Beyond the Cabin

by Dana Ridenour

  “I could’ve made it in on my own,” Lexie huffed.

  “You have no idea the dangers that lurk in these waterways if you don’t know what you’re doin’. I’m talking about nature and man.”

  “Well, then teach me. I want to learn and you have the knowledge and means to teach me.”

  Captain Meade shook out a cigarette from his pack and stuck it between his lips. He stared at Lexie as he lit it.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  ***

  Later that evening, Lexie pulled out Captain Meade’s business card and dialed the number. To her surprise, Meade answered.

  “Captain Meade, it’s Lexie. I hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”

  “I’m trying to figure out what I’m gonna fix for supper.”

  “Have you given any thought to my request for a teacher?”

  “Girl, you could talk a cat out of a tree. You got gumption. I’ll give you that much.”

  “Does that mean you’ll do it?”

  “Yeah, I’ll do it. I’ll give you a week of my time for $1,000. And I want cash.”

  “Deal.”

  9

  Lexie waited for Don at the same North Myrtle Beach restaurant where they had previously met. His lateness annoyed her. Lexie was on her second glass of tea when Don finally arrived.

  “Sorry I’m late.”

  “No worries,” Lexie said. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine,” Don answered. “How’s it going with you? You making any progress on our case?”

  Before she could answer, the server approached the table. “Can I bring you something to drink?”

  Don glanced over to see what Lexie was drinking. “I’ll have a sweet tea, please.”

  After the server was out of earshot, Lexie explained, “This is an unusual situation. Normally there are places where extremists gather, like coffee shops, vegan shops, or vegan restaurants. I’ve been to the coffee shops in the area and haven’t met any activists. There’s not a vegan restaurant or a vegan store in the whole area.”

  “Now you understand why we asked for you. We only have a few confidential informants and none of them have any ties to the environmental movement. Zach canvassed the surrounding police and sheriff departments and came up with a giant goose egg.”

  Lexie nodded. “That’s probably because there are no extremist groups who are local to this area.”

  Don leaned in closer to the table. “Then why the ELF rhetoric?”

  Lexie shrugged. “I don’t know. It has to be a group from someplace else who found out about the project and came here to sabotage it.”

  “What’s the next step?” Don asked.

  “I need to get closer and watch the area. The captain who I went out with has agreed to give me boating lessons. If I learn the waterways from him, then I can rent a tiny boat for a few nights and figure out what’s going on over there.”

  “You want to what?”

  “I want to hire the captain for a few days, so I can learn my way around. Navigating the wetlands is pretty confusing if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

  “Let me get this straight. You want me to foot the bill for you to take boating lessons so you can eventually rent a boat and go out on the marsh on your own?”

  “The money isn’t coming out of your pocket, Don. I simply want the Bureau to cover the cost of the necessary investigation. It’s the best way to entrench myself in the area.”

  “You’re nuts. This group has used arson and explosives to demolish the project site on two separate occasions. I can’t let you run around alone, in a boat, without any kind of backup. My supervisor will never allow it.”

  “How do you propose I get close enough to find out what’s going on?” Lexie asked. “I would love to hear some of your brilliant ideas.”

  Don sighed.

  “I’m waiting,” Lexie said.

  “I don’t have any ideas,” Don answered. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a pain in the ass?”

  “Is that rhetorical or do you want an answer?” Lexie asked.

  Don shook his head.

  “What do you know about this boat captain?”

  Lexie thought about the question for a few seconds.

  “Honestly, I don’t know much about him. He might be a little shady, but at this point he’s the best I’ve got and he knows the tidelands better than anyone.”

  “How much money do you need for the captain?”

  “He’s agreed to a week of training for $1,000.”

  Don rubbed his temples. “Are you sure this is necessary?”

  “Positive.”

  “Okay. When we leave, follow me to the bank. I’ll get the cash for you. But you watch your back around this boat captain.”

  “Thanks, Don. I’ll make something happen.”

  “You better. My supervisor isn’t a patient man.”

  “Relax. It will happen.”

  “I hope so. For both our sakes.”

  10

  The next morning, Lexie was abruptly awakened as her phone blared Green Day’s song “American Idiot.” Lexie knew it was Don calling because she had assigned that ring tone to Don’s undercover phone.

  “Hey. What’s up?”

  “There’s been a third attack.”

  Lexie sat up in bed. “What? Where?”

  “Jim Pike, the head contractor on the GRI project, woke up this morning when he heard a commotion outside. His pickup truck and boat were set ablaze in his driveway. The police found an unexploded incendiary device under Pike’s wife’s car, so the bomb squad is out there now.”

  “Do we know for sure it’s related to the GRI project?”

  “The perpetrators left their calling card. Painted in green on his driveway was the message: Quit now or lose everything — ELF.”

  “Was anyone hurt?”

  “No, but his wife and kids are pretty shaken up.”

  “Understandable.”

  “Zach and I are on our way out to interview him.”

  Lexie’s clock showed 6:08.

  “I’m supposed to meet the captain this morning at eight. I’ll keep my ears open at the marina to see if anyone is talking about it. Has it been on the news yet?”

  “Not yet. But I’m sure the press will get wind of it soon.”

  “I’ll call you when I clear this afternoon,” Lexie said.

  “Lexie, be careful. Whoever we’re dealing with is out for blood. Don’t do anything crazy.”

  11

  Lexie arrived at the marina preoccupied with the

  recent attack. It was important for her to remember that she wouldn’t have any reason to know about the attack, so if anyone mentioned it to play dumb.

  “Good morning, Captain.”

  “Mornin’, girl.”

  Lexie tossed a small backpack on the back of the boat. She removed her large backpack, which contained her camera equipment, and gently handed it to the captain.

  “Do you remember how to cast off?” Captain Meade asked.

  “I do.”

  Lexie removed the line from the rear of the boat, allowing it to drift. She then moved to the front of the boat, removed the line, put one leg over the short railing, and pushed off using her foot still on the deck, allowing the captain to reverse the boat straight out of the boat slip.

  “Good job,” Meade said.

  Lexie nodded.

  Captain Meade patted the seat next to him. Lexie smiled and graciously accepted the seat. The wind blew Lexie’s hair back and the sun warmed her face.

  “What a beautiful day,” Lexie said.

  “That it is.”

  The captain slowed the boat so Lexie could easily hear him.

  “You see how I’m staying in the middle of the river here? That’s because at low tide this leg of the river is shallow. You don’t want to ride too close to either side. You want to take the helm for a bit?”

  Lexie beamed. “Of course!”

  The captain traded pl
aces with Lexie.

  “You have to log a lot of hours to truly know these waters,” he said.

  “How many hours do you think you’ve spent on the water, Captain?”

  “Too many to count, girl. Too many to count.”

  Lexie carefully navigated the small boat down the waterway, enjoying the sights and smells.

  “Why is the water so brown?” She asked. “Is it polluted?”

  “Not at all. The Waccamaw River is a black river. The water gets its color from the tannin, which comes from the leaf debris as it decomposes. The water is actually very clean.”

  The captain continued, “This whole area used to be rice fields. The South Carolina rice plantation owners were some of the wealthiest men in the country at the time. They grew a rice called Carolina Gold and exported it all over the country. The fields are all abandoned now, but the birds still enjoy them. See those plants growing over yonder? The ones with the wispy tops?”

  “Yeah,” Lexie said, nodding.

  “That’s wild rice that still grows out here. The birds love it.”

  “How come they don’t grow rice in South Carolina anymore?” Lexie asked.

  “It was a combination of things. After the War Between the States, rice production declined because of the loss of labor and working capital. It didn’t help that the area was hit by several severe storms around that time as well. Rice farming pretty much disappeared from the state in the early 1900s.”

  “How much of this area is protected?” Lexie asked.

  “Not enough of it if you ask me. Have you been to Brookgreen Gardens?”

  “Not yet. It’s on my list of things to do.”

  “You should go. It’s a beautiful sculpture garden, botanical garden, and wildlife preserve.”

  Lexie grinned.

  “What are you smirking at?”

  “I didn’t peg you for a sculpture garden kind of guy.”

  “I can appreciate beauty when I see it. Besides, I go mostly to look at the plants. Brookgreen Gardens is over nine thousand acres and it’s all protected land. They offer a short boat tour that goes back in the rice fields. If you look up ahead you can see the start of the Brookgreen property.”

  “Can we ride through in the boat?” Lexie asked.

  “Nope. It’s a private waterway, so it’s blocked off, but you can see a portion of it from here.”

  “Captain, with all this beautiful land to enjoy, why do you think that land developer needs to build a bridge over to Spirit Island?”

  “You already know the answer to that question. Greed. It’s all about how much money they can make catering to rich tourists. They don’t give a rat’s ass about preserving the land and they damn sure don’t care about the people who live on the island.”

  “So, you think the CEO of the company is lying about the policies in place to help preserve the island?”

  The captain let out a sigh. “That CEO, what’s his name?”

  “Jacobson,” Lexie said.

  “Yeah him. If his lip’s movin’, he’s lying.”

  “So, you agree with the people who blew up the work site?” Lexie asked.

  The captain removed his sunglasses and stared at Lexie. “I didn’t say that.”

  “I agree with them,” Lexie said. “I mean I understand why they did what they did. I’m not so sure that I wouldn’t have done the same thing.”

  Captain Meade cocked his head and raised one eyebrow.

  “Show me the island, Captain. Can you please take me out there?”

  The captain stroked his gunmetal gray beard.

  “Why are you so obsessed with Spirit Island?”

  “I’m not obsessed. I’m interested.”

  “I’ll take you out there and show you around under one condition.”

  “Sure. Anything.”

  “You tell me why you’re really here and who you work for.”

  Lexie’s heart skipped.

  “What do you mean? I told you. I’m new to the area and I—”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that version. You gonna stick to that story?”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “Sure it is.”

  The two rode along in silence for the next few minutes. A pristine island came into view. A bright yellow building with a red roof sat near the only dock. The sign on the front said Pyatt’s Store.

  “Let me take the helm,” Meade said. “You get the lines ready.”

  “Are we stopping?”

  Captain Meade grinned. “You wanted to see the Island. Welcome to Spirit Island.”

  Lexie threw her arms around the captain. Captain Meade lightly patted Lexie’s back.

  “Okay, girl. Grab the rope.”

  “Aye, Captain.”

  Captain Meade slid the boat adjacent to the dock to allow Lexie to easily tie off the ropes. The captain checked her knots and nodded.

  “Good job. You’re a quick study.”

  A beautiful older lady with smooth, dark brown skin emerged from the bright, canary colored building. She used her hand as a visor to block the sun.

  “Capt’n Meade, is that you?” she yelled.

  “Miss Beulah, you get more beautiful every time I see you.”

  “Come here, you crazy old goat, and give me a hug.”

  Captain Meade grabbed the woman and hugged her tight.

  “What’re you doing over here in my stompin’ grounds?” Beulah asked after they separated.

  “I got a young gal interested in your island and culture. I thought you and your son could teach her a little somethin’. This here is Lexie.”

  Lexie stepped around from behind Captain Meade.

  “Lexie, this is Miss Beulah. The finest Gullah cook around.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Miss Beulah,” Lexie extended her hand.

  Beulah took Lexie’s hand in both of hers. “The pleasure is mine, sweetheart.”

  “You have any of your famous peach tea in the Frigidaire?” Meade asked.

  “You know I do. Y’all come on up to the store and I’ll fix you both a glass.”

  “Beulah’s family has lived on this island since her ancestors were brought over as slaves to work the rice plantations,” Meade said.

  “Yep. After my ancestors were freed, they settled here on the island.”

  “Have you ever thought about moving to the mainland?” Lexie asked.

  “Lawd, no. Too many people there.”

  “I don’t blame you. It’s beautiful here.”

  “Where’s that son of yours?” Meade asked.

  “He should be here any minute. I’m surprised you didn’t pass him along the way. He picked up a few folks from Pawleys Island for a tour of the island.”

  “I heard he was doing tours. How’s he doing with the business?” Meade asked.

  “It’s been a little slow, but it’s starting to pick up.”

  “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. You know I love Rommy. He was a good boy and he’s grown up to be a good man.”

  “That he has, Capt’n. That he has. I sure am proud of him. Speak of the devil, here he comes now.”

  A partially covered pontoon boat carrying the captain and four passengers pulled up and parked next to Captain Meade’s boat. The captain helped the passengers disembark and walked up to the store with his four in tow.

  “Who has the nerve to park in my parking spot?” Rommy joked.

  “How you doing, son?” Captain Meade said.

  Rommy ran over and hugged Captain Meade, slapping him on the back.

  “You done grown up on me, Rommy.”

  “That’s Captain Rommy to you,” Rommy said, laughing.

  “You’re not too big to put over my knee,” Meade said.

  “Well, actually, I think I am. I’m a bit bigger than you these days. Did you shrink, Captain?”

  Rommy gave the captain another hug. “Where you been hiding?” he asked.

  “Oh, you know how it is. Trying to scratch out a living.”


  “I know that feeling,” Rommy answered. “I’m following in your footsteps with this tour business.”

  “You should’ve picked someone else’s shoes, kid,” Meade said.

  “Now you tell me.”

  Rommy noticed his four tourists were staring at him.

  “Folks, this here is Capt’n Meade. He’s famous in these parts.”

  “Infamous maybe,” Beulah muttered, then smiled.

  Rommy continued. “And this lovely lady is my mother, Beulah. She’s famous as well. She and my aunt fixed the meal you’re gonna enjoy after the tour of the island.”

  The four strangers shook hands with Meade and with Beulah.

  “If you folks will follow me, I’ll show you the general store,” Beulah said. “We have all kinds of interesting items in the store and a restroom if you need one.”

  The group walked off, leaving Meade, Rommy, and Lexie.

  “Rommy, this here is Lexie. I’m giving her some navigation lessons.”

  Rommy shook Lexie’s hand.

  Rommy had muscled arms and broad shoulders. Based on the traces of gray at his temples and in his neatly trimmed goatee, Lexie placed him in his mid to late thirties.

  “Nice to meet you, Rommy.”

  “Likewise.”

  “So, you do tours of Spirit Island?”

  “I sure do.”

  “That’s great,” Lexie said. “How long have you been doing the tours?”

  Rommy’s espresso colored eyes sparkled as he answered Lexie’s questions. “Only a few years. I was in the military. When I finished my tour, I came home and vowed to never leave the area again. I’m related to nearly everyone on the island. This place is in my blood. I never realized it until I left.”

  “That’s really cool.”

  That’s really cool? God, I sound like an idiot, Lexie thought. Get it together, Lexie. This guy could be a goldmine of information.

  “What are you doing right now?” Rommy asked.

  “Ahh. I’m out here with Captain Meade. It’s up to him.”

  “You want a tour of the island? No charge. You can jump in with my four guests. I have a third-row seat in the SUV, so you’ll fit.”

  “I would love to, if it’s okay with—”

  “Oh, go on and get outta here,” Captain Meade said.

  Lexie had forgotten that Meade was still standing close by, smoking a cigarette.