Chapter Thirty
––––––––
T he shock of the cold water made his lungs constrict. TJ surfaced, sucked in a breath an instant before a wave hit him right in the face. It took him under, pushing him down like a giant hand.
He kicked hard, his arms slicing through the water to get back to the surface. His head broke through. He turned his face just in time for the next wave to break over his shoulder instead. Somehow, he’d managed to keep hold of his weapon.
That motherfucker Jon had already turned the boat around and was making his escape, abandoning him and Bristol. TJ had no choice but to swim for the Sea Siren .
Turning onto his belly, he swam flat out for it. Behind him he heard Jon throttle up the other boat and speed away. Raw anger boiled in his gut. If Bristol died because of him, TJ would hunt him down like an animal and kill him—if he didn’t die out here himself.
Fighting through the waves made the relatively short swim exhausting. His muscles were already tiring when he finally reached the other boat. He grabbed hold of the folded-up ladder at the stern and hauled himself out of the water. It sluiced off him in a wave, covering the rear deck as he stumbled forward while the boat rocked with the angry waves.
His numb fingers tightened around the grip of the pistol. Even after being submerged in saltwater, the Glock should still fire.
He hoped.
Jon was gone. Now it was going to come down to a fight to the death between him and the enforcer. With Bristol’s life hanging in the balance.
A figure appeared at the top of the forward hatch, still mostly hidden from view. TJ raised and aimed his weapon at him, shivering from head to toe, filled with steely resolve.
This asshole wanted to take him alive, or he would have shot him the instant he came out of the water. But TJ would save Bristol or die trying. “Where is she?” he demanded, feet spread apart to keep his balance on the rocking deck.
Angel stayed where he was. TJ had to assume a weapon was trained on him right now too. “Below.”
“She’s alive?”
“She’s fine. I wasn’t gonna hurt her. I presume that was Jon?”
The calm tone threw him. He opened his mouth to demand something else, but a sudden jolt of the boat sent him stumbling back. He caught himself just in time to keep from falling on his ass. “I need to see—” His words cut off when “Angel” stepped into full view. And froze just as TJ had.
Across the length of the boat they stared at each other, weapons aimed.
For a split-second TJ thought he must be hallucinating. Couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “Nico?” he finally blurted. Nico Angelopoulos. Angel . Jesus Christ.
Nico’s face was blank with shock. “Tomás.” He lowered his weapon slightly. “What the fuck ?”
Yeah.
TJ couldn’t find the words to reply. They had met in BATP training at the DEA Academy in Quantico, the first phase to becoming an entry level special agent. Nico was a former Marine and had been one of the best in their class. They’d been roommates for several weeks. Then, one day a few months in, Nico was suddenly gone.
The cadre had told them he’d dropped out for personal reasons. TJ had never seen or heard from him again. Until now.
Nico shook his head in disbelief. “Shit, man. I didn’t know.”
“That makes two of us.”
“They told me your name was...”
TJ Barros. “Legally changed it for my cover.”
Nico looked a little pale. He lowered his weapon slightly.
TJ eyed him. “You still gonna shoot me?”
If he didn’t, the cartel would come for them both.
“I—no. Shit .” He dropped his hands, weapon dangling at his side.
“Good. I don’t wanna shoot you either.” How the hell was this going to play out now? Nico couldn’t just let him and Bristol go. He lowered his own weapon, leaving the rest of their predicament for later, his gaze slicing to the covered cabin. “I need to see her.”
“Yeah, of course—” They both turned at the sound of a boat approaching them fast from behind.
The same one that Jon had brought him out here in. It was coming straight at them.
“What are the odds he changed his mind?” Nico said.
TJ tensed. “Zero.” This could not be good.
The boat raced at them, skimming over the rough waves. He desperately wanted to check on Bristol, but he believed Nico that she was okay, and for now she was safer down below with the added protection of the cabin. “Got a rifle?” He crouched down near the stern.
“Yeah.” Nico ducked back inside the hatch. No sooner had his head reappeared a few moments later, shots cracked through the air. A burst of semi-auto fire.
The rounds sliced into a wave less than twenty yards from their stern. TJ ducked down lower, struggling to keep his balance in the rough seas. Even if it managed to fire, his pistol was utterly useless at this range, and the smaller, faster boat was catching up way too fast. He needed to protect Bristol.
He got up and ran for the bow. Nico was kneeling there with his rifle to his shoulder. “Drive,” he shouted at TJ.
TJ barely made it two steps toward the helm when more shots rang out. This time rounds punched into the stern. The sound of the idling engine changed. It sputtered. A big wave hit them on the port bow, spinning them halfway around to face the oncoming boat.
TJ flung out a hand to grab the railing and stop himself from sliding across the water-drenched deck, managed to stop his momentum and stay in the boat. When he flipped over onto his front and looked over the water, he saw with a jolt how close the other boat was. Close enough that he could see the two men standing at the helm. One driving. The other aiming a rifle.
Jon wasn’t one of them. No, it was much, much worse.
“It’s Leandro,” he called out to Nico, who had repositioned himself.
“Yeah.” He had the scope to his eye. Took aim and fired before the other shooter could adjust his aim. Blood spattered the windscreen and one of the men dropped out of sight. The other boat veered sharply left, whoever was shooting at them firing in a wild arc.
TJ heard Nico grunt. Turned to see him slide to the deck, holding his chest.
Fuck.
TJ dove at him, knocked him flat as more rounds punched into the fiberglass hull. Their boat kept turning, then, without warning, another big wave hit them from the other side, pitching them sharply to port.
One moment TJ was pinning Nico to the deck. The next they were both sailing headlong over the edge and into the rough water.