Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

 

            “You’ll call me?!?” screamed Allison. The police sergeant answered her yells with a passive stare.

“Ma’am, it’s all I can do at the moment. We’ll look into it,” he said.

“You’ll look into it. What does that mean?” Krista asked aggressively, joining Allison’s wrath.

“I think that means he’s gonna get out his magnifying glass, call Watson, put on a British accent and deduce what happened,” Allison said cynically.

“Fantastic.”

“Now look,” the sergeant said. “I don’t take kindly to that tone, ma’am. We will do everything we can. We’ll get back to you soon.”

Allison started to say something but a gentle touch on her shoulder from James made her stop. Huffing and puffing, she left the police station, and the others followed.

After their encounter with their pursuers on the reef they headed to Key Largo, found the nearest police station, and related the story of their abduction and attempted murder. The sergeant that questioned them seemed to think it was some sort of joke. It really irked Allison, to almost have her friends killed and the police barely making a note of it.

“What I don’t understand,” James said, “is why he was going to kill you.”

“Because we would know his sinister plot, or something like that,” Cassian said.

“Yeah, but we didn’t,” Allison added.

“Exactly,” James said. “So, why then, after Krista ticked him, off did he not just let you go? Or even before that let you go? In fact, not even capture you at all. It makes no sense. You knew nothing, yet he was ready to kill you for it. And even if he did tell you, what was so important about it for him to want to kill you?” James asked.

He lapsed into thought.

Allison eyed him. “I don’t like where this is going,” she said uneasily.

‘HUH?” James, deep in thought, muttered.

“That look,” she said. “I am sure that whatever you are thinking is not a good thing. Not. At. All.”

“What are we missing?” Cassian asked nervously.

“I am sure that James is currently forming a dangerous plan in his head.” Allison looked up at James.

He returned the look with a sly smile.

“Oh, yes, I am.”

“This can’t be good,” Allison said.

“Actually, currently it isn’t that bad. I think we need to find out why he wanted you killed. What was his plan, and why is it so important he would kill you if you knew it?”

“And, how do you want to go about that?” Krista asked.

“Well, I think we should first find out who he is. That would be a good start. Then, maybe ask around, look into what he does, find out all we can about him, and then go from there.”

Allison looked surprised.

“See, it’s not that bad,” he finished.

“Surprisingly, yes.”

“I suppose we can use Robert for most of this,” Cassian said reluctantly.

“Thanks a bunch,” James said.

“Now the big question of the day…”

“Let me guess, Krista�"what’s for lunch?” Allison asked.

“No, although that is a good start,” Krista replied. “I was actually thinking how do we get to your place? Last time I checked your boat was deep sixed in Florida Bay and both of our vehicles are in Miami.”

“She does have a very good point,” Allison said. “Oh, and I am talking about the food thing,” she added with a smile.

“OK, let’s make that our first priority, that way you’ll be happy. Then, from there, we will figure out how to get to Cassian’s lair,” James said.

They soon found a fast food joint and devoured a meal together. It felt good in their empty stomachs. They never had the chance to eat any of the snacks that they had stowed aboard Cassian’s vessel.

The long, sleepless, adrenalin-filled night did not help either. After they consumed the last crumb of the meal they began to discuss the possibilities of travel.

“What if we just hitchhike?” Allison asked. “We can put on our cutest little faces and hope that a kind stranger picks us up.”

“And hopefully doesn’t end up being a serial killer.”

“Just as long as they don’t kill my cocoa puffs,” Allison quipped.

“GASP! That would be just terrible,” Krista replied, acting astonished to Allison’s joke about a cereal killer.

“OK, so it may not be the brightest idea,” Allison agreed.

“We could rent a car, if we can find a place that does that,” Cassian put in.

“Or maybe we could find a bus that goes to Miami,” James added his idea.

“I wish I had my cell phone,” Allison said to no one in particular.

Cell phones and their other belongings were sitting at the bottom of Florida Bay. Luckily, they still had ninety percent of their things sitting at the hotel.

With no other suggestions, they sat in silence pondering over their ideas. Krista yawned. Their long night was catching up with them.

“What about the boat,” Allison asked out of the blue.

“You mean the one that is underwater?” Cassian asked.

“No,” Allison replied, exasperated. “The one that we stole.”

“Borrowed,” James corrected.

“Borrowed, whatever. The cops didn’t even take it into evidence, so it’s still tied up at the dock. And given the fact that the mad man sunk ours, I think that it’s only fitting that we use the one of his to get home.”

“The police should have it, though,” Cassian said.

“Yeah, but they were too ignorant to realize it, so we still have it for the moment,” Krista countered.

“I think it’s our best bet,” Allison said.

“I agree,” added James. “We can return it later, once they find out that what we said is true.”

“Fine,” Cassian finally gave in.

“Then, what are we waiting for?” Allison asked with a peculiar smile.

They left the fast food restaurant and walked back towards the police station and where they docked, a few blocks from that. They scampered onto the boat. Krista got into the drivers seat.

“No. No way. You are not driving,” Allison said sternly.

Krista pouted. “It’s just a boat. How can it go wrong?”

Allison laughed. “Krista, you said something similar to that line the last time we let you drive. And that was in a field that was acres and acres large yet you still managed to crash into the only tree around for miles.”

“It wasn’t my fault,” Krista tried to defend.

“No one was in the truck with you. The closest person was standing a hundred yards away.”

“Whatever,” she tried to shrug it off as Cassian gave her a curious look.

“Out,” Allison thumbed over her shoulder.

“You driving?” James asked Allison as Krista exited the seat.

“Yeah. You did teach me,” Allison replied as she slid behind the wheel.

James cast off the mooring line and she started the engine. With ease and grace she piloted the boat out of its mooring and towards the open water. Krista, in the passenger seat, punched the coordinates into a GPS system aboard.

“Why couldn’t we have used this last night?” she asked.

“Because it was dark and we couldn’t see it existed.” James said. “What, do you expect me and my bat senses to know all?”

He bent his head towards Allison, making a scary face while pulling his ears into points. Allison jabbed her elbow into his ribs. He groaned in extreme agony. He had forgotten about his hurt ribs.

“What is it?” Allison asked, concerned.

“I think I broke a rib when I dove into a brick wall.”

“Nice move,” was Krista’s sarcastic reply.

“Why don’t you have Krista look at it?” Allison threw in. “She is going to be a doctor.”

James grudgingly allowed Krista to gently finger and prod his chest. She had him lift up his shirt so she could examine his ribs better. A purplish bruise was already starting to form. After a couple of minutes of prods and groans, Krista had finished her examination.

“The good news is that they are not broken, only slightly bruised. You should heal within a handful of days.” She lightly slapped him in the chest.

He groaned in pain.

“I thought you Navy boys were supposed to be tough,” Allison said over her shoulder.

“I’m just playing it up to get the ladies’ sympathy,” he countered defensively.

“Oh I am sure…”

“NOT.” Krista finished Allison’s sentence. They both laughed.

“Navy?” Cassian asked, dumbfounded.

“Ex-Navy, actually.” James corrected. “I did a stint before I decided to go to college for marine biology.”

“So you really aren’t as blonde as you are?” Cassian asked confused.

“Gasp! He’s not?” Krista said jokingly.

“Well, no,” he replied sheepishly.

“Then, why do you act like you are?” Cassian asked.

“Comic relief?” James replied as he closed his eyes to rest.

Allison shook her head in wonderment and grinned widely.