An exciting discovery can be dangerous
Author Rodney Walters
A game warden uncovers a nefarious plot and a ruthless killer. A brilliant Ph.D. student unearths a shocking discovery. Someone wants them both dead.
After ten years as a Navy SEAL, JD Gunn returns to his idyllic hometown on the serene waters of the Gulf of Mexico to become a Florida Wildlife Officer. When a local shrimp boat snags a brutally mutilated body in their nets, JD is the first officer on the scene. The cold-blooded crime dredges up a painful past and compels him to find the killer. His investigation plunges him into the dark waters of a multi-million-dollar conspiracy, rife with bribery, extortion, and murder.
CHAPTER ONE
The Body
Jonathan David Gunn, a law enforcement officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, steered the thirty-two-foot, offshore Sea Catcher between the channel markers. After passing the no-wake zone, he powered up the twin, 300 horsepower engines and set a heading toward the shrimping grounds in the Gulf of Mexico. Darkness approached and the golden reflection of the setting sun cast layers of glowing orange on deep blue clouds, interrupted by dark grey shapes low on the horizon. A light wind out of the northwest blew against a falling tide.
READ MORETonight was a routine patrol to make certain the commercial shrimp boats stayed within their legal boundaries. JD settled his six-foot-three-inch two-hundred-thirty pound frame in the seat and relaxed. At sea for over two hours, he looked forward to a quiet night on the Gulf and tracked the various shrimpers on radar. The emergency channel of the marine radio remained silent, and his FM radio, tuned to a local station, played an old Hank Williams tune. The song ended for a station break. After advertisements, the announcer gave the current cattle market reports and local news, which included a blurb about a missing woman in Levy County. The music continued with a new country and western selection.
A perfect evening with a light wind. JD shook his head. It was not an ideal night for the shrimpers. They preferred a rougher sea, because they made a better catch in turbulent water. They also rather have a dark night. A Trawler’s Moon. Tonight’s full moon gave away too much light.
The emergency channel came alive and crackled with a panicked voice. “Breaker. Breaker. Emergency. Emergency. This is the Spanish Lady. Oh, God! We’ve got a dead body in our nets. Somebody come quick.”
JD knew the Spanish Lady, a local shrimp boat. He opened the mike. “Spanish Lady, this is FWC Sea Catcher. What is your location? Acknowledge.”
Coordinates were given, and JD punched them into his GPS unit.
The emergency channel sounded again. “This is the Yankeetown U. S. Coast Guard station. Acknowledge and identify yourself.”
“This is the Spanish Lady. We’ve drug up the body of a woman in our nets.” The operator repeated the location coordinates.
“Acknowledged. We are on the way, Spanish Lady. Hold your position. Over and out.”
JD checked his charts. The location was over nine nautical miles from shore. Outside state waters. The Coast Guard had jurisdiction. He frowned. They would have to come all the way from Yankeetown. That would take over two hours. The Sea Catcher was only about twenty minutes away.
“U. S. Coast Guard, this is JD Gunn, FWC Sea Catcher. I’m near the Spanish Lady. ETA twenty minutes.”
“U. S. Coast Guard Station Yankeetown. Acknowledged Sea Catcher. Assistance appreciated.”
COLLAPSE
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