Chapter 22

"From the little Vance has said, I don't blame Emery for having qualms about the guy." Seb lowered his voice, so it didn't carry to the woman at the counter and the couple she was helping. "He's nice enough and means well, but he's green. He thinks the badge makes him good."

As they'd made their way from the sailboat to the marina and resort office, Alexis had shared her conversation with Emery. Vance's version had left out the information about Emery's ex-father-in-law-to-be. Seb would have factored in the man right from the start. The Deputy U.S. Marshal had only been on the job for five years. He still believed in the system.

"Do we take him up on the offer to spend a few hours at the safe house and travel to Miami later in the evening?" Alexis asked.

"No one would expect us to take the Tamiami Trail at night," Seb said as he pictured the route. He'd driven it twice, but during the day. There was a reason the posted speed limit dropped by fifteen clicks at night. Wildlife crossing the two-lane highway at night was a constant concern for drivers. "It would take us longer than the I-75, but it might give us an advantage."

"I wouldn't mind a good meal and getting in a quick nap. It's going to be a long night." Alexis shifted impatiently as the woman at the counter listed off every tourist sight within a hundred miles that the couple in front of them should visit. "She could have just given them a few brochures."

Seb reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze to remind her they couldn't draw attention to themselves. The name tag on the woman's shirt said Eunice. The cheerful woman was a talker. If they were casting for Mrs. Claus, Eunice would be hired in a heartbeat.

"We can change our mind if something doesn't feel right when we drop them off at the safe house." Seb tilted his head to the side of the square room that served as a gift shop. "I can take care of this. Why don't you check out the touristy stuff they're selling?"

He let go of Alexis's hand, and she reluctantly left him to look at the merchandise for sale.

Seb knew the plan worried her. She'd poked a dozen holes in it but had admitted she didn't have a better idea. Antoine would be forced to send men he had in place watching Butler to check out the hospital. They were counting on it being the men Drake had spotted last night watching the lab. The university at night would be a low priority.

The bell tinkled over the door as the couple left and Eunice waved Seb over. "What can I do for you folks?"

"We're friends of Maxwell and Daphney Grantham. We just docked their boat. Slip seventy-eight."

"You're the young couple Maxwell said would drop off the boat," Eunice said, her smile wide as he handed her the sailboat's keys. "Did you close the hatches and ports? Our security here is tight. We've got surveillance cameras up our ying-yang and twenty-four-hour security, but you can never be too careful."

"Yes, Ma'am. I've made sure everything is secure. We've sailed with Maxwell and Daphney before, so we know the routine." Her concern impressed him, and at any other time, Seb would have been equally impressed with the security. He hadn't expected tight video surveillance. Javier would need to wipe their arrival and departure from the footage. "We also have a reservation for a car rental."

The bell tinkled over the door and Eunice looked up as a man in a sheriff's department uniform walked to the end of the counter.

"Just give me a minute, hon." She held up a finger and then moved toward the man Seb judged to be in his mid-twenties. "What can I do for you, Shane?"

"The Sheriff insisted I come out and check around the marina," the man said as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, shaking his head. "Personally, I think it's a waste of time, but you know how he likes to cozy up to the FBI."

The bell above the door tinkled again as Vance and Emery entered. Eunice gave the couple a warm smile as Emery tugged on Vance's arm and led him to the rack of tourist brochures. Vance made eye contact with Seb, and then shifted his eyes to the Deputy Sheriff. The man's appearance at the marina had him worried.

"What seems to be the problem?" Eunice asked the Deputy.

"An FBI alert for a woman came in this morning. It was sent to everyone along the coast in the Miami area. They're looking to question her about an event she witnessed." He held out his cell phone so Eunice could examine the photograph.

Seb could also see the picture. It was Alexis. He inclined his head slightly in Eunice's direction to warn her.

Seb noticed Alexis set aside the earrings she'd been admiring and walked over to the hat display. She plopped a black hat with a wide, floppy brim on her head. With her back turned to the Deputy Sheriff, Alexis looked at herself in the mirror on the wall beside the display. Fortunately, the wide brim hid her face.

"Let me get my glasses on." Eunice placed the bright red glasses attached to the gold chain around her neck onto her nose. She squinted at the picture on the cell phone's screen for several seconds before removing her glasses. "I'm afraid I won't be of any help, Shane. Even with my glasses on, I can't make out the woman clearly."

"When's your cataract surgery?" he asked, returning the cell phone to his pocket.

"Next week. Thank the good Lord for that." Eunice heaved an enormous sigh. "It could be a photograph of the pretty woman trying on hats over there and I wouldn't know."

When the Deputy glanced in Alexis's direction, her hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the brim. His eyes lingered on Alexis for a moment, making Seb's gut twist. If he recognized her, they would be in trouble.

"You should show the photograph to the new server at the marina restaurant." Eunice raised an eyebrow. "Her shift should have started by now."

The man blushed deeply, his attention now on Eunice. "Since I missed lunch, I suppose I could get a quick bite."

"Well, go on now." She made a shooing gesture with one hand. "I've got people who need my help."

"Yes, Ma'am." He tipped his hat before heading out the door.

"I'm sorry about the interruption," Eunice said, turning back to Seb. "I've known Shane since he was a baby. He's a nice boy and just needs a bit of encouragement."

"The car rental reservation," Seb said, reminding her. While his mind ran through the people they'd passed making their way to the marina office. Six in total. Too many if Shane showed the photograph around.

"That's going to be a problem. The blasted computer is offline again," Eunice said and shot a menacing look at the machine on the counter. "The owners insisted we put everything online. I don't even have a paper form you can fill out. You're going to have to wait until our tech guy shows up. He should be here in an hour."

Normally, waiting wouldn't be a problem, but the Deputy complicated things.

"Couldn't help but overhear." Vance stepped up to the counter. "Everglades City has a rental agency. My girlfriend and I are going that way. We could give you a lift."

"Well, there you go, hon." Eunice beamed at Seb. "Problem solved."

"We'll be outside," Vance said, not waiting for Seb to answer.

"Sweetheart," Seb called out to Alexis. "Is there anything other than the hat that strikes your fancy?"

"Just this adorable bracelet." Alexis picked up a bracelet from the table beside her and held it in the air, careful that the hat's brim covered most of her face.

"One of our local artists makes the jewelry," Eunice said, and Alexis headed for the door as Seb paid for the purchases. "She's very talented."

"Thank you for you help," Seb said, cutting short any discussion about the artist and followed Alexis outside.

"Someone needs to discuss stranger danger with Eunice," Alexis said as Vance and Emery joined them.

Vance laughed. "I grew up close to here. Eunice is pretty typical of the folk in the area. Everyone helps each other out. Which eases the guilt over us stealing a car. I know the owner won't be stranded."

"That's a pretty gutsy move with a deputy from the local sheriff's department sitting in the restaurant. Especially when he's showing everyone a photograph of Alexis." They needed to leave before the Deputy caught a good look at her, but stealing a car wasn't what Seb had envisioned. Going back to Maxwell's sailboat and taking the dinghy was less of a risk.

"His attention will be on the new server," Vance said as he led them away from the marina and resort office to the parking lot at the other end of the marina. "He believes the Sheriff is sucking up to the FBI and isn't making much of an effort to see if anyone has spotted Alexis. Which raises the question of why the FBI put out an alert on Alexis."

"It wasn't the FBI," Seb said, wondering how far the connections the men Antoine worked for reached. He felt like he'd collided with the tip of an iceberg and only now realized there was a vast hidden mass beneath the water's surface. "The guys looking for Alexis have connections. An email to the right department is all it would take to push out an alert."

"Easily done," Vance agreed as they passed a lot filled with expensive cars. He pointed to a thick line of trees. "The stand of trees separates the employee parking lot from the marina parking. The people around here don't have money and their cars aren't worth stealing. Most of them keep a spare key in a magnetic box in the wheel well. I can hot-wire one if necessary. No one drives anything new."

Seb understood why the marina created the natural barrier of trees between the two parking lots as they approached the employee parking. He was surprised some of the old cars could even run. The expensive clientele the marina and resort catered to wouldn't have wanted to park their vehicles next to the beaters.

Seb reached out, took Alexis's hand, and drew her close. "We need to talk."

He slowed his pace to put a bit of distance between them and Vance. Seb knew he'd blown it on the sailboat. She'd misinterpreted what he'd said, and it was his fault. This could be his last chance to talk to her alone while they were with Vance and Emery.

"Alexis, the people we're dealing with are dangerous, and I can't afford to make a mistake. If I'm going to keep you safe, you need to understand that my decisions can't be based on emotion. I need to treat every threat we encounter like I normally would on a mission."

"Maybe you should have explained that last night before you kissed me, and I would have left you alone on the deck." The ice had returned to Alexis's voice. Seb wasn't sure what he'd done, but his gut said he'd just made the situation worse.

She tried to pull her hand free from his, but Seb wouldn't let go. He was afraid if he did, whatever they'd started would end right there.