Page 68 of The 9th Man

“Not sure yet. Something’s up with our driver.”

The boat’s engine faded to idle, then sputtered and stopped.

Elijah called out, “Gator on the bow. Best let him scoot outta the way.”

Luke scanned the water ahead, but saw nothing. With his right hand he gripped the butt of the Beretta and placed his left thumb on the seatbelt’s release button. Ready.

Elijah said, “You best let me see your hands, if you like how your head sits on your shoulders.”

The request was followed by the distinctive mechanical racking of a pump shotgun. They raised their arms.

“Unbuckle yourselves then turn around, straddle them seats, and drape your arms over the backrests.”

They did as ordered.

Elijah’s shotgun was leveled at their chests. At this range the blast would send them both into the water where the alligators would finish them off.

“Tour’s over, I’m guessing?” Luke said.

“Permanent-like, if I don’t get answers. First, toss those pistols down at my feet. Easy, now, two fingers.”

“Who says we’re armed?” Luke asked.

“I do.”

He decided not to press the point. Gently, they each drew a Beretta from their waist and dropped them onto the boat’s deck. The aluminum hull let out a muffled gong.

“What’re your names?” Elijah asked.

“I’m Luke. This is Jillian.”

“What’s your business with Ray Simmons?”

“We have no idea. Never met the man.”

Elijah offered them a puzzled look. “That’s honest, if a little odd. Tell me more.”

“Somebody murdered my grandfather,” Jillian said. “We think Ray might know why.”

“Murdered, ya say? By who?”

“No clue,” Luke said. “We know it wasn’t Ray, so we’ve got no quarrel with him. He’s just our only lead.”

While that wasn’t technically true, it seemed that recounting the saga of mercenaries, manhunts, and waterboarding that had led them here would do more harm than good. So he tried, “Ray seemed important to her grandfather, so here we are.”

“So you ain’t cops? Feds?”

“Neither,” Luke said, lying. “What are you? Simmons’s social secretary?”

“Somethin’ like that. We take care of our own here.”

“Does Ray have a lot of strangers come looking for him?”

“You’re full of questions.”

“So my mama tells me.”

“Your accent…Tennessee?”