Chapter 21

The weather was gorgeous, so they'd put the sailboat on autopilot. Alexis had stretched out on a lounge chair. She should have been enjoying the warm sun and blue ocean, but all she could do was worry.

The plan was complicated. Alexis didn't like complicated. It meant more things could go wrong.

Javier had called Seb after they were underway. A doctor he knew in Miami would help them set things up. They'd admit a bandaged Vala to a hospital room before Finlay leaked anything to the press. She would stay by Vala's side to add to the credibility. Seb insisted nothing could go wrong.

Plenty could go wrong, but Alexis hadn't come up with a better plan. At least Finlay would be at the hospital when she traded places with Vala.

Once they reached the Everglades, a conference call would take care of the last minute details and coordinating timing. Maxwell had already phoned a private marina and had made docking arrangements.

"Do you know a Dr. Kyle Overlin?" Seb asked.

Alexis jerked her head in his direction. She'd put Kyle behind her years ago.

"He's another professor at the university." Seb's eyes were on his cell phone, and he'd thankfully missed her reaction to the unexpected question. "Vala hasn't been able to find much on him. Most of his published work has been co-authored with Butler."

Because the jerk wasn't capable of producing anything of worth on his own. Alexis hadn't bothered to keep track of him after she'd told him their relationship was over. It'd been awkward passing him on campus, but when she switched universities, she'd never seen him again.

"Why is Vala interested in Dr. Overlin?" Kyle was part of her past and Alexis wanted it to remain that way.

"According to information Vala dug up, he's Butler's research partner." Seb raised his head and looked at her. "He's also been asked to speak at the conference. Butler and Overlin are traveling together."

Guilt washed over her, leaving her feeling unsettled. When she'd turned down the graduate work with Dr. Butler, she'd left the door wide open for Kyle. He'd always been a smooth talker. She should have told Dr. Butler why she'd ended the relationship instead of brushing it off as a crush and nothing more.

"Kyle was a classmate. During the last year of my undergraduate work, he worked a few hours a week for Dr. Butler inputting research data." Alexis kept her explanation simple. Seb didn't need to know that the day she turned eighteen, he'd started dating her.

She'd believed he was in love with her. Until she caught him in her dorm room printing out a paper she'd written the previous year. The experience was even more humiliating when Alexis found out she wasn't the first woman he used to keep his grades high enough to apply for graduate studies.

"Do you think he could be involved with Butler in producing the algae?"

"He's not that bright." Alexis snorted and waved her hand dismissively. "He was lazy and had a string of girlfriends who did his work for him. I could see him cozying up to Dr. Butler and figuring out a way to share the spotlight on his achievements without having done any of the work."

Yes, she could see exactly what Kyle had done. Dr. Butler had expected her to work as his research and teaching assistant. He would have looked for a new research assistant immediately. Kyle had stepped in and stayed, expecting to take over the professor's research when he retired. No one had anticipated Dr. Butler to still teach and conduct research at seventy.

Another pang of guilt washed through Alexis. He was still trying to make his mark in the scientific community. She refused to believe he'd purposely plant the algae as a ploy to become a hero.

Before Seb could question her further, she got up and walked over to the autopilot to check how far they were from the Everglades. Her gaze drifted to the sailboat that had been a speck on the horizon. It now stood out clearly against the blue sky.

"They're in trouble." Alexis pointed to the boat she'd assumed had anchored to deep-sea fish. She'd been wrong. Their mast was broken.

Seb stood and lifted the binoculars around his neck. "The mast ripped their jib when it fell. They must have been caught in the storm."

"Their sailboat is dead in the water. We need to help them." Alexis had already turned off the autopilot and was heading for the boat. A person stood on the deck, waving one arm.

Seb put his hand on the wheel. "They would have issued a Mayday call. If not, another boat will pass and help them."

"Someone aboard could be hurt." Alexis pushed at his hand, but he didn't budge.

"It's my job to get you to safety. That has to be my priority," Seb said firmly, his mouth set in a tight line. "They could be part of Antoine's team. It's too big a risk and we can't waste time stopping. I'll send Javier the GPS coordinates and he can contact the coast guard."

A job? That's all she was to him. Memories of last night flooded Alexis's thoughts, and she shoved them away.

"Your client is informing you we are helping the boat in distress." She heard the ice in her voice.

"Alexis, that's not what I meant." Seb lifted his hand from the wheel and placed it on her shoulder. She shrugged it off.

"You can either help me and unstrap the dinghy, or you can go below. I can handle the boat on my own."

Tension rippled through Seb, but he remained silent. He turned to get the dinghy ready.

The man standing on deck looked relieved as they dropped the dinghy into the water. Seb had set a small duffle bag on the boat's floor. It was open and Alexis could see the Glock.

"You'll need to row so my hands are free if there's a problem." He got in and reached up to help her. Alexis ignored him.

"Am I glad to see you," the man on deck shouted as they approached the boat's swim platform. He appeared to be in his late twenties. A wide smile spread across his face, at odds with the tension in his body. Alexis would have thought he'd have been relieved help had arrived.

"Have you sent out a Mayday signal?" Seb asked, his hand hovering over the duffle bag.

"Lightning struck the mast. It took out the electrical, he said, a deep frown on his face. "I thought we were okay, but a couple of hours later, the wind took out the mast. It hit the jib going down. We're dead in the water."

"Where are you headed?" Alexis turned the dinghy to get a better look at the man. His dark blue windbreaker stirred in the breeze. She noticed he was favoring his left arm.

"We've been sailing around the Keys," Seb said, still wary. "Who else is on board?"

The man nodded and a slim woman, a few inches taller than Alexis, walked out of the cabin. Pale, maybe twenty-five, she ran her fingers through her short hair, her hand trembling.

"If you could drop us anywhere, we'd appreciate it," the man said as the woman crossed the deck to stand beside him, arms wrapped around herself. "The boat is anchored, so it's not going anywhere, and I've saved the GPS coordinates on my cell phone so I can locate it. I'll arrange for someone to come out and tow it back to shore when we're back on land."

Seb's hand dipped into the duffle bag. The guy was on edge, and Alexis could sense the woman's nervousness in her jittery movements. Something felt off.

"It looks like you hurt your arm," Seb said, his hand on the weapon.

"I fell during the storm."

The woman glanced down at the deck at the guy's lie, confirming what Seb already suspected.

Seb pulled out the Glock. "I'm betting it's a gunshot wound. Remove the windbreaker."

"It's not what you think." The guy raised his hands in the air. The woman stared at the gun and did the same. "Deputy U.S. Marshal Vance Westberg. I was supposed to be rendezvousing with another marshal, but we got caught up in the storm. I'm going to turn sideways so my witness can remove my identification from my back pocket."

He turned, and the woman removed a small leather folder and tossed it into the dinghy. Alexis picked it up and passed it to Seb.

He opened it and his eyes flicked to the badge and identification card before handing it back to Alexis.

"I hate to get civilians involved, but I need to get my witness to safety. If you can get us to shore, I'd be much obliged," the Marshal said, his hands still in the air.

"You got a gun under the windbreaker?" Seb asked.

"Yes, sir, I do."

"I'm Sebastien Tremblay from Shadow Defense Security. I'm in a similar situation, so I'm sure you won't mind if you keep your hands up a little longer while I verify who you are."

"No, sir. It's what I'd do. I've heard of Shadow Defense. I'm sure your man will clear me." The Marshal kept both hands in the air as Seb spoke to Javier. They were close enough to the sailboat for him to connect with the satellite hotspot.

A few minutes later, Alexis and the Marshal's witness were sitting in the dinghy while Seb helped the man batten the sailboat. The woman told Alexis that the safe house they'd stashed her in had been compromised, and a bullet had grazed the Marshal as they fled. If the man had turned a bit more, they would have seen the words U.S. Marshal emblazoned across the windbreaker's back.

"I'm Alexis Hayes," she said and extended her hand to the woman.

"Emery… Emery… Foster." The woman took Alexis's hand in a firm grip and then let out a long breath. "And thank you." The lines across her forehead eased.

"What happened?"

"What didn't happen?" Emery said with a shaky laugh. "I would have welcomed a little peace if it hadn't meant spending time with Marshal Can't Think Outside the Box."

Alexis couldn't help but grin. "The guy likes to follow rules?"

Emery raised her eyes to the sky and shook her head. "This is the second time my identity has been compromised in nine months, and Vance hasn't figured out how my ex-fiancé is tracking me down. They're working on it." She lifted her palms in the air to her shoulders. Her eyes wide and eyebrows raised, she dropped her mouth open in mock disbelief.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Alexis had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

"Uh, duh. My ex-father-in-law-to-be owns one of the biggest network security companies on the planet. He has government contracts. It wouldn't be difficult for him to hack into wherever the U.S. Marshals store their information."

Alexis stared at Emery and this time it wasn't mock disbelief. "You're in witness protection. Should you be telling me this?"

"I don't think the world-renowned oceanographer Dr. Alexis Hayes is going to tell on me." Emery's face broke into an open, friendly smile. "Yeah, I recognized you. Marshal Hot Shot didn't. I won't rat you out."

This time Alexis couldn't help bursting out in laughter.

"It would probably be best if we keep things simple for him," Alexis said when she caught her breath. She was going to enjoy Emery's company, even if it was only for a couple of hours.

"I'll cut him some slack." Emery's eyes shifted to the Marshal as he watched Seb secure the broken part of the mast so it wouldn't do any further damage. "He's worried there's a problem in his department. The security at the safe house is bothering him. Before we got onto the boat, he called someone and asked if visitors would be okay if things fell through."

Alexis watched the two men. Deputy U.S. Marshal Westberg displayed his self-importance like a badge on his windbreaker. Seb wore his self-confidence like an old pair of jeans. She'd found men like the Marshal overbearing and ultimately ineffective. Emery could be in more trouble than she realized.

"How long were you and your fiancé engaged?" Alexis fished for information, figuring Emery was frustrated enough with the situation to give her the details without Alexis pressing.

"Obviously, not long enough." Emery ran her hand through her hair once more and her eyebrows pinched together. "This witness protection thing sucks."

"The boat is secure. We're ready to go," Seb said, halting any other information Emery may have given her. He motioned to her to take his seat, and he'd row.

As Alexis traded places with Seb, she wondered what Emery had seen that had caused her to run to the police.

"Vance has suggested we spend the few hours we have between our arrival at the marina and our departure for Miami at the safe house. We'd be away from prying eyes," Seb said as he rowed to Maxwell's sailboat. "What do you think?"

She couldn't tell if he was still mad and handing the decision over to her because of her comment or if he wanted her to politely refuse. Alexis hedged. "Let's see when we get into the marina. We may find we have less time than we think to make it to Miami."

Seb nodded. "Is that okay with you, Vance?"

"That's fine," he replied.

Good, because Alexis would like to learn more from Emery before they committed to anything Marshal Westberg had planned.