Death Echo

headphones when she reached for the stern line. “I’m calling my special weather guesser.”
    The door to the customs modular slammed hard behind Singh. The wind-assisted closing made the small building shudder.
    â€œStanding by,” Emma said.
    Mac flipped the mic away from his mouth as he punched the speed dial of his cell phone. The call was answered immediately.
    â€œFaroe here. Where are you?”
    â€œNanaimo customs dock,” Mac said, “getting ready to leave.”
    â€œI hear a ‘but’ in your voice.”
    â€œThe wind is kicking up. Small-craft warning just went out for Nanaimo on south. I’m holding Blackbird against the dock with the pod drive as we speak.”
    â€œBad?”
    â€œIf I knew Blackbird better,” Mac said, “I’d already be heading north with a grin on my face. But we really haven’t had a shakedown cruise.”
    â€œYou pushed her to get to Nanaimo so fast. Had to be doing more than twenty knots,” Faroe said.
    â€œNothing came loose. But the water was pretty much glass.”
    All Mac heard for a few moments was silence infused by the rush of wind over the cell phone’s small microphone.
    â€œIs it dangerous if you go now?” Faroe asked.
    â€œIf I thought it was, I wouldn’t have called. I’d have found dock space in one of the marinas. But it could get dodgy if something cuts out because a cap or a screw or a fitting wasn’t tightened down.”
    â€œAs you said, shakedown cruise. Any worries with her on the way up?”
    â€œNo, she’s a really sweet boat. I’m tempted to sail off into the sunset with her, because I sure never could afford to buy a ride like this.”
    Faroe laughed. “What does your gut say about going north?”
    â€œI trust Blackbird . It’s the weather-guessers I’m iffy about.”
    â€œHow’s Emma doing?”
    â€œShe’s a first-rate first mate,” Mac said.
    â€œSay that ten times fast without stumbling and I’ll know you haven’t been drinking.”
    â€œI don’t drink when I’m working, unless it’s a cover. And then it only looks like I’m drinking.”
    â€œOne of the things I really like about you,” Faroe agreed. He paused, swore under his breath, and said, “Alara visited Steele again. Temuri not only has criminal connections, he’s a top member of Georgia’s secret service.”
    â€œThis is getting all the earmarks of a really grand cluster.”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œWe’ve wasted a lot of water time in Nanaimo.”
    â€œAlara said the same thing.”
    â€œWhat did Steele say?” Mac asked.
    â€œHe hires people he trusts. When it comes to sailing conditions, it’s your call, Captain.”
    â€œWe’re going north. If the wind drops the way it should, we’ll be in Campbell River well before dark.”
    â€œIf not?” Faroe asked.
    â€œWe’ll get to see how Emma likes being aboard Blackbird when its plowing into the wind at speed.”
    â€œLet me know.”
    Faroe ended the call.
    Mac flipped the headphone mic back into place and signaled Emma to release the line. He watched her leap lightly onto the swim step, stern line in hand. He eased off the pod drive and waited to see if the yacht would respond as expected to the twin forces of water and wind.
    The wind peeled the bow away from the customs dock. The stern followed, but not so quickly that the swim step banged against the dock. The wind was doing more pushing sideways than turning the boat.
    Mack took a quick look around the marina, making certain that nothing had popped up on the water that hadn’t been there the last time he looked.
    â€œClear,” Emma said calmly into the mic.
    He stepped into the cabin and let the boat drift until he was certain that turning the bow more wouldn’t slam the stern into the dock. Then he shut off the joystick, picked up the throttles, checked that the engines were in sync, and put them in gear.
    â€œPick up all the lines and fenders and stow them the way I showed you,” Mac said. “If you need help—”
    â€œNo help. Just time.”
    â€œâ€”let me know,” he finished.
    He divided his attention between the course and Emma. She worked over the four lines, only had to coil one of them twice, tied each off neatly, and stowed them in an on-deck locker. Then she began dragging