She calmly pulled out a dark blue baseball hat and pulled it over her head from back to front. Above the cap’s bill were four large, unmistakable white letters.
N-A-V-Y.
Both men’s expressions changed instantly. This woman clearly knew how to use the gun in her hand.
“She doesn’t want any help, J.”
Jered nodded his head and stepped back from the front edge of their boat. Behind him, his brother throttled up and turned the vertical rudders, twisting the fanboat into a hard turn. It slowly curved away from the canoe and continued a 180-degree turn, just clearing the embankment on the far side of the channel. Once clear of another mangrove patch, their engine and fan emitted a deafening roar and accelerated the craft back along the path from which they came.
The burst of hot air, coupled with the smell of grease and gasoline, washed over Neely as she watched their retreat. Her heart was pounding in her chest and a bead of sweat escaped from under the cap, running down past her left ear. She hadn’t been that frightened in a long time.
Hours later, Neely Lawton rounded the river’s mouth in her canoe. She was heading for Tarpon Creek, situated on the southeast end of Whitewater Bay. She took a break and glanced at the sun, which was beginning its descent into another stunning Everglade sunset. As she stretched her back, Neely watched dozens of birds take flight into the warm, windless sky. Near the edge of the water, an alligator watched her intently with only its eyes and nose protruding above the surface.
She wasn’t going to make it. It was still too far to Tarpon, which meant another night on one of the chickee platforms. Something she was trying to avoid given her inauspicious morning. The fear that the two men might still be watching her would make sleeping almost impossible. It was going to be a very long night.
Then suddenly, her cell phone rang from inside her heavy pack. She was back in range again. Neely dropped the paddle at her feet and quickly dug the phone out of her bag before it went to voicemail. The number on the screen was unknown.
“Neely Lawton.”
“Neely, hi. This is Alison Shaw. We met a few weeks ago on the-”
“I remember you, Alison. How are you?”
“I’m fine. How are you?”
Neely gazed across the bay, its still water reflecting the azure sky above it like a mirror. “It’s been a mixed day. What can I do for you?”
“Well, actually, if you have some time I need to talk to you about something. Something important.”
Neely leaned back in her seat and stretched her legs out. “I have a lot of time at the moment.” She paused, thinking. “How did you get a hold of me?”
“Through Admiral Langford.”
“Admiral Langford?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. Okay then...shoot.”
She heard Alison take a breath on the other end.
“It’s about something you mentioned the last time we talked. About what happened in Guyana. More specifically, the plants you were examining aboard the ship.”
“Okay.”
“Well, the thing is,” Alison said, “I think I’m seeing something similar here.”
Neely’s eyes widened. “What? Where?!”
“In Puerto Rico. Here in my lab.”
“Puerto Rico?”
“Yes. At our research center.”
“What kind of-”
Alison stopped her. “It’s a long story, and probably too much to try to explain on the phone. But I’m wondering if you could make a trip down here. We could use your help.”
“Yes,” she answered immediately. “Yes, I can.” Neely suddenly paused, realizing where she was. “Um, it may take a little time to get there. I’m not exactly close to an airport.”
“That should not be a problem. I think Admiral Langford is dispatching a ride for you.”
“Does he even know where I am?”
“He said he had Wil Borger searching for you. I’m guessing that probably won’t take him very long.”
Neely smiled on the other end. It was the first smile in what felt like a very long time, and she had to admit it felt good. “Well, Alison. I must admit, your timing probably could not be better.”
From her chair, DeeAnn watched Alison as she ended the call. “So you called in your favor.”
“I had to.”
DeeAnn nodded. She looked past Alison to the double doors leading to the lobby.
Alison followed her gaze with a curious look. “What is it?”
“Sofia.” DeeAnn looked back. “I’ve been thinking about her since she first came here and especially after seeing her now.” She looked down at the table, wiping it absently with her hand. “I keep thinking about her in that wheelchair, knowing that the end was coming and yet still fighting. She wasn’t ready to give up a single moment. At least not willingly.”