It was clear to Vin that things were going south in a hurry. He and Oleg stood in the yacht’s tiny living area, staring at each other. Blindingly bright beams of light from the police boat cut through the portholes. Outside, orders blared, telling them to cut their engines. Telling them to come out with their hands up.
Where there was one unit of Harbor Patrol you could bet there would soon be more. Eventually with the addition of the Coast Guard and Homeland Security. It wouldn’t be long until they were surrounded. Any opportunity to escape was quickly slipping away. But Oleg seemed rooted to the spot.
“We’ve got to get out of here!” Vin yelled at him.
Oleg shook his head and muttered to himself in Russian. Vin wanted to shake him. If Vin just knew how to drive this stupid boat, they would have been long gone by now.
They both jumped as something heavy landed on the aft deck, shaking the whole yacht. What had the cops tossed on board? Some kind of anchor? A flash-bang grenade to temporarily disable them?
But then the door at the top of the stairs opened and Vin realized it had been a person. All he could see was a black shadow silhouetted against the bright lights. Moving to put Oleg’s bulk between himself and the intruder, Vin raised his gun and fired. Oleg did as well.
The small space of the cabin rang with the sound of multiple gunshots.
Oleg screamed like a girl and crumpled to the floor. The cop tumbled down the stairs and then landed half on and half off a suede banquette. Blood was gushing from his face, and his right arm was twisted at an odd angle.
Neither the cop nor Oleg was moving.
Vin ran for the controls. There were dozens of dials, sliders, switches, and what looked like gearshift handles. The only thing he was sure how to operate was the metal steering wheel. He set down his gun. The engines were still thrumming, but he needed to make the boat go forward. Desperately he began to shove and push at the levers. If he could just get back on land, he might still stand a chance. He didn’t care if he ran this stupid thing up onto the rocks and tore off the bottom. He just had to turn tail and get out of there while there was still time.
But instead of revving, the engines abruptly cut off with a clunk that he felt as much as heard.
No! He was not going to be trapped in here. He was not going to die in a space hardly bigger than a prison cell.
Vin ran out onto the deck, his eyes nearly closed against the blinding light, not paying any attention to the amplified commands being shouted at him.
Someone punched him in the shoulder. Vin spun around to see who it was. But no one was there. His arms pinwheeled as he lost his balance. As he fell back off the deck, he only had eyes for the neat round hole in his chest.
The water closed over his face before Vin even had a chance to be surprised.