Gregoire awoke to a clock radio set to static turned to a high volume, a noise that had instantly irritated Gregoire to full alertness, and Dierks popped out of his little bedroom moments later in same clothes he had been wearing the day before, which Gregoire took to be some sort of resort uniform. After a breakfast of frosted strawberry Pop-Tarts and instant coffee, Gregoire made his way down to the boat with Dierks.
“So, you work for the US government?” Dierks said after fueling the boat and running the credit card.
“Contractor, technically, why?”
Dierks dipped his head toward the boat, “Military?”
“The boat? Sorta,” Gregoire said. “I’m on a Customs Department contract but I’m not at liberty to say about what.”
“They could’ve given you a bigger boat. This is kind of small to be out on the high seas.”
“It’s a twenty-one footer, it’ll get the job done,” Gregoire said. “I’m just island hopping, not crossing the ocean.”
“Well, good-luck with that. I hope you find your way to the next island,” Dierks said, pointing out to the east. “It’s that way about 30-35 minutes at full power.”
“Thanks, Dierks,” Gregoire said, stepping down into the boat and catching the line Dierks tossed to him. “And if I don’t see you again, it just means I got where I was going.”
Gregoire pointed the boat out into the open sea and opened the throttle, the wind pouring across his face. He took in a deep breath of the sea air, checked his position relative to the rising sun, and then looked down at the compass. Nothing. It sat in its gimbals, aligned slightly east-northeast, just as it was designed to do.