There was a single ramp down into the water, the dark water lapping at the slimy concrete. He turned the SUV around in the lot and backed the trailer up to the ramp. He put it in park and climbed out of the SUV as the others parked in the lot and climbed out of their vehicles to gather around him.
“Okay, let’s get the covers off the boats and start loading everything in them. Make sure you get everything because there is no guarantee we can get back here to get anything we forget. I’m going to put the Lund in first and dock it at one of the slips. Once we’ve unloaded the boats, pull the vehicles up into that scrub bush over there. Empty the tanks and pull the batteries. We might need them and it’ll make people less likely to try and take the cars.”
Everyone went to work, even the kids helping to load the boats while with Craig and Kim’s help, Malcolm got the Lund ready for launch.
They stripped the cover off and undid the clamps on the trailer. Malcolm climbed up onto the boat and he could see that she was well loved, her deck and chairs worn but clean. He took a seat in the captain’s chair as Kim climbed into the SUV and put it in reverse. Craig directed Kim as she backed the trailer and boat into the water and calling out for her to stop when the back tires were just a few feet short of the water.
The boat began to drift out into the water now that it was free of the trailer and Malcolm reached around to unhitch the outboard so the propeller could dip into the water. Now the moment of truth.
Please, God, let this work.
He gripping the starter rope and pulled on it. Nothing happened and he gave it another tug and then another before it finally sputtered to life and his shoulders slumped in relief. He shifted into gear and hit the throttle to back away from the trailer and out into the open water.
He couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face as he guided the boat over to one of the slips. He had missed being on the water. By the time he had docked the Lund, Craig was up in the loaded Bayliner and Quinton was backing it down the ramp.
Malcolm waited on the Lund, watching and holding his breath when the Bayliner was in the water and Craig went to start her up. It only took the single turn of the key before her engine sounded and Craig was guiding her over to dock next to the Lund.
Malcolm killed the Lund’s motor and tied her to the slip before heading back to the lot where Kim and Trey were hauling the battery and gas from the SUV back to the docks. He exchanged smiles with them as they went to drop the battery and jerry can in the Bayliner.
Jenny stood with the twins and Ruthie who were eagerly watching from the edge of the sea wall as their mother sat in the Star Sea that Jackson was backing into the water. She waved to them before she started the boat up without issue and Malcolm felt a weight fall of his shoulders. They were going to be able to do this.
“Alright kids, time to get onboard,” he called out to them and the twins let out loud whoops as they ran along the seawall to join him. “You guys make sure you have everything?”
“Yep!” Matthew answered, patting the backpack he was wearing.
“Okay, you go get in with your mom,” Malcolm said, “And make sure you get your lifejackets on. You too, Jenny, that baby isn’t a flotation device.”
She gave him a wan smile. He could tell she was only a wrong thought away from tears but she was trying her best to cope.
Audrey, Hannah, Veronica and Claudia came around the other side of the building with their packs in hand.
“Perfect, just who I was looking for,” he said when he spotted the Alpert sisters. ”I want to take the Lund to the island to check it out before we bring the others over. I was hoping you two would come with me. I’m going to ask Mendez and Banks too. You’re all the best at moving silently and if there’s anybody on the island, I want to see them before they see us.”
“Sure, we can help,” Veronica said with a frown, “But I thought they were expecting you there.”
“Well, that’s only if it’s other members of Omega there. It’s just as likely that locals headed out on the lake to get away from the infection and made land there.”
“We’re in,” Claudia said and Veronica nodded in agreement.
“Okay, drop your packs in one of the other boats,” Malcolm said and then looked to the younger girls. “You two make sure you put life jackets on before you get on the boat, okay? The first rule of being on a boat is safety.”
“Gotcha, Mr. Evans,” Hannah said with a firm nod of her head, her mouth pulled in a serious line as she marched down the dock with her sister following behind her. He exchanged a smile with Veronica before she and Claudia followed the girls and he walked around the building.
Jackson had parked the SUV next to the others and was pulling the battery out. Mendez was at the gas tank, using the pump to drain it into one of their jerry cans. While Banks and Quinton were placing dead leaves around the tires of other SUVs. They had already decorated the hoods and roofs with more leaves and a couple broken tree branches. To someone who didn’t know better, it looked like the vehicles had been there awhile. It was a smart idea.
“They all cleared out?” Malcolm asked.
“Stripped clean,” Jackson replied as he hauled out the battery and shut the hood.
“Alright, let’s get going then,” Malcolm said. “Mendez, Banks, you’re with me in the Lund. Plan is when we get close to the island, we’ll take the smaller boat in the check out the island first and then radio back to the others.”
“Speaking of which, have you ever been to the island?” Banks asked and Malcolm shook his head. “Then how do you plan to find it?”
Malcolm pulled off his backpack and opened one of the side pockets to pull out the satellite phone. “I’ve been conserving the battery on this. It’s got the island’s GPS coordinates in it and unless the freaks figured out a way to bring the satellites down from space, we’ll be able to find it.”
“Good enough for me,” Banks said with a grin.
They loaded up the last of the gas and supplies in the boats and pulled in the lines as they climbed aboard.
“Let’s move out,” Malcolm called out before he started the motor. He reversed out of the slip and led the way out of the marina and into the canal. Trees lined either side of it, blocking their view as the canal curved for a ways before the trees fell away to reveal the lake.
It was beautiful, the water pink from the setting sun. A cool breeze tickled him as he hit the throttle to send them skimming into the open water. He glanced back to see the others following behind him, the kids in the prow of the Bayliner whooping it up as they broke through the waves.
Malcolm kept one hand on the tiller and picked up the phone with the other, powering it up. The screen lit up and he waited for the bars to appear to show he had a signal. It beeped when it connected and he checked for any more messages but all that was there was the coordinates he had received a month earlier.
He had hoped there might be something more from the Director, something saying that he had made it to the island and it was secure. Hell, he’d even be happy with a message from anyone in the Omega. He hated the idea of going into this blind.
But even the risk of strangers on the island couldn’t stop him from grinning as he logged into the GPS app on the phone.
The blinking red light that marked their position appeared on the screen and he entered the island’s coordinates into the search bar. It only took a moment before it zoomed out to show more of the lake and a single green dot floating in it.
There it was...safety.
He adjusted their course and the others followed behind him. The mainland soon disappeared behind them, fading into a dark line and then disappearing altogether as the sun set.
The buzz of excitement in the others changed into impatient anticipation as the hours passed and nothing but dark water surrounded them, the only light coming from the reflection of the sliver of moon and the stars overhead.
When they were about ten miles off from the island, he radioed to the other
boats to kill their engines and he did the same. He waited for Janet’s boat to drift close to them and reached out to hand her the satellite phone so they could guide their way to the island when he radioed the all clear.
“You guys wait here,” Malcolm called out to the other boats. “Cover up your lights with something, a shirt or blanket. Keep watch for any approaching boats. You spot anything you head away from them. When things are clear on the island, we’ll radio back to you.”
“Good luck,” Kim said to him. He could barely make out her face but her could hear in her voice that she was worried.
“We’ll call you soon,” he reassured her, wishing he could reach out and hug her.
Instead he started the motor and directed the Lund towards the island. The sooner he got over there, the sooner they’d be together again.
It didn’t take long before he spotted the outline of the island, the land darker than the indigo sky around them.
Malcolm killed the engine and let their momentum and the current carry the boat closer to the island. Soon he could make out the tops of trees limned with moonlight. He could not make out any lights on the island but he was still cautious.
“Grab up an oar,” Malcolm told the others, grabbing his own and moving to the side of the boat, dipping it into the water. “We’re under man power the rest of the way. The current will help us.”
The plan was to circle the island to evaluate the best place to make their landing and ensure there weren’t any surprises waiting for them on shore.
They paddled along the shore, their laboured breathing and the waves hitting the shore the only sounds as he peered at the island intently for any sign they were being watched. Large trees lined most of the shore as they moved around the west side and over to the south shore that ran in a straight line of sandy beach that reflected the moonlight.
The only structure he could see sat on the south side, jutting out into water. Judging by the dock attached to it, it had to be a boathouse. He instructed the others to paddle wide of the dock, not about to land anywhere that someone would expect.
They passed around to the east side where the island rose up into a sheer cliff, the bare rock shining as the water crashed into the cliffside. He spotted a spear of land that jutted out into the water and steered them into the small cove that was formed between the cliffs and the spear of land. He leaned over and pushed his oar straight down into the water and felt it hit bottom after only a few feet. It had to be a sandbar.
“This is as good a place as any,” Malcolm said, pulling in his oar. “Banks, toss out the anchor. We’ll walk in.”
They did one final weapons check and hopped out of the boat, the water coming up to their waists. They waded to the shore, careful to keep their guns high above the water. A strip of sand lined the shore but it soon gave way to rougher terrain of loose rocks and scrub grass. It was difficult to keep their footsteps quiet as the stones shifted under their feet. Malcolm hoped that the water covered up the sounds and he was relieved when they reached the cover of pine trees with the soft, needle-strewn ground that would silence their footfalls.
He gestured to the Alpert sisters, holding his hand out to signal for them to stop there, while he nodded to Mendez and Banks to follow him as he ventured farther into the trees.
This had been planned out on the boat. The three of them would head inland while the sisters waited in the hopes that any eyes that might be watching would be drawn to the trio, leaving the sisters free to sweep the area behind them.
The girls were hunters, experienced in remaining quiet in the forest while tracking animals with much better hearing than humans. They would be the best equipped to stalk anyone who was trying to pull the same on the others.
The trees broke suddenly when they reached a clearing with long grass and a cabin in the centre. The windows were dark and the porch was empty but he still signalled for the others to circle around the cabin while staying hidden in the trees. Even though it appeared deserted, he wasn’t about to give away their position.
A path from the cabin cut into the trees and Malcolm had them follow it, though they kept far enough back in the trees that they wouldn’t be surprised by anyone. The path curved towards the centre of the island and eventually through the trees he saw lights in the distance.
They headed towards it and another grassy clearing appeared with two buildings in the centre. They were both much larger than the cabin, one of them two storeys with a large deck attached to it. Unlike the cabin, its windows glowed with light and he could see shadows moving inside.
He gestured for them to circle the clearing, letting Banks take the lead while Mendez took up the rear watch allowing Malcolm to keep his attention on the buildings. The smaller of the two buildings was dark and he quickly dismissed it as a potential hiding place for anyone. No, the people that were on the island were inside the larger building.
It appeared to be some sort of rustic lodge made of rough-hewn logs. There were three entrances to the building: large double-sided oak doors on the west side, a set of French doors on the east and a single screen door on the north. Curtains covered the multiple bay windows but he could see shadows moving behind the fabric.
The trio came to a halt when they reached the path that they had followed to the clearing and Malcolm moved to the edge of the trees, crouching low to use the underbrush between the trees as cover. Mendez and Banks flanked him, their eyes evaluating the situation along with him.
“Three points of entry,” Malcolm whispered. “Mendez will take the screen door, Banks on the French doors and I’ll take the main doors. We use the bird call to signal when we are in place. After the third signal we count to three and go in. Let me do the talking when we’re in and you only open fire if it’s absolutely necessary.”
They nodded and together they jogged across the open space between the bushes and the building. They all crouched beside the deck and Malcolm waved for them to go to their doors..
He crept up the stairs mindful that the old boards might creak and give him away but the song of insects was loud here and any noises were drowned out.
He moved to the side of the door, careful not to cast a shadow through the small windows in the doors and carefully tested the doorknob.
Unlocked. Excellent.
He whistled twice, their signal, and listened for the others. Two short whistles sounded, signalling one of them was in place and it wasn’t much longer before he heard the whistles again. He counted to three and was through the door.
The inside of the building was one large open room and he saw Banks come through the French doors that were directly across the room. Three of its four walls were mostly large bay windows that would probably make the place seem even bigger in the daylight.
Several dining tables took up half the room, chairs tucked into them except for one, where a middle aged man sat, hands folded on the table in front of him, staring at Malcolm. His salt and pepper hair was receding and he had thick glasses on that made his dark eyes look twice as big. Coupled with his slight double chin, he reminded Malcolm of a bullfrog.
“Hello,” the man said, his thin lips pulling up in a smile.
“Don’t move a muscle,” Malcolm ordered. The man blinked at him but didn’t make any other move. Malcolm kept his gun on him and took a quick glance around the rest of the room.
The most prominent feature in the place was the giant stone fireplace that took up the far right corner, a couple couches surrounding it. The far left corner was lined with bookcases, a couple wingback chairs in front of them and a table between them with a lamp that was sending out a soft glow.
There was electricity here!
He ignored the elation that filled him, focusing back on his sweep. A ladder stood against the wall on the left, leading up to a loft. He made a quick visual sweep of the shadows but didn’t spot anyone looming. Next to the ladder was a small set of stairs that led up to a narrow hallway and Banks was already crossing from the doors to check i
t out.
A bar made of the same rough-hewn logs as the outside stood on the other side of the steps. A swinging door was on the other side of the bar and it swung open to reveal Mendez.
She had her gun instantly on the man at the table and then glanced over at Malcolm.
“Kitchen’s clear,” she said, nodding back at the room she had come from. Well, that explained the large serving window next to the door.
“Clear,” Banks called out and then appeared from the hallway, bouncing down the steps. “Couple of bathrooms and a locked door. Should I break it open?”
“No,” Malcolm said, focusing back on the man. He noticed sweat beading on his forehead and the tremble in his hands that he was trying to hide by keeping them folded on the table. “Is anybody hiding in that room?”
“No,” the man replied, a slight catch in his voice.
He was scared, which was a good thing. It meant he didn’t have the drop on them.
“Who are you?”
He cleared his throat, his chin jiggling. “Dr. Harold Scott. May I ask who you are?”
“Retired Special Agent Malcolm Evans,” he replied.
“I know him!” a feminine voice said from up high.
They all swung their guns up to the loft where two figures materialized from the shadows, the business end of a rifle coming to rest on the railing as it took aim at them.
“Ask him the question,” came a feminine voice, this one different from the first.
“How many roses did you buy for your wife last Valentine’s Day?” Harold asked him.
“What the hell you talking about?” Banks asked, confused, but Malcolm wasn’t.
He knew this. It was the code that the Director had given them for when they needed to identify themselves as part of the Omega.
“Angela, we don’t have to, I know him,” the first voice said and one of the figures moved to the ladder, the light from the lamp below revealing a face he recognized.
Sanctuary Page 31
