was afraid to stop drifting but my feet touched bottom. . . . I remember thanking God, and then I remember praying to God they wouldn't come back."
"Janice, you said 'boats.' Does that mean you heard more than one?"
Janice closed her eyes a moment and slowly nodded.
"Yes, two boats. One started, then a closer one started. They went downriver the way I was drifting. Two boats."
Eli motioned Ashley to take his place and stood. Leaning over, he patted the young woman's arm. "You've helped us quite a lot, Janice. Agent Sutton is going to sit here beside you now. In a few minutes you'll be taken by helicopter to a hospital and she'll be going with you. We'll notify your parents and make arrangements for them to come and see you.
The worst is over."
His jaw muscles working, Eli gave Janice a last look and strode out the door. Seconds later he stepped out on the front porch where the state troopers and Dan Murphy waited.
Eli looked past the troopers; two young black men were seated on the ground in the shade of a rusted pickup.
Trooper Vickery motioned to the men. "Those are the two who found the little gal."
Dan stepped closer and spoke in a whisper. "They're probably gator poachers, Tan. Best tell 'em up front they're not in any trouble or you won't get much."
Eli took in a breath and slowly let it out before speaking to Vickery. "Sir, please bring them over here and let's get started." He turned to the other troopers and pointed at the nearest one. "Sir, please take out your notepad and write down the following information. Once I'm finished giving you the info, call your headquarters and give it to them so they can begin the hunt."
The trooper hurriedly pulled his small pad from his back pocket and took out a pen. "Ready," he said.
Eli began pacing. "There were three, possibly four assailants. Two boats were used. Victim ID'd one as a bass boat, green. One assailant was tall, thin, and blond. All spoke Spanish. Assailants fled south down the river. Tell your headquarters this has all the appearances of a planned hit; we'll know more once the cruiser and bodies are recovered.
Go ahead, sir, make that call now."
Eli pointed at the next trooper, who already had his notebook out. "Sir, I want you to radio your headquarters and get four waterborne search teams and two dive teams here as quickly as possible. If need be, I'll provide you helicopter support to bring the crews in. We'll also need a recovery crew with whatever equipment is necessary to raise a sunken cruiser from the river. I'll need the M. E. here and also a team from your State Bureau of Investigation and a crime scene crew, along with a support unit and commo van. Tell your people to get on that for me and that you'll get back to them in a few minutes with where the command post will be located. Go ahead, sir, make the call."
Eli turned to the two young black men. "Gentlemen, I am Agent Tanner of the FBI. I want to thank you on behalf of the young lady you found last night. You undoubtedly saved her life. I now need both of you to help me. The lady mentioned an island in the river. Is there an island anywhere near where you found her?"
The two men looked at one another, then the one with a bulging jaw nodded. "Yes, sir, she was standin' on its banks when we shined her. It be the onlyiest island till ya gets downriver for purt' near four mile."
Eli stepped closer to the young man. "We're going to be mounting a recovery and search operation and need to establish a command post as close to this island as we can.
Can you tell me where the best place would be? It needs to have access for putting in boats and recovery equipment."
Before either could speak, the old gray-haired black man who'd been rocking on the porch spoke up. "Ain't no place.
Ain't no roads south of here . . . all backwater. Ya best make that post of y'alls over in the park just down the road a piece. Park's got ramps goin' inta the lake for them boats y'all be needin' to start
"Janice, you said 'boats.' Does that mean you heard more than one?"
Janice closed her eyes a moment and slowly nodded.
"Yes, two boats. One started, then a closer one started. They went downriver the way I was drifting. Two boats."
Eli motioned Ashley to take his place and stood. Leaning over, he patted the young woman's arm. "You've helped us quite a lot, Janice. Agent Sutton is going to sit here beside you now. In a few minutes you'll be taken by helicopter to a hospital and she'll be going with you. We'll notify your parents and make arrangements for them to come and see you.
The worst is over."
His jaw muscles working, Eli gave Janice a last look and strode out the door. Seconds later he stepped out on the front porch where the state troopers and Dan Murphy waited.
Eli looked past the troopers; two young black men were seated on the ground in the shade of a rusted pickup.
Trooper Vickery motioned to the men. "Those are the two who found the little gal."
Dan stepped closer and spoke in a whisper. "They're probably gator poachers, Tan. Best tell 'em up front they're not in any trouble or you won't get much."
Eli took in a breath and slowly let it out before speaking to Vickery. "Sir, please bring them over here and let's get started." He turned to the other troopers and pointed at the nearest one. "Sir, please take out your notepad and write down the following information. Once I'm finished giving you the info, call your headquarters and give it to them so they can begin the hunt."
The trooper hurriedly pulled his small pad from his back pocket and took out a pen. "Ready," he said.
Eli began pacing. "There were three, possibly four assailants. Two boats were used. Victim ID'd one as a bass boat, green. One assailant was tall, thin, and blond. All spoke Spanish. Assailants fled south down the river. Tell your headquarters this has all the appearances of a planned hit; we'll know more once the cruiser and bodies are recovered.
Go ahead, sir, make that call now."
Eli pointed at the next trooper, who already had his notebook out. "Sir, I want you to radio your headquarters and get four waterborne search teams and two dive teams here as quickly as possible. If need be, I'll provide you helicopter support to bring the crews in. We'll also need a recovery crew with whatever equipment is necessary to raise a sunken cruiser from the river. I'll need the M. E. here and also a team from your State Bureau of Investigation and a crime scene crew, along with a support unit and commo van. Tell your people to get on that for me and that you'll get back to them in a few minutes with where the command post will be located. Go ahead, sir, make the call."
Eli turned to the two young black men. "Gentlemen, I am Agent Tanner of the FBI. I want to thank you on behalf of the young lady you found last night. You undoubtedly saved her life. I now need both of you to help me. The lady mentioned an island in the river. Is there an island anywhere near where you found her?"
The two men looked at one another, then the one with a bulging jaw nodded. "Yes, sir, she was standin' on its banks when we shined her. It be the onlyiest island till ya gets downriver for purt' near four mile."
Eli stepped closer to the young man. "We're going to be mounting a recovery and search operation and need to establish a command post as close to this island as we can.
Can you tell me where the best place would be? It needs to have access for putting in boats and recovery equipment."
Before either could speak, the old gray-haired black man who'd been rocking on the porch spoke up. "Ain't no place.
Ain't no roads south of here . . . all backwater. Ya best make that post of y'alls over in the park just down the road a piece. Park's got ramps goin' inta the lake for them boats y'all be needin' to start
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