by C. J. Miller
She doubted they’d wait for an explanation why she had made a drastic decision without consulting anyone. She hadn’t had time to give a warning. She wouldn’t have known whom to alert.
As for Griffin, she had spoken words that couldn’t be taken back. Her sister had warned her to let her actions lead the way. Kit had instead tossed her heart to him.
They saw the hangar before they could see the planes and helicopters waiting on the tarmac. The airfield was busy. Hundreds of people running in various directions.
“How will we get to the chopper?” Kit asked.
“Confidence. There’s chaos around us. Walk onto the airstrip quickly, purposefully, and get into the helicopter. Don’t look around, and don’t make eye contact with anyone.”
“It can’t be that easy.”
“It’s the best-case scenario. For us. Let’s hope it works. Otherwise, follow my lead and I’ll get us out of this.”
“Do you have a plan B?” Kit asked.
“Not at the moment, but we’ll think of something.”
She loved his confidence. She was a planner. She liked having a schedule and knowing her tasks. This situation was ambiguous and ever-changing. Taking a page from her sister, Kit strutted onto the airstrip.
Incognito must not know of the airstrip’s existence, or it must have been heavily defended, since it was not under fire. Griffin pointed to the small chopper sitting unattended.
It looked old and the paint was faded, but Griffin seemed undeterred.
Griffin took her hand and helped her into the helicopter. He climbed in after her and sat in the pilot’s seat.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” Kit asked.
“I’m stealing a helicopter from the United States military.”
Her heart raced at his words. Griffin started the engine. The whirl of the blades drew attention, and military men rushed toward them, shouting at them to stop.
No turning back now. Kit prayed they would make it off the island.
The helicopter lifted off the ground. Griffin put on headphones and pointed to a set in front of her. She slipped them over her ears. As Griffin moved away from the hangar, Kit considered the possibility they would be shot down. Griffin seemed to be flying erratically. Was there something wrong with the vehicle or was he trying to avoid gunfire?
Nausea rose in her stomach. “Can you not do that with the copter?”
“If I don’t do that, we’ll be hit,” he said.
That absolutely didn’t make her feel better. Watching him guide them away from the island was watching a master at work. Instead of focusing on the unsteadiness of the chopper, she stared at Griffin’s face. Intensity and concentration etched lines into his forehead. He was a handsome man, and her love for him swelled in her heart. She was certain of her feelings, but uncertain how to make him believe them.
After a time, the battle noises from the island faded. They were far enough away that explosions no longer rocked the air around them.
Griffin let out a curse.
“Is someone following us?” she asked.
“We’re out of fuel. I’ll bring it low, and we need to jump.”
Jump into the water when it was dark? They wouldn’t know what lurked in the ocean around them. “You want us to dive into the water? There are sharks. And eels.”
“Don’t think about that. Go into the back and look for a life raft and life jackets.”
With fear making her dizzy, she searched. Metal compartments were latched closed. She checked inside each one. She found the life raft and in the cabinet below, three life vests. “I found them.”
Had the boat been tested? What if it had a leak? How long had it been sitting in the helicopter, mildewing and rotting in the humidity? The idea of dangling in the water with her life vest on was terrifying. Not that the flimsy boat would provide much protection from aggressive, hungry sea life.
“Send a message to Kate West on the satellite phone that we’ve evacuated the base. She’ll track the signal and send someone to pick us up,” Griffin said.
Kit’s hands were shaking so hard, it was difficult to type her SOS message. She read it three times to confirm she had the right information. “How are you calm right now?”
“Panicking doesn’t improve the situation,” he said.
She took a deep breath. “I sent the message.” Her phone beeped. Kate had responded, acknowledging her message. They were tracking her location via the phone and redirecting the search and rescue team that had been deployed to the military base. How far away was the closest West Company team? “Help is on the way. No ETA.”
The helicopter shuddered, and Kit grabbed a bar to steady herself.
“I need to lower the chopper into the water.”
“Will it sink?” Being trapped inside a sinking vessel terrified her. “Should we just jump?” Their phone was cutting edge technology and waterproof and would keep them connected to the West Company.
“We have to stay together and I can’t leave the copter without a pilot. It could crash anywhere, and kill someone,” Griffin said.
Kit mustered her courage. “Tell me step-by-step what to do.”
“Put on your life preserver. We’ll jump, holding on to each other, and then inflate our boat. I’ll help you into it first.”
They put on their life vests. Griffin lowered the chopper. “If this comes out of my paycheck, I’m screwed,” he said.
“I’ll pay them back,” Kit said.
“You have half a million dollars sitting around?” he asked.
“I have the money I was paid for giving up everything to focus on the Locker. I wasn’t allowed to spend the money in a way that drew attention, so yes, I have most of it.”
He let out a low whistle. “Okay, then. Distracted you long enough. Let’s move. Ready to jump? Jump away from the chopper. We’ll swim for a bit so we don’t get pulled under.”
If they split up in the water, it could be impossible to locate each other with the waves forcing them apart and the dark surrounding them.
Griffin held her hand and the boat, the water looking like black glass beneath them.
They jumped.
Chapter 13
The impact of hitting the water was shocking, and Griffin held on to Kit. She was tense, but at least she didn’t squirm, because he was also gripping the lifeboat.
Maneuvering in the water and kicking away from the chopper, he opened the raft and pulled the tab to inflate it. Getting dry would pose a problem, and the wet and the cold would make it a necessity. He couldn’t build a fire without risking their lives.
The helicopter was built to withstand limited contact with the water. Even as they waited to climb into the raft, the chopper tilted and began to sink under the water.
At least they were in the warm waters of a tropical region and not near the poles. Griffin had been in those waters before, and he’d had minutes to get dry and warm before hypothermia would have set in.
The raft inflated. Griffin helped Kit into it, then climbed inside. Kit was shivering. He didn’t have dry clothes or a blanket. The contents of his backpack were soaked.
He gathered her against him, hoping to shield her from the wind and the air. When the sun rose, their clothes would dry out, but then they’d battle dehydration.
Wrapping their bodies together, Griffin held her. He had an odd sense of warmth and comfort that had nothing to do with how his body was feeling. Kit safe in his arms was what he needed most now.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Cold. Tired. Do you see any boats?” she asked. She had tucked the phone into her life vest, and she removed it to look at it. “I can’t turn this off. The West Company is using it to track us. But I don’t have much battery left.”
“We’ll be okay. They’ll find us.”
He closed his eyes and centered himself. He knew the dangers on the open water. Rough waves could capsize them, the raft could leak and sink, sharks could confuse their raft for a tasty treat or unfriendly boats could find them.
In the distance, lightning flashed.
And a storm could be approaching, bringing torrential rains, rough waters and hazardous lightning.
Griffin hid his fear from Kit. If a storm was moving in their direction, they would need to stay calm and pray their luck held.
“Can you swim?” Griffin asked.
Kit’s eyes grew wide. “Yes. A little.”
He pulled the straps on her life vest to ensure they were tight. “We will get through this. Do you believe me?”
She swallowed hard and nodded. “You’re worried about the storm.”
He didn’t want to upset her. “I’ve seen worse.”
She buried her head into his neck. “I haven’t.”
The storm grew closer, the size of the waves increased and thunder rumbled. Water splashed into their boat. Griffin bailed it out. Kit watched him, quietly assessing the situation.
“We should have stayed on the island,” Kit said, fright heavy in her voice.
They couldn’t return to the island. They had to move forward with this plan. Incognito waited for them, and the United States military was likely furious at their actions. They had no allies in the vicinity, and zero at the military base. “We had to get away from Incognito. They were taking over the island, and they would have captured you. I couldn’t let that happen.”
The rain began to fall, soft and slow, but with every passing minute, harder and faster.
“Tell me the chances of surviving this,” Kit said.
“High.” Low. Very low. But telling her that wouldn’t help. This was a challenge to stay calm and take each minute for what it was. “It’s a passing shower.” The storm clouds loomed overhead, gathering and rolling, protesting his words.
A bright light skimmed across the water from behind them. Griffin turned. A boat was moving in their direction. A rescue boat from the West Company? Incognito tracking them?
Griffin couldn’t identify the boat by the shape.
He hated that Kit was in danger. Griffin had a weapon, but it was wet, and it might be useless against whatever threats waited on the approaching boat.
The boat stopped near them and threw them a rope. Griffin was reluctant to take it, but where else could they go? No motor, no paddles, no way to defend themselves against a storm and an unknown craft. They had to face whoever was on that boat. He grabbed the rope, and they were pulled toward the speedy watercraft.
Griffin helped Kit climb onto the boat, and he boarded after her. He and Kit were wet, cold and tired. The men on board pointed guns at them.
“Drop your backpack, phones and weapons on the deck,” a man with a strange accent directed them.
Griffin’s heart fell. He did as the man asked.
Griffin wasn’t sure how to play this. Kit was pressed close to him, shaking. From the cold or from fear? Could these men be boaters on the water and being careful to protect themselves? Were they pirates? He and Kit had little of value to steal. Or had Incognito located them?
“Thanks for picking us up. Our boat sank,” Griffin said. He could play it off like they were vacationers in the area.
“You’ve made things difficult for us,” the man said. “We’ve been searching the globe for Kit Walker. Then your military gives away where she is.” The man shifted, and Griffin noticed the Incognito spear tattoo on his neck.
They had a leak from someone on the island. Wonderful. Griffin would communicate that to Connor to be dealt with later.
“We don’t want trouble,” Griffin said.
“It doesn’t matter what you want,” the man said. “There’s a high price on your heads, and I’m bringing you in to collect my reward.”
After their escape, after everything they had done to evade Incognito, Kit had been captured.
* * *
Kit and Griffin were forced at gunpoint belowdecks into a small, damp room. It was being used as a storage closet. Their hands were tied, they had been frisked and everything but their clothes had been taken. Had the boaters left the phone powered on, or had they destroyed it and tossed it into the water? Was the West Company tracking their signal? Would they realize something bad had happened and send additional search teams? A rescue team had been en route, but this situation was more complicated than the one they had described to Connor. Would the team he sent be prepared?
The West Company had the best, most highly trained operatives. Griffin had to believe whoever came for them would expect a fight.
They were alone in the small room. Griffin wouldn’t stew on the sense of utter failure. “I’m sorry, Kit.”
“For what?”
“For running us right into this trap,” he said.
She moved closer and rubbed her shoulder against his. “I don’t blame you for this. We would be in worse trouble if we had stayed on the island.”
“We can’t know what would have happened. Maybe the West Company would have found us in time.”
“We’ll get out of this,” Kit said. “We’ve kept ourselves alive this far.” She studied his face and cleared her throat. “I’ve thought of asking you this before, but you’ve been cagey about it. Why does it bother you so much to be in charge of protecting me? You’re good at it. You’ve saved my life multiple times.”
Could he tell her the truth? What would she think of him if he did? “I’ve kept you safe. But I haven’t kept everyone safe.”
“Another client?”
Somehow he had successfully completed missions involving clients. “My wife. My late wife.”
Kit inhaled sharply. “You’ve never mentioned her.”
Kit watched him intently, and he wanted to end the conversation. But she seemed anxious to know more, and he knew she would dig around about it. “I was overseas on a mission. I was scheduled to fly home, but I missed my flight. It was two a.m. her time, and I didn’t want to call and wake her. While I waited for the next flight, I received a call from Connor that there had been a break-in at my house. My wife had come down the stairs, thinking an intruder was me, and had been killed by him.” It had been the most devastating phone call of Griffin’s life. Would Beth be alive if she had stayed in her bed? If she had stayed asleep? The robber, who was a repeat offender now serving a life sentence in prison, hadn’t killed before. He had claimed that he hadn’t planned to hurt anyone. He had thought no one was home.
“Griffin, I’m so sorry. That’s terrible. You can’t blame yourself for someone else’s actions.”
“I was due home, Kit. I was supposed to be on my way. I could have been home. If I was home, do you think I would have let my wife be killed?”
Kit laid her head on his shoulder. “I know that you would never let a client or someone you care about be hurt. I’ve seen you defend me again and again, at a cost to you. Your face is bruised. Your arms are covered in scratches. That was to protect me. You—”
The door opened to the small room, and Kit clamped her mouth shut.
A man with a doughy face, narrow eyes and an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips entered. “We’re lucky we found you first. Word went out that you fled the island. There have to be a dozen boats and aircraft searching the Pacific for you.”
Griffin’s palms itched. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt Kit. The boat had at least eight armed and trained men on board. They hadn’t killed him and Kit outright. They’d want Kit alive to help them with the Locker.
Kit was quiet.
“You have no reason to fear us,” said the man holding a gun across his chest.
Incognito had killed members of
the Locker engineering team and had been partly responsible for Zoya’s death. This group of sailors might be involved for the money and willing to kidnap for a big payday, but whom were he and Kit being delivered to?
The boat was speeding along, bouncing on the water. Any opening and Griffin would get Kit and himself out of this.
“We saved your life. You would have drowned,” the man said again. The cigarette flopped up and down as he spoke. Was he trying to convince them he was a good person?
Kit and Griffin remained silent. Antagonizing the sailors wouldn’t help, and Griffin had nothing to say on the matter.
The man ran his index finger down Kit’s cheek. She twisted her head away. “Plenty of time to talk in the future.”
Griffin didn’t like anyone touching her without her permission. His hands were little use secured behind his back, but his legs could do damage. He struck out, knocking the man to the ground. Two others from the hallway moved in to subdue him. Griffin disabled them, as well.
“Untie my hands,” he said to Kit. Before more kidnappers came to investigate, he needed his hands freed.
They turned back to back, and she untied his hands. When his were free, he did the same for her.
“What are we going to do?” she asked. She clung to him, and it wasn’t the first time the weight of her safety fell squarely on his shoulders.
He held her in the band of his arms and wished he had a plan.
“Stay in this room with the door locked,” Griffin said. “I will get control of the boat, and we’ll figure out what to do after that.” He kissed the top of her head, and she lifted her face to his.
Sliding his hand around the back of her neck, he kissed her fast on the mouth. He didn’t offer an explanation. Her lips had been there for the taking, and he grabbed chances when he could. How many more opportunities would he have to kiss her and hold her? Every moment with her was precious. He should have enjoyed them more when they had been together instead of worrying about professionalism and the future.
Griffin turned to leave, and Kit grabbed his arm. “We should both get on deck and jump.”
