by Lexi Post
Once he tied her hands behind her back, he pulled her up on to the portside seat. “Now stay there.” He turned his back on her and redirected the boat which had floated into a marshy area, no doubt filled with alligators.
She needed to do something. Maybe if she jumped out while they were going slower and still in shallow waters, she’d have a chance. She looked at the shoreline to see three alligators basking in the sun.
She swallowed. There were no roads out this far but maybe there would be a cottage or something on one of the many islands made from the rivers. If she could get people to notice her, she could yell for them to call the police. “Why are you doing this? I’ve never hurt you. I’ve been trying to help you.”
Drew shook his head. “Only because the government made you. I know how the system works. Screw the little guy.” He laughed. “But sometimes the little guy gets his revenge.”
He expertly maneuvered the boat between two islands, the narrow passageway was shallow. There were no alligators in sight, so she leaned to look over the side. Two eyes met her gaze. Crap! That plan was obviously not going to work. “Do you mean you’re the one that has caused all the accidents at the Air Station?” She needed to keep him distracted.
He smiled. “You bet. They were ingenious. Just accidents.”
“But you got hurt, too.”
He refocused on his driving, steering the boat away from rocks. “Yeah, that was supposed to be Kolbe. I set it up for him to help me, but then he went to the bathroom. I thought I had enough time to grab the tool and get away, but the freaking thing came down on me.” He looked back at her. “Turned out that was a benefit. Who would ever suspect me?”
There was a cut out in the fiberglass of the boat which allowed for additional storage next to the seat she was on, so she turned half way and put the rope against the sharp edge and started to saw while watching Drew’s every movement. It looked a hell of a lot easier in the movies. She had to stop after a minute because her arms ached.
“Was Tyler’s accident planned as well?”
Drew chuckled. “That was my masterpiece. All I had to do is stash the ratcheting cable cutter in the Dolphin when no one was around. Then I simply cut the cable and dropped the cutter into the sea after it. No one was the wiser.”
Drew paused as he started to increase their speed. “My only misplay on that one was that I thought we were over more shallow water, but it was dark, and we moved quite a bit to pull Tyler out after the victim was in the helo.”
He turned and looked at her. “Just think, if Tyler had died that night, you wouldn’t be here right now. Isn’t that a strange thought?”
She stared in shock. How could she have missed the signs? The man was a genius at hiding this side of him. She went back to sawing on the ropes, but it didn’t feel like she was making progress. She hoped he planned to drop her on Rock Island and leave her there, then she might have a chance.
But what if he just dropped her in the middle of the Gulf?
As they came around a bend in the river, the Gulf in all its yellow and orange glory came into view and Drew threw the throttle down causing her to fall from the seat on to the deck. “Ack.”
He looked behind him and laughed, but didn’t help her. Squirming her way over to the starboard side, she righted herself. The Gulf looked beautiful, but menacing as the waves grew higher and they bounced along.
It was no use talking now. He wouldn’t hear her over the wind. One of the life vests under the seat fell forward when they hit a particularly high wave. Turning so her back was against the seat as she sat on the deck, she reached her tied hands back as far as she could and grasped the life vest.
As she watched Drew, she pulled the strap around her bound hands. The clip had to be there somewhere. Another large bump sent her sliding away from the seat and jarred her teeth. She started to tear up, her frustration and fear getting the better of her.
God Tyler. I’m so sorry I didn’t forgive you. You were right.
At the thought of Tyler, she couldn’t help going over all his wonderful traits in her mind. It was a comfort even if it was useless. He had a big heart. He always played it safe. He was strong enough emotionally not to need counseling after his fall from the helicopter.
He was strong enough? Yes, he would never give up in a situation like this. Gathering her strength, she scooted back to the seat and wrapped the life jacked cord around her tied hands again. She braced her feet against the bumps to keep herself in place, taking the brunt of the jarring against her back as it hit the seat.
Finally, she felt the clip snap into place. She had one life vest attached, though in an awkward spot, but it had to be better than nothing. If her ropes let go, the life vest would no longer be attached, but then her hands would be free to put it on.
Drew slowed the boat and in a panic, she flicked her sandals off and pulled another life vest around her ankle with her foot. Then she crouched and got her butt up on the starboard seat, the life vest she attached wedged firmly between her and the seat.
Drew appeared to be looking for a particular spot. His slicked-back blonde hair now a mess from the wind and looking purple in the dying light.
Oh God, she would be out here in the dark. She looked back the way they had come. She could just make out the mouth of the river. Following Drew’s gaze, she could see a large marshy area that bled into the Gulf.
The waves buffeted the boat, making it rock precariously. The motion caused her stomach to roll over in discomfort.
“There it is!” Drew pointed, his excitement obvious.
She peered into the Eastern darkness and barely made out a small island in the middle of the marshy mess. He turned and looked at her. “That’s Rock Island. I’m delivering you as promised. I’m afraid I can’t get any closer, so you’ll have to get off here.”
He didn’t even sound sarcastic as if he really felt like he was fulfilling an obligation.
She just had to ask. “Is Tyler there?”
He laughed. “For a smart woman, you can be so dumb. Tyler doesn’t know about your little assignation. I’m the one who sent the email to you from his computer. Stupid guy doesn’t even know he sent it. And I’m home in bed because I’m sick.”
Suddenly, the reality of her next twenty-four hours, if she could make it that long, loomed up in scary terror. She had to try something. “Can’t you leave me on another island? What if Tyler does find his email. He might come looking for me.”
“No.” Drew’s answer was immediate. “This is how I planned it. We do it this way.” He stepped in front of her. “Time for you to get off.” As he grabbed her, his foot caught on the life vest that was hooked around her ankle.
“What’s this?” He pulled it from her foot and laughed. “You want a life jacket? Here you go.” He flung the jacket over the side.
“Please, Drew. Don’t do this.”
“Please Drew, don’t do this.” He repeated her plea in a falsetto voice. Then he sneered. “I’m done with you.”
Before she realized what he planned to do, he’d pulled her up against him and pushed her over the side.
* * * * *
Tyler left a message on Meghan’s voice mail, but his gut told him she wasn’t going to get it. He had to call the police.
A text message ding came in on his phone. Like he had time for that. Clicking on it quickly, he froze. It was sent thirty minutes ago. The bastard had her.
He dialed the police and explained the situation. They said they’d send a boat out immediately and told him to contact the Coast Guard. Really?
He dialed Ryan as he walked to the Chief’s office. “I got a text from her. Drew has her.”
“Damn. Did you call the police?”
“Yeah, they’re taking a boat out but they said to call the Coast Guard.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to find her.” He hung up and walked into the Chief’s office.
He was out of there in less than five
minutes, the Chief’s curses following him out the door. “Kolbe, Sam, Steve, we have a SAR!” He immediately suited up in his swim gear while his fellow crew members followed their routines.
Within minutes he was in the Dolphin and Sam had the rotors going. He just hoped that Drew hadn’t done anything to the helo. The call came in as they lifted off and the Search and Rescue became official. Thanks Chief.
He had himself wedged against the water pump and kept his eyes on the floor. Even so, he knew how high they were flying and his breathing turned shallow. He had to do this. He had to save Meghan.
He closed his eyes and reviewed memories of her. Her calm air, her intelligence, her amazing colored eyes when she took off her glasses.
“Hey, Tyler. You okay?”
He opened his eyes to see Steve frowning at him. Behind him it was pitch black outside the windows. That seemed to help. He nodded. “Yeah. Just praying. Dr. Haskell and I are in a relationship.”
Steve’s wide eyes made it clear he hadn’t known. “Do Sam and Kolbe know?”
He shook his head. “Want me to tell them?”
“Yes.” He wanted everyone to know. She was one of them. Kolbe turned around and spoke into his headset. “You have good taste, man. We’ll find her.”
He gave him a thumbs up, but stayed where he was. Did the bastard leave her stranded on that island? He didn’t even know which one it was. Half the little islands along the delta had no names. Sam had the coordinates. She would find the island, but would they find Meghan? Or Meghan’s body?
All of them were issued a Sig Sauer. Would Drew shoot Meghan and leave her body on the island? The sudden thought had his heart pounding so hard he grabbed his chest.
Fuck, he loved her.
* * * * *
Instinctually, Meghan held her breath as the warm water of the Gulf in summer surrounded her. She kicked upward and took in air as her head broke the surface. Though she had the life preserver clipped to her hands, she still grasped it for the life line it was.
Drew waited for her to come up then revved the engines and spun the boat around, adding to the waves and throwing water over her. She coughed as she continued to kick to keep her head above the water with no hands.
The life jacket tried to push her forward, so she maneuvered it beneath her butt. That helped, but she still needed to use her feet to stay upright. There was very little light in the sky, just a tiny sheen still left bouncing across the waves. It wasn’t much, but it did show her the other life jacket floating away.
Her eyes filled with tears. She should have listened to Tyler. She wouldn’t be out in the Gulf with her hands tied behind her back if she had. Did he know she was out here or did he head home from work, thinking that she was still mad at him?
None of that would help her now. It was time to take some of her own advice. It was easy to tell Alix that she could still have a life, but now Meghan had to prove that she could handle a traumatic event herself. Looking around, she could just make out the blurry lights of a boat heading the opposite way of the horizon. Her glasses had come off as she fell into the Gulf, so it wasn’t very clear. She needed to move in the direction of that boat before she drifted too far into the Gulf.
But too close to shore and she’d have to contend with alligators. What would Tyler do? He always played it safe. What was safe? Keeping land in sight. She might get lucky and a boat heading into the river might see her.
With no other option, she kicked herself in the general direction of where she thought the river was. When a large wave hit her, she stopped kicking to save her energy. Though the water was warm this time of year, it definitely wasn’t body temperature. She could see herself dying of hypothermia before ever getting picked up.
Okay, if I get close to land, I will brave the alligators to get out of the water. Having a plan made her feel productive, so she continued her never-ending trek towards the river. Kicking forward, resting with the waves. She refused to give up even though she couldn’t see a single light anywhere.
* * * * *
The flight to the coast felt longer than usual. He wanted to be there. To find Meghan. It didn’t help that he was sweating profusely, but at least his stomach had stopped trying to come up.
Kolbe turned around and spoke into the head set. “We just got word the police caught Drew on his way in.”
“Is Meghan with him?”
Kolbe turned back to talk to Sector.
Tyler felt like ever part of his body was wound as tight as an anchor winch. If he heard good news, he’d probably fall just as fast.
Kolbe spoke again. “That’s negative. Drew is claiming that he has no idea what they are talking about.”
“Fuck. Did he have his Sig with him?” Once again, he had to wait.
Finally, Kolbe answered. “Negative.”
Relief washed through Tyler at the news. “That means we have to find her. How close are we to this Rock Island?”
“ETA is two minutes.”
Tyler focused on adjusting his equipment and getting ready. If she was in the water or on the island, he would find her. If she had a life jacket on, they just needed to worry about hypothermia. If she was unconscious on an island, they had to worry about animals. If she was unconscious and in the water without a life jacket, then she…
He couldn’t even go there. She was alive. He had to believe that.
“Turning on the search light.” Sam’s voice came over the headsets.
In other words, they all needed to look out the windows for Meghan. He swallowed hard. He would do this.
Forcing himself to the side, he looked down to the inky black water as his stomach crawled up his throat. Darkness started to crowd his vision and he closed his eyes against it. He would not pass out. Meghan needed him.
Opening his eyes again, he forced himself to look.
The Dolphin circled the island first, very low, but there was no evidence of anyone there. No footprints and no drag marks. That meant Meghan was in the water.
He swallowed as Sam made a wider loop to view the swampy area around the small piece of land. Still no sign of her. God, he hoped she hadn’t been in that mess.
Sam then started the usual search pattern which put them higher.
Again, he felt himself losing vision and he closed his eyes against it, even as he swallowed the bile that came up into his mouth. Snapping his eyes open again he studied the waves.
“There!” He yelled over the headset. “Four o’clock.”
Sam circled around, but flew lower. There was definitely something there. But if it was a person, they weren’t waving or anything. Was it Meghan and was she conscious? He looked at his watch. She could have been in the water for over an hour already. “Lower.”
He took off his head set and donned his fins and adjusted his mask, refusing to think about the fact he would have to go down. He moved toward the edge, but didn’t look over.
Steve grinned. “At least you don’t have to worry about Drew. No more accidents.”
Holy shit! Steve was right. In his worry for Meghan, he’d forgotten that. No cut cable this time. He swung his legs over the side and gave Steve the thumbs up. Then he jumped.
The water went over him and he popped back up. Now he was in his element. He couldn’t see anything nearby in the ink darkness so he looked up at Steve who pointed.
Tyler set out, keeping his strokes even until he crested a wave and saw the object they’d found. It was definitely Meghan, but she wasn’t facing him. There was no way she would hear him over the Dolphin’s blades, so he didn’t call out, but swam faster. When he reached her, he spun her around. “Meghan!”
She looked at him in shock, but didn’t hang on to him. Everyone who was rescued tried to hang on. “Meghan, are you okay?”
She shook her head even as her teeth chattered. “Tied…tied…my…hands.”
His heart went into double time as he reached around her with one arm and found her hands tied together behind her back. He held
her to him as he used his other hand to pull his knife out and saw at the water-logged rope.
He couldn’t keep them afloat and get through the rope.
He signaled for the basket. “We’re going to get you into the helo. Then I’ll get that rope off you.”
She didn’t respond, her teeth chattering the only movement in her face. When the basket dropped, he tilted it and pulled her torso onto it first. Then he brought her legs up and gave the thumbs up.
As he watched the woman he loved be pulled into the Dolphin, his whole body seemed to uncoil with relief. Usually, at this point in a rescue, he enjoyed the moment while he waited for the cable, floating with the sea enjoying his success, but tonight he was impatient.
When the cable finally came down, he grabbed on and started to rise, a vision of himself falling flashed through his mind and he pushed it away. Drew was gone and he wanted to be with Meghan, no matter how high he was.
As he entered the helo, Steve slammed the door shut and Sam headed for land. Tyler whipped off his helmet and fins and pulled his knife from his vest again.
Steve had Meghan covered in blankets. He looked at her but her eyes were closed and her breaths shallow. “Come on Meghan, stay with me.” Gently, he rolled her to her side, motioning Steve to hold her there. It took him a good five minutes to get everything cut off including the life jacket. He was glad he hadn’t tried any longer in the ocean.
How she managed to hook a life jacket was beyond him, but he was thankful she had. Even he would have a hard time staying afloat with his hands tied behind his back.
Rage at Drew started deep in his belly, but he squashed it. Meghan was his priority. He rubbed her wrists to get the blood flowing again, her hands already showing tinges of blue. Then he rolled her back over and tucked the blankets around her. He knelt next the basket and brushed her wet hair from her face. “Meghan?”
She didn’t respond.
He needed her to remain conscious, so he kissed her. At first her salty lips remained still, but as he put his soul into the kiss, she moaned. When she started to kiss him back, he wanted to laugh with relief.