Isle Royale by John Hamilton

Author:John Hamilton [Hamilton, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Thriller
ISBN: 9780982845929
Amazon: B004G5ZTMO
Goodreads: 10114523
Publisher: RavenFire Media, Inc.
Published: 2010-12-11T11:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Ian let go of the mast line, then leaned over and hugged Sally, who sat shivering, huddled against the cold and her own fear.

Ben spoke with a calming voice from the stern of the little dinghy. “It’s over, kids. We’re safe now.”

The sail, riddled with bullet holes, fluttered down as Ian released the rope, but it was useless now anyway. Only a slight breeze blew on the cove, in stark contrast to the raging storm out on the open lake.

McCargoe Cove was a deep protected inlet safe from the ravages of the winds lashing the coast. Steep hills rose up on either side of the narrow, fjord-like finger of water. The ghosts of Norway pine, aspen, and birch poked through the mists on shore. The moonless night enveloped the terrain in eerie silence, except for the wind whistling through the treetops on ridges high above the water. It was as if they’d entered another world, safe from the terror of the Lady and her dark moods.

The trio sat in the dinghy a few minutes, catching their breath as they contemplated their narrow brush with death. Ben finally gripped the rudder and motioned for Ian. “Better row in as far as we can,” he said. “In case more of those gangsters follow.”

Ian picked up the oars and slowly started rowing. The waters of McCargoe Cove, though not perfectly still, were smooth enough. The little dinghy moved quickly, its bow cutting through the murky water toward the darkness ahead.

Sally, who had shifted to the middle of the boat, sat curled up, holding her knees. Her eyes stared out, unseeing. “I looked back when they hit,” she said blankly. “Their whole boat just exploded.” She looked up at Ian, who continued rowing, grim faced. “Do you think any of them made it? Should we go back and check?”

“No,” said Ben from the rear. “Let the lake eat ‘em. That’s what they deserve.”

A silence fell over the boat. Ian’s muscles began aching, but he rowed on, concentrating on watching the oars dip below the surface, then reappear, water cascading down from the wood and dripping back into the cove. They glided onward, well up the long, narrow cove.

Sally nodded toward the lantern still stowed away on the bottom of the boat. “Why don’t you light that up so we can see where we’re going?”

“Can’t do that now,” said Ben as he squinted into the night. “Like to. But if anyone’s following us, we’d sure make a good target with a lamp burning in the boat.”

Ian kept rowing, his mind turning over the events of the last hour. Finally, he blurted out, “What were you doing back there, Ben? Following us?”

“It’s like I said before, Ian lad,” said Ben, shrugging. “Got to help those in need.”

“But how did you…”

Sally interrupted, her voice urgent. “What are we going to do now?” Another long silence fell over them.

When it was apparent that Ben had no answer, Ian stopped rowing a minute to rub out the cramps in his shoulders and arms.

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