Chapter Eleven

"We have to stop by Duke's boat," said Audrey shoving her phone back in her pocket.

Nathan looked at her irritated. "What is it now?"

"Katie called and said he was supposed to meet a food vender early this morning—he missed the meeting, and he still isn't in. She tried calling him, but he won't answer his phone. She's worried."

"Probably just had a hot date."

"With his mom there?"

"Never stopped his dad."

Audrey took a deep breath. The tension between Nathan and Duke had escalated since her kidnapping. "I promised Katie we would look it to it."

"Yeah, okay."

A few minutes later Audrey and Nathan were at the dock and walking toward Duke's boat.

"I shoot trespassers—all trespassers," said a cold, malicious voice behind them.

They turned and saw Duke welding a huge monster of a gun. "That's a WTS .50 BMG Pistol. I saw one demonstrated once when I was in the FBI," Audrey whispered.

"It looks like a rocket launcher," observed Nathan.

"Close enough," she admitted.

"Duke, are you okay. Katie phoned me-she was worried," Audrey called out trying to make her voice nonchalant and soothing.

"Why?"

"She was worried."

"So."

"Come on, Parker, let's go…he's obviously fine."

"He doesn't sound fine to me," Audrey whispered.

"Maybe that's because you don't really know him like I do. You think he's good…he's not…he's cold, manipulative, and cruel. You're finally seeing the real Duke."

Audrey looked back at Duke. "Something is wrong," she said shaking her head. "Duke, maybe we should talk."

"Maybe you should leave—while you still can."

"Come on, Parker," Nathan said pulling Audrey toward the truck. "We got work to do."

"Okay, but trust me something is very wrong."

"Like what? He's a callous, cold-blooded bastard. I told you."

"It's wrong as in why does he have that gun. The WTS .50 BMG was designed to be used against tanks and armored vehicles. It would blow us apart…it would also shoot straight through us and demolish his boat. On a bad day Duke might feel like shredding us, but he would never accept the destruction of his boat as collateral damage."

"It was a bluff then."

"No…the Duke we just talked to was not bluffing. There is something very wrong."