By Sea

by Carly Fall

  Rayna smiled. “Where did that rule come from?” she asked.

  “It was my father’s rule for his fishing boat, and I adopted it.”

  “What other directives did your father have?”

  Brody shrugged. “You don’t chase away the sea birds because they are the souls of fallen sailors. You also never whistle on the Bridge.”

  “Why not?”

  “It’s just a rule he had. I never questioned it.”

  “That’s a beautiful theory on the sea birds,” Rayna murmured.

  “Yeah, it is,” Brody whispered, lifting her hand and kissing it.

  The silence around them was tense, but Brody felt as if he and Rayna were trapped in a bubble of contentment. He may have a law about not saying anything negative on the Bridge, but he was scared. Not for himself, but if anything happened to Rayna, it would be a blow he didn’t know if he could recover from. He sent up a silent prayer that the night remained quiet and their attackers did not show up again.

  After a long while, Rayna said, “I should go back downstairs.”

  Reluctantly, he removed his arm from her shoulders. The plan was for Rayna to stay downstairs and make sure Margarita was safe at all times.

  “Yeah, you probably should,” he said, hearing the regret in his voice.

  Rayna stood and headed for the door. She stopped and turned. “Goodnight, Brody,” she said.

  Her mussed hair framed her pretty face, and her grey eyes glittered in the light from the control console. The black tank-top she wore hugged her chest, and the Batman boxers were cute as hell on her. Brody’s heart squeezed as she smiled at him.

  “Goodnight,” he said.

  He listened as she made her way down the staircase, and then Brody lay down on the bench, knowing he should be trying to rest.

  Chapter 42

  Rayna sat up in bed, unsure of what she had heard. She’d been sound asleep, but a noise woke her. Her heart pounded as she broke out into a light sweat.

  She waited a moment, and then heard the noise again. It sounded like a muffled scream, and Rayna scrambled out of bed and grabbed her gun off the dresser. Pressing her ear against the door, she heard it again, and realized it was coming from Margarita’s room.

  Rayna quietly opened the door and stepped into the small hallway. She glanced up at the camera and motioned for Brody to come down while pointing her gun at Margarita’s door.

  She hoped he wasn’t sleeping and saw her.

  The muffled scream came again, and then a low voice. Rayna had hoped Margarita was having a nightmare, but there was definitely someone in there with her.

  Reaching out, she grasped the door handle, took a deep breath and calmed herself. Whether she liked it or not, this was the moment all her training was going to pay off. It was too bad it involved her sister.

  She slowly opened the door and took in the scene in front of her. Margarita and another person were rolling around on the bed, and it looked as if Margarita was trying to fight them off.

  “Get off her,” Rayna said, her voice deadly calm.

  The intruder looked up at her just as Rayna flipped on the overhead light, and shock rolled through her as she recognized Heidi.

  Margarita squirmed and kicked, but Heidi hauled her off to the other side of the bed, using her as a human shield, pressing the gun to Margarita’s temple.

  “Get out of the way, bitch,” Heidi hissed.

  “And just where do you think you’re going?” Rayna asked, holding the gun on the other side of the doorway and leaning against the doorjamb. She hoped she looked calm and collected, like she ran into someone holding a gun to her sister’s head all the time. In reality, panic and fear gripped her heart, coiled in her stomach, and restricted her throat while sweat trailed down her spine.

  “I’m taking her, and I’m getting off this damn yacht,” Heidi said.

  In the distance, Rayna heard the distinct hum of an approaching boat.

  “Why would you do that?” Rayna asked as her heart thudded in her chest. Margarita gazed at her with terror, her eyes looking as though they may pop out of her head as Heidi held a hand over her mouth.

  Heidi laughed. “Money, you stupid bitch.”

  Rayna knew she had to keep Heidi talking until the sound of the boat woke the others. Then Rayna wondered if Heidi had killed everyone else on the boat, and her stomach clenched again and tears threatened to drop. Pushing away the thought, she concentrated on the task at hand: keeping her sister alive and on this boat. Finding out what Heidi was up to would be a bonus.

  The more she talked to Heidi, the more relaxed Heidi would become. Well, that’s what they told her in training. She’d never been on an actual field assignment, so she really didn’t know.

  “Who’s paying you, Heidi?” she asked, moving into the room lacing her hands behind her, hiding her gun. “How much are you getting?”

  Heidi chuckled. “More than enough.”

  “Who’s writing the check?”

  “The Cartel, of course,” Heidi growled.

  “And how exactly did you get in touch with them?” Rayna asked, moving farther into the room, taking a quick glance around. If Heidi decided she’d had enough talking, Rayna would have to move quickly so she didn’t get shot. There wasn’t anywhere for her go except back out into the hallway, and she hoped if Heidi did decide to shoot, her aim would be off.

  “It was easy. I just looked up Margarita on Facebook, went through her friends and comments until I found her ex-boyfriend. I sent him a message, and he was very happy to hear from me.”

  Rayna marveled at the simplicity of Heidi’s plan, and decided she hated social media more than ever. Never in a million years would she have guessed that one of the crew would turn on their own.

  “Well, here’s what I think,” Rayna began. “I think that—”

  “Stop talking, Ms. CIA. I’m leaving, and you’re dying.”

  Rayna smiled. “Do you really think you’re going to get off this boat?”

  Margarita shook her head as tears streamed down her face.

  “I am getting off this boat,” Heidi sneered, her pretty face looking positively evil.

  The next moments seemed to last a lifetime. Heidi raised her gun at Rayna, and Margarita screamed, a sound Rayna couldn’t hear. The only thing that registered was the beating of her own heart.

  Rayna pulled her gun from behind her and aimed at Heidi’s head, the only part of her body that wasn’t blocked by Margarita’s.

  Heidi fired, and Rayna felt the excruciating burn as the bullet grazed her shoulder, but ignored it. She pulled the trigger, never for a moment doubting her aim. The smell of gunpowder wafted around the room, and Heidi slumped to the floor while Margarita scrambled to get away from her. Rayna walked to the other side of the bed and pointed her gun at Heidi. Blood oozed from the wound in her forehead, her dead, blue eyes staring upward.

  Rayna turned to her sister, who looked at her in horror, her mouth gaping. After a few seconds, Margarita’s screams registered as she glanced from Rayna back to Heidi.

  “Hey,” Rayna whispered as her hands began to shake, “It’s okay. You need to relax a little bit.”

  Rayna could see calming Margarita wasn’t going to be an easy task. Margarita had jammed herself into the corner between the wall and nightstand and continued to screech at the top of her lungs as she gazed in horror between Heidi and her sister.

  Rayna grabbed her hand and jumped on the bed, pulling her sister with her so Margarita wouldn’t have to step over Heidi to get out of the room. Rayna then hopped off the other side and pushed Margarita out the door.

  Rayna realized she no longer heard the boats, but she didn’t know if it was because they had arrived or she was partially deaf from the gunshot. Margarita sobbed next to her, tears and snot running down her face, shaking as if she didn’t have a bone in her body.

  Hearing footsteps above them, Rayna shoved Margarita into her stateroom and slammed the door. She aimed her gun toward
the stairs and waited.

  Chapter 43

  The sound of approaching boats woke Brody, and he ran to the Main Salon. The unmistakable pop of a gunshot from downstairs almost paralyzed him with fear.

  “Rayna!” he yelled, running for the stairs.

  He bounded down them, the smell of gunpowder curling the air, and was both surprised and relieved when Rayna stood in the small hallway, blood dripping down her arm. She pointed her weapon directly at him, bringing him to an immediate halt.

  “Don’t shoot, Rayna,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm. “It’s me.”

  After a moment, she nodded as she lowered her gun. Her hands shook and tears welled in her eyes.

  “What happened?” he asked, looking at her wound.

  Rayna glanced at the closed door to Margarita’s room, and Brody could hear muffled sobs coming from Rayna’s cabin.

  “Heidi,” Rayna whispered. “I-I . . . she wanted money . . . ”

  “What?” Brody asked, not understanding. He pushed open the door and immediately saw the crimson stain on the far wall, the coppery stench of blood overwhelming the smell of gunpowder. He walked over and looked down at Heidi’s body.

  “Jesus,” he muttered, turning back to Rayna, who stood in the doorway.

  “What happened?” he demanded. When she said nothing and her gaze focused on the bloodstain, he yelled, “Focus, Rayna, and tell me what went down here!”

  Slowly, she turned and looked at him. Squaring her shoulders, she said in a clipped tone, “I heard muffled sounds coming from this room. I opened the door and Heidi had Margarita. She said she was going to turn Margarita over to the Cartel for money.”

  “How did she—”

  “Facebook,” Rayna interrupted. “She found the picture, scrolled through her friends and found Miguel DiMarco’s name and messaged him.”

  Brody ran his fingers through his hair. “Fucking hell,” he whispered. “Heidi was a bitch, but I never in a million years thought she’d pull something like this.”

  Brody glanced over at Rayna. She trembled and tears threatened to fall again, but she was trying to hold it together. Brody realized she must be in shock. “You need to stay strong, Rayna,” he said, laying his hand on her good shoulder. “Let me take a look at your arm.”

  After a cursory glance, he could see it was a flesh wound and not life threatening. She may need a couple of stiches, but that was going to have to wait. He put his finger under her chin and lifted her face. Their gazes locked, and the fear he saw in them pained him, but it also angered him. He wanted to put another bullet in Heidi for what she’d done.

  “You lose it later, okay Ray?” he murmured. “Right now, I need you firing on all cylinders. Can you do that for me?”

  Rayna searched his face a moment, and Brody wondered if she’d even heard him. Finally she took a deep breath and nodded.

  “Let’s go,” Brody said, worried he couldn’t hear the boats any longer. If they had boarded, it was going to be a bloodbath.

  “They’re here!” Jason called down the stairs, and Brody heard the first round of gunfire.

  Chapter 44

  Rayna followed Brody up the stairs, her focus back, her fear pushed aside. Jason, Katie and Danny had opened the windows an inch or two and were firing at two boats approaching off the back deck. The assailants realized they were under attack and returned fire. When it became apparent their bullets weren’t penetrating the glass, they started their boats up and began to take off.

  Brody marched over to the glass doors and out to the back deck, his hands in fists at his sides. Rayna followed, having trouble keeping her balance as the boat rocked. Jason, Katie and Danny were behind her.

  “You don’t fuck with my boat!” he screamed as the wind whipped through his hair. The humid air hung heavily, and Rayna remembered Brody had said they were supposed to get another storm. She glanced up at the sky only to see darkness, the clouds hiding the moon. Brody stood in the middle of the deck, his back to her with his arms stretched out to his sides. Slowly, he lifted them to the heavens.

  The boat rocked and tipped, tossing Rayna to the side. She gripped the stair’s hand railing with her left hand, white-hot pain radiating throughout her body as the boat lurched and her wounded shoulder hit the stairs. The chairs on the deck moved right and left, and a couple of them eventually went overboard. Sinking to the deck, she glanced over at the other crewmembers. They too were being thrown around, and struggled to get a grip on something to stabilize themselves. The only one who seemed to have firm footing was Brody.

  “Brody!” she screamed as seawater sloshed onto the deck.

  He didn’t answer, but continued to raise his arms. The sea around the boat raged with whitecaps as it slapped against the hull, and Rayna choked as more saltwater splashed in her face. She had no idea what was going on, but she did consider that the boat very well may capsize and she was going to die.

  Ocean funnels formed on each side of the yacht, growing by the second as they sprayed seawater all over the deck. Rayna tried to shield her eyes with her hand as the funnels rocketed upward. She gauged they were around twenty-five feet high. Brody lowered his arms so they were horizontal again. The water tornadoes stood beside the boat, as if they were waiting for a command. It was then Rayna realized Brody was responsible for it all.

  He pushed his arms forward with a primal scream, and the funnels took off chasing the boats that were about 100 yards away. Horrified and fascinated, Rayna stood and watched as each funnel caught its target. Brody then once again put his arms horizontal, as if he were keeping the tornadoes over the boats. The screams from the men on the boat only lasted seconds until they were overcome by Brody’s creations. A few minutes passed, and Brody dropped his arms.

  The sea calmed almost instantly, an eerie silence blanketing them. After a moment, Rayna heard the chattering of dolphins off the side. She glanced over the railing at them. They jumped and trilled, as if they were congratulating Brody on a job well done.

  Rayna looked out to where the two boats should have been, and couldn’t see anything. Although it was dark, she expected to see some sort of outline of wreckage, but there was nothing. It was as if the ocean had swallowed the boats and people and taken them within its belly, claiming them as its own.

  “What the hell was that?” Danny asked no one in particular.

  “Jason, Danny, wrap up Heidi’s body and leave it in the room,” Brody ordered. “I’ll explain later what exactly happened. Right now I need to call Joe and see what to do with the body and update him on what just happened. After you’re done downstairs, all three of you get me a damage report.”

  “Oh my God,” Rayna whispered when Brody looked over at her.

  “I’m pretty sure He’s got nothing to do with this,” Brody said as he walked back into the Main Salon.

  Chapter 45

  Brody sat in the Bridge talking to Joe Smith, letting him know the crew was now fully aware of his capabilities, as was Rayna.

  “She might be a problem,” Joe said. “I’m going to have to make sure she’s followed and all correspondence is monitored.”

  “I don’t think it will be an issue,” Brody said, hearing footsteps on the stairs, “but I appreciate you looking out for me.”

  “Before this Cartel can send in another crew, I want you to head to St. Maarten Marina and dock there. No sense going back to St. Thomas. I’ll send someone to meet you at the dock and deal with Heidi’s remains.”

  “You got it,” Brody said as he turned to see Rayna standing in the doorway, a large white bandage on her shoulder. He was glad to see she’d received medical care, although he’d wanted to be the one to give it to her.

  He wasn’t sure how he felt about this confrontation. Yes, he’d just saved all their lives, but he’d done it in a way that no one had ever seen, and most likely wouldn’t see again. He didn’t want her to think badly of him for doing what he did, or because of his supernatural power that he unwittingly received.


  “Anything else you need, Brody?” Joe asked.

  “No. I think we’re okay now,” Brody murmured, his gaze never leaving Rayna. She stared at him, confusion and fascination written all over her face.

  “Well, done, Brody. I knew you were perfect for my company,” Joe said.

  “Thanks, Joe.”

  “Safe travels, Brody,” Joe said, ending their call.

  Setting down the phone, Brody asked, “How’s your arm?”

  She looked at the bandage and shrugged. “It’s okay. It hurts, but I’ll live.”

  They stared at each other for a beat, and then Brody said, “So now you know.”

  She nodded. “Yes, I guess I do.”

  She leaned against the doorway, her gun still in her hand.

  “You have control over the ocean,” she said. “And the dolphins, they’re part of it.”

  He nodded, not bothering to deny what she said.

  “It’s like there’s a . . . ” her voice trailing off as if she were looking for the right word.

  “Connection,” he said. “I have a deep connection with the sea.”

  She stepped into the room and sat on the bench. “Tell me more.”

  He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Are you sure you want to know it all?”

  “Yes.”

  He explained that if he was away from the ocean for any length of time past four hours, he began to have respiratory distress. “I can’t breath, my chest gets tight, and I think I’m going to die.”

  “Like a bad asthma attack,” she murmured.

  He nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “What about the dolphins?” she asked, “What’s their role in this?”

  “I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “They’re just . . . there.”

  “From what I’ve seen, it’s like they act as your friends, or at the very least, your cheerleading squad.”