Sixteen
Tuesday, March 9, 6:43 A.M. CST
Offshore from Cuba
After what seemed like an eternity to Thomas in the scorching sun but was actually only forty minutes, a welcome sight appeared: a modern navy ship, one of the America-class amphibious ships. Hardly what Thomas expected, but he wasn’t complaining. A rescue was a rescue.
Over the radio, the USS Bougainville made contact. “Stay in your boat. We will send a vessel to you.”
A few minutes later, a Zodiac was deployed from the back of the ship’s well deck and approached the Aggressor. A member of the US Coastguard Police, driven over by a Navy sailor, introduced himself and explained his procedure to check the boat. When he asked if there were any illicit substances or firearms aboard, Mel just chuckled and showed them his box of ex
