Chapter 39
Plans unfold
As Shelley stepped off the small plane onto the tarmac, the salty tang of the ocean and the heat of the day hit her like a wave.
She had left California the day before to catch the island's only daily flight, and it was still early.
Thankfully, Mark had used his points to book the Miami airport hotel; the price was no joke.
Walking into the tiny terminal, Shelley realized there was no luggage carousel in sight. Instead, she spotted a couple of workers unloading bags by hand and lining them up on the tarmac for passengers to claim. This was going to take some time.
"Might as well get a rental car," she muttered to herself.
At the rental car booth, she was startled to learn she would drive on the opposite side of the road.
"How hard could it be?" she took it in stride.
When her luggage finally arrived, she loaded it into the small compact car she'd rented.
It would only be hers for a few days, long enough to maintain her ruse.
Gray couldn't know she was here, and doing recon.
The details of her plan still felt murky, especially how she was going to swap out the videotapes. She hoped a solution would come to her once she got to the Lagoon.
For now, her priority was figuring out how to get there.
Every brochure she'd read insisted the Lagoon was only accessible by boat, but that didn't add up.
How did the staff get there every day? Did they all commute by boat?
It was something she'd have to investigate once she settled into her hotel.
The hotel room Mark had booked wasn't anything special, but it was adequate for her needs.
Earlier, she had casually chatted with the car rental agent and gleaned some useful intel.
He'd mentioned a place called the Square where everyone hung out at night, and when Shelley said she was interested in a dolphin experience, he had helpfully circled the Lagoon on the map.
Of course, he reiterated that it could only be reached by boat.
Now, looking at the map in her room, Shelley noticed a network of lines that had to be roads. Maybe one of them leads to the Lagoon? That would be her first stop later in the day.
She'd overheard Gray talking on speakerphone with Dr. Terry and knew the team finished work at 4 p.m. To be safe, she explored the area before 5 p.m. in case those lines on the map were roads.
Hopefully, her little compact car wouldn't need to handle any rough terrain, but she'd find out soon enough.
For now, food was the priority, along with getting her bearings at this Square place.
She doubted Gray would be there. He should still be at the Lagoon, but she wasn't taking any chances.
Pulling a giant sunhat and oversized sunglasses from her bag, Shelley checked her reflection in the mirror.
The disguise was ridiculous, so unlike her usual style, but it made her giggle.
With a last look in the mirror, she grabbed her bag and headed out.