Darkness and fog surrounded Charlotte, and the rest of Lake Findlay. No light was visible from the early morning sky. She didn't know if it was because of the cloudy weather or a new moon of the lunar cycle. Either way she couldn't see much past her own two feet, and in the end the reasons didn't matter to her.

Thank goodness for this weather. Charlotte was glad that visibility was low. It meant there was less of a possibility that she might get caught.

Covered by darkness she silently worked her way to the boat fastened at the end of the dock. Grateful for the mask of the pre-dawn sky, she hunched over to untie the knotted rope. The sun was dangerously close to rising, and she needed to work quickly. As Charlotte's fingers fumbled with the unfamiliar tangles she heard heavy footsteps running along the wooden boards. Although aware of company coming, she still jumped at the voice behind her.

"Drop. The. Rope." the deep, Texan accent startled Charlotte so much that she accidentally did just what it commanded.

Not turning around, Charlotte held her hands in the air. She looked down at the rope at her feet with a sly smile, as it slid gracefully into the murky lake water below.

"You're too late, Wes" Charlotte grinned. She turned slowly toward the tall, broad-shouldered man, pointing to the drifting boat as it entered the fog.