It’s been said that the grandest of adventures were often imagined on an uncharted island. From visions of pirate’s booty to giant apes, the mysterious nature of a tiny speck of land peeking up through a vast ocean has captivated the imagination of children and adults who seek solace from the so-called rat race.
The Florida Keys were able to fulfill some of these visions. Since they were discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513, legions of ships caught the trade winds along the Florida Straits to explore the Americas. Pirates sailed the waters, stalking the Spanish treasure fleets. British warships tracked the illegal slave ships. Hidden coral reefs held their bony hands near the surface, causing many of the boats to wreck.
Derelict Key was too small for pirate treasure or giant apes. The foot-shaped island was less than a mile from ankle to toe. Jimmy wandered the entire perimeter of the island, assessing his options. He knew there was another island or land mass nearby, as evidenced by the iguanas that inhabited Derelict Key.
The iguanas weren’t dangerous or aggressive. Nicknamed the chicken of the trees by the locals, they were considered tasty when cooked as well as a high source of protein. But Jimmy didn’t have the strength or the inclination to kill the creatures, nor did he have a means to cook them. Somehow, as desperate as he was, he couldn’t bring himself to eat the iguanas raw.
Jimmy made his way to the north end of Derelict Key. The sky had opened slightly, allowing a little more sunlight to shine through. He squinted his eyes and focused on what appeared to be a stand of mangrove trees a thousand feet from the island. Feeling he had nothing to lose, Jimmy decided to swim to the other island.
The decision almost got him killed.
CHAPTER TWO
Sunday, November 10
Driftwood Key
The night before, Hank Albright had introduced Erin Bergmann to Lacey and Peter. Erin also got reacquainted with Mike and Jessica and the Frees. It had been a long day for everyone, as the weary travelers were exhausted, and Mike continued to recover from the attack courtesy of the serial killer Patrick Hollister. It was agreed everyone would get a good night’s rest, and they’d take the boats out early Sunday morning to begin an all-day search for Jimmy.
The residents of Driftwood Key, new and old, were desperate to share information with one another. It took a lot of discipline and Hank’s putting his foot down to prevent the group from staying up until the wee hours of the morning talking. He offered a sobering reminder that Jimmy was still missing. It was time to bring Sonny and Phoebe’s son home.
In the predawn hours, Phoebe began cooking breakfast for the search party. Hank and Erin would take the Hatteras. They’d bring along six five-gallon containers of diesel for the fishing boat that Peter had been forced to abandon in Little Basin at Upper Matecumbe Key. Once they retrieved the boat, Sonny and Peter would fill up its fuel tank and undertake another search of Blackwater Sound. Jessica and Tucker would join Hank in Florida Bay. The large fuel cells would enable them to cover a much larger search area.
Sunrise produced just enough light to provide the boaters a clear line of sight as they made their way north toward Florida Bay. It took nearly an hour to arrive at Blackwater Sound. Peter and Sonny waved goodbye and peeled off through the Boggies, slowing down considerably to search the mangroves.
Jessica took her Monroe County sheriff’s department WET boat northward toward the mainland. She would concentrate her efforts along the barrier islands protecting Long Sound and in the area around Trout Cove. Hank and Erin turned due west with the goal of searching each of the miniscule islands that dotted Florida Bay before they reached the southern tip of the mainland. It was agreed that Jimmy could’ve floated many miles during the storm. If they exhausted the outer perimeter of the bay, then they’d work their way inward to look at every key no matter how small.
Hank drove the Hatteras from the flybridge while Erin used the marine binoculars to scan both the water and shoreline. Like Jessica, Hank used the boat’s external speakers in conjunction with the horn to call out Jimmy’s name.
They’d just begun their search by circling the Nest Key, a mostly sandy island in the shape of a three-legged starfish. The two of them were all business as they focused on the task at hand. Hank had a million questions for Erin, and she was anxious to relay the purpose of her trip. However, Jimmy’s disappearance had gone on for too long, and everyone agreed to table any other topics until he was found.
Having no luck, they moved to the west. Tiny islands named Lake Key, Tern Key, and Pass Key yielded nothing. Larger islands like Palm Key and Fan Palm Hammock provided no evidence of Jimmy or anything else other than the normal debris that floats ashore. After many hours of searching, Hank’s westward route and Jessica’s northern search pattern resulted in the two boats meeting one another at Alligator Bay, the southernmost tip of the Everglades.
“I just spoke to Peter,” Hank yelled to Jessica. “He hasn’t seen any sign of Jimmy, and he’s running low on fuel. He’s got just enough to get back to Driftwood Key.”
“What’s he gonna do?” she asked.
“He doesn’t want to quit, but he feels obligated to Captain Jax to bring him the diesel fuel he promised.”
“What about the boat?”
Hank shouted across the water to her, “It was a gift, so he can ditch it. I told him we would make good on the diesel later. Can you head over toward the Boggies to pick them up?”
“Yeah,” Jessica replied. “We’ll start searching the inner islands now, but, Hank, it’s getting dark.”
Hank sighed and paused as he studied Erin’s face. She was detached and unemotional about the search, as she’d only met Jimmy and his family briefly. She was prepared to look for as long as Hank wanted to, but she feared the worst.
“We have to try,” she said to Hank, noticing his eyes revealed how he felt.
“Erin, he’s like a son to me. His father and I are like brothers.”
She smiled and patted Hank on the back. She glanced at the laminated nautical charts that were rolled out on the seat next to her. She’d been learning her way around while searching at the same time. Erin stood and leaned over the rail.
“Okay, Jessica. We’ll get started on this upper half of the bay, running an east-west search pattern. You start at the southern end near Whaleback Key. We’ll meet in the middle like before.”
“Roger!” Jessica shouted and gunned the engine as she swung around and headed toward the Boggies. Hank and Erin could hear her conversation with Peter over the marine radio.
“Thank you,” Hank said softly. His shoulders drooped, and the tension was released from his body. It was as if they could speak freely now that they were alone.
“Hey, there’s nothing to thank me for,” she responded, rubbing the top of his shoulders and his neck. “Why don’t you let me drive for a while? I’m no expert, but we’re going slow enough that I don’t think I can get us into trouble. Maybe a trained set of eyes might be able to scan the water better than I can?”
Hank squeezed her hand and relinquished the helm. He retrieved two bottles of water out of a tote bag and handed one to Erin. Refreshed, Hank took a deep breath and exhaled. He looked all around them and identified a point to their east for Erin to head towards. Once they crossed the bay, they’d make a sweeping U-turn and head back across toward the west. Each of the tiny stands of mangroves atop sand bars would get searched before moving on to the next one. It was a daunting, time-consuming task.