Page 45

“Audra, do you copy?” Dawson asked.

“Yeah, I’m here,” she responded.

“Hayes is three bends over up the west second fork. Someone had an incident with a python. I’m at the docks. I should be over to you in about a half hour, tops. Can you either hang in that area or head in my direction?”

“I’ll put it in gear and start moving your way,” she said.

“Just make sure you keep your eyes open.”

“You sound like Silas,” she mumbled into the walkie-talkie.

“Excuse me?” Dawson asked with a little bite to his words. “What exactly did he say to you?”

“I’ll fill you in when I see you.” She set the device on the dash. She shouldn’t have gotten Dawson’s hackles up more than they already were. Everyone had pretty much left her alone. No matter how much they didn’t like her, no one was going to mess with the chief of police’s personal boat.

At least, that’s what she told herself.

A couple of eyes lifted from the water about ten feet from her boat. The creature moved slowly across the top.

“Wow. You’re massive.” She guessed the gator to be about fourteen feet. She wouldn’t want to screw with that guy, no matter how beautiful he was.

A second later, two babies surfaced.

“Aw, aren’t you cute?” But now, she definitely wanted to keep her distance. Mama alligators were worse than mama bears. That was until their babies got to a certain age, then they ate their young.

She shivered.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

She jumped, falling off the bench and landing on the bottom of the boat. At least she didn’t land in the water. Her heart thumped in her chest like a jackhammer. Leaning over the side, she searched for the alligators, but they were long gone, lurking somewhere in the dark, murky waters of the Everglades.

Glancing toward the sky and scanning the area, she searched for the source of gunfire. The roar of an engine tickled her ears. An airboat came into view as it rounded the bend. It slowed as it approached.

Tim O’Toole stood behind the helm, waving his fist. “You are fucking crazy, woman. What the hell are you doing?”

A second boat maneuvered around Tim’s, going a bit slower. It wasn’t someone she recognized. Whoever it was, they pointed and hurled a couple of obscenities in her direction.

Her heartbeat pulsated in her throat like a python wrapping around its prey, constricting and slowly killing it.

“I don’t know who you think you are, but you won’t get away with this.” Tim raced off.

She exhaled sharply, clutching her chest. Sixteen years ago, everyone in town who saw her coming would walk on the other side of the street. They’d point and whisper.

But this was crazy.

She tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ears, adjusted her baseball cap, and eased the boat forward. She knew better than to be a sitting duck in open water.

* * *

Bang!Bang! Bang!

“Jesus, did you hear that?” Dawson’s heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. They had been going slow, mainly because airboats made a significant amount of noise. But also because there was no reason for them to drive like maniacs when there were no known issues that needed tending to. They had no reason to draw attention to themselves.

Keaton eased up on the gas. “Sounds like it was north of us, but it’s hard to tell out here.”

“Don’t slow down.” Dawson glared. “Hayes is twenty minutes from Audra. Haul ass.”

“On it.” Keaton opened up the throttle.