Robert looked out at the open sea, toward the current that ran toward the Costa Rican coast. It was still a good half-mile away. What Dominic was trying to do was admirable but crazy.
“You’re never going to make it,” he said. “You’ll have to let me take you back.”
Dominic closed his eyes as if defeated. When he opened them again, he stared straight at Robert. “You have to help me.”
“Dominic, come on. Let’s get you home.”
“You have to help me. Throw me…a rope, and pull me out there.”
“Absolutely not. No way.”
“You don’t have…a…choice.” Dominic’s head went all the way under. When he popped back up, he gasped for air. “If you take me back…everyone dies.”
Robert pressed his lips together, his jaw clenched. “I’ll take you back to the beach,” he said after a moment. “You’ll be okay there.”
Dominic silently treaded water, then said, “It’s okay. Never mind. I shouldn’t have asked you.”
He started moving his arms again, breaststroke-style, swimming at a snail’s pace.
Robert stood rooted to the deck, confused and stunned. He had three choices, none of them good.
First choice: Forcibly bring his friend back to the island, which would entail exposing himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to die — of course he didn’t — but if he got sick, it would be as Dominic had feared, and others would likely fall victim, too.
Second choice: Return to the dock and let his friend go on. But there was no way Dominic would reach the current, so when the tide started coming in again, he would, too. No matter which beach he washed up on, he’d be bringing the flu back with him.
Third choice: Do as Dominic had asked. It was the only choice that would ensure no one else on the island became infected. But it would also mean playing an active role in his friend’s death.
Dominic had moved about fifteen feet closer to the current, every stroke he took a struggle.
Robert squeezed his eyes shut, the pain of the only real choice he had unbearable. When he opened them again, a tear escaped from the corner of his eye.
With sudden determination, he wiped it away, and removed a coil of rope from one of the seat lockers. He tied one end to a life preserver, which he tossed into the water next to his friend.
Hearing the splash, Dominic looked back.
“Grab on,” Robert said.
“I’m…not going back to shore.”
“I’ll take you where you want to go.”
Dominic studied him for a moment before he reached out and grabbed the life preserver. Robert tied the other end of the rope to a cleat, checked to make sure his friend was secure, and started the engine again.
Keeping his speed slow so Dominic wouldn’t be pulled off, he aimed the boat toward the current.
“What are you doing?” Chuck asked over the radio.
Robert left the walkie where it was.
“What’s going on?” Renee’s voice this time.
“He’s pulling Dominic farther out,” Chuck said, then started to tell her what he was seeing.
Robert reached over and turned the radio off.
Going as slowly as they were, he was able to feel the shift when they entered the current. He went a hundred yards in, and stopped so that the boat was alongside Dominic again. His friend looked even more tired than before, as both he and the boat began moving silently toward Costa Rica.
“I can take you all the way to the mainland,” Robert offered.
“A waste of…fuel. And you wouldn’t have enough to go back,” he said. “Besides…I’d never make it all the way.”
He struggled out of the life preserver.
“I don’t care about the fuel. And you might make it. It would give you a chance.”
Dominic tried to smile. “Thank you, Robert. You’re a good man and a good friend. That’s why they need you here. It’s up to you to make sure everyone survives.”
Before Robert could reply, Dominic let go of the preserver and slipped under the water. Robert nearly jumped in after him to pull him up, but caught himself.
A few seconds later Dominic appeared again, already thirty feet away from the boat.
Robert watched his friend go under again. This time Dominic didn’t come back up.
He remembered little of the ride back to the island. When he reached the dock, Renee and several others were waiting.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Dominic’s gone.”
“You left him out there,” someone else said accusingly.
Robert narrowed his eyes. “I took him where he wanted to go.”
“But why?” Renee asked.
“Because it was the only way he could save us.”
He pushed through the crowd and headed for the bar, intending to start with the first bottle he saw, and work his way through the last.
30
Judson smiled as they neared the house. The car that had been traced via satellite was still parked in front. It was indeed a Suburban.
He ordered the truck to stop in the driveway and block the exit in case the Ash kid and his friends were able to somehow get to their car. While the driver stayed with the truck, Judson and the rest of the team approached the house, weapons ready.
“Everyone, comm gear on,” he whispered.
The men did as instructed.
“You three,” Judson said, pointing, “around back. Let me know when you’re in position.”
“Yes, sir,” the men said, then moved off.
Judson and the two remaining men walked quietly up to the front door. It was locked, but that wasn’t a problem. There was a thin, decorative window next to the door that had been broken at the same height as the doorknob. Someone had taped cardboard over the hole, but it was easy enough to remove with very little noise. This was obviously the way the group from the camp had gotten inside.
Judson slipped his hand through the hole, unlocked the door, and opened it a few inches. He was surprised by how quiet it was inside. It was late morning, and he thought some of the kids would be making noise.
“In position,” one of the three at the back of the house reported.
“Hold there,” Judson said. “We’ll go in first. You follow in thirty seconds.” He looked back at his two companions. “Ready?”
Both men nodded.
“Let’s go.”
He pushed the door open and they crept inside.
When they heard the cars approach the house, Brandon looked back at Miss Collins again. It appeared as if she was going to say something, so he quickly shook his head and raised his finger to his lips.
They moved down into a swallow ravine, but instead of climbing up the other side, Brandon decided to go to the right and follow the less strenuous path, so they could quickly put as much distance between them and the house as possible. As they walked, Brandon continually scanned their surroundings for anywhere that might be a good place to hide, but so far he’d seen nothing useful.
“Brandon, I really gotta pee.”
The little boy from before had stopped and was rocking back and forth, his face all scrunched up.
“Okay. We’ll take a break here,” Brandon said. “Anyone else need to go?”
Several hands shot up, including Ellie’s. He set the girl down.
“Everyone, just find a tree, I guess.”
More than one kid said, “What?” while the others looked at Brandon, confused.
“How about this?” Miss Collins said. “Boys, you go over there behind those trees.” She pointed at a small cluster of pines to the right. “And girls, we’ll go over here.” She motioned toward a similar group on the left.