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Bash could picture him walking around in circles, rubbing the back of his neck. Gray was a planner, and he hated when things fell apart. Whoa, be to the person who screwed it up.
“Well, you need to figure out who sold me out. If I’d been alone, I guarantee they would have either taken me or killed me. In the meantime, I speak only to you. Not even Alex until you figure out what happened. It’s not that I don’t trust Alex. It just limits my communication. Your main job right now is to find out where the leak came from.”
“God. I’m so sorry. What are you going to do? You can’t stay on that lake. They will eventually find you.”
“I’m assuming you guys didn’t make a plan B?”
“Even if we did, I wouldn’t want to use it. Not until I figure out who can be trusted. Maybe you should go to the mountains with the Skylar woman. At least until I get a handle on things. I’ll start with Bryan. Tell him what happened and that you’re in the wind. Get a read on him. Go from there.” He released a long sigh. “Fuck! Just fuck!”
“What happened when Fontana found out I was gone?” Bash asked.
“I sent him an email telling him you wouldn’t be available for a couple of months. You left on a sabbatical to catch up on your writing. A list of award-winning authors you recommended was attached. The only response I got came in a text directly from him to me. Not sure how he got my private cell.”
“What did it say?”
“It said, ‘That’s not going to work for me.’”
“That sucks.”
“That about says it. After last night, we got the message loud and clear. We screwed up. I should have gotten a security specialist involved.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. It seemed like a good plan. I should have taken it more seriously, but yeah, we need a security company to consult on this. For now, it’s probably best if we talk as little as possible. Do me a favor. Get your family out of town. It’s no secret we’re best friends. You need to warn Alex, too,” Bash said.
“I’ll send the family on vacation without me and join them later. If you’re going to the mountains, you may not be able to get reception. Call me before you get out of range. We’ll find a way to fix this, buddy. I swear. Stay safe.”
“You too. Thanks.”
In the light of day, Morgan was able to get her baring on the lake, making it easier for them to plan their next steps. There was a large marina close by, but they decided it would be the first place their pursuers would look. Morgan remembered a grocery and bait shop in a more obscure location that the Worthington teens frequented. A kid who worked there would sell them beer for the right price. It wasn’t located on the map, which was to their advantage. Since it was dangerous to go back to the cabin to get either of their cars, they had to find transportation and a place to dock the boat until it could be picked up.
Chapter Twelve
As Bash idled toward Ray’s General Store, he gritted his teeth, praying a ripple from the cruiser’s wake wouldn’t send them crashing into the small pier where two fishing boats were docked. Morgan jumped onto the wood planking just in time to maneuver one of the boats out of the way and place the fenders to prevent a collision. Crisis averted. Morgan to the rescue again. With a deep sigh, he jumped off the boat and stood beside her.
“She’s all tied up. I don’t think the owner’s going to like that we’ve taken up one whole side of his dock space, especially when he finds out we want to leave her here,” Morgan said, nodding over his shoulder.
Bash turned to see a slim man in his 60s heading their way. He was scruffy-looking with stained denim jeans and a faded Grateful Dead t-shirt. The scowl he wore was probably a result of witnessing the close encounter on his dock.
Bash gasped in surprise as Morgan hip-bumped him out of the way and, through the corner of her mouth, said, “I’ve got this.”
“How y’all doing today?” she asked, in her perky southern accent. “Beautiful day to be on the lake, isn’t it? And you get to enjoy this sight all the time!”
Bash watched the man’s hardened expression soften in the presence of Morgan’s sunny disposition.
“Yes, ma’am. Been lookin’ at it for the last 36 years.” He turned to Bash. “That’s an expensive sucker you got there,” he said, waving up at the cruiser. “What you folks be needin’ this mornin’? We got bait. Basic groceries. Beer. Nothin’ fancy.” There was a trace of aggravation in his tone. The man had already pegged him for a rich asshole. Not wrong.
Morgan laid on her sweet charm. “I’m Chip, and this is my boyfriend, Bash. We came down a couple of days ago to meet some friends. Unfortunately, they had to rush home for a medical emergency, so we’re stuck here with the boat we rented and no transportation home. We need a place to temporarily dock the boat. The rental company can pick it up this afternoon. We would pay you $500.”
“It’s fully stocked with food and liquor. You’re welcome to help yourself,” Bash added.
“Is that $500 cash?” he asked. Bash nodded. “How are you two gonna get out of here? Where you headed?”
“Birmingham,” Morgan said. “We were hoping to find someone we could pay to drive us.”
“I’m willing to pay $1500 cash plus gas if we can leave within the hour,” Bash said, pulling out his wallet.
“Upfront?” the owner asked.
“That will be $1000 now and $500 when we arrive,” Bash countered.
