Free Adrift: The Complete Novel by C. G. Cooper

want to have. I grabbed Hollie’s Garand from the front porch, checked the chamber and settled in one of the adirondack chairs. It would be another sleepless night. Snake Eyes took up his post, waiting, ready for the enemy. Even awake, sitting in the dark, the nightmares came, like moths to a flame.
     

    Chapter 19
     
    The sun had barely cracked the horizon, and a construction crew was already hard at work repairing the Laney complex. Max Laney watched the work, sipping an espresso, planning his day. He’d made two appointments, the first of which he would soon be leaving for.
    The phone buzzed in his linen pant pocket.
    “Laney.”
    “Mr. Laney, it’s Darryl Knox.”
    “What is it, chief? I’m a little busy.”
    “Yes, sir. Well, I just got some news that I thought you might like to hear.”
    “Yes?”
    “Got a call this morning from a colleague in Santa Rosa Beach. You see, we get reports of gunshot wounds from clinics and hospitals.”
    “Can you please get to the point?”
    “Yes, sir. My friend called to give me a heads-up that Mr. Herndon got checked out early this morning at a twenty-four hour clinic in Santa Rosa.”
    “And?”
    “He listed his next-of-kin as a Daniel Briggs.”
    Laney smiled. “Good work, Darryl. I assume you’re looking into this Mr. Briggs?”
    “We are.”
    “Good. You let me know what you find out. Come up with anything good and I’ll throw in an all expenses paid vacation for you.”
    Laney ended the call before Knox could trip over himself.
    “Daniel Briggs.”
     
    +++
     
    I was dragging by the time I heard Hollie moving around inside. There hadn’t been a lot of sleep in the preceding days. I knew I was reaching my limit. I’d have to sleep sometime, but I dreaded it.
    Hollie opened what was left of the front door. “You hungry?”
    “I’ll make breakfast. You take a seat out here.”
    “Won’t complain about that.”
    I could see he was in pain. I’d never been shot, but I knew plenty of people who had. They always said I was indestructible because I always seemed to walk away without a scratch. If they could only see my soul. I felt more like a bad luck charm.
    “Eggs and toast okay?”
    Hollie nodded, grimacing as he eased into the porch chair.
     
    I brought breakfast out for Hollie and we sat eating quietly, enjoying the uncharacteristically cool morning.
    Hollie sniffed the air. “Storm’s coming.”
    Looking up at the sky, I couldn’t disagree. You could feel the drop in barometric pressure.
    He put his plate on the ground. “I was thinking about how they found Kelly in Rosemary Beach. How do you think she got there?”
    “Probably drifted.”
    “I don’t know if it’ll help, but I’ve got a boat docked in Panama City Beach. Wonder if it might be good idea to take a gander.”
    “What do you think we’d find?”
    “Not sure, but I know the Laneys have a couple boats down there too. Might be good to take a look around.”
    “I don’t know if you should be taking that chance.”
    “What, and let you have all the fun? I’m old, not dead, Marine.”
    It was hard to argue with the man. Old or not, he was still a warrior.
     
    +++
     
    Max Laney looked over his silver sunglasses. “You got all that?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Do you foresee any problems?”
    “I’ve never failed, Mr. Laney. I don’t plan on it now.”
    Laney handed the slight man with bushy eyebrows a padded manila envelope. “Here’s the first half. You get the rest when you’re done.”
     
    +++
     
    It took the better part of an hour to get to the boat dock, beach tourists starting to clog the roadways. “Is it always like this?”
    Hollie stared out the window. “During spring break and summer. I try to avoid it when I can.”
    “What do you have a boat for?”
    “Fishing mostly. Sometimes it’s nice to take a ride. My wife loved to cruise along the coast. I can still see her smiling like a child. She loved it.”
    He hadn’t said much about his wife. There were