Chapter 7 #2
The railing burned ice cold beneath her palm as she used it to make her way to the stern and propped herself against the rear bench. The outboards growled in front of her, the silvery wake mixing with the churning waves.
She placed the scope against her eye, scanned the surface. A mix of white and black moved within the circle, nothing standing out until the Zodiac crested a wave, unleashed a volley of gunfire at them.
Rounds ricocheted off the metal, a couple punching small holes through the fiberglass near the top of the gunwale. Nothing that would sink them, but it brought the severity of the situation into clear focus. If they landed more, lower…
Sloane smoothed out her breathing, letting the waves drive her up, then down, counting each cycle until she had the pattern down flat, that Hurricane in her sights. She exhaled, waited until the other vessel started to crest, then fired.
Sparks lit up the night, jumping off the Hurricane’s console, looking like a cloud of fireflies dancing in the darkness. The boat reared up, then dipped down, disappearing amidst a wash of white foam.
Sloane waited, scope still pressed against her eye, the motion amplified by the zoomed-in view.
A couple minutes passed before she straightened, fought the horizontal rain back to the cabin.
The spray followed her through the door, the roar drowning out the whine of the motors up through the floorboards as the boat tipped up, slipped off the other side with a violent plunge.
A large wave broke across the side, the wash of water sweeping out her feet, carrying her farther into the cabin before dragging her belly first onto the deck when the vessel tipped hard to starboard — rode the edge of another massive breaker.
Her feet slipped over the side, the rest of her following until she wedged the rifle against the lip — caught her weight.
Waves lashed at her legs as she pulled against the unrelenting force, every punishing swell weakening her grip. The weapon slipped with the next crash of water, dropping her into the ocean when a hand curled around her wrist, held firm.
She blinked, the current tearing at her, trying to pull her the rest of the way under, as Nick braced his boots against the side.
He waited for the bow to rise above the next crest before tugging her back onto the deck.
She fell across his lap, coughing out water, shivering like a junkie needing a fix.
He scooped her up, either oblivious to any pain in his leg or consciously pushing it all down as he carried her back into the cabin.
Nick kicked the door shut behind them, jiggled the handle with his elbow until it clicked, then plopped her down on the bench seat. He cupped her chin, turned her head left and right. “Jesus, are you okay?”
A wool blanket settled around her shoulders before he moved in next to her, rubbed his hands along her arms.
She coughed out more water, limbs shaking, teeth chattering. “Fine, just…” She gazed into his eyes. “Thanks.”
Nick snorted. “Buck distinctly told you not to fall overboard.”
She offered him a weak smile. “You know how good I am at taking orders.”
That earned her a sexy grin as he planted a quick kiss on her forehead. “Don’t scare me like that, again. Shit, when that wave dragged you outta here…”
She leaned into his chest, telling herself his thigh was probably too numb to feel the added pressure. “Next time, we chance the damn road.”
“Amen to that, sweetheart.”
Buck cleared his throat, glanced at them over his shoulder. “You two lovebirds done cuddling? Because we’ve got a bigger problem on our hands.”
Sloane staggered to her feet, one shaky fist holding the blanket, the other still clinging to Nick in case another rogue wave decided to open the door — drag her back into the ocean. They shifted in beside Buck, a large green blip showing on the radar with every rotation.
Nick groaned. “I assume that’s probably not the Coast Guard checking in on us? Maybe part of the backup Bodie called in?”
Buck snorted. “Dalton’s right. Oregon’s definitely rubbing off on you, and no.
Rowan called the Coast Guard, and they’ve got a massive rescue on their hands south of here.
Won’t have a boat handy for a couple hours.
This…” Buck scrubbed a hand down his face.
“This looks more like a mother ship. And no, not the kind I prefer with blinking lights and tractor beams.”
Nick sighed. “So, instead of aliens we’ve got cartel-level resources crewed by people who want to collect a multi-million-dollar bounty.”
Buck eyed Nick. “Now might be a good time to fill me in on this boss issue you mentioned.”
“It’s really not, but long story short, it’s not a burn notice. It’s a fully funded kill order with a bonus if they get Sloane and me together.”
“Fantastic.” Buck raked his fingers through his hair. “Fine. They want us? They can follow me into the Needles.”
Nick coughed. “The Needles? Brother, I have no idea what that is, but just the sound of it suggests it’s a very bad idea.”
Buck shrugged, angled the Roswell toward the shoreline as he increased his speed.
“It’s a rock garden about a mile from here.
Snugged up close to shore. Tight channel with lots of ‘unidentified’ submerged hazards.
They’ll need to send out more small boats because a ship that size will rip its hull open if it tries to navigate the passage. ”
“Which implies we could also rip our hull open.” Nick glanced at her. “Isn’t that a bit extreme when we aren’t sure it’s a—”
Gunfire.
Stitching across the bow, creating little silver tufts along the water.
Buck veered hard to port, danced the boat through a series of deep swells. “You were saying?”
“You’ve piloted through this rock garden before, right?”
“Have a little faith, Colter.”
“Oh, I have plenty of faith. I just usually end up bleeding as a result.”
Buck clapped him on the shoulder. “Then, this won’t disappoint… Damn.”
Sloane arched a brow when more blips appeared on the radar. Multiple targets peeling off the larger one while another closed in from behind. “I’ll grab your rifle, target that one coming up on our stern—”
A blast of static cut her off, a lone voice calling over the radio. “Hey, Landry, hasn’t Saylor told you not to come out in these conditions?”
Zain Everett — former Army Ranger sniper turned SAR specialist.
Buck clicked his mic. “Jesus, Zain, don’t tell me you dragged Saylor out here in this mess.”
Zain chuckled. “More like she dragged me. She knew as soon as Bodie said you’d taken the Roswell out that you’d need backup. And you know how much she hates missing out on the action.”
Saylor O’Conner — former U.S. Coast Guard Commander and Zain’s better half.
Buck scoffed. “Except where she’s—”
“Don’t say she shouldn’t be out here because she’s pregnant unless you want an ass whooping. And trust me, she hits hard.” Zain paused, Saylor’s voice echoing in the background. “Looks like you’ve got company. I assume you’re headed to Tierney’s secret lair?”
“Colter needs to get lost for a while.”
“Understood. Alter course to your destination. We’ll take care of the bogeys in the water — meet up with you before you hit that cliff marker because if you think you’re gonna navigate the sea cave at night without a guide like Saylor…”
“I can handle the sea cave, and we can help…”
“That’s an order, Marine. Besides, Foster’s inbound. These bastards are gonna wish they’d stayed home in about two minutes.”
Buck muttered under his breath as Saylor’s Zodiac whizzed past, the boat dancing across the surface as if it were flat. As if Saylor read the waves before they’d even formed. “I swear she’s Poseidon’s daughter because, damn… I’ve never seen anyone pilot a boat the way she does.”
Sloane inched closer as Buck changed direction. What she assumed lined up with Tierney’s safehouse. “Shouldn’t we help them?”
Buck laughed. “Trust me, we don’t want to get in the way once Foster shows up. Dalton’s probably riding shotgun with Kash. Add Zain’s sniper skills into the mix…”
“So, we just leave them?”
Buck slid her a side eye as he pounded through the swells, alternating his attention between the horizon and the instruments.
“Part of being a team is trusting your brothers…” he winked at her, “or sisters to do their job. Those guys have battled much worse, and right now, getting you and Colter out of the fray is paramount. Otherwise, everything else has been for nothing.”
That took the bite out of Sloane’s words. Had her slipping onto the bench seat beside Nick, sharing his warmth as the boat slogged through the storm, every pitch and roll mirrored in her stomach.
A series of deep cracks echoed in the distance, the odd glow reflecting in the clouds before the sounds faded, just the roar of the ocean, the constant needling of rain.
Buck slowed the vessel, riding the waves when Saylor’s Zodiac raced out in front of them, a white strobe cutting through the storm. He followed behind, both boats closing in on a massive cliff silhouetted against tall trees, a black scar running down the face.
The engines whined, the cabin rising and falling as he lined up the gaping hole, gunned it. The walls loomed in close, the gunwales passing within a foot each side as Buck threaded the Roswell into the cave amidst one last, giant breaker.
The white water gave way to a rippling surge, a long mooring dock outlined by a few bare bulbs swinging on a line. Saylor circled around, idled beside them as Buck secured the vessel to the cleats.
Nick limped out of the cabin, one arm draped around Sloane’s waist, his face paler than before. He moved to the side, staring down at Zain and Saylor. “You’re both nuts, you know that?”
Saylor laughed. “Says the guy with a burn notice on his ass — what the guys suspect is really some kind of hit.”
“They’re not wrong. Doesn’t negate the fact you’re both insane, though.” Nick motioned to the entrance. “Can you actually get out of here?”
She smiled. “That’s the fun part. We’ll let Bodie and the others know you made it.”
They took off, Zain looking way too calm standing beside Saylor, the Zodiac vanishing into the night a moment later.
Sloane urged Nick ahead. “I hope they’re okay. If anything happens to them…”
Nick patted her hand as they climbed the stairs, emerging at the base of an old lighthouse. He pointed at a light low over the water before it faded. “Foster’s following them. They’ll be fine. Though, now I owe them.”
“We owe them. My name’s on that bounty, too.”
“All the more reason to get inside — let you go digging, because this is just the start. And if Hill’s really behind all this, he won’t let up until we’re either dead or have him on the ropes.”