in Miami are willing to pay top dollar to bring him here. And that’s all that matters, right? What the client pays for? Isn’t that how you work?”
Camaro stood opposite him. “I keep things together by not letting them get out of hand,” she said. “When I can’t handle something, I step back. I get the feeling your friend Matt would step into a nest of rattlesnakes if he thought there was a buck in it. And he’d take all the rest of you with him.”
“It’s a good deal,” Parker said, and his voice turned pleading. “Matt says it’s easy money, and so far that’s true. They gave us fifty grand up front just to sign on. If you want, I can get you the ten thousand right now. Whatever it takes to keep you on board.”
“I’m going to tell you, and I want you to tell your friend,” Camaro said. “Are you listening?”
“Yeah, I’m listening. Whatever you want.”
“As long as you people are on my boat, you do what I say. If I feel like we’re going too far, I’ll turn around and head back to port. There are a lot of miles between here and Cuba, and that water is full of ships and helicopters and planes and drones and who knows what the hell else. I don’t want the money up front. I don’t want any money at all if this goes sideways. I’d rather have my boat and my business than your ten thousand.”
“I understand completely.”
“Good. Now go make your friends understand.”
“I will,” Parker said. He reached out and took her hand, but when he saw her face he dropped it. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Be smart,” Camaro said, and she looked to the charts. “Tell your buddies to leave. I’ll be ready when it’s time.”
Chapter Sixteen
O N THAT F RIDAY Camaro had a charter for seven, and the fish came in steadily all morning and into the early afternoon, when it was time to turn back. They were a well-behaved group and enthusiastically took pictures of everything in sight, from one another to the boat to Camaro herself. She would have declined the shots they snapped of her, but they were polite about it, and she decided it would do no harm. By this time tomorrow she might be on Facebook, but that was the risk she took by living a public life.
She brought the group ashore and took the boat for refueling. The trip to Cuba was a long one, and it would not do to let the tanks run dry. Then they would be adrift, and the Coast Guard would have to be called in, and there would be questions and more questions, none of which they would be able to answer truthfully.
Tonight there would be no sleep, so she napped in the bed in the bow. It was only the sound of Parker’s voice that stirred her awake. She sat bolt upright, alert to the closed cabin around her.
“Hello?” Parker called again. “Anybody on board?”
Camaro checked her watch and saw that it was only three thirty. They were not set to be underway until five o’clock. She got up and peered through the window on the pier side. Parker was there alone.
On the deck again, she saw that Parker had a rod and a tackle box. In his sunglasses and with his tan, he might have been any one of the people in her morning charter. There was no subterfuge about him. “Hey,” he said.
“You’re early,” Camaro said.
“I couldn’t wait anymore. I have nerves, I guess. Do you mind?”
“No. Come aboard.”
Parker did, and he set his rod in one of the side holders. He tucked his tackle box in the corner near the bait locker. Afterward, he stood awkwardly in front of Camaro, anxious with his hands. “I brought my stuff,” he said unnecessarily.
Camaro inspected his rod. It was good for sea fishing and seemed like it had seen use. “Nice one,” she said. “You didn’t tell me you did much deep-water fishing.”
“I don’t,” Parker said. “I got that one used from the classifieds. Only cost me a hundred bucks. It’s good, huh?”
“You got a deal,” Camaro said.
“Awesome. It’s too bad I won’t get a chance to
Camaro stood opposite him. “I keep things together by not letting them get out of hand,” she said. “When I can’t handle something, I step back. I get the feeling your friend Matt would step into a nest of rattlesnakes if he thought there was a buck in it. And he’d take all the rest of you with him.”
“It’s a good deal,” Parker said, and his voice turned pleading. “Matt says it’s easy money, and so far that’s true. They gave us fifty grand up front just to sign on. If you want, I can get you the ten thousand right now. Whatever it takes to keep you on board.”
“I’m going to tell you, and I want you to tell your friend,” Camaro said. “Are you listening?”
“Yeah, I’m listening. Whatever you want.”
“As long as you people are on my boat, you do what I say. If I feel like we’re going too far, I’ll turn around and head back to port. There are a lot of miles between here and Cuba, and that water is full of ships and helicopters and planes and drones and who knows what the hell else. I don’t want the money up front. I don’t want any money at all if this goes sideways. I’d rather have my boat and my business than your ten thousand.”
“I understand completely.”
“Good. Now go make your friends understand.”
“I will,” Parker said. He reached out and took her hand, but when he saw her face he dropped it. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. Be smart,” Camaro said, and she looked to the charts. “Tell your buddies to leave. I’ll be ready when it’s time.”
Chapter Sixteen
O N THAT F RIDAY Camaro had a charter for seven, and the fish came in steadily all morning and into the early afternoon, when it was time to turn back. They were a well-behaved group and enthusiastically took pictures of everything in sight, from one another to the boat to Camaro herself. She would have declined the shots they snapped of her, but they were polite about it, and she decided it would do no harm. By this time tomorrow she might be on Facebook, but that was the risk she took by living a public life.
She brought the group ashore and took the boat for refueling. The trip to Cuba was a long one, and it would not do to let the tanks run dry. Then they would be adrift, and the Coast Guard would have to be called in, and there would be questions and more questions, none of which they would be able to answer truthfully.
Tonight there would be no sleep, so she napped in the bed in the bow. It was only the sound of Parker’s voice that stirred her awake. She sat bolt upright, alert to the closed cabin around her.
“Hello?” Parker called again. “Anybody on board?”
Camaro checked her watch and saw that it was only three thirty. They were not set to be underway until five o’clock. She got up and peered through the window on the pier side. Parker was there alone.
On the deck again, she saw that Parker had a rod and a tackle box. In his sunglasses and with his tan, he might have been any one of the people in her morning charter. There was no subterfuge about him. “Hey,” he said.
“You’re early,” Camaro said.
“I couldn’t wait anymore. I have nerves, I guess. Do you mind?”
“No. Come aboard.”
Parker did, and he set his rod in one of the side holders. He tucked his tackle box in the corner near the bait locker. Afterward, he stood awkwardly in front of Camaro, anxious with his hands. “I brought my stuff,” he said unnecessarily.
Camaro inspected his rod. It was good for sea fishing and seemed like it had seen use. “Nice one,” she said. “You didn’t tell me you did much deep-water fishing.”
“I don’t,” Parker said. “I got that one used from the classifieds. Only cost me a hundred bucks. It’s good, huh?”
“You got a deal,” Camaro said.
“Awesome. It’s too bad I won’t get a chance to
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