After Max’s ace high fullhouse got badly beaten by Pete’s Royal Flush, he angrily stood up and said, “ You think you are so smart, living on a cruise ship. Just wait! You old people don’t know anything! You’ll see!” and he stomped out of the poker game and back to his room! Carl just stared and then realized the rest of the table was looking at him!

Pete said, “Ain’t you goin with your friend, son?” But he was trying to figure out where Carl was at.

Carl said, “He’s not my friend. I just met him today when we drove in the supply truck together. Normally I work in the clinic, but they came up short a driver for the supplies and I was drafted.”

Pete said, “It sure did sound like Max was threatening us without actually saying anything.”

Carl said, “It sure did.”

Nancy, one of the kitchen helpers asked, “I’ve always been curious about the clinic. Are they having any success at getting the addicts off of the substances? We haven’t seen any of them come out to this ship.”

Carl said, “And you won’t.” He looked around, realizing he had opened a can of worms, and that he needed to watch his back. He had always considered himself kind of a Barney Fife, with very little self-confidence and he wondered why he had said anything.

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Nancy asked, “What do you mean?”

Carl looked around the table and asked, “Can we keep this between just us?” He proceeded to tell the old folks at the table about his discoveries of how the drug addicts were being ‘healed’, to the shock of the whole room. “There have been over 1,200 drug addicts murdered at the clinic and just dumped into a deep pit. The powers that be seem pleased with themselves and they are not stopping at that. At our meeting today, they said the elderly and the disabled are next! I am sorry to tell you this news, but maybe you can figure some way to get away before they come for you!”

Pete said, “I had a feeling this whole cruise ship thing was too good to be true. What can we do? We have no resources and no place to go. Carl, is there any way you can help us get away?”

“Oh, no, not me,” Carl said. “What could I do?”

Karen from the shop, asked, “How much time do you think we have, dahling?”

Carl looked at Karen, who could have been a twin to his grandmother and his heart melted. “I believe they intend to be finished with the drug and alcohol addicts in the next two weeks. So if you are going to act, it needs to be before then.”

Leonard asked Carl, “Do you know anyone with a big boat? It would have to be pretty substantial, as we have around a thousand elderly people on board. If we could just get a ways away from here, we could figure out what to do. Can you try to come back on the supply delivery next week so we can see what progress you have made? We probably shouldn’t talk any more right now, as sensitive as this matter is and you need to get back to our friend Max. It’s probably best none of us act friendly toward you, so no one suspects what you have told us.”

”I don’t know anyone with a big boat, but I will find someone,” Carl said. “I will be in touch.” and he left for his cabin.