Found at Sea - By Anne Marie Duquette Page 0,59

plate. Jordan lifted his head, nodded at the guard and went back to loading the carts. The guard rolled up the window of his car against the stench and continued on his patrol.

“That was close,” Roberto hissed.

“Shut up and finish. Then we’re out of here.”

A few minutes later, they secured the rest of the laundry, shut the loading ramp and were off. This time, Jordan climbed into the driver’s side without any protest from the nervous Roberto.

“Now what do we do?” the younger man asked as they drove away.

“We head toward the harbor. Before we get there, tell me a good place to dump the laundry.”

“Dump?”

“Yes. It’s slowing us down, and I don’t want the friend who lent you this truck to get caught. An empty flatbed will make it more difficult for the police to find the truck.”

“But...”

Jordan momentarily took his eyes off the road. “What?”

“I never agreed to destroy government property,” Roberto said with horror. “Taking care of family, yes. That is my duty. But this—destroying prison sheets—is criminal. I am no criminal.”

Jordan actually smiled. “Let me teach you the Spanish equivalent of ‘in for a penny, in for a pound.’”

Mexican Harbor

After sunset

AURORA HURRIED TO the controls as the flatbed pulled up to the harbor. A limp Dorian in his arms, Jordan boarded the boat, with Tanya behind him. Roberto gave the truck keys to his waiting friend, the truck’s owner, and then joined them.

Aurora flipped on the blower and bilge, pumped out gas fumes and any excess water, and started the dual engines—first the port, then the starboard. The Silver Dollar roared to life, the motors conspicuously noisy in the night air. She barely restrained herself from vacating the controls and rushing to follow when Jordan carried Dorian belowdecks.

“She’s breathing fine,” Jordan said in passing. “You and Roberto get us out of here.”

Roberto threw off the lines as Aurora made her preparations. To save time, she hadn’t bothered with the anchor. At the ship’s wheel, she kept her eyes on the water. Maneuvering in a familiar harbor in the daytime was no easy feat; maneuvering at night in strange waters and a crowded harbor was a chore that required all her concentration. Since boats had no brakes, piloting was like riding a sled heading downhill. The person aboard could steer, but couldn’t easily stop once momentum was achieved. Reversing the propellers—another cumbersome fight against momentum—was akin to throwing a leg off the sled to drag in the snow. It might help slow things down, but not by much.

Why hasn’t Tanya come up? Aurora wondered. I need to know how Dorian is.

Standing her post, the borrowed Silver Dollar’s new captain commanded her ship. Fifteen minutes later she was finally free of the harbor. Aurora set a northwest setting and passed the controls to Roberto.

“I want us at least twenty miles offshore. Keep us headed north-northwest. And whatever you do, keep the running lights off until we’re clear of the shore. Call me if there’s even a hint of a problem.”

“Sí, mi capitán.”

She flipped on the binnacle light for the compass. “These are the coordinates.” She pointed. “I need to check on Dorian and Tanya.” At that, Aurora raced belowdecks, just as Jordan came topside.

“I was about to relieve you so you could check on your sister. I’m assuming command.”

“Great,” she said without argument. “And thanks. We wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”

Aurora dared to think of the future, her future, one with Jordan around not only to help shoulder her load, but to share her happiness. As strong as she was, Aurora felt even stronger with her equal, Jordan, at her side. She placed her hand on his shoulder, her action less an acknowledgment of his taking command than of her growing feelings toward him. “Roberto has the coordinates.”

Jordan nodded and left Aurora with the four other women. She sat down on the side of the berth next to Dorian, who looked even worse than Aurora would have believed possible. “Dori?” she asked, gently stroking her sister’s hair.

Still in her prison clothes, Tanya said, “She passed out back at the prison. She’s been out ever since.”

Aurora lifted Dorian’s arm. A bloodstained pillowcase was tied to the inside of her elbow. “Where’s her IV?”

“I had to pull it before we climbed through the chute. It was almost empty anyway,” Tanya said.

“Can you find me the first-aid kit? I don’t know where it is on the ship.”

Tanya got to her feet immediately, and Aurora’s gaze followed her. “You