15. CHAPTER 15
Daniella knew she was gaping, but she couldn’t help it. She also knew she’d eavesdropped on a very private conversation, but again, she couldn’t help it. Daniella didn’t even know how long she’d stood listening to Alex and Harriet’s heartbreaking confessions.
Alex and Harriet’s relationship started to make sense as the pieces to that puzzle were moved into place for her. Her eyes traveled from Alex to Harriet, and she felt her heart start to splinter. When Harriet described the kind of woman Alex fell in love with, Daniella realized Harriet had been describing herself.
I’ve only ever asked two women to marry me. Alex’s words rang through her mind. That was another question Daniella could now mark off her list of questions for Alex to answer. Harriet had been the first woman Alex had asked to marry him, and apparently, she’d said yes, and they’d eloped to Vegas. Alex really wasn’t the big wedding type of guy. Daniella gave herself a mental shake. Don’t be mean, Daniella. These green emotions don’t suit you.
Daniella knew she’d blurted out something about Alex and Harriet being married. Still, her mind was in turmoil, and she hardly realized the words had even left her lips. The only reason she knew they had was because she’d watched Alex and Harriet spring apart, guilt shining in their eyes. While the sharp slice of pain that was filled by jealousy ripped through her, part of her thought, they should feel guilty. But the logical part knew they had nothing to feel guilty about. Alex and Harriet had done nothing wrong.
Harriet wasn’t the third wheel or the intruder here. Daniella was. She was the one they had both selflessly put Daniella and Emily’s safety before their own needs. She swallowed and felt her insides start to turn to jelly in the aftermath of this shocking revelation. No wonder Harriet hadn’t wanted to answer Daniella’s question about her relationship with Alex. Once her insides were liquified goop, her hands, and legs started shaking as she felt her heart crack and burst into shards that scattered through her system.
The pain nearly floored her, but Daniella locked her knees and forced herself to stand firm. She’d just saved a man’s leg by pulling the exposed bone back into place and creating a makeshift clamp to secure an artery without so much as flinching. But here she was, becoming a shaking bundle of emotions. Her body had gone cold for a few seconds, and then, as her blood started flowing, it turned into a flow of hot lava pouring through her veins. Alex and Harriet’s confessions of love for each other had nearly brought Daniella to her knees as the pain exploded in her chest.
“Daniella!” Alex called as he and Harriet jumped apart.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Daniella’s brain clicked into autopilot, shutting off the emotions gushing from her broken heart, and took control. “I came to change scrubs and get my keys as I need my doctor’s bag. There are a few more injuries I need to tend to. The flying glass hit a few police officers as well.”
Her voice sounded calm, unemotional, and flat. At least to Daniella’s ears, it did, and she was hoping that’s how she sounded to Alex and Harriet as well. She held out her hand to Alex.
“Please, may I have my keys?” Daniella’s mind became razor-focused on the people waiting for her medical attention—doctor mode was not fully functional!
“I’ll get your bag for you,” Alex offered, frowning in confusion and worry as his eyes locked with hers for a few seconds.
Those few seconds nearly switched her back to human mode. Daniella had patients to attend to, so she couldn’t afford to deal with the complex emotions swirling inside the other part of her.
“Thank you,” Daniella said to Alex. “That will help save time, as I have to change these scrubs, as the one officer got sick on me.”
“Can I help?” Harriet stood beside Alex.
Alex stood staring at Daniella for a few seconds, and she raised her brows. “Is there something else?” She heard the coolness of her voice and the tone she used in the operating room where every second counted, and there was no time for dalliance.
“No!” Alex’s eyes flashed with emotion before they became hooded. He gave her a slight nod, turned, and strode off.
“I know you don’t like the sight of blood,” Daniella said, turning to walk toward the second ambulance with Harriet running after her. “One of the local shop owners has brought bottles of water.” She stopped at the back of the ambulance and took the clean scrubs from the EMT before he started closing the ambulance.
“I can do that,” Harriet said.
“Nurse Beckett has already contacted the hospital in Newbury Port,” Daniella addressed the EMT. “A doctor and medical staff will be waiting for you as soon as you arrive.”
“Thank you, Doctor Thornton,” the EMT said before closing the ambulance doors.
The siren blared as the vehicle turned. The police pulled away from the road barricade for the ambulance as it sped off down the road. Daniella turned back toward the smaller ambulance, climbed in, and started to pull the doors closed so she could get changed.
“Where is the local store owner?” Harriet asked.
Daniella summoned an officer who, like everyone else at the scene, jumped to her orders. “Please show Miss Joyce where Mr. Fines is so she can help distribute the water.”
The police officer nodded at Daniella. “This way, Miss Joyce.”
Harriet was about to say something, but Daniella pretended she didn’t notice as she pulled the doors shut. She leaned her head against the cool surface for a few seconds to take a breath and was almost thrown to the floor when another explosion rocked the bus. Daniella managed to brace herself against the sides of the vehicle. As soon as she was steady, the adrenaline spurted through her, and she flew out of the ambulance. Grabbing a mask to protect her from the smoke as she went.
“Harriet!” Daniella yelled as the deafening roar of the explosion drowned out her voice. Heat radiated from the flames, but they weren’t coming from the big glass house anymore. They were engulfing the shed that stood beside the driveway. Emergency workers dashed about, taking action as the heated enemy cast an eerie orange glow that danced across the panicked faces of the onlookers. Smoke billowed thick and acrid, stinging Daniella’s nostrils and burning her eyes as she scanned the chaotic scene. Her eyes scanned the crowd for Harriet, whom Daniella had just sent into the area where the explosion had occurred.
“Harriet!” she screamed again, her heart hammering in her chest, the urgency in her voice barely audible over the crackling inferno.
Daniella dashed towards the shed where the explosion had originated, adrenaline propelling her forward despite the heat pressing in around her like a suffocating blanket. Embers rained down like fiery snowflakes, hissing as they met the damp ground, adding to the sense of impending disaster.
A chorus of shouts and cries filled the air, mingling with the wail of sirens in the distance as extra emergency vehicles arrived. Daniella’s pulse thrummed in her ears, drowning out all other sounds. Her eyes caught sight of the shed, its wooden frame already collapsing on itself. Firefighters had already gathered around to start putting out the flames as Daniella pushed past them.
“Harriet!” she called out once more, her voice hoarse with desperation as she scanned a flurry of firefighters, cops, and EMTs, searching for any sign of her friend amidst the chaos.
Then, through the haze of smoke rolling over the scene like a thick fog, Daniella caught sight of a figure stumbling out from behind the big firetruck parked in the driveway. Relief flooded through her like a tidal wave as she recognized Harriet’s familiar form, coughing, and spluttering but miraculously unharmed.
Daniella rushed to Harriet’s side, enveloping her in a tight embrace as they stumbled away from the blazing inferno that was once Alex’s shed. Her heart constricted as she glimpsed his once beautiful house, standing proudly and tall, carved into the edge of the cliff. Now, it hung like an ugly burnt-out scar defacing the natural beauty around it—a victim of someone’s cruel, malicious intentions and an example of what was coming because Daniella had dared to defy and ignore the warnings of a man intent on destroying her.
“We need to get you checked out!” Daniella shouted over the roar of activity around them, pulling Harriet towards safety. “You shouldn’t be inhaling this smoke.”
“The men…” Harriet coughed. “You need to attend to them first.”
“They’re fine,” Daniella assured her. “They all have oxygen masks and fireproof protective clothing.”
Together, they stumbled through the smoke-choked air, guided by the distant glow of emergency lights as they made their way to the relative safety of the perimeter, leaving behind the blazing wreckage and the shattered remnants of what had once been Alex Blackwell’s home.
As they reached the safety of the waiting emergency vehicles, Daniella’s heart still raced with adrenaline, while the relief of having found Harriet relatively unharmed was slowly seeping through her, soaking up the remaining hormone secreted by her adrenal glands. She glanced back at the burning house, a sense of sadness and guilt washing over her at the sight of the destruction. While Alex and Harriet tried to convince Daniella this wasn’t her fault—she knew that wasn’t true. This was all her fault. She’d brought this on her loved ones.
She glanced at Harriet as one of the EMTs immediately gave her oxygen. A picture of Harriet cuddled with Alex flashed through her mind, stabbing her heart, and Daniella knew without a shadow of a doubt that she had fallen in love with Alex. But she also now knew that Alex would never have anything more to offer her than friendship. His heart had always belonged to Harriet. She watched Harriet warmly interact with the EMT, who helped her. While the woman exuded the air of a woman born to high society, her heart and soul were as kind and down to earth as mere mortals like Daniella. In fact, Harriet was one of the fiercest, most loyal friends a person could ask for, and she gave with a whole heart.
She knew there were no two people more suited to each other than Harriet and Alex. While the world saw Alex as a selfish, self-obsessed playboy—Daniella knew differently. Alex was kind, loyal, and caring, and he would fight to the death for the people he loved. He, too, gave with his whole heart Alex just didn’t want people to see him doing it. A protection mechanism born out of being hurt and having to cope with the loss of more than just a loved one.
While her heart ached at the thought that Alex would never love her the way she loved him, as Daniella stood amidst the chaos and devastation, she knew what she had to do. This fight was hers and hers alone. Her throat felt dry, and tears stung the back of her eyes. Daniella observed the handy work of a man who thought he had the right to manipulate people’s lives and would go to great lengths to ensure his wrath was known.
Enough was enough, and Daniella was not going to put her loved ones in harm’s way again. It was time Daniella took this fight to the source. She would face Ron Jackson head-on, with courage and determination, guided by the unwavering strength of her loved one, friendships, and the resilience of the human spirit.
If Ron Jackson wanted to play dirty, Daniella was no longer afraid to step into his muddy arena. He’d nearly killed two people Daniella had come to care about today and had terrorized her daughter in the past. It was time to call in some favors from people Ron Jackson wouldn’t see coming. But first, she had to get this mess cleaned up and make sure Alex was alright.
Her brow creased. Where is Alex? Daniella’s head swiveled toward where he’d parked her car. It was a way down the road where spectators from the town had gathered behind the police line. Her eyes caught sight of her vehicle standing unharmed, but there was no sign of Alex, and she could see the passenger side door hanging open. Daniella stared at the sight, confused for a few seconds as the adrenaline once again spurted through her. She looked through the crowd, hoping to find Alex’s beautiful face amongst them, but something inside her heart she already knew he wasn’t there.
“Alex?” Daniella called, ripping off her mask, as she started walking toward her car, ignoring the sound of something calling her name from behind her. “Alex?” Her voice rose, and an officer stopped her at the police line.
“Is there a problem, Doctor Thornton?” the young woman asked.
“Have you seen Alex Blackwell?” Daniella didn’t care that her voice was filled with panic or that her eyes must’ve been wild with concern. “He came through here long before the last blast.”
“Yes,” the officer nodded. “I saw him walk toward a car.” She craned her neck to see over the crowds. “I didn’t see him come back, though.”
“Could he have slipped past the barrier during the blast?” Daniella’s eyes widened, and her heart was quickly climbing up her windpipe.”
“No, I was here the entire time,” the police officer assured her. “My partner was here too. He took off to help not long after the blast, but I’ve been keeping guard of it.”
“I’ll go check my car as I asked Alex to bring my doctor’s bag from it,” Daniella didn’t know why she was explaining herself.
“Would you like me to go check?” The woman’s brow furrowed.
“No,” Daniella shook her head. “You have a duty, so I’ll go.” She smiled. “Thank you for offering, though. And you’re doing an excellent job.”
The woman beamed at her and cleared the gathered crowd to allow Daniella a clear path through them. Daniella’s pace picked up speed to a run as she neared her car.
“Alex?” Daniella called as she rounded the side where the door hung open, stopping near the precarious dip down to the rocks below. She held her breath and forced herself to check to see if Alex had fallen, as she could not shake the feeling that something had happened to him.
Daniella popped her head inside the car, but there was no sign of him. She looked in the back and found her doctor’s bag was gone. Daniella’s heart rate picked up speed, and while the roaring in her ears from the blast was starting to fade, another started from the blood pumping through her veins. She carefully edged her way around to the back of the car and stopped dead in her tracks.
Her doctor’s bag looked like it had been dumped on the ground. Luckily, the lock was sound, and it hadn’t burst open. She bent to pick it up and found a rag lying close to it. Daniella’s hand shook as she reached for it and brought it to her nose. Her senses immediately went on high alert from the distinct smell of chloroform. Fear spread through her veins like sharp shards of ice aimed at her heart and brain from its cold attack.
Daniella straightened, her doctor’s bag in one hand and the rag in the other. She turned around to scan her surroundings as she thought Alex had been taken. The shed blast must’ve been a carefully calculated distraction, as Daniella’s ominous shadow had waited for the perfect moment to set it off—the perfect moment to quire his real target.
The warning written on her nightstand flashed through her mind, making her feel sick.
You won’t be able to fix what gets broken next.
That same clawing panic and fear that had flooded her when Ron Jackson had taken Emily hit her like a tidal wave. Only this time, Ron Jackson’s intent for the person he’d kidnapped was a lot more sinister. Daniella stood, trying to clear her mind and think about where Ron could’ve taken Alex. Suddenly, the small community felt way too big as she realized there were a lot of places and towns surrounding them. Ron had a considerable head start, and he could’ve taken Alex anywhere.
Daniella felt for her phone and realized she didn’t have it. It was in her purse in Jennifer’s car. She was about to run back toward the house when a boat sailing in the direction of Cobble Cove caught her eye. It was the Black Ocean, Alex’s superyacht. Daniella glanced at the rag in her hand, her eyes widening in realization. Ron had Alex on the boat, and Daniella had to get to him to save him. Trade herself for Alex’s life if she had to. It was her fault Alex’s life was now in danger.
While Daniella wasn’t sure how she was going to save Alex, as her mind hadn’t thought that far ahead, all she knew was that she had to get to him. Her mind spun, trying to figure out how to stop a superyacht, and she caught sight of Finn’s brand new pickup, which he’d managed to park close to the police line. Her eyes darted toward the superyacht, slowly sailing further away with every second that passed. If Daniella was going to act, she had to do so right away.
She looked at the crowd in front of her. There was no way she’d be able to get through all that in time to get to the lighthouse. Daniella needed a plan B and thought she would use the surf lifesaver’s shack near the Beach Hut. There was a dinghy in there with a motor. Without thinking, Daniella started to run toward the Beach Hut but was stopped by a surprising fast Harriet, who caught up to her with the speed of the Road Runner catching up to Wile E Coyote.
“Daniella!’ Harriet breathed heavily as she pulled Daniella to a stop. “Where on earth are you going?”
“I have to get to the lifesaver’s shack!” Daniella knew she was babbling and making no sense, but Harriet was delaying her. “Now move, Harriet. I have to save Alex.”
“What?” Harriet spluttered, holding Daniella back by the shoulders. “Where’s Alex?”
“I think Ron’s taken him,” Daniella said, handing Harriet the cloth. “I found my car open and this on the ground near it, with Alex nowhere in sight.”
“A cloth made you think Alex was taken?” Harriet looked at her in confusion.
“It has chloroform on,” Daniella explained, turning and pointing to the Black Ocean, now almost a blip on the horizon. “And I’m sure Alex’s yacht is not sailing itself.”
Harriet’s gaze flew to where Daniella was pointing. When she looked at Daniella again, her eyes mirrored the fear and panic she was feeling. “We can’t run to the Beach Hut; it’s too far, and Ron will be long gone. Are there any other options?”
Daniella nodded. “Finn has a speed boat moored at their private dock at the Lighthouse.” She swallowed as her throat was dry and raw. “He also volunteers to help the Coast Guard so the boat’s ready at all times.”
“Then let’s not wait another second,” Harriet told her.
“How are we going to get through that!” Daniella pointed to the crowd and police barriers.
Harriet scanned the crowd with her eyes and raised an eyebrow at Daniella. “I have a plan, come on.”
Daniella and Harriet pushed their way through the crowd and stopped at Finn’s shiny new pickup. They looked in the window and saw his emergency light, which made Harriet grin. “Yes, this will do nicely.”
“This is Finn’s tuck,” Daniella hissed.
“He volunteers to rescue people, doesn’t he?” Harriet reasoned as she tried the driver’s door, and it opened. Harriet climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled down the visor, catching the keys as they fell out. “Bingo.” She buckled up, glancing at Daniella. “Well? Are you getting in?”
Daniella cleared her mind of her guilt about stealing or, instead, borrowing Finn’s car without asking. She glanced toward the sea, and her need to get to Alex outweighed her sense of right and wrong. She hopped into the passenger seat, buckling up, her heart racing. It was not until Harriet had figured out how to use the emergency light to clear their way through the police barriers on both ends of the road that Daniella remembered that Harriet had a suspended license. While she was an excellent driver, Daniella was sure her fingerprints would forever be embedded in Finn’s dashboard. Harriet drove like a Formula One racer, not slowing to take corners toward the lighthouse.
When they pulled up at the lighthouse, Daniella had to stop herself from dropping to her knees and kissing the ground in gratitude that they’d survived the drive. She’d barely had time to catch her breath as they made their way to the locked wrought iron gate that closed the front of the property off from the back of the house. A large silver padlock seemed to mock them as they stood staring at it in disbelief.
“I’ll try the back door,” Daniella said and started rushing toward it.
She’d only taken a few steps when Harriet yelled. “It’s open.”
Daniella spun around and watched in awe as Harriet slid the hairpin back into her hair, which was springing loose from the once neat knot at the nape of her neck.
“What did you do?” Daniella asked as she and Harriet dashed through the gate.
“Who knew the lock would just spring open in my hand like that?” Harriet shrugged.
Daniella didn’t have time to ponder the number of felonies the two of them were piling up in their endeavor to save Alex. She led Harriet to the side of the house that opened up toward the sprawling ocean. This side of the house had always petrified Daniella. While she had a healthy respect for the sea, Daniella preferred her feet to be firmly planted on the ground and not have her lungs filled up with gallons of salt water as the sea sucked her to certain death.
She stopped at the top of the few treacherous stairs, and Daniella couldn’t figure out how emergency services scaled at the speed they needed to get to the dock.
“Are you okay?” Harriet looked at Daniella with worried eyes.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Daniella lied. “I just don’t like these steep stairs.”
“I’ll go first, then if you fall, you can land on me,” Harriet stepped around Daniella, navigating her way to the docks, and the bright red rescue boat stood. “Oh. Awesome.”
Harriet and Daniella thudded over the wooden dock to the boat.
“We don’t have the keys?” Daniella said, knowing it was a stalling tactic. She wanted to save Alex, but her fear of boats and the sea suddenly ballooned, screaming in her mind: Hi, remember me? I’m your gut-wrenching fear of boats and the sea.
“Daniella!” Harriet’s voice cut through her panic like a hot knife through butter. “Are you okay?”
Daniella swallowed, trying to dampen her parched throat, and she nodded.
“Good, then help me with these ropes.” Harriet barked orders, and Daniella followed along like a robot as she tried to push back her fears.
When they were on the boat, Daniella left Harriet in charge, and for the first time since she’d realized Alex had been taken, Daniella wondered what the heck she’d have done if Harriet hadn’t found her. She watched in awe as Harriet skillfully got the engines on the boat started, and the next thing Daniella knew, they were roaring off into the ocean in pursuit of Alex’s yacht.
Daniella stood next to Harriet, who was clearly having way too much fun despite the grave situation. Daniella clung to a console handle, trying to keep herself steady as Harriet bounced them over the waves even faster than she had bounced them along the road. As the boat flew over the water, Daniella’s stomach started to roll. She swallowed down the sick feeling, keeping her mind razor-focused on getting to Alex.
“There it is!” Harriet shouted, pointing to Alex’s yacht, which was still quite a distance away.
It wasn’t until Daniella saw the sheer size of the superyacht that she realized how ill-thought-out their plan to get to the yacht was. Actually, they had no plan at all and had acted on sheer adrenaline with no thought to what they were going to do when they got to their goal—like a dog chasing a car that suddenly caught it and had no idea what to do with it.
“What do we do now?” Daniella was in uncharted territory here. “How the heck are we going to get on that boat?”
“There are ladders that run from the sea up the side of it,” Harriet told her. “I’m going to get as close as I can, and then you’re going to jump onto one of them.”
“I’m going to do what?” Daniella spluttered, staring at Harriet as if she’d grown two heads. “Are you insane?”
“You can steer, and I’ll do it.” Harriet shrugged. “It’s not as difficult as it looks.”
“This isn’t a movie, and I’m not a stunt person,” Daniella pointed out. “I hardly did any sport at all at school or after it, and my sporting achievements did not include the flying trapeze.”
Harriet slowed the boat and, to Daniella’s horror, took her hands off the wheel.
“What are you doing?” Daniella hissed, pointing at the steering wheel. “Hands at ten and two!”
“Daniella, have you sailed before?” Harriet kept her voice calm as she walked way too far from the wheel for Daniella’s liking toward the seats that lined the cockpit.
“A few times, but I never liked it,” Daniella admitted, trying to ignore the growing queasiness rolling in her stomach.
Harriet pulled back one of the seats that lined the cockpit and pulled out two life vests. She handed one to Daniella.
“We should’ve put these on before taking off on the high seas.” Harriet pulled an oops face.
Daniella mimicked Harriet’s movements as she put the vest on and inflated it. When Harriet moved back to the helm, Daniella noted that the yacht had put even more distance between them.
“They’re getting away,” Daniella pointed out.
“Relax,” Harriet told her. “We don’t want to be spotted.” She pulled open a hatch near the helm and took out a pair of binoculars, which she pointed toward the yacht. “I want to see who’s sailing the yacht if Alex is knocked out. Unless Ron Jackson can sail a superyacht of that caliber, they’d need another captain.”
“Can you see who it is?” Daniella asked, feeling like a child badgering her parents on a road trip.
“Yeah,” Harriet said, nodding. “And it looks like Malcolm, Alex’s captain.” She frowned. “I’m going to message him.”
“You have Alex’s captain’s number on your phone?” Daniella gaped at her. “Wait. Do you even have a signal out here?”
“Seems like it,” Harriet pursed her lips, impressed as her fingers flew over the screen.
“What did you message him?” Daniella asked. “Did you kidnap your boss and steal his superyacht?”
“No,” Harriet shook her head. “I asked him how the weather was out on the ocean.”
“What?” Daniella gaped at her.
Harriet’s phone beeped, and her brow creased as she read the message.
Storm clouds are closing in, and the sea’s getting choppy. I can see at least four large waves approaching. I’m locked in the cockpit, but my crew is in the guest cabin.
“What the freakin’ heck is he talking about?” Daniella looked at Harriet in frustration.
“When Alex’s sister was kidnapped, our parents had us go through this whole training routine thing,” Harriet explained. “We had to learn codes for if we were hijacked on a plane, taken hostage aboard a boat, and so on.”
“You all got trained on how to be kidnapped?” Daniella asked in disbelief.
“Look around you,” Harriet pointed out. “Where are we?”
“Right.” Daniella nodded, feeling like she’d stepped into a Bruce Willis movie. “Okay. You’re the expert. What do we do now?”
“Call for backup and follow the yacht,” Harriet told her.
“I guess that’s better than you throwing me off the side toward the stairs at high speed,” Daniella said. But her fear for Alex clawed at her. “While I’m petrified of sailing and the ocean…” She looked at Harriet. “I’m even willing to try your crazy idea.”
“Seriously?” Harriet looked at her in surprise.
Daniella swallowed and nodded, afraid that if she used her voice, her traitorous tongue would betray her and say NOT IN A MILLION FREAKIN’ YEARS SISTER!
“Then you sail off to get help, right?” Daniella swallowed down the queasy and fear.
“No way.” Harriet shook her head. “I’m going to call for backup, and then once you’re on the ladder, I’ll turn this boat in the opposite direction while I dive into the water and get onto the boat.”
“How… what?” Daniella couldn’t believe what she was saying. “What is wrong with you?” She shook her head in disbelief. “Do you have no sense of self-preservation at all?”
“I want to save my friend, and there’s no way I’m letting you get on that boat with that crazed narcissistic psychopath that’s kidnapped my lifelong friend!” Harriet exclaimed, her voice softening. “Or put my new best friend in danger because of some crazy person.”
Harriet’s words washed over Daniella, filling her with a new burst of courage and purpose.
“How are you going to swim after a superyacht?” Daniella asked.
“I’m not.” Harriet reached down into the hatch and pulled out a rope. “This is called a safety line. Sailors use it to anchor themselves onto the deck so they don’t get washed overboard.” She showed Daniella the clip on her lifejacket where the latch on the rope went. “These lifejackets are also safety harnesses. Once you’re on the ladder, I’m going to throw the line at you, and you will attach it to the ladder. I will then aim the rescue boat away from the yacht and dive off with the other end of the rope attached to the ladder.”
“And then DIE!” Daniella hissed. “You are crazy!”
“Do you have a better idea?” Harriet asked.
“Yes, let’s follow the boat and wait for backup,” Daniella advised.
“Fine!” Harriet rolled her eyes. “Here, call Harley and tell him where we are.”
Daniella took the phone while Harriet retook the wheel and followed the yacht at a safe distance. With shaky hands, Daniella found Harley’s number and dialed it. He answered on the second ring.
“Daniella!” Harley’s voice sounded panicked. “Where the heck are you and Harriet?” He barely paused for a breath. “And why did Finn call me to tell me you’d stolen his pickup? What is going on…” A pause. “Can I hear a boat engine?”
“Uh…” Daniella swallowed, and she glanced at Harriet, who looked at her questioningly.
“Here, take the wheel,” Harriet said. “I’ll speak to Harley.”
“I don’t know how to drive this thing?” Daniella said wide-eyed.
“Then put the phone on speaker,” Harriet suggested. “Quickly before we lose the signal.”
“Daniella, what is going on?” Harley’s voice boomed through the speakerphone. “Is Harriet driving?”
“No!” Harriet denied. “I’m sailing.” She glanced at Daniella, who looked back at her. “Daniella and I are trying to save Alex, who’s been kidnapped by that crazy person Ron Jackson who has boatjacked… is that what it is?” She looked at Daniella, who shrugged. “Well, after blowing up Alex’s house, the crazy man is now sailing Alex out into the middle of the ocean, and I don’t think Ron Jackson is taking him for a quick cruise to the Caribbean.”
“Alex has been kidnapped?” Harley hissed.
Daniella suddenly found her voice and explained what happened with Harriet filling him in on having contacted Alex’s captain on a secret phone that was installed in all their transport vehicles.
“And you two thought what?” Harley stated angrily. “That you were going to stop a superyacht?” He paused, and his voice changed to one of suspicion. “What boat are you on?”
Before they could answer, Harley had to put them on hold as a call came in from his friend from the FBI.
“They’re onto us!” Daniella’s voice filled with panic.
“Who?” Harriet’s eyes widened, and her head shot around toward the superyacht.
“Not them, the FBI!” Daniella’s mind suddenly acknowledged all the crimes they’d committed to get them to where they were. “We broke at least three or four laws.”
“While the FBI would most certainly find stealing a rescue boat a crime,” Harley’s voice made them jump, “I’m afraid they have bigger problems to deal with.”
Daniella didn’t like the catch in Harley’s voice.
“Like who killed Ron Jackson, whose body has just been found in a hotel room in Newbury Port.” Harley’s words made Daniella’s breath catch, and her eyes turned toward Alex’s yacht. “I informed my friend at the FBI of what you and Harriet reported and was surprised to hear that the Blackwells had gotten a message from an unknown number about twenty minutes ago letting them know they had Alex and would contact them with their demands.”
“What about Rons’ father?” Daniella asked. “He could be out for revenge?”
“No, it’s not him,” Harley told them. “Although the FBI is not ruling it out, and the man is in their custody.”
“If it’s not the Jacksons,” Harriet said, her eyes meeting Daniella’s, mirroring her shock and worry, “then who has him?”