Adam shrugged. “You’re armed. You could have handled it.”
“Idiot.” Henry looked livid. “Do you always smoke pot when you’re working?”
“Of course not.”
Cate pressed her lips together and walked away, pulling out the satellite phone Tessa had issued her. She called the deputy, who answered immediately.
“We found Ashlee and Rich,” Cate told Tessa. “But our pilot is now stoned. We’re not going anywhere for a while.” She updated Tessa on their plan to get Rich away from Ashlee and get her off the island.
“We finished on Elias Island a bit ago,” said Tessa. “We’ll head your way instead of to the other survivor island. Give us about a half hour. Don’t let him fly.”
“I won’t.” Cate glanced back at Adam, who had returned to sitting in the shade of the tree and closed his eyes. Henry stood a few feet away, his arms crossed in annoyance.
She ended the call and approached Henry. “Tessa and Logan are coming. If we can get Ashlee away from Rich, we can take her on the sheriff’s department boat.”
The words were barely out of her mouth when she heard voices in the woods. But they weren’t coming in their direction. She met Henry’s gaze. He nodded, and together they silently moved into the woods. She followed the sounds of arguing, keeping herself hidden behind tree trunks and thick bushes. The voices continued to move away, and she and Henry moved faster through the woods. Finally two men came into sight.
Rich.
He had a large plastic case and a bulging garbage bag with him as he argued with the second man. The two of them were on a path that took many minutes to lead out of the woods and into a cove. Cate and Henry reached the edge of the trees and watched the two men approach one of the boats on the “marina” dock that Cate had seen from the air. The second man carried two fishing poles and another garbage bag in his hands.
Michelle’s husband.
“He’s leaving,” Cate whispered to Henry. She couldn’t hear what the men were quarreling about and didn’t care. She just wanted Rich as far away as possible when they went to get Ashlee.
The two men loaded their things into the little boat as Cate and Henry hid behind trees. Rich jumped in and fussed around with the engine while the other man waited on the dock, watching.
Cate wanted to tell them to hurry up and leave, but she and Henry had no way off the island with Ashlee until Tessa arrived. Rich’s lingering with the boat was probably in their favor.
Rich got out of the boat and raised his arms as he continued arguing with Michelle’s husband. The second man kept pointing back at the boat and shaking his head.
Just leave.
Rich stomped by Michelle’s husband and headed back up the beach toward the woods.
Shit.
She and Henry scrambled to hide behind a huge dense rhododendron bush and held their breath as they heard Rich pass. Jogging footsteps sounded, and the second man ran after him.
“Is there something wrong with the boat?” Cate whispered.
“I don’t know,” said Henry. “But he left the fishing poles and tackle, so I assume he’s coming back.”
“Good point.” She shifted into a more comfortable position to wait. “I want to strangle Adam.”
“Get in line.”
“Earlier I was so pleased that he seemed on his best behavior today.”
“I think this is his best behavior.”
“What if we’d needed to leave in a hurry?” she fumed. “I trusted him.”
“He’s a good pilot . . . he’s pretty much the only pilot. Maybe next time search him for pot before riding with him.”