Lions in the Water by Jack J. Wyatt

Author:Jack J. Wyatt
Language: eng
Format: mobi, azw3, epub
Tags: Mystery, Thriller, Adventure, Maritime, Fiction
ISBN: 9781734108316
Publisher: Unrest Adventures
Published: 2020-02-24T22:31:04+00:00

48

JED PULLED HER into a vacant lot between two storefronts.

The strange woman lost footing in the fresh mud but recovered.

“Can I help you?” he said sternly.

“What is this?” Her hands clutched her oval purse.

He let go of her elbow but remained on guard. An exotic woman in her thirties, curvaceous but fit, with long chestnut hair. Yet as seductive as she appeared, Jed knew this was a trap. One of Gezzle’s weapons.

He’d seen her at the Starfish Bar and docks at least twice. Then in the rear-view mirror of the Volkswagen moments ago. She was hunting him. There were other areas she’d lurked, possibly, where he hadn’t observed her.

“You show up at a lot of places.” He shifted his weight.

“I…I don’t know what this is about.”

He noted her northern accent. “Cagey is a poor strategy.”

She said nothing but took a single step backward.

“Who are you?” he glared. “Who told you to follow me?”

A brief bow of her head and a swift hand slid into her purse. She whipped out the .38 snub-nose.

He froze.

“Where is it?” She advanced toward him.

His hands rose to his mid-section, palms up. A new form of anxiety rushed through him. He’d battled testy men on deck wielding bait knives, mallet hammers, and even cleat ropes. But no one had ever pulled a gun on him before. His face went flush, and his ears turned hot.

“Look, I’m just a fisherman. You’ll have your boat in five days. Please talk to your boss.”

Her eyes narrowed.

“No!” She inched the gun toward his gut.

His knees went soft. What did they want from him?

“You’re going to shoot me here? Over a lousy boat?”

“Where did you find it?”

“Where did I find what? The boat? I’m not underst––”

“You showed them! I saw you! Did you get it here?”

“If you told me what it is, maybe I could help…” She clutched the gun less than a finger’s length from his gut. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and a knot grew under his chest plate.

“The piece of eight! Where did you get it?”

Instantly he understood. He recalled the Starfish Bar, discussing the Spanish coin’s origin with the Tuckers. Dammit! What a stupid move, out in the open like that. He should’ve been more careful. Now somebody else wanted in on the hunt. An attractive somebody, but he doubted they’d exchange numbers.

“Did the Whydah bring your men here?”

He blinked.

“The what?”

She said the word again.

He held his body and limbs still. He didn’t want to give her any reason to drive a lead nugget through his abdomen.

“Ma’am, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

On the sidewalk several feet away, a lady in high-soled flip flops clacked by, her quaffed chihuahua in chartreuse sweater struggled to keep stride. Neither she nor the pooch noticed Jed or the woman.

“You’re not telling me anything.”

“No ma’am, I don’t understand. What’s why-duh?”

A long-haired man whistled past the couple on the walkway. He held a refillable plastic cup in one hand and flashed the couple a thumbs-up with the other. Jed doubted the whistling man would be that carefree if he’d caught sight of her gun.

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