CHAPTER ELEVEN GULF OF MEXICO

GULF OF MEXICO

January 9

The magic of the kem ?m had helped them escape the police in the parking lot just before moonset. They’d slipped away without being noticed by the officers, and Brenda had ushered them onto the boat and then the boat into the harbor.

It was the first cruise Suki had been on actually. She didn’t much like boats, and if it hadn’t been necessary for their escape, she would have happily avoided it. But the leftover seafood ceviche—that was awesome.

The sun was nice and warm, but the constant wind from the forward motion of the boat and the choppiness of the water made it impossible to get comfortable. They’d passed by Cuba, which Brenda had pointed out to them, and were getting close to the coast of Florida. Brenda had taken tourists to Cuba before, but never so far as Florida. As long as they kept in the direction they were heading, they’d make it to one of the western ports—like Fort Myers, Naples, or Everglades City. From there, they’d try to contact Dad or Uncle Steve to let them know where they were.

Suki felt a lightness she hadn’t thought herself capable of anymore. It was so comforting having her mom back. They talked for hours, no longer having to worry about being caught or overheard. Jane Louise had fallen asleep first, and Suki’s mom had eventually drifted off too. Suki couldn’t sleep. She grabbed a can of Pepsi from the cooler, cracked it open, and took a long drink from it, staring off into the distance. Earlier that morning, some dolphins had started jumping from the waves behind them. That had been pretty sweet. They’d been on the boat for so long, Suki had lost track of time.

“I thought this might happen,” Brenda said, her normally cheerful tone sounding more worried. “You the only one awake, Suki?”

“I think so,” Suki replied, then glanced over and saw her mom was still asleep, with Jane Louise nestled against her side. “Yup. What’s up?”

“A US Coast Guard ship is heading for us,” Brenda said. “They’re bigger and faster. Wake up your mom.”

Suki set down the soda can and then walked crookedly over to Sarina and shook her shoulder.

“Mom, wake up.”

Sarina’s eyes blinked open. “Are we almost there?”

“There’s a coast guard ship heading our way.”

Jane Louise sat up, rubbing her eyes.

Sarina looked exhausted still. She squinted at Brenda, who pointed to their right. Suki glanced over and finally took notice of it. It was a large white ship, about five times bigger than theirs, with a red stripe at an angle from the front. A metal tower at the top had radar equipment.

“How far are we from Florida?” Sarina asked.

“Couple of hours still,” Brenda answered. “I was hoping we could slip past, but we weren’t lucky. They’ll reach us in thirty minutes or less.”

“That’s not a lot of time,” Suki said.

“No, it’s not,” Sarina agreed. “Will you get in trouble?”

“I don’t think so. They’re going to ask a lot of questions, but the three of you are American, so it’s not the same as if you were refugees.”

“We don’t have any ID,” Sarina said. “But it shouldn’t be hard to prove our identities. The problem is alerting the wrong people to where we are.”

“Yeah,” Suki agreed. “Like Dad’s friend Moretti.” Of course she’d told her mother the whole story about him turning her over to Calakmul.

“Exactly. Brenda, you’ve done enough. Let’s just make the story easy. You found us adrift and picked us up and were taking us to the nearest port, hoping the coast guard would find us.”

“Are we going for a Gilligan’s Island vibe, Mom?” Suki asked with a grin.

“Not really, but that’s funny. Hopefully their port is in Florida.”

“It has to be,” Brenda said. “They patrol the Gulf of Mexico all the time. But they probably won’t believe that story.”

“Should we say we were kidnapped by a cartel?” Suki suggested. “We managed to escape and convinced Brenda to help us get back home?”

Sarina thought for a moment. “If we admit we were kidnapped, that will trigger a call to the police. Probably the FBI.”

“FBI agents raided our house,” Suki said. “Dad didn’t trust them.”

“So we don’t want them to get involved yet,” Sarina said. “But we also want them to release Brenda. Let’s go with the broken ship. We were stranded when the engine failed and just drifted.”

“That makes sense,” Brenda said. “I found you, but your boat was bigger than mine, so I couldn’t tow it.”

“Good enough. They’ll probably let you go.”

“We’re so good at lying,” Suki drawled. “But isn’t there a magic we can use to zap us to Florida?”

Sarina shook her head. “It only works in places where Ix Chel has prominence, and then only at night when the moon is strong.”

“Bummer,” Suki said, scratching her neck. She tried to think of other ways to avoid a confrontation with the boat. “What if we went invisible again?”

“That’s not going to trick their radar. And it’d draw even more attention if a boat on their radar turned invisible. Good thinking, though. Once we get to the port, we can use the magic to try and escape.”

“I was hoping to get you all the way to safety,” Brenda said, discomfort in her tone. “I know your family has done so much for Huellas de Pan. Jorge is grateful. We all are.”

“He helped us when we needed it,” Sarina said. She sighed. “So have you. Let’s see what happens.”

In about twenty minutes, the coast guard ship reached them, and someone on a loudspeaker ordered them to stop their boat and kill the engine. The order came in English and Spanish. Brenda complied, and soon they were bobbing up and down in the waves caused by the massive cutter.

“Let me talk to them,” Sarina said. “This isn’t your fault.”

“I know. Good luck,” Brenda said under her breath.

Suki’s nerves were taut again. But she was grateful her mom was there and that she wasn’t alone trying to figure out the adult world. Jane Louise reached for Suki’s hand and squeezed it.

The cutter came closer. There were uniformed sailors talking to each other at the bow. Sarina waved her arm at them. “We’re American!” she shouted up to them.

“Ma’am, sit tight while we send a vessel to your boat,” said the voice from the loudspeaker.

Soon, an inflatable with a motor came from around the other side of the cutter. The two men on board had on life jackets. As they approached the boat, Suki noticed they were armed. That made her nervous.

“Ma’am,” said one of the sailors, “you say you’re American. Your vessel is registered in Mexico.”

“I know,” Sarina said. “We were stranded. She found us and agreed to bring us back. We’re so glad you came!”

One of the sailors turned to the other before glancing back at her. “Do you have any ID with you?”

“No, it’s still back at our hotel. But thank you for finding us. We were really scared. The power was dead. We couldn’t call for help. We were gone for a long time.”

“There were no reports of a vessel lost in the gulf,” the sailor said.

“There wasn’t any way we could report it. It was a private boat.”

“Are those two girls your children?”

“Yes. The little one is adopted. Can we call my husband? He must be worried sick.”

The two sailors looked at each other. Suki’s stomach clenched harder. One of them got on the radio. He said a few words, then the radio chirped back.

“Get them on board.”

The bigger boat made for a much smoother ride. The family was kept in a private room with blankets and plenty of food and things to drink. It was cramped, but at least they could sit down and warm up. Suki could tell that the officer they’d spoken to wasn’t buying their story. But the fact that all three of them were fluent in English added to their credibility. They’d allowed Brenda to leave.

The door opened, and the officer returned. His name badge said “Holmes.” Suki hoped his first name wasn’t Sherlock.

“We’re almost to Naples, ma’am,” he said. “The captain wants to talk to you.”

“Naples?” Suki’s mom asked in confusion.

“We’re from Key West, but Naples is the closer port. By Fort Myers. We’re trying to confirm your story, but it’s not adding up. That’s why the captain would like to speak with you.”

Crap. Crappity crap.Suki looked worriedly at her mom.

“When can I call my husband? When we reach Naples?” her mom asked.

“Yes. There’s no cell service out here. But we’re going to keep you at our building in Naples while we sort this out. Without ID, I can’t release you.”

Suki’s anxiety spiked to the next level. She began thinking the Mayan word for “peace” over and over again.

“Okay,” her mom said, shrugging. “We really appreciate all you’ve done. We’ll sort this out.”

“I’m sure we will, ma’am. Thanks for your patience.”

“No, thank you. Thank you for everything.”

Holmes left and shut the door. And then locked it. Suki frowned.

There was no window to look out from, but they could feel the sensation of the cutter slowing down. After a long wait, it finally stopped, and they felt only the gentle sway of the water. They had no cell phones, no wallets, just some cash Jorge had given them. Suki didn’t remember the burner phone number for her dad, and she didn’t dare call his regular cell phone because it was probably being monitored. How could they get in touch with him?

“What are you going to tell the captain?” Suki asked.

“Nothing. We’re getting out of here as soon as the ship docks.” Her mom leaned back, her face looking weary.

“How are you feeling, Mom?”

“I need something other than carbs,” she said. She hadn’t eaten the provisions the crew had brought because it was the wrong kind of food for a diabetic. “I’m going to need an insulin shot soon.”

“Let me help,” Suki said. “We need to get away from these guys so we can try to call Dad. Calakmul is monitoring our normal cell phones, I think, so we’ll have to find another way to reach him. I know he has a burner phone, but I don’t know the number.” He’d tried to make her memorize it, in case a situation like this ever arose, but her mind had gone blank.

A few minutes later, Holmes returned. “Leave the blankets here. There’s a US Coast Guard auxiliary building here in Naples City Dock. We’re there now. The captain is already inside. I’ll take you to him.”

“Great,” Sarina said brightly. “We’re ready.”

The three of them followed Holmes down the inner corridor of the ship and then up onto the deck. Outside, the smell of dead fish filled the air. It was nasty. It looked like they were in a narrow inlet. Boats and yachts were everywhere. She even saw some painted with signs about dolphin and manatee tours. The part of the city she could see looked busy, full of honking cars and seagulls. It was a noisy situation.

“I’m too tired,” Sarina whispered to Suki. “I need you to summon the kem ?m. You’re stronger in it anyway.”

“How do I do it? I’ve never made someone disappear before.”

Holmes glanced back at them, motioning for them to approach the gangway. Sailors had gathered there, and a few of them bid them goodbye as they left.

“Thank you so much!” Sarina said brightly, but her voice was strained.

Once they were on the gangway, heading down behind Holmes, Suki felt a prickle of apprehension. She was tired too. “Exhausted” was a better word for it.

“It will work,” her mother said. “Hold hands.”

They all linked hands together.

“It’s the glyph sach ib.” Her mom whispered the word, and then the glyph appeared in Suki’s mind. Thought to thought. Sach ib. An ancient Mayan word. It meant to vanish from sight.

Suki squeezed their hands. “Sach ib,” she murmured.

After they got off the gangway and docks, Holmes approached a small T-shaped building right on the north side of the dock. A flagpole was in the middle of the patio with the American flag fluttering in the small breeze. A few palm trees were interspersed in the paving of the parking lot.

Suki’s mom tugged on her hand, and Suki pulled on Jane Louise’s as they followed the patio toward the parking lot. Holmes walked to the front door of the building with the US Coast Guard emblem on it.

“Captain Baker said you can call—” He stopped suddenly, having turned around to hold the door open for them. He looked confused, searching back and forth.

The three of them walked away from him, heading toward the downtown area. Hopefully it would smell better. They should have been directly within his line of sight, but he shouted, “Captain, Captain! They’re gone!”

The tingling prickle of magic danced down Suki’s arms, making the gooseflesh come out. So simple. Like breathing out. The magic was powerful.

And that made it frightening. What else could Jacob Calakmul do with it?