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Chapter 1 – Lost

My head was pounding, and I was pretty sure the whole roo Despite the copious a room was normal since I lived on over, though

I rolled over and let the te my body to comply with my wishes and rise from my bunk I made my way over to the cubby-sized bathroom to relieve myself of whatever vodka was left in riers on this ship could see their captain in the , they’d probably dise to charter a canoe to navigate the Caribbean instead

Not that I was going to look significantly better in the afternoon

I looked in the mirror, which was usually a mistake This time was no exception I hadn’t shaved in a few days, and I looked like I felt – gritty and hung over The pale blue irises that stared back at me were surrounded by red and dull from lack of real sleep There was still a bit of a ht in San Juan

After giving my teeth a quick once-over with the brush, I tossed on relatively clean cargo shorts and a ru on top of the dresser I looped my belt around odly hour of the , that is – about 7:00am, ship time – I hoped not to run into anyone else

Usually, ers that chose to sail withpeople, and I was free to walk aboutinto them Apparently, this trip had one early riser A tiny little dark-haired girl with tanned legs curled up underneath her sat near the mainh aft and engrossed enough in her literature that she didn’t notice me

I entered the pilothouse and gave a nod to the nighttime helmsman

“You look like shit,” John Paul chuckled At six-four and two-hundred plus pounds of solid ue with John Paul

“Thanks,” I replied John Paul was my one and only friend, which was perfectly fine with h school out on a shooting range over ten years ago That’s when I fucking loved guns I had been good with theer on one in quite a while It’s too easy I’d rather use ?”

“S his favorite cowboy hat back a little on his head He looked ers around on his chin, which was covered in fine, dark hair “Any survivors?”

“I didn’t wake up with anyone ugly,” I replied, grabbing the pack of shter out of one of the pouches on ht next to my favorite jackknife, and lit up

“Well, that’s a bonus at least,” John Paul said He handed the wheel over to me with a nod I sat back on the stool, tossed one arm casually over the top of the wheel, and looked out over the bow at the slow rolling waves of the Caribbean I took a long drag and exhaled smoke off to one side

“Remember that bitch in Puerto Rico?” John Paul asked, as if I was going to forget her “You didn’t even realize she was on the ship e left!”

John Paul chortled, and I cringed I was stuck with her for four days until I could get her back If I had just picked up a tourist or a local, that would have been one thing, but this one had been a working girl Costfortune