Page 25 of Wild Tempest

I took the helm and enjoyed the cruise out to sea. It was a beautiful afternoon, and the Florida sun beamed bright. According to the reports, this weather wouldn’t last long.

Tempest was sitting in a chair next to me. I didn’t mind the company.

"Can you think of any reason why your father would have shot Owen?”

Tempest frowned and shook her head. "No reason I can think of. The only reason my father would try to hurt Owen would be if Owen was trying to hurt him or someone he loved. But that would never happen.” A frown tugged her face. "I liked Owen. He was always good to me. He always had something for me, every time I saw him. Money, candy, flowers. He always knew how to make somebody feel special. He never missed a birthday. He didn’t have any kids of his own, so I think he liked to spoil me.”

"How did your father discover the Almaz Morya?”

Tempest hesitated for a moment. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me. I've heard some pretty crazy things.”

Tempest thought for a moment. "Maybe later. Maybe after we find it,” she said with an adorable smile. "I really appreciate you doing this.”

"When we find your father, I will arrest him if I can prove he murdered Owen. You might not be thanking me then.”

"I believed you the first time you said it," she replied. "I'll take my father alive and in prison rather than dead and at the bottom of the ocean. You never know. There's always hope. And there's also the possibility that my father didn’t shoot Owen. More than a possibility. I think it's a probability.”

We cruised out of state waters and out of our jurisdiction. We were no longer deputies on a search-and-rescue mission. We were civilians, searching for a ghost ship.

The weather held up for the first few hours of our journey, then turned south. The sky darkened, and angry clouds rumbled. Lightning flashed on the horizon. Soon, rain pelted down, splattering the windshield. The tug pitched and rolled on the swells, the diesel engines clattering.

Jack joined us in the wheelhouse.

We gazed over the bow at the whitecaps and the choppy sea.

I'm not going to lie, I may have second-guessed my decision to go on this adventure.

Jack grinned. "Let the excitement begin."

I figured he might come to regret that statement before too long.

We pushed through the tumultuous sea, the boat rising and falling with the swells, crashing through the waves. Mists of saltwater sprayed with each impact. If you weren’t used to this kind of thing, it could turn your stomach. I had plenty of Dramamine and sea bands in case the need arose. Sometimes, the sea could get to even the most hardened of sailors.

Tempest looked like she was holding her own.

We plowed into the abyss, well past nightfall. The sun was but a distant memory.

Deep in the Devil’s Tide, strange things began to occur. It wasn't altogether unusual or supernatural. Geomagnetic interference was common in the area and could wreak havoc on compasses and navigation systems. It was a well-documented phenomenon.

Nonetheless, it could be disconcerting, especially in weather like this. With a blanket of clouds obscuring the sky and the stars, heavy wind and rain limiting visibility, it would be easy to get turned around. No landmarks. Nothing to get your bearings. Plenty of sailors had spun around in circles in the Devil’s Tide, perhaps driving themselves to madness.

The navigation screen glitched and flashed, filling with static.

There’s nothing more humbling than the sea. There’s no greater reminder of your insignificance. We were just a speck in a vast, angry ocean, powerless to shape our destiny. We were at its mercy. And tonight, it wasn’t so merciful.

17

Lightning flashed, and thunder boomed, rattling windows. It was close. Too close. My skin was electric. The fine hairs stood tall.

Another lightning strike made everyone flinch. The clatter of the diesels came to a halt, and we lost propulsion.

I shared an ominous look with Jack.

A low fuel pressure alarm flashed on the screen.

Deep in the Devil’s Tide, this was not good.