Landfall: Islands in the Aftermath (The Pulse Series Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page A

lives, there’s no doubt about that, Mindy. But we don’t know anything about this man. How do we know he won’t shoot us both or push us overboard once we’re out at sea?”
    “We don’t know, but I’d rather take that chance than stay here in the Keys and run into more men like those two. I think he’s telling the truth. His story makes sense to me, and it makes sense that he would want to help us get to the islands in exchange for a ride. As small as our boat is, it’s a lot bigger than his and it has sails. I think we should go, Thomas, and take him with us. What have we got to lose at this point?”
    Thomas couldn’t argue with that. They didn’t have much of anything to lose but their boat and their lives, and if they stayed here much longer they were likely to lose both. At least they might have a chance if they could make it to the Bahamas.  
    “I know it’s going to be crowded and uncomfortable Thomas, but we can make it work.”
    “Okay. I’ll tell him. But if we agree to his help crossing the Gulf Stream, we’re going to have to take him farther, to the part of the islands he’s trying to reach. That’s what he wants.”
    “That’s fine with me,” Mindy said. “It’s probably a better place anyway. That’s why that captain friend of his wants them to meet there. The farther off the beaten track the better, I say.”
    Thomas waved Scully back over to the fire and told him they would take him where he wanted to go in exchange for his navigation and sailing expertise. But when he asked Scully when they would leave, he wasn’t expecting the answer he received, especially since there were still many hours of darkness before dawn.
    “Now, mon. We sailin’ now. Nevah know how many friend de dead mon dem got. Mehbe on de way already, comin’ in de night outta de bush like dey friend. I seh we go tonight, leavin’ dis place far behind. An’ if de sea, she at peace, we be sailin’ to de island come mornin’.”
    It took Thomas a minute to grasp the enormity of this. After all this time of dreaming and procrastinating, they were about to sail to the Bahamas, and they were leaving right away! It made him a bit nervous, but looking at the other body half-afloat at the tideline, Thomas knew the island man was right. They needed to get out of here and they needed to do it now. It would be foolhardy to remain here all night after their new friend had just killed two men. Thomas was almost certain someone else would come before morning, and Mindy nodded in agreement when he told Scully they could do it. The only thing she suggested was that since Thomas already had a fire going, they should cook the snapper they had caught earlier and eat before they left. Scully didn’t argue with that. It only took an extra twenty minutes and then Thomas kicked sand onto the fire to put it out and they waded out to their boat. Scully pulled his kayak into the water as well and waded around to the stern of the sailboat, where he tied his bow painter to a cleat to serve as a towline.  
    Thomas wondered how they were going to manage, with the three of them living aboard the 17-foot micro-cruiser for several days or longer. There were only two bunks down below, but Scully assured him he wouldn’t need one. He said he preferred to sleep on deck and stretching out in one of the cockpit seats to check it out, pronounced it plenty long enough for the purpose.  
    “All we need doin’ is haul in de anchor mon.”
    “Are we going straight to the Bahamas tonight?” Mindy asked, still unsure of the plan.  
    Thomas wasn’t clear on it either. Everything was happening so fast. And now he’d turned over the decision making to their new captain.
    “We wait an’ see in de mornin’” Scully said. “Sail outta dis place an’ keep away from de land where people livin’. If de wind, she good, we goin’ when de sun rise. But first we need to make de pass to south of dem Keys, under de bridge. You got de charts, to find