Jack Beale 00 - Dangerous Shoals

could hear the clanking of silver on glass and the soft hum of the crowd on the deck at Ben’s. She took a deep breath, and was briefly rejuvenated by the fresh evening air. She stepped to the back of the boat as Kurt followed her up and stood in the cockpit beside her.
    * * *
    “Oh, look at that,” Patti said to Courtney. “Isn’t it romantic, a sunset sail on such a beautiful night?”
    Courtney looked down at the boat from the deck railing. “Yeah. Must be nice.” She recognized Jack’s shirt and noticed that Max was at the wheel. Usually, Max was in charge of untying the lines. “That’s a first,” she thought. Something didn’t feel right to her, but before she could dwell on it, she was called away to deal with an unhappy customer on the other end of the deck.
    * * *
    When the engine started, Max experienced a moment of elation and her confidence grew. “Maybe if I get everything just right, he’ll let us go.” As Kurt dropped the lines, she pushed the shift lever forward and turned the wheel. Irrepressible moved away from the float. She glanced back to make sure they were clear of the dock and saw that he had tied the dinghy behind them. “Why are we bringing the dinghy?”
    Kurt returned to the cockpit and stood for a moment surveying the scene. As they approached the center channel, he moved to stand behind Max. He leaned back against the pushpit, and she shivered. Some of the guests on the deck at Ben’s waved, and he waved back. To anyone watching, it appeared that they were two happy people going out for a romantic sunset sail.
    * * *
    Tom was opening the door to his car when Gladys pulled into the lot and stopped. It had been a long day and he was looking forward to going home. He glanced at her and nodded a hello. Her window was rolled down, and she waved at him to come over to her car. He really didn’t feel like talking to anyone, but he smiled and walked over.
    “Hi Gladys―”
    Before he could say anything else, she cut him off. “Listen, I was just down by the harbor, on the north side, about to go home, when I saw that guy you were interested in getting onto one of the boats in the harbor.”
    It took a moment for Tom to get what she was talking about. “What guy?”
    “The guy from the canoe.”
    “Which boat?”
    “The black one on the dock by Ben’s.”
    Those words stunned Tom. “Are you sure?”
    “Yep.” Then, before she could say anything else, Tom turned and sprinted to his car. As he jumped in, he called back to her, “Thanks.”
    Gladys watched in stunned silence as he roared out onto the street. Just before he disappeared from sight, she saw his blue lights begin flashing.
    “Well, ain’t that somethin’?” she said under her breath. She shifted into gear. “Time for supper!” Then she drove off toward home.
    * * *
    Irrepressible was about to pass through the breakwaters at the mouth of the harbor. Ahead, Max could see that, save for the slightest swell, the ocean was nearly flat. What little breeze there was barely rippled the surface of the water. Kurt continued to stand behind her. “It’s nice out here,” he said. “I can see how someone could get to like it.”
    Max had not expected to hear such a surprisingly human comment coming from such a monster. She glanced over at him and as she did, she thought she heard a siren. Then, she saw something flash on the shore, back by Ben’s. It looked like blue lights.
    Kurt caught her glance. He snarled, “Eyes front, keep driving,” and he motioned with his knife in case she needed reminding. She turned back to the wheel, and as they cleared the breakwaters, she began watching for lobster pots, like Jack had taught her. She shuddered at the thought of how Kurt would react if she caught one in the propeller.
    Satisfied with their progress, Kurt pulled the handcuffs out of his pocket and cuffed her left hand to the steering wheel. After a hard yank on the chain, which made Max wince, he moved forward and peered down into the cabin through the companionway. The relief Max felt, as he left her side, was profound. She glanced back to confirm that she had really seen the blue lights. But now they were too far out of the harbor to tell, so she could only pray that they were still there.
    “I have something to take care of down below. You keep us going straight and easy. If I feel anything change, your friend will begin to lose body parts.”
    Max nodded that she understood. Her mind was racing as she