“Navy?” he called out.
“Holden!” Her voice was full of joy and she splashed into the water, stroking toward him.
Holden squeezed her and then swam with her back toward the group where they could stand on the couches again. He wanted to remind her she owed him a longer kiss, but sadly, now was not the time. He needed to move the group to the living area and do what he could for Ryan. They could stand on the kitchen counter, table, or couches, and if the water didn’t drain from the hole made from the anchor fast enough, they could find a way to make a bigger hole or open a window or door.
“Is Ryan still breathing?” he asked.
“Yes,” Ollie answered.
“The storm’s calmed down,” he told them all.
“Yes!” a few of them screamed and clapped.
“Let’s go together out of here and I’ll lead you to the living area and we’ll find a way to drain the house.”
“Why wouldn’t it just drain if the storm’s passed?” Taya asked.
“The hole the anchor made wasn’t huge,” Holden explained. “It’s almost four a.m., so the storm has had over twenty hours to continually push the water in and fill up the house like this. This house was built to prevent water from coming in from the outside so with only that one hole to drain it, it could take a while.”
“Oh.”
There wasn’t anything else to say.
“It’s actually pretty easy to navigate. I’ll show you where to go down for the door opening and then once you pop out wait for me and if you keep your right hand on the wall it will lead you straight to the living area.”
“Is it light out there?” Alecia asked.
“There’s a little light from the moon, but it was behind the clouds when I was out there. Sunset isn’t too far off though. Ollie, do you want me to take Ryan?”
“No, I’m good.”
“Thanks.” That would make it easier for Holden to help everyone else and make sure they got through. “Ready?” He made his voice all upbeat. They should be fine and he didn’t need Alecia breaking down into tantrums again. She had been subdued since they got back to the theater.
“Let’s do it,” Navy replied.
Holden wanted to hug her again. “Okay.” He pushed off the couch and toward the doorway. “Follow my voice until you get to the wall.” He hit the wall with his left hand. “I’m going to dive down and find the door opening.” Without waiting for an answer he went down and on his second try he found it to the left of where he first hit. Somebody kicked him hard in the shoulder as he came up.
“Sorry.” Jorge’s voice.
“No worries. Okay. Let’s go in the order we went out of the shelter. Come to my voice and I’ll help you get down. Then swing under the doorframe and pop up on the other side. Alecia?”
“Can Navy go first?” she asked in a small voice. “I don’t want to be alone out there.”
What did she think was out there? Jaws? “Navy?”
“Sure.”
She swam to him and he gave her a quick hug before asking, “Ready?”
“Yep.” She was so brave. He’d never been more impressed with anyone in his life.
Holden swam the short distance down with her and placed her hands on the doorframe. He felt her push her way up to the other side. Surfacing, he pushed everyone through, though he didn’t stop to hug any of them, and last of all he and Ollie swam through with Ryan.
When he popped up in the hallway he asked, “Everyone good?”
“Yes,” Navy answered for the group. “We’re all here and accounted for, boss.”
Holden chuckled. “Good. Come toward me and put your right hand on the wall.”
He heard paddling and then said, “Navy, are you okay to lead the way? I’ll help Ollie with Ryan.”
“Got it.”
“If your hand is low enough you might feel the opening to the workout room, then when the wall curves you’ll be in the great room.”
“Follow me,” Navy said, all chipper and brave. He was falling so hard and fast for her.
There was the sound of water splashing and breathing. As they neared the great room Holden could hear the rain and wind against the windows and see the faint light from the covered moon. He heard a sigh of relief and Taya said, “It’s nice to see something again.”
“It’s nice the waves aren’t covering the house,” Jorge said.
“There’s nothing nice about any of this,” Michael sneered.
“Watch it,” Ollie commanded.
Holden figured that would be enough to shut Michael up. Michael might have pretty boy muscles, but Ollie was real-life tough.
Holden could make out the outlines of the cabinets and the windows and doors surrounding the great room area. The doors were all French doors that swung inward. Could he somehow pry one open and get the water out?
“Swim around until you find something to stand on,” he said.
“Here’s the countertop,” Taya said.
“I’m on the table,” Navy said, “If anyone wants to share.”
Oh, how Holden wanted to share, but he needed to get Ryan out of the water and see how he was doing. There was no way to get him dry, but the air temperature was much warmer than the water. He searched the almost-dark area for a solution then focused on the cabinets. There was a decorative space at the top of them. With the water this high, he and Ollie could probably lift Ryan up there.
“Ollie, Michael, help me lift Ryan on top of the cabinets.”
“Sure,” Ollie agreed.
There was a frosty silence before Michael muttered, “Fine.”
Ollie and Holden manipulated Ryan to the closest set of cabinets and stood on the wide countertop beneath it, only up to mid-thigh in water. When he felt Michael close by his side he asked, “Ready?”
“Yes,” they both responded.
They all three easily lifted Ryan out of the water, but the cabinets were a decent height to lift a man onto and Ryan was heavy. They struggled as they lifted him above their heads, finally pushing and settling him atop the cabinets.
“Thanks,” Holden said. He maneuvered Ryan around and then felt for his pulse and the breath coming out of his nose. He was still breathing, but his pulse was weak. Was his body shutting down because he was chilled or possibly even hypothermic? How Holden wished for something warm and dry to cover him up. He felt around on Ryan’s head and blood was still oozing out of the wound. Pulling off his own shirt he pressed it into the wound and held it.
“What now?” Michael asked.
“Well, when we engaged the shelter’s oxygen system it sent out an SOS, so I guess we just wait until someone comes.”
Nobody answered, but he could tell they didn’t like it. Standing on a kitchen counter or table, up to your thighs—or for the smaller people, waist—in seawater, wet and chilled and hungry and thirsty. It wasn’t a fun situation, especially after the night they had just had and the scare of getting out of the shelter. Ryan had snapped in the shelter and opened the hatch. Holden was just waiting for Michael or maybe Alecia to snap and do something equally life-threatening.
He pushed at Ryan’s wound then wrapped the shirt tight and tucked it under Ryan’s head. Checking the man’s breathing one more time, he said, “I’m going to try to open one of the doors or windows and get the water out faster.”
“Good idea,” Navy said. “I’ll help you.”
Holden wished he could see her. He’d always thought her exterior beauty was unsurpassed, but he was realizing now how far her interior beauty outshone everyone around.
“Me too,” Ollie said.
“Thanks.”
Holden swam toward the wall of windows and doors. It was still really dark so he mostly went by feel as he dove down and tried to yank a door open or unlatch and push at a window. Nothing budged. He found where the anchor had penetrated and could feel water leaking out of it but it wasn’t near fast enough. He tried to kick that window out but his kicks were ineffective underwat
er.
“Any luck?” Ollie asked.
“No. You?”
“Nothing. Navy?”
“Sadly no.”
“The master suite has sliding glass exterior doors,” he said. “I’m pretty sure I left the hallway door closed and it swings into the master. If I can push it open maybe the room would only be partially flooded and I could open one of the sliding glass doors before it floods.”
“Let’s go check it out,” Navy said.
Holden smiled. She was definitely not a girl to sit around and wait for help to arrive. “Taya? Will you stay with Michael, Jorge, and Alecia and check on Ryan’s pulse and breathing? We won’t be long.”
“Sure.”
Holden had second thoughts immediately. Michael and Alecia were pretty unstable and Jorge had been really quiet for awhile. He knew Jorge pretty well as his personal chef but the guy was an odd duck. Holden didn’t like Taya being alone with them.
“How about you and Navy go check it out?” Ollie suggested, obviously having the same thoughts. “I’m taller, so I can check on Ryan more easily than Taya could.” He didn’t state the obvious that Michael could step up and offer to help in some way.
Michael didn’t and Holden was glad Ollie was staying. “Sounds great. Navy?”
The moon peeked out partially from the cloud. Holden loved seeing Navy’s beautiful face as she swam up to him. He found her hand in the water and squeezed it. “You up for an adventure?” he asked.
“Sure thing.”
“That’s terrifying,” Alecia said.
Holden turned to look out the wall of windows. The pool and patio area looked like a war zone—uprooted trees, patio cushions, the fishing boat, and other debris filled the pool. The patio deck didn’t look much better. The ocean down below was still turbulent and Holden didn’t think the Coast Guard would be coming after them anytime soon.
“But the storm has mostly passed,” Holden said. “We’re doing great.” He was getting tired of being the cheerleader, but they would be okay. Well, everybody but Ryan would probably be okay. As long as they didn’t get too chilled, help wasn’t days away, and he could somehow get the water out of the house. He tugged on Navy’s hand, and without a word she followed him, swimming out of the great room area and down the hallway that led to the bedrooms. It was much easier with the moon giving them some light through all the windows. It was truly amazing that all these windows had held, with this much water inside and those monstrous waves pounding against the wall of windows for who knew how long before the storm calmed a little bit. It must have been most of the day and night for that hole made by the anchor to fill the house this completely.
He was grateful the worst had passed and grateful to have people like Navy and Ollie here with him, especially Navy. He squeezed her hand and they swam up to the master bedroom door. Holden went down and found the handle submerged in water. He pushed down and then shoved at the door. The door gave and his body flung into the room with the rush of water. He banged against the exterior wall and stood, searching for Navy.
“Navy!”
“I’m here!” She had smacked into the sliding glass door a few feet away from him.
“You’re okay?”
“Yes.” Water was filling the room. They needed to act fast. Unlocking the latch on the sliding glass door next to him, he struggled to slide it open, but wasn’t making any progress. Oh, wait! There was a safety latch down low, probably installed to keep the Tyndale children from escaping without their parents’ notice. He’d had to open the lower latch on the door Navy was working on to go outside when he first arrived.
“Yes!” He heard Navy holler.
Turning, he saw she had been able to crack open the sliding glass door, the one he had used earlier. Water was leaking out the narrow opening.
“You’re incredible!” Holden pushed through the now knee-deep water to her and together they shoved the door wide open. Water spilled from the room quickly, rushing down the bluff to the frothing ocean below like the craziest waterslide Holden had ever seen.
Navy screamed as the water tugged at her and her grip on the door slipped. Her lower body flew out the opening as the water swept her away. Holden lunged and caught her arm and held tight, clinging to the doorframe with his other hand and trying to brace himself against the water with his legs. The rush of water leaving the room and being fed by more water from the flooded hallway caught him in its grasp and flung his legs out from under him.
Clinging desperately to the slippery doorframe with his left hand and Navy with his right, he wished he had hold of the door handle. His hand cramped and he knew he was going to slide off the frame at any moment as the water rushing out of the door attempted to tug them to their deaths.
He gauged the drop to the ocean. Would they survive it? Could they somehow swim back to land? It was possible but definitely not probable.
Navy had a good grip on him and he was never going to let her go, but he could feel his fingers slipping on the metal frame as the rush of water tried to shove them out the door. He tried to wedge a knee against the frame but couldn’t secure his body.
Time seemed to stop as Navy stared at him, her eyes were filled with fear but also trust. His fingers were slipping and all he could do was pray they could survive the plunge to the ocean and somehow be able to swim back to the island in the turbulent seas.
“Navy!” he yelled as his grip on the doorframe gave. He slid forward, still clinging to Navy’s forearm.
Strong hands clamped around his biceps, two on his right arm and immediately after two on his left. Holden cried out in surprise and relief, their plunge to the ocean hopefully not just postponed, but prevented. He wrapped both hands around Navy’s forearms and clung fiercely to her as the hands slowly pulled him back toward the opening. Water was pushing against his legs and lower back, hitting Navy. The flow tried to wrench her free from his grasp. He clung desperately to her.
The hands kept pulling on him and he could hear men’s grunts and strains over the ever-present rush of water pouring from the house. Would the flow never stop? What if their grip slipped? Was it Ollie and Jorge or had Michael come to help as well?
Holden felt the bottom of the doorframe scrape his feet and the guy on his left pulled him that direction. He wrapped his body around the doorframe for support and pulled harder on Navy. The other man released Holden and grabbed Navy around the waist, pulling her toward the other side of the opening.
“Let her go,” the man yelled.
Holden squinted through the dim light and saw Michael was gripping her tightly and trying to pull her out of the flow to the right side of the door. Michael had a better grip on her and was pulling her free from Holden’s grip on her arms. If Holden kept pulling he’d risk losing his grip as she went right through the main rush of water. But could Holden trust the man?
“I’ve got her! Let go!”
Holden muttered a prayer, terrified to trust anyone but himself with Navy, but she needed to get out of the gushing water.
“Hold her!” He shoved her toward Michael. Michael tugged and yanked her out of the current and against the interior wall of the house. They both stood shakily in the now waist-deep water and edged away from the water rushing out the open doorway. Holden stared at Navy. She looked okay, just a little shaken up and waterlogged.
Ollie tugged him the other direction and they edged along the interior wall, not daring to get too close and risk being pulled into that flow again.
“Let’s stay anchored against a wall until it empties,” Holden called across the room to them. Trying to swim back to the great room against this current would be near impossible.
They both nodded and wedged themselves against the wall perpendicular to the water rushing out, clinging to the window frames.
Holden wiped at his face and noticed his hand was shaking uncontrollably. Was it a rush of nerves, exhaustion, or fear that he could have lost Navy? He still couldn’t believe that in a desperate moment
he had trusted Michael like that. Ollie sure, but not Michael.
He turned to the young man who had proven his grit over and over. “How’d you know to come? We would’ve …” He couldn’t say it. No matter how strong of swimmers they were and how he had tried to convince himself in those moments that they had a chance, he and Navy would have died for sure.
Ollie was sucking in deep breaths. “When the water started flowing out, we realized you must have opened a door or something. We had everybody else move against the corner wall of the kitchen so they wouldn’t be swept away and then we came with the current to check on you. Luckily, as I reached the door I saw what was happening and grabbed on to the frame. Michael about took me out from behind but he bounced to the other side and we pressed into the wall and made our way around the outside of the room until we got to you.”
Holden grasped the young man’s hand. “Thank you. You saved our lives. When we get out of here you’re getting the fattest raise ever.”
Ollie grinned. “Let’s just get out of here.”
Holden nodded his agreement. He focused in on Navy, clinging to the opposite wall. The water was below his thighs now. Hopefully not too much longer and the house would empty. All he wanted was to hold Navy and reassure himself she was okay. He’d answer any questions she had and deal with any painful conversation. He simply wanted Navy.
Chapter Eleven
Navy’s heart was racing uncontrollably as she waited next to Michael and watched the water race out the door. The tug of the current was still strong, but as the water level got lower and lower it was easier to stay lodged against the window frame.
“Thank you,” she told Michael. “You saved us.”
The young man’s chest puffed out and something glinted in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. He liked being the hero. “I’m just glad we came when we did,” he said humbly.
“Me too!” Navy smiled gratefully at him. She’d worked with him the past twelve weeks and tried to instill hard work and values as she improved his physical body. She had almost lost hope of her emotional training taking root as he had been so focused on himself and winning, but maybe he had been listening. She was really proud of him right now.
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