Read For Those In Peril (Book 1): For Those In Peril On The Sea for Free Online

tied up in the investigation for days, even weeks. There’s nothing we can do for that poor sod back there, so if the rest of you agree, I’d rather report it in Miami than in the Bahamas. That way we won’t be stuck in a foreign country while this thing is looked into.’
    ‘It mightn’t be a fore ign country to you ...’ I was concerned Bill had forgotten we weren’t all Americans.
    ‘Good point. But I think you and CJ would still be better off in the US than in the Bahamas. Whatever went on back there, it’s going to cause a big stir when it comes out. At least in the US you’ll have less of a chance of getting dragged into it. We all will. What do you think?’
    Bill looked around at the rest of us.
    Jon nodded his agreement, as did I, but with more hesitation. My mind was finally starting to work again and while I could see Bill’s point, I still didn’t like the fact I might get stuck in an unfamiliar country, far from my boat, while any investigation took place.
    ‘CJ?’
    ‘Erm ...’
    ‘Oh come on, Cammy, make a decision for once; not that it really matters what you think.’ Jon sounded irritated.
    ‘Shut up, Jon, that’s not helpful.’ I couldn’t stop myself snapping at him. It annoyed me that, despite what we’d just witnessed, Jon still couldn’t resist needling CJ. It incensed me just as much that CJ made it so easy for him. Glancing over at her, I saw the resentment and anger that had been building up within her towards Jon throughout the voyage start to bubble to the surface.
    Bill must have seen this too because he sat down and put a reassuring arm around her.
    ‘CJ, it’s important that we all agree on what we’re going to do.’ Bill’s voice was calm and comforting, ‘What do you think? Are you happy with us carrying on to Miami?’
    ‘I guess Miami would be okay.’
    Jon opened his mouth to speak, but Bill held up his hand and Jon thought better of it.
    Bill looked round at each of us again, ‘Right, Miami it is then.’
     
    ***
     
    ‘What d’you think happened back there?’ I was keen to hear Bill’s thoughts. Night had fallen and we were over the shallow waters of Great Bahama Bank, passing between the islan ds of Great Isaacs and the Biminis. We’d covered half the distance to Miami and we would be there by daybreak at the very latest. Bill and I were alone in the cockpit and we’d soon be crossing the Gulf Stream, an unpredictable stretch of water that could be whipped up into rough pyramids of water at a moment’s notice, if the wind started pushing against the northward-flowing current. We were lucky, the wind had been strong enough to keep us moving along at a decent pace, while gentle enough not to stir the waters up too much. It would be an easy passage, the skies were clear and the stars were laid out above us, the silver ribbon of the Milky Way shining brightly in the heavens. This was the type of crossing I usually relished, but I couldn’t enjoy it because the events from that morning were still replaying themselves in my head.
    It took Bill a while to reply. ‘I really don’t know.’
    I tried again, ‘Why would they do that to another person?’ I wanted an answer, any kind of answer, something that might explain what we’d seen.
    ‘I don’t know. Why do people do any of the cruel things that they do to each other?’ Bill stared out into the darkness.
    ‘But this is different. Even in comparison to most human atrocities, what happened back there was vicious. I’ve never seen anything like it. They were like wild animals.’ I stopped and thought for a second, ‘No, they were worse than that. They didn’t just kill him, they ripped him apart.’ Just thinking about it made me feel sick.
    ‘I know.’ Bill turned and look ed at me, there was a pained expression on his face. ‘I know. I’ve seen a lot in my life, but I’ve never seen anything like that.’
    Even if I’d wanted to I don’t think I could have slept that night. I couldn’t