COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA
“Are you sure you’re not coming with us?”
Mike stood on the dock, a canvas duffel bag in his hand. It was cool for a spring morning. Clouds hung in the sky offshore, though none of them looked like they carried rain.
Kandy Belman shook her head. “I don’t have family out there. My parents are gone. Phil’s gone. There’s nobody I have to go find.”
Mike reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re welcome to come with us, Kandy. I know Miriam and Brice would love to have you along. You’re about the toughest woman I know.”
Kandy demurred and looked at the ground between them. “Not as tough as Miriam. She took the butt of a rifle to the face and a boot to the ribs and she’s still going.”
Mike laughed. “You’re both tough.”
Kandy gestured toward the house. “I love those kids. They’re sweet. I’ll never have any of my own. I’m like their cool aunt.”
Mike winked. “Not as cool as Miriam.”
“Touché.”
Brice emerged from the salon and stepped onto the Rising Star’s aft deck. He wore sunglasses despite the lack of bright sunshine. It was his new thing. Sunglasses day or night. When Mike asked about it, Brice only revealed it was his post-apocalyptic fashion statement.
Truth was, it was Brice being Brice.
He stepped from the stern to the dock. “He talked you into joining us yet? If he hasn’t, I bet I could sell you on it.”
Kandy indulged him. “How’s that, Brice? What’s the pitch?”
It had been less than a week since Phil died. Five days since they’d buried him in the front yard, marking his grave with a paint stir stick they’d found in the garage. It wasn’t long enough for the despair to have left Kandy’s voice. Even when she laughed or joked, the efforts were laced with sadness. It was inescapable and nobody blamed her.
“Free cruise. Fresh seafood. Great company and nightly entertainment included. And since this is your second voyage with the Rising Star, we can offer you discounted alcoholic drinks.”
Kandy’s eyes widened. “There’s alcohol?”
Brice said, “No. But it’s discounted.”
Kandy chuckled. “Gotcha. As enticing as all of that sounds, I’ll pass. I’m staying here with the Millers. They’ve been good to me. Phil was a friend of Barry’s. Betsy is a mess. They need me as much as I need them.”
Mike wasn’t sure what to say.
Kandy broke the silence. “No offense, guys. It’s not like I don’t need you. It’s just—”
Mike waved her off. “Please, I get it. You have to do what’s best for you. And I know you want to stay close to Phil for now. It makes sense.”
The consensus was that they should bury Phil at sea, give him a proper send-off. But given that they’d dumped the intruders into the water, the idea of paying their respects to Phil in a similar manner was untenable to Kandy. She asked Barry for permission to bury him in the front yard and mark it.
She wanted to see him there, remember him, visit him. Moreover, she wanted anyone who passed the house to see his name and keep it alive.
Together, the three of them walked toward the house. Brice relayed the gear he’d already stored and what was left to haul aboard. Mike reminded Brice of things they’d forgotten to add to their list.
By the time they reached the side door, Miriam was standing there. The swelling on her face was gone, but a nasty yellow and purple bruise covered half of her face. Her split lip was healing. Mike took her hand when he reached her.
“Barry is packing us a lunch,” she said. “Crackers and tuna.”
Mike followed her into the mudroom. “He doesn’t have to do that.”
“He said Betsy and the kids won’t eat the tuna. It’s better we take it.”
Barry was in the kitchen at the island. He had an Igloo cooler the size of a lunch box on the counter. He closed the lid and turned as they entered. “Got you lunch,” he said. “You’ll have to catch dinner.”
“No problem,” said Mike. “You’re sure we can take the boat? I can’t promise we’ll ever bring it back.”
Barry glanced at his wife on the sofa and forced a smile. “They say the two best days of owning a boat are the day you buy it and the day you sell it. Gifting it to you is better than both of those.” He slid the cooler across the counter to Mike. “We’re never going to use it again. This is our castle. We’ll stay here. Betsy doesn’t want to go outside, let alone on the water. She’s terrified. The kids, they don’t care. They’ll do whatever we want. But I don’t think it’s good to take them out there after only being back a week.”
“I fixed the side door for you,” Brice said. “The lock works now. Plus I added longer screws into the plates. It’ll be harder to break in. Did the same with the front door.”
“Thank you,” Barry said, then faced Mike. “I know I’ve been tough on you. I’m sorry for that. I think I lost perspective. Or something. I don’t know. These are strange times and I didn’t handle myself the way I should have. What happened here the other night…if it weren’t for you and Miriam and Brice and Kandy, we’d be dead. My family would be gone.”
“We did what anyone would do,” said Mike. “You don’t owe us a thank-you or an apology.”
Barry’s face tightened. “I do,” he said with earnestness. “I owe you our lives. That man said that worse than dying would be me seeing my kids die. He was right. You all stopped that from happening.”
Barry swallowed hard, blinking back tears. He bit his lower lip and motioned toward Betsy before he looked at Kandy. “She’s healing physically. The bullet was through and through. And the one that grazed her scalp didn’t do any damage. But on the inside she’s not the same. Something’s changed in her. The kids need someone other than me to help them. I’m grateful you’re sticking around. You don’t have to do it, but it does mean the world.”
Kandy stepped to Barry and hugged him. “You were a good friend to Phil. It’s the least I can do.”
Barry thanked her again. Then he called out to his children, “Sally, Jimmy, come on down. It’s time to say goodbye.”
The children bounded down the stairs, hurried across the family room and bounced into the kitchen. Both of them offered hugs and handshakes to the foursome about to embark on a new journey.
As all of them, Betsy included, walked toward the Rising Star, Barry asked, “Where are you headed first?”
“Brice has a mom and brother in southwest Florida,” Mike answered. “Near Naples. We’re gonna skirt around the southern tip of the state, staying north of the Keys and port somewhere close enough to check on them.”
“I don’t know if either of them made it,” said Brice, “but I can’t go about my life without finding out. It gnaws at me.”
“I get it,” said Barry.
Mike put his hand on Miriam’s back. “Miriam’s dad is in Texas. After Naples, we’ll cut across the Gulf and try to aim for the right spot.”
“Texas is falling apart,” said Barry. “That’s the rumor, anyhow. You’d better be careful.”
“The whole world is falling apart,” said Mike. “I’m not sure it makes a difference where we are.”
“Be careful regardless,” said Barry. “And no matter what happens, you’re always welcome here. Always.”
They hugged their goodbyes and lingered. Small talk, the weather, the kinds of things that didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things but in the moment meant everything.
Mike, Miriam and Brice stepped aboard the yacht. Brice moved into the salon and to the helm. Miriam lingered at the steps to the salon. Mike stood with one foot on the dock.
“She’s full of fuel,” said Barry. “There’s extra too. You should be good for a bit. Just hug the coastline in case you run into trouble.”
He extended his hand and Mike took it. They shook and then Mike pulled Barry to him for a hug. They slapped each other’s back in the way men do and Mike backed onto the aft deck.<
br />
“Last chance to keep your yacht,” Mike said.
“She’s yours, Mike. Take care of her.”
Mike saluted. “I will, Captain.”
They laughed. Barry walked along the port side of the boat and loosened the lines, flipping them from the dock cleats and tossing them aboard.
Brice started the motor and the boat hummed. Mike felt its vibration as he coiled the lines and the boat slipped away from the dock. Within minutes they were far enough from the house he couldn’t see it.
Mike worked his way to the helm. Miriam was already there with Brice. She turned to him as he slid next to her and put his arm around her.
“It’s been an adventure,” she said. “So far, so good. You ready for more?”
Mike wasn’t sure what lay ahead. He didn’t know whom they would find in Naples or how they would cross the Gulf unscathed. He worried about what dangers threatened the friends they left behind. Had they made good decisions? Were there any good choices to make in a world turned upside down? And Texas. What challenges would they face if and when they reached a place rumored to be a post-modern Wild West rampant with scum and villainy?
Rather than share these worries with Miriam, however, he smiled and looked her in the eyes. He motioned toward the horizon in front of them, drew in a deep breath and exhaled.
“I can’t wait,” he said. “I think the adventure has only just begun.”
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Acknowledgements
Thanks to you, the loyal reader, for giving life to the stories I write. To my family, Courtney, Samantha and Luke for your love and never-ending support. My publication team is unrivaled. Felicia Sullivan is a wonderful editor who gets the best out of my very rough drafts. Pauline Nolet fine tunes them perfectly. Hristo Kovatliev is a masterful cover artist who brings to life the concepts of each and every book. And Stef McDaid at Write Into Print creates beautifully formatted text. I’m grateful to my fantastic beta readers, Steve Kremer and Chris Manzke, for their help in making the manuscript so much better than it was before it reached their hands. Both are invaluable resources who are so much smarter than me. Kevin Pierce, the voice of the audiobooks, is a master at his craft. And as always, thanks to my parents, siblings and in-laws who are my best viral marketers.
Table of Contents
Author’s Note
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
Acknowledgements
The Scourge (Book 2): Adrift Page 26