Chapter 10
Burke swallowed to control his panic. The large vessel was whipping through the water, on course to ram them. Could their little boat move fast enough to move them out of harm’s way?
Doubtful, but he had to try.
He pushed the throttle to the max, the engine groaning under the effort.
Their boat jumped ahead and cut through the water.
Good. He chanced a quick look at the other boat.
It shot toward them like a torpedo. Burke’s boat was like a dead duck in a carnival shooting gallery.
The craft with the higher horsepower would win this game.
He, Victor, and Abby were helpless, easy targets.
Depending on him alone. What did he do?
He didn’t know. He only knew the basics of piloting a boat. That’s it. Nothing more. Certainly, no evasion or defensive handling skills like he possessed for driving a motor vehicle.
Think, man, think.
If he could somehow bring their boat alongside the big craft it couldn’t ram them. He had to judge the timing perfectly and wait until the last second, then hook a sharp turn. Such a large vessel wasn’t as maneuverable as his friend’s boat and shouldn’t be able to react quickly enough to stop them.
If he succeeded, he could maneuver around the back of the big boat, completely out of immediate danger. He could then become the aggressor, charging after it to obtain identifying information.
“Hold on,” he yelled over the motor before he lost his nerve.
He hadn’t offered a prayer since Tiffany left him at the altar, but now, he couldn’t help himself.
Please help me to do this. Please keep the others safe.
He eased up on the throttle a bit, kept his eyes on the advancing boat. Counted.
One one thousand. Two one thousand. Three one thousand.
Now!
He jerked the wheel and hit the throttle. The boat rose in the front and nimbly responded. Turning sharply in the nick of time. He’d completed his maneuver, fully coming alongside the bigger boat before it T-boned their vessel.
Thank You. Thank You.
He pressed the throttle harder, circling around the other boat’s wake until he faced its stern.
Now they were the pursuer. Burke kept the throttle pressed forward and didn’t let up. Chasing the larger boat. Staying back to safely ride the water churned up by the bigger boat.
The boat veered off to the left, and Burke stayed on his tail. They soon neared the beach. Good. He’d have to slow down, and Burke could find out who was piloting the vessel. He waited. A minute. Two.
No slowing. The boat continued to race ahead at high speed.
Closer, closer to the shoreline! He didn’t let up, even as they were seconds from crashing.
The large vessel barreled onto the shore, coming to a sudden stop and beaching the boat.
What in the…?
Burke jerked back on the throttle before the propellers hit ground and bent them. He slowly came to a stop. Half tempted to leap into the water and swim to shore, he opted instead to call dispatch and order a patrol unit to the area, keeping his focus on the beached vessel.
Someone in a black ski mask bolted over the side of the boat, hitting the sand hard.
A guy, judging by how he ran. About five-foot-ten.
Fit, except for the start of a beer belly.
He lost his balance on the sand and lay there as if stunned.
A trio of beachgoers raced toward him. One man knelt beside him and held him down.
Good. Keep him there until the patrol vehicle arrived.
The boat captain freed his shoulders and shoved to his feet.
He quick-stepped up the beach toward a thick stand of grass and trees growing on a long sand dune.
He scrambled up. Fell back a few feet, the sand cascading down with his body.
He got up. Clambered to the top and disappeared into the shadowy darkness of the trees.
“He’s getting away.” Abby jumped to her feet. “I’m going after him.”
Burke grabbed her wrist. “By the time you swim to shore, he’ll be long gone, and you’ll have risked your life in the cold water for nothing.”
She glared at him and jerked her wrist free.
“You know, I’m right,” Burke said, planning to tackle her if necessary. “It might be a nice day, but the water is still extremely cold. Without a wetsuit, you wouldn’t make it.”
She shifted her gaze to the water. Her chest rose and fell under angry breaths, but she dropped down onto the seat, all of the fight going out of her. “You’re right, but I don’t have to like it.”
“What was that all about?” Victor cried out, his tone bordering on hysteria. “Why did that boat try to run into us?”
Burke’s number one question. Number two was who was piloting the boat. Answer question two, and he’d probably have the answer to number one as well. “It might have something to do with the crown. Maybe someone’s been watching us. Someone who’s targeting you, Victor.”
Victor shuddered.
“Hey.” She took his hands in hers. “Breathe. Just breathe, and once you calm down, we can talk about it.”
She gained his full attention and took a few exaggerated deep breaths, letting them out, until he was breathing along with her.
Burke and Abby might’ve always butted heads, but he’d heard wonderful things about her as a sheriff.
Now, the more time he spent with her, the more he could see she was indeed a very special person.
She not only had law enforcement skills, but she could connect with people in a way Burke had never been able to do. She deserved his respect.
She glanced up at him. “While Victor catches his breath, I’ll call Sam. Get her on the next ferry over here to process the boat for fingerprints.”
He nodded his agreement as his phone rang. “Detective Ulrich.”
“Deputy Mullen here,” the woman said, her tone calm but alert. “I was dispatched to handle your call. Can you bring me up to speed?”
Burke told her about the boat and described the man who’d taken off. “Forget about the boat for now. Get on the radio—have dispatch alert all units in the area to search for our suspect. We’re going after him with full force.”
“Copy that.” The call went silent.
He looked at Abby. “I’ll get to the dock, and we’ll proceed from there.”
At the dock, he and Abby helped Victor out of the boat.
The older gentleman shivered and struggled to walk.
He’d left his cane in the boat, and his steps were erratic, like a drunken sailor, and he appeared as if he might collapse.
They should probably go back for his cane, but if they did anything except move forward, Victor might insist on leaving.
“Let’s get you on solid ground.” Abby put her arm around his back and under his elbow, gently leading him down the long pier.
As Burke followed the couple, the pier’s sway felt more pronounced. The breeze flowing over his face turned sharper, and the sunshine on his back seemed more intense. All reminding him how lucky he was to be alive.
God had spared him. Them. With only seconds left. Just enough time to show Burke how blessed he was to be alive. To simply be breathing.
Right, nothing simple about that. Something incredibly, extraordinarily wonderful. Each day was a blessing. Had he been squandering his days since Tiffany betrayed him, living in his disappointment and distrust?
Something he needed to give strong consideration, and to God’s role in his life too. But not now. Now he had an attempted murderer to find and bring to justice. That had to take priority over everything. And to do that, he had to find the crown.
“Hold up at the deputy,” Burke called after them. “We need to get Victor out of the open air.”
A wide-eyed female deputy with blond, almost white hair pulled back in a bun waited for them at the end of the dock. She’d parked her patrol vehicle as close to the dock as possible, the lights twirling and drawing attention they really didn’t need.
“Thanks for manning the dock.” Burke flashed his credentials. “That your cruiser?”
“It is.” Her suspicious scrutiny was typical for a uniform officer in such a high-pressure situation.
“I’m commandeering it to house Mr. Lemoine until I can secure additional backup to safely transport him.”
The deputy—Mullen, by her name tag—scowled at him. “No matter your rank, you’re not leaving the scene with my cruiser.”
“No.” He would never leave an officer without means of transport. “Just need to sit in it for now.”
She fished her keys from her pocket and handed them to him. “Then have at it.”
He took the keys. “Any news to report?”
She settled a hand on her sidearm and shook her head. “We haven’t located the suspect yet, but the sheriff made it a top priority, and all available resources are continuing to search.”
Right. The sheriff. Shocking that Ryder hadn’t called Burke yet.
Maybe the sheriff was giving him space to take care of things.
Regardless, Burke had to report as soon as Victor was secure.
“Set up a perimeter around the beached boat. No one, and I mean no one, including you, boards the vessel. I’m holding you personally responsible for this. ”
“I’ve got it.” She lifted her chin. “You can count on me.”
He hoped she was right. “Call me if you locate the suspect or find any leads.”
“Roger that,” she said.
Burke turned to Abby. “Let’s move. Straight ahead to the patrol vehicle.”
As they walked toward the cruiser, Abby kept hold of Victor’s arm. Burke remained close to them, his hand on his sidearm while surveying the area. He really didn’t think they were in danger, but when a law enforcement officer relaxed from such thoughts, people got hurt.
He unlocked the vehicle and opened the back door. Victor slid into the middle, and Abby got in next to him, then closed the door. Burke sat behind the wheel and swiveled to face the others.
Abby took the trembling man’s hands in hers. “We’ll stay here until we have backup, and then we can go to the bank.”
“The bank?” Victor gaped at her. “I want to go home. Please take me home.”
“You feel like that now, but you’ve gone through so much to get this far. Don’t you want to finish your job?”
“I do, of course I do. But I don’t think I can.”
Burke tried to make sure he didn’t come across as demanding. “Don’t make a decision now. Take a minute. Let the adrenaline recede and calm down. Then if you still want to go home, we’ll take you there right away.”
Victor bit his lip. “Sounds reasonable, but can you arrange safer transportation than that bathtub toy we came here in to get me home?”
If only Burke had an alternative to offer.
“The guy who tried to ram us is long gone, and his boat is beached, so you’ll be safe in whatever boat we use.
I’ll station deputies at the dock where they can check identification for each person wanting to launch a boat.
They’ll have orders to detain anyone who acts the least bit suspicious. ”
“That’s comforting.” Victor’s shoulders sagged, and his eyelids drooped.
Ah, yes, his adrenaline was abating, and fatigue would soon threaten to take him down.
Best to get him moving before the physical release following such a rush fully hit him, and he asked to go back to the island again.
“So what do you say? Should we head to the bank? It’s just down the street, and after a quick visit, we’ll have you on your way home. ”
“I… I…”
“I’ll arrange for a deputy to search the bank building for any threat, and additional officers to escort you.”
He suddenly firmed his shoulders. “Yes, yes, I’ll do it. But hurry before I lose my courage.”
“The added protection will be perfect,” Abby said, but gave Burke a look that suggested he move fast.
He turned to the dash and called Ryder.
“I’ll be with you and help you through this,” she said softly in the backseat. “I’d also like to pray for you. Would it be okay?”
“I don’t believe all that mumbo-jumbo, but it couldn’t hurt.”
Couldn’t hurt indeed. In fact, when someone with strong faith like Abby prayed, it not only couldn’t hurt, it could help immensely. Burke needed to observe her and take a lesson from her on faith in action.
In that very moment, he believed prayer and trusting in God was his way forward in life.
If only he could let go of his distrust in everything—in everyone—and rediscover enough trust and faith to resume a regular prayer life.
Then not only would he once again have his confidence back in his life, but maybe he could move forward in a relationship with Abby too.