Page 43 of Wild Oblivion

Jack scoffed. “And you trust this guy?”

Everything could be a lie.

"At this point, I think we need to make a venue change," I said. "Let's get Henrik over to the Seven Seas. I think we should err on the side of caution."

"That's probably not a bad idea," Jack admitted, though neither of us was too thrilled about being targeted.

"Let’s evacuate the marina. If there is a bomb aboard this boat, it could take a few others with it."

"What about Diver Down? That's an obvious target."

I agreed. "Hell, there could be a bomb hidden anywhere on the premises. Depending on the size of the yield, it could level the whole area.”

It wasn't a pleasant thought.

"What's the point?” JD asked. "I mean, he finds you to be a challenge. Why would he get rid of his opponent so quickly?”

"Maybe I should remind him of that the next time he calls."

I left the boat and hustled down the dock to Diver Down. The restaurant was filled with a decent mid-morning crowd. I stepped behind the bar and whispered in Teagan's ear. "We need to clear the restaurant.”

She looked at me with a knitted brow, like I was crazy.

"I don't want to alarm you, but there's been a threat.”

"What kind of threat?" she blared, louder than I would have liked.

I shooshed her and in a low voice said, "A credible one.”

Her eyes rounded, and she swallowed hard, knowing exactly what I meant. In a grave but calm voice, she asked, "How much time do we have?”

I told her. "Let people finish up, don't take any new orders, and close up.”

She gave a subtle nod.

Harlan sat at the end of the bar, his keen eyes watching my interaction with Teagan. "Can I get another beer, sweetie?"

Teagan forced a smile. "I'm sorry, doll. We're shutting down for the rest of the day.”

The old Marine’s face wrinkled. "Why is that?"

"Because I have places to be, and we need to do some routine maintenance."

"Everything looks like it's working just fine to me."

"Well, we like everything to be in tip-top shape."

Harlan was no dummy. He knew something was up.

Jack went back to the boat, helped Henrik gather his belongings, then took him over to the Seven Seas and got him checked into one of the cabanas.

Harlan paid his tab, climbed off his barstool, and ambled toward me. In a whisper, he asked, "You want to tell me what the hell is going on?"

I smiled. "Like she said, routine maintenance."

"Bullshit.”

"We’ll be open again tomorrow.”