Renewal 4 - Down on the River by Jf Perkins Read Free Book Online Page A

waiting for the team to arrive.
    Terry hoisted his pack, snagged his rifle, and jumped down from the truck bed. He was fascinated by the boat, since he had never taken a boat ride before. He absently shook the boat pilot’s hand and went back to examining the details. The boat was much larger than he thought, probably almost twenty-five feet long. There was a shaded area in the back, containing the controls and two metal benches along the sides. Ahead of that, a diesel engine was sheltered in a metal mesh cage with a shallow peaked roof on top. The naked drive shaft went right through the control station, about 8 inches off the floor, and disappeared into a box near the back, along with two smaller rods that Terry guessed were for steering. Ahead of the engine was an aluminum fuel tank, additionally clad on the sides with steel plate. The floor from there to the u-shaped bench around the bow was open, with another steel plate mounted in the middle of the space. A canvas covered bundle was strapped to a pair of hooks welded to the plate. Everything was painted in a brown and green camo pattern, even the canvas awning over the pilot’s wheelhouse.
    The police captain gave them a polite good luck as he wasted no time running back to his office in Murfreesboro. The boat pilot, named Shaun Jackson, was a bit more enthusiastic. He chatted cheerfully, and directed everyone on board, showing where to stow their gear and where to sit. Terry chose a spot on the port side bench where he could keep an eye on what the pilot was doing. Bill automatically sat down just to his right, or aft, as Shaun was explaining boat lingo, and Terry was paying attention. They stowed their rifles in handy racks on either side of the pilot’s control console.
    The pilot pushed the starter and the diesel chugged to life. He directed Jeffry and Rob to throw off the loops of rope holding the boat to the trailer and the concrete dock alongside the ramp. Shaun pushed a lever forward and, with a thump, the drive shaft started to spin. A gurgle of water at the stern announced the next phase of their trip. The boat idled along in the narrow cove, over water that was not quite river, but not lake yet either.
    “Settle in boys. This part’s slow, but not too risky,” Shaun announced. “We just left Jefferson Creek. It’s pretty civilized until we get further down the lake. If I were you, I’d take a nap. Feel free to spread out.”
    John and Jeffry, known for their family ability to sleep anywhere, didn’t waste any time. They went forward, dragged their packs out into the empty area, and built little poncho tents to keep the sun off of them. They were asleep in minutes. Terry was tired after a restless night, but he was too excited to sleep. He talked to Shaun for a while, asking a million questions about the boat, Shaun’s job, and anything else that popped into his head. When it was becoming clear that Shaun was tired of twenty questions, Terry took a seat along the stern and watched the patterns of water tumble out from under the boat. He couldn’t see the propeller, but he could see the rudder moving gently back and forth under Shaun’s experienced hand.
    Bill appeared asleep on the starboard side bench. The rest of the team was piled up around the Hall brothers, napping while the napping was good. Bill opened his eyes and saw Terry sitting by himself at the stern. He caught Terry’s surprised look when he rose to a sitting position and slid over to Terry’s side of the boat.
    “Hey, Mr. Shelton. Couldn’t sleep, huh?”
    “No, sir. This is all too new. My first boat ride.”
    “My first boat ride in a long while...” Bill said.
    Terry looked around at the deepening overcast. “What happens if it rains?”
    “Pretty much the same as if it stays sunny. I wouldn’t mind a little rain myself. It’s getting pretty dry for the crops, plus we may get some cover out of the deal.”
    “So, it’s not dangerous on the boat?”
    “Not really. I