this boat. With that knowledge, did someone sabotage us? Maybe Steve. He had been out at the boathouse this morning.
If so, why? Did they know who we were? Why we were here?
I had so many questions, but no real time to ponder any of them.
Instead, I worked hard, using my water bottle to collect as much liquid as possible.
As I bent down to scoop another container full, something on the side of the boat caught my eye.
A small prick in the side of the kayak was barely visible and almost looked like a nail hole.
It definitely hadn’t come from aging or accident. Someone wanted this boat to sink.
“I think I see the island ahead!” It was barely a speck, but there was something on the horizon. I thought for sure it was Blackbird Hall.
Hope surged in me a moment. If we were to sink here, maybe we could make it to the shore.
That’s when I remembered the radio we’d been given. Why hadn’t I thought of that earlier? I’d been in reaction mode. “Riley, we can call for help!”
“Of course!”
I opened a little box at the front of the boat and pulled it out. I flicked the switch to ON but nothing happened.
What?
“Do you know how to use it?” Riley took another stroke and then another and another. We were moving at a nice clip . . . but would it be fast enough?
“I’m trying. I think the batteries are dead.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Riley muttered.
“I wish.” I smacked it with my hands, but nothing happened. Realizing that more water was flooding inside the boat, I scrambled to open the back of the radio. When the cover finally popped off, I sucked in a quick breath.
“The batteries aren’t dead,” I said in disbelief. “There are no batteries.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think someone set us up.”
I frowned. “I think they did. We’re going to have to be careful. If we survive this kayak trip, at least.”
The water reached my knees, and it kept coming in. The more water that filled the boat, the lower the boat sat in the water and the closer we became to being pulled under completely.
I gave up on the radio and began shoveling water again. I had to keep going because I really didn’t want to swim back to the shore. I had a life preserver—if that hadn’t also been compromised—but the chilly temperature of the bay would make it easy for hypothermia to kick in.
Of all the ways I’d seen myself dying, here in the bay while kayaking was not one of them.
No, I couldn’t think like that. I just had to concentrate on getting the water out of the boat. And my other concern, next to dying, was the note. If it got wet, any of my potential evidence would be gone. I had no way of preserving it.
In the distance, the island became larger. It was definitely Bird’s Nest Island. That was the good news.
The bad news was that no matter how fast Riley paddled, our safe place still looked really far away.
Lord, be with us. No matter how foolish this investigation may be, please show us Your favor. I beg You. Let me live through this trial so I can show my deepened character.
I prayed that prayer more often than I’d like to admit.
Splash, scoop, slosh.
Splash, scoop, slosh.
The sounds became a rhythm, one we needed to keep constant in order to get through this.
Something about it brought me comfort.
Until I realized the water was up to my waist.
“We’re going under!”
He kept paddling. “Listen, even if we go under, we’re going to be okay. We’ll turn the kayak over and use it as a floatation device. We’ll stick together and make it back to the shore. We’ll be cold, but we can survive this. Okay?”
I nodded, continuing to scoop water. Riley always made me feel safe and like he was watching out for me. I craved that in my life.
I was falling back into my old patterns, wasn’t I? I couldn’t do that. I had to fight harder.
“You ready to do this, Gabby?”
I snapped back to reality. The land in the distance was probably a mile away. It was hard to
If so, why? Did they know who we were? Why we were here?
I had so many questions, but no real time to ponder any of them.
Instead, I worked hard, using my water bottle to collect as much liquid as possible.
As I bent down to scoop another container full, something on the side of the boat caught my eye.
A small prick in the side of the kayak was barely visible and almost looked like a nail hole.
It definitely hadn’t come from aging or accident. Someone wanted this boat to sink.
“I think I see the island ahead!” It was barely a speck, but there was something on the horizon. I thought for sure it was Blackbird Hall.
Hope surged in me a moment. If we were to sink here, maybe we could make it to the shore.
That’s when I remembered the radio we’d been given. Why hadn’t I thought of that earlier? I’d been in reaction mode. “Riley, we can call for help!”
“Of course!”
I opened a little box at the front of the boat and pulled it out. I flicked the switch to ON but nothing happened.
What?
“Do you know how to use it?” Riley took another stroke and then another and another. We were moving at a nice clip . . . but would it be fast enough?
“I’m trying. I think the batteries are dead.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Riley muttered.
“I wish.” I smacked it with my hands, but nothing happened. Realizing that more water was flooding inside the boat, I scrambled to open the back of the radio. When the cover finally popped off, I sucked in a quick breath.
“The batteries aren’t dead,” I said in disbelief. “There are no batteries.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think someone set us up.”
I frowned. “I think they did. We’re going to have to be careful. If we survive this kayak trip, at least.”
The water reached my knees, and it kept coming in. The more water that filled the boat, the lower the boat sat in the water and the closer we became to being pulled under completely.
I gave up on the radio and began shoveling water again. I had to keep going because I really didn’t want to swim back to the shore. I had a life preserver—if that hadn’t also been compromised—but the chilly temperature of the bay would make it easy for hypothermia to kick in.
Of all the ways I’d seen myself dying, here in the bay while kayaking was not one of them.
No, I couldn’t think like that. I just had to concentrate on getting the water out of the boat. And my other concern, next to dying, was the note. If it got wet, any of my potential evidence would be gone. I had no way of preserving it.
In the distance, the island became larger. It was definitely Bird’s Nest Island. That was the good news.
The bad news was that no matter how fast Riley paddled, our safe place still looked really far away.
Lord, be with us. No matter how foolish this investigation may be, please show us Your favor. I beg You. Let me live through this trial so I can show my deepened character.
I prayed that prayer more often than I’d like to admit.
Splash, scoop, slosh.
Splash, scoop, slosh.
The sounds became a rhythm, one we needed to keep constant in order to get through this.
Something about it brought me comfort.
Until I realized the water was up to my waist.
“We’re going under!”
He kept paddling. “Listen, even if we go under, we’re going to be okay. We’ll turn the kayak over and use it as a floatation device. We’ll stick together and make it back to the shore. We’ll be cold, but we can survive this. Okay?”
I nodded, continuing to scoop water. Riley always made me feel safe and like he was watching out for me. I craved that in my life.
I was falling back into my old patterns, wasn’t I? I couldn’t do that. I had to fight harder.
“You ready to do this, Gabby?”
I snapped back to reality. The land in the distance was probably a mile away. It was hard to
Similar Books
