Tidal Rage by David Evans (best big ereader .TXT) 📗

firstly New Zealand, later to Rarotonga, the most populous and beautiful island in the Cook Islands. The vessel would then travel onwards across the International Date Line and take in Cabo on the west coast of Mexico, before finally heading into the Port of Los Angeles. Sebastian was contracted to do the outward leg of the journey as far as Singapore. He would then have thirty-six hours of leisure in the area before flying home to San Diego for a short break before joining a ship in Miami.

The ship owners decided that entertainers would stay on board for a maximum of a month before being rotated to another liner, and rest periods every three months. This procedure ensured that the passengers received a variety of performers throughout the cruise. The most critical part for Sebastian was that he would then have thirty-six hours in Singapore before flying home.

During the cruise down to Singapore, Sebastian was playing seven nights a week, from 7:30-9:00 pm, and then 11:00 pm to 12:30 am. Occasionally, he would perform in the main lounge to back up the entertainers.

The ship had a gross tonnage of 101,500, and a length of 893 feet. It could cruise along at 21 knots, which equates to 24 miles per hour, and had accommodation for 2,750 passengers, with an average of two guests per room.

The ship had nine decks, with an atrium dissecting seven levels right through the centre. The second to top outer deck consisted of two bars, a bistro, a large swimming pool, three hot spas, and a multitude of deck chairs. Running through deck six was an avenue, an arcade of shops running aft from the atrium. Forward of the atrium on deck seven was the piano lounge, and this was to be Sebastian’s working area, with the odd appearance on the main theatre or variety bar as planned by the entertainment manager, who was treated like minor royalty, while the captain of the ship was the king.

Sebastian was quite amused at how the entertainers were treated compared to the other staff. All ships have a hierarchy of respect and treatment from peers and others. The ship’s officers, who dealt with sailing and engineering, came top of the tree. The crew captain came next, followed by the entertainers, then the chefs and waiting staff. The cabin boys and girls and laundry staff sat squarely at the bottom of the heap.

Sebastian received respect for his status as an artist, but behind the scenes some would sneer at his appearance and attitude. He was one of the few who had a single-person cabin, a real perk when you considered that the waiters shared four to a cabin. The single cabin status displayed the entertainers’ standing in the pecking order.

The work was easy, and the temptations on offer were overwhelming. Sebastian could have had a multitude of older women guests; it was unbelievable how many middle-aged women would make it quite clear to Sebastian that they would appreciate a little more than Atlantic Crossing or Rockin’ Robin. The lip scar and strange hairdo did not seem to put these women off. Music was the key to emotion.

His scarred lip mattered little. To sleep with the excellent pianist was a priority for some of the guests. However, Sebastian was not interested in sex; he was involved in another type of pleasure, the extreme joy which comes from being in control, to have the power to give and to take away life.

Sebastian used his spare time each day to research and look for an excellent opportunity to satisfy his ever-present needs. He studied the route and destinations of the cruise carefully, and maps of the ports. He researched towns near the cruise terminals, as well as some further afield. The place to launch his first attack had to be far enough away from the cruise port. The police force had to be limited in professionalism and lacking new technology.

Almost immediately, this ruled out Singapore, as the police force had been trained by the British and had the latest technology as befitted a first-world nation.

However, while the Malaysians had also had training from the British, their force, due to economics, was not as efficient, nor did it have the technological advances that Singapore enjoyed. The Malaysian police force was concentrated in the principal cities, such as Kuala Lumpur, and had far less coverage in the outlying areas and islands.

Sebastian had reconciled himself to Malaysia. The target area needed to have sufficient escape routes. It would be easy to get to and from Singapore by train and be within sixteen hours of travelling time. The area had to be somewhat remote, and far enough away from the main conurbations with increased police presence. Sebastian had worked out that he had thirty-six hours from beginning to end so he could be on the flight home on Monday that the cruise line company had booked him on.

Everything pointed to the kampongs on the islands of Penang or Langkawi. However, Penang was a much shorter ferry ride, and it also had a connecting bridge from the mainland, so Penang it was.

Sebastian had decided to carry out his attack in one of the kampongs. He knew these villages of bamboo and corrugated iron huts had little in the way of security. Sebastian needed a kampong that was on the tourist route. Even though he had similar colouring to the locals, he had Eurasian tones and looks, and with his scar on his lip, he would stand out in an area devoid of tourists. He needed the district to have public transport. There was no possibility of hiring a motorbike or car, as they would require a paper trail, and Sebastian’s forgery skills were not up to that standard.

Although he was confident the police force had little training in the way of modern forensic science, he had decided not to leave any traces. He would