Lights Out

He cut across the beach and raced toward the marina, where the boat he ordered should now be waiting. He paid for a mid-sized ski boat. He did not want anything out of the ordinary that would draw unnecessary attention to his quest.

The boat was there, tied to a dock near the business office. He paid the old man sitting behind the counter, who watched with undisguised interest as Matthew added an extra hundred dollar bill to the pile of cash on the table.

"I'm picking up a…friend a ways down the beach," Matthew said, "and I'd appreciate it if you forget you ever saw me if my wife should show up."

The man nodded, smiled and pocketed the money.

Matthew took the keys, told the man to have a good night, and walked out onto the pier. The boat was a mint condition, competition ski boat. The inboard eight cylinder engine roared to life with one press of the ignition button, and Matthew was off.

Mindy and Jenny nearly slammed into the dimly-lit sailboat. After a few whispered yells, with no one answering to the name Christopher, they realized that this vessel, too, was not the one they were looking for.

"Well," Mindy said, "where to next? There's a few that way -" she pointed to their left "- and it looks like there are two more up north. And who knows how many more that don't have their lights on."