Unlawful Chase, C.J. Schnier [best book clubs TXT] 📗

Miles, Carlos, and Jaye were waiting for me on the dock when I came back up on deck. Carlos wore an impatient frown as I hopped down to the dock beside him. When I pulled out the hundred-dollar bills, his expression morphed into a gap-toothed smile.

"You should tell our friend here that he's lucky he's getting five hundred bucks. It looks like he's already been through and taken what he wants," I said as I handed over the five crisp bills.

"Gracias, gracias," he said, snatching the money out of my hand. He counted it twice, smiled up at me and turned to head back down the dock.

"Carlos!" I called after him. The old fisherman turned around, his exultant look still plastered across his face. "You forgot these," I said, tossing the keys to him. He caught them with one hand and broadened his smile more. After a quick nod and a wave, he scurried up the ramp to the waiting Jeep.

"Well, it looks like you got your boat back," Miles said.

"Must be nice," Jaye muttered as she tossed her stuff in the cockpit and climbed aboard.

Miles motioned me aside and whispered conspiratorially in my ear, "Don't worry about it, mate. She'll get over losing her plane."

"I hope so, or my reunion with Paramour might be short-lived. A week under sail with her is a terrifying prospect," I replied.

"Better you than me, mate."

"You're not coming?" I asked.

"Nah. I'm not done here in Cuba. I have a lot of research to do and Pancho to look after. With Bardales gone, it should actually be easier. At least cheaper anyway. One less person to bribe."

"Speaking of bribes, if you're not coming, will you give this hundred to the kid at the gate?" I asked, handing over the last of the hundred-dollar bills.

"Oh, no!" Jaye said, overhearing our conversation. "You're not coming?"

Miles took the hundred and stuffed it in his pocket and then turned to Jaye, "I'm afraid I can't, luv. Work to do and all that. You two be safe, though. Have Adrian let me know that you made it back safe. And Jaye, don't go throwing Chase off of his own boat now."

"No promises there," she joked. "Oh, come here and give me a hug. I barely know you, but I feel like we've been friends forever."

Jaye wrapped Miles in her athletic arms, easily encompassing his slight frame. I couldn't help but smile. A day ago she was a stone-cold hunter, willing to kill for treasure. Now she was compassionate. Jaye Mercury was certainly a woman of many facets.

I let them hug and say their goodbyes while I prepped the boat for departure. The key was still in the ignition and the old Volvo roared to life as it always did. I took that as a good omen. The familiar smell of diesel exhaust tickled my nose, somehow making our imminent departure seem much more urgent. What little wind there was was keeping the boat pinned to the dock. Knowing we wouldn't go anywhere, I tossed the stern line off and took my place behind the helm. Miles and Jaye were still hugging and chatting on the dock when my impatience got the better of me. I pushed the throttle back and forth, revving the engine repeatedly.

The two of them got the hint and finally broke their embrace. Miles, without another word, leapt down from the boat to the floating dock and walked to the bow line, uncleated it, and held it tight, keeping Paramour straight in the slip.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" I asked, still surprised that he was staying behind.

"Boats never were my thing. I get terribly seasick," Miles said dismissively.

"And you call yourself a Scotsman. Shameful. I thought you were a hardy people," I teased.

"Someone has to run things on the ground. Don't worry about me, Chase. I know what I'm doing."

"I don't doubt that," I conceded. "Take care of yourself, Miles."

"Fair winds, Chase," he said, tossing the line to Jaye. "Be safe, both of you."

I shifted the boat into forward and bumped the throttle up a little. Miles waved a silent goodbye as we slid forward and out of the marina, heading for safety on the open sea.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Jaye's mood improved as soon as we left the marina and even though it was dark, she jumped right in and helped prepare Paramour for sea. She didn't require any coaching, her experience from the previous day still fresh in her mind. Working together, we hoisted the sails and were making decent progress towards the safety of international waters. I kept the engine revved up nearly to full throttle, but I left all the navigation lights off. As soon as we were clear of the river, I covered the screen of the chart plotter with an old towel. The only remaining light that could give us away was the trail of ethereal blue phosphorescence spreading out behind us.

We had spent more time in the village and at the marina than I had realized. Within an hour of getting underway, the sky was already lightening towards the east. False dawn was upon us.

"I wish we had left an hour or two earlier," Jaye said, staring towards the east.

"You and me both," I said. "Dawn is typically my favorite time of day when underway. Today seems to be the exception."

"Do you think it will be an issue?" she asked.

"What? The sunrise? I hope not. We have roughly an hour before the sun comes up, if we keep moving at this speed we'll be fine," I said, knocking on the teak helm seat.

She gave me a stern look before replying, "Didn't you say something like that last time?"

"Well yeah, but last time I didn't knock on wood," I said winking at her, "We'll be fine."

"Sailors," she scoffed.

"When you've sailed as many miles as I have, superstitions have their place."

"I don't know how you can believe any of that crap,"