The buzz of helicopters outside grew momentarily louder and then receded once more.
Turcotte gestured for her to continue.
Dr. Boudreau sat up straighter in her chair and gazed at Tori and Gabe. Though still rational and open, her friendliness had vanished. “I’m in a bit of a hurry, so here’s the deal. Captain Rio, those creatures killed your brother and almost your entire crew. They’ve taken away your livelihood. Your life will never be the same. Miss Austin, obviously you have no job to go back to. Both of you are headed for criminal trial, possibly prison. I can offer you something better. Significantly better.”
Tori glanced at Josh, but he looked away. In fact, none of the FBI agents looked happy. That pleased her. Whatever might upset the FBI where this case was concerned had to be good for Tori Austin.
“We’re listening,” she said.
Gabe rocked back in his chair, arms crossed in defiance. “Go ahead.”
Dr. Boudreau nodded, studying them. Sizing them up. “The United States government would like to keep these events, and the operation that is about to commence, a secret. Where the two of you are concerned, there are several ways that can be accomplished. First, they could simply have you killed.”
She said it in such a casual and offhanded fashion that it took Tori a moment to process, then she flinched away from the older woman.
“That’s not funny, I know,” Dr. Boudreau continued. “But I know I have your attention now. The good news for me is that your criminal endeavors make any such measures unnecessary, even if that were the sort of thing I would ever be a party to, which it isn’t. The bad news for you is that I can arrange to keep these events quiet by making sure you are both incarcerated for life in places where no one would ever believe a wild story such as this one. I would really rather not pursue that option.”
“Then don’t,” Gabe said.
“That, I’m afraid, is entirely up to you.”
Tori gnawed her lower lip. She could sense Gabe’s anger and resistance and did not want to seem too eager, but she had resigned herself to prison or whatever else fate might bring, and the chance to avoid that had her heart soaring.
“What do you want from us?” she asked. Her gaze shifted past the silver-haired woman to Josh. He gave her an almost imperceptible nod. Beside him, Voss did not seem to notice, focused — as the others in the room were — on Dr. Boudreau.
“I’m capable of giving you a new life,” the older woman said. “I’m offering you a chance to start over anywhere you like with a modest annual stipend and a new name. You only have to do two things for me. First, never speak of this island or the things you call sirens again, and second, come with me out to the island as part of my team.”
Gabe actually laughed. “And why would we do that?”
Tori barely listened. The words were still echoing in her mind. A new start and a new name. She had tried for a fresh beginning in Miami, and that had led her here, and almost to prison. The idea that she might get yet another chance at wiping the slate blank seemed surreal.
Dr. Boudreau gestured toward Agent Turcotte, or, rather, beyond him. Out the window, Tori could see a helicopter in the distance, Coast Guard or Navy personnel landing on the island.
“I want to get this done today—”
“Why?” Gabe asked. “Today, tomorrow, next week, what difference does it make?”
Dr. Boudreau nodded as though in approval of the question, then slid her chair back. She walked over to the window and peered out, standing just a couple of feet away from Turcotte. As she turned to face the card table again, she gave Agent Turcotte a meaningful glance, as though the words to follow were meant for him as well.
“We have encountered these sirens before, but we know very little about them. Right now operation personnel are beginning an observational sweep of the island, but they are amphibious creatures. They will come up on land tonight, or at least they will if any of those people are still on the island come nightfall. I’d rather not begin the job only to have them interfere with it overnight. Beyond that, we cannot be certain how far beyond their main habitat they’ll be willing to stray, so there’s no way to accurately gauge what would be considered a ‘safe distance’ from the island. All in all, the best course is the most expeditious, and that is why I am willing to bring you both into the fold, and reward you afterward with your freedom.
“I’d like you to accompany me to the island and work with my people to point out any and all caves that you recall from your search yesterday — especially what Captain Rio called the ‘kill sites’ in his statement, and what you, Miss Austin, referred to as ‘the grotto.’ The faster we survey the island, the faster we can begin purging the island of these creatures.
“Now,” she added, “time is of the essence. Your decisions?”
Tori glanced at Gabe, but he had lowered his gaze, staring at the table or perhaps at nothing, eyes haunted and distant. She did not look away and eventually, either noticing her in his peripheral vision or simply aware of the press of her attention, he lifted his chin. For several seconds, they regarded each other, and then Gabe turned toward Turcotte.
“And part of this whole Get Out of Jail Free card, this new life, would be testifying against Viscaya?”
Turcotte gave a curt nod.
Tori saw Josh blink and glance first at Voss and then at Turcotte, and she knew the man was lying. Dr. Boudreau kept her face blank.
“No, Gabe,” Tori said, focusing on the older woman. “They’re going to make the Antoinette disappear, and they’re gonna make us disappear. We don’t have to testify to anything as long as we play along and keep our mouths shut. Isn’t that right, Dr. Boudreau?”
Turcotte glared daggers at the silver-haired woman, but Boudreau clearly had no interest in blowing smoke.
“That’s right,” she said. “No strings except your silence afterward.”
“And what about Angie Tyree?” Gabe asked. “Where does she fit into all of this? ’Cause I don’t see her in this room.”
Tori felt bad that she hadn’t even thought about Angie. The woman had never been her friend, but she was the only survivor of the Antoinette who had not been brought into this meeting.
Josh stepped closer to the table. His eyes had a glassy sheen from the Vicodin the shipboard doctor had given him.
“Angie’s going to be given the same choice Dr. Boudreau just gave the two of you, but we don’t want her on the island. She had a total mental breakdown last night and I don’t think all the pieces are necessarily back together again. She’d be a liability.”
Gabe kicked back and put his boots up on the table, crossing his arms. Though he spoke to Dr. Boudreau, his gaze rested on Agent Turcotte.
“So Angie gets to choose prison or silence, and we get to pick between prison and fucking suicide?” His brow furrowed deeply and Tori thought he had aged a great deal in the past day.
“You’ll be off the island by nightfall,” Dr. Boudreau said, her impatience growing.
“So you say,” Gabe replied, then shook his head. “But the only way I can guarantee that is to not go at all. I’ve seen those things up close and I think I’ll stay here, thank you.”
Tori stared at him. “Gabe, they’ll put you in prison. This is your chance to—”
His expression stopped her short. His sorrow pained her. He had always been a good man, involved in crimes he had never wished for on behalf of a brother who had never been grateful enough. Now he was paying for his crimes far more on the inside than he ever would in prison.