Once we all sat down, the driver throttled the boat forward gently, and we pulled away from the bridge and headed toward the small island. With every minute, I felt farther and farther away from Camp Fox.
Over a half hour later, the boat curved around the northern edge of a small island, and a riverboat casino came into view. It was still a good ways off, a mile or so at least, and our boat pilot seemed to be in no hurry, burning precious daylight.
As we neared the Lady Amore, my eyes widened. The riverboat casino was massive, yet perfectly hidden from anyone—or anything—on land and from air. Our boat rocked gently as it pulled up alongside the riverboat which was filled with people watching us from the deck above. At least six of those people had rifles pointed right at us.
Chapter VII
“The password?” a white-haired man—who looked like the fellow on the cover of frozen-fish boxes—called out from the deck above.
“Mae West had nice tits,” the man who’d spoken to us at the bridge yelled out.
“That password is correct, Otto. You all may come on board.” Sorenson motioned to the armed people with him. “Lower your weapons. Everything’s clear.”
“His own guys have to use a password?” I muttered.
“Every time we have newcomers,” the man named Otto replied. “It’s a safety precaution in case we’re being coerced into bringing bandits on board.”
“It’s smart,” Tyler said as he came to his feet.
A ladder extended down the side of the tall riverboat. We climbed up in the same procession as we had at the bridge. At the top of the ladder, two men lifted me up and onto the deck.
Griz was already chatting with the white-haired man I assumed to be Sorenson. A small terrier sat by his feet. The man said something that brought out Griz’s deep chuckle, and then the man narrowed his eyes at me. “You must be the pilot.”
I nodded.
“It’d be handy having one of you around, especially nowadays. I’m Captain Sorenson, and welcome to the Lady Amore.” He held out his hand, and I accepted it.
“I’m Cash.”
Tyler stepped onto deck, quickly followed by Jase. Sorenson smiled. “And I take it you’re Captain Masden.”
Tyler gave his irresistible Homecoming King smile. “It’s great to finally meet you, Captain Sorenson. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve delayed our meeting until the spring, but some factors arose that forced the issue.”
Sorenson nodded. “I’ve seen the herds with my own eyes, Captain Masden, so I’m not the least bit surprised at your visit.” He gestured to his men. “You’ve already met four of my men. Otto, Hank, Chuck, and Pedro.”
Tyler dipped his head at the men who’d just come up the ladder.
“You didn’t come all this way to swap nicknames and exchange pleasantries,” Sorenson said. “You’ve got a zed problem headed your way, and you need my help. Let’s go somewhere where it’s more comfortable to talk.” He paused. “I’m a fair man, but I won’t allow aggression on the Lady. All weapons must be holstered or sheathed at all times, or else they will be confiscated. Aggressors will be dealt with harshly. I’m assuming you find no issues with that?”
Tyler looked at all three of us first, then back at Sorenson. “I can assure you, no weapons will be drawn as long as there’s no reason for them to be.”