Nothing. Nancy slumped against the outer wall of the galley, knowing she was safe—for the moment. But she couldn’t hang around much longer. She had to find a way to get herself and four other people off the boat, or that fancy move she had used to flatten Dirk would turn out to be a total waste.
The noise of the crowd was dying down; it wouldn’t be long before everyone was off the boat and on the island. Suddenly, over the sound of the fading laughter, Nancy heard footsteps approaching the galley.
Move! she told herself, and slipped quickly along the rail, glancing over her shoulder every step of the way. She had to find someplace to hide, fast, or she might as well go back down and join the others.
It was as she neared the bow that Nancy saw the metal ladder leading to the top deck. She raced for it, her bare feet almost silent on the deck, and scampered up. She reached the top rung, glanced back, and saw the florist rounding the galley. Nancy gripped the ladder and willed him not to look up.
But apparently Lila’s florist was just looking for stray partiers and only glanced carelessly down the passageway before disappearing. Nancy let her breath out and climbed onto the top deck, immediately flattening herself out on her stomach.
The deck was deserted, but Nancy wasn’t taking any chances. Still on her stomach, she elbowed her way to the other side and peered over the rail toward the island. Several bonfires had already been started on the beach, and in the glow, Nancy could see a single speedboat heading for the shore. Two others were already tied up just off the beach. The one she was watching must be the last, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before the Rosita would take off with its human cargo. She had to get her hands on one of those launches, and that meant she had to get to the island—unseen.
Nancy heard a cough, and looking down, saw the florist pacing the deck below. She scrambled back to the far rail and waited to see if he was going to patrol the other side too. As she looked out over the water, it suddenly occurred to her that she could swim to the island. It wasn’t too far away, and once she got there, she could steal one of the speedboats and zip back to the Rosita. She wished she could tell the others to be ready and waiting for her, but she couldn’t take the chance of going back down to the hold. She told herself that if the Rosita took off before she got back to it, she’d head for Fort Lauderdale and get the police. But she didn’t think she’d have to do that. Nancy figured that Lila would need at least half an hour to make sure the island party was going strong before she returned to the Rosita.
You can do it, Nancy thought. You have to do it, so don’t waste any more time. She got to her knees and looked over the rail, checking to make sure the lower deck was clear. No one was in sight, so Nancy stood up and put her foot on the top rail, gripping it with her toes. She brought her other foot up, found her balance, and slowly straightened to her full height. The water was at least twenty feet below her. Don’t think about it, she told herself, just do it.
Nancy raised her arms above her head and pushed out and off the rail, diving headfirst into the dark waters of the Atlantic.
The ocean hit her like a cold slap in the face, and it seemed as if she sank forever before she was able to start pulling herself up. Finally, though, she broke the surface. Gasping, she tossed her hair out of her face and then pulled herself toward the Rosita’s stern with strong, steady strokes.
When Nancy reached it, she stopped, treading water. The rail lights and the glow from the bonfires sent a faint path of light along the water, and in that path, about fifteen feet away, Nancy saw a dark triangular shape gliding smoothly through the waves. She wiped her eyes again and blinked, trying to tell herself that she was seeing things.