by Lisa Harris
He poured himself a fresh cup of coffee, then sat down at the table while she piled the dishes in the sink. “So nothing on your watch, I’m guessing?”
“All was quiet. I’m afraid our bad guys are long gone.”
Jonas nodded, adding a spoonful of sugar to his drink. Then he heard a boat motor.
He grabbed his Glock off the kitchen bar. “Then let’s hope that’s the good guys.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
The odds that Jesse and Nadia had returned to the island were slim to none as far as Madison was concerned. She bet the motor they heard was just the sheriff, who’d finally decided to swing by to make sure everything was okay. Sure enough, as they approached the dock, one of the sheriff’s boats had just pulled up to the shoreline with two uniformed deputies, including McBride.
Madison slipped her weapon back into its holster as she made her way down to the dock with Jonas. “Boy are we glad to see you.”
Deputy McBride stepped off his boat, taking a second to gain his balance before introducing them to Deputy Abrams. “I guess I was wrong to assume you headed back to Seattle without telling me. When I couldn’t get ahold of the two of you, I finally got through to Chief Deputy Michaels. He told us you hadn’t checked in, so I promised to come out here.”
Jonas nodded toward the boat they’d borrowed. “We never saw them, but it looks like our fugitives sabotaged both the boat we borrowed and its radio. We’ll need a team to search the island.”
Abrams nodded. “We can organize that.”
Jonas glanced at Madison. “It also looks like they left a body behind.”
“A body?” Deputy McBride frowned. “You’re sure it’s not one of your fugitives?”
Jonas shook his head. “No, it’s not.”
“We’ll call in marine patrol along with a few more deputies and get a search team together,” McBride said, motioning to the other deputy, who headed back onto their boat. “While he does that, I’d like to see if I recognize the body.”
They left the dock and, with flashlights in hand, walked along the trail toward the small outbuilding they’d stumbled across last night. The sun had already begun to peek above the horizon, making the water shimmer below them, but except for the sound of it lapping against the rocks below, the island was still eerily quiet.
Nothing had been disturbed since last night. The shovel lay against the side of the shed. And the body still lay beneath the dirt in the shallow grave.
Jonas turned to McBride. “Do you know him?”
Deputy McBride shook his head at the partially exposed face of the corpse. “I do, actually. People call him Old Whitaker. He’s lived on these islands his whole life, but he tends to be a bit of a nuisance. The marine patrol usually stops him at least once a month for disorderly conduct, which usually just means he makes his way onto one of the private islands and tries to help himself to food and liquor and whatever else he can find.”
“Apparently, this time he ended up at the wrong place,” Jonas said. “I’m not sure exactly what happened, but it looked as if there’d been a fight up on the back deck of the house.”
“And Old Whitaker lost,” Madison said.
Deputy McBride moved back from the body. “I’ll send in my team and take care of this, but in the meantime, I’ve got someone back in town you need to talk to.”
“Who’s that?” Jonas asked.
“Your boss said that your fugitives were waiting on passports and asked me to look into any deliveries that stood out, so I contacted the guy who flies between Seattle and the Islands daily with mail and packages.”
“And?” Madison asked.
“I just got a call from him on our way over. I’ve already sent one of our deputies there, but he said a package was sent to Grace’s Café in town and arrived this morning addressed to a Ted Barker.”
“Has the package been picked up?” she asked.
“I’m still waiting to hear from the deputy I sent out there, but if you’d like to, we can head that way now. I can take you while Deputy Abrams runs the search here.”
Madison nodded. “Let’s go then.”
The urgency of the moment pressed tightly against Madison’s chest as they sailed. No matter what they did, they always seemed to be a step behind, but without new passports, their fugitives were limited on where they could go. The sun rose high above the horizon as they crossed the water back toward town. She closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in the scent of saltwater tinging the air.
Once back on Orcas Island, Madison followed the men to Grace’s Café. The quiet morning was a huge contrast to the bustle of Seattle. Shops lined the street, with jaw-dropping views of the water in the distance.
Inside, the restaurant was just as laid-back. There was a rustic fireplace, and fresh flowers decorated the tables while waiters served up breakfast plates to both locals and tourists.
“These are the marshals I said wanted to talk to you,” Deputy McBride said, approaching the woman behind the counter. “This is Grace.”
The young woman smiled wide. “What can I do for you, folks?”
“What can you tell us about the package that was delivered here? Did someone pick it up?” Jonas asked.
“Yes, but I don’t know much.” Grace ran her hands down the front of her red apron. “The guy who came for it told me he was from out of town and was here on vacation. He’d left some medicine he needed in Seattle and had a courier overnight it. He said he’d talked to one of the waitresses about it yesterday, to see if it was okay. I checked out his story, and at least that part was true, so I gave him the package.”
“How long ago?”
Grace glanced at the clock on the café’s wall. “I’m not sure. It was right before the other deputy showed up.”
“Did he say where he was going?” Madison asked.
“No, but he acted like he was ready to get off the island.”
Jonas turned to Deputy McBride. “What time is the next ferry?”
The officer glanced at his watch. “It leaves in about fifteen minutes for Canada, with a stop at Friday Harbor. I can have you there in time if we go now.”
Madison nodded in agreement as they hurried toward the deputy’s vehicle. If passports had been in that package, their fugitives had just received their golden ticket.
Madison studied the passengers from the outside deck while she waited for Jonas to finish his sweep of the inside seating area and join her. They’d made the ferry’s security team and captain aware of the situation. Their first objective had to be to keep the locals and tourists on board safe.
She zipped up the front of the fleece another female deputy lent her, trying to block the wind that had picked up over the past hour. So far there had been no sign of either of their fugitives, but if Jesse and Nadia were here, they would find them. There were only so many possible hiding places on the ship, and eventually they’d have to get off.
“They’re here,” Jonas said, stepping up to her. “They just took seats inside. I’ve got a security officer keeping an eye on them while we arrange things.”
He nodded toward the door of the main section of the ferry that was filled with families and tourists.
She glanced at her watch. “We arrive at Friday Harbor in fifteen minutes. I think we need to coordinate with the local authorities and arrest them when they disembark.”
“Agreed. Coast Guard is already on standby. I’ll let them and the sheriff’s office know that suspects are on board and have them waiting for us. We’ll just keep our eye on them in the meantime.”
He pulled out the two-way radio they’d been given on boarding and gave a quick update to the captain. Then both marshals headed back inside and out of the wind. Madison scanned the inside level of the ferry. They didn’t want to call attention to themselves—that could spook their fugitives—but neither did they want to lose sight of them.
“Where are they?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” Jonas hurried toward one of the
security officers they’d met earlier. “Where are they, Garrett?”
“I don’t know. I lost them.”
“What do you mean, you lost them?”
“I’m sorry.” The man’s face flushed. “Someone came up asking for my help. I looked away for just a second.”
Madison tried to tamp down her anger. “Which means not only did they probably arrange the distraction, they know we’re onto them. We need to find them.”
She looked around at the passengers sitting inside on benches, worried about another hostage situation. Had their fugitives figured out they were under surveillance? Or was it just a coincidence they’d decided to move again?
No. Her gut told her this was no coincidence.
“Check the security footage,” Jonas instructed Garrett, “and see if you can find where they went. We’ll make a sweep of the deck, then head below. Keep me updated on the radio.”
She stepped into the restroom a moment later, quickly clearing the stalls one at a time. The only other place to hide was in one of the cars below the seating area. They took the narrow staircase leading to the vehicle deck. Beyond the opening in the cement hull, she could see the choppy gray-blue waters as the ferry passed by green forested islands and, in the distance, snowcapped mountains.
“I’ll take the starboard side,” Jonas said. “You take port.”
Madison nodded, then headed down the row of cars on her side, searching each one. Their fugitives had come to the ferry on foot, but that didn’t mean they weren’t going to try to get off another way. They couldn’t assume anything at this point.
A car door slammed, echoing behind her. Madison shifted her torso, bringing her weapon up. A father and son had grabbed something out of their car and were heading back toward the stairwell. She kept walking, checking vehicles for any passengers as she went.
“Anything?” she asked Jonas through her radio.
“Not yet.”
She passed another empty car. “Me neither, but they have to be here.”
“I know, but where?”
She kept walking. “I’m almost down to the end of my row.”
“So am I.”
In front of her, the ramp led down to the churning waters behind the ferry. Movement caught her attention.
“Jonas, we might have a problem. Another boat is headed toward us.”
A speedboat was still a distance out, but it was heading straight toward the ferry.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“That has to be their plan. They’ve arranged for someone to pick them up and take them across the border.”
“I’ll inform the captain,” Jonas said.
Madison let out a huff of air as she approached the last car. Where were they? Security was tight enough that if they decided to jump overboard, they would be seen. And there was nowhere else to hide.
“Jonas . . . wait . . .” Madison spotted a woman sitting in the front seat, leaning back against the headrest. “I might have something. Give me a second.”
She tapped on the window. “Ma’am? Please roll down this window.”
When the woman didn’t move, Madison tapped again. Still nothing. “Jonas . . . head over here now.”
“I’m on my way.”
Madison tried the door handle of the vehicle, but it was locked. “Ma’am . . .”
The woman turned toward her. Madison recognized her immediately.
Nadia.
“It’s over, Nadia. I want you to step out of the vehicle with your hands where I can see them. Now.”
“I’m coming.” Jonas’s voice called out through the radio. “What’s going on?”
“I’ve got her, Jonas, but I don’t have eyes on Jesse. I repeat, I don’t have eyes on him. I need you—”
Nadia moved to open the car door, but something had grabbed Madison from underneath the vehicle. She felt her body slam against the pavement. Pain shot through her, disorienting her, as her radio and weapon tumbled to the ground. She reached for her gun, but Jesse pushed it away. Her phone was in her pocket. She needed to get away and let Jonas know what was happening. The car door swung open, and Nadia stepped out, carrying a bag and shouting something at Jesse. He pulled Madison up, wrenching her arm, then shoved her inside the car. She tried to fight back. Someone was calling her name. Jonas?
But it was too late.
She could feel the momentum of the car as it rolled down the ramp, then plunged into the water.
TWENTY-NINE
Jonas heard “I need you” and then nothing more from Madison. Waves of panic pounded as he made his way to the other side of the vehicle deck. He’d promised himself he wasn’t going to let anything happen to her.
Because he loved her.
I love Madison.
He forced his mind to focus. There was no time to let his feelings or fears seep in and color his judgment. Not now. Because if he did, he was going to panic. Instead, he had to focus on finding her.
“Captain.” He spoke into the radio as he ran toward the other side of the deck. “I’m out of communication with my partner, and I think she’s in trouble. Tell the Coast Guard I need them here now and send security down to the port side of the vehicle deck immediately.”
“Roger that.”
He could hear the shouts of a crowd that had gathered above him on the passenger deck by the time he got to the end of the port side. A horn blasted as the ship came to a stop. He could see a car bobbing on the surface of the water. Surely she wasn’t in the vehicle. He moved down the ramp, closer to the bobbing vehicle, and saw a flash of pink through the window. Madison was in the car.
He neared the end of the ramp. He knew they had man overboard drills in place. But he couldn’t wait for them. He ripped a fire extinguisher off the wall as the car continued to sink. He had seconds at most to pull her out. He caught the movement of a small boat that was speeding away as he dove into the water.
He had to focus on his mission, but he couldn’t hold back his disgust at their plan. Madison had been their distraction.
Clasping the fire extinguisher, he managed to swim toward the car that was still bobbing on top of the water. But it wouldn’t stay that way for long. Reaching the vehicle, he smashed the extinguisher against the back window. Nothing happened. The car shifted as he searched for movement inside and saw Madison’s pink fleece again. He fought the currents as he slammed the extinguisher into the window a second time. Spider cracks spread out from the impact. A third time and it shattered. The fire extinguisher sank as he smashed away the remaining shards of glass, then reached for her hand.
Just another few seconds, God. Please.
She gasped for a breath as he dragged her out through the window. An orange rescue boat sped up behind him as he was finally able to secure her in his arms, struggling to keep them both above the surface of the water. At least she was still alive. Someone pulled her into the rescue boat, then helped him up. He lay on his back at the bottom of the raft for a few minutes, trying to catch his breath and slow down his heart rate.
He heard directions being shouted. Someone crouched down next to him.
“How is she?” he asked, forcing himself up.
“I think she’ll be fine, thanks to you. Give yourself a few minutes to recuperate. I need to check your arm. You’re bleeding.”
Jonas glanced at it. “It’s nothing. Just a scratch. Glass from the vehicle. I need to see her.”
“She’s got quite a goose egg on the back of her head, but her vitals are steady. We’re heading to the island now and will have an ambulance waiting at the dock. I want you both checked out.”
“The other boat,” he managed to say. “The one with our fugitives?”
“The Coast Guard is looking for them now.”
He moved to the other side of the boat as it headed back to the ferry. “Madison . . .”
Someone had pulled off her jacket and wrapped her in an emergency blanket. She looked up at him. “Are you trying to make this a habit? Re
scuing me?”
He shot her a smile, relieved to see for himself that she was okay. “It’s not a bad habit.”
“What about the suspects?”
“The Coast Guard is looking for them.”
“Jonas, I managed to dump my phone in Nadia’s bag while they were shoving me into the car.”
His mind scrambled to understand what she was saying. “You what?”
“Track my phone, and we can find them.”
“You’re a genius.” He leaned down and kissed her full on the lips, before pulling back. “I . . . I’m sorry. I have no idea what came over me.”
“Just go. Get them.”
The next few minutes sped by. The Coast Guard picked him up from the rescue boat, while he worked with Michaels to pull up the tracking information on Madison’s phone. The moment they were able to locate it, the hovercraft sped toward the signal, heading north of Friday Harbor.
Jonas stood beside the captain in the large craft, his gaze focused on the speedboat ahead of them. “Where are they heading?”
“Looks like the Haro Strait and the Canadian border, but don’t worry. We’ll get them.”
The hovercraft accelerated, ready to intercept the smaller boat. The captain’s voice boomed over the speaker system, demanding that the speedboat stop. The second boat skidded across the water for a few more moments, then slowed down in surrender. Jonas blew out a sharp breath as the speedboat came to a halt. Whoever their fugitives had hired to pick them up clearly hadn’t got paid enough to defy the Coast Guard.
He shouted directions as he jumped onto the smaller boat ahead of three Coast Guard officers, demanding the fugitives surrender their weapons and put their hands in the air. Jesse hesitated.
“Put it down,” Jonas said, steadying himself as the boat bobbed in the waves. “It’s over.”
Jonas headed toward the medical center in Friday Harbor after receiving the news that they’d just released Madison. It was the second piece of good news he’d gotten today, but this one was even more important to him personally than the recent arrest of their fugitives. The two suspects had been passed off by the Coast Guard to the local sheriff’s department and were now waiting to be escorted back to Seattle. But Jonas wouldn’t be taking that trip with their fugitives. His only job right now was to get Madison back safely, something he had every intention of doing.