“I don’t deserve it.” She shook her head again, her guilt obvious.
“None of us do. But the good part is that God gives it anyway.”
She spontaneously leaned toward him and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”
Warmth spread through him. He wished he could enjoy the moment more, but he had other more pressing things to think about. Like survival. He hoped there’d be time for more of this later. “Thank me after we get out of this alive.”
Just as he said the words, waves rocked the boat again. Water dipped over the edges and pooled at their feet. The wind whipped up around them, sending a promise of danger with it. With every second, their chance of survival lessened.
“What are we going to do?” Madelyn clung to the edges of the boat, her knuckles white.
The tide continued to push them farther out into the ocean. Zach wished they had a paddle or something that could help them move. But all their efforts would be futile. The ocean was too strong.
Their best chance of getting through this was being rescued. Chris had said he was sending out a team after Zach called him earlier. But if Tyler figured out what he’d done, he would misdirect the Coast Guard. That’s what he’d been doing all along, if Zach had to guess.
A bad feeling churned in his gut.
“Just hold on,” Zach yelled, raising his voice to be heard over the wind.
More water sloshed into the boat as the ocean grumbled around them.
He looked behind him as Madelyn gasped. As he did, a huge wave washed over their boat and sent them both flying into the ocean.
TWENTY-FOUR
Cold water hit Madelyn’s face. Covered her body. Submerged her.
The chill took her breath away.
She scrambled to find the surface, to find air for her lungs. But the current pulled her under and made it impossible to right herself or gain any control.
As another wave submerged her, strong arms surrounded her waist. The next instant, she broke the surface and gulped in air.
Zach, she realized. Zach had rescued her.
He was always there, always saving her.
“We’re going to be okay,” he assured her, one arm still holding her up while the other treaded water.
But how could he know how everything would turn out? Life didn’t always work out the way we wanted.
Lord, help us now. Please.
After whispering amen, she searched in the distance for the rowboat. It was probably twenty feet away already. How had that happened so quickly?
“We need to get to the boat. It will give us something to hold on to. Can you make it?” Zach asked as a wave washed over them.
Madelyn sputtered a moment, fighting panic. Finally, she nodded, although she wasn’t certain at all that she would make it. Her limbs already felt tired and spent. Battling the ocean waters had drained her.
She gave it everything she had and pushed herself through the water toward the boat. For every foot closer, the boat seemed to slip away an equal distance.
Zach paused beside her, treading water. Worry creased the corners of his eyes. “Can you wait here? I’ll get the boat and bring it back.”
Madelyn nodded, but her teeth were already beginning to chatter. She wasn’t going to be able to do this much longer. “Okay.”
Zach dove into the water. She held her breath, waiting for him to resurface. Finally, his head bobbed in the water several feet away.
Thank you, Jesus.
A few moments later, Zach pulled the boat back. Madelyn dragged herself halfway in. At least part of her body was out of the frigid water. But with every wave, with every second in the cold, her strength lessened.
“You can do this, Madelyn,” Zach said, holding on to the boat beside her.
She tried to nod but wasn’t sure if she succeeded.
“I’m here with you,” he told her. “You’re not alone.”
Something about his words gripped her heart. She wasn’t alone. Even after seeing the horrible way she’d acted, Zach had stuck with her. Rescued her. Maybe even loved her.
Just then a boat appeared in the distance.
Madelyn saw the Coast Guard emblem on the side.
They were safe. Finally, they were safe.
* * *
Chris wrapped blankets around both Zach and Madelyn as they huddled on plastic seats in the cabin of the boat. Hot air blared from a smaller heater in front of them.
Warmth had never felt so good.
“I’m glad we found you when we did,” Chris said, sitting across from them. “I followed your lead, Zach, but I didn’t see anyone at the cabin when I arrived. We decided to check the waterways.”
“We’ve got to go after them,” Madelyn said. Her teeth still chattered, and her hands shook so badly she couldn’t hold any coffee.
Zach wished she would drink something warm, but at least they’d be on shore soon. Medics could check her out for hypothermia.
“I don’t think you’re in a state to go anywhere,” Zach said.
She shook her head. Despite everything that had happened, determination still stained her gaze. “We don’t have a choice. They’re going to head to the Caribbean. I heard them talking about it.”
“How do they plan on getting there?” Chris asked. “To traverse those waters, they’ll need a bigger boat than any they can dock at the creek by their cabin.”
“They won’t waste any time leaving,” Madelyn said, staring off into the distance for a moment. “We’ve got to go to the marina in Waterman’s Reach. The boats there are the only ones big enough to be out in this weather and not be destroyed.”
“We’ll head there now,” Chris said. He called instructions to the captain at the wheel in front of them.
Zach’s mind raced. Finally Madelyn was safe. But he couldn’t let Tyler and Thad get away with all of this. More people would just get hurt in the long run if they continued their drug running.
Madelyn pointed in the distance. “There’s another boat crazy enough to be out in this weather. Do you think...?”
Zach stood, squinting as he tried to get a better look. “Chris, can we pull up closer?”
“You got it.”
As they got closer to the boat, a familiar figure appeared on the deck.
Tyler.
He and Thad were a good half a mile away from the Waterman’s Reach harbor and probably thinking they were home free.
Just then, a bullet shot through the air, piercing the glass near them. They were firing on them, Zach realized.
“Take cover!” Chris shouted.
Zach pulled Madelyn to the floor. Shouts sounded outside. More bullets were fired. Some of the coasties on board ran on the deck, taking cover and grabbing their own weapons.
“What are you guys doing?” Zach asked Chris as he tried to figure out their plan of action.
Chris glanced toward the window beyond him. “As soon as it’s safe, my people will board and take them into custody. They’re outnumbered, and we’ve got a bigger boat. There’s no way they’re getting away from us.”
More gunshots sounded and more shouts roared outside the cabin. The boat tossed in the water, much more stable than the rowboat, but the ocean right now still offered a rough ride.
“What’s going on now?” Zach asked, desperate to look for himself. He tried to stay close to Madelyn, though. Her skin almost had a bluish tint to it that worried him.
Chris peered through the window. “My men are on board the yacht. They caught one guy. The burly one.”
Thad, Zach realized. “What about Tyler?”
“They’re still looking for him,” Chris said.
“Stay here,” Zach told Madelyn. “Please. I want to see what’s going on out there
myself.”
She nodded.
Zach looked at his friend. “Chris, you have any objections?”
“You’re an officer of the law. Proceed at your own risk.”
Zach leaned toward Madelyn and brushed a kiss across her forehead. “I love you.”
A smile spread across her lips. “I love you, too. I’ll be fine. Now go get him.”
Zach stepped onto the deck and peered over the rail. As a chilly wind hit him, he shivered. He ignored the cold and watched as coasties searched the yacht.
Where was Tyler? The man couldn’t have gone but so far. His boat was a decent size, but it wasn’t so big that he shouldn’t have been discovered yet.
Just then, Zach spotted someone in the water, swimming away from the scene.
Tyler!
Zach glanced around. No one else appeared to have spotted him.
No way was he letting Tyler get away.
Without time to second-guess himself, he jumped into the water. Biting cold surrounded him, but he didn’t care. He’d have time to get warm later.
Zach used every last ounce of his energy to propel himself through the water. He took big strokes, not giving himself time to think about the pain tingling at his fingertips and toes.
He quickly closed in on Tyler, who seemed to flail at the shock of the water. He was struggling to swim through the cold.
Finally, Zach was close enough to grab the man’s shoulder. He dragged Tyler to a stop before raising his fist and punching him square on the face.
Tyler sputtered, struggling just to stay afloat.
“You didn’t think you were going to get away with this, did you?” Zach asked.
Tyler moaned. “I did actually. I was so close.”
Before Zach could respond, Coast Guard vessels surrounded them. They took Tyler into custody and pulled Zach out of the water.
It was over. It was finally all over.
EPILOGUE
Madelyn stood on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and let the breeze wash over her. She gulped in a deep breath of fresh air. She could really get used to being here.
Despite everything that had happened, life had somehow worked out.
Tyler and Thad were captured as they’d tried to escape to Bermuda. Based on the staggering amount of evidence proving their involvement in the drug-trafficking ring in Waterman’s Reach, it looked like they’d be spending a long time in jail.
Zach’s reputation had been restored. In fact, a few national newspapers had run a story on his heroism. His name was finally free and clear, and several law enforcement agencies had contacted him about job opportunities. He could put everything that had happened behind him.
Madelyn had given up her job with East Coast International. When she’d gone in to the office to turn in her resignation, she’d been surprised to discover that Paula had been fired once people discovered she’d written that article on Zach and put Madelyn’s name on it.
In a surprising turn of events, Madelyn had discovered that Paula and Mario, the boy killed in the drug bust, were actually cousins. Paula wanted revenge on Zach for her perceived injustice. She wasn’t willing to come to Waterman’s Reach herself because she feared Zach would recognize her. Apparently, they’d had a confrontation at Mario’s funeral.
She wanted to put that part of her past behind her. Her drive to succeed had made her compromise her convictions. She couldn’t let that happen again. Instead, she would freelance for some local magazines for a while until she figured out what kind of permanent, full-time job she wanted.
And, last but not least, Waterman’s Reach was getting the boost the town had hoped for. With all of the media attention, the town had practically been made famous. People were coming out to see the place that time left behind. Even Eva and Milton seemed to have forgiven Madelyn for the misunderstanding, and both had been cleared of any involvement.
Someone appeared behind her on the shore and wrapped his arms around her waist. She grinned.
Zach.
“I thought I might find you out here,” he said, his breath hitting her ear.
“This is my favorite place. Now I’m here with my favorite person. It doesn’t get much better than this.”
“It doesn’t, does it?” He rested his chin on her shoulder.
Just being in his arms made her feel safe and secure, like she was stronger for it. It had been a hard journey to get here, but it felt good to finally have arrived.
“So, what did you decide?” She turned to face him.
Just seeing Zach’s features made her feel warm and cherished. She wanted to memorize the lines of his face and the sound of his laughter and the feeling of being so close to him.
“I decided to stay,” he said.
She raised her eyebrows. “You’re staying in Waterman’s Reach. I’m surprised.”
“Disappointed?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No, not at all. It’s a great little town.”
“I agree. However, I won’t be chief. I’m going to work for the state police.”
“That’s great.”
He nodded. “I can finally build on that nice little piece of property. I can put down some roots.”
She smiled. “It sounds like everything you’ve ever wanted. You deserve it, Zach.”
“I’m hoping you might stick around with me.”
Her heart sped up.
“I know we haven’t known each other that long. Only a few months now. But I want to spend forever with you, Madelyn. I want us to make a life together.”
“Are you serious?”
“More than ever.” He got down on one knee. “Madelyn Sawyer, will you marry me?”
She stared at the ring in his hand before a huge smile spread across her face. “Yes. Yes, I will!”
He slipped the ring on her finger before standing and pulling her into a long embrace.
Madelyn could hardly believe she’d found love with the very man she was supposed to expose. After everything they’d been through, she’d never doubt him again. Zach had gone from being the story of a lifetime to being the love of her life.
And she couldn’t be happier about it.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from COLD CASE WITNESS by Sarah Varland
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Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for taking the time to read Dark Harbor. I hope you enjoyed getting to know Zach Davis and Madelyn Sawyer just as much as I did.
While I wrote this book, I was able to spend a significant amount of time on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, where this book takes place. I visited the small towns there and formulated ideas for the fictional town of Waterman’s Reach. The Eastern Shore truly is a gem and, in so many ways, untouched. There’s a quieter pace of life between the farmlands, the bay and the ocean.
In Dark Harbor, Zach Davis was held responsible for a crime he didn’t commit. We can be thankful that Jesus paid for sins He didn’t commit when He died on the cross in order to give us hope. No matter what’s happened in our past or what’s happening now in our lives, we can rest assured that God is watching over us, that He loves us and that He’s got everything under control. God truly is a harbor for us all, in times of storms and peace.
Many blessings,
Christy Barritt
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Cold Case Witness
by Sarah Varland
ONE
The steps groaned, the only sound in the south Georgia silence, as Gemma Phillips took another step toward the place she’d promised herself she’d never go again—the place where her nightmares had begun a decade before.
She took another step anyway, and another, until she was at the top of the stairs, hand poised to knock on the door of the portable office building where the Treasure Point Historical Society—and hopefully her future—awaited.
A month ago, Gemma would have said this job, helping the town develop and implement a marketing plan for the new museum being built on the Hamilton Estate, was beneath her. If she had her choice, she’d still be anywhere but here. But her job in Atlanta was gone and so were her savings. Treasure Point, where she could stay with her sister rent-free while job hunting, had looked like her only option—still did, unfortunately. And this job was the only one in town remotely close to what she enjoyed doing. She needed this to work.
Dark Harbor Page 19