Free Second Chance by Lawrence Kelter

where—”
    The gator grabbed Lyndell by the leg. He was a huge man, but he barely caused a ripple as the gator pulled him under. The water just swallowed him up.
    Rick stepped onto the fan boat and reached for me. Sure, now he’s moving.
    “No time to explain,” he said as he manned the controls. I untied the line and went aboard. Rick swung the boat around, and we were off. I looked back and saw blood rise to the water’s surface above the spot where the carnage was taking place. “How are you holding up?”
    “I’m thirsty as hell.”
    He shrugged off his backpack. “There’s water and protein bars in there.” I’d gone a really long time without food or water. I tore into his backpack and had at his supplies.
    I wolfed down a bottle of water and a Luna Bar. “You’re a godsend,” I said with great relief. “So how’d you find me?”
    “No great mystery. I tracked your cell phone with Google Latitude.”
    “Even down here in the ’glades?”
    “Yeah, even down here. All it takes is a smartphone and some know-how. I stashed my boat half a mile away so I wouldn’t be heard coming.”
    “I guess that’s where your army training comes in.”
    Rick nodded.
    Ambler had sent the right man for the job. “You’re a regular Daniel Boone.”
    He blushed. He was even better looking with a bashful smile. “I’m just glad I got to you in time. I was talking to you on the phone when we both heard someone laughing. You said, ‘Someone’s here,’ and then I heard a thud. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what had happened.”
    “I owe you big time. Lyndell was expecting Donovan. After that … fish bait, I guess. My prospects weren’t looking very good.”
    “You don’t give yourself enough credit. From what I saw, you had the upper hand.”
    “Yeah, PlastiCuffs are lightweight and handy, but they’re no substitute for steel bracelets. Our recently expired friend cuffed me to the rusted frame of a cot with plastic ties. I cut through my bindings by rubbing them on a sharp piece of metal. Lyndell was passed out drunk … and the rest is history.”
    “It won’t take Donovan long to put the pieces together. I hope you’re ready to tap your ruby slippers and go home to Kansas.”
    Gee, he’s referencing The Wizard of Oz too. What a world, what a world.
    I really wanted to go home and be on familiar ground, but there was still work to accomplish. Keyla was dead, and Flynn …
    “Donovan has to be taken down,” I said.
    “Christ, you’re as stubborn as a mule. Donovan is under investigation by the local police and the Feds. Why don’t you let them do their job? You’re a cop. You understand the process.”
    I did understand the process. Rick had just killed Lyndell. We had to go to the police and explain what had happened. Donovan was already gunning for the two of us, and things were about to heat up.
    “Donovan kills a lot of people,” I explained. “I don’t want to see either of us end up as a fatality. Me running back to New York isn’t the answer.”
    “It’s half an answer,” Rick insisted. “At least you’ll be safe.”
    “And you? Even if I bail on you, you’re still near the top of his hit list.”
    “I can take care of myself, Chalice. Always have.”
    The sky began to darken precipitously, and the wind kicked up. “A tropical storm is coming,” he said. He turned his focus forward and edged the throttle ahead. “I hope we can make it back before it hits.”
    Storms clouds were rolling in quickly. I didn’t need a meteorologist to tell me it was going to be bad. Rick seemed intent on reaching our destination as quickly as possible.
    “Where are we headed?”
    “I’ve got a place,” he said, “a place we won’t be found.”
    It began to rain long before I expected it to, but it didn’t matter. I had already jumped into the water. I hadn’t just put my toe in; I was in with both feet.

Chapter Sixteen
    Flynn had prayed for death several times since regaining