Page 20 of Tiki Hut Tragedy
A long, steady flow of passengers dinged their cards, strolling down the gangway and heading offthe ship for a day of exploring and soaking up the sun.
Half an hour…forty-five minutes…an hour passed. The long line turned into a trickle, which meant Millie was free to leave.
Cat, who had been patiently waiting for the signal, caught up with her. “You have the patience of a saint.”
She waved dismissively. “I love working with people, thinking maybe I’ve done some small part to make their vacation even more magical.”
“And answering the same question dozens of times,” Cat joked. “While I was waiting, I kept track of what question was most asked. Any guesses?”
Millie tapped her lower lip. “What time they need to be back on board the ship?”
“Bingo. At least the passengers are paying attention.”
Linking arms, Millie and Cat meandered along the dock, making their way toward shore. To the right was a gorgeous strip of white sandy beach overlooking the crystal clear water. Vendor shops dotted the shoreline, offering everything from jet ski rentals to tropical drinks.
A number of lounge chairs, especially those closest to the water, were already full. Beach bags, umbrellas, blankets, towels and toys were in full view, meaning passengers were making the most of their day on shore.
“Hang on.” Millie came to an abrupt halt, noticing a tiki hut cruising along the shoreline heading for the dock area. “I see the tiki hut.”
Cat shaded her eyes, following Millie’s gaze. “It’s an actual floating tiki hut. How neat is that?”
It approached the dock where a man stood waiting. As the hut drew closer, he grabbed the rope and tied it to the post.
Millie noticed the Belly Busters and a woman she thought might be Astrid, wearing a plain white T-shirt and drab gray shorts, line up along the edge. As soon as the floating hut was secure, the women began boarding.
“That’s a pretty large group,” Cat commented.
“There better not be more than eighteen.” Millie began counting heads. “Hopefully, they don’t try sneaking extra people on.”
“Too many people on that thing would be asking for trouble.”
Astrid was the last in line. She boarded and disappeared into the crowd. Fully loaded, the hut rolled and pitched, teetering back and forth with the extra weight and movement. “I think it’s overloaded.”
“It seems a little tippy,” Cat agreed.
Millie slipped her sunglasses on, squinting against the bright sun reflecting off the water. “I see a couple of them wearing life vests.”
On closer inspection, she noticed an open center section. Barstools surrounded it on all four sides. The seats quickly filled, forcing a few who weren’t lucky enough to snag an empty spot to squeeze in between the others.
The dockhand untied the hut and whistled loudly. Spinning around in a circle, it did a full rotation and slowly made its way out into open water.
An ominous feeling, the same one Millie had gotten the night before, crept in as she watched it bobbing along at a slow pace.
“They look like they’re having a good time,” Cat said.
“At least they’re not going too far out.”
The tiki hut cruised parallel to the shoreline, growing smaller and smaller. When it was only a dot, it turned around and started back toward the ship.
Sweat began to form on Millie’s brow as the sun beat down on them. “This heat is brutal. Let’s find some shade and a coconut slush.”
“Ack!” An ear-piercing scream cut through the air.
Millie pivoted, automatically searching for the tiki hut. To her horror, she discovered the passengers had all gathered on one side, causing it to dip at a precarious angle.
With arms flailing, several of the Belly Busters tumbled into the water. Meanwhile, the tiki hut kept moving, drifting away from shore.
Cat’s hand flew to her mouth. “Is the tiki hut running them over?”
