Sunset and Redemption
When the Coast Guard helicopters arrived forty minutes later, the tactical team expected a bloodbath. Instead, they found five pirates tied to the heli-pad like “gifts,” their weapons neatly stacked to the side.
Nathan stood by the railing, his arm around a shaken but safe Samantha. “You did this by yourself?” the Coast Guard Lieutenant asked, staring at Nathan in disbelief. Nathan shrugged and looked at his watch. “Lieutenant, I have a request. My wife missed her gardening class, and our dinner reservation is for 7:00 PM. Could you make sure the paperwork doesn’t take too long?”
That evening, as the engines roared back to life and the Ocean Delight resumed its course, Nathan and Samantha sat in the candlelit restaurant. “Nathan,” she whispered, squeezing his hand.
“You promised all that was in the past.” He looked at his hands, which still remembered the cold weight of the rifle, and then into the eyes of the woman he loved. “I promise, honey. Next year, we’ll take a trip to the mountains. No water, no pirates.”