I ended the call, dialed Isabella, and asked her to track Madelyn. Memo obscured the origin of the call, and the servers didn’t keep logs. There was no way to track the call. No metadata to follow.
But Madelyn had made one major mistake.
When she turned on her listed phone to check messages, it pinged the tower, giving away her location.
With a few taps of the keys, Isabella was able to tell me Madelyn was just off the coast of Barracuda Key.This was like taking candy from a baby. I could certainly find ways to spend an extra hundred grand.
I updated JD on the situation just as the key lime pie arrived. That was the real dilemma. Do I sit here and eat it? Or do I chase a ghost?
18
The wind whipped across the bow, and the engines howled. JD manned the helm of the Raptor 2 as we crashed through the inky swells, heading out toward Barracuda Key. The moon glowed overhead, and the stars twinkled. A few lazy clouds drifted in the sky.
The briny air swirled.
It was a nice night. Perfect for an early evening adventure.
By the time we got out to Barracuda Key, it had been about 45 minutes.
Isabella kept me updated. But I wasn't about to ask her to task a satellite to find Madelyn.
We cruised around the island, and I scanned the horizon with infrared optics.
I spotteda sailboat.
Given the distance from Barracuda Key, it might be a fit. It was worth a shot. We were talking about a hundred thousand dollars after all, and more importantly, bragging rights.
JD throttled up, and we chased after the sailboat.
We caught up to theFree Spiritin no time. Through a bullhorn, I shouted, "Coconut County Sheriff's Department. Heave to and prepare to be boarded!”
I recognized the stunning blonde at the helm right away. She was the girl who insisted I was in her seat at the fashion show.
Madelyn looked at me with concerned eyes.
I smiled and tapped my wristwatch. We had a minute to spare.
She eased the mainsail and pulled the wheel to windward. The boat slowed, and JD navigated alongside.
Madelyn looked confused and annoyed. She glanced around to see if anyone else had followed, but we were alone on the water. Two specs on the obsidian sea, drifting with the swells. "How did you find me?"
I just shrugged and smiled.
Her lips tightened. "You're lucky you didn't get shot." Madelyn had a pistol in her hand. I had no doubt she knew how to use it. Out here on the water, anything can happen. It was best to be prepared. Coconut Key definitely had its share of marauders, pirates, and drug dealers. All sorts of unsavory types roamed the waters at night.
"I told you I was coming,” I said with a grin.
"Okay, so you proved your point. I hope you weren't followed.”
I glanced around. We were still all alone.
"I'm just saying, your methods might be secure enough to avoid regular people, but anyone with intelligence resources will be able to find you. You’re not using the best tradecraft.”
Madelyn gave me a flat look. "Forgive me, but I'm not a spy. This isn’t my specialty."
"I'm glad you said that, not me.”
"Is this the part where you suggest I need 24-hour protection?”
