Kona Waters: A Rick Waters Novel, page 20
“I’m sure Gary has the best insurance money can buy. Shit he’s still in Africa. I’ll call Carson and let him know about Keifer and Leilani. They probably have some Feds in Colombia,” said Rick.
“I’m sure they do. Okay, Rick. The doctor is here. I have to run.”
“Take care of yourself, Clay.”
“Y’all too.”
Rick immediately called Carson, and Carson said he’d take care of Leilani in Colombia. Rick then called Possum, and Possum got Gary on a three-way call. Rick explained the entire scenario to them. After he got off the phone with them, he looked at Jules.
“What should we do? There are Feds in Colombia. You wanna ditch this yacht there and turn it over to the Feds or deliver it to Destin through the Panama Canal?”
“Can I get back to you on that? It is a nice boat. I’m enjoying our alone time. Maybe we could go through the canal and island hop up the Caribbean chain,” replied Jules.
“That’s a thought. I need to tell Mak that Leilani is alive, but I don’t want to get his hopes up. She might not make it,” said Rick.
“You kept it from him when you thought she was dead. Now you’re doing the opposite. Just wait and see what happens. He’ll have closure either way.”
“Damn, you’re smart, girl! I like the way you think!” exclaimed Rick.
The sun began to set slightly in the sky, and flying fish skimmed the water in front of the boat as they tried to escape predators. Rick and Jules took shifts and motored through the night.
Rick’s phone whistled as they got within a few miles of the Panama Canal. It was Clay.
“Hey, Clay.”
“Rick, I just spoke to the doctor, and Leilani is gonna pull through. They have two armed guards at her door. Once she's well enough to travel, she will be extradited to Hawaii to face charges of faking her own murder, extortion, and attempted murder. She will do time, no doubt. Maybe it will be the best thing that ever happened to her. I’m flying out of here tomorrow. The insurance company totaled Gary’s jet. He already has his eyes on one in Mobile. They are gonna meet me in Destin in a few days, and we’ll drive over and look at it. He’s tired of fucking around with these small planes. He wants an Airbus. I guess I’m going back to school,” said Clay.
“I guess a raise will be coming your way.”
“You’re damn right! I almost got sucked out of an airplane. I never signed up for that shit.”
“Ha-ha, so true.”
Rick ended the call and called Mak Mahoe.
“Mak, it’s Rick. Are you sitting down?”
“Actually, I am. I’m behind my desk.”
“Leilani is alive.”
There was a long silence on the phone.
“Alive?”
Rick told him the entire story and how she was a redhead now and would be heading back to Hawaii to face the music. Mak thanked Rick for everything that he did and told him if he ever returned to Hawaii, he had a place to stay. They both promised to keep in touch.
“We are a couple of miles from the entrance to the Panama Canal, Jules. Should we go north, turn east and continue to Destin through the Caribbean or what?” asked Rick.
Jules scratched her chin as if she was in deep thought, then grabbed the wheel and turned it right. They started heading to the entrance of the Panama Canal. In her best impression of Captain Ron, from the movie, she said,
“This is the Caribbean, Rick. El Caribe. The Spanish Main. The land of hoo-doo and voodoo and all kinda weird shit.”
Rick laughed so hard.
“How long have you been working on that?” asked Rick.
“A while. I ain’t gonna lie,” replied Jules.
As they approached the entrance to the Panama Canal, the blue water of the Pacific gradually transitioned to a brown, murky hue. Rick pulled Jules close, gazed into her eyes, and said, “I know we're going to love seeing the clear water in the Caribbean, Jules. But it will be wonderful once we reach Destin and dock the yacht in those emerald waters.”
THE END
Also by Eric Chance Stone
Blue Waters
Vanishing Waters
Raging Waters
Back Waters
Muddy Waters
Mayan Waters
African Waters
Deep Waters
Baja Waters
Canuck Waters
Junkanoo Waters
Arctic Waters
Pirate Waters
Dark Waters
Persian Waters
Zombie Waters
Rising Waters
Still Waters
Emerald Waters
Acknowledgments
I want to thank my beta readers, Mike Keevil and Chris Bowers.
I want to thank my amazing editors, Arly Gramm and Izzy Lily.
I want to thank my proofreader, Teri Rogers.
Thanks to my graphic artist Les.
Special thanks to Nick Sullivan, Wayne Stinnett and Bob Adamov for all their support and advice over the years.
I want to thank all the readers of my novels, especially. It’s all about the readers. I appreciate your continued support on this journey.
About the Author
Eric Chance Stone was born and raised on the Gulf Coast of Southeast Texas. An avid surfer, sailor, scuba diver, fisherman, and treasure hunter, Eric met many bigger-than-life characters on his global adventures. Wanting to travel after college, he got a job with Northwest Airlines and moved to Florida. Shortly after that, he was transferred to Hawaii, then Nashville. After years of being a staff songwriter in Nashville, he released his first album, Songs For Sail, in 1999, a tropically inspired collection of songs. He continued to write songs and tour and eventually landed a gig with Sail America and Show Management to perform at all international boat shows, where his list of characters continued to grow.
He moved to the Virgin Islands in 2007 and became the official entertainer for Pusser’s Marina Cay in the BVI. After several years in the Caribbean, his fate for telling stories was sealed.
Upon releasing his 15th CD, All The Rest, he was inspired to become a novelist after meeting with Wayne Stinnett. Wayne, along with Cap Daniels, Chip Bell, and a few others, became his mentors, and they are all good friends now. Eric resides in a 44’ Entegra Aspire motorhome with his fiancée Kim-Cara. They live wherever they are parked.
Inspired by the likes of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt, Wayne Stinnett’s Jesse McDermitt, Cap Daniels Chase Fulton, Chip Bell’s Jake Sullivan, and many more, Eric’s tales are sprinkled with Voodoo, Hoodoo, and kinds of weird stuff. From the bayous of Texas to the Voodoo dens of Haiti, his twist of reality will take you for a ride. His main character, Rick Waters, is a down-to-earth good ol’ boy and adventurist turned private eye who uses his treasure-hunting skills and street smarts to solve mysteries.
Stone, Eric Chance, Kona Waters: A Rick Waters Novel
