Missing in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law #5)(36)

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Ross and he’s coming straight for us.”

Jadyn’s pulse quickened. She had every right to be in the swamp, and Colt’s paperwork was all legit, but she’d hoped they wouldn’t have to defend that position, especially so soon. “He’ll go straight on the main channel, right?”

“That’s what I’m hoping.”

He whipped the boat around a sharp corner and she clutched her seat to keep her balance. Then the boat hit something and came to a grinding halt. Jadyn launched off her seat and crashed onto the bottom of the boat. Colt jumped around the steering column and knelt beside her.

“Are you okay?”

She sat up and touched her head where she could feel it throbbing. It had a small knot already and she’d bet anything it would be a big one before the day was over. “I’m fine. It’s just a bump.”

“Let me see.” He pushed her hand out of the way and inspected her forehead. “Can you get up?”

She nodded and he extended his hand to help her. A rush of blood ran through her head as she rose, making her slightly dizzy, but a second later, it was gone and all that remained was the dull ache of the bump.

“How do you feel?” he asked. “Are you dizzy?”

“No. My head hurts a little from the bump, but otherwise I’m okay.”

“You’ll probably be sore as hell tomorrow. I’m sorry about that.”

“What happened?”

He shook his head. “I drove right on top of something big, probably a submerged tree. It stopped the boat completely.”

“I noticed.” She leaned over the side of the boat and peered into the water. “You better take a look at this.”

“What?”

“Either I’m having a flashback to yesterday or we’re sitting on top of a car.”

Colt stepped to the side and peered over. “Unbelievable. It’s like…”

His voice trailed off as he scanned the bayou from left to right. Suddenly he hurried to the bow of the boat and looked into the water again, then practically ran to the back of the boat and leaned over so far Jadyn thought he might fall into the water.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I think this is Old Man Humphrey’s car.” He rose back up and faced her. “And I don’t think it’s the only car down there.”

Jadyn stared. “You see other cars?”

“I think so. The water’s too murky to be certain.”

Jadyn peered over the side of the boat again, trying to see deeper into the muddy water, but she couldn’t make out anything past the car hood the boat was lodged on.

“Do you think—oh no!” She pointed down the bayou as the boat they’d seen earlier tore around the corner, sending a giant wake up the bank.

Colt turned to look and cursed. “Don’t give him any more than our cover.”

Jadyn nodded. She knew how to keep her mouth shut and play a role. It was the only way she’d managed eighteen years in a house with her mother.

Ross dropped his acceleration to nothing about thirty feet in front of them and hurried to the bow of his boat as it coasted to them. When he got close enough, he grabbed the back of their boat to stop his progress, then he stood up and glared.

“I thought I made myself clear,” he said. “Neither of you is allowed in the swamp—not in this area.”

“And I thought I made myself clear,” Jadyn said, “that the swamps are my job, and you have no authority to relieve me of my duties.”

Ross’s jaw flexed. “Maybe I don’t have the authority yet to get you out of my way, but I do have the authority to arrest this man.”

Jadyn shook her head. “I’m afraid you’re wrong again. You see, Colt is officially on vacation, so he’s not here as the sheriff. He’s doing some contract work for Wildlife and Fisheries.”

She reached into a storage compartment under the steering column and pulled out the paperwork approved by her boss. “Here are the documents. Everything is in order.”

Ross snatched the papers from her and scanned them, cursing under his breath the entire time. He shoved them back at her and glared. “This is bullshit. I know what you’re trying to pull, and you’re not going to get away with it.”

Colt raised his eyebrows and pulled three rolled documents from the storage compartment under the backseat. “These are the most recent maps of the area. Everything in red no longer exists. No bullshit. Jadyn is new at the job. She needs help identifying which channels changed after the last hurricane.”

“She could have hired someone else. Any fisherman in this town knows the swamps as well as you.”

Colt smiled. “Yeah, but I’m prettier to look at.”

Ross sputtered for a moment and shifted around, causing his boat to rock. Then he narrowed his eyes and stared down at their boat. “Why isn’t your boat rocking?”

“We’re lodged on something submerged here. Maybe you could give us a tow off of it.”

Ross stared down into the water. “What the hell is that?”

Colt shrugged. “Probably the cabin of a boat. Like I told you yesterday, they’re sunk all over this bayou.”

Ross looked back up and grinned. “Looks like a real problem. Good luck with it.”