The Killing League

25.

Mack

He pulled the boat into the boat hoist and hit the button to raise it from the water. Mack peered into the darkness but the shadow he had seen before wasn’t there.

He hoisted the cooler up onto the deck and looked at the house. On the second floor lanai, he could see Adelia reading to Janice. If the figure had been Adelia, there was no way she could have gotten back to—

“Mack!” a voice boomed from the shadows.

Mack jumped and nearly cracked his skull on the boat hoist’s steel beam.

A face emerged from the shadows. And with it, a big body and frame belonging to Oscar Williams.

Mack breathed a sigh of relief. “Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me.”

Oscar laughed, his brilliant white teeth glowing against his black skin.

“Sorry, once you get used to making as little noise as possible, it’s second nature.”

He held out his hand and Mack grasped it. The big man hoisted Mack up onto the deck.

Mack knew that Oscar Williams was a Marine sniper and that he had been due back any day from Afghanistan. It definitely looked like he was back.

“Let’s go have a beer,” Mack said. “As long as Janice is in her room.” Even though Janice had no longer any concept of alcohol or what it was, he didn’t drink in front of her, nor would he let anyone else partake in her presence.

Oscar took one end of the cooler and they went in through the lower lanai area, then climbed the steps to the second floor. Mack peeked inside. Adelia saw him and joined them on the back deck.

“Is Janice in her room?” Mack said.

“She’s retired for the night,” Adelia said, and accepted a beer from Mack. He twisted the cap off another and gave it to Oscar, then got one for himself.

“Cheers,” Mack said as they all raised their beers.

“Hope you don’t mind if I borrow my lady here for a couple of days. I have to fly back out of here on Monday.”

“Not at all,” Mack said. “I’ll have to teach myself how to cook, but I’ve always got the microwave.”

“Don’t believe it, Mack’s a good cook. Especially with the grill,” Adelia said. “Man knows how to grill fish, he can cook just about anything.”

Mack winked at Adelia. “Don’t believe her. I just burn everything and call it Cajun.”

They chatted until the beers were gone and then Mack walked them down to Oscar’s SUV.

He shook hands with Oscar and hugged Adelia.

“Good luck, Mack,” she said. “I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.” She paused. “I can’t put my finger on it, but something seems a little different.”

“You mean with Janice?” he said.

She shrugged her ample shoulders. “Never mind,” she said. “I’m not sure what I mean.”

Mack watched them until the SUV’s taillights disappeared in the darkness.

He walked back to the house, shut and locked all the doors, then set the alarm.

He sat down at the table overlooking the river. He couldn’t see it in the pitch black darkness, but he could hear the current running against the mangroves.

Adelia seemed to want to tell him something but had changed her mind.

It didn’t matter. Whatever she was feeling, he had felt it too.

He just didn’t know why.