"Flynn, are you nervous?"
"What do you think life will be like the next 21 days?
"Are you really planning to go on one of the manned missions to the moon?"
Flynn just smiled and said, "I'm just riding the wave, going with the flow."
The line was always a crowd-pleaser.
We climbed into the Wild Fury van, and Jack drove us across town to Salt Point Harbor.
The horde of media followed.
Jack found a place to park, and we hopped out and hustled down the dock to theDSV Curiosity. The support vessel would take Flynn and the rest of the crew out to the dive site. A pressurized bell would take them down to the habitat, where they would remain for the next 21 days at saturation.
It was a commitment.
Once at that depth, they would need four to five days of decompression upon return. Any break in protocol could result in death. In an emergency situation, you were on your own. You had to rely on your crew members and thepreparedness of the habitat. It wasn't like EMTs were going to come and save your ass.
Flynn gave us a bro hug on the dock before boarding the Curiosity. "I expect a helluva party when I come back."
"Stay safe, brother," I said.
"You know it.”
JD and I stood on the dock and watched Flynn cross the gangway along with several other crew members.
I saw someone I did not expect. In hindsight, it wasn't all that surprising.
10
“What the hell do you want to do about this storm?” JD asked when we returned to theAvventura. “I think we need to move the boat.”
It was the smart thing to do, given the current weather models.
“We’re in the middle of a case,” I said.
“Tell that to Adrianna.”
He had a point. “Look, I’ll call my guy in Miami, rent a slip. We can have the boat up there by the end of the day. We can stay up there for a few days, hit the clubs, and get away from the chaos here. With those assassins running around, it might not be a bad idea.”
Jack called his guy, and I rang Teagan. She was at Diver Down, tending bar.
“Hey, do you mind looking after Buddy and Fluffy for a few days?”
“Not at all. What’s up?”
I told her about our plans to move the boat. “Just as a precaution. I think it would be easier if they stayed here with you. We could get up to Miami, and the sheriff could need us here. Then I’ve got to wrangle them.”
“You know I’m down anytime. Just bring them by the bar, and I’ll take them home with me.”
“You’re a doll.”
“Don’t forget it,” she said in a cutesy voice.
After I ended the call, I grabbed Buddy’s leash, found Fluffy’s travel case, which she did not like, and hustled down the dock to Diver Down.
“You think it’s going to get bad?” Teagan asked when I joined her at the bar.
