23
Morgan and Jake stood on the end of Pier 39 looking out toward Alcatraz. Lights still burned from the military fortification, a beacon in the dark bay. Behind them, the sound of tourists enjoying a night out, the roar of spectators watching football, and the buzz and ding of gaming machines. The smell of frying fish and the sweet scent of hot sugared doughnuts wafted on the breeze.
A sea lion barked from the floating platforms anchored in the protected bay nearby. Others joined in, their calls a warning in the night. Nature lived in uneasy partnership with humans here, their presence a draw for families while the wildlife was kept just far enough away so that the stink of their raft blew out to sea most days.
“The island is only two kilometers away,” Jake said, “but we should probabl
