Page 43 of Chain Reaction

“He hasn’t surfaced yet.” Jake kept an eye on the water.

More crew members stepped in to enact the emergency protocols.

All passengers were instructed to return to their vehicles as the captain stopped the ferry’s forward momentum.

Jake stayed where he was. “I need to talk to the captain. I work private security, and there are things he needs to know.”

The crew member stared at him as if weighing his words. Then he motioned for Jake to follow. He led Jake to the wheelhouse, and Jake explained to the captain what was happening.

The captain, a man in his thirties with a long, coarse beard, frowned. “We still have to bring in the Coast Guard to look for him.”

Jake understood the logistics of what had happened and nodded. “I don’t think you’ll find him. He wanted off this boat for a reason.”

“You think he plans to swim all the way back to shore? It’s probably a couple of miles.”

“Either swim back to shore, or he has someone in a boat waiting for him within swimming distance. He could have climbed up on a sandbar to wait.”

This waterway was thick with shifting shoals, which made it difficult to navigate. Sandbars were abundant.

The captain clucked his tongue before shaking his head. “I’ve seen a lot of things, but this is a first.”

“So what happens next? Do we have to wait until he’s located?” Jake didn’t want to waste any more time.

They needed to get to Emerald Isle so he could investigate that other bomb.

“I need to make some calls. But if we don’t find him soon, we’ll need to get out of the way and let the Coast Guard do their job. The man’s car will still be onboard. Authorities might be able to ID him from that.”

“Good point.” Jake turned and glanced around. “How many vehicles are aboard?”

“Twenty-six.”

“We should look and see which ones are empty.”

The captain nodded. “My guys will help you.”

Jake would do that. But first he needed to check on Raven.

Raven glanced up as Jake approached. She was anxious to get out of this vehicle and figure out what was going on.

Except she partly knew what was going on. She’d had a decent view from inside the SUV. She’d seen the man jump into the water. She knew rescue procedures were underway.

Jake opened the SUV door and leaned inside.

Against Raven’s will, her breath caught at his presence.

But she pushed that feeling aside. She was stronger than her emotions, and shewouldstay focused.

“Are you okay?” Jake stared at her with what appeared to be genuine concern in his gaze.

She nodded. “Just shaken, as are a lot of people on this ferry.”

His expression remained grim and serious. “We’re going to look for this guy’s car. I thought you might want to help.”

Surprise washed through her. “I’d love to.”

She climbed out of the SUV and felt the breeze wash over her, a welcome relief from the stuffy confines of the vehicle. Even though it wasn’t that hot outside, with no air circulation it had felt warmer than she liked.

Or maybe it was being around Jake that caused her to feel this way.