SEALed With A Kiss: Heroes With Heart

by Low, Gennita

  She shook her head. “I watched the others. The cage is sturdy. And I have no wish to stick my hand outside the bars to try to pet them.”

  Troy laughed. “We’ve got tiger sharks and whites. Should be a good show.” He turned to Dex. “You ready?”

  Dex gave him a nod, and then handed Lace goggles and a weight belt. “This will keep you from floating to the top of the cage.”

  Her smile stretched across her face. “I actually think this will be fun. I didn’t much like swimming above them, but the cage is almost like wearing armor.”

  Minutes later, the second couple exited the cage, and one of Troy’s team opened the cage door and signaled for them to enter. Dex followed Lace as she ducked through the entrance. Once inside, she donned her goggles and belt, and then reached above her for the hookah tube with the mouthpiece.

  “Anything goes wrong with the air in the tube…” he held up the alternate regulator, “I have this. Just remember to breathe in through your mouth, exhale through your nose.”

  “Got it,” she said, her expression tense but happy.

  Dex glanced behind him just as the cage door swung closed.

  Troy stood outside the cage, giving him a hard stare. “You take care of her and no one gets hurt.” He turned the latch to close it.

  Dex cut a glance around him, noted that the dive crew members were opening plastic tubs, pitching aside spare BCDs and pulling out firearms, pistols and rifles. Dread clenched his gut. Trapped inside a cage, he couldn’t make a move.

  Lace’s fingers curled around his wrist. “What’s happening?”

  Dex’s gaze locked on Troy’s grim smile. “They’re taking the boat. My crew—”

  “Will be busy fishing you two from the bottom of the sea,” Troy said. “They won’t be able to follow us because their engine’s about to seize. While they’re occupied, we’ll be rounding up Halloran and his rich friends, and inviting them to wire funds to our accounts. By the time that second escort boat headed this way arrives, we’ll be long gone.”

  Lace curled her body against his. Automatically, he grabbed her waist.

  “You’ve got another boat coming,” Dex guessed, his heart beginning to race as he realized there wasn’t a thing he could do. Already, the chain holding the cage was tightening, lifting them off the deck.

  “Like I said, if your men don’t try anything stupid, everyone lives. I’m not a murderer. I’m just looking out for my retirement.” Troy gave another grin, one that was tight. His eyes gleamed beneath lowered brows. “Stop worrying about what’s happening up here. You’re gonna have your hands full.” He angled his head toward Lace.

  The cage rattled and shook as the crane swung it out over the water. Another chum bucket was lowered over the side. Dex’s attention went to the sharks circling beneath them, and then to the woman standing beside him, her eyes wide as saucers and her body beginning to shake. “Grab tight to the cage, baby. Hold your breath as we go down. Soon as we’re in the water, I’ll share my tank. We’ll be okay.”

  With the cage poised above the water, Dex knew what was about to happen. He grabbed the rail and sank to his knees.

  Lace did the same, staring back at him.

  The moment the crane released the cage, chain rattling through the winch, they dropped into the water. A second later, they were fully submerged and lowering fast, Lace’s eyes widening behind her mask, her lips pinched closed and cheeks billowing as she held her breath.

  Counting the seconds of their descent, Dex cleared his mask, put his regulator into his mouth, purged the water from it, and sucked in air. Then he slid his hand down the hose to the alternate regulator. With the cage still sinking, he held the rail with one hand and moved toward her.

  He held up the yellow alternate regulator, but before allowing her to put it in her mouth, took out his own, showing her how to insert it, then hitting the purge button to let out water, before exaggerating an indrawn breath.

  Lace followed his lead, at last breathing through the alternate. The panic in her face lessened as she breathed, and they both gazed upward. The chain rolling out, snagged at the end, then released. The cage free-floated the last few feet to settle in the sand at the sea bottom.

  Above them, the yacht’s hull was a dark shadow. The much smaller skiff’s hull was on the far side of the boat. More than a dozen sharks, large and larger still, circled near the rear.

  Dex could imagine the scene aboard the yacht as passengers were herded to the lounge and forced to clear accounts to shift money to Troy’s. The man had seemed adamant about not harming anyone, but he and his crew were armed. Anything could happen. Dex assumed they’d already neutralized the two guards aboard the ship, but how had they done it? Was his team even aware of what was going down?

  Not willing to waste oxygen waiting for an answer, he reached outside of the cage to the latch at the front of the door.

  Lace smacked his arm then pointed. A chum basket floated down beside them, stirring the sand as it landed not fifteen feet from them. The sharks above them gracefully turned and followed the basket, swarming it in a growing frenzy as they shredded fish, fighting each other for food.

  The latch wasn’t locked. Troy had likely banked on Lace being too terrified by the sharks feeding so near them to venture out of the cage. If the pirates aboard the yacht were efficient, they should be gone well before the tank ran out of air. But Dex couldn’t rely on Troy’s efficiency any more than he wanted to rely on being rescued by his team. Safest route was to get themselves out of the cage and figure out how to reboard the yacht or his crew’s skiff. Retaking the yacht seemed a stretch right then, but he wasn’t one to give up.

  However, their first step was to escape the cage. He glanced at Lace. She held so still, he knew she was waiting for him to signal his plan. She was far from an experienced diver. The fact she hadn’t already drowned was a damn miracle, but to expect her to swim to the surface, past hungry sharks, might be too much to ask.

  Dex gripped her shoulders and leaned toward her, pressing his goggles against hers and meeting her frightened gaze. They could do this. She could do this. But she had to trust him.

  Maybe he didn’t realize it, but his fingers dug hard into Lace’s shoulders as he bent toward her, trying to convey something with that cool, steady gaze. The air was nice. The mouthpiece tasted old and metallic, but after holding her breath for nearly a minute, she was grateful. Panic was receding. Sure, the cage sat on the ocean floor. Sharks swum close enough she could see their beady black eyes and rows and rows of triangular teeth. Blood and fish bits dirtied the pristine water beside them as the sharks fought for every scrap of chum. But she and Dex were safe for the moment, crouched inside the steel dive cage. Someone above would come for them. His team, hopefully.

  If they even knew they were sitting at the bottom of the freaking ocean.

  Okay, so she was still panicking. She forced herself to steady her breaths. There couldn’t be a limitless supply of nasty-tasting air in the tank. Afraid to touch him and somehow crimp a hose or bust a connection, she kept her fists in tight balls at her sides while he watched her through their goggles until she gave him a slow blink to let him know she was back in control.

  The sides of his eyes wrinkled. A smile, of sorts.

  If he could smile, she could keep from being another source of worry for him. No doubt he needed all his attention on getting them out of there. Soothing her fears shouldn’t be another problem.

  So, she’d ticked through all their problems, or at least, the ones they faced down there. Wondering what kind of hell had broken loose above wasn’t something she was willing to consider right then. But what advantages did they have?

  They possessed a single tank of air, steel bars between them and the sharks, and she had a SEAL crouched right in front of her. The last advantage being the most important. This was a guy who’d been in scary places before. She’d follow his lead. Whatever he wanted, she wouldn’t balk.

  Dex leaned away, p
ointed between them, then straight above them.

  Automatically, Lace shook her head, then met his gaze and gave him two blinks, hoping he’d read her code. Hellz no!

  His eyes narrowed.

  No, not that look, not now. Even with enlarged goggle-eyes, he was sexy as hell.

  Again, he jabbed an extended finger toward the yacht.

  Although it was the last thing she wanted to agree to, she gave him a slow blink.

  Not giving her time to rethink the order, he reached outside the cage and opened the door.

  Heart pounding, Lace cast a frightened glance toward the sharks, but they were still distracted with their feeding, now bumping each other, teeth bared as they swam in tight circles and lunged toward the fish bits sticking out from the sides of the basket.

  Dex tugged her hand. He was poised to exit the door.

  She sidled closer and waited as he exited, then carefully followed, no choice there, really, because her air line wasn’t very long.

  He touched a button on something hanging from the hoses and she felt an upward tug. They began their ascent.

  Careful to never look behind them, she held still, letting him do the swimming for them both, one-armed as it was, because he wasn’t letting go of her hand. The hard squeeze was reassuring, as was his long, muscled body. They were weaponless, as vulnerable as two people swimming in shark-infested water could be, and they were nearing a boat overtaken by pirates.

  She’d come to the Caribbean, wanting an adventure. Well, one had certainly found her. Next time, she’d settle for a cabana on private beach.

  Chapter Seven

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  Dex kept under the hull of the boat, hoping any spotter Troy might have placed on the deck would be angled such that he’d never see them coming up. The fact the chum bucket sat closer to the boat than the cage might work in their favor, masking their ascent. The bubbles of air rising from their breathers might not be noticeable. So many mights and maybes.

  He had to shove aside his doubts and keep moving upward, pressing a button every now and then to inflate his BCD so they rose slowly. He glanced once behind them, and was reassured by the determined expression in Lace’s eyes. She was with him and holding steady. Beyond her, he noted the sharks were losing interest in the chum basket. They must have devoured it by now. A few trailed away, but one Great White swam beneath them, not angling upward, but clearly interested.

  Shark attacks against divers were rare. Not his biggest worry. However, if Lace saw the creature…

  Dex squeezed her hand and drew her attention, pointing toward the end of the boat right beneath the swimming platform. Again, he hit the button to add air to his BCD to buoy them higher. Just beneath the platform, he unstrapped the vest and handed it to her, keeping his regulator in his mouth for the moment, but held up his hand to let her know he was ready to give her a signal.

  He pointed at her, and then placed a hand on the ship’s hull. Stay.

  Her large green eyes blinked twice. No.

  He spat out his regulator, patted the hull, then swam backward, putting some distance between them. He held up a hand and spread his fingers. Five minutes.

  She glanced around and then down, noted the shark swimming beneath them, then raised her gaze to his, shaking her head faster.

  Five minutes. His chest tightened and he forced calm into his thoughts. He swam nearer and cupped the side of her face. Did she think he wanted to leave her here alone? But he had to see what was happening above them.

  Her eyes filled, but she blinked once, planting a hand on the hull, telling him she’d stay put.

  Relieved, he picked up the regulator, purged it, then took two deep breaths. And then he swam toward his skiff, keeping beneath the curve of the yacht so that anyone above wouldn’t see him in the water. When he glanced up at the skiff, what he saw made his stomach drop.

  All three of his crew sat facing the ship, their hands clasped behind their heads. Without needing to see what was happening above them, he guessed one of Troy’s men held a gun on them. He surfaced, raising just his head above the water and dragged in a shallow breath.

  Justin’s gaze lowered, one side of his mouth quirked up. “’Bout damn time,” he said softly.

  “How many on the platform?”

  Justin kept his gaze trained above, but said softly from the side of his mouth, “One’s all I can see. Another is on the bridge with the captain. The rest are with the passengers in the lounge. They made an announcement, got everyone there.”

  “The replacement boat?”

  “Last time I spoke to them, they were thirty minutes out.”

  “Where’s the guy above me?”

  “At the rails. I’ll keep him distracted.”

  Plan set, Dex dunked beneath the water and swam back toward Lace. The shark had moved off, but she was still staring beneath her, legs curled close to her body.

  Dex reached out and touched her leg.

  Her head shot up, and she passed him the regulator.

  He breathed, then signaled, pointing to her eyes, then toward the ladder leading up to the dive platform. Five minutes.

  Her brows drew close. Concern for him, rather than fear.

  Dex reached for her hand and cupped it inside his, giving her a reassuring squeeze. Then he released it, spat out the regulator and swam away. As he neared the ladder, he wished like hell he had a knife, or something he could use as a weapon. Careful not to make any splashing sounds, he eased up the ladder, then peeked over the edge.

  A man stood near the far rails, a beefy arm wrapped around one of the female passengers and a gun pressed to her side.

  That’s how he’d gotten Dex’s men to surrender. But how the hell was he going disarm the guy without harming the woman?

  He edged onto the platform, listening as Justin started one of his riffs. As he moved, he noted the man holding the weapon on the woman was only a few steps from a set of stairs which were out of sight from the bridge above.

  “So, you know how you’re gonna spend your money?” Justin’s voice drifted from below. “Man, if I had millions, I’d head to South America. You check out extradition treaties…”

  Dex slipped behind the crane, keeping hidden from the windows of the bridge. No one patrolled the upper decks as far as he could see. Troy had taken the boat with only a handful of men.

  He worked his way around the edges of the open platform, found a knife in a box of gear the dive team must have used to cut up fish for baiting, and then moved nearer the man whose attention was claimed by Justin’s unending patter.

  “I told you to shut up.”

  “I’m just curious, man. Never had the balls to do something like this.”

  “Shut up.” With a stiff move, the man lowered his pistol, aiming it toward the skiff.

  Dex leapt from cover, coming up behind him and sliding the knife against his throat, his other hand clamping on the wrist holding the weapon. “Let the gun drop.”

  The man’s body tightened, his weight shifted slightly to the side.

  He was going to make a move. Dex clipped the side of the man’s head and his body sagged. Thankfully, he hadn’t gotten a shot off.

  The woman wriggled away, dropping to her knees beside him and sobbing.

  “Quiet,” Dex said, lowering the man to the deck not looking her way. “Find a cabin. Lock yourself in.”

  She pushed herself upright and ran without looking back.

  Dex shot a glance over the side. “Justin, Lace is under the boat. I’ll handle the man on the bridge.”

  Scooping his hands under the man’s arms, he dragged him backward, pulling him under the stairs to hide him. Then he raced up the stairs, hoping Troy’s man on the bridge was equally as un-trained as the one he’d just taken. If he radioed to Troy inside the lounge, things might get complicated fast.

  When he reached the bridge, Dex hunched beneath the window, making his way swiftly to the door. There, he peeked into the window to see the captain standing a
t the far side, facing away while looking at a blip on the radar.

  The gunman holding him hostage stood behind the captain, looking at the same screen over his shoulder. Whether the captain had deliberately pulled away his captor’s attention from the drama on the deck, Dex had no way of knowing, but the coincidence was damn lucky. He opened the door and slid quietly inside, and then paused, prepared to rush him.

  The burly man in a tied-dyed shirt glanced back, eyes widening. He spun and raised his weapon.

  Behind him, the captain shoved.

  Dex came in low, plowing into the guard’s belly.

  The man reached out for the gun, but the captain stomped on his fingers.

  Dex and the pirate wrestled on the floor, but although the other man was in good shape, he wasn’t a disciplined fighter. Within seconds Dex flipped him and slipped an arm around the guy’s neck, cutting off his air until he sagged. “Got some rope?”

  “This a boat?” the captain said, grinning.

  “Where’s your guard?”

  The captain pointed his chin toward a corner where a man in a white uniform sat with plastic ties around his wrists and ankles. “He’s not a SEAL.” He jerked his chin to the man Dex had subdued. “Bastard there got the drop on him.”

  “The blip on the radar their escape boat?”

  “Yeah, how do you want to handle this?”

  Dex glanced out the window to the diving platform. His men were boarding. He paused, not letting out a breath until Lace came into view. Justin climbed up behind her, holding the BCD and tank.

  Dex looked back to the captain. “If you use the open radio to contact the shore, Troy will know we’ve got the bridge. He’ll barricade himself inside the lounge.” He cursed under his breath. “We can’t take them there. They have weapons. Troy says he’s not a murderer, but we have to hope he’s smart enough to know he can’t win this.”

  He gripped a hand on the control deck and locked gazes with the captain. “My men will warn away the getaway boat. You radio the shore. Do you have anyone in the engine room?”