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Sam looked over the cabin roof into the distance He could see the black-and-gray boat anchored ahead The red-and-white flag was up, and there were people in the water “Interesting coincidence,” he said “Our diving gear gets sabotaged and noe find these people diving in our exact location” Sam took out the binoculars and stared in the direction of the black-and-gray boat for a few seconds “They see in their dive buoys and striking the flag”
“Well, of course,” said Reos, it turns out, have been diving for broken pottery and deer antlers Now these people have figured that out” She slowed the engine “Let’s let the them up here with our boat”
“Maybe that’s not why they’re leaving If we can see them, they can see us Let’s try another approach Keep an eye on them for a minute” He went into the cabin and returned with a chart He held it up where Re here toward Ver course up into the bayou”
“That’s a little vague”
“I don’t want to stifle your creativity Let’s see if you can lose them”
Remi started to radually pushed the throttle up, ine roar She shot past the black-and-gray boat at a distance, and kept going at the same speed After a few minutes, Sam tapped her on the shoulder and she looked back When she saw the black-and-gray boat coh spe
ed, she threw her head back and laughed “Not very subtle, are they? I guess it’s a race” She pushed the throttle forward all the way, then tapped it with the heel of her hand to get the last bit of speed out of it As she sped west along the Cahted
Now and then the boat would reach a freak wave and leap over it Re to the steering wheel, and then duck to avoid the splash that the wind sent back at them Sam stood close to her and said, “You can slon a little bit now If they lose sight of us this early, they ive up We want them fully committed”
“Aye, aye,” she said
She drove on, keeping their pursuers barely in sight, until Sao into Vermilion Lake”
She turned right, sped across the open water, and then headed for the bayous As she shot into the first narroinding channel, she gradually pulled back the throttle “Hey, make yourself useful,” she said “Get up to the bow andthat’s alive or puts holes in boats”
“Happy to,” Saot up on the foredeck and pointed in the direction that was clearest He studied the water for snags and shallow spots and kept her out of them The water was dark and nearly opaque, the channel lined with reeds and trees hung with Spanish rew thicker, and the trees caether to form arches over the water After a tiine”
The engine went to neutral, and the boat coasted a few yards with a minimum of sound, then stopped and drifted into a shaded copse Sorowl of the black-and-gray boat’s engine Saain They went on for another twenty ain She slowed down to a crahile Sam came aft and looked at the chart
“Get ready to anchor”
“Are you sure?”