Drake picked up the fire ax Bray had used. The muscles in his forearms twitched as he twisted the wooden handle. “I’m coming with you.”
The captain had at least fifty pounds on Hawkins and held that ax like he knew how to use it. He’d be good to have along, but given Drake’s previous reservations about leaving the ship, Hawkins felt he should play devil’s advocate, just in case the man wasn’t thinking straight. “What happened to staying with the ship? If something were to happen to you, would we be stuck here, working engines or not?”
Drake mulled the question, patting the ax handle in the palm of his hand. “Blok will stay on board. He’ll have no trouble getting the Magellan back to the mainland.”
Hawkins glanced at Blok. The man nodded, validating the captain’s statement, though Hawkins wasn’t sure if the man was simply afraid of leaving the safety of the sealed ship.
“This is no longer a search and rescue mission,” Drake said. “Our people are not lost. They were taken. We’re not going to find them sitting on a rock, munching coconuts. We’re going to have to take them back. By force. You and I both know that you can handle that. But can he?” Drake pointed to Bray, who looked supremely uncomfortable at being singled out, and equally confused. Drake’s finger shifted to Joliet. “Can she? I can tell you from experience that Blok here can’t stand the sight of spiders. That the kind of man you want in a hostile environment? Or do you want someone like you? Someone who can do what needs to be done?”
While Hawkins didn’t know Drake’s detailed past, he suspected the man had been in the navy—maybe even as a SEAL. In his current state, he definitely seemed capable of defending himself. He looked at Blok. The skinny bookworm probably wouldn’t be much use in a fight. With a nod, he said, “I never disagreed. Just wanted you to be sure.”
“I’m sure,” Drake said. “Jim, Ray.”
The Clifton brothers both looked up. They wore twin masks of discomfort, probably wondering what Drake was going to ask of them. “See to Jones while we’re gone. Anything he wants, you get it for him.”
The brothers looked relieved. Ray even gave a salute. “We will. Of course. No problem.”
“Bennett.”
The skinny kid stood silently, looking at Drake. He kept his head up, but a quivering lowered lip revealed the boy was terrified. And rightfully so. Being brave while looking at a dissected turtle was one thing; facing the possibility of being kidnapped, killed, or maimed was something else entirely. Some people just couldn’t do it, no matter how desperate the situation. The look in Bennett’s eyes was easy to read—a little more pressure and he’d break.
To his credit, Drake adjusted his tone and body language. He placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Look, Phil, I know you’re scared. But here’s the situation. Jones isn’t feeling like himself right now. DeWinter’s missing. That makes you my chief engineer. You copy?”
Bennett nodded quickly. “Yes … yes, sir.”
“While we’re gone, I want you to keep working on the ship’s controls. See if you can’t have us in a better situation than we are right now. You’re a smart kid. You can do it.”
Bennett lowered his head. “But … down there is where—”
“The ship is clear,” Hawkins said. “Seal the doors after we leave and don’t open them until we get back. No one will bother you.”
Bennett still looked unsure, but nodded. “Okay.”
“One last thing,” Hawkins said to Drake. “On the ship, you’re in charge without question. But out there, in the jungle, you need to do what I say. If I say jump, you jump. If I say duck, you duck. Not listening to me could get you killed. Deal?”
Drake stared at Hawkins for just a moment before allowing a slight grin. He took Hawkins’s hand and shook it. “Deal.”
Hawkins turned to Bray and Joliet, who were standing by the door, looking ready to leave. He appreciated that neither had to be asked to join their little rescue mission. They were good people, and good friends. “Ready to go?”
“Lead the way,” Bray said.
While Hawkins, Bray, and Joliet gathered by the door, Drake knelt down next to Jones. “We’ll get her back.”
Jones mumbled something.
“What was that?” Drake asked.
“I said,” Jones said, speaking loudly, “she’s already dead.”
Drake looked stunned. He just stared at Jones.
“Bullshit,” Hawkins said. “She was alive when it took her. That’s why you stopped me from shooting.”
“Would have been better if you’d shot her,” Jones said.
“How can you say that?” Joliet said. “She’s your daughter!”
“You didn’t see it!” Jones shouted.
Drake took Jones’s arm. “Dammit, Harry, what did you see?”
Jones’s turned to the captain. “I’m not sure. Something. Large. Fast. Its eyes. They were … human. But the rest … I don’t know. It was dark. But if you’d seen it, you’d know.” Tears filled his eyes. “She’s dead. My baby is dead.” He waggled a finger at Hawkins. “Ask him. He saw it.”