Desperate Measures

by Christy Barritt

  “Please. I’ve really got to get off this island. I’ve been looking for a boat to charter all day.”

  “Take the ferry when it leaves later.”

  He grabbed her arm when she tried to step away. “Please, I’ve got to go. Now.”

  She stared at his hand until he dropped it and took a step back.

  “Don’t listen to him, Samantha,” a new voice said.

  Samantha drew in a sharp breath and looked to the side. Her eyes widened when a familiar figure came into focus, walking down the shoreline toward her. Could this moment get any stranger? Could anything else go wrong?

  “Rich. What are you doing back here? I thought you left this morning.”

  At least he was here. At least she wasn’t alone with Derek. But the most pressing matter was getting off the island. Her time was ticking away.

  “I remembered something I had to tell John.” He stopped between Samantha and Derek.

  “Mom, can I go get my seashells?” Connor tugged at her. “Please? I worked so hard on collecting them all. They’re in the drawer in my room.”

  Maybe it was better if her son wasn’t here when she told Derek to get lost. She nodded. “Just hurry.”

  He took off to the cabin, sand flying behind him as his feet hit the ground.

  “Look, this is really none of your business,” Derek started, turning toward Rich.

  “I’m making it my business. Now get out of here.” Rich nodded toward the town.

  “I think I’ll let the lady speak for herself.”

  “You’re not going to have the chance to hear her thoughts on the matter.” Rich pulled out a gun. In one motion, he pulled the trigger and Derek collapsed to the ground. A red stain appeared on his chest.

  SEVENTEEN

  Samantha gasped. She started to scream but felt faint.

  Rich. Not Rich. How...?

  She looked in the direction Connor had gone, thankful he wasn’t here right now.

  “Rich,” she whispered, looking up at the man John had trusted. How could he have betrayed a friend like this? “Why?”

  “A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.”

  “Killing doesn’t make you more manly.”

  “Look, I didn’t want to be in this position, but I didn’t have a lot of options. Now I’m making the best of it.”

  “You’re John’s friend.” She took a step back and glanced at the cabin. No sign of Connor still. It was both a relief and alarming.

  “He thinks the coast guard helped turn my life around. I’d hate for him to find out the truth. Life is like that, though.” He raised the gun. “Now, get in the boat. We’re going for a little ride.”

  No way did she want to go anywhere with him. In a split second decision, she threw the keys as hard as she could. They hit the angry waves with a plop. “Sorry, that boat’s not working.”

  He sneered and grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her. “That’s okay. I have a backup plan.”

  She remembered John’s words to her, his advice about making choices between running or staying to fight.

  She decided at the moment that she’d rather fight than go anywhere with Rich.

  “I have someone who wants to talk to you,” Rich said.

  “He’ll have to come here, then.” She raised her chin and jerked her arm from his grasp.

  He glared back. “Is that right? You’ve got more guts than I thought you did. Problem is, my friend doesn’t want to come here. He wants you to go to him.”

  “That’s not happening.” She took another step away, weighing her options.

  “You should make this easy. Let’s do it now while your son isn’t watching.”

  “You’re just going to kill me.” She looked down at Derek’s body. Rich wanted to kill her. That’s what would happen if she stayed or if she went.

  He cocked the gun. “I suggest you move.”

  On impulse, she swung her arm around. The gun flew from Rich’s hand and hit the sand.

  Rich stood there, stunned for a moment before finally coming to his senses.

  As did Samantha.

  She took off in a run—away from Connor. She prayed he would stay in the cabin for longer, that something would delay him.

  Before the prayer finished echoing in her mind, Rich grabbed her hair. She jerked backward and landed on her side. A wave crashed over just as she hit the sand. Her head pounded dully at the impact, and she sputtered as water filled her mouth and nose.

  “That wasn’t a good idea,” Rich muttered.

  He dragged her to her feet using a fistful of her hair. Samantha cried out in pain.

  “Now, go get your boy. We’ve got a trip to make.”

  “Leave Connor out of this,” she grumbled through clenched teeth. Her feet dragged on the sand. Rich’s hands were still entangled in her hair, making her want to whimper with pain. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

  “We could have but then you decided to get feisty. Now get the boy.” He held up his gun. He’d obviously retrieved it before chasing her down.

  The look in his eyes said he had no qualms about using his weapon on her. He could have her screaming with pain until she paid for her betrayal.

  She contemplating trying to kick the gun out of his hands again, but her head was still swimming. She couldn’t think straight.

  She tried to pull herself together as Rich dragged her across the sand toward the cabin. She didn’t want Connor to freak out. She had to stay calm.

  Rich shoved her onto the porch before joining her. He thrust the gun into her back, hidden so Connor wouldn’t see. “Don’t make any sudden moves.” His breath was hot on her ear.

  She swallowed hard and stepped inside. Everything appeared just as she’d left it. The fact that the house was quiet signaled to her that something was wrong.

  “Connor, can you come here a moment?” she called. She tried to sound strong, but her voice trembled, giving away her fear.

  Silence answered her.

  Why was her son being so quiet? Was he up to something? Was he hiding?

  “What’s going on?” Rich growled, shoving her farther into the space.

  Samantha shook her head. “I don’t know. He said he was coming back to get some seashells.”

  “Call him again,” he ordered.

  Her throat ached as she opened her mouth. “Connor, where are you?”

  She stood in the living room, but still heard nothing. Something was wrong. She only prayed that her son was safe.

  Rich shoved her again. “Move,” he ordered.

  She started back toward the bedrooms. She peered inside Connor’s, but there was no one there. What in the world? Where had Connor gone?

  “Where is he?” Rich demanded.

  “I have no idea.” Hope surged in her as fear tried to take root. She hoped he’d run to safety. She feared he might do something foolish.

  God, please watch over him, she prayed silently.

  Rich began dragging her toward the front door. “We’ll have to leave him behind, then.”

  “But the storm.” A million worst-case scenarios rushed through her mind, causing panic to build.

  He shook his head. “I know. Poor thing. Hopefully he can hug a tree or something.”

  “You’re cruel. Heartless.” Lord, please protect my son!

  “I’m broke and desperate. There’s a difference.”

  “In your case, not much.”

  He nodded toward the distance. “Come on. Let’s get going. Someone is waiting to see you, and we want to be gone before John gets back. I don’t like it when John gets angry. And believe me, he’s crazy about you. He’s not going to be happy about this.”

  “I’m nothing to John.” />
  “I think we both know that’s not true.” He shoved her. “Now, let’s get moving.”

  She managed to walk outside across the sand without stumbling. She was all too aware of the gun pressed into her side.

  She kept fervently praying. Lord, protect Connor. Protect John.

  In the distance, a boat pulled up to the pier. Her heart stopped for a moment when she spotted the figure inside.

  Billy.

  She didn’t have to get any closer to recognize him. That was definitely the man who’d ruined her life. She’d recognize him anywhere.

  Rich shoved her, and she fell onto the sand. He grabbed her hair again and pulled her back to her feet. “Keep moving.”

  She stumbled along, her mind racing, her head throbbing. How was she going to get out of this one? At least Connor was safe...for now. But what would happen after these men were finished with her? Would they go after Connor, just as a final, ruthless act?

  She had to think and fast.

  Rich pushed her onto the pier and before she could second-guess herself, she turned to run.

  She’d made it two steps when she felt Rich grab her ankle. She landed face-first on the pier.

  The next thing she knew, Rich cracked the butt of his gun against her head. Then everything went black.

  * * *

  John breathed a sigh of relief when they pulled the fallen dockworker out of the water. He was okay. The man’s family would have their peace of mind back.

  And John could return to the cabins.

  He looked up and saw Connor running toward him. Alarm raced through him. Something was wrong.

  He sprinted toward the boy, meeting him halfway.

  “Connor, what’s going on?”

  “Mr. Rich just grabbed my mom.”

  “Rich?”

  Connor nodded. “I ran and hid in the woods. I saw Mr. Rich put her in a boat with this other man and they took off.”

  John squatted in front of the boy. “Good work, Connor. You did the right thing. Now, listen to me. I need you to stay with your friend Tanner, okay? I’m going to go find your mom. Can you do that for me?” John had just seen Tanner and his mom, so he knew they were still here on the island.

  “Can I go with you?”

  “It’s not safe, Connor. I need you to stay here. Understand?”

  He nodded.

  “Okay, then run along to Tanner’s house. Take Rusty with you. I’ve got to go.”

  John watched as the boy hurried down the road to Tanner’s. Rusty followed behind. Then he burst into a run. By the time he got back to the cabins, the boat where Samantha had been stowed was long gone. Making matters worse was the fact that the skies were turning darker and darker. The waters wouldn’t be safe soon, maybe even before anyone had time to reach the mainland.

  Two suitcases lay abandoned at the start of the pier. It almost looked like...He shook his head. Had Samantha been planning on leaving? Was she going to take off without him?

  He’d have to think about that later. He didn’t have time to dwell on those realizations now. Not when Samantha’s life was on the line.

  Something else caught his eye. Was that...Derek?

  He knelt beside the man and put his finger to his neck. There was a heartbeat there—barely.

  As he raced toward his boat, John pulled out his cell phone and told the sheriff what was going on. Then he jumped into his boat and took off. If he moved fast enough, maybe he could catch up with the other boat. The waves rocked the watercraft, making him lose momentum. The turbulence was only going to get worse from here.

  His mind raced as the wind whipped around him. Rich was conspiring with Billy? How could his friend have done this? He’d thought more highly of him. Could money really entice people to do anything?

  Anger swelled inside him. It was his fault that Samantha was in this mess. He wasn’t going to have another replay of what happened with Alyssa. He didn’t deserve to love again, but maybe this was his chance to atone for the mistakes of his past.

  The waves crested higher and higher, making his boat rock back and forth. It wasn’t safe for anyone to be on these waters.

  As if to confirm his theory, lightning cracked in the distance.

  Where would they have gone? To the mainland?

  Any experienced boater would know they shouldn’t be out right now. But he didn’t know if Billy was experienced or not. Rich should know better.

  If Rich had any say in this, he would get off the water. There were several barrier islands around Smuggler’s Cove. Most weren’t suitable for living, but several were popular with fishermen and campers who would pull their boats up to the sandy shores for a day trip.

  Knowing Rich and his training, he would have tried to encourage Billy to go to one of the islands. It was a safer shot than weathering this storm out on the open water.

  Another wave climbed over the bow of the boat and more water filled the hull. This wasn’t good. The storm was coming, and it was coming fast. Faster than even forecasters had predicted.

  John knew he should get out of the water, but he couldn’t until he knew where Samantha was. He’d be no good to her dead, though. He had to weigh his options carefully.

  Another bolt of lightning cracked the sky, followed by a long, low rumble of thunder. Forecasters said this storm was going to be one of the worst the area had ever seen. Strong winds, torrential downpours, deadly lightning.

  As soon as the thought entered his mind, he felt the first drop of rain. Then he felt another and another. Then the entire sky seemed to open and sheets of rain began pouring down.

  Water sloshed at his feet. Before long, water would fill the entire hull and he would sink.

  Unless he got off this water, this bay would be his grave.

  Hoping his guess was right, he navigated the boat toward the three main barrier islands between Smuggler’s Cove and the mainland. Rich had to have taken Samantha to one of them.

  He veered his boat toward them, praying that he’d get there in time.

  * * *

  When Samantha regained consciousness, she was lying in a puddle of water. Rain splattered against her skin and her head throbbed.

  Everything flashed back to her. Derek being shot. Rich showing up with a gun. Billy waiting for her on the boat.

  That’s right. Rich had knocked her out.

  She pulled an eye open.

  A boat. She was on a boat.

  Because of the driving rain, they obviously hadn’t noticed her stirring. She needed to use that to her advantage. She pretended as though she was still knocked out. Over the spatter of the rain and the hum of the motor, she could make out a few words of the conversation in the distance.

  “You really think she has the information?” Rich asked, the wind whipping around him.

  “You know she does. She’s going to turn it over to authorities.” Billy held on to his hat as nature fought against him.

  “If she’s going to turn it over, why hasn’t she done it yet?”

  “She’s been scared. But one day that fear will subside. In the meantime, she needs to pay. I’ve lost everything because of her,” Billy shouted over the storm.

  Anger surged through her. None of this was her fault. Billy was the one who’d perpetrated the plan to scam people out of their money. She’d simply found him out.

  She was tired of living in fear. This was going to end today, one way or another. She would fight with everything within her to stay alive.

  “We’ve got to get off the bay. The storm came fast,” Rich shouted.

  “We need to get to the mainland.”

  “We’ll die before we do that.” Rich shook his head. “You should have come earlier.”

  “You’re the one who wanted to wait un
til John wandered away to help that man,” Billy muttered. He was still the same arrogant and saccharinely charming man. “Brilliant on your part. You knew if someone was lost in the water that John would want to help.”

  More rain hit Samantha’s face. It continued to fill the bottom of the boat. Soon, it would reach her mouth. The choppy, ravaging waters made her stomach feel queasy, seasick almost.

  “Why don’t we just throw her body in the water and be done with it?”

  “That wouldn’t be any fun. I need to know where the information is first.” Billy grabbed the side of the boat as an especially strong wave jostled the watercraft.

  Samantha slammed into the side of the boat. She fought to remain motionless, to not give any sign that she was lucid. A moment later, the two men began their shouted conversation again.

  “Whatever. I’m just hired help.”

  Billy leveled his gaze with Rich. “You’ve become more than that. You’ve become an accomplice, whether you like it or not. You’re in this. If I go down, you go down.”

  “Right now, we’re all going to go down if we don’t get off this water.”

  The boat rocked back and forth violently. More water lapped onto her face and thunder rumbled loudly. The open expanse of water seemed to amplify the sound so that Samantha could feel it all the way down to her bones.

  All of a sudden the boat jostled. Hard.

  Samantha was flung over the side of the boat. Water surrounded her. Filled her nose, her mouth.

  She burst to life. She floundered a moment, desperate to get to the surface. When she broke free, she sputtered. Tried to get the water out of her lungs. Her arms flailed as a huge wave sank her.

  Someone grabbed her wrist.

  She fought against him, trying to tread water, trying to keep air in her lungs.

  Through the haze of the rain, Billy’s face came into view. He and Rich had fallen in the water, as well.

  Even now, as the waves tried to drown her, he was coming after her.

  Using all the strength she had, she kicked at Billy. The motion seemed to be enough to buy her some time. He disappeared into the deep.

  She began swimming, fast and furious. She knew they’d said that land wasn’t too far away. But in the water, every direction appeared to be the same. She only prayed she was headed the right way. She didn’t have time to think too much, though. She had to move. It was sink or swim, and she wasn’t going down that easily.