KAYLAN GRIPPED THE seat as the boat rocketed out to sea. She studied the water skidding by beneath them and swallowed. Jumping would feel like hitting a sheet of cement. She remembered being thrown from the jet skis one too many times going forty miles an hour. She needed a different plan, but nothing came to mind.
Nothing but prayer. She’d sacrificed her peace with the Lord for her anger over what He allowed with the earthquake and Sarah Beth’s death. This time she refused to question Him. But somehow none of this seemed fair. Just when she’d found a rhythm with Nick and the beginning of a beautiful future together, all hell broke loose.
Again she struggled to trust God in a new way. She knew none of this would have happened if she weren’t dating Nick. But regardless of where this situation led, she wouldn’t trade one day with Nick for a thousand days of safety.
Megan leaned in close to be heard over the engine and thrashing waves. “Got any bright ideas?”
“Prayer.” Kaylan smiled at her roommate.
“What is it with you and thinking some invisible man in the sky is going to get us out of this? You have no idea what’s coming.”
Inwardly Kaylan groaned. “I have a good guess.”
The boat turned quickly, tossing Kaylan and Megan to the floor. The driver yelled gibberish over the noise and banked the other way, adding another burst of speed. Kaylan could almost hear the engine groan in response. Dmitri pulled a gun and stalked toward them. Bracing his feet, he pointed the gun at Megan’s head and looked to Kaylan.
“Who did you notify?” he yelled, a vein popping at his temple.
Kaylan stared back, her hands forming fists.
He pressed the barrel into Megan’s head. “Who did you tell? How?” he screamed. Kaylan wondered if he would sacrifice money to kill them before reaching their destination.
He shoved Megan out of the way and squatted next to Kaylan, the gun pointed at her chest. “I have an itchy trigger finger. Now tell me who is following us.”
Kaylan’s head snapped up, and she strained to see around him. He yelled and yanked her up with him, pulling her back against him and pointing the gun at her head. “I know the SEALs are challenging target practice. But I’m an excellent marksman. And I have bested one before.”
Kaylan saw the glint of moonlight on the side of a boat before it disappeared in the darkness. She strained to listen. Another speedboat perhaps.
Dmitri whirled her around and ran his hands up and down her body, patting her pockets. “How did you tell them, huh? How did they know?” His face turned purple when he found nothing on her, and he pushed her back to the deck.
“Maybe your precious Anya sold you out,” she spat. “Did you really think you could take us without retribution? You just ticked off an entire community of Navy SEALs.”
His foot connected with her already sore ribs, and she bit back a cry. Wincing, she rolled out of his way as he thundered back to the wheel and shouted instructions.
Megan helped her back onto the seat, the sea spray drenching them. “Do you think it’s them?”
Kaylan squinted in the darkness, unable to make out anything. “He thinks it is. Maybe they made it back. Maybe it’s the Feds. I don’t know.”
Megan stared at Kaylan in awe. “Maybe there is something to this praying thing.”
“True. But we’re not out of this yet.” Her mind began ticking again with possibilities. “Still have that screwdriver?”
Megan lifted her shirt slightly to show Kaylan the tool. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
Kaylan nodded. “One of them comes close again, you use it.”
Megan’s eyes glowed black. “Nothing like a kidnapping to turn a pacifist into a fighter.”
The boat behind them veered into sight, moonlight glinting off its white sides. Kaylan’s heart jumped as she recognized Jay’s boat. Relief flooded her. They were going to get out of this.
“Woohoo, Lover Boy and his sidekicks arrive to save the day,” Megan cheered, the sight of the SEAL team bolstering her spirits.
Dmitri let loose a string of expletives before motioning one of the men to take care of Megan and Kaylan while he joined the driver and began yelling over the sound of wind and waves. Megan tensed and slipped her hand beneath her shirt, retrieving the screwdriver. Kaylan moved closer to her as Megan hid the weapon in the space between them on the seat. Kaylan felt her trembling.
Lord, please, help.
The man grabbed a piece of rope from the deck and reached for Kaylan’s hands, binding them together with lightning speed. Kaylan winced as the ropes dug and chaffed her tender skin. Glancing at Megan out of the corner of her eye, she mouthed one word, “Now.”
Megan threw her body forward, shoving the screwdriver into the man’s leg. He let out a cry of rage as he lost his balance. Without waiting, Kaylan grabbed his shirt and propelled him forward, Megan helping as they shoved him into the sea. He tumbled once on top of the water before disappearing. The boat behind them swerved to miss him. One down. Two to go.
Dmitri cried in rage, glancing behind him at Megan and Kaylan. With a jerk of his hand the driver forced the boat to pick up speed.
Megan tugged at the ropes binding Kaylan’s hands, pulling them free. Just as the rope slipped from Kaylan’s hands, Megan screamed and jerked backward. Kaylan’s heart stopped.
“You are more trouble than you’re worth,” Dmitri screamed over the wind. He held Megan tight against him, his hand yanking a handful of her hair. Megan whimpered as Dmitri pulled his knife free from his belt and brought it to her throat.
“Say good-bye.”
Just as Dmitri tightened his grip on the knife, a shot fired. Kaylan hit the deck. She heard a scream and a splash. Megan and Dmitri were gone.
Her brain felt like a foggy mess as she stumbled to her knees. Jay’s boat slowed, and the distance lengthened between them. In the moonlight Kaylan watched two bodies dive overboard. She stifled a sob. Would they find Megan? Had she been shot?
The distance and the darkness made it impossible to see the events unfolding behind her. She forced herself to focus on escape. She whipped her gaze back to the man driving the boat. They’d maneuvered closer to the coast, and Kaylan caught a glimpse of a mansion embedded in a cove.
The drop-off. If she entered that house, she might never come out. She could no longer discern a boat behind them. She was on her own. Even if the SEALs came, she didn’t have time to wait.
She clenched her fists, still feeling the rope gripped in her fingers. Goosebumps danced up and down her arms, and her hair whipped in her face. Her fingers felt stiff from the cold and nerves. Could she overpower this guy and take over the boat? He glanced warily back at her, a gun within reach.
She had to try. She wouldn’t disappear without a fight.
She remembered Nick’s instruction that anything and everything could be a weapon. Wrapping the rope around her fists, she pulled it taut and studied the man. About five foot ten. Wiry build. Cagey eyes. No emotion. She’d have a fight on her hands for sure, but Nick had taught her to leverage what she could. Praying for strength, she began to crawl toward the front of the boat, trying to balance against the speed of the boat and the wind ripping past her.
Taking a deep breath, she shot to her feet and charged the last few steps, throwing her arms around the man’s neck, the rope pulled tight. He gagged, struggling to hold his balance. She jumped on his back, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling back on the rope with all her strength. The rough strands bit at her hands, but she held on.
His hand flew backward, grabbing a handful of hair and yanking. She screamed but tightened her grip. She had too much to lose. The boat careened into the cove and Kaylan panicked, worried they would crash. The man gurgled and whipped the wheel, sending the boat back into the waves in the open sea. A wave rocked over the side of the boat, sending shivers of fear over Kaylan. If they didn’t crash, they might capsize. She wasn’t sure which she preferred.
Kaylan doubled her efforts as the man grabbed his gun. Though he choked, she couldn’t seem to leverage her weight enough to knock him out. A boat zipped into view and pulled even. Micah stood at the wheel with Nick leaning over the side.
Nick. Kaylan realized her grip had slipped a second too late. The man yanked her head to the side again, his gun tilted backward. It fired close to her head, and she dropped from his back. Her head rang. Her stomach heaved. Everything moved in slow motion. And somewhere nearby Nick yelled.
A pair of dark eyes closed in on her face. His breath smelled like liquor. He said something indiscernible, raised the butt of the gun, and connected with her head.
Pain shot through her skull as the world faded to black. The last thing she heard was the sound of gunfire. Then nothing.