He walked the boat forward, passing the line around the fluted white iron pillars that supported the deck above, then walked clean around the bow to the port side, where he moored the boat next to Retired and Gone Fishin’.
He felt a warm satisfaction as he contemplated his handiwork for a minute, then spent at least five seconds thinking of ways to steal the intruders’ tools while he was at it. But then he decided he’d better tell Nick there were thieves on board, before Nick decided to call him in for dinner or to use the toilet. Jason slipped back into the Lucky Magnolia, careful to close the door quietly behind him, then made his way through the restaurant to the kitchen. Nick was still cooking, oblivious to everything that had occurred to Jason since he left the kitchen. The smell of pork chops sizzling in the pan made Jason’s mouth water, and for a lightheaded instant he considered eating his meal before telling Nick about the two men trying to break into the safe.
Nick looked up at him, grinned. “You like coffee gravy?” he said. “Give you energy for the rest of the day.”
“Nick,” Jason said, “there are people on the boat.”
Nick seemed pleased. “They belong to the casino? Or did they drift up like us?”
“They’re thieves,” Jason said, and Nick’s grin vanished in an instant. “They’re drunk, and they’re breaking into the safe,” Jason went on. “They’re going to steal the money here, then rob every casino on the river.” Nick’s eyes never left Jason’s face as he reached to turn the flame off underneath the pan. “We’d better get back to our boat,” he said.
“Let’s put the food on a plate and take it with us,” Jason said.
Nick walked to him, grabbed him by his shoulders, and turned him around. “March on outta here,” he said, “and don’t make any noise.”
Just for that, Jason thought, I don’t tell you about how I stole their boat. Nick was so wary, skulking through the restaurant with such theatrical care, that Jason wanted to laugh. When they got into the corridor outside, the sound of banging and hammering on the safe could be heard clearly. Nick raised a finger to his lips—Jason wanted to laugh again—and then they slipped outside to where they had left the bass boat.
Jason went ahead so that he could see Nick’s face when Nick realized what Jason had done. Nick stepped out, intent only on the bass boat, and then slowed, puzzlement plain on his face as his eyes moved to the larger boat. He stopped, one hand on the line that tied the bass boat to the Magnolia, and then a conclusion seemed to pass across his face. He turned to Jason, his eyes suspicious.
“This is their boat?”
“Yeah!” Jason laughed. “I took it!”
Nick’s eyes narrowed. “You took their boat? You stole it?”
Jason was surprised by the suspicion in Nick’s tone.
Defiance bubbled up in him. “Yeah!” he said. “I stole it! They’re here to take money, and I took their boat! What’s wrong with that?”
Nick looked thoughtfully from Jason to the stolen boat and back, then stepped close to Jason, put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re sure those men are thieves?” he asked. “You didn’t just take their boat and then make up a story about their being robbers?”
Jason jerked away. “No way!” he said. “They’re here to steal!” Nick looked thoughtful, then cast a glance back over his shoulder at the door. “Oh, sure!” Jason scorned.
“Go ask them! Junior and his redneck buddy’ll be happy to see you!” He waved his arms. “You heard them hammering on the safe! You figure they’ll just say howdy and offer you some of their Jack Daniels?” Nick turned back to Jason, and his look softened. “I believe you,” he said. “We’d better leave.” Jason’s heart leaped. He jumped for the new speedboat, and dropped into the white vinyl seat behind the wheel. “Hey,” he said, “we’ve got push-button starting! Let’s blast outta here!”
“No!” Nick said sharply, and then lowered his voice. “They might have guns. We don’t want to make any noise. Let’s just drift away, then start the motor once we’re clear.”
Nick used one of the mooring lines to tie the bass boat’s bow to their new boat, and then he untied them from the Lucky Magnolia and pushed the boats into the current.
Nick crawled beneath the canvas cover to the seat next to Jason’s in the cockpit. Jason, heart beating, watched as they slowly slipped past the huge gambling boat. His eyes strained at the windows for a glimpse of Junior or his friend.
Nothing. The Magnolia fell astern. He laughed, then turned to Nick. “Start the engine?” he said.
“I guess it’s time.” Nick made his way to the stern and tilted the Evinrude’s propeller into the water. Jason pressed the start button.
Nothing happened.
Jason tried again and again, and then realized that there was an ignition lock, like the lock on a car, on the console. Junior or his buddy doubtless had the key.
Jason’s heart sank. He’d gone to the trouble and risk of stealing the boat, and now it might as well be a raft.
“No problem,” Nick said, when Jason told him of the trouble. Nick hopped back to the bass boat, got some tools out of one of the storage lockers, then returned and ducked under the console. “Move your feet, okay?” he said—Jason did—and then Jason heard him work with the electronics for a moment.
“Give it a try now,” Nick said.
Jason pressed the button, the starter whined, and the engine coughed. Jason gave a laugh. He let up on the button and the engine died. He tried again, and the engine again refused to start.
“Give it some choke,” Nick said as he clawed his way out from beneath the console. Jason looked for a button labeled choke, found it, and pushed it. Then he tried to start the engine again, and again the engine died.
“Let’s see what you’re doing,” Nick said as he settled into the seat next to Jason. Jason showed him. Nick reached over and pulled the choke button. “Pull it out, not in,” he said. And the engine started.
Still need the grownups, Jason thought as he pushed the throttle forward. Damn it. But his heart leaped as the engine roared, as the boat began to speed through the sluggish water. He turned to Nick and grinned. “Where did you say your daughter lives?” he said. “Bet we can get there in a couple days.”
Nick was looking over his shoulder at the bass boat bumping along behind. “Once we get out of sight of the casino,” he said, “we should cut back our speed, save fuel. Maybe tie up or drift at night so we don’t run into anything.”
“Fine,” Jason said. “Whatever.”
And then laughed, because the boat was his and now so was the river.
Larry Hallock stood in the pilothouse of the fireboat as it eased its way toward the Poinsett Landing plant. The boat moved slowly, feeling its way through the ruined facility so that it wouldn’t go aground on some half-ruined obstacle.