Meanwhile, my heart still hadn't dropped back down into its normal rhythm.
Dallas and Austin Fox rode into the parking lot on their motorcycles, and I walked over to meet them. The Fox brothers were identical in blue jeans, Swamp Commando Airboat Rides T-shirts, and boots. Both carried backpacks.
They were computer geniuses, security specialists, and former Army Rangers. Tall, with dark hair, dark skin, and deep brown eyes; Tess had said often enough to almost make me jealous that they should be models for GQ magazine.
To me, they were friends.
"Hey, guys, thanks for coming by."
They parked their bikes and shook my hand.
"Got your text," Austin said.
"Our shift on the boats next, anyway," Dallas added. "Hey, is that lunch?"
"Go ahead. There's plenty for everybody."
"Uncle Dallas! Uncle Austin!" Shelley shrieked, jumping up to race over to meet them.
To Shelley, all the swamp commandos were her honorary uncles. They'd helped her through that rough time after her family died; teaching her to drive the airboat, feeding her junk food, and treating her like a beloved little sister.
I appreciated that more than I could ever say.
"How about we take the boat out for a drive before the next group of tourists gets here?" Lucky asked her.
"Really? Can I drive? Can I?" She twirled around. "I promise not to call the gators over."
"Maybe we'll ride along, just in case," Darius murmured, sidling close to me. "Armed."
I trusted them with her, but I was still shaken up from before, so it took me a minute to agree. But I really needed Austin and Dallas to help me find Sam's granddaughter, so I finally nodded.
"Okay, but you listen to everything Lucky, Mickey, and Darius tell you, okay? And no gators. Let's just say no wildlife of any kind, to be safe, okay?" I folded my arms and gave her my sternest look.
"I promise!" she shouted, hand on heart. "Let's go!"
The Fox twins plowed their way through a couple of sandwiches each while I ate five of my own and told them about Shelley and the gators.
Austin laughed so hard he had to put his head down on the table. Dallas smiled but looked somber.
"Hey, Jack. She needs a teacher. Fast. You guys love her, but you won't be enough, because you can't teach her how to use her magic. And when a witch is already this powerful at her age …" Dallas trailed off.
"Yeah. I know. We're working on it. I have a friend in Atlantis who's finding me someone. I need to ask her to hurry."
"In the meantime, tell us about the girl you're looking for."
"She's not a girl, so much as a young woman. Twenty years old. An old army buddy's granddaughter. He says she had a tough year. Maybe a nasty breakup. Dropped out of college and disappeared. She kept in touch for a while, but nothing for over six months."
"Is he savvy enough to do the usual? Credit cards, bank accounts, whatever?" Austin asked, pulling a small laptop out of his backpack.
"Yeah. But not much deeper. Her name is Katherine Sampson. Here's what I've got on her." I handed him the notepad with her birthday, Social Security number, and other pertinent info. "He hasn't texted me a picture yet."
"Got her," Austin said, turning the screen toward me. "She's pretty."
She was.
"Pretty in a wholesome, girl-next-door way, or at least she was in that photo. College ID. Not so much so in this one." He enlarged a second photo, this one a grainy shot of her pumping gas into an old car.
"She looks sick," Dallas said, frowning. "Or hunted."
