Gone

 

WHEN LIGHTNING ZAPPED THE WATER A MILE FROM THE boat, my fishing client, Lawrence Seasons, looked at me surprised as a child, and the fly rod went sailing from his hands.

I felt that, Hannah! he said, meaning the shock. His line had been in the water, connected to a six-foot tarpon that had just jumped, scales bright as ice against purple clouds that held rain.

I told the man, I bet you did, and lunged after the rod skittering across the deck. Just before it flew overboard, I caught the reel, locked my fingers over the spool, and pulled until the barbless hook I was using set the fish free, which the tarpon confirmed with another greyhound jump. The breeze blowing off the water was suddenly chilly, I noticed, sweet with ozone and electricity.

We ve got to go, folks! I said for the second time in the last few minutes. Grab your seats, try to stay low. I was taking fishing rods from their vertical holders, storing them flat on the deck.

My first tarpon, Mr. Seasons said, sounding dazed and a little sad. He was flexing his fingers to see if they still worked, or maybe to remind me that dropping expensive gear wasn t an everyday occurrence for him.

I told him, You did a fine job, sir, which seemed to cover all the bases, and then hustled behind the wheel to start the engine. For more than an hour, I d been watching thermals build over the Florida mainland, which is normal on a June afternoon. But when the breeze suddenly wilted, air dense as lacquer, I knew it was time to move. Trouble was, only minutes before, Mr. Seasons had finally hooked a big tarpon on a fly rod, after years of trying, so I d waited longer than I should ve to make the decision. Now if things didn t go smoothly, my clients and I might get soaked or worse. From what I could see, hear, and smell, the odds weren t in our favor. The storm was moving fast, towing a mountain of black clouds, and my small boat is as open and flat as an

RANDY WAYNE WHITE is the author of the Doc Ford novels, five nonfiction collections, and a cookbook. He was a light-tackle fishing guide on Sanibel Island for thirteen years, and a monthly columnist for Outside magazine. He lives and works on Sanibel Island, Florida

After nineteen adventures starring Doc Ford, White introduces a heroine who s just as stubborn and capable and even more appealing. Kirkus Reviews

A plot that crackles with the electricity of a Florida thunderstorm. P. J. Parrish, author of the New York Times bestselling Louis Kincaid thrillers

[Randy Wayne White] raises the bar of the action thriller. The Miami Herald