way.”
“Oh, my God.” Her fingers were back to twisting her wedding ring.
“Commander, won’t it take forever in this storm for a cutter to find the houseboat?”
“They’ve been tracking it on radar ever since we gave them its position. Their turbo engines should put them on location any time now.”
“Listen,” Tully said, trying to figure out if anything he could tell the Coast Guard would even make a difference. “We have reason to believe members of a drug cartel took over the boat.”
“Wait a minute, how do you know that? We haven’t received anything.”
Tully ignored the Senator’s pained look. “I have nothing official, okay? But you need to warn that cutter. There are most likely armed men aboard.”
Chapter 14
MAGGIE THOUGHT SHE COULD hear another noise. Not a helicopter but a loud hum approaching. If Liz was right about them picking up a drug delivery then there was another boat close by. Right now all she could think about was getting through the pitch-black hallway. Liz stayed quiet. She kept her hand on Maggie’s shoulder and followed. She knew exactly where Maggie was headed.
They could already hear Felipe stumbling to find them back in the steering house. George wouldn’t be able to leave as long as the boat’s engine was engaged. Though she didn’t know that for sure. Boats probably had auto-pilot, but could it be used in a storm?
Felipe was yelling to Diego in Spanish. And for a second Maggie worried that they might run right into the man. Had he finished flinging the dead crew members over the railing? Or was he back here in the laundry room retrieving the last one?
She held her breath, trying to listen. But she didn’t slow down her pace. The engine still chugged, vibrating the floorboards. Certainly Diego would be cursing in the dark if he had been in the laundry room or even the hallway when the lights went out.
Her hip ran into a kitchen counter. She bit down on her lip but felt relief more than pain. If they’d made it to the kitchen they had passed the laundry room. The only window was farther down, past the living room, past another hallway of floor to ceiling cherry wood paneling and bookcases. Not that windows mattered. It was too dark. Still, Maggie could see a flicker of lightning at the end of the tunnel.
“Two more doors,” Liz whispered and Maggie realized that the rescue swimmer had counted them when they had been hostages.
At the other end of the hallway behind them she could hear Felipe slamming through the door from the steering house. It wouldn’t take him any time at all to make his way through in the dark. Everything was bolted down. Maggie couldn’t even shove anything in his path to slow him down.
Then the engine sputtered and went silent. George had turned it off. And now there were three men to worry about.
“Just on the other side of the next bookcase,” Liz whispered again.
Maggie grabbed Liz’s arm and exchanged places with her. If she had to, she knew she could take down Felipe, especially if he didn’t see it coming. As if reading her mind, Liz kept hold of Maggie’s wrist and pulled her along.
“It’s right here,” she said and the two of them patted down the wall looking for the door latch.
Liz found it first. The blast of wind and rain hit them in the face like buckshot. Maggie had to hold her breath. She tucked her chin and grabbed onto the railing. The tackle box would be close and yet Maggie couldn’t see a foot in front of her.
Then she realized Liz was down on her hands and knees. She joined her.
“It’s not here,” Liz yelled.
“It has to be.”
Lightning flashed and Maggie saw the box clamped down. She crawled closer. She could see the bungee cord that cinched the lid. A wave washed over the deck railing, knocking both of them into the wall. Maggie swiped a hand over her face and through the blur she thought she saw a light on the water. She pointed for Liz.
“Drug boat?”
Liz shook her head.
“Oh, my God.” Her fingers were back to twisting her wedding ring.
“Commander, won’t it take forever in this storm for a cutter to find the houseboat?”
“They’ve been tracking it on radar ever since we gave them its position. Their turbo engines should put them on location any time now.”
“Listen,” Tully said, trying to figure out if anything he could tell the Coast Guard would even make a difference. “We have reason to believe members of a drug cartel took over the boat.”
“Wait a minute, how do you know that? We haven’t received anything.”
Tully ignored the Senator’s pained look. “I have nothing official, okay? But you need to warn that cutter. There are most likely armed men aboard.”
Chapter 14
MAGGIE THOUGHT SHE COULD hear another noise. Not a helicopter but a loud hum approaching. If Liz was right about them picking up a drug delivery then there was another boat close by. Right now all she could think about was getting through the pitch-black hallway. Liz stayed quiet. She kept her hand on Maggie’s shoulder and followed. She knew exactly where Maggie was headed.
They could already hear Felipe stumbling to find them back in the steering house. George wouldn’t be able to leave as long as the boat’s engine was engaged. Though she didn’t know that for sure. Boats probably had auto-pilot, but could it be used in a storm?
Felipe was yelling to Diego in Spanish. And for a second Maggie worried that they might run right into the man. Had he finished flinging the dead crew members over the railing? Or was he back here in the laundry room retrieving the last one?
She held her breath, trying to listen. But she didn’t slow down her pace. The engine still chugged, vibrating the floorboards. Certainly Diego would be cursing in the dark if he had been in the laundry room or even the hallway when the lights went out.
Her hip ran into a kitchen counter. She bit down on her lip but felt relief more than pain. If they’d made it to the kitchen they had passed the laundry room. The only window was farther down, past the living room, past another hallway of floor to ceiling cherry wood paneling and bookcases. Not that windows mattered. It was too dark. Still, Maggie could see a flicker of lightning at the end of the tunnel.
“Two more doors,” Liz whispered and Maggie realized that the rescue swimmer had counted them when they had been hostages.
At the other end of the hallway behind them she could hear Felipe slamming through the door from the steering house. It wouldn’t take him any time at all to make his way through in the dark. Everything was bolted down. Maggie couldn’t even shove anything in his path to slow him down.
Then the engine sputtered and went silent. George had turned it off. And now there were three men to worry about.
“Just on the other side of the next bookcase,” Liz whispered again.
Maggie grabbed Liz’s arm and exchanged places with her. If she had to, she knew she could take down Felipe, especially if he didn’t see it coming. As if reading her mind, Liz kept hold of Maggie’s wrist and pulled her along.
“It’s right here,” she said and the two of them patted down the wall looking for the door latch.
Liz found it first. The blast of wind and rain hit them in the face like buckshot. Maggie had to hold her breath. She tucked her chin and grabbed onto the railing. The tackle box would be close and yet Maggie couldn’t see a foot in front of her.
Then she realized Liz was down on her hands and knees. She joined her.
“It’s not here,” Liz yelled.
“It has to be.”
Lightning flashed and Maggie saw the box clamped down. She crawled closer. She could see the bungee cord that cinched the lid. A wave washed over the deck railing, knocking both of them into the wall. Maggie swiped a hand over her face and through the blur she thought she saw a light on the water. She pointed for Liz.
“Drug boat?”
Liz shook her head.
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