They were closing in on the armada rapidly. He would have to slow and straighten his course to avoid hitting one or more of the floating watercraft. He lowered his jib and sailed exclusively powered by the mainsail. He picked a lane between some boats that seemed wider than the other possibilities. He would be among them any moment. It was surely clear that he was not among their ranks. For one thing, he was bare chested, he hadn't taken the time to pull on a shirt. For another he seemed to be going the wrong way. Hey, friend, which way is the island? And third, he had this girl with him. Girl?
"Beverly, get inside, please."
"No!"
"Please?"
"No!"
Smile and wave, boys. Smile and wave. They both tried to act friendly as they passed silently between and among the boats. One soldier put his rifle to his shoulder, resting it on his shoulder in the new style. He sighted down the barrel and centered his aim on Jesse's temple. He followed the target for a brief second and then said pow. A brief moment of onomatopoeia and then he refocused on the task before him.
Beverly and Jesse were almost through the maze when the engines exploded to life at the same moment. Beverly nearly had a heart attack and Jesse was startled almost as badly. The roar of hundreds of engines all revving at once was deafening. It was a tactic to energize the troops as they began to move toward Sanibel. They looked at each other not knowing whether to cry or laugh, but they had open seas ahead. They trimmed the sails and got away as quickly as Serenity could go. That racing yacht was finding her stride when the sunrise began.
