery, sparkling water, and sun-drenched tropics. The kind of place tailor-made for honeymoons and romantic getaways, not a rally point for pirates and gold-digging wives bent on murder.
    After they ordered lunch, Finn opened his laptop and began tapping the keys. She leaned over to watch. When Google Earth filled the screen, he typed in SafeSail’s GPS numbers. The globe shifted to the Caribbean and honed in near an island just north of them.
    She caught her breath on a hopeful flare of expectation. “Where is it?”
    “The southern coast of Guadeloupe. But that was hours ago. Doesn’t mean that’s her current location.”
    She stared at the map, at the countless little islands dotting the screen. “Still, it doesn’t look like the pirates are taking the Emerald Fire out to sea.”
    “No,” he agreed. “Probably headed for a chop shop.”
    “So we have time, right?”
    “Maybe.” He didn’t sound encouraging, but as chances went, she’d take slim over none any day. Sometimes that was all you needed.
    He studied the map intently, jotted down a few notes, then flipped to another website. She took a sip of lemonade and watched the Coast Guard site load. “Now what are you looking for?”
    “Maritime reports on crime activity in the area.”
    “You’ll find it listed with the Coast Guard?”
    “That and the International Maritime Organization, the Caribbean NET News, and the U.S. State Department. They all provide current data on missing vessels, petty crime, and piracy.”
    Luck might be on her side with Finnegan Kane. Boston Marine would only employ the best with ten million dollars on the line. While he continued to punch computer keys and scribble on the notepad, she watched the activity in the harbor and contemplated her next course of action.
    Despite all the precautions she’d taken, the journal, the most important piece in her research, got ripped away by a money-hungry schemer. Lisa Banks may have manipulated Uncle Jon into