“I think you two would’ve taken him out just fine,” Ange said.
“He was a fraction of a second from filling us both with lead,” Jason said. “If he hadn’t relished our caught-off-guard reactions, we’d have been toast. It was almost like he recognized us.”
I laughed softly. “I may have encountered him before,” I said.
“Who took down Lynch?” Scott asked.
“Logan did,” Jason sighed. “He tricked me so he could hog the fun.”
“How did you finish him off?” Ange said.
I smiled. “I bashed his head in with a gold bar. You know how I love my irony. But the guy stayed alive long enough for SWAT to swarm in and nab him. He’s pretty banged up, but he’s in police custody now.”
“What a shame,” Scott said. “I’ll do what I can to ensure that justice is served.”
We climbed into the SUV and Jason drove us back to the airport. After loading our bags and hard cases into the Cessna, I removed my new bulletproof vest and held it out to Jason.
“Why don’t you hold on to it?” he said. He reached into the back and pulled out a second one. “In fact, we brought one for Ange as well.” He handed it over and added, “It’s the least I could do after all that you two did back in Trinidad, and here tonight.”
I grinned broadly and thanked him. Something told me that the impressive pieces of body armor would come in handy for Ange and me.
“You two need to take a break and hang out with us in the Keys for a few days,” I said. “There’s more to life than just taking down bad guys.”
“Logan’s life motto is work hard and play hard,” Scott chimed in. He glanced at Jason and added, “Our ship’s still in the yards, undergoing extensive customizations. I think we can get away for a day.”
I patted them each on the back. “Good. And you guys can tell me all about this new ship of yours.”
Jason laughed. “It’s really something. When it’s ready to make waves you’ll both have to come and check it out. It’s gonna have a moon pool, and a submersible.”
FORTY-EIGHT
Scott and Jason met us down in Key West the following day. With near-perfect conditions out on the water and with most of the gang assembled, we motored out of Conch Harbor Marina before 0800. Ange, Scarlett, and Lauren sunbathed up on the bow, Jack manned the helm, Pete trolled a line while kicking back on the sunbed, and Scott, Jason, and I hung out while lounging on the half-moon seat at the topside dinette.
When I asked Jack where we should take them, he grinned and said that he knew just the spot. He motored us west, cutting through the heart of Key West National Wildlife Refuge. Half an hour later, he slowed over the reef south of the Marquesas Keys, and I smiled.
“It’s been a while since we dined at the king’s table,” Jack said, noticing my expression.
A while? I couldn’t imagine that it’d been longer than a month, but for a guy who lived in the moment like Jack, it might as well have been a lifetime.
Jack peered over the side, then idled us when he reached his desired destination. Scarlett released the anchor, and Jack lowered it remotely with the windlass.
“Jason,” I said, lowering my sunglasses, “you’re a lucky man. The reigning king of the Conch Republic has bestowed upon you a high honor.”
“And you better not tell anyone about this place, man,” Jack joked after setting the anchor and killing the engines.
“And where exactly are we?” Jason said with a chuckle.
“Neptune’s Table,” Pete said, reeling in his lure. “Though to be fair, the place isn’t the secret haven for bugs and fish that it used to be. You have Logan and Ange to thank for that.”
I laughed.
“The crew of the Intrepid have to shoulder some of that blame,” I said.
Jason looked back and forth between us, confused.
I explained how Neptune’s Table was a unique underwater formation where we’d discovered the lost Aztec treasure three years back. After being stolen by conquistadors and smuggled out of Tenochtitlan, the treasure had been lost for nearly five hundred years after the Spanish ship had run aground. The story of our tracking it down from a secret cave in Mexico, then to our extensive search in the Keys, was a long one, and we regaled Jason with the high points as we threw off our shirts, donned our masks and fins, and jumped in one by one.
Jason was a great swimmer. I’d heard Scott mention that he’d swam competitively at Columbia, and it showed. He was able to keep up and hold his breath for as long as any of us as we weaved in and out of the rock formations and colorful coral.
We spent the afternoon freediving, spearfishing, exploring, and lounging topside. We cleaned our catches and cooked them on our portable grill. While savoring the fresh seafood, we told each other sea stories and Jason and Scott told us more about their new ship and operation. It was nice to hear that everything was coming along smoothly and that they’d managed to recruit a few solid team members, including two people from Venezuela that Jason had met while searching for a stolen nuclear weapon.
“I’ll join your group,” Scarlett beamed while dousing grouper in melted garlic butter and dropping it down the hatch.
“She’s a smart one,” Ange said with a nod. “And she’s quite the skilled martial artist. Just ask the Cuban crime boss Dante Salazar. Well, I guess you can’t ask him anything anymore.”
“We’ll keep our eye on you, Scar,” Scott
