“Sir,” Craig said after a moment.
“What do you want? Can’t you leave me to think for a minute?”
“Well, it’s just that…” Craig hesitated, as if he were about to deliver bad news. “You said the Marines will probably try to come back here and rescue the prisoner.
“They will certainly come back here and try to rescue the prisoner,” Rod said, “but they’re not getting in this camp. I made sure of that. We have so many armed guards on the western perimeter of the camp that a flea couldn’t jump into the camp without getting blown away. In fact, go join them for the time being. Make yourself useful.”
“Yes, sir,” Craig said.
“Keep an eye on the water, too,” Rod added. “They’ve got some kind of Olympic swimmer with them, from what Nathan said. I don’t know how he kept the sharks from eating him.”
“Shark repellant?” Craig said.
“Never heard of such a thing.” He was so sick and tired of talking that he finally grabbed Craig by the upper arm and propelled him forward. “Go. I have to think.”
Craig stumbled forward, caught himself against the corner of a large wooden handcart, then scurried off just like the old couple.
Nobody’s getting in here, Rod thought. I don’t care who they are. I’ll kill anyone and everyone who threatens what I’ve built, I swear to God.
8
Elna gazed over the starboard side of the boat. They were riding low, and it made her nervous. It was full-on dark, and she’d put red electrical tape over the flashlight to dampen it. Still, by the dim, red glow, she could see the choppy water of the bay licking the gunwale. They were anchored just beyond the fishing dock. Malin and the Marines had spent a few minutes offloading supplies from the cabin to lighten the weight, but Elna wasn’t sure it did much good.
Selene, Norman, and George were standing at the end of the dock. Dr. Ruzka was back tending to the wounded in the storage room, and the Dulleses had stayed at the guesthouse with Daniel. Indeed, Joe and Rita had been largely absent since the Marines had arrived. Elna assumed they were nervous and just trying to be as invisible as possible. It was a shame because it had taken them weeks to come out of their shells after the EMP.
“Now, y’all be careful over there,” Norman said. “Don’t do anything crazy.”
“Elna, please keep everyone in line,” her father said. “Stick to the mission. Don’t get sidetracked.”
“We’ll be careful,” Elna said, waving to those on the dock. “And we’ll be fine. Still, whatever happens, listen to Selene. She’s in charge in my absence. Dad, that means you, too. I know it’s your island, but she’s the boss.”
She didn’t wait for anyone to protest but turned and crossed the deck to the anchor winch, as Malin grabbed the boom and guided himself toward the mainsail. The Marines planted themselves on the deck, squatting low, where they were barely visible in the dim light. The one they’d left behind, Mac, stood behind the islanders on the dock, a mere shape in the darkness.
“Alright, we’re casting off,” Elna said.
Raymond took a seat next to the tiller as Elna raised the anchor. Fortunately, a good strong wind blowing in from the west carried over the island. It would push them across the bay quickly, as long as they could keep from sinking.
The sky was overcast, which meant their visibility was close to zero. Still, the risk of running aground was better than the risk of being spotted and shot at. As soon as the anchor was raised, the wind caught the sail and began pushing them east across the water. Elna could tell they were moving fast, but she didn’t like the feel of the boat. The combination of the extra passengers, the choppy water, and the almost complete darkness made the boat rougher than usual.
“Raymond, how is she handling?” Elna asked.
“The current feels strong,” he said, “but I think the wind is on our side tonight. I’m more worried about those waves.”
“Is your shoulder causing you any problems?” she asked.
He reached up and brushed his injured shoulder lightly. “A bit, but I’ll take it easy on that side as best I can,”
Waves kept hitting them on the port and aft side, occasionally splashing over the gunwale and sloshing across the deck.
“The current in the bay can be relentless,” Elna said. “It’ll push the boat toward the causeway, so be careful.” She gazed off to the south, where the causeway was like a darker line against a dark sky.
“I’ve been in worse water than this,” Raymond said. “We’ll be fine, señora.”
It wasn’t the best time, or even a particularly good time, but Elna had let the issue go on long enough. She sat down on the other side of the tiller, chewed her thumbnail for a moment, then went for it.
“Raymond.”
“Yes?”
“I should have said something about this a long time ago,” she said, “but I’m not actually a señora. I’m not married. I guess it’s not a big deal, but…”
“Oh…wait,” Raymond said. He sounded genuinely baffled. “You and Malin? All this time, I thought…”
“No, we’re not at that stage of our relationship,” she said.
Though she had spoken quietly, and the wind and waves muffled the sound even further, she heard Malin chuckle from his place beside the jib sheet. Elna felt her cheeks burning.
Did I really just say we’re not at that stage of our relationship?
“But I can’t call you señorita,” Raymond said. “That just doesn’t sound right.”
“Call me Elna,” she said. “We must be on a first-name basis by now, after all we’ve been through.”
He mumbled something in Spanish and seemed to be debating the issue with himself, but finally he said, “Okay, Elna it is. Sorry, my mama raised me to be very polite, especially to lady bosses, you know?”
“Lady bosses.” Somehow, the term struck her as funny. “Well, we’re friends here, Raymond,
